This is an AU where Akira does leave Tokyo to go back to his hometown after the events of Persona 5. I determined his hometown to be around Shizuoka prefecture, perhaps in Ito. But in his time away from the others, he's since joined the football(soccer) team in order to stay active and out of trouble - not that he was ever looking for it. Now Akira and his teammates have now reached the nationals, which is being held in Tokyo against his old school, Shujin.
Ann: Are you nervous?
Akira: Not at all.
Ann: Good!
Ann: That confidence is going to do you well in this game!
Akira: Who are you rooting for?
Ann: I was torn! I was going to root for Shujin.
Ann: But of course you're important to me too.
Akira: Thank you.
Ann: The others are rooting for you too, we all came in your uniform color!
Akira: You look good in white.
Ann: Speak for yourself! :)
Akira smiled at that, he looked up from his seat as the other team members piled into the bus again. They had done a gas station stop, which he hoped they'd depart from soon. The senior student had hoped to get there early so he would have time to meet with the rest.
He joined football after he took some meek interest in it when he came back from Tokyo. It was a semester of practice alone till he did the tryouts the next. Akira wanted a goal, he wanted to strive for something just like with what he did before.
After he worked on a team, he even missed that dynamic, but none would replace the Phantom Thieves. Though there were some things he took back from his probation period as well. He was still a little scrutinized after all the controversy he went through when he came back. Some found it hard to believe his side.
But with this tournament, he wanted to make a different legacy for himself and show the people that doubted what he could be. His relationship with his parents had flourished when he brought up how he made it on the team. The two parties found a common ground and this tournament felt like the icing on the cake.
"Akira, does your cat like meat?" The voice caused him to turn his head to look at Tokumori Jouji. "Well …" He gently woke up Morgana, who yawned and popped his head out of the duffle bag beside him. "I don't like meat, tell him to get me some spaghetti."
With deadpanned features, Akira looked back at Jouji. "He likes spaghetti."
"A-ah, I see …" Jouji rubbed the back of his head. "Are you sure that stuff is good for a cat?"
A soft puff came from his lips as Morgana piped up. "I think he underestimates my ability. I'm no ordinary cat! I'm Morgana! Thief and loyal companion of -"
Jouji stared at the cat as all he heard was a cacophony of 'meow, meow, meow' over and over again as if the cat was trying to talk. "H-hey, is that cat okay?" Painfully, he smiled at his teammate and nodded as he reached over to pet the cat.
"Hush, Mona." The tuxedo cat protested, but was soothed as soon as Akira hit the sweet spot on his head. "Heh, what a cute guy." Jouji mused and leaned over to give him a few pats.
"Okay everyone! No more stops after this! We're going straight to Tokyo!" The man at the front was his jolly hardass of a coach, Ryota Yamaguchi. As the last few members of his school's football team came back on the bus, it pulled away from the gas station.
The raven haired team took this time to rest, with Morgana back in the duffle bag. Within a few hours, the team had arrived in their respective locker rooms. A sense of serenity and calmness washed over him, his senses fried as he realized how big of a stadium it was.
"Akira, you can let your cat out. But don't let him run off, okay?" He gave his coach a small smile, he slowly unzipped the duffle to let the tuxedo climb out. Since his distance from the others, his constant companion was his feline friend. It was almost a comfort and safety for him to know that Morgana was around.
On top of that, he had almost become the team's mascot and the brazen cat surely was loving the limelight that the students gave him.
Ann did her best to keep in touch, updating him on everything. She video chatted him over the phone when he made the team and even after every game they won or lost. Her support was wonderful and he tried his best to do the same. After most shoots, he'd shoot her a text or even video chatted with her then.
It kept their relationship strong, the support from afar and the small gestures kept their bond as strong as steel. This was the one true event that he finally could properly see all of them, including Ann.
"You're spacing out." Morgana chirped.
"It's relaxing to get lost."
"I know, but you should do some stretches and stuff before the game! You don't want to pull a leg or something!"
Akira nodded and stood up, he took his glasses off and set them on the seat he was on. In the locker room, he took the time to stretch and get ready. His mind was conditioned after running through the Palaces, but his body in the real world was different. Still, he improved after Morgana continuously shouted at him while he was at the gym.
His shoulders were broader, his arms had a little more muscle, and his legs were much stronger. Akira could run almost as much as he could run in the Palaces, as seen in his previous plays. He was one of his school's star players, the forward for the group.
Coach Yamaguchi came back, giving a speech to the team and providing the moral support that they needed. Akira listened and got in position with the rest of the team; his chest thrummed with anticipation as they began to walk. Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel greeted him and he was met with a loud cheer.
It wasn't as big as a Palace, but it held hundreds of audience members from all around Tokyo and beyond. In the corner of his eye, he saw it.
'KURUSU 08' with the other signage, 'GO AKIRA'. His eyes fell on the owners of the sign, none other than Ann and the others of course. They met his gaze and gave him an obscenely large cheer, Ryuji took the cake on loudness from what he could tell. Morgana seemingly already ran up to the stands to meet them, lucky cat.
But his heart almost soared seeing them again, he dearly missed his friends. At the same time, he felt his face burn up behind the black rimmed glasses as he walked onto the field with the others.
The game was set to begin, it was now or nothing. Akira took a headband and used it to move his hair back and slightly, probably earning some looks from the audience members who were blessed enough to see. He was a handsome young player, no doubt, eyes would be on him from both sides. On top of that, Shujin students recognized who he was.
Finally, the whistle cut through the air. The game was a series of flurries and close calls, Shujin was a force to be reckoned with, but so was their school. Akira, clad in white and blue, always led the assault on their opponents. His legs ran him across the field, always a step ahead of some of his equals.
But he was always met with resistance, the ball would be kicked back towards their end or a foul would happen. First quarter, it was 1-0. Second quarter was 2-1. Third quarter was 2-2. In the current quarter, time was ticking. Things seemed to be going well, he knew he could get this in if he just played his moves right.
His footwork was impeccable, it was something to be feared. Coupled with his technique gave way to a clean and wildcard-type of player, he was playing with intention.
But the forward was visibly tired, even his friends noticed from afar. Akira had placed his hands on his knees, bent slightly as he took a second to breathe. His white shirt were darkened by the sweat that pooled on his back and the sweatband that pushed his hair up was now soaked.
He had been pushing himself recently, the fatigue didn't come as a surprise to those who knew him closely.
The raven haired boy straightened himself out as the game resumed after a foul. This one was met with a more aggressive Shujin offense. Sadly, that cost him more than he bargained for. As he was dribbling the ball, improper positioning and the faulty footwork of a Shujin student caused a collision.
Like two cars colliding, both were sent flying just a little with a tumble to boot the two of them. Audible gasps resounded from the stands as the small stadium fell into a lull, both sides looked distraught. But Akira's friends seemed the most bothered by the sight of their former leader slam into the ground like an asteroid with a slight sprawl. Ann had gotten up, however Makoto gently grasped her wrist.
"They have medics."
"But -!"
Ryuji cut in to try and help Makoto ease Ann's worries. "He's fine besides - ah hey! See?"
Ann looked back at the field to see the medic sit him up, both players were being tended to. Ryota had already ran over to his fallen student and asked a few questions. His glasses were broken in half, which he ended up just barely picking up from the grass.
"I'm fine." he dryly replied.
"Son, you don't look fine." he frowned. "And your glasses are broken, how are you going to play?"
"I promise, I'm fine. These are fake" To show that, Akira stood up despite the pain he felt from the crash. Some arguments could be heard in the background, both teams were rightfully upset. But he ignored the concerned expressions of his coach and the others. Ryota stared at him for a split moment before he nodded and gave the green light.
Ann, with all the energy she could muster, forced herself to sit down with a displeased look on her fair features. At the very least, the medics put some cover for the skinned patched on his leg and face. Some kinetic tape was placed to see if anything could be done to them.
The next few minutes were sluggish, Akira clearly had an unsteady gait and a slight limp to his run as he made it across the field. But the game was stacked against them now, they lost their momentum and they found themselves pressured by Shujin.
The glory wouldn't personally be his, but he was there to give Jouji the boost that he needed as the two weaved like the twin heads of one dragon. Akira met eyes with his good friend and sent the ball at the right moment for him to score it into the goal. The stadium, mainly in the side of his school, erupted into a roaring cheer.
Jouji ran up to him, slinging an arm around his neck as the others joined in on the momentous occasion. A series of cheers and shouting rang in his ear, Akira couldn't help but show a rare grin to his teammates. They stared for a second, unable to fathom that their naturally cool and quiet forward was now showing more emotion than a teaspoon.
A lot of the audience in the stands came down as the gate was opened, letting them flood the field to congratulate the team. Akira on the other hand was already in front of Ryota to ask the man a favor. "I'd like to talk with my friends a little if that's okay, sensei." The older man rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I mean, yeah of course. But didn't you want to celebrate with the team?"
The young man smiled apologetically. "Yes, well … I can do that -"
Ryota cut in with a motion of his hand. "Bah, go hang out with your friends Kurusu. Just don't get into trouble, okay? You have the hotel information anyway. If you do choose to join us, just text Tokumori."
"Yes sir." As soon as he turned around, he was on the hunt for his friends. "AKIRA!" Ah, there they were, Ryuji specifically. He turned on the heels of his cleats and came face to face with the jogging figures of his confidants. Akira met them halfway and was met with a very forceful embrace from most of them.
"You were great, man!" Ryuji piped in.
"It was a team effort."
Futaba chuckled, "We know, but you were amazing out there!"
"T-thank you."
"Hey, don't forget about me! I'm the moral support!" Morgana was on his haunches.
"Of course."
Ann had pulled back, teal eyes twinkling at him with the slight tilt of her head. "You were great, well done, really." That simple sentence caused the edge of his lip to twitch, a faint resemblance of a smile.
"Thank you all for the support." Akira cleared his throat. "It means a lot."
Yusuke was framing him from where he stood, an eye closed as he stared at Akira. "Truly profound, the way you moved was utterly sublime. Like a whirlwind dance on the sodden ground, you could not live up to your thieving days any more than now."
Akira abashedly smiled, letting out a nervous laugh as his hand laid on his neck when he looked away. "Thank you."
Haru piped up, "Are you going to be able to hang out with us for a little while?"
"Yeah, Aki, c'mon." Ryuji grinned. It was the most shit eating grin he could see, he knew that 'Aki' as a nickname alone killed him. "Yes. I asked sensei already, he's okay with it." he dryly replied.
"Perfect." Makoto smiled.
Ann's hold on him tightened slightly, chatting idly with the others as he chimed in every now and then. Their dynamic was the same as ever, with just a little more maturity and flare than before. The group wandered off from the field, letting Akira get his duffle and at least change out of cleats.
The others ran to the fountain when they reached a square, hoping to make some wishes while the night was young. His shirt was gently tugged, it caused him to look down and see Ann, smiling. "You look good in this."
Akira blinked and reached up to pull the headband off. "Do I?" Before he had a chance to take the band off, Ann's hand came up to stop him. "Don't, I like it."
"... Why?" His hand came down to rest within her own, it was a feeling he was missing for a while now. "I can see your face better, duh! I like being able to see you." The raven haired teen glanced to the side, seeing his friends talk and bicker from afar.
His gaze fell back upon Ann. "I'll keep it then." The blonde bubbly smiled and held his hands, but her expression faltered on seeing the gauze patch on his cheek. "How is it?"
"I'm okay."
"You're stupid stubborn for continuing to play, you know how worried I got?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you." He broke his their hands apart, much to Ann's dismay, and cupped her face. Slowly, he could feel the warmth that radiated from her reddened cheeks. Slowly, he leaned down and affectionately planted a kiss on her lips. It felt satisfying as if he'd been deprived of oxygen for so long.
Though Akira was a gentleman through and through, so he kept his desires at bay. A small noise of relief came from his partner and his hand slacked to only holding one of her cheeks. The broke apart eventually, brushing noses and letting the two of them fall into an embrace. Silence fell over the two of them.
"I missed you." His voice was rough, maybe from all the emotions he experienced. Ann liked the sound of it as she pressed ear against his chest. "I missed you too, so much Akira."
"I have a lot to thank you for."
"For what?" she asked. Her voice was muffled as she pressed her face against his chest, planting a kiss on his sternum. It earned her a deep chuckle from him, his cheek rested against the crown of her head.
"For supporting me at my best and worst."
"Everyone did that."
"But you went the extra mile." Akira paused. "You'd still find time to voice chat me and give me things."
"You did the same for me though." Ann's hands snaked up his back, gently gripping on the track jacket that he wore. "When I was out modeling, you did the same. When I didn't get the gig, you did the same. It only made sense."
"Right."
"Plus this is a forever thing, you know?" Akira felt her move her head to look up at him. He leaned his head back to look at her. "Us." The young man's lip curved into a smile.
"It's a forever thing." he confirmed. Ann beamed; their future was set. Their lips brushed against one another in a rather short and tender kiss. "Your glasses, where are they?"
Akira pulled back from her and dug in the pocket of his jacket to pull out the snapped frames. Ann's expression at the sight of it, she reached out to hold and examine them in her hand. "I can fix these."
"You don't need to." She looked up. "I can get new ones next month."
Ann shook her head rather vigorously. "No, I want you to keep these." His hand played with the hairs on the back of his neck. "They're just frames."
"But you've had them since we met, I like them and -!" She sharply inhaled and pocketed them in her own jacket. "I'm used to you with these on, you've used them on every date we've been on, and on every video chat too." Ah, they were sentimental to her. When she put it that way, Akira felt it resonate within him too.
"So please, don't replace them." A crooked smile dawned on his features, brief but reassuring. "I won't then." Ann seemed pleased, elated even. Her hands found his like two puzzle pieces, intertwined and inseparable. "I wish you could stay longer."
"Me too." Akira glanced at the group of people. "But let's enjoy whatever night I have left in Tokyo."
"Right! After tonight are you going back to the hotel?" He hummed in response, mulling it over as they headed down to meet the others. "If it's okay, I'd like to come by your place. Unless your parents are home, I'll just go back."
Ann shook her head. "Come back to my place tonight, tell your coach you'll be there sharp."
"Understood." Akira did just that, shooting Ryota a text about it.
Akira: I will be back tomorrow to meet the bus, sharp.
Ryota: You're not coming back?
Akira: No, I'd like to spend more time here if that's okay.
Ryota: Sure, but just be safe and don't get into trouble.
Akira: Thank you, coach.
He put his phone away and rejoined his group of friends. They caught him up to speed with everything going on so far with the lot of them. Yusuke was receiving more showings of his paintings and even galleries who were requesting him to showcase work.
Ryuji was back on the track team again and was going on to finals. Haru and Makoto were attending university, one majoring in business and the other in criminal justice. Ann herself was still pursuing modeling and had plans to enter university as well.
"What about you? Do you have an interest in mind?"
Akira tried to avoid shrugging, he didn't want to seem like he had no plans. But in reality, he and Morgana had been going back and forth about this. "I suggested that he take up culinary arts or something!" the cat chimed.
A series of 'oohs' resounded from his friend group, which caused him to place an embarrassed hand on the back of his neck. "Maybe, I'm still thinking." Ann held his hand the whole time, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We'll support whatever your endeavors are."
Akira had thought of one day maybe opening up a store like Leblanc, despite the small time that he's known Sojiro. But he had grown to like the smell of coffee beans and curry, so he wanted a coffee shop and bakery of his own. Many of the scents during his time in Tokyo remind him dearly of his friends.
"Let's hit up that buffet in Shibuya!" The group seemed to be in eager acknowledgement as they all spent a good amount of time there. Afterwards, they went to a karaoke bar to belt out the rest of the night away. Akira unfortunately embarrassed himself after tripping over the mic cord and falling over. Seeing that it was his second tumble for the day, they decided to call it quits. The last stop became the arcade, taking turns at the Gun Point game that they often were at.
Finally, the night came to a close and the friends stood around conversing with one another. Akira looked visibly exhausted after the game and the celebration. His friends took notice and wryly smiled at the young man's far off gaze. "You probably should head back, huh?" Ryuji mentioned.
"... I don't want to." He paused. "But I should."
"You better call us more often." Futaba warned. Haru nodded and spoke up. "And tell us if you'll have another game in Tokyo too!"
Ryuji slung his arm around his slightly taller friend. "You ALSO need to come by more often, no more being too busy and shit!" Akira smiled at that and gave his friend a half-hearted hug.
"I'd be delighted if you could attend one of my art galleries one day."
"Tell us when your graduation is too, so we can all come." The teen exchanged a huge hug from the others, embracing one another as they stood out there. Slowly, the herd thinned and each person went their separate way, except for Ann and Akira.
"Should we head to your place now?"
"Mhm!" Ann happily replied. The two walked the streets and took the line back to her place. "How long have your parents been gone?" Akira closes the door behind him as the lights flicker on.
"It's been about a month now, give or take." The football player took his shoes off and rubbed his calf before he followed Ann to the living room. "Make yourself at home!"
"Is it okay if I use your shower?" Ann nodded quickly and pointed to it. "Be careful, tile can get slippery, okay?" He nodded and leaned over to steal a kiss on her cheek, causing her to grin wildly. After half an hour of letting his body relax under the steam, he changed into some clothes and shoved his old ones in the duffle bag.
He headed back to find Ann gently petting the top of Morgana's head, the cat was clearly asleep. Akira mouthed a 'hey' to her and made his way towards the pair. However, she held a hand up to signal him to stop - which he did. After a few minutes, Ann got up and went to meet him halfway.
"I didn't want you to wake him." she whispered. Akira nodded and let her gently tug her to her room, where he made residence in her bedsheets. "I miss this." she sighed. Ann crawled over and wrapped his arms around his waist with a careful squeeze.
The smell of his cologne and the freshness that he had comforted her so much and it nearly made her tear up. Ann sniffled and rubbed her eyes, to which Akira cupped the side of her face for. "Are you okay?"
"I just missed you, it's been hard. You know …" He did know, he remembered the fights they had every now and then. It wasn't perfect but that's just how life worked for the both of them. "It is."
"But that's okay! I just … it's hard. So hard." she whispered. Akira took a hold of the covers and pulled it over the both of them. He repositioned himself so she could be closer to his chest. "I know and I'm sorry."
"Don't be, I mean, it's not called a 'long distance relationship' for nothing." Akira's hand subconsciously rubbed circles on her back, slowly lulling her to sleep.
"After this, like high school and stuff, we'll still be together right?"
"Yes."
"I'm just worried you'll get tired of me, tired of what I do or say, tired of how I am and how I act. I want you to still like me now; tomorrow, a month from now, a year from now, hell maybe ten years from now." Akira silently let her talk, taking the time to return her embrace as he watched the star from outside the window of her condo.
Silence befell the both of them before Akira spoke up to clear her worries. "We can only go up from here." Ann glanced at him. "I won't get sick of you. I'll call you as much as I can. I'll still send you flowers and those cute pens you like. I'll ask how your day was and send you song recommendations on Dotify. I'll even finish that playlist I've been telling you about."
She loved his voice, it ran deep in her bones and found its way into her heart all the time. It was smooth and in this case, it was rough and tired. It was a sound she wouldn't mind sleeping and waking up to for the rest of her life.
He rested his chin atop of her head, pausing to kiss her crown. She seemed like she was shaking slightly. "Maybe when we're old together, we can get that two person bike you wanted and go down to the park every Wednesday." Akira felt her shake even more, curling in on herself as if she didn't want him to see her cry.
"You and me? Forever?" she hiccuped. Ann's teal eyes peeked from a few sprawled fingers. It was hard to believe she got so lucky on her first boyfriend, this was
"It's a forever thing, you and I." In the dimly lit setting of Ann's room, he felt a warm and subtle sensation near him. A brush against his lips sent electricity down his spine as he met her in an affectionate kiss, one that lasted a little longer than most.
Ann then rested her face in the crook of her neck, wrapping her arms around his neck as she slumped into his embrace. "Hey Akira?"
"Hm."
"I love you." She pressed a chaste kiss to his neck, letting his eyes slowly flutter shut from the subtle sensation. "I love you too." After some silence, where he nearly fell asleep all the way, she spoke up again against the fabric of his shirt.
" … Did you put your dirty clothes back in your duffle?"
Akira peeked an eye open. "... Yes?" Ann raised her head with a slight frown on her features. "You do know that Mona is going to suffer in there right?"
He stared at her with no response, causing her to roll her eyes. "Come on, let's do it."
"Now?"
"Yes now."
"I'm tired."
"Now, Akira."
The young man sighed and got up, following an begrudgingly to do some late night laundry. "Don't give me that face." Ann gently whacked him with his shorts when he tried to kiss his way out of the chore. At least he got some time with her.
Thanks for reading it!
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