A/N: Hey everyone, I wrote this chapter while listening to Swear to my bones from Persona 5, to get the best experience, (in my opinion) try listening to it while reading this! Enjoy the chapter.

The train pulled into the station with a loud screech that startled Lucas awake, adjacent of him, he saw Akechi smiling at his phone in excitement, it was a look that surprised the young American. In the time he'd known Akechi this wasn't a side he's seen yet.

"What's got you so happy?" Lucas asked, stretching out as he sat up, rubbing some of the sleep out of his eyes, it wasn't nearly enough. He still felt utterly exhausted.

Akechi looked up and shrugged his shoulders. "Just something I found interesting on the internet." He put his phone in his pocket and stood up, Lucas did the same as both exited the train, stepping foot back into the cold station of Chinatown.

"Alright, if we head straight through central Yokohama, we'll end up in Yamate, from there we branch off on a path and head up to a residential district." Akechi explained while walking, Lucas beside him with his hands buried in his pockets.

"I cant read most of this stuff…" Lucas said as they walked into central Yokohama, he looked around at all the food stands and restaurants, and his heart warmed a bit to see a couple of American tourists walking around with camera's wearing 'I 3 Japan' T-shirts, those same Americans actually taking surprised glances at Lucas causing him no small amount of amusement.

"If I remember correctly." Akechi started. "That you can speak Japanese perfectly but can barely read it."

"Yea, my mother taught me from a young age." Lucas said, he was looking away from Akechi off into the distance, his eye's were misty as if they were reliving memories he didn't want to.

"But if I recall when you first got here you pretended you didn't even know how to speak it. Why is that?" Akechi questioned, Lucas stopped abruptly and Akechi knew he hit a sore spot.

Lucas started walking again at a slower pace, he seemed to be contemplating something, Akechi was about to drop the subject when Lucas suddenly spoke again.

"You know how my mother knows Japanese and was Japanese herself, and how I have no Japanese blood whatsoever?" He asked, sending a sideways glance to Akechi.

Akechi put the pieces together quickly. "Your mother isn't really…" He trailed off.

"My mother isn't really my birth mother. I figured it out a long time ago, I don't know if they ever planned on telling me but… yea. My real mother is someone I don't know. I don't know if she's still alive or not either but honestly I don't care."

"But that doesn't explain why you pretended to not know Japanese when you got here, and now that I think about it isn't your uncle actually related to her?" Akechi pointed out, making Lucas groan.

"My uncle has zero relation to her, but he really loved her like she was family, he says he is cause to him she might as well be. Just like she might as well be my real mother, she even changed her name to a more American one." Lucas explained, he stopped walking again rolled his shoulders.

"I also pretended to not know Japanese because of that…" Lucas admitted. "My mother… when she died it broke me in ways that can never be repaired, and it made me have a strange hatred to her heritage."

Akechi's eye's widened. "You mean… you hated the Japanese?" Lucas laughed, a bit of red in his face.

"Past tense, I got over that stupid phase quickly when I got here. I think it was also because whenever I speak Japanese even right now it reminds me of her… and god damnit it hurts so bad to think of her."

"Because you loved her. And she loved you." Akechi said, not a question but a statement of fact.

"Yea. I did. When I'm alone with my thoughts they usually drift to her… it's funny, I loved my father, still do even though he technically killed her. But when I really think about it I loved my mom more, I loved someone that wasn't even related to me more than my own blood." Lucas admitted, beginning his walk again, Akechi right by his side.

"I wonder…" Lucas whispered softly, so softly that Akechi had to strain to hear. "I wonder if that makes me a bad person…"

Akechi couldn't answer that.

The walk continued in relative silence after that, neither one of them really wishing to speak, Akechi was thinking about The Heart Thief again, while Lucas' thoughts were occupied with what he shared.

And of course. His mother. I'm a total momma's boy. Lucas chagrined. I wonder if you're watching over me. I wonder if you're proud of what I'm doing.

Lucas looked about the area again, really taking a deep look at the place. A smile coming to his face as he watched the happy faces of the Japanese people walk about, kid's running around playing with each other, couples holding hands in love, innocent and just living free.

A tear slid down Lucas' left cheek, but he quickly wiped it away. So… this is what your life was like… right mom? How happy where you when you were still alive?

He didn't realize how far out they were until Akechi nudged his shoulder. "It's this way." He pointed down a large pathway where few people walked, this pathway had a bunch of benches where elderly people currently sat at, the darkness and the light coming from the city and stars a comfort to them.

Lucas and Akechi walked past in silence, some of the elderly gave cursory glances at them but otherwise didn't acknowledge them, going on about their business without a care in the world.

"It's strange…" Lucas remarked. "You think since people have been broadcasting about you for two years people would react more to your presence, what with being an ace teenage detective and all."

"Well I am in disguise." Akechi said, gesturing to himself. In place of his normal brown hair was a black wig, and he wore glasses with grey contacts, as well as wearing a white hoodie and blue gloves and blue jeans.

"It's… a terrible disguise." Lucas said, Akechi laughed.

"It would be more obvious if it was a good disguise, reverse psychology. The act of doing the opposite of something." He said.

"So… bad equals good."

"Precisely, and it's even better since it's easier if people think I'm dead."

"How so?" Lucas questioned.

"Because if I revealed myself to be alive, all sorts of questions would arise in which I would have to answer. Taking time away from helping you guys." Akechi explained.

"But enough of that." Akechi said, walking up to a large building, easily the biggest in the area.

"It's… conspicuous." Lucas said. "Is this another case of reverse psychology?"

"Nope, this is Haru Okumura." Akechi said, a soft smile coming to his face at her name.

Lucas internally smirked at the sight. He's in love with her. He realized, Akechi suddenly took off his disguise, tossing the wig into a nearby garbage can and placing the contacts and glasses in their respective cases.

"Why are you…" Lucas trailed off.

"Because I don't need it in here." The brown-haired boy said.

Walking into the building they headed to a reception desk where an incredibly bored women of about twenty was sitting. She looked up at them as they walked in, laid her eyes on the both and suddenly looked a lot more cheerful.

"Hello Kazuma-san." She greeted warmly, then looked Lucas up and down, licking her lips a little, making Lucas' body heat up. "And who is this… man here?"

Akechi put on a big smile. "Ah, hello Philia-san, this is my good friend Lucas. Lucas, this is the secretary of the building Philia Akamine."

"A-a pleasure." Lucas managed to get out, bowing in respect.

"Anyway, Philia-san, if you would excuse us we'll be going now." Akechi said, heading towards a nearby elevator, surprisingly enough though, Philia suddenly came around the desk and stood in front of Lucas, Lucas held back a noise as she suddenly got very into his personal space. The barely veiled desire in her eyes.

"Kazuma-san, mind If I borrow him for a little while?" She asked, her eye's misty as she looked back at him.

Akechi shrugged his shoulders "That's not up to me. Lucas, my penthouse is on the top floor when you're done." He said, feigning indifference, however internally he was trying not to break down into a laughter so hard it would leave him light headed, in the very short time he knew Philia she was very aggressive about what she wanted.

Akechi stepped onto the elevator and let it close, finally letting the laughter come.

Line break

Lucas' eye twitched in frustration at how Akechi left him there, but he had bigger problems to worry about, his eye's drifted down a fraction then he blushed.

Okay… Lucas thought. Two bigger problems. Get it together Lucas and stop acting like a virgin when you aren't one.

Lucas took a very wide step back, Philia smirking at him as he did so. Taking the time to examine her Lucas had to admit. The offer was agonizingly tempting. she was very well endowed and was incredibly pretty.

"I made it pretty obvious what I want, trust me. Nothing serious, and I can look at you and tell you have experience." Philia said.

Lucas' throat felt dry, he swallowed hard and spoke. "I don't make it a habit to… sleep with random women."

And besides, this is super sudden. I don't even know you. Lucas thought. How the fuck did I get myself in this situation?

"Well, try it." Philia said smirking taking another step forward close to him. "Come on, it's just a one-night stand, you're young. There's nothing wrong with having sex."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her lips to his ear. "I'm also on birth control." She whispered. "You don't even have to pull out."

Lucas' breath became ragged. "You do know I'm eighteen, right? And still in school?"

She chuckled softly. "And I'm twenty. Nothing wrong with it." She whispered, she caressed his face gently, relaxing him. It felt good. He didn't realize he was so starved for touch until just now, it made him feel wanted. Needed.

He hadn't felt needed in so long…

He knew it was wrong, that he shouldn't, he barely knew her, she was a stranger. After tonight he was likely to never see her again. But her touch…

Wasn't… what he wanted. He was starved of it and part of his soul craved it, but he wanted the touch of someone that loved him. Not someone that wanted him for a single night of something completely meaningless.

Tonight, he wouldn't break.

Lucas' breath stilled and became even, roughly he pushed Philia away, a 'hmph' of surprise coming from her throat. He looked away from her as strands of his hair fell in front of his face blocking his eyes from her.

"It is wrong to act like this, at least that's how I see it. You are very attractive but don't push you're horniness on me, your not what I want." Lucas straightened his body and strode past her towards the elevator.

"What do you want then?" Philia turned towards him, Lucas saw her eyes and couldn't help but sympathize at them. They were cold, dead inside.

Just like his. The eyes of someone depressed.

"I don't know." He said, a sad smile on his face, as the elevator closed Philia wiped her eyes and strode back over to her desk.

Lucas let out a breath and put his back to the elevator, sliding to a sitting position as he listened to the silent noise of the moving contraption, he had half a mind to sleep in the elevator he was so tired, and a miniscule part of him wanted to go back down there and take her for himself for a single night.

Lucas knew though for some reason he stopped himself, he couldn't figure out why though. His phone dinged suddenly, a sign that he got a message. He took his phone out of his pocket and looked at it, a smile came to his face.

Message from: Shiho Suzui.

Shiho: Hey it's me, I just wanted to say thanks… for coming for me.

Lucas: Don't mention it.

Shiho: Make sure to get plenty of rest, I was very worried about you.

Lucas: You should be more concerned about yourself, you must be even more tired than I am, where are you now?

Shiho: I'm at home in bed. And thank you, I will.

Lucas decided to end the conversation there, the elevator opened and Lucas dragged himself off the floor and walked inside, he had never seen a penthouse himself and wasn't personally impressed with it, it just looked like a typical thing rich people would buy to throw parties and have sex in.

"Yes, I know it's risky for both of us but it's worth it, if I'm right then that means we can get a massive foothold into what the organization actually is." Lucas heard Akechi say as he walked around the corner, finding Akechi pacing back and forth in the penthouses kitchen area.

"You'll do it?! Great!" Akechi said, a satisfied smile on his face. "I'll see you tomorrow then Niijima san." Lucas raised a suspicious eyebrow, he hung up the phone and finally noticed Lucas standing there.

"Oh you're back, and I see you Philia is not with you." Akechi said, a teasing smirk on his face, he picked up a glass from the counter and started sipping a dark fizzy liquid inside it.

Previous suspicion was pushed to the back of Lucas' mind as he was faced with a new foe: Akechi's smartassness.

"Nope, I rejected her politely." Lucas said, then he smirked at Akechi. "Sooo…. How are things progressing between you and Haru?"

Akechi spewed soda and started coughing, Lucas burst into intense laughter as he watched Akechi lose any composure he had.

"Wh-what the hell are you talking about?!" Akechi demanded, his face red and voice an octave higher than normal.

"Other than the fact that you're totally in love with her by that reaction I can assume you've done nothing at all?" Lucas asked innocently.

"Go to sleep Lucas."

"Woooowwww. Chicken." Lucas teased, Akechi glared at him but Lucas wasn't deterred. "In all seriousness you know if you don't do something she might be stolen away, a pretty girl like her probably has a lot of people wanting her."

Akechi became somber, his eye's downcast as he cleaned up the soda he spilled. "She wouldn't ever think of me in such a manner." He said.

"So you do love her." Lucas said, he already knew but Akechi needed to confirm it.

"Yes… I love her. And I hate it." Akechi admitted, his heart beating faster at the thought of her.

"Why?"

Akechi laughed, a hollow bitter sound. "Because I'm borderline insane, Lucas. You didn't know me two years ago, I was… horrible, I killed a lot of people with my powers from… mental shutdowns. Including her father. All to further my own goal that I almost died for, should have died for. I shouldn't be alive right now."

Lucas was silent the entire time, Akechi turned away but suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned and suddenly he wasn't looking at Lucas, the depressed lost American wildcard with an impossible destiny.

He was looking at Lucas the leader. "I wont lie and say that what you've done isn't horrible. It is. But as bad as you were back then I don't see that now. People can change if they really want to. I've changed. And in my eyes you've gone from Akechi the murderer to Akechi the redemptified. You may not have any chance with her, it's realistic to think so, but there isn't any harm in telling her how you feel."

Akechi was at a lost for words, he was at such a loss it reminded him of two years ago, when he lost the fight with the Phantom thieves in his father's palace, how they were willing to accept them, even after they knew everything. Even the current fire in the blonde boy's eye's reminded him of their leader at his best.

"Thank you… Lucas." He settled on, unable to say anything else. Lucas smiled and patted his shoulder, turning from him and walking off, most likely to find a room to fall unconscious in.

Akechi bit his lip and pulled out his phone, taking a deep breath to smother anxiety he opened a private chat.

Message to: Haru Okumura.

Akechi: Okumura-san, I've been doing some thinking recently…

Haru: Akechi-kun? This is a private chat, is everything okay?

Akechi smiled at how quickly Haru responded.

Akechi: everything is fine, I want to meet up tomorrow to speak with you, just the two of us. If… that's okay? At 12:30?

Haru: I have a meeting then unfortunately for Okumura foods, I do still have work outside of our activities as hero's of justice.

Akechi's stomach dropped and his smile slipped away, he was about to put his phone away when he got another ping from it, what was on it made him grin.

Haru: however, that being said I would love to after my meeting, about… 4:30? I want to talk about what happened in the palace between us at some point, and tomorrow is best for that since it's still fresh in my mind.

Akechi smiled so brightly that it almost hurt, he quickly typed out his response.

Akechi: Yes, of course! I will see you then. How about the diner on central street?

Haru: That will be just fine, I'll see you then Akechi-kun. Good night.

Akechi: Good night, Haru.

He pressed the send button and put his phone away, smiling as he sat up at the kitchens bar. He would have to thank Lucas later for it, while Akira was a master leader in the metaverse Lucas had his skills with real life problems.

Akechi's mood turned solemn as he sat at the counter tomorrow, knowing what he was going to do early that morning with Makoto Niijima, and how risky it was for the both of them.

Sorry Lucas, I lied to you. Akechi thought, a genuine remorseful feeling in his gut as he scrolled back through the texts him and Haru had just sent to each other.

He got up off the bar and silently walked to his room, however he didn't stop there, he strode into his bathroom and stood in front of the bathrooms mirror, his hands resting on the sink as he stared at his reflection.

For a brief moment, Akechi's reflection changed to that of a demon, one with a vaguely feminine shape, a snow-white mask with hollow black eyes and a frightening blank smile.

"Soon my champion. You will be mine." The mask spoke to him, it's voice distorted and sending shivers down Akechi's spine.

"Not if I don't use the power you gave me you monster." Akechi mentally rebelled, glaring at the mirror which held his demon.

"Am I really the monster you think I am though?" The mask spoke to him. "Humanity wanted to die, I was just doing my duty to help them, truly in reality, the real monster is the seal, keeping me from giving humanity it's salvation."

"You were never meant to be." Akechi growled. "You're only in existence because humanity fell into a dark place with no way out, it was the seal who brought their hopes back."

"I am not malevolent child, the seal only stopped them from finally being free, but I am growing stronger each day, and soon the seal wont be able to hold me."

"How do you know I wont just tell everyone what you're telling me now?" Akechi asked, sweat dripped off his nose, the physical exhaustion Nyx's presence caused almost made him pass out, but he bit the inside of his lip and pressed onward.

"I want you to, I want all you're little friends to know there's no way to defeat me a second time." Nyx taunted, stroking a black gloved hand across Akechi's cheek.

Akechi turned away from the mirror to stop her from speaking, but her voice went directly into his mind instead which felt even worse. "You turn away from me, you're a typical human. What they turn away from, what they fear the most, that is what I am."

"Please…. SHUT UP!" Akechi snapped, slamming his fist into the mirror cracking it, he could feel Nyx's presence fade away, but that didn't stop the laughter from coming.

Akechi put his back to the wall of his bathroom and slid down into a sitting position, they started off as snickers first few and far between, but they turned quickly into howling insane laughter, he shot up off the floor and looked in the mirror, a malicious grin on his face.

"You shit stain on humanity! I will personally tear you apart piece by piece and make you watch your own god damn body fall to the ground as I hold you're ugly head in my fucking hands." He screamed at the mirror, more insane laughter. He put his hands on his head and laughed some more.

Until that laughter turned to sobs, Akechi collapsed onto the floor in the fetal position and sobbed until he could hardly breath, eventually he just laid there, staring up at the ceiling with a blank look in his eyes, finally he got up and trudged over to his bed and collapsed into it, falling asleep immediately.

The next day

I'm going to murder Akira. Lucas thought, trying to ignore the snickers as he walked through the halls of Shujin, the uniform much to Lucas' chagrin, was very short in the legs and tight in the arms and shoulders, giving Lucas a bad case of high waters.

It was so embarrassing not even Futaba came near him, out of the corner of his eye's he noticed some of his classmates were mocking him, rolling their pants legs up and sleeves up and walking like him. He had to admit it was very disheartening.

That's why he was shocked when someone tapped his shoulder to get his attention, glancing back he saw Airi standing there, an inquisitive smile on her face.

"You wash your uniform wrong Lucas-kun?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to take a better look at him. The American retreating in on himself a little, face burning from embarrassment.

"I-it's a long story, one I don't feel like telling." Lucas said. "Is there something you need from me Kusunagi-san?"

As if remembering her original objective her eye's widened. "Oh right, here, you were absent yesterday, so Kawakami-sensei asked me to make a copy of my notes for you." She handed him a neat small stack of papers, he felt his heart warm when he realized they were written in the English language.

"They're…" he trailed off. Airi smiled and scratched her cheek.

"Kawakami-sensei also helped me translate them, I know a lot but some things were a bit too complicated for my level."

The bell rang, students started shuffling to there classes but Lucas and Airi weren't moving yet. "You… didn't have to do this you know." He said.

"Think of it as a peace offering, I said some very horrible things to you… my persona Aphrodite is capable of reading peoples thoughts and emotions in the real world, however I have to make their barricades fall down, that's how we learned about you, the only way I could bring you're down was if I-" Airi was suddenly caught up by Lucas putting his hand over her mouth.

"In the end there was no true harm done, you don't need to explain yourself to me, Airi, I forgive you." Lucas smiled at her warmly, he mentally noted that being something he'd done a lot more of in recent days.

His smile…. Airi thought and let one of her own show. "Alright then! Let's go, were terribly late to class." Lucas nodded and turned to walk, Airi following behind him she took the opportunity to examine him.

People are picking on him about his current state, I can see why, I'm gonna interrogate him about it later. She thought. But then again, he hardly looks bothered by them, but he could be putting up a front.

"Airi, you coming?" Lucas asked, snapping Airi out of her thoughts, she hadn't realized she stopped walking.

"R-right! Sor-" She stopped and her breath froze in her throat, the sun suddenly shown through the windows lighting up his ethereal eyes, making them shine like an amethyst star.

Her heart suddenly started beating faster, and her face turned red, her own eyes seemed to be magnetized to him and when he walked back to her she suddenly couldn't breathe, her eyes drifted to his lips and memories of a certain train ride sent shocks to her brain.

Suddenly Lucas clapped loudly in front of her face, and Airi finally snapped out of it. "Keep it together will you? I know it's early in the morning but still." Lucas turned once more and walked off, Airi following behind again with burning cheeks.

What the hell was I just thinking!?

LINE BREAK

"Shiiit Ann, I'm never helping you with clothes shopping again." Ryuji complained as he pulled an obscene amount of bags through Ann's doorway.

"No complaining! And besides, it's good training for you and it helps me out." Ann said.

"Like pulling forty bags up three flights of stairs and into your home is good training! ugh I'm gonna dieeeee."

Ann rolled her eyes and pushed him, Ryuji stared after her, briefly watching her untie the pigtails from her hair that she loved, letting it flow in it's natural long curly form.

He found himself blushing and turned away from her, silently dragging the bags in the living room.

"Just leave the bags in there, I'll take it from there later myself." Ann called out from in the kitchen, Ryuji dropped the bags and collapsed on the couch.

"Hey where's you're caretaker at?" Ryuji asked, Ann had hired a caretaker when her modeling career started keeping her from home, however currently she was taking an extended break from work to help with the phantom thieves.

Ryuji didn't really have it easy, he had to balance both, granted he's been lucky recently to not have any meets, however he still had to balance training for it and fighting as a phantom thief.

"She's on vacation, it's just us two." Ann said walking out of the kitchen with a couple of sandwiches.

The idea of being alone with Ann almost shorted Ryuji's mind out, swallowing hard he took one of the sandwiches offered to him and bit into it, absentmindedly chewing he looked out of the corner of his eye and caught Ann looking up and down at him.

"Like what you see?" He teased at her, fully expecting her to roll her eyes and smack his arm like she'd always done.

He wasn't expecting Ann's face to turn red. A steely determination coming to her face. "I'm still a girl you know!" She said defiantly. "I'm gonna look at a hot guy!"

Ryuji's mouth went dry, the look on his face must have not been good because Ann seemed to realize what she said because suddenly her eyes widened, and she stood up. "I-I'm so sorry Ryuji i-i…" She turned and started walking away from him, her insecurities starting to boil as she walked to her room to lock herself in and wait for him to leave.

Suddenly she was being spun around. "Ryu-mfph!" Her eyes widened as Ryuji's lips pressed against hers, it took her a second to register what was happening. But instead of Ann pushing him away…

She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, Ryuji's hands wandered down to her lower back and pulled her even closer, suddenly Ann felt all of Ryuji at once and she couldn't get enough of it, it was like an addiction that she didn't want to go to rehab for.

Ryuji broke the kiss and stared at the girl he's loved for years, her eye's were unfocused, but she was still looking at him with an expression that made his body burn from the inside and made his legs weak.

They kissed again, during the kiss, Ann fumbled for her doorknob and pulled it open, dragging them inside without missing a beat Ryuji kicked the door shut.

Ryuji's last thought before they began was I never want to lose this feeling.

LINE BREAK

Akechi sighed again as the train pulled into Shibuya, checking his disguise in his phone camera one more time. Makoto and Akechi had secretly investigated the warehouse district, trying to find any clues possible in the short amount of time they had before being discovered.

Well more like me, since I'm still supposed to be dead. Akechi thought. He didn't know what to feel, their investigation was unsuccessful, meaning Akechi's theory was completely wrong and he wasted both Makoto's and his own time, something he was sure Makoto would still be annoyed about later.

He was mad and glad about that, mad because the obvious, but glad because Akechi didn't know what he would do if he was right, what the phantom thieves would do if The Heart Thief really made a critical mistake (which he seemingly didn't). Or If he had a partner.

So short into looking and they were already at a dead end, his partner theory wasn't necessarily out, but there's not really proof of it.

I'll just have to swallow my pride on this one and say I was wrong. Akechi groaned mentally, he despised admitting when he was wrong about something.

A beep from his phone made him stop and pull it out, he smiled when he saw who it was from.

Message from: Haru Okumura.

Haru: I'm here, where are you at?

Akechi bit his lip and typed his response.

Akechi: My apologies Okumura-san, I got held up doing something important.

Haru: It's not nice to keep a girl waiting you know hehe.

Akechi smiled and strode into the diner, looking around for the mane of pink fluffy hair he saw her sitting in a corner alone drinking coffee. He walked over and sat down, catching her attention.

She sent a small smile his way as she put her cup down. "Hello Akechi-kun." She said formally, there was already a thickness in the air that Akechi felt.

"Hello, Okumura-san." Akechi replied, smiling at the waitress that came over to him, ordering a coffee he rested his back in the seat, trying to get comfortable and expel some of the tension and nerves building in his body.

It was an awkward silence for the first few minutes, neither party really making a move to begin the conversation that they needed to have. Akechi took a sip of the coffee their waitress brought and cleared his throat.

"Soo…" Akechi trailed off, feeling at a rare loss for words.

"Why?" Haru asked, Akechi raised an eyebrow, Haru sighed.

"In the metaverse, you kissed me." Haru took the lead, a fraction of the tension releasing from the air. "Why did you kiss me?"

Akechi literally felt his words come back to him, he took another sip of his coffee then sat up straight. "Because… Haru, I… I've got feelings for you that go beyond just friendly formalities. This is something I've been thinking about for quite a while, and it's something I simultaneously hate and love at the same time. I know it's wrong, but Haru… Haru Okumura… somehow I've managed to fall in love with you."

Haru's eyes widened and she sat up, her lips slightly parted in shock. "Are… are you serious?" She asked, her voice contained disbelief.

Akechi felt deterred but nodded determinately. "Yes, more serious than anything I've ever felt about, you've managed to capture my heart."

Haru's lips trembled and her hands shook, her head hung low, unable to look him in the eye. "Akechi… I never even would have guessed you would have felt that way…"

"I know… and I know you don't love me back." He said, Haru's head shot up. "And never will. Not after how I ruined your life." Akechi stood up from his seat. "I'm truly sorry to burden you with this information… I will never mention this again, I promise."

Akechi felt a burning in his heart that threatened to consume him, but he managed to keep his head held high as he walked out of the diner, the bustle of Shibuya's streets doing little to comfort him, he put his hands in his pockets and began to walk.

He made it a few yards before someone turned him around, suddenly he felt a stinging pain, his eye's widened as he realized he was slapped.

By Haru Okumura, bystanders turned to watch the spectacle unfold, some taking out camera phones to record what they assume was about to be an argument.

"Y-you bastard!" She yelled out, Akechi was genuinely surprised, Haru never cursed, then he realized she had tears in her eyes. "How can you just walk out like that after saying all stuff!"

"I-I thought-" Akechi stuttered, Haru flicked him in the forehead.

"You thought that I couldn't love you back after everything?! WELL YOUR WRONG!" She yelled, Akechi's breath froze in his throat and his insides felt mushy.

"Then, that means that you…" Akechi said breathlessly.

"I love you!" She said, a lot of people had begun watching the spectacle, and awes were heard all around at the public confession. "I shouldn't, I tried to fight it, but every nerve in my body was pulling me towards you, more than I could ever fight against, eventually I stopped wanting to fight against it, I started embracing it, and eventually I fell in love with you too."

"I love you. So much." Haru said, her face was burning with embarrassment, but her eye's held a confidence that pulled Akechi in, he smiled so brightly that Haru felt dizzy, Akechi gently took her face in his hands, more gently than anything he had in his entire life, and kissed her.

Screams and applause were heard all around, whistles and hollers but neither of the two could hear them, they were fully entranced by each other.

Off in the distance they didn't see the other power couple, Akira and Makoto grinning their heads off at the new development in front of them, their hands linked together and Akira kissed Makoto's cheek, so much love in his eyes that made Makoto's heart burn with happiness.

LINE BREAK

Lucas sighed as he walked out of the schools front gate, the day had been rough and now he just wanted to relax somewhere.

He knew he wouldn't get that when he saw Akira Kurusu leaning casually against the wall outside the school, Akira looking up and waving at him when he noticed him standing there.

Lucas sighed and walked over to him. "Either your waiting for me or Futaba." He said, Akira chuckled.

"I'm waiting for you, Futaba's already gone, I need your help with something." He said.

"Is it important?" Lucas asked, leaning close he whispered. "Phantom thieves important?"

Akira smiled and waved him away. "Nah, it's nothing like that, it's probably not important to you, but it's even more important than that for me."

Akira started walking and out of pure curiosity Lucas matched his pace and started walking with him. "Where are we going if it's so important to you?"

Akira smirked. "You'll see, but we need to go to Shibuya for this." He said vaguely, Lucas raised an eyebrow but kept following.

After a thirty-minute train ride and a short walk to an underground mall, Akira stopped and inclined his head towards a nearby shop. Lucas looked at the name of the shop and looked at him confused.

"Oh right." Akira said. "You can speak it but you cant read Japanese well."

"Duh, I mean I know what it is, it's a jewelry and wedding ring shop." Lucas said, then blinked a couple times. "Wait, it's… a wedding ring shop! Are you about to…!?"

Akira rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face. "Yea, but I'm not to sure on a good one, I'm asking you because I fell like you'd be discreet, and because I also have the feeling you'd be good at this."

Lucas shook his head but couldn't help the smile on his face. "Does Makoto have any idea?" he asked, Akira then grinned mischievously.

"Nope, that's why engagements are a surprise you know." He said, suddenly he turned a bit hesitant. "You… will help me right? I know it's a bit to ask."

Lucas thought for a moment, weighing the options. "You know what? I will, come on let's pick out a ring for your girl." He said with a grin, dragging Akira into the store.

Akira laughed. "Why are you suddenly more enthusiastic about this then me?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Because I like seeing my friends happy I guess, as long as I get to record the entire thing."

Akira grinned. "Deal."

A/N: I hope I did well writing this chapter lol, romance and confessions are something I struggle with because I never have been in a relationship or have had someone confess to me, so I just wrote what I thought sounded romantic lol. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter cause admittedly I kinda did, not much plot movement, just romance and fluff which I feel like was needed from all the tension.

And thanks for the bday wishes! I appreciate them!