this fic is technically an au abt a short Akira {specifically around like 5ft}

as someone who stands at a BIG and TALL 5'2 I feel this on a molecular level

also the request is on my writing tumblr hope you like it friendo and I'm sorry it took so long!

(Hey! Down here!)

"Ah, Akira… perhaps it's not my place to say this, but I don't believe you'll be able to reach the cups that way. Could I possibly be of assistance instead?"

Yusuke watched as the leader of the Phantom Thieves danced precariously on the tip of one foot, the other raised behind him as though that would give him more leverage. At the artist's question, both feet fell flat to the ground, a look of indignation on his face. The Kosei student balked a bit under the stare, not quite understanding what he did to deserve it.

Huffing through his nose, Akira went back to the task at hand, deciding he had had enough of tiptoeing. Instead, he planted both hands on the counter and hoisted himself up onto it, kneeling on the surface to finally grab what he needed. "Kid, what are you doing?"

Both high schoolers froze at the sound of Sojiro's voice, the teenaged barista quick to hop off the counter. "If you're havin' that much trouble reaching things up there, just call for help next time. Sheesh. What am I supposed to do if you fall and crack your head open?"

Akira had the decency to look ashamed, though the café owner graciously took pity on him, patting his head in sympathy. "I'll see about investing in a stepping stool for you, alright? Just don't go climbin' any more counters."

The suppressed chortle from the only patron in café broke the moment.

"Akira, look! I'm you!"

He didn't know when she managed it, but he turned around in his desk chair to see the redheaded hacker dressed in his school uniform, her own clothes discarded on the bed.

"Wh—how did you even…"

"You know, these are actually a good fit! I did figure we'd be about the same size. After all, you're only an inch taller than me."

She tried a variety of poses to test out the garments, looking rather pleased when she found it wasn't too loose anywhere; "In fact, I think just the pants are a bit too tight for my hips…"

When she grabbed the waistline and shimmied a bit to relieve herself of the snug sensation, she caught his gaze, noticing the way a blush crept up from his neck to his face. "Oh? What's this?" With a sly smirk, she whipped out her phone, ready to snap a picture.

In a flash, the device was snatched out of Futaba's hand, a pout on her face and her arms folded across her chest when he held it up out of her reach. "Don't even think about it."

She stared up at it for a few seconds before snorting and jumping up with her hand outstretched, barking a laugh when she easily snagged it back. "C'mon, Akira. I'm almost as tall as you! You didn't think that was really gonna work?"

She waved off his irritated look, busying herself with her phone as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry, Short Stuff. I won't tell anyone about your weird kink."

No promises as to whether she wouldn't tease him about it, though.

Walking behind the group, Akira watched the three girls and their surroundings closely, though a bit curious as to why he was requested for "guard duty," and the only boy at that. After all, Makoto could very well take any creep down on her own.

It wasn't until he was swamped under the bags of things Ann and Haru purchased that he truly understood his purpose on this trip. He cursed himself mentally for falling for Haru's kind and sweet façade.

"What are three pretty ladies like you doing all by yourselves in Ikebukuro? Maybe you're in need of a tour guide? I can definitely help if that's the case…"

Akira readjusted the bags he was carrying to see just who this voice belonged to, setting everything down next to Ann to step in front of the trio. Though the stranger had a few inches on him, he looked defiant all the same, challenging the man to try something. "That won't be necessary. They're with me."

Staring down at the high schooler, the street thug laughed, easily pushing Akira aside. "And what's a tiny kid like you gonna do? Bite my ankles?" He stood in front of Makoto, leaning down to come face to face with her. "You don't need that shrimp. Come with me, and I can show all of you a good t—"

The thug held the left side of his jaw, groaning in pain as he stumbled away from the group, bent at the knees. "What the hell!?" he screamed, facing the fire that burned in the boy's eyes. Next to him, a head of dark brown stepped forward, chin tilted up as she glowered down, red eyes glinting in the sunlight. "We decline. Now leave."

Their harasser scrambled away, swears spilling from his lips. Once he was out of sight, Makoto exhaled a sigh of relief, turning to face the boy who had already begun walking ahead of them.

Haru turned to Ann as the group began moving again, voice low so no one else could hear her. "Do you think those insults got to him?" They both looked to Akira, seeing how he walked with his back straighter despite the weight of the bags, head held high and chest puffed just a bit.

"Probably," the blonde replied, shrugging. "But I think it might be better if we keep quiet about it. Apparently boys don't like when people wound their pride."

Ryuji paused his flow for a moment, watching how his friend practically inhaled the ramen before him. "Wow, dude. I didn't expect you'd be able to do that!"

Akira stopped as well at the comment, staring in question at the blond. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know! I mean, look at you! For such a small guy, you're really puttin' away a lot!"

It was then that Ryuji realized that perhaps that was not the best thing to say. "And what do you mean by that?"

"I-I, uh… you know!" he repeated, starting to crack a little under the pressure of the glare he was given. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he looked anywhere else. "I just thought… with you bein' so short 'n' all… that you'd have a smaller stomach. Ain't that a normal thing to think?"

When he received no response, he quietly returned to eating his ramen before he dug himself deeper, past the point of redemption. "Didn't think it was such a touchy subject," he muttered to himself with his mouth full of noodles.

"Did you say something?"

"Nah."

"Oh! Good morning. Fancy meeting you here."

While in the midst of transferring lines, he encountered the Detective Prince himself. Akira felt the displeased rustle in his bag at the sound of Akechi's voice, subtly giving the bag a soft pat. Now was not the time.

"The Phantom Thieves have grown quite a bit in popularity, wouldn't you agree? It's fascinating, the way everyone's cheering for their success… It seems society still isn't quite aware of just how dangerous vigilantes can truly be."

He paused in thought, pointer finger and thumb framing his chin as he looked upon Akira closely. "What about you, Akira-kun? I find that you typically have very compelling things to say. How do you feel about the Phantom Thieves?"

Things were always an intricate game of chess with Akechi, and this time was no different. Though the average person would be consciously oblivious to these changes, they were painfully obvious to Akira: utilizing the almost third of a meter the detective had on him, he shifted forward ever so slightly, making his prey feel as though they were backed into a corner against the pillar. Akechi's stance adjusted so that he imposed over the shorter boy, but just barely kept enough distance so that he could feign innocence if questioned.

Disregarding the power play, Akira simply said, "I think they're interesting," and left it at that. As a detective, the more one spoke with him, the more incriminating the things they shared would be.

"How cryptic! Though you've always been a man of few words. Well, I really must get going. I'll be late for my transfer if I stay any longer, as will you if we keep each other here. I'll see you around; we do seem to meet in most odd of circumstances."

On their way to the Ginza Line, Morgana popped his head out of the bag, voicing a flurry of complaints. "Who the hell does that guy think he is!? Did he really think he could intimidate you just because he's a little taller than you!? Let's chop him at the knees the next time we see him, Akira!"

He chuckled at the feline's suggestion, gently pushing him back into the bag.

The party after his return from juvenile hall was a lot more than he had anticipated. Living in solitude for two months had truly taken its toll on him, as he felt almost overwhelmed with the prolonged interactions with his friends.

Lucky for him, his exhaustion did not go unnoticed, as the former Phantom Thieves started to wind things down around 10pm. Everyone did their part in cleaning and packing things up, the group reconvening outside to exchange their goodbyes.

Just as he turned away from the group to head back inside, his arm was grabbed, and before he knew it, he was being tossed into the air by the group underneath him.

"Welcome back, Akira!"

"We missed you!"

We did it! We won!"

It was the compilation of congratulations he never received before he was locked away, laughing at the clamor once he was finally on his feet again. He was surrounded for the second time that night, the team expressing their joy one last time before the party officially ended.

And though the tossing gave him a bit of a scare, he supposed being short wasn't so bad after all.

author's note

if you'd also like to request a fic from me you can find my requirements on my writing tumblr as well :v