Author's Notes: I had this idea for quite some time, and I was surprised that it didn't take me too long to write it out. I just had another one shot that I wanted to write and complete after putting it off for as long as I did. With that out of the way, and after delaying this for a couple of days, it's finally here. For a change, this one doesn't have any smut, but it does have some sensuality. Regardless, I hope you guys enjoy it! Title is accredited to the song of the same name by Whitney Duncan. If you haven't played Persona 5 Strikers in full, then don't read if you don't want spoilers.
She found herself unable to get much sleep in the spare RV she was sharing with Mikaela. Their mission complete following the defeat of the Demiurge, they were on their way back to Tokyo, but a part of her didn't want the trip to end. Their return to Tokyo also meant the end of summer vacation, and that also meant that she and Mikaela were going to fly back to their home of Cedar City, Utah. Wiping the sweat off her brow and her cheeks, Alana tossed the blanket aside and made her way to the door. She turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly, careful as to not rouse Mikaela from her deep slumber, grabbing her beach bag in the process.
As one final memory, she and her fellow Phantom Thief friends made a stop at the river they encountered when they began this trip. Since they didn't have time to enjoy the river in full back then, they were making up for that before they officially parted ways once again. Shutting the door behind her very carefully, Alana took a walk down the shoreline of the river, wanting to head to the rivers' deepest part. She stole a quick glance at the sky, taking in the stars and the full moon illuminating the river before she was on her way.
There is something that I do want to try out. It's just a matter of whether or not I can muster up the courage to give it a try. I'll guess I'll find out when I find the perfect spot out there.
The handsome leader of the Phantom Thieves was leaning against the back of the RV he and his friends had called home all summer. A part of him was disappointed that their trip was just about over; in just mere hours, he would be returning home, his friends would be going their separate ways, and his girlfriend would be flying across the world back to her hometown. He felt his heartstrings tug at the thought of his girlfriend being so far from him; their reunion felt as if it just happened yesterday.
One thing was for sure: he was going to have her spend her final night in Tokyo with him in Leblanc. He wanted to hold her and relish the moment of being close to her before she went on her way.
He heard the sound of a door shutting from the other RV they borrowed, snapping him back to reality. When he looked around the corner, he saw his girlfriend taking a walk down the shoreline, her beach bag on her shoulder. Was she planning to take a moonlight dip in the river? The mere thought of seeing her in her little brown bikini again from back in Okinawa made his heart race.
Then again, something had been off about her since they chose to stop here again. She appeared to be lost in her thoughts, which was typical for her whenever she got quiet. Now that he thought about it, she had been quiet and faking smiles lately.
His mind made up, Akira decided to follow her from a reasonable distance. If anything, he wanted to time things just right and catch her when she least expected it.
The walk down the river was longer than she anticipated, but she managed to walk a good mile and a half until she found a lone pier. Setting her beach bag down, Alana kicked off her sandals and sat down, her feet dangling off the edge. The water was crystal clear, as if it was enticing her to try out the thought plaguing her since she got back here.
I may have the guts to charm the Shadows in the Metaverse and the boys in the real world, including my boyfriend. Do I really possess the guts to skinny dip in this gorgeous, clear river?
She thought about it since the beginning of the trip, and had it not been for the Jail appearing in Okinawa, she might have done it in the ocean there. Under the cover of the midnight blue sky, the stars and the moon, Alana would have been living in the fantasy of swimming like a mermaid. She tugged at the waistline of her black denim shorts, internally debating with herself as the heat made its way through her skin.
"I thought something was off with you, my little kitten."
Her ears perked up and her emerald eyes widened at the familiar voice of her boyfriend. Breathing out a small sigh, she looked over her shoulder and saw him standing on the other side of the pier. She quickly looked away when she felt her cheeks heat up, hoping the night would cover the shade of pink adorning her face.
As he slowly approached her, Akira knew that she was flustered, and he had yet to find out what the cause of it was. He could feel her body heat radiating off her person as he took a seat beside her, placing his palm on her back.
"You've been super fidgety since we returned, Alana. What's been on your mind?"
He rubbed her back to console her, hoping to encourage her to speak to him.
"There was something that I wanted to try when we were in Okinawa, but the sudden appearance of the Jail interfered with that plan."
Her voice was just barely above a whisper, an indicator that what was on her mind was making her shy about talking.
"Talk to me. What was it you wanted to do, kitten?"
Her heart was racing in combination with her thoughts and his use of the pet name he had given her when they became a couple nearly a year ago. It soon got to the point that she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"If the Jail in Okinawa hadn't appeared, I was considering skinny dipping in the ocean underneath the moonlight that evening."
She squeezed her eyes shut and said it as fast as her voice would allow it, feeling plenty embarrassed that it was out in the open in a way. She heard Akira chuckle as the hand rubbing her back moved down, finding the hem of her lace, burgundy crop top and reaching underneath. She let out a gasp when his fingertips brushed her skin like a feather, and as quickly as she felt it, the feeling was soon gone. She heard him move and the rustling of clothing, but it was the sound of a splash like someone diving in the water that made her open her eyes. What she saw nearly took her breath away.
Akira had jumped in the river, and she had to admit that he looked sexy with how the droplets made his skin glow under the moonlight. She raised a brow when she caught a glimpse of his exposed, muscular chest, and when she turned to her left, Alana saw his clothes heaped in a pile next to her. Right then and there, her jaw dropped when she put two and two together.
"Akira-kun!"
He smirked at her reaction.
"Take off your clothes and join me, kitten. You wanted to do this, and we might as well have a special, private memory of this trip since we have yet to make one before it's over.
"Come on, darling. Otherwise, I'll pull you in fully clothed and then you'll have a reason to take them off."
Oh, how she wanted to kick his ass, especially when he teased her to a point that she couldn't counter it. At the same time, however, he was also encouraging her since she was robbed of the chance before.
"Come on, Alana. If I have to say it a third time, I'm pulling you in."
She breathed out a sigh and stood up.
"Okay okay. I'm coming."
She could feel his slate eyes watching her as she began stripping her clothes piece by piece. She started with her top, and she fumbled with the button and the zipper of her faded, black denim shorts before pulling them down. Thanks to the heat, they clung to her legs, taking her a little bit longer than anticipated to get them off. All that was left was her lingerie.
Taking a deep breath, Alana reached back for the clasps that held her bra in place, loosening them with a simple tug. The straps fell down her arms before the contraption hit the pier. Lastly, she reached for the hem of her panties and pulled them down, finally exposing her body.
Akira's breath hitched at the sight of her; despite having seen her nude a few times before, the sight never ceased to mesmerize and excite him.
With another deep breath, Alana broke into a run before stretching her arms out and diving in head first into the river. Seconds later, she broke the surface, her short, ruby locks darkening to a deep shade of crimson. A small chill tore through her spine thanks to the slight chill of both the water and the night, but considering how hot it had been, she wasn't complaining too much about it.
She let out a small squeal when she felt Akira snake an arm around her waist and pull her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and she smiled when he leaned close and planted a simple, sweet kiss on her lips. Her smile widened even more when he nipped at her earlobe and began planting small kisses on her neck. That, in combination with the skin-to-skin contact made things more exciting.
He pressed his forehead against hers, his slate eyes gazing lovingly into her emerald eyes. He had been wanting a moment alone with her since the trip started, and as much as he wanted to take her in the water, this moment was just too perfect to change.
"Call this a private highlight, love, considering this trip took up a lot of our time," he purred.
"I'm totally okay with it," she said with a nod.
"As much as I want to make love to you right here, I'll wait until we get back to Tokyo. This is too romantic for me to kick it up a notch, and I want the both of us to enjoy it while we can."
With another smile, Alana nodded as he leaned in to steal another few kisses from her lips.
They had been in the water for quite some time, and they got out by the time the sky began to brighten up. Alana had to share her vast, beach towel with Akira, and he took his sweet time drying the both of them off while also teasing her with words and kisses. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders when they began the walk back towards the RVs, and when he saw her stifling a yawn, Akira knew he was going to have to dig for the coffee beans hiding in their stash of ingredients.
"Well, you two are up early."
From around the RV, Mikaela emerged with Yusuke.
"I could say the same about you two," Alana pointed out. "Enjoying the sunrise?"
"Yeah. It was a nice view from the top of the RV," Mikaela replied. "Your hair is drenched, Alana, and so is your hair, Akira-kun. What the hell did the two of you do?"
The redhead turned to her boyfriend, the two of them smirking at each other and gaining surprised reactions as a result.
"Wait, did you-"
Alana's giggle cut Mikaela off as she retreated back inside the RV with the dumbfounded blonde following behind her with the high probability of demanding details.
"What did the two of you do, if you don't mind me asking?" Yusuke asked.
"We went skinny dipping in the river," Akira replied.
The young artist was stunned for a brief moment.
"My word…"
"Alana wanted to do it. She told me she wanted to do it back in Okinawa. The timing of the Jails' appearance just happened to interfere with that."
"On the bright side, you and Alana have a private memory of this trip. Mikaela and I enjoyed the sunrise together."
"Sounds like you have your own memory too."
"We're just not as bold as you. I think your boldness is rubbing off on her."
Akira let out a chuckle.
"Usually, all she needs is a little push."
When he saw Alana emerge from inside the RV, Akira smirked at her, and he saw her cheeks flush a slight shade of pink. He let out an internal chuckle, as he was going to see more of that flushed reaction once they returned to Tokyo.
End Notes: Even with the lack of smut, I hope you guys enjoyed this piece. I sure as hell enjoyed writing it out. I want to dedicate this piece to DrAwesome2000 of Archive of Our Own for his continued support and patience. As for what I'm working on next, I am still in the midst of finishing Chapter Fifteen of Beauty Slept in Sodom, and I do have another one shot that I'm plotting out thanks to the inspiration of another song. Be on the lookout, and check back!