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Talk About Everything

Monday—July 21, 2021

"My family is coming to visit New York!" Ann exclaimed.

Not thirty seconds earlier, everyone was subdued and relaxed; Ryuji and Yusuke were playing a video game while Ren and Goro were working on reorganizing old case files for the District, sifting through the old notes and pictures. Most were civil—marriages, divorces, custody battles—while others were burglaries, possession of weapons, and assaults. Morgana was snoozing happily on the kitchen window sill, soaking in the sun and warming his black fur.

"Holy shit!" Ryuji yelped and immediately grabbed a pillow to cover his front. "What the hell, dude? Can't ya knock or something?"

"I texted Ren I was coming over," Ann huffed and put her hands on her hips.

All three men turned to the one thrown under the bus, but Ren threw up his hands and shook a finger at them.

"I told you, but you were busy yelling at Yusuke for throwing a red shell at you."

"Dude, I—" Ryuji floundered for words then rounded on Ann. "Get out, man. I'm—"

"I told you to wear pants," Yusuke said with a click of his tongue, sending another red shell at Ryuji while he was distracted. "Aha!"

Ryuji moaned, internally debating whether to throw the pillow and who at. However, he chose not to in favor of keeping his pantslessness out of sight.

"Boys," Ann grumbled. "Where am I supposed to go then?"

"Here," Ren said and rose to his feet; he beckoned her to follow him into the kitchen while Ryuji made a quick getaway. He covered her view with his body until his friend was safely upstairs. "Do your relatives speak Japanese?"

"Not really, but…I mean, we have to try and speak English while we're here," Ann said slowly, almost unsure. She sounded a bit guilty as if the language difference was a fault of hers.

"You're right," Ren said and nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "Do they live near New York or did they have to travel far?"

"They're from Nevada, but they travel between there and California," Ann said with a smile, looking more relaxed. She pulled out her phone and opened an image of an American map, showing him the two states. "They're traveling far, so I'm excited to see them!"

Ren hummed thoughtfully as his eyes scanned the vaguely familiar geography. "I see. It looks tiring."

"I'm sure, but…." Ann said, trailing off as if she was holding back.

"What is it?" Ren inquired curiously, noticing the subtle change in demeanor.

"I want to wait and tell everyone," Ann said and flicked her hair over her shoulder, searching her wrists for a hair tie. "It's kinda big news so I want everyone to hear it."

"Is it good news?" he asked, feeling a bit more concerned now.

"Relax," Ann said to him and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "It's something everyone will be happy about, I promise."

Ren could only imagine.

The pair exited his room and rejoined the others in the living room. Ann went to the couch and sat next to Yusuke while Ren returned to his seat at the table, resuming his filing work. Ryuji had come downstairs, now fully and appropriately dressed, having lost several races and throwing in the white flag for now.

"Sumire won't be free till later," Ann said now that everyone was back and in one room. "But she already knows so I'm okay telling everyone else."

"What is it that has you this elated, my dear?" Yusuke asked, looking up from his phone and pocketing it away to give her his full attention.

"Well, my family is visiting this upcoming weekend," Ann said, ticking off one finger with a grin. "That's part one of your surprise. You'll get to meet them!"

"For real?" Ryuji balked and sat up straighter, eyes widening. He looked at the other teens as if confirming what he was hearing. "Like…they're comin' to New York? Whoa. I mean. I've heard you talk about them before, but it'll be cool to meet them in person!"

Ann beamed, pleased to hear the excitement.

"They've heard about you, so of course they want to meet you," Ann said and faced the group. "They've heard I signed Latus, and they want to celebrate."

"How wondrous," Yusuke praised warmly, giving her a dip of his head.

Goro finally looked up from his paperwork and exchanged glances with Ren, who nudged him under the table with a foot. The Detective blinked and put his chin in his hand, now doing a better job paying attention.

"We should celebrate," Ryuji said and snapped his fingers, pointing to Ann. "On your gigs and stuff."

"Well, I have something in mind," Ann said shyly before plucking up the courage to continue. "At the beginning of August, there's a themed party that Latus is hosting. I was told I could invite my friends to the event."

"A party, eh?" Ryuji asked, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm down for that."

"What kind of festival?" Goro asked from his seat, letting out a long breath when he spotted Ren looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "It sounds nice."

"It's….kind of a surprise, but it's not your normal party," Ann said and waved a hand, clicking her tongue. "I'm getting ahead of myself. That's the second part of the news."

"Of?" Ren pressed.

"Three," Ann said and ticked a second finger up, tapping her third with her other hand. "You'll like what I'm about to tell you."

"Don't leave us hanging," Ryuji said, leaning forward.

"I've invited our friends to the party," Ann said and broke out into a bright smile. "All of our friends."

Everyone had lapsed into silence, but it seemed to finally dawn on them a few moments later. Ryuji's eyes widened comically and even Yusuke pushed the hair from his face, mouth agape slightly.

"You mean?"

Ren didn't dare say anything in fear of getting it wrong, but he could feel his heart begin to thump louder.

"They're coming here," Ann said excitedly, unable to curb her eagerness anymore.

He tried to make himself happy over this, but Ren felt his nerves shoot up and he looked at the table, fingers toying absentmindedly with the corner of a printed picture. He could vaguely hear the exclamations and cheers from his friends, but he couldn't bring himself to join in. Ren felt someone nudge his foot, startling him out of his stupor, and whipped his head around to glare at Goro for scaring him. The Detective looked unapologetic but concerned nonetheless. His eyebrows drew together in a silent inquiry, but Ren looked away to feign ignorance to the gesture.

"Man, I'm excited to see everyone now!" Ryuji said and drummed the palm of his hand on the coffee table. "I can't wait for them to see this place."

Ren rose to his feet and murmured an excuse to depart, leaving everything still strewn about the table. Everyone stopped rejoicing as they watched their Leader exit the kitchen and retreat to his room.

Ann sighed softly, still forcing a smile on her face, and gave them all a quick wave of her hand. "Let me talk to him."

Ren could hear the buzz die down—he even tried to close the door before anyone could follow him in, but she was too quick. Ann stopped the door with a foot and followed him right into the bedroom, privacy begone. He tried to protest but it came out rather weak-sounding and most definitely not convincing.

"What's wrong?" Ann asked gently, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, hands behind her back. "I thought you'd be excited."

"I am," Ren said quickly, not wanting to seem like he was passing blame for any of his unhappiness. "It'll be nice to see everyone."

"But?" Ann pressed, nipping at his heels for a more plausible answer. She was relentless like that. "Talk to me."

"Talking isn't really my specialty…" Ren murmured uneasily but truthfully.

Ann sighed and pushed herself off from her leaning posture, striding over to him and gesturing to the bed. He obeyed and crossed the room, sitting on the edge and holding out his hand for her to join. The blue-eyed girl smiled warmly and sat down beside him, leaning back on her hands.

"Are you nervous about seeing them?"

Ren looked at her in surprise, almost wondering if she could read his mind or if he was being that obvious.

"If that's the case then what are you nervous about?" Ann asked, eyeing him carefully as if studying his every move to predict his answers. "It's not like you haven't talked to them or seen them in the Metaverse."

"I know," he said quietly.

Ann readjusted herself so she was positioned in front of him. Ren grunted and moved so she could kneel between his legs, hand going to her waist as she clicked her tongue.

"You defeated a god, Ren, do you really think they don't see you as a capable leader?" Ann said and removed his glasses as he looked up at her, cheeks turning a bit red. "I know you blame yourself for everything that goes wrong."

Her finger tapped his nose.

"You might be our Leader, but we are responsible for our own actions, too," Ann continued and rolled her eyes in fond exasperation when he tried to protest. She slapped a hand over his mouth. "You're annoyingly stubborn."

"Hark who's talking," Ren said once she removed her hand. "How did you know?"

"I wasn't born yesterday," she pointed out bluntly and shook her head with a hefty sigh. "Give me some credit here. Everyone else might have a hard time reading you, but you can wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes, too."

Ren hummed and nodded, impressed. "Better than Goro."

He immediately blushed, but made sure his 'heart wasn't on his sleeve' and his face was impassive. Ann blinked but her own face revealed nothing. Whatever she thought about that statement, she didn't bring it up. Embarrassed, Ren tapped her hip to let her know he was getting up, wanting to put some distance between them.

"You helped me through the hard times with Shiho," Ann said instead, eyes following his staccato movements. "Do...do you remember when we were on the rooftop with her for the last time?"

~FLASHBACK~

"I guess...I'm alone again, huh…?"

Ren watched the blonde girl weep sadly into her hands, face buried from sight. While he stood there with his hands in his pockets, he yearned to offer more than words of comfort as he was never good with words. After all they've been through, from modeling shoots to going to the park to practice her intestinal fortitude to Hawaii, Ren felt like he could and should show he was not taking her for granted.

"You have me," he said after a pause, summoning every ounce of courage to draw nearer and collecting her in his arms.

"Thank you for being here with me," she murmured into his chest, staining his shirt with her tears (but he didn't care). "It's just...she was my first friend — my first friend…"

"It's never easy saying goodbye," Ren said in agreement, finishing her sentence for her, withdrawing and taking a step back.

"No...no, it's not," Ann said with a watery sigh, sniffling loudly. Her eyes, reddened from the constant rubbing, hardened. "B-but you can't tell Shiho about this. I-I can't have her worrying about me. She needs to think I'm strong...for her."

Something about her fierce independence and strong-will Ren found endearing. He chuckled to himself despite their circumstances and enveloped her into another embrace, hands going to pull her in by the waist; she relented for a moment or two before pushing him back a bit with both hands on his chest, expression blazing.

"Promise me you won't say anything," she demanded.

He stood before her, their foreheads brushing, as they looked one another in the eye; she glared at him with her eyebrows drawn down and a frown on her lips — fingers gripping the notched lapels of his blazer. Ren felt pierced by her gaze, cold as ice and bold as fire. It was then he had no doubt she would be okay.

"I promise."

Ann relaxed her posture and allowed Ren to pull her in by the hips, returning that sweet embrace they shared earlier. She rested her head on his shoulder as they stood there, simply basking in the contentment their presence (silent or not) provided for one another, and just for a moment, Ren felt okay.

~END~

"I won't forget the way you were there for me," Ann resumed, rubbing her arms as pulled the sleeves over her hand. "Let me be there for you."

While fleeting, Ren felt comforted by those words and her determination enough where he felt at ease enough to return to the bed; he gave her a grateful smile and sat behind her, pulling her back to his chest and enclosing his arms around her midriff. Ann exhaled sharply from her nose and drew her knees up as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Thanks," he said, though muffled through the fabric of her sweatshirt.

She hummed and Ren could feel her straighten up as she craned her neck to look back at him; he lifted his gaze just enough to meet hers, noticing her blush right away.

"You know, one look at us and it would be easy to think we're…"

"Together?" Ren prompted with a low chuckle. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

"W-what?" Ann stuttered as she covered her mouth with her hands and groaned. "Is it?"

The black-haired teen simply gave her a gentle squeeze from behind before slowly peeling himself from her back, gathering those long legs underneath, and getting off the bed; he went for his phone, which was buzzing loudly with notifications. He scrolled through them with some trepidation.

"They're on call right now," Ren said and went to open his door, stepping out of his room. "It sounds like they're talking about it."

Ann followed him back to the living area, where Ryuji and Yusuke were on a video call with the other Phantom Thieves, Sophia included, who was inside the faux-blonde's laptop.

"Y'all are seriously comin' to visit America?"

"For a bit," Makoto clarified but nodded. "Yes."

"Dude, I can't wait ta show ya around!" Ryuji said excitedly, volume rising just by enthusiasm alone. "It's freaking huge! It feels way more crowded than Tokyo even though it's smaller and the people here can be crazy."

Haru giggled at his vigor.

"Like we went to a protest by accident and two guys just whipped out their guns and started shootin' at each other. Like….the criminals are way more hardcore—oh!" he squawked at the end and looked at Futaba and Sojiro.

"I'm not stupid, kid. I know that trouble finds you wherever you go," Sojiro grunted in displeasure.

"It ain't like that, Boss—"

"Moooving on," Futaba said and pushed her glasses farther up her nose. "We just got our plane tickets today! I'm so excited to try an American burger!"

"I cannot wait to treat you to the finest American cuisine," Yusuke said gallantly, his face alight with seemingly the mere thought. "The flavors will embrace you more intimately than I shall upon your arrival!"

Futaba turned bright red and Sojiro clenched his jaw.

"Dude…." Ryuji said with a grimace.

"Yusuke…" Goro said and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We really must practice your choice of words."

"Moving on again," Ren said, clearing his throat to alleviate the awkwardness. He shot the artist a look, but the midnight-haired friend just looked oblivious and hopelessly confused. "We're proud of Ann."

It was a desperate reach for a change of subject, but he was eternally grateful it worked.

"Yeah! You've been working your ass off," Ryuji said and gave her a wink. "We're all proud of ya. I guess that Mika ended up having nothing on you."

"Thanks….ever the charmer," Ann grunted but she smiled regardless. "I have a photoshoot today. Do you guys wanna come?"

"What an exquisite opportunity to witness the works of divinity in its most naked form," Yusuke said lavishly and flared a hand out with a grandiose gesture.

"Aaaand that's enough for today," Ryuji said awkwardly, voice rising in pitch as he subtly watched Sojiro's eyes widen. "See ya guys later!"

"Oh," Futaba said softly, but her eyes seemed fixed on something—something Ren could not detect. "Have fun….wish I was there…."

"Goodbye Futaba-chan," Haru said and gave a friendly wave. "It won't be long now!"

The others signed off and only when it was just them did Ryuji finally confront Yusuke.

"Dude, you sound like a straight-up perv," he said with a dramatic sigh. "Like are you hitting on Futaba or Ann or both?"

Yusuke's eyes widened. "How scandalous!"

"You're one to talk," the loud-mouth mumbled.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Evening was almost a welcome gift—a rejuvenating break from the stifling heat. With the sun dipped beneath the horizon and the blazing rays retreated, the crowds came out now that it was safe. The Phantom Thieves were watching in awe as Latus had designated an entire area of Central Park for a single photoshoot. There, several other models were lined up in different attire and each with a partner.

There were three mobile dressing rooms each attended by a minimum of four makeup artists. Ren never knew how much went into these shoots but he was catching an eye-opening glimpse now. Ann approached the photographer, who recognized her. He pointed to the dressing room and snapped his fingers.

"Where's your partner?"

Ann froze in her spot and her eyes widened involuntarily.

"Your partner. I sent an email about it a few days ago," the photographer said impatiently, lightly growling in mild frustration. "Don't tell me you don't have one."

Ren watched Ann stammer for a response. He looked over at their group of friends to see if they were going to do anything. He even eyed Ryuji with some hope, but felt it dash. He sighed in disappointment.

"Sorry!" Ren called out in English and held up his hand, stepping forward. "I couldn't hear."

He coughed to announce his presence, hands back in his pockets. He could see Ann let out a breath of relief, but was still taken aback. The photographer eyed him suspiciously up and down as if contemplating its legitimacy, but finally he waved a hand and beckoned Ren over.

"Let's get you changed then," he said and pointed to the second dressing room. "Hurry up! We don't have all night!"

Ren was quite literally dragged by a makeup artist and hauled over to a chair, where he was forcefully shoved into a sitting position. Hands immediately flew straight to his face, pulling and yanking on his glasses and hair. He resisted the strong urge to shove the hands away, only flinching as they came and went.

"These glasses, you won't need them."

"Your skin is gorgeous," one girl cooed and stroked his jaw and cheek with a click of her tongue. "We might just be able to skip the foundation."

"That makes it easier for us," the second artist said with a nod.

Ren tried not to shy away from the brushes that felt like they were coming in all directions. One went for his cheeks, the other went for his jaw, a third travelled right to his eyebrows….he was definitely overwhelmed. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ann getting the same treatment, but she looked far more in her element than he was.

"When did you start modeling?"

"Where are you from?"

"What's your name?"

"Do you have a skincare routine?"

Ren blinked and stared blankly at the women who were bombarding him with questions he didn't even have time to answer. His cheeks turned red when a woman started tugging at the collar of his shirt, hands traveling down his chest with a tape measure. He only flushed harder when the woman started measuring his waistline.

"You're adorable. I'm guessing you don't actually do this often," one artist said with a giggle, noticing the redness. "I might not even need the blush."

"You're a little touch-starved, aren't you?" the third artist said and gave his arm a comforting rub. "That's okay, baby. This photoshoot will have girls flocking at your feet in no time."

"Sorry?" Ren asked, voice hoarse as if it hadn't been used in hours.

"He talks, Theresa!" the second artist teased. "You haven't even given us a name...and to think after all our hard work…"

"Sorry," Ren said again and sucked in a sharp breath when cold hands pressed themselves right around his abdomen, jumping slightly.

"He's definitely touched-starved, girl," the fourth artist said with a shake of her head. "Y'all need to relax otherwise this will take forever."

Ren bit his lip and tried to force himself to keep still. "Sorry."

"We're thinking G-26, Genevieve," Theresa said and grabbed his hand to spread his fingers. "The white will work fine with it."

"What about his coiffeur?" Genevieve asked, straightening up to take a look, running a hand through his thick hair. "I kind of like the unruly look, Arlene."

"It'll complement the outfit," Arlene said and rushed into the mobile trailer, practically kicking down the door and waving him over. "Hurry up, you!"

Ren was shoved out of the chair and pushed (none too gently) towards the trailer, where he was immediately thrown inside. He could barely move from all the clothes that were stockpiled inside, and he found himself flush up against the artist, who was humming aggressively to herself.

"Okay, okay," Arlene said and shoved her black hair from her face, pushing him aside and nearly into a clothing rack where the clothes almost swallowed him up. "G-26. I should've put these in better order before I got here!"

Ren stumbled but regained his footing, only to have Arlene grab him by the shirt and yank him forward, already tugging at the hem of it.

"I'll do it," the ravenette said, trying to back away while also removing his shirt shyly. "Er—"

"Oh, get over it," Arlene huffed and grabbed his wrist. "Don't mess this up for me!"

"Huh?" Ren asked as he finally gathered the courage to turn his back to her and pull his shirt over his head, arms wrapping around himself. "You work here, don't you?"

"Wow….you do talk," Arlene said distractedly before clearing her throat, grabbing him by the shoulder and spinning him around. "Yes, but I'm an intern. It's my last year of high school and I'm going into cosmetology afterwards, so I need this badly. I can't mess up."

Ren stiffened at her touch, doing his best to keep still while she was wrestling an outfit from its bag. He spotted the white dress-shirt first with a tie slung around the hanger. She grabbed his wrists then stopped short when she took a look at them.

Ren prised them away, only bringing them away from his sides when she pulled out the dress shirt.

"This is such a rare opportunity for beginner makeup artists," Arlene continued, spreading out his arms and slipping the button-down on for him, hands working swiftly to button it to the top. She tipped his chin up with surprisingly gentle fingers (given her otherwise rough treatment). "It will really boost my business, too. Hey, what do you do for a workout? You're extremely toned."

"Business?" Ren echoed, choosing to ignore her question. He steered the conversation back to her, keeping his chin up while she folded and smoothed down his collar. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," Arlene lamented and went to work on his tie, slipping it around his neck and tying it in an intricate pattern. "A Balthus knot works perfectly for this width! But anyway, yeah, I get it. I'm young and no one takes me seriously...that's why I've got to get this right."

Ren blinked and finally noticed just how tired the poor girl looked; her hair was frayed and tied up like it hadn't been given much attention for days. The bags under her eyes were not the only indicator of her fatigue.

Next came the basic five-button waistcoat, which didn't feel much different than the one he wore in the Metaverse.

"You're just so lean," Arlene said in frustration as she grabbed some safety pins, nearly sticking him in her haste and causing him to jump again. "Take it easy, you! Just trust me! We need to work together on this!"

She got down on her knees in front of him, holding a few pins in her mouth while she smoothed down the tails of the waistcoat.

"I don't mean to be so short with you—I'm just nervous," Arlene said with a sigh, wiping sweat from her brow. She licked her lips and leaned back to get a better look at him. "Pants off. I need to make sure your slacks fit just right."

Ren didn't have time to be embarrassed anymore. He obeyed with haste while she turned her back to offer him some sense of privacy. He slipped on the dress pants and looked at them.

"Perfect," Arlene said after taking a few moments to examine their length and cut. She smoothed down the cuffs and shoved the socks and shoes on him. "Suit coat next."

Ren stood patiently as she slipped on the jacket and fussed over the shoulders and lapels, laying a hand flat on his spine and pushing his shoulders back.

"Stand straight. You're in my masterpiece," she chided, albeit more playful than anything.

Ren straightened up and habitually stuck his hands in his pockets. Arlene huffed and yanked them out, thrusting a pair of gloves in them.

"Done, done!" she cried out in victory and put a hand over her mouth. "Amazing!"

Ren was ushered out in a flurry and dragged to the designated photoshoot, where he stood awkwardly waiting for Ann. She came out moments later, looking almost unrecognizable. From a distance, he could hear their friends all gasp at the sight of her. Ren had to admit that even he had to do a double-take. She was adorned in the most vivid red, which seemed to turn her blue eyes into sapphires.

"Look natural and follow my lead," Ann instructed and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer.

During the entirety of it, Ren felt out of place and overwhelmingly self-conscious. He began to regret volunteering himself for this and should have just pushed Yusuke or Ryuji into doing this, for they were much more confident than he.

However, it was a treat to see Ann so in her element. He only hoped he was enough.

By the end of it, the photographer looked beyond pleased, turning off his camera and rushing over to Ann. Ren received an elbow to the chest when he was quite literally shoved out of the way.

When the photographer finished praising Ann and ignoring Ren entirely (which he was only too happy about), Arlene ran over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed repeatedly, sounding close to tears of happiness. "You did great! You're just a natural!"

He must have made a disgruntled face, for she laughed richly and swatted at his chest.

"You clean up nicely, Mr. Mystery Man."

Arlene pressed something into his hand, which he realized was a slip of paper.

"My number," she apprised breathlessly and beamed up at him. "Give me a ring if you ever want another gig with me—or whatever."

Ren pocketed the paper politely and dipped his head to the girl respectfully. With his hands behind his back, he gave her a quick bow and migrated back to Ann, who smiled in greeting.

"You two look nice together," the photographer said, finally acknowledging his presence. "Are you two dating? You seem comfortable with one another."

Ren said nothing and Ann simply laughed.

He could hear his friends start murmuring to each other but he didn't hear what was being said.

"You should consider it," the photographer said absentmindedly, already looking for the next thing he needed to do. "You guys look hot—"

"Okay," Ren interjected with a burning face. "Have a nice night."

By the time the stars were out, Ren was only too happy to get out of this uncomfortable attire. Arlene helped him put it away neatly after he changed. He was glad to be back in his clothes.

"I owe you," Arlene said as they stood at the door of the dressing room. "Ms. Takamaki told me you decided to help her out on the whim."

"It's what friends do."

Arlene smiled. "I want to give you this suit. It looks amazing on you and who knows? Maybe you'll wear it again one day…. maybe to take me out on a date in that."

Ren shook his head politely. "You said this is your masterpiece. It's yours."

Truthfully, he wanted no part in keeping something that reminded him of this entire conversation, so he feigned humbleness and declined. Arlene have him a bit of a stained smile after that and watched him depart.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Goro was nowhere to be found—Ren had gone to his room in hopes of spending the night with him, talking until they fell asleep or the sun rose in the east. The last place he would have expected the Detective to be was the rooftop of their townhouse, sitting on the flat part with music playing softly in the background. It was a peculiar sight, but Ren knew this was a peculiar circumstance.

The first sign was the cool draft from the summer breeze blowing gently through an open window. The second sign was the open window in the hallway, which was usually closed. Ren narrowed his eyes and padded down the hall, holding out a hand to Morgana.

"It's okay. I've got this," he murmured as he knelt down, keeping his volume low to avoid waking the rest of the household up. He gave Morgana a reassuring nod and pat on the back.

"I don't know, Ren…" Morgana protested uneasily, fur bristling along his spine.

"It's Goro," Ren pointed out, a soft but far away look in his eyes.

The ravenette straightened up and looked over his shoulder. He held his breath and hauled himself through the open window, clearing his throat to announce his presence. Goro jolted in surprise, twisting to see who it was with tense shoulders—only he didn't relax at the sight of Ren (which he usually did).

"Isn't this picturesque," he said and made his way over to the brunette, who hummed in response.

"Now you sound like Kitagawa."

Ren chuckled at the quip and gestured with a hand. "I like this song."

Goro quirked an eyebrow but turned up the volume, pulling his knees to his chest as he rested his chin on them.

"What's wrong?"

"Couldn't sleep."

Ren wasn't used to the formal pleasantries from the other. It had been so long since Goro felt the need to be reserved around him...he thought they were past that. The bespectacled teen pulled out their cigarettes and lighter, adopting a bit of a grin.

"The piece de resistance to this aesthetic," Ren said and stuck a stick between his teeth, cupping the flame that flickered in the breeze.

Goro seemed eager to accept his, but held his hand out for the lighter. Ren didn't comply and instead leaned forward so he could use the end of his own. At first, Ren's counterpart looked hesitant but eventually relented and leaned in. For a split second, Ren had this overwhelming urge to lean in to close that gap, but he resisted.

"Why are you up?" Goro asked.

"I was looking for you," Ren replied because he thought it would have been obvious. "That shouldn't come as a surprise. We spend a lot of nights together."

This brought a ghost of a smile to the older teen's face, but it did not reach his eyes.

"You've been distant all day."

"My apologies," Goro mumbled and flicked the ashes off the butt, letting out the softest of sighs.

Ren closed his eyes briefly like he was trying to reach out and mentally pry apart the bars in Goro's head to sneak a glimpse.

"Why were you looking for me?" the usually charismatic teen asked and frowned.

"It's customary," Ren replied without hesitation, unafraid to say so.

"Is that it?" Goro scoffed in disbelief. "Or is there something else you need?"

Ren's eyebrows drew together in confusion and hurt. Despite their obvious differences, they were usually able to talk with relative ease, whether it was through debate, hateful dialect, or meaningful conversations. Now, it seemed like something was wedged between them.

"A man of few words," Goro chuckled, but there was little mirth in the air.

"Talking isn't my specialty," Ren said after that long and drawn out pause of silence. He swallowed the dryness in his throat and did his best to ignore his pounding heart. "But I want it to be enough."

"I want something like this."

As Goro spoke, the smoke curled around his lips as if the rest of the meaning was hidden in there.

"Then it's yours," Ren whispered and leaned back on one hand, taking a drag from the other.

Goro just stared at the indigo vastness, lit up by the neon lights. Still, through the flickering lights, the stars were still visible and Ren wondered if they could sit out all night and count them. He could feel the other's hum vibrate his body.

"You looked nice today," Goro commented randomly, taking a long drag and turning his head away to exhale. "You and Ann."

Ren's hands unconsciously flew to his wrists, fingers running over the scars from the handcuffs.

"I'm sure you would have looked better," he said earnestly. "You always dress better than me. Gray was never my color."

Goro blinked at him for a few prolonged moments before he broke out into the first real smile of the night. He leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows, legs crossing at the ankles as they sprawled out before him. Feeling the tension leave, Ren emulated him, much more relaxed now.

"Well, what shall we talk about?" Goro asked after he took his last drag.

"I've got nothing, so let's talk about everything," Ren said without thinking.