It was official. Ren Amamiya and Ann Takamaki were now an item. He had confessed to her a few days earlier, and she had finally given him her answer. There was a positive spring in his step as he returned from the station. Already, he had a dozen texts from his new girlfriend, which made him feel like his heart was about to burst. This feeling turned sour, however, as he rounded the corner towards Leblanc and spotted Morgana waiting for him on a nearby wall.
The not-cat had always respected the boundaries of Ren and his friends. Despite spending much of his time in Ren's schoolbag, he allowed his friend and those he spent time with their privacy when needed. When it came to Ren's time spent with Ann, Ren got the impression Morgana understood the sensitive nature of her discussions with the group's leader and opted to stay out of the way, trusting Joker to help their mutual crush through it.
But the question of how Morgana would respond upon learning that the girl he loved was now dating one of his friends worried Ren. The last thing he needed was to cause another rift in the group after that incident in September. For now, he opted to keep it quiet and discuss the matter with Ann in the morning. It would probably be best for them to tell him together. He didn't want to bring down his mood after such an incredible afternoon.
"Hey," the feline greeted obliviously, which made Ren feel a little guilty. "How'd it go with Lady Ann?" A small part of Ren found Morgana's continued use of his nickname for Ann annoying and rather pathetic, but he knew it wasn't Morgana's fault, since he didn't know. Plus, feeling that way was entirely unwarranted on Ren's part. Ann was an incredibly beautiful young woman, with features that made her stand out from a crowd, so he was going to have to work on that jealousy if he and she were going to be together.
"Pretty good," Ren replied as he extracted his key for the door. "She's showing a lot of progress in her modelling. She said this shoot should be out in about two weeks."
"Excellent. You'll have to pick up a copy, okay? I'd do it myself, but... y'know."
"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, hoping the resurging annoyance wouldn't come through. It felt akin to being asked for nudes of his girlfriend, which, again Ren had to remind himself, he was exaggerating in his own head. He was sure all of his friends would want to see a photo shoot involving their close friend, even the girls. Still, was this going to be how he was going to react every time Morgana made comments about Ann's beauty? As long as he could keep his thoughts to himself, they should be alright for a while; more than enough time to mature and grow accustomed to the new status quo, surely.
He received a call from Ann almost as soon as he stepped through the door. "Is that Lady Ann?" Morgana asked hopefully.
"Yeah. She probably wants to talk some more about the... stuff we talked about today. Y'know, private stuff."
"I see," Morgana replied, sounding more than a little disappointed, which threatened to cause Ren's frustrations to flare up again. "Alright, I'll leave it to you. Give Lady Ann my regards." With that, Morgana sauntered up the stairs by himself.
"Yeah." If Ren said anything more than that, he worried he might say something he'd regret. While Morgana's constant praise and mention of Ann was hardly uncommon, Ren was starting to feel like it was a lot more common than he'd ever realised. But he was probably just more aware of him doing it now. It probably wasn't as bad as his mind was telling him it was.
Stepping outside, he answered his phone and was immediately greeted with the most sensual thing he had ever heard as Ann said, "Good evening, lover." He felt a chill run up his spine, but not like what he had experienced before. Ann was a notoriously bad actor, so he could tell immediately that this was less a playful greeting and more a genuine attempt at seductive speech. And, by God, was it effective. He felt like his legs might give out just from the pure erotic energy her deepened voice was giving off. Even if he was just more susceptible to it in his giddiness over finally being together with her, or from how it diametrically opposed his frustration with Morgana, he couldn't help but plaster his face with the biggest, goofiest grin he'd ever formed.
"H-Hi," he replied awkwardly, his voice unusually high and rough despite his obvious attempt at sounding casual. Ann giggled at this.
"Sounds like a certain someone's happy to hear from me. You're always so cool and collected. It's nice to have you on the defensive for once."
"Enjoy it while you can, Ann. I'll be back on top before you know it."
"Oh, will you now? I can't wait."
Another shudder threatened to make his legs give way. Ann was rarely so... explicit. He loved it. If she actually used a sexual term, he might just pass out on the spot. This girl really was something else.
"L-Lis-Listen. Ahem. We need to talk about Morgana."
"What about him? Is he okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine. But I'm worried about how he'll take the news. Y'know, about us?"
"Oooh, yeah, I didn't even think of that. Yeah, I'm kinda worried now."
"Don't be. He's matured since his falling out with Ryuji. I'm sure he'll understand if we both tell him together."
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Okay. Shall I make time tomorrow after school?"
"Please do."
"Alright. And I'll be expecting coffee and curry when we're done. My first as your... girlfriend. Hehe."
"Oh? Who's losing their cool now?"
"Don't make me use my whip on you." Ann's tone suggested she had that serene smile that she liked to affect when she was making a threat. This only made it harder for Ren to take said threat seriously.
"Please do."
"H-Huh!?" Ren chuckled into the phone, intentionally forcing it so she could hear his victory. "Oh, I'm gonna get you good for that."
"You already have me."
"I... That's not fair. You can't just... hhhrrrmmm..."
"I love you." The jokes were over. He made sure his tone was 100% sincere so she'd know exactly how much he meant it.
"Heheyeah," she responded in kind, her slurred response making her own sincerity quite clear. "I love you too. Wow. It feels so great just to say that, y'know?"
"Yeah. We've been missing out."
"Then, we need to make up for lost time. I love you."
"I love me too."
"Oh, you're a bastard."
The following day, as planned, Ren and Ann left the school together, earning a number of odd glances, but both were too used to those kinds of looks as the criminal transfer student and the gorgeous haafu respectively to be able to tell if anything was different. It only now occurred to the two how rarely they actually left the school together, even when they had already made plans together, despite being in the same class. Typically, they would meet up in Shibuya instead. It was a strange realisation that neither could help but chuckle at.
Morgana was, as always, hidden in Ren's bag until they were beyond the school perimeter, and he seemed happy to be in Ann's presence, especially when she playfully stroked his head. This made Ren feel uncomfortable, feeling as if he was somehow betraying Morgana's trust by not telling him immediately. But he and Ann had decided already that finding somewhere private was the best option.
Not wanting to disrupt Sojiro's business, they decided against Leblanc, and instead went to Ann's place. Ann had never invited Ren to her home before, nor any of the others, apparently. The place was a surprisingly large house, which Ann explained by reminding Ren that her parents were fashion designers who put on fashion shows all around the world. The home was looked after by caretakers hired by her parents, but she was mostly left to her own devices.
Her room was very... girly, Ren supposed was the right word. It was also quite messy, but the occasional creak he heard from the closet suggested this was as tidy as could reasonably be expected.
"It's kinda embarrassing to show you my room like this," Ann said, blushing, but still smiling. "I've never had someone over who... y'know..."
Ren began blushing as well. He himself had never been to a girl's room under these circumstances. He'd had female friends before, of course, and even been over to at least one of them's house, but this was Ann's room. This was so much more intimate than anything he'd ever experienced before. Or, it would have been, if not for the knowledge that Morgana was also present and in need of addressing.
Ren let Morgana out of the bag and let him look around while he and Ann exchanged a look to decide when the right time was. Ann sat on her bed and offered Ren a space beside her. With one last look, they agreed to start now.
"H-Hey, Mona?" Ann sounded more nervous than she had even when admitting that she liked Ren back.
"Hm? What is it, Lady Ann?" Morgana hopped up onto the small table just in front of them, struggling to find a clear space to sit while she addressed him.
"Ren and I... we have something we need to discuss with you."
"Oh? I'm all ears." His obliviousness made it difficult not to feel guilty. But, really, there was nothing to feel guilty about, right? It was hardly as if Ann was promised to the cat before Ren stole her away.
"So, like... Something happened yesterday. Something big. We... mmmm..." Ann looked to Ren for help. He understood how difficult this was to say to their original navigator and decided that they'd be here forever if they didn't just rip the Band-Aid off in one go.
"I asked her out. She said yes."
Ann seemed more surprised to hear this than Morgana did. She had probably expected him to show the same level of tact he always had when helping her with her problems, but the longer this went on, the more unfair resentment Ren could feel towards Morgana, and being blunt and direct seemed the best option to expunge that sinful emotion.
"R-Right," Ann nodded, seemingly let down by Ren's approach.
Morgana simply stared for a moment before he smirked. "Nyahaha! Good one, guys. You almost had me going there."
"We're not joking, Mona. Ren and I really are going out now." Ann wrapped a hand around Ren's to prove the point, causing Ren to blush again.
"Uh-huh. Sure."
"Morgana." Ren said more forcefully than he'd intended, letting his frustration get the better of him. "We're serious. Ann and I are in love. We've both had feelings for each other for a while now and Ann admitted to hers yesterday after her shoot. We're dating now. We brought you here so we could tell you before anyone else."
Morgana remained silent, but he was clearly starting to believe them.
"I'm sorry, Mona. We wanted to let you down easy. We felt that we owed you that much." How did Ann manage to make them seem like the bad guys here?
"A-And I'm just now hearing about this when it happened yesterday?" Although it was clearly a coping mechanism, tricking oneself into thinking the situation is unjust, getting angry instead of sad, Ren's blood boiled at the audacity on display.
"What did you want me to do? Tell you myself, without Ann present? You'd never have believed me, for one, and you'd have complained that she wasn't there to tell you."
"W-Well, you could've both come back-"
"Instead of spending more time just the two of us? Bring down the mood of our first day as a couple by having this exact conversation? Get off your high horse, Mona!"
"Ren, wait-"
"Oh, I see how it is. I take you under my wing, teach you everything you need to know to help Lady Ann with her situation, then you swoop in and steal her heart after I already made it clear I liked her first-"
"It wasn't even her you fell for! It was her half-naked cognitive copy! And your infatuation hasn't gotten any less shallow since. It's all, 'Lady Ann is so cool and pretty,' but have you ever stopped to think about what's really going on beneath the surface!? How much she suffered because of Kamoshida, how people judge her based on her looks, all the other things she struggles with!? Have you ever once tried to help her with any of that!? No! And you still have the gall to sit there and say, 'I saw her first'? Where the fuck do you get off, Morgana!?"
"But... you only started liking her recently! I've lo-"
"I'm shouldn't have to pass up my chance at happiness just so you don't lose the fantasy of a relationship that will never happen! She was never interested in you and yet you constantly tried to butter her up with compliments that, honestly, were seriously pathetic."
"Ren!" Ann was angry with his lack of tact now, but that anger paled in comparison to the inferno raging inside him. Compared to that, she looked only slightly miffed.
"Ann and I are together and you can either accept that or-"
Ren stopped himself. He stood with his toes on the very line Ryuji and Morgana had crossed back in September. And although he didn't actually cross it, he had come close enough for the "get lost" to be self-evident, so he might as well have.
"F-Fine!" Morgana huffed angrily, just as he had back then. "Do as you like. I'm staying with Haru for a while." And with that, the cat was off, out the door.
"Mona, wait!"
Ann attempted to give chase, but it was fruitless. In this form, he was just too fast for her to keep up. She returned after a few minutes to find Ren with his head in his hands in shame. He had known his feelings towards Morgana were immature and unjustified, but the (probably unintentional) implication that he didn't deserve this happiness he'd found after everything he'd been through was too much for him to take lying down. And it may well have cost him a friend.
For Ann's part, she had been intent on chewing Ren out for his behaviour from the moment she lost sight of Morgana to the moment she re-entered the room. But looking at him now, the fire soon petered out. Aside from the fact that she just couldn't bring herself to stay mad at him when he was clearly just as upset by what he had done as she was, more anger was certainly not going to do any good. Instead, she sat down beside him and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"I'm sorry," he whispered in shame.
"It's okay, Ren," she said in as reassuring a tone as she could. "He came around when he fought with Ryuji. And Mona doesn't respect Ryuji anywhere near as much as he does you. He'll come around again. I promise."
"I don't think I deserve-"
"Forgiveness? To be happy? Ren, you brought us all together and gave us a chance to make a difference. You took a group of outcasts and made us feel like we have a place where we belong. And that includes Morgana. And me. You've seen me at my worst and you still stayed by my side and helped me become worthy of being yours. Let me do the same for you. Let me prove how much you mean to me by helping you to be better. We'll get through this together. Like we always do."
Ren had to remove his glasses as the lenses became stained by tears. It was rare for Ren to cry in front of the others. It was all part of his façade, his mask of being the cool, dependable leader whose demeanour always helped keep his friends reassured. But Ann had a way of making him more honest. He just hoped she was being honest when she assured him that Morgana would give him another chance.
"And then, I left and came here," Morgana concluded his recap of the events that had transpired.
"I see..." Strangely, Haru seemed more sad than surprised.
"You don't sound surprised to hear that."
"Well, I've known that Ren-kun's liked someone else for a while now. I didn't know it was Ann-chan, but I had my suspicions. Those two have been close since long before I joined, after all."
Morgana couldn't help but feel like Haru was trying to support the two by saying that, as if Morgana hadn't known Ann for almost as long as Ren had. He'd certainly loved her longer.
"Regardless, I hope you don't mind me staying here for a while. I know I kinda put you on the spot."
"Not at all, Mona-chan. Ann-chan texted me after you left her home, so I had time to properly prepare for your stay."
"She's so thoughtful."
"Um, if I may ask, what exactly is it about Ann-chan that you find so captivating?"
"Well, she's gorgeous, for one. And she has a fierce fire inside, but a caring, compassionate side that cares about her friends and even stopped her from killing Kamoshida."
"I see. Is that all?"
"What else is there? She ticks all the right boxes to be the perfect woman."
"And is there anything you dislike about her?"
"Huh? Why would I dislike anything about such a perfect angel?"
"There's more to Ann-chan than her strengths."
"Like what?"
"I don't mean to badmouth her, but Ann-chan is as flawed as the rest of us. I think what Ann-chan appreciates about Ren-kun - and I don't mean this as an insult to you, just an observation - is that he sees her flaws and accepts her in spite of them. That's just the kind of person he is, after all."
"But I don't care about her flaws either!"
"That's not the same thing, Mona-chan." Haru's tone was soft as she shook her head with a sympathetic expression. "Not to be presumptuous, but I get the impression that, at least from Ann-chan's perspective, you choose to ignore her flaws and focus solely on her good points. She might think you're only interested in an idealised fantasy version of her. But Ren-kun, being the kind of person he is, isn't like that. Everyone wants to find a person like that, who accepts them for who they are and not who they want to think they are. That's what I think, anyway."
"But it's not fair! Ren's known for a long time that I liked Lady Ann! It feels like he betrayed me."
"I understand how you feel, Mona-chan. After all, I love Ren-kun too."
"Y-You do?" In retrospect, the things Haru had been saying about Ren, the way she had praised him and suggested she understood how Ann could have fallen for him, made it rather obvious that she had fallen for him too.
"That's perfect then! You can be with Ren and I-"
"But, I'm not the one Ren-kun chose. He knew how I felt about him and that I would have said yes in a heartbeat if he'd asked me out. But I'm not the one he loves. And if the one you love is happy with someone else, especially if that person can make them happy in a way you never could, shouldn't that make you happy as well?"
"No! I could've learned to make her happy that way too! Eventually..."
"Perhaps, I could do the same for Ren-kun, eventually... but I don't want him to give up his happiness just to wait for me. If he can be happy with Ann-chan now... it hurts, but I don't want to hold him back for my own selfish reasons. He deserves to be happy right now. And so does Ann-chan, don't you think?
"I understand how difficult it is to admit that the person you love doesn't feel the same way, but if you keep fighting against their decision, you're really only detracting from their happiness. It would mean the world to Ann-chan if you could give them your blessing and show how much you trust Ren-kun to make her happy, given how much they both know Ann-chan means to you."
Morgana remained silent, his head hung in shame. He looked up at the sound of Haru patting her lap. She sent a warm smile his way and he gratefully accepted her offer. He curled up in a ball on her lap and she began stroking his back gently.
"I haven't changed at all since September..."
"That's not true, Mona-chan. Change isn't as simple as flipping a switch and becoming a different person, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. It's not about never slipping back into old habits, because that's just unrealistic. It's about being able to recognise that you slipped, facing your failures head-on, and pulling yourself back up again. And it's much easier to do so when you have friends to help pull you. Friends like Ren-kun, Ann-chan, and you too, Mona-chan."
"You're so mature, Haru."
"Not at all. I'm mostly just paraphrasing what I learned from spending time with Ren-kun."
"Yeah. He really is something..."
Haru ran a gentle hand over his back again and again and again until he eventually fell asleep on her lap.
The following day, Ren and Ann received a text from Haru, asking to meet with them on the roof during lunch. From the fact that she invited both of them, it was evident that Morgana had told her everything, since Ann had only told her that Morgana and Ren had fallen out. They arrived mere minutes after the bell, finding Haru already waiting there for them. She had her schoolbag resting on one of the desks.
"Thank you both for coming. I'm sure you'd both prefer to spend lunchtime together instead of up here."
Ren couldn't help but feel guilty at this. "Haru, I-"
Haru held up a hand. "It's okay, Ren-kun. I'm happy for you both. Really. And I know a certain someone else who is as well." Haru then proceeded to unzip her bag so Morgana could poke his head out with a sad, uncharacteristically shy expression.
"Okay, that's just weird," Ann noted at seeing Morgana clambering out of someone else's bag.
"It was a little strange to carry him around all day. I was terrified through all my classes that I'd get in trouble for bringing him with me." Haru giggled. "It was all rather exciting."
Being unsure how to respond to that, Ren and Ann opted instead to focus on Morgana as he sheepishly approached them.
"H-Hey, guys," he whispered. "Look, I need-"
His attempt at an apology was interrupted as Ren wrapped both arms around him and held him close to his chest.
"I'm sorry, Morgana," he said, eyes threatening to cry again. "I let my jealousy and anger get the better of me when I should've been more mature."
"W-Why are you apologising?" Morgana rasped, forcing himself free of Ren's grasp. "I'm the one who got upset that you two were together. I'm the one who acted entitled and didn't show L- Ann the respect she deserved. Or you. I know it may still sound presumptuous of me, but... I want you both to know that I approve of you being together. I hope you two can be happy together. And that you can both forgive me for my selfishness."
"Oh, Mona..." This time, Ann picked him up and hugged him tight.
"No! Stop! I'm supposed to be apologising here! You should be angry with me, not sad!"
"It looks like you all feel as guilty as each other," Haru chuckled. "As long as you all understand each other's feelings and accept your individual fault in the matter, you can all move forward as friends."
"She's right," Ann said, forcing a smile. "Let's put this whole thing behind us, okay, you two?" She held Morgana up in front of Ren and nudged his front leg up to present his paw. Ren took said paw with his thumb and index finger and shook it.
"I'm so happy for you three!" Haru cheered happily.
"Still, I feel so immature for how I acted," Morgana sulked.
"Me too," Ren replied in a similar tone."
"Now, now," Haru said, stepping closer and patting both on the head. "You both felt bad about it rather quickly. Isn't that a sign that you've both matured since last time? After all, that falling out lasted for four whole days. This time, it was less than one. Next time, maybe you'll make up in a few hours. Wouldn't that be nice?"
Without another word, Ren and Ann both wrapped an arm around Haru and pulled her in for a group hug, startling the older girl.
"H-Huh!? Why am I a part of this now?"
"You were always a part of this, Haru," Ann replied.
"She's right," Morgana said, nuzzling his head into her chin. "Thanks for showing me how much more I still had to grow."
"And for showing me that even someone like me can be loved," Ren added.
"P-Please. You're going to make me cry next."
"Cry all you need to," Ann said. "We'll be with you the whole time."
"I... I'm so glad it's you Ren-kun fell for, Ann-chan. Please, make him happy."
"I will! I promise!"
"And you make sure to make Ann happy as well, Joker. If you make her cry, I'll never forgive you."
"Of course. I can't promise she'll never cry again, but I can promise I'll be there for her until she stops."
Ann beamed at these words. She leaned in for a kiss, but Ren put a finger to her lips, surprising her. "Not in front of the kids," he grinned.
"O-Oh. Y-Yeah. I guess-"
He leaned in and kissed her. Haru and Morgana couldn't help but giggle as Ann blushed furiously.
"The four of us are quite the gaggle of weirdos, aren't we?" Haru smiled.
Morgana's eyes met Ann's, and then Ren's. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a genuine smile.
The original plan was for Morgana to see Ren and Ann as a couple, and seeing how happy Ren makes her would cause him to reflect on his own feelings towards her. Then, I forgot the specifics and wrote something entirely different. Maybe I can repurpose the old idea for Rise or something, I dunno.
During the phone call, I wanted to add a part where Ren speaks to Futaba, whom he is sure has his phone tapped, warning her not to tell anyone before he and Ann can, but I couldn't find a good spot to insert it, and the place where the scene ends just seems right. Just imagine that does happen after the camera cuts away.
Haru was included because her home seemed like the logical place for Morgana to go in a huff, but her canonical crush on Joker really made her a perfect addition. It's nice to see Haru acting like a senpai for once, since that's typically Makoto's role.
I'd like to thank Arukas and Mistress Dove for proofing the story and giving feedback. The document I sent them was named mona_gets_cucked_docx, in case you were wondering.