Taking the Next Step

by UrsineEnchantment

It's been three months since they started dating, and Akira still hasn't given Makoto her first kiss. She wants to be patient, but doubts have been swirling through her for ages now, and all she wants is to feel his lips on hers. One of her friends has offered advice that she's afraid to take. Will she finally get the kiss she's been longing for, or will this simply be a disaster?

The distant murmur of chatter throughout the café surrounded her, but all she could focus on was the couple who'd just stood up a few tables away. The girl had reached to grab her bag of leftover pastries, but as soon as she'd risen she'd been surprised by a kiss from the man with her. They were giggling to each other as she'd planted her lips back against his for a second one, and then they were walking out of the shop, the chiming of the bell on the door an accent to their murmured 'I love you's.

It was such a simple action, but it had been one that had run through her head for the last few weeks, and each time it did left a pinprick reminder: Akira still hadn't kissed her yet.

She certainly wasn't the type to rush these sorts of things, in fact she preferred to take far more time than most girls she knew. Even so, he seemed to be taking long enough to cast doubt upon her. They'd been officially dating for three months now, and they'd been getting close before that even started. Shouldn't they have moved to the next step by now? The dates were always lovely, and they frequently got each other gifts, and spent so much time laughing together or hugging and cuddling, holding hands when they were out and about. But it was an absence of contact she was beginning to find hard to ignore when they were together.

"Makoto? Makoto!"

She'd startled so badly she nearly bumped her teacup, steadying it just in time to keep it from spilling. A glance up revealed Futaba had been the one calling her name, and was now pouting in annoyance. "Sorry! What did you want from me?"

"Well, I was trying to tell you about a game that I thought you'd actually like..." she grumbled. "But now I'm curious about why you were staring off into space!"

"Yeah, you've seemed kind of distant today. Is anything wrong?" Ann had set down her strawberry crepe, shifting in her chair to study her more thoroughly.

"Oh, no, I'm fine." She didn't think her own dilemma was worth bringing up in the middle of their weekly café days. This was a time the four of them usually spent talking about fun, casual things, a pleasant bonding experience without the boys goofing around. And what if she sounded too silly, bringing up something that might be completely normal for relationships? She didn't exactly know much about them, maybe it was supposed to take this long.

Then again, if she was going to get advice from anyone, she'd rather it be these three. Eiko was nice, but she'd likely just tease her, and she did also have a pretty bad habit of rushing into new relationships, so she wasn't the most reliable source for information. Sis was absolutely out of the question, for both normal sisterly reasons and the fact that she was dating, technically, a criminal. Haru and Ann both had experience with relationships, and they were both rather familiar with romance tropes and movies as well. Futaba, granted, was even more clueless than she was probably, but she might still have some advice, or could at least listen quietly. Or just ignore the conversation to play with an app on her phone. That was alright too.

"Actually, could I ask you all something? You can't tell the boys though."

"Does Mona count, or nah?"

"No, Futaba, please don't tell Morgana either!" Oh dear, he would be even worse! He was closer to Akira than anyone, always lurking in that bag or in his room. He'd spill her secret with that smug meow of his the second he had a chance!

"Woah, okay. We won't tell a soul, promise." Ann assured her, making a locking gesture and tossing the key. "So what did you wanna ask?"

"Alright. Um, s-so you all know Akira and I have been, er, dating for a while now. It's wonderful, it really is, and I doubt either of us could be any happier. But, um...when exactly is the couple supposed to kiss?" She couldn't bring herself to look at them, nearly mumbling the question into the collar of her coat.

"Wait, have you seriously never kissed yet? You two are so cute together, and hasn't it been, like, months?"

"I don't wish to rush things, but to be honest, it's starting to feel like he's actively avoiding it. I mean, we do all sorts of romantic things, and there's other physical contact-ah, um, n-not like that, I mean hugging and such! There seem to have been plenty of appropriate opportunities though, and he's never made a move beyond our usual interactions. Am I...Do you think I might be doing something wrong?"

She'd tried to cast such thoughts away, but there had certainly been days when she felt like perhaps she wasn't affectionate enough despite her best efforts to overcome her original issues with personal space, or maybe she was still awkward on their dates, or perhaps she was pretty, but not pretty enough to warrant stronger feelings from him...that was the doubt that hurt her the most, despite her knowledge that it probably was the least likely reason of the three.

"I'm sure you aren't doing anything wrong." Ann reasoned, the words muffled around another bite of crepe. "Sometimes guys just like to make you wait for this kinda stuff. That way they can keep you on your toes when they surprise you. He'll make the first move eventually, it's just kind of like a game. Back and forth for a while, like chess."

"Have you ever even played chess?" Futaba sighed, twirling a strand of ginger hair around her fingers while she looked at Ann.

"Well, no, but I'm sure that analogy works!"

"Thank you, Ann, but...is there any way I can convince him to...t-to speed things up?" It was embarrassing to admit such desires out loud, but she really was getting tired of that longing every time she saw another couple kissing in the halls, or here in the café, or at the theatre. Half of her dreams in the past few weeks had been about Akira kissing her, and even the lightest lip brushes in those dreams had her waking up giddy and out-of-sorts. Just the thought sent her heart racing, and he was...well, he was so handsome...

"Mako-chan, isn't the answer simple? Just go ahead and kiss him first, right on the lips.~" The fourth voice had finally spoken from the seat next to Futaba. Haru didn't glance up from the nail she was gently filing, acting as if she'd only said something of common sense. She might as well have told her to bring an umbrella in the rain.

Her face was flushing redder by the second. "What? I-I can't do something like that!" How could Haru even suggest something like that?

Haru tutted under her breath, shifting in her seat so that she could properly face the three of them. Her nail file never ceased its careful movements even when she looked up to hold their gazes, shifting from one finger to the next. "Why not?"

"W-Why would you even ask that? It's...i-it's just not proper! Right?" She glanced to Ann, who nodded after a moment of hesitation. Reassured, Makoto took a breath to continue. "I mean, there's just...there are certain rules in social scenarios like this, things that the boy- or, um, in the case of same sex couples, I suppose it would be the one who typically initiates, - anyways, what I mean is, there are things that Akira is expected to do at certain stages of a relationship, traditions to follow. It would be strange of me to toss that out the window, and...horribly forward..." she murmured, glancing away for a moment while she pretended to adjust her hair. She could barely handle one of his flirty jokes without getting all flustered! She could never be so bold as to make a move like that, not when they hadn't discussed any such steps in the progression of their relationship.

The clatter of metal on the table surprised her into looking back up, only to flinch when she found Haru standing up and staring down at her very intensely. The nail file had been abandoned, and now her friend had her hands braced against the table.

"Are you really going to talk about what's 'proper' with me, Mako-chan?" Her tone was as sweet as ever, but she knew well what force Noir held underneath that fluffy exterior. She found herself scooting over to press against Ann. Futaba was shrinking down into her seat, her glasses just barely peeking above the table's edge to observe the scene unfolding.

"I've spent my entire life being taught which sort of things constituted behaving like a 'proper' lady. Oh yes, some of it can be useful, like learning how to set a proper table or host a fine party, but do you know what most of it boils down to? 'Proper' ladies are supposed to sit still and wait patiently until they're given permission to do or say things. We're supposed to wait for someone else to grace us with their attention or decide how they want a relationship to progress."

Haru paused to breathe for a moment, her energy fading into something calmer, but nonetheless intense. "Rules like that, Mako-chan, are the same line of thinking that led to my relationship with my fiancée. He made all of the decisions, picked when he wanted to show me affection, or...take further steps. Whenever I wanted him to pay attention to me or do something romantic, he would brush it off and say I was simply being demanding, and I couldn't make any decisions because that was supposed to be his role. I...I know our leader isn't like that at all, but still...you shouldn't have to sit around and wait for him to progress things. If you want to start showing your love for him more intensely, and want him to show you the same, then I think you should go ahead and take that step yourself. You're our Queen, and I know when you've truly wanted something in the Metaverse, you went for it! Being a Phantom Thief is about rebelling against society's expectations, right? If you can behave in such a way there, then certainly you can apply that same strength and courage to your life here, can't you?"

Well. That certainly was an argument with several valid points. Makoto took a slow sip of her tea while she tried to mull it over. Ann was tapping her nails against the table. Haru sighed, settling back down into her seat and picking up her nail file to resume her task.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, Mako-chan. It's entirely your own decision to make. But if I were you, I wouldn't waste time longing for something to be given to me when I could simply reach out and try to take it. Life is too short for that."

"Okay, so I don't really know anything about boys or all that dating stuff..." Futaba started, shifting back into her usual sitting position. "But I'm with Haru on this one. Who says you have to follow some outdated rules? If you wanna kiss that dork, just do it already."

"I get what you two are saying, but at the same time, Akira's a gentleman. He might be waiting to do it sometime extra special, like a really nice date or something! Wouldn't patience be better if it means you'll get a super sweet moment?" Ann's blue eyes were glimmering, and she was almost staring off into space. No doubt the romantic was dreaming about the types of scenes in movies and novels.

"I suppose that would be rather nice, but...I doubt those types of big moments are as likely to occur in real life." Makoto admitted. She'd had those sorts of embarrassing daydreams from time to time, yes, but that's all they were, fantasies. To be quite honest with herself, she was getting a bit tired of waiting for such a moment to come. If they truly loved one another anyways, wouldn't that make even the most mundane of moments special?

"Perhaps you're right after all, Haru..." she murmured, staring down into her now empty cup. "Still, how would I even go about making a move like that? I don't want to spring it on him anywhere too public. A-And what if I get too flustered, or he doesn't like it, o-or-"

"Aw, Makoto, don't panic!" Ann had placed a hand on her back, trying to rub it to console her while she was busy burying her own face into her hands. "Akira loves you, he's not gonna hate it or anything! Everything will be fine."

"Yeah, the dude looks at you with the same desire I have for Steam sales. He's probably gonna be all over you after you get the kiss started!" Futaba was snickering, at least until a freshly-manicured hand smacked her on the back of the head. "Ow! Geez, I was just kidding around!"

"I'm sure your first kiss will be lovely, Mako-chan. But perhaps it would ease your nerves if you did it in a very casual, private place, or during something that isn't an actual date. Would that help?"

She managed to peek out from her fingers to glance at Haru. "M-Maybe...I usually help him study on Thursday evenings. We always ensure those sessions are kept casual so that there aren't any distractions. Do you believe that could work?"

"Aww, studying in his room? That sounds perfect!" Ann giggled. "I doubt any boy would brush off a cute girl when the only other option is boring schoolwork!"

"Hey, some of it isn't entirely borin-er, nevermind, I suppose you're right." she mumbled, face flushing. It would probably be the easiest way to catch Akira's attention, and she was already quite at home in Leblanc. It would be far less pressure than trying to make a move in any of their public hangouts or at school.

"You've got two days 'till Thursday..." Futaba grinned, pulling up the calendar on her phone and marking it accordingly. She placed the device in the center of the table, leaving the highlighted square labeled 'Dorky Smoochfest' out for all of them to see. "Your mission is to steal his heart, Makoto! Report back to us ASAP once it all goes down!"

"I want to hear every detail, Mako-chan!~"

"Yeah, don't leave out anything! Ooh, can I take you shopping for a new outfit?! You'll need something extra cute!"

"I'm beginning to regret confiding in any of you..." Makoto groaned, although she couldn't help the slight smile on her face. As mortifying as all of their teasing was, and as nervous as she was about the upcoming plan, it was still nice to know that she had friends like these three that could help her through the things she didn't know. She'd missed so much key social growth in her earlier years of high school, but if she ever had a problem, these were the people she trusted to advise and support her.

Now she just had to endure their constant pestering and knowing glances until Friday.

XXX

It was Thursday. It was Thursday, and she was sitting next to Akira on his bed while they discussed history. They'd been studying for an hour already, and had remained remarkably focused. The only real contact they'd had had been the hug Akira had given her when she'd first walked in, and the few instances of idle hand-holding while he'd tried to recall answers to the more detailed questions she'd asked him.

Her stomach had been churning this entire time, and her heart kept quickening its pace any time she thought about her plan. She had to pick the right time for this, but it was just so nerve-wracking. What if she tried to lean in and got clumsy, or he tried to question her advances? What if she just looked ridiculous?

She tried to shove those thoughts out of her head before she lost her guts entirely. The girls had tried to advise her all day yesterday and for a few hours today, encouraging her at every opportunity. Akira loved her. They loved each other. She wanted to be able to show and experience that love with something new, something more than the hugs that could so often be similar to simple friendship. There was also the fact that his lips had always looked rather nice, smooth and never chapped, and there was also his face and his neck that she really wanted to cover in little kisses and-oh dear she needed to stop that train of thought now before her face started flushing.

She cast a furtive glance at Akira. He was busy staring at the flash cards she'd made for him, scanning each side carefully before he flipped on to the next one. He was actually working quite hard to learn this material. She almost hated the idea of ruining his concentration.

She would make it up to him with an extra tutoring session later this week, if they really lost too much time from this distraction. But this was a rare time she would consider a distraction far more important than schoolwork.

Slowly, she let her hand creep along the blanket until it settled on his knee. Well, not entirely settled. She kept her grip loose enough to immediately abandon the position if she felt the slightest bit of insecurity. It still seemed to be enough to catch his attention, at least enough for him to glance at her, a fond smile on his features.

"Hey. Need something?"

Well, yes, but it wasn't something she felt she could ask for. She found her nerves flaring up again as she tried to think of what to say. She'd had a few lines in mind on her way here, but they'd all fled from her mind now.

"Oh, I, um, I just wanted to say that...you're working very hard. I-I just, er, wanted to commend you for that." Complimenting his work ethic? How was that romantic?

"Aw, thanks. But you know, it's all because I have such a wonderful tutor.~" He'd set the flashcards down in order to reach out with one hand, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Darn it, she was already starting to blush pink.

She needed to take advantage of this moment. What could she say in response to get things moving? Something that wasn't reminiscent of those, er, lustier student-teacher roleplays.

His hand had moved away while she was thinking, reshuffling the white index cards. "I think I've got a pretty good grasp on these now. Mind quizzing me? Then maybe we can move on to the practice tests and-"

"A-Actually, um, I think we should take a break!" She'd blurted it out more loudly than intended. Oops.

"Oh, uh, okay." He set the flashcards off to the side along with the rest of their papers, his eyebrows furrowing in mild concern. "Are you alright? If you're hungry, there's a bunch of curry in the fridge, and I've got a bunch of donuts stored there too."

"N-No, I'm fine, er, I just...y-your face is, uh..." Why couldn't she think of anything smooth to say?

"My face is what? Do I have something on-"

"I-I mean it's attractive!" Her face was burning now, this wasn't going at all how she'd pictured it. And poor Akira just looked confused. "S-Sorry, I just, um, wh-what I'm trying to say is...remember when I told you I wanted to, um, try studying some new things?" When he nodded slowly, she readjusted herself, running her hand higher up his thigh so that she could lean a bit closer. "I-I think we should start studying something...more advanced..." Oh goodness, did that sound dirty? She prayed it didn't.

Screw it. He'd find out what she meant in a moment. She was tired of stumbling through this. Taking a breath to steady herself, or at least what breath she could find when her lungs felt a bit too tight, she let her other hand raise to cup his face.

His eyes were unfocused, not quite seeming to see her, not the way they usually did. Her stomach was twisting up harder now, disappointment mixing with the concoction of nerves. She found herself hovering a few centimeters from his lips, close enough that her soft exhales would certainly be felt on his skin. She didn't have much time to hesitate since she'd already committed to the action, but still...shouldn't he be responding more to this? It was supposed to be a passionate kiss encompassing their mutual feelings, but she was getting the distinct aura that he wasn't as interested. Actually, she couldn't feel much breath coming from him at all compared to her own nervous huffs. He was just sitting there like a lump, not even leaning forwards to bridge the distance where she'd stopped.

Swallowing against the dryness in her throat, she pulled back slightly. "Um, A-Akira?" His gaze shifted to follow her retreat, but it still didn't seem to be very invested in this moment. Then he tipped to the side.

"Akira! Akira, a-are you alright?!" She'd caught him before he could fall over completely, grasping him by the shoulders. His face was starting to flush. "Akira, what's wrong?"

He shifted, rubbing his temples before he shook his head slowly, as if clearing it. He glanced back up to make eye contact with her, and then his gaze widened as he became more alert.

"Did I- shit, I'm so sorry..." His face was reddening even further, but he flinched away when she tried to press her hand to his forehead to check his temperature. "I-It's okay! I'm fine now! I'm fine."

"You don't look fine! What happened?" What was he apologizing for?

"I j-just...got a little lightheaded, that's all."

So that was why he'd looked so out of the moment. Never mind the kiss, his health was much more important! Unsure whether she should hover over him or back up to give him space, she found herself scooting over. She kept her hand on his shoulder though, her grip tensing involuntarily as concern ate away at her already-frayed nerves. "A little lightheaded? I think you nearly passed out! Perhaps your blood sugar's low. Would you like me to fetch you something to eat?"

He'd grabbed her arm as she started to stand up. "Makoto, you don't have to do that! Trust me, I ate plenty before you came over. My blood sugar's stable."

"Are you sure?" Surely there was something she could do to help him. "You aren't ill, are you? I could escort you to the clinic! I remember the way from when we brought Futaba there-"

"I'm not sick either. Please, don't worry, alright? I'm fine."

He didn't look fine. He was still red-faced, and she could feel his hand trembling where it remained gripping her arm. He tried for a smile to reassure her, but it wasn't quite up to his usual collected confidence.

"Akira, people don't just have dizzy spells without reason. You know I'm just going to keep pestering you until we get to the bottom of this, right?" She offered a smile of her own, hoping to ease whatever was causing him to be so secretive, but she was definitely serious. Their leader was the type of person to bury his own difficulties in favor of helping the team, and he hated worrying people. She needed to make sure he wasn't trying to push through any health problems on his own. What if he fainted in a palace, or the middle of Mementos? Or simply during their daily lives?

"Look, I know what the reason was, alright? Is that enough to put you at ease?"

"No it isn't. Not unless you tell me what it is so I can help you."

He groaned under his breath, finally taking letting go of her arm so he could bury his face in both hands. His words came out muffled, but she managed to make them out. "If I tell you, you're just gonna laugh at me."

"Why would I laugh at you for this?" What kind of person did he take her for?

He slowly turned his head back up, studying her face to make sure she was serious. "The reason...er, I got dizzy because of you."

"What?" She wasn't sure she followed.

"You were just, really close, and I was so nervous I kind of...froze up...and I forgot how to breathe..."

"You...you were nervous?" She hadn't meant for a hint of a giggle to come out with her question, but it was just such a shock that she wasn't sure how to react. Akira, the one who was constantly dropping suggestive lines or going out of his way to fluster her in conversations, the one who always had a cheeky quip at the ready when he was dealing with anyone, the one who could face Shadows and all kinds of difficult scenarios without losing his composure...that Akira had been nervous to the point of nearly fainting...over her? "But what did you have to be nervous about? Was I...making you uncomfortable?" Of course she had! She should never have tried to take Haru's advice! What had she been thinking, practically lunging towards him like that? "Akira, you have my sincere apologies. It was far too forward of me to try and-"

"What? N-No, Makoto, you were, um...I mean, yeah, it was a surprise, but I wanted to, a-and I'm glad that you want to. It's just...I, er.." He wasn't making eye contact at all, trying to keep his face hidden by as much of that fluffy black mess as was possible, and he couldn't seem to stop picking at the blanket they were sitting on. She'd never seen him ramble like this before, and while it was admittedly quite amusing to see him trip over his words for once, she still wished there was a way she could ease his nerves. However, he'd also admitted he did in fact want to kiss her, which had sent butterflies whirling through her stomach. At least her own doubts had been eased with that revelation.

"You can tell me, Akira..."

"I...I've never kissed anyone before." It was so quiet that it could barely even pass for a whisper, and she'd only heard it by leaning towards him again. That wasn't a joke, right? No, he looked far too serious for it to be one.

"You haven't? B-But, I mean...I would've thought..." He was so suave, and smart, and a hard worker, not to mention handsome. She'd assumed he'd had a swarm of potential suitors back home, before all of the accusations had happened, anyways.

"Believe it or not, I wasn't always the charming devil you see before you." he joked, although his smirk was still a bit unsteady, and quickly fell entirely. "So, er, sorry about earlier. When you leaned in, all I could think about was how many ways I could mess it up, so I kind of panicked. I don't really know what to do, so if you've got high expectations-"

"It's alright, Akira. You don't have to say any more." She carefully sat back down on the bed next to him, keeping her hands clasped primly in her lap so she didn't overstep their bounds again. "I haven't kissed anyone either, although of course you already know that. That means I don't have anything to compare it to though, so you don't have to meet any expectations. All I really want out of it, is...well, y-you. Just you. You won't mess anything up as long as you're being yourself, and not some mask of what you feel like you should be. Because to me, you're already incredible..." Oh dear, that last part had been so cheesy, her face was starting to burn. And here she'd started to think she wasn't going to be flustered for once...

"I...I guess I can do that. And you should know that you're incredible too." He finally cast a genuine smile in her direction, and her skin heated up even further.

Well, now the question was, what did they do from here? Was it appropriate to ask?

"S-So, um...w-would you like to try again? We absolutely don't have to, i-if you'd rather wait or take the initiative on your own, I c-completely understand!" She definitely didn't want to rush him into anything. "I just, um, I-I figured I'd ask...j-just to be clear?"

A long pause filled the air while he mulled the question over. "I...I think I'm ready this time."

"Are you sure? I don't wish to pressure you."

"I'm sure. I want to do this, for us to do this." he murmured, shifting in his seat to better face her. "Just don't bite me, okay?" he chuckled.

She probably could have teased him with a bit of her Queen attitude, joked about how there weren't any promises she wouldn't, but she didn't want to risk adding to any of his lingering apprehension. "This will be gentle, I promise. Nothing too intense." She certainly hadn't had any plans to start one of those face-sucking make out sessions they always showed in movies and tv. Just something simple and sweet, that was all she really wanted.

He'd licked his lips, but aside from fidgeting a little he hadn't made any real move to lean forwards. It was cute, actually, to see this other side of him. The added confidence boost that came with being slightly less nervous than him wasn't bad either. Yes, she supposed she could take charge this time, just like she'd attempted earlier.

She shifted to sit closer to him, allowing one of her hands to reach forwards and brush a tuft of hair away from his cheek. The heat of his skin alone sent her fingers tingling, and the slight way he leaned into her hand had her heart melting. She kept stroking his cheek, slowly and with feather-light motions. It seemed to help calm him, as his fidgeting ceased. Well, except for one of his hands, which had moved to rest on her knee. Whether it was to keep himself steady or to try and reciprocate the physical contact, she wasn't sure, but it was sweet either way.

"I'm going to lean in now, alright?"

She saw his throat bob as he swallowed hard, but he nodded in approval, charcoal eyes glimmering behind his glasses.

Goodness, her heart suddenly seemed to be pounding out of her chest! They were really doing this. Her very first kiss, and his. Now wasn't the time to get too nervous about her performance though. She had to remember her own words. No high expectations.

That didn't seem to help her quickened breathing as she leaned forwards, once again hovering a couple of centimeters from his lips. This time she could feel his own breath brushing her face back though, huffing as he tried to relax. His eyes were always so pretty up close, but she only got to see them for a moment before they flickered shut, thick black lashes fluttering as their noses touched. A soft giggle escaped her as she smiled against him, leaning back to adjust her angle. She hadn't meant to bump him, but for once, a miscalculation had been beneficial, the goof allowing a break in the tension. His lips were curved up in amusement as well. She ran a hand through his shaggy curls, reveling in the soft hum it drew from Akira.

She kept petting his hair as she finally closed the distance, her lips just barely pressing against his. They were warm, and soft, and tingled against hers when he hummed again in response. If she'd thought awakening to Johanna was an experience, this was an even better one. She was just so happy to be here, on this bed with her lips finally pressed against the boy she loved so dearly, the one who loved her just as much! Her chest was bubbling with a feeling she couldn't articulate, and it forced her to break off the kiss as a giddy smile overtook her features. She was breathless, and from what she'd felt of his frantic heartbeat, he was too. He'd finally opened his eyes again, caught between panting and chuckling as he gazed at her.

"Th-That was...um..." His free hand reached up to touch his lips for a second, as if to confirm they'd actually kissed. The tips of his ears were almost as red as his cheeks were by this point. "Um, was that Chapstick, or lipgloss, or...?"

It might have been a bit of a silly question, but to be fair, she couldn't think of many things to say either. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, and she was quite sure her neck and chest were flushed as badly as her face was. She was happy, of course, exceedingly happy. But it was still taking her a bit to process the moment, and she wasn't sure what couples typically spoke of after kissing for the first time. It was all she could do to think past the awkward brainfog to answer. "I-It's Chapstick. Cherry, w-with moisturizer and sun-protection..."

"Oh. I see." Akira nodded, as if that had been the most fascinating piece of information he'd heard today. Silence hovered between them. "It's nice." he murmured. "Really nice."

His smile was telling her that he wasn't just talking about what was on her lips, and a fresh wave of warmth ran through her from head-to-toe. He'd really liked it! He really liked her...

"Th-thank you. Your lips are...I-I mean, um, y-you..." Oh goodness, why couldn't she draw a compliment from everything spinning through her head? Whatever threads of coherency she finally started to work out scattered like cobwebs a moment later as she was pulled from her thoughts.

She was surprised to feel Akira's hand move off of her knee, but soon both of his hands were inching towards her hips, making sure not to squeeze as they hovered above their resting place. "I-Is, um, is this okay?" Once she nodded, he settled them there on each side. Then he was leaning over, ever-so-carefully tilting his head and pressing his lips to hers. It was chaste, and cautious, only lasting for a couple of seconds before he pulled away, but it was proof that he'd gained to confidence to initiate this time. She could certainly get used to being held like that, electric tingles running up her spine in response to the grip on her hips.

Those hand shifted as soon as the kiss was over. She was framed by warmth as Akira rested his head on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, seeming perfectly content. She could still feel his pulse beating a bit more quickly than usual, but he wasn't shaking, and she was sure his heart would calm itself like the rest of him in a minute. She found herself closing her eyes as she rested against him, the rhythm of his breathing helping to relax her.

"Thank you, Makoto." he murmured.

"Hmm?" Was he actually thanking her for the kiss? "You're welcome, but, er, kissing is something every couple does, s-so-"

"Huh? No, I didn't mean just that. I meant..." A couple of his fingers drummed against her back as he pondered his words. "Thank you for accepting me. I don't talk about it a lot, and usually I can kind of brush stuff off, but...it hurts, getting rejected and judged all the time. Everywhere I go, people are sizing me up or telling me I'm doing something wrong, and it gets exhausting. You've don't make me feel like that though. You accept me, flaws and criminal record and everything. I feel safe, like I'm at home around you, like I belong. So uh, I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful, and that I'm glad you're in my life."

He didn't open up like this very often, not this earnestly and without a joke or piece of sarcasm to lighten it. It was touching. Proof that their relationship was deepening emotionally as well, not just in terms of physical contact. She shifted her arms to hug him closer.

"I'm equally thankful that you're in my life, Akira." She hesitated, letting one hand toy with his hair again while she tried to figure out her wording. "People were always pressuring me about my potential, but you were the one who actually taught me that I could decide what to use my abilities for, that I could be more than someone else's expectations. I know wasn't exactly the, er, friendliest person when we first met, but you were willing to work with me anyways. Joining the Phantom Thieves, that's been life-changing, of course, but...spending time with you outside of that, I believe that's what has helped me come as far as I have. You're the one that truly made me feel like I'm finally part of something, that I'm wanted."

They were both outsiders, in different ways. But they'd come together to find their own sense of belonging, a place and a person to call home.

"I love you, so much."

"I love you too, Akira."

They stayed in their embrace for another minute or so, content with the silence and each other's company. Akira finally pulled away to stretch his arms.

"Hey, if anybody asks, you won't tell the others I almost fainted, right? I've got a terrifying criminal reputation to protect."

She made sure her expression was dead serious as she nodded in agreement. "Oh, of course not. The leader of the Phantom Thieves has to be incredibly suave, infallible." Oh, but she couldn't resist the playful smirk that slowly made its way onto her lips. "I might tell the girls how cute you looked when your eyelashes fluttered though..."

Watching his entire face flood into a shade of red dark enough to rival Arsene was certainly worth the teasing remark.