Wednesday, July 20. Morning.
"May I kiss you?"
You rolled over and looked at Akechi. "You're asking permission now?" You giggled.
Akechi responded by nuzzling you and kissing you repeatedly on the neck. "You didn't say no."
"You don't even stop when I say no," you mumbled. "The only way to make you stop is to use our safeword."
"That's what it's there for," Akechi teased. He started running his fingers up your shirt. When he started tickling you is when you jolted in surprise.
"Aha! Pancakes! Stop!" You laughed.
Akechi stopped tickling you. "So you are ticklish."
You sat up and checked your phone. "The thieves will be here after lunch. We should clean up the apartment before then."
"Why?" Akechi bent one of his legs and put his arm behind his head. His t-shirt pulled up a few inches, showing a bit of his stomach.
"Do you know how much semen I have to clean off of things now?!" You said, a bit exasperated.
"We've only been having unprotected sex for…five days," Akechi frowned.
"Yes and you've been trying to do me at least twice a day," you sighed.
"If my cum is all over your apartment, then that's optimal for me," said Akechi.
"That's disgusting."
"Oh, so you think my cum is disgusting?" Akechi sat up, his face annoyed.
"When it's on my wall and furniture!" You cried. "It's a bodily fluid!"
Akechi looked embarrassed.
"How about, if you're a good boy and help me with chores," you smiled, "we can do it this evening."
Akechi's phone rang. "Hello? Oh, yes, this is Akechi." He left the room.
You got up, got dressed, and made your way into the kitchen. You wished you had a coffee maker. Maybe you could get one at the new apartment later. You pulled out two bottles of coffee from the fridge and started making some breakfast. Akechi was outside the sliding glass doors on your balcony talking to someone. He didn't seem riled up, so the call probably wasn't from work.
Akechi finished the phone call with a smile on his face. "Oh, good, I'm hungry," he said as he sat down at the table.
You handed him the bottle of coffee. "Who was that on the phone?"
"Hm? Oh, we can move in this Saturday," said Akechi. "We should get packing, then."
"Wait…that's only in a few days!" You cried. " And Tagakaki's palace on top of it?"
"We'll be fine," said Akechi. "I can tear through that place quickly with Loki. It's unfortunate that I can't use him with the others present, though."
You sighed. "I wish…"
"I don't wish to bare my persona so carelessly," said Akechi. "I'm not an exhibitionist like you, so I don't have much of a thrill–"
"No," you said sharply. "You're the one who always tries to finger me in public!"
"Have I done it yet?" Akechi pointed out, his mouth full with his breakfast as he spoke.
"No, but you've come close," you grumbled.
Akechi swallowed. "'Close' would hardly hold up in a court of law." He sighed. "Not that it even matters anyway."
"Right…didn't you say our justice system is totally corrupt?"
"Our prosecutors have a rather unsightly habit of having a ninety nine percent prosecution rate success, whatever the hell that's supposed to mean." Akechi sounded a bit tilted. "Which includes fabricating evidence. You don't have a chance." He sighed. "Amamiya-kun being wrongfully accused doesn't surprise me in the slightest."
"Yeah," you sighed. "I wonder who accused him."
"I looked into that, actually," said Akechi. "It's been so cleanly swept under the rug, even I couldn't find anything. Juvenile records are hard to find to begin with. The person pressing charges is anonymous."
"That's suspicious," you said.
"I had nothing to do with that," said Akechi. "I don't handle mediocre cases, and I especially don't waste my time on fabrications of that level."
"So you're saying it has something to do with Shido?" You pried.
"I have no idea." He exhaled. "Oh god…if they found out how much you knew…"
"I'm sorry," you said.
"No, it's my fault for not…" He grimaced.
"What, hiding it better from me? Seriously?" You groaned. "Goro, we can't have a relationship unless we trust each other. You…want that, right?" You asked the question, trying to alleviate the anxiety you constantly had.
"I want you to be safe ," said Akechi.
"Goro, don't deflect," you sighed.
Akechi fell silent and focused on eating. You felt ignored and hurt, but this was just standard for him by this point. He was completely inept at talking about his feelings. You knew why, but it was straining your feelings, especially because of everything going on.
"Goro, have you thought about therapy?"
Akechi almost choked on his coffee. "Isn't therapy for people with problems?" He said, looking annoyed.
Your brows furrowed. "It's good for everyone. And I think it's especially good for people who have experienced a lot of trauma."
"I haven't–"
"Goro, stop deflecting," you sighed. "I already know. I know…how bad it was for you. It probably was even worse than what I saw."
"What am I supposed to do? Walk into a therapist's office and tell him I've been forced by the most popular politician to murder people for two years?" Akechi looked exasperated, then stole your half-eaten food and started eating it.
"You could talk about your mom…" you said quietly.
"I don't want to talk about my mother!" Akechi snapped.
You got up and silently cleared your place. You were trying to not cry from the emotional weight in your chest. Maybe you had pushed him too much, or he was being a defensive, annoying pissbaby again.
Without saying a word, you went to try and start on some chores. You wanted to get some laundry done, so you started on changing the sheets on your bed. Despite trying to keep your hands busy, you were depressed and upset from that conversation. Akechi snapping at you was fine, but when he completely ignored you when it was obvious you needed assurance hurt you.
Oh god, nothing is normal about this relationship.
You heard Akechi starting to wash the dishes. You tried to focus more on the laundry while he was doing it. You then carried your hamper, his, and the sheets out into the living room. You felt Akechi's eyes watch you silently from the kitchen as you walked past.
"Y/N, I'll help you carry that," Akechi said.
"No, I'm fine," you said quickly.
"You're going to take two trips?" Akechi asked. He dried his hands on a towel and approached you.
"I'm fine!" You yelled.
Akechi winced. "Are you mad at me?"
"Yes I'm mad at you!" You cried. "You always deflect when I'm trying to help you and you never…you never tell me you love me…" You burst into tears.
Akechi looked pale and helpless. You were currently collapsed into a pile of dirty laundry, crying into your used bedsheets.
"I-I'll um…"
You looked up. You could barely see Akechi through your tears.
"I'll go to therapy."
You were shocked. "What?"
"I'll…um…speak to whatever his name is," said Akechi. "Maruki. Unofficially. I'll pay him too."
"Why Maruki in particular?" You asked, sniffing back your tears.
"I'm also curious about his research," said Akechi.
You started crying again.
"Y/N!" Akechi cried, kneeling beside you. "Please…no, don't cry. You don't have to cry. Not because of me. I…" He looked like he was choking on the next words he spoke.
"I'm sorry."
You were so startled by those words coming from his mouth, you stopped crying.
Akechi looked like he was taking mental damage the more he spoke. "I…shouldn't have yelled at you. You were just trying to help."
You couldn't bring yourself to speak. You were trying to process the words Akechi had just said to you.
"Did you hear me at all?" Akechi said, his face twisted in annoyance.
You snapped out of it. "Oh! Um…oh."
Akechi grabbed your tissue box and handed it to you.
You dried your face with a tissue. "I'm sorry, I overreacted a bit."
"No…" Akechi swallowed.
"It's just that I feel like I'm not…I'm not good enough for you sometimes," you confessed. "I don't feel like I'm contributing enough to the relationship. You work so hard, and all I do is–"
"Don't say these things so carelessly," said Akechi, brushing some of your hair from your face. "It's me who doesn't deserve you. You know what I am, what I do to people, yet you still think so little of yourself?"
"But I don't do anything–"
"Would you want your kitten to be exposed to danger?" Akechi said. "Do you expect things from her because you feed her and care for her? No, because you cherish her. Every day when you have to face all the shit in your life, you can come back home and she's waiting for you. You have a desire to spoil her rotten and protect her."
"So I'm…really your pet. I'm not–"
"You are so much more than just a pet," Akechi said, pressing his forehead against yours and gently caressing your cheek. "Shall I tell you how much I worship you? How obsessed I am with you? How you're the only person who makes me feel this way? What do I need to say for you to understand?"
You gave him a quick kiss. "Nothing, it's okay Goro. Relax. I'm sorry." You pushed him away from you. "Help me with this laundry."
Akechi obeyed and picked up his basket of clothes and stacked the sheets on top of it.
The two of you cleaned the apartment and started a bit of organizing, which you knew would help with packing. You decided to keep some of your furniture (and your bed), as it was decent quality and would alleviate stress after you moved. You didn't care what your parents thought or wanted with you or your things. You just wanted to get out of there.
"I'll see if the moving company has boxes later," said Akechi. "Or I can go right now. There's still time."
"We could go get lunch and get the boxes," you suggested.
"Good, because I'm starving, and I need to eat before I go into that bullshit palace again," Akechi sighed.
"Is it really that bad?" You asked.
"Oh you'll love it," Akechi said sarcastically.
Daytime
After lunch, you both returned with the boxes. After constructing them the two of you got to work packing up the things you didn't use daily. You were in the middle of packing when the Phantom Thieves knocked on your door.
"Hello!" You said cheerfully. You looked behind you at Akechi, who was in the living room. His dress shirt rolled up over his elbows, the buttons undone halfway down his chest. He was sweating, and looked miserable.
You let the Phantom Thieves into the living room. Worried about Akechi, you approached him and started combing back his hair with your fingers. "Why must you dress like it's winter all the time?"
Akechi blushed and looked over at the Phantom Thieves who had just arrived and were watching him getting his hair pulled back. He seemed embarrassed, but your care for him kind of ignored his pride.
"Sorry, guys," you apologized, letting Akechi go with a ponytail. "Give us a few minutes to get ready."
"Are you moving?" Ann asked.
You blushed. "Uh…yeah."
"Oh, where?" Ren asked.
"You may not have the address or location," said Akechi. "We're moving to a new apartment in the city. It's for security reasons." He looked straight at Ryuji and Ann. "I don't want any unnecessary comments about this."
To your (and Akechi's) surprise, Ann and Ryuji bowed to Akechi. "I'm sorry!!" They said in unison.
Akechi looked a bit startled.
"I've been unnecessarily rude to you, Akechi-kun," said Ann. She stood up and looked at him directly. "I know we have our differences of opinion, but I shouldn't treat you with such suspicion. You have to protect your identity as much as we do, and I shouldn't stay mad about it. Especially…since you seem to care about Y/N so much." She looked a little pained admitting the last sentence.
Ryuji wasn't saying anything, but Ann nudged him in the ribcage with her elbow. Ryuji yelped in pain, then looked at Akechi. "Yeah, dude. What I said…what I've been saying…totally been crossing the line. I shouldn't have said those things. Yeah."
"You really shouldn't have," Ann said angrily.
Akechi was staring at the both of them with a blank expression. The only time you had ever seen anyone apologize to Akechi outside of yourself were people afraid for their lives. This was a new experience, being apologized to genuinely by peers, and you were pretty sure he was short circuiting.
You rubbed Akechi on the back to encourage him.
"Oh! Um…let's just forget about it," said Akechi with a princely smile. "I do apologize for responding with hostility on my part."
Well…at least he's trying. You pat his back. "Come on, Goro, let's get ready to go. Guys, I have snacks in that cabinet over there and water bottles in the fridge if you want to pack them in my bag."
Akechi closed your bedroom door and unbuttoned his shirt. He put on a clean T-shirt instead, and looked significantly better.
"Goro, you have to start dressing for hot weather," you whined, hugging him from behind. "People aren't going to think less of you if you dress more casually."
Akechi sighed. "What if my fans see me?"
"Then they'll think it's adorable," you said, running your hands up his t shirt to feel his skin. When you had first touched his bare skin, he was thin and you could feel some of his muscle definition on his slender body. Now though, he was softer. You knew he wasn't any less strong, so it was an addition of a few pounds. He seemed healthier than when you first met him, and you wondered if that had anything to do with you forcing him to eat regular balanced meals.
"Okay, okay, we need to go," said Akechi, gently removing your hands.
Akechi, you, and the Phantom Thieves made your way into Takagaki's palace. You went back to the catacombs, where Akechi starts explaining the layout.
"It's tricky, and horrible," he said. "I gave your leader an update about what I was doing last night in here. I took out several larger shadows which would have slowed down our progress."
"Aren't we a team?" Ann sighed.
"Yes, but I'm very good at stealth assassinations," Akechi explained.
Your eyes widened. You couldn't believe Akechi had just let that slip.
"Goro, I have not once seen you assassinate anything stealthily ," you said, trying to cover for him.
Akechi just looked embarrassed. "Fine. Whatever. I fought them. Can we go, please?"
The group made their way through the catacombs. It was cold and made of stone. There were skeletons lying in the walls, some of them turning out to be shadows, attacking you. Ren eventually noticed their pattern and was able to warn the group ahead of time before any shadows could jump out. You began to wonder why Takagaki's palace was so full of death.
Makoto and Yusuke began picking up various scraps of paper, books, and scrolls. They were looking through them as you walked. Akechi said something about wasting time, but you were intrigued by the papers as well.
"What's on those?" You asked.
Makoto winced. "Well…now I know why this is a whole bunch of graves."
"Why? Did…did Takagaki lose a lot of people in her life?" You asked, your brows furrowed.
"No," said Yusuke. "Every grave is a representation of broken promises and betrayal. The names are promises, the dates are perhaps when they were broken."
"Who broke these?" You asked, taking one of the books from Yusuke.
"It doesn't say, but perhaps we'll find out later," suggested Yusuke. He looked around. "Despite this being a Japanese temple, the style of burial is similar to a European castle. Perhaps there would probably be fresco or other murals telling the story of the dead."
"Yeah, this is kind of weird," you said, looking around. "It looks kind of like a video game."
"That could be possible," said Yusuke.
"I'm beginning to think Palaces don't make any sense, do they?" Makoto said.
"No, they really do not," Yusuke sighed.
"Perhaps there's a reason a large shrine was built on top of all these hidden dead," Akechi suggested.
"But why build a shrine dedicated to you on top of all these dead?" Your voice betrayed a bit of panic. Takagaki didn't… know about the Enforcer…did she?
"The dead are not actually dead, my beautiful Angel," Akechi pointed out. "They represent broken promises, remember?"
"Maybe old boyfriends?" Ryuji said.
"I was going to say that was a stupid idea, but considering the context maybe you're right," Ann sighed.
The stuffy stone halls continued. You were beginning to be annoyed with this maze, constantly fighting shadows at every turn. It felt like a grindy, boring part of a video game dungeon. Eventually, you found the end of the catacombs, and climbed back onto the surface. You found yourself in a beautiful garden, close to the castle-like shrine's entrance.
You would have relished in the beauty, if it wasn't for the imminent danger you all were in. Akechi yanked you into the shadows before you had a chance to realize what was going on.
"Is that her?" Ren asked Akechi.
You looked out from your hiding spot with Akechi in the shadow of a tree. Takagaki's shadow, dressed in an ornate shrine maiden's outfit, was walking around the gardens attended by several guards. She was adorned with talismans, prayer beads, and was carrying a large fan. Unlike her real life counterpart, she walked with grace and dignity, not cowering in the shadows of others.
Suddenly, another guard rushed towards Takagaki. "My Lady! The demon has come back to attack the shrine!"
Takagaki's face fell. "Gather the strongest warriors we have. We must keep the demon at bay and protect this sacred ground." She rushed off, her and her guards following the messenger.
"Should we follow them?" Ren asked.
"Up to you, Joker," Morgana said.
Ren made up his mind and tailed Takagaki. The rest of the thieves followed suit. Eventually, you all climbed a guard tower on the garden wall, and were able to look down at the demon attack.
"Oh…lovely." You exhaled.
The demon was, of course, a cognitive version of you . She was dressed like an ancient prostitute, but she still had on the little cat collar. She had devilish horns and was followed by many imps.
"I'm here to pray," said the demon.
"I will not allow you into our god's presence," Takagaki said firmly. "You defiled his shrine once before, you will not do it again."
"You've tried many things to combat me," said the demon. "Yet even your god cannot stay away from me for long."
"This is immensely entertaining," laughed Akechi.
"It's not funny," you said. "This is horrifying."
"Well, I give the character design a three out of five," said Akechi. "I'd have loved to have seen more skin on the demon. Perhaps she could be dressed in something completely immodest and delightfully rippable. Maybe even a nipple or two visible through the fabric. I wouldn't have complained."
You blushed, embarrassed.
"Ew, no, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Ann muttered, turning away from Akechi.
"Look, I know I apologized for being a total dick but you don't have to say things like that out loud, dude," Ryuji grimaced.
"Well we do know one thing," said Ren. "She sees Y/N as a threat, but she's not the entire picture."
"How far are we from the treasure?" Makoto asked.
"Hm…I don't smell anything here," said Morgana. "But it probably is inside the shrine. My guess is wherever the god is, there the treasure is."
"So wherever I am," Akechi grimaced.
"We don't know that you're the god yet," said Ryuji.
"This shrine is located at my house!" Akechi snapped. "How stupid are you?"
"H-hey look, um, there's a distortion!" Makoto said, pointing below at a gardening shed. She climbed down off the guard tower and opened the door. "It's a safe room!"
You all entered the safe room and rested. After some debate, Ren decided to call it a day. The catacombs, despite being void of any bosses thanks to Akechi, still took a toll on the team. You'd go back tomorrow to start the main shrine infiltration. You were making good progress, as long as you kept going back every day.
Evening
The Phantom Thieves went home, leaving you and Akechi alone to continue packing. How Akechi had so much energy, you had no idea.
"You don't own much," said Akechi. He was starting to pack away dishes, wrapping them delicately in newspaper he brought from his room.
"I don't need to," you sighed. "How am I going to cook anything if you pack all my–"
"No more cooking, you can survive on takeout like I did for years for the rest of the week," said Akechi. "Oh, this is cute." He smiled and held up a pastel mug. "It's shaped like a kitten paw."
"I-it was a gift," you said dismissively.
"Should I do some detective work?" Akechi grinned. "So, who gave this to you? I thought you didn't have many friends? Why would you keep–"
"Goro, stop," you blushed. "Okay, I bought it. Do you have to know everything about me?"
" Yes, " Akechi said lustfully. He wrapped the mug delicately in paper.
"Oo…my handsome boy…" You hugged him from behind. "Won't I lose my charm and interest if I'm not at least a little mysterious?"
Akechi laughed bitterly. "There's not much left for you to find out about me." He turned around and repositioned your hands to rest on his chest. "I'm not…uninteresting to you, am I?"
"No~," you said playfully. You ran your hands up his t-shirt. "But I don't think love really is about interest, is it?"
"Then what is it?"
You looked up at him. The question was genuine, not a tease. "Um…" You were put on the spot. You searched your mind for wisdom you had gathered from articles, books, movies, even Maruki's counseling. "I think, love is supposed to be a choice."
Akechi looked like he was processing a lot of things at once in his mind.
"There's like, romantic feelings," you continued. "But then there's being in love, like continually. And I think that's a choice that I had to make."
Akechi didn't say anything. He looked at you like he expected you to continue.
"There was a point where I needed to know the truth," you said. "I needed to see it for myself. When I saw you in Mementos…I made my choice." You leaned your forehead into his chest.
Akechi stroked your hair, but he didn't say anything. You kind of wanted him to at least acknowledge you, but it was a lot to ask of him. Akechi hardly had any idea what a decent human relationship even looked like.
Finally, he spoke. "What I've gathered is…it is a selfless devotion. Despite my actions, you still choose to be with me. My…revenge against Shido. You're forgiving of it."
"No, Goro, it's important to me," you said. "He's done things to you that no parent should ever do to their child. However you want to exact justice against him, I fully support you."
"Love is…support," said Akechi, a bit perplexed. "It is an action. It is…" He looked like he was going to short circuit.
"It's okay," you said, touching his cheek. "You don't have to define it."
Akechi's brow furrowed. "But if I don't know, then I can't–"
"Just do what you feel is best, Goro," you encouraged him.
"If I did what I felt , I'd terrify you," Akechi winced. "Don't make me do that to my beautiful precious kitten."
"Despite your opinion, you're not that scary," you sighed.
"What if I kept you locked inside all the time and never let you leave? What if I stopped you from talking to anyone except me?"
You thought for a moment. "I think…this is where you genuinely care about me. Because you make the choice to not do that. You also made the choice to not…kill that first stalker and Takagaki."
"I want to kill the bitch," Akechi said, burying his face in your hair. "It would be so much more efficient." He slid his hands behind you and his grip tightened, pressing your body into his. "In the garden, I almost killed her. In front of all your friends." The laugh that escaped his lips was quiet, but you recognized the depravity.
"As much as I want to let you tear her apart," you said, "we should do what's right. I don't think killing a civilian is okay, especially someone who worships you like a god. There's got to be some kind of bad karma or something with doing that."
Akechi's stare was blank.
" Please try to be a good boy for me," you whined.
"I already gave you my word," said Akechi. "It's why she's not already dead ."
You kissed him, then pulled away from him. "Here, we only have a few more dishes left. Let's try to finish the kitchen before we stop for the day."
"Let's stop now. Bend over the counter," said Akechi.
"No!" You rejected. "Be a good boy and help me pack!"
Akechi picked up another dish and started wrapping it. "Want to…go to the palace with me later?"
You looked at him. "Haven't we done enough fighting today?"
"We won't be fighting," Akechi said with a smirk.
"I thought you didn't like Metaverse sex," you said. You made sure to bend over as seductively as possible when you went to pull a dish out of a low cabinet.
"I don't like Mementos sex," Akechi said, annoyance in his voice. "It's disgusting."
"You want to do it in Takagaki's palace?" You asked, half amused and half shocked.
"Why not? Oh, why don't we do it in front of her shadow? That would be sure to shock her," Akechi laughed evilly.
"That's so dangerous!" You cried.
"I'm kidding," said Akechi. "I'd hate to give her the pleasure watching us, but in reality she probably is watching us right now."
You suddenly felt extremely violated. "Oh…oh god…what if she's…"
"Don't think about it!" Akechi said quickly. "I try not to, there's probably a lot more porn of me than you out there. Granted, mine is fake or erotica fanfictions, but still. It's unsettling to think people are getting off to you without consent." His brow furrowed. "...or someone getting off to my little kitten without my consent."
"What about my consent?" You demanded.
"They wouldn't even get that far," said Akechi, his voice sour. "I don't want anyone making advances at you."
"You're so jealous ," you giggled.
"You're dangerously adorable. I have to always be on my guard," Akechi said. He taped up a box, pulled off the lid of a sharpie with his teeth, and labeled the box.
Akechi helped you finish packing the kitchen, then left to pick up some dinner. You stayed behind to pack more boxes, but eventually stopped when he came back. After you finished the dishes, you headed for your bedroom. "Do you still want to go back to the palace?"
"No, forget it," Akechi sighed. He pulled his shirt off, tossing it into his hamper. "I'm exhausted."
You approached him and ran your hands up his bare chest. "Come to bed and I'll hold you."
"Do I look like a child?" He whined, but he didn't resist.
Late Night-Goro Akechi
Good. She's asleep.
Akechi gave a gentle kiss to the top of Y/N's head before carefully climbing out of bed. Despite being exhausted, he knew he had to explore that damn palace again. He just needed it out of the way, and Robin Hood was less efficient than the swift and brutal slaughter of Loki.
His first goal was to find a suitable entry point for the main building. There were guards everywhere. Unlike in other places where he got off to causing chaos and fear, he had to be careful about exposing himself. If the Phantom Thieves found out the Black Mask was in Takagaki's palace of all things, they'd start to get suspicious.
He found an entry point on the roof. He dropped down through a small window into a corridor. He was decent at preventing his suit from making too much noise, despite being made entirely of metal and leather. He was designed to strike fear into people, not assassinate from the shadows. Oh well, you have to work with the cards you're dealt.
Akechi walked through what appeared to be dormitories. He snuck around, genuinely curious about what made Takagaki tick. He put on airs as Crow of disinterest, but really he was intrigued as to what problem this woman had with Y/N, and why it was so intense.
There was nothing notable. Although, the beds seemed comfortable enough. Perhaps he could take Y/N here to fuck…
He sighed. Y/N was talking about love today. She really put him on the spot a lot, but recently she'd thrust him into severe inner turmoil. Normally he could keep all that shit shut off, but now even childhood traumas he kept bottled up were resurfacing.
" Chose to be with me, my ass," Akechi muttered. He was aimlessly ransacking the dorm rooms. "She'll just run to Mamori or Amamiya when it's too stressful for her."
Akechi angrily smashed a drawer by pulling it out and stepping on it. The drawer splintered into several pieces. He wanted to do this to Mamori's skull.
He was glad Y/N seemed to respond well to his whims, at least. She was the most important thing in his life. He would do anything for her. He would do everything in his power to prevent her from ever being disappointed in him. He couldn't deal with her leaving him. He just couldn't. He felt completely entitled to Y/N's affections. She was meant to be with him. She was given to him. He couldn't just let her leave him so easily.
She wanted him to trust her. This was something initially he couldn't do. After she found out about the Black Mask, devoting herself to him and professing her love, he was making an effort. He was a trainwreck , with no clue how to show any type of affection outside of fucking her to the point she can't breathe.
He was always so angry. Whenever he snapped at Y/N, or when her crying was his fault, he felt like he had fucked up so bad he wanted to kill himself. He felt like she never would forgive him and abandon him. Of course, he'd never allow her to leave his sight, becoming the terrifying stalker she never wanted. But what was he supposed to do about that? He had to protect her. He had to possess her. She had to stay his precious little kitten. The feeling deep in the pit of his heart about her, the anxiety that squeezed him until he nearly cried from the pain…
That was love, right?
Thursday, July 21. Daytime.
Akechi had guided everyone inside the main building. Some of the Phantom Thieves, including yourself, were curious as to why the dorms looked so ransacked. Akechi confessed to you when you had a moment alone he was responsible for the mess. There also was various destruction along the walls, including a large hole, which the shadows blamed on the "demon". You knew it was the Black Mask's fault, and didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed.
Once you were through the dormitory, you can across an altar. It was ornate and beautiful, but not big enough to be dedicated to a god. Upon closer inspection, you realized this was an altar to the dead. A picture was elevated, surrounded by religious items, offerings, and lit candles. The picture was of a face you recognized, and your heart started pounding when you realized who it was.
"What the hell is she doing here?" You demanded. "What is going on?!"
"Who is she?" Yusuke asked.
"She's the girl who destroyed my apartment," you said, your brows furrowed. "I recognize her from the news, they showed her picture…" You looked directly at Akechi with a sharp glare. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
The Phantom Thieves (save for Ren) looked confused. Akechi was wincing. "I don't know why she's in this palace," he said.
"Is she dead?!" You asked, distressed.
"I didn't kill the bitch!" Akechi yelled.
His anger was beginning to escalate. You had to do something, and fast.
"Go–Crow, relax." You approached him and rubbed his arm. He appeared to immediately be subdued. "Shh…it's okay, I'm sorry. I was just worried. Calm down…"
The Phantom Thieves (now including Ren) looked even more confused.
Akechi took a deep breath and seemed to recover. Akechi's emotions were even more unstable in the Metaverse. Takagaki's palace you knew was emotionally distressing for him, especially because he wasn't permitted to eliminate the threat posed to you. If allowed to spiral, you feared Loki would actually emerge. You had never seen him switch from the prince to the black mask, but you figured it was deeply connected to Akechi's emotional state.
"Joker," you said. "I think that's a safe room over there. I'm going to take Crow there for a break, okay?"
"What was that about?" You heard Ryuji remark as you took a stressed Akechi away. You tried to not listen to their conversation and focus on your distressed boyfriend.
After giving him a drink of water, Akechi sat down in the safe room. He took off his mask and rubbed his face. "That was…this is torture."
"Are you okay?" You knelt beside him, placing your hand on his thigh.
"If you kept fighting with me, I think I would have lost it," Akechi laughed bitterly.
"You're afraid of Loki coming out, huh?" You remarked.
"You're perceptive," winced Akechi. "How did you know that?"
"I figured since persona are connected to our emotions," you said. "This palace is personal to you, and so you can't really…keep your anger in check here so easily. I also figured since my first stalker was someone you also wanted to kill, I–"
"Stop, don't," said Akechi, closing his eyes. "You're right. He was so hard to control at the beginning. Of course I have it down now…"
"Are you sure?" You reached up a hand to stroke his hair. It was damp with sweat.
"Are you saying I'm incapable?" Akechi said defensively.
"No, I'm saying you're tired," you said gently. "You're stressed."
"No, not when you're with me." Akechi placed his hand on your back. "Stand up."
You obeyed him.
Akechi guided you to sit in his lap, straddling him. His back was pressed against the wall, and he was seated on a wooden crate. For comfort, you crossed your legs behind his back and pressed your pelvis and chest against his. You closed your eyes and leaned your face into the nape of his neck.
"Shit…" Akechi muttered.
You felt his pants tighten against your shorts. "Do you want it, baby bird?"
"Hgn…the Phantom Thieves could walk in here any minute." Akechi gripped onto the back of your shirt when you started grinding against him. "Stop it, you insatiable little slut."
"I only want my little Crow to feel good," you whispered. You ran your fingers through his hair.
"Knock it off…" Akechi hissed.
You started to unbutton the brass buttons on the white of his coat. "You look hot, Crow. We should open this up a little." You pried his shirt apart, then kissed his collarbone. You kept planting kisses up his neck until you reached his mouth.
Akechi responded like he normally did to being kissed by you: enthusiastically. You had just unfastened his belt buckle when the door to the safe room flew open, and the Phantom Thieves piled into the room. You immediately stopped kissing Akechi and looked shyly at the group that had just entered.
"We…should have knocked," Ann grimaced.
"It's all right, we weren't doing anything suspicious!" Akechi said with a nervous smile.
"Your hand is down her pants," Makoto said bluntly.
Akechi pulled his gloved hand out of the waistband of your shorts.
"Crow, I thought you promised not to get handsy with our Angel," Ren scolded. He was still in a pleasant mood, despite the annoyance of the rest of the Thieves.
"Of course, this whore just can't stay off of me," Akechi said in a bitter voice.
This struck a bit of a nerve with you. Unlike usual, this time Akechi was lashing out and calling you a whore because he was embarrassed, not to tease you. Frustrated with him, you got off of him. Akechi looked a bit surprised and gave a split second facial expression of abandonment, but you ignored him.
Evening
"Why are you mad at me?"
You angrily put down your bag on the counter. The other Phantom Thieves went home, and now you had just arrived back. "You're so conceited."
"Wha–" Akechi looked confused.
"Tell me you're sorry ," you demanded.
"For what?!" Akechi cried.
"You called me a whore unironically in front of my friends?!" You yelled. "You blamed me! To keep yourself from being embarrassed!"
"You're the one who was asking for it, you know!" Akechi yelled back. "You can't just sit on my lap like that–"
"You're the one who made me do it!"
Akechi winced. "It was only because your outfit is too provocative. I can't control myself!"
You couldn't believe what he was saying. "Excuse me?!"
Akechi seemed to immediately realize he had royally fucked up. "Ah…Y/N…wait…"
You shook your head. "No, apologize."
"I call you a whore all the ti–"
"No, this time was different, and you know it was," you said angrily. "You shifted blame onto me to avoid embarrassment. Do you even care about how I feel?"
Akechi didn't say anything. He looked like he was processing a lot of things, and his emotions were starting to hurt him. "I keep hurting you," he finally said. He looked like he was going to collapse from emotional pain.
"If you think you hurt me, then recognize it, apologize, and make an effort to better yourself." You entered your kitchen.
Akechi looked at you in the kitchen from the other side of the counter. "I'm sorry."
"For?" You opened your fridge. It was empty, save for chilling water bottles and drinks you bought from the grocery store.
Akechi looked like he was thinking hard. "For…embarrassing you?"
"Okay, I'll take it," you said. You handed Akechi a bottle of water. "Drink."
Akechi obeyed and unscrewed the lid of the water bottle. "The more I think about this, the more I realize you were just trying to keep me calm in that safe room."
"Mhm," you said.
"And then I–"
" Mhm ."
"You, apparently, are choosing this," said Akechi, frowning.
"Yes, because I love you."
Akechi leaned on the counter. "We keep fighting. I don't like this."
You exhaled. "Goro, we're both stressed. Not only are we dealing with Takagaki, we also are moving. I'm not even going to get into your situation. I don't understand how you haven't completely snapped yet."
"What if, I already did." Akechi laughed, downed the rest of his water bottle, and threw it into your trashcan. "I'm a homicidal maniac."
The last sentence reminded you of who he was. Were you just ignoring it, or was your brain just completely unable to process it? Either way, you still didn't act with the repulsion and fear any sane person should have. "How are you feeling?"
"Terrible," Akechi grumbled.
"Are you hungry?"
Akechi nodded.
"Okay, let's go get something then," you said. You walked out of the kitchen and slid your hand into his. Akechi embraced you, pulling you into a hug. Once again he was incapable of verbally telling you how he felt about you, but actions like this always confirmed it deep within your heart.