A/N: Here it is, final chapter, let's GOOOOOO!

P.S. I commissioned Nanko Doujin over on Tumblr for a few more portraits, this time of Javier and Maria, as well as redesigns for Akira and Tae. They turned out really nicely, head over and give Nanko some love.

7/20: Thursday

Akira and Daisuke Kurusu, with Morgana sleeping comfortably in Akira's school bag slung over his shoulder, stepped off the train line. "I'd forgotten how cramped these lines could be," the older man complained, rubbing at his back.

The younger of the duo just kept walking forward towards the exit. They were carrying a duffle bag each, enough clothes and cleaning products for the next month in Tokyo. "Oh, it wasn't that bad. You even got a seat!"

"Yeah, that I had to curl up into a ball to fit in," Daisuke replied. He adjusted the strap of his duffle bag. "Not to mention we're running late. Is that a usual thing? Do the trains always run late?"

"Not always, but it's frequent enough that you want to plan around it."

Daisuke shook his head. "Of course, it is. Nothing is ever simple."

As they moved through the narrow streets of Yongen-Jaya, Akira took in the sight and the smell of Tokyo. It had been a long couple of months since he'd been here, and it felt as though he was stepping into the city for the first time once again.

Well, that wasn't quite true.

Now he wasn't alone.

"Just down this way?" Daisuke asked, pointing down the narrow street.

Akira nodded and took the lead. "Yep, take the first right, and then it's on the left."

When the two stepped into Leblanc, they were met with a welcome sight. Behind the counter, as usual, was the owner of the establishment, Sojiro Sakura. He wore his white apron and pink button up shirt and was absentmindedly cleaning a glass. He looked up when he heard the bell chime. A smile appeared on his face.

"I was wondering when you two were going to show up. You're running a little late," he said, setting the mug in its spot.

Across the bar, on two stools, were two of Akira's friends, their hands joined together. Ryuji Sakamato turned to face him, and a big grin cracked his face. He was wearing a red tank top and a pair of black shorts.

"Yo! We missed you!" he said, standing up and releasing the hand of his companion. "Beard's looking good, dude. Lookin' like a badass!"

Said companion was the former Student Council President, Makoto Niijima, dressed in a black leather crop jacket, a white t-shirt underneath, and a pair of shin-length leather pants. There was a little bit of Queen seeping into her new wardrobe, Akira noted absently.

"Welcome back, Akira. Ryuji's right, it really hasn't been the same without—"

Makoto didn't get another word in, when a blur shot past her and Ryuji and clamped around Akira's torso. He let out a little, "Oof!", and almost stumbled backwards and fell on his back, but was able to stay righted with a little help form Daisuke.

"Akira!" Futaba Sakura called out, pressing herself as far into Akira as she could. "You are not allowed to leave, understand?!"

Akira laughed and patted her on the head, "I missed you, too, Futaba."

Morgana popped his head out from Akira's bag. "Your trusty guide has also returned!"

Futaba reached up with one hand and started to squeeze his cheeks, eliciting a series of curses and complaints.

Akira turned to Ryuji and Makoto and gave them a knowing grin. "So, was that the good news you guys wanted to tell me about?"

Makoto blushed and looked away as Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck and laughed. "Heh, so you saw that, huh?"

"To be fair, I knew you two were into each other for a while now," he replied, still in Futaba's grip.

Makoto sputtered. "H-How did you-?"

"It's not like you were subtle about it," Sojiro added, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "So, Daisuke, you decided to come too?"

All eyes looked to the newcomer, and not all of them were particularly friendly. He smiled nervously and offered a wave. "Uh, yeah, I wanted to get a good look at where Akira was staying."

Ryuji stepped forward with a scowl and looked him up and down. "So, you're Akira's old man, huh?"

He was about to say something else, but Makoto was at his side, a hand on his shoulder, with her mouth in a thin line. Just her touch seemed to calm him, as he stepped back and leaned against the bar. Her red eyes held a fire that belied her calm exterior, however, and Daisuke felt as if he was under the gaze of a predator.

"Kurusu-san. It's nice to meet you. Akira hasn't told us much about you," she said evenly.

Futaba finally released Akira from her death grip and turned back towards them. "It's alright guys, they're cool now."

Morgana took the opportunity to leap form the bag and onto the counter. Ryuji and Makoto blinked. "Huh?" he said as she asked, "Come again?"

"It's a little bit of a long story, but we're working things out," Akira said. He turned back to his father. "Dad, I'd like you to meet Ryuji Sakamoto, Makoto Niijima, and Futaba Sakura."

"It's nice to meet you all," he said, bowing before them.

Ryuji was the first to recover, sniffing and looking away. He scratched at his nose. "Yeah, uh, nice to meet you too, I guess."

Makoto returned the bow. "Are you staying for long, Kurusu-san?"

"Um, I'll be here for a few hours to make sure Akira gets set up." He gestured to Sojiro, who had lit the cigarette and was watching the scene unfold with amusement clear in his eyes. He was also trying and failing to discreetly scratch behind Morgana's ear. "I was also planning on catching up with Sakura-san."

"If you guys will excuse us, I'd like to put my stuff upstairs?"

Daisuke looked over at Akira. "Upstairs? I thought we were just getting Sojiro to let us into his place?"

"Nope. He sleeps up in the attic," Sojiro said, pointing up.

"In the attic?!"

Akira shrugged and squeezed past his friends. "It's not so bad once I got it cleaned up. It's actually kind of homely."

Daisuke shook his head and followed his son to the stairs.

The three friends returned to their seats as the father-son duo headed up, Ryuji and Makoto at the bar and Futaba to her computer in one of the booths. Sojiro pulled out a newspaper and began skimming through it.

"Were we really that obvious?" Makoto asked suddenly.

"Oh, absolutely," Sojiro replied without looking up.

"Honestly, I thought you two had been dating for a while," Futaba said, also keeping her eyes on the screen.

In the attic, Daisuke set the duffle bag down in the middle of the room. "Huh. I guess this isn't too bad."

"The bed's new," Akira mentioned.

Instead of the thin mattress on some boxes that was there, a new platform bed took its place. It looked much more comfortable, and he was already looking forward to sleeping on it.

On the shelf, many of the trinkets he'd obtained throughout his year on probation were still there. The houseplant hadn't wilted either, so someone must have been keeping up on it. There were a few contenders that he could think of off the top of his head.

His Super Famicom was still connected to the tv, and the large Phantom Thief banner still hung on the wall. Daisuke walked up to it and gave it a solemn look. "Was this your headquarters, or something?"

"For a little bit," Akira confirmed, setting his own bag on the mattress. "Sojiro was nice enough to let us use Leblanc to gather when we needed to."

"When did he find out?"

"Late October." He caught Daisuke's pensive look. "He figured it out himself. Aside from you and my team, I never willingly divulged any information about the Phantom Thieves."

His father stroked his chin. "How many people know?"

"More than I'd prefer, but they're all people I hold very dear to me. You can trust them."

An apprehensive look passed across Daisuke's face, but he shook his head and held out his hand. "I trust you. That means I trust them."

Akira gripped Daisuke's extended forearm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Before anymore words could be exchanged, the entrance bell rang and a loud, female voice called out, "Where is he?!"

"That sounds like Ann," Akira said with a smile, glancing towards the entrance to his room. He gestured to it. "C'mon. I think the rest of the gang is here. I'll introduce you to them."

As they descended the stairs, the blond in the crop top and denim shorts was the first to see him. Her eyes lit up. "There you are!"

Ann Takamaki rushed over to him and enveloped him in a tight hug. "We missed you so much." She pulled back. "Sorry we're late. Modelling gig went a teensy bit longer than we thought, and you know what it's like tearing Yusuke from his art."

Yusuke Kitagawa, a blue-haired boy even taller than Akira and dressed in a knee-length hoodie stepped forward. "I'll have you know, I was deep in thought, carefully crafting away at your birthday present. Apologies that it's a little late, but I want to ensure it is perfect."

"That's great, Yusuke, but I hope you didn't actually go without food and sleep?"

Yusuke pondered the question for a moment. "Define 'without'?"

"Akira!" A hand waved behind the wall that comprised of Ryuji and Makoto. They parted to let Haru Okumura, with her fluffy auburn hair and her pink dress with a pleated skirt, step forward to give Akira a quick hug. "I tried to get us here as fast as I could!"

He returned the hug. "It's alright, I was just dropping off my stuff."

Haru pulled back. Her eyes widened. "Oh! You grew a beard! It looks quite good on you."

"Yeah, everyone's been bringing that up." Akira rubbed his facial hair before gesturing to Daisuke. "Haru, Yusuke, Ann, I'd like you to meet my dad."

He bowed to them as well. "Daisuke Kurusu. It's a pleasure to meet more of Akira's friends."

The three newcomers were weary of Daisuke, but Akira assured them that things were being worked through. After that, reception was still lukewarm, but not hostile.

"Hey!" Ryuji called out with a big grin. "What're we waitin' for?! Group hug!"

The party swarmed Akira, and soon it became one big mass of people, only Daisuke and Sojiro not taking part. Morgana leapt from where he had taken residence next to Sojiro and onto Akira's shoulder.

After a long moment, Akira laughed. "Alright, guys, I'm feeling the love, you can let go now!"

"No can do, bro!" Ryuji ruffled Akira's mop of hair. "Don't want you to run away from us again!"

"So, what's the plan today? Are we doing anything or are we just going to stand around Leblanc hugging each other?"

Makoto was the first to disengage from the hug. "Well, first on the agenda is heading to the Hilton."

Slowly, the rest of the group started to pull away, apart from Futaba, who had reengaged her vice grip on Akira. He gave her head a pat and smiled. "Been a while since we went there. Can we even afford it?"

"I'm afraid someone will have to pay for me," Yusuke said apologetically. "I recently spent all I had on some art supplies. I'm fresh out of money until next week."

"Dude, you're always buyin' supplies," Ryuji complained. "Don't you ever have enough?"

Ann snorted. "Is it really any better than what you spend it on, Ryuji? Junk food and video games?"

"Hey! I've saving up some here and there!"

Makoto smiled and gave Ryuji a pat on the shoulder. "And we're very proud of you."

"Don't worry, Yusuke, I can cover your part of the bill," Haru proclaimed with a sweet smile on her face. "All I ask in repayment is assistance in helping me with marketing for my café!"

"It would be an honor, Haru."

"But to answer your question, Akira," Makoto cut in. "Yes, we still have more than enough from our prior activities."

Akira turned to his father. "Are you alright if we head out now, Dad?"

"You go ahead, be with your friends. I'll be here when you get back." He gestured to Sojiro. "Someone's got to keep this old man company."

"Hey, you're only a year younger than me, squirt," came the indignant response.

As the group of teenagers and young adults began to file out of the café, Daisuke leaned on the counter and let out a weary sigh.

"Long trip?"

"Yeah." He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook out his remaining tiredness. He glanced back to the door before dropping his voice. "Is everything all set up."

Sojiro gave him a thumbs up. "Yep. Got everything worked out with Shujin, his room's always available to him, and I can use the extra hand. All I need now is the go-ahead. You haven't asked him yet?"

"I'll give him a few days. Let him spend time with his friends without worrying about home." Daisuke let out a dry laugh. "No, it's not his home anymore, is it? Hasn't been for a while."

He drummed his fingers along the bar.

"They still hate him, you know. He has four friends, two of which are his bosses, while everyone else has written him off as a waste of space completely. They see the criminal record and the probation, but they don't see the good man underneath."

"That's people for you." Sojiro ground out his cigarette and took out a couple mugs. "But even if you weren't planning what you were, he'd make it through the year. He's made it through worse. He's a strong kid."

"Yeah," Daisuke said, a content smile over his face. "He is, isn't he?"

He scratched at his cheek. "Say, has he said anything about a girl to you?"

"Oh, no," Sojiro said, laughing. "I'm not touching that one with a ten-foot pole."

"What? Come on, I just want to know I'm not going crazy!"

"Nope. Not happening."

"You haven't changed a bit, you old bastard."

Sojiro just laughed some more.

7/25: Tuesday

Several days passed without any major events for Akira. He caught up with his friends, spent some time at Leblanc and, of course, spent as much time with Tae as he could. That one day in April where Tae surprised Akira was a wonderful day, but in the months since, he had yearend for her touch.

After Sojiro and Futaba left Leblanc that first night, taking Morgana with them, Akira headed straight for Tae's apartment. When she opened the door to him, the first thing he noticed was that she had grown her hair out a little. Immediately after that, it was the butterfly pendant, still hanging around her neck.

After the initial greeting, they didn't exactly do a whole lot of talking. Clothes were off, bodies were explored, and they made up for lost time.

Several times, in fact.

He remembered how their conversation afterwards went.

"Happy to be back, guinea pig?"

Akira looked down to see Tae gently tracing a finger along one of his scars. It was an "X"-shaped scar near his abdomen. If he recalled correctly, he got it from a Pixie on one of his first excursions through Mementos. One of his more embarrassing injuries.

"Mmm, I don't know how I survived without you," he muttered, kissing her forehead softly. "You're growing your hair out."

"I thought I'd try something a little new. I think I absolutely rock this look, personally."

"You'd look good in a trash bag, so you never had to worry about that." He stroked the small of her back.

"That is the correct answer." She gave him a quick kiss and nuzzled into his chest again. "Got any exciting plans for tomorrow while I'm slaving away at work to provide a roof over our heads?"

"Hah! You say that like I didn't have six different jobs for a year. But yeah, I'm going to hang out with Ryuji, Makoto, and Ann tomorrow afternoon, then visit one of Yusuke's art exhibits later that night. The day after, Haru wanted me to try some of her new coffee she's been working on, and then Futaba was hoping we could join her for a round of Smash."

"She's inviting us to play a video game? She does know how I get when I lose, right?"

"She thinks it's adorable. I would have to agree."

"I'll have you know, I've gotten a lot better since you left."

Akira snorted. "I'm sure."

"Good for Sakamoto-kun, though."

"Hm?"

"He got an absolute babe for a girlfriend."

Akira felt his eyebrow raise. "How did you know about him and Makoto?"

"Long story," Tae said, waving it away. "I'll tell you some other time. Right now, I have a more important question."

"Which is?"

"When am I going to meet him?"

Akira looked down at her with a questioning look. "Who?"

"Your father," Tae said. She shrugged in his embrace. "You two have gotten closer, right?"

"I mean, sure, but…" He shook his head and stared up at the ceiling. "I still have this irrational fear that, I don't know, it's all an act? Like, one day he'll really be that guy I hated that whole time. I still haven't fully forgiven him yet."

"Hey." Tae placed a hand on his cheek and guided him to look her in the eye. "It's not wrong for you to feel that way. With what you were put through, I'd think you were crazy if you didn't. Take each day one step at a time and just remember; I'll always be here for you when you need it."

She gave him another kiss.

"And even when you don't."

A smile played across Akira's lips. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do. So…?"

Akira shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll introduce you when I move out?"

"Well, whenever you decide to do it, I'll be waiting." She poked him on the forehead. "Now, rest up. You've got a long day tomorrow from the sounds of it."

"You have no idea," he confirmed closing his eyes and just taking in her aroma.

Akira decided, the very next morning, that he will never get tired of waking up to her. He'd known that for a long time, of course, but the first night back in Tokyo cemented it.

He got a text from Sojiro in the morning about some renovations that needed to be done today to the attic, so he'd have to stay out until later tonight. That was fine by him, he could easily kill some time hanging out with his friends.

As he was heading home, he ran into Mishima. Almost literally, since his old classmate was practically nose deep into a notepad he was writing in. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice Akira until he was called out.

"Got somewhere to be, Mishima?"

Mishima's head shot up and looked around until he spotted Akira. "Akira!"

"It's good to see you," he said. He gestured to the notepad. "What're you working on there?"

"Oh, just tinkering away at that book I was talking about!" He presented the notepad to Akira, who took it and looked it over. "I've got down basically everything I want to cover, but it's been pretty difficult trying to make sure you and everyone else stays, y'know, anonymous."

Akira nodded. "It looks good so far," he said, handing back the notepad. "Oh, I just remembered, I have something for you, too."

Mishima's eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah," Akira said, reaching into his bag and pulled out a folder. "I took a look at your plans for that documentary. I jotted down some notes about some things you got wrong and added some other stuff."

"Oh, wow! Thanks! I, uh, actually kind of forgot I gave you this." He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed. "How long are you going to be back in Tokyo?"

"Until the end of summer vacation," Akira replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, do you think I could get an interview for the book? I think it would add an air of authenticity to it!"

Akira laughed. "We'll work something out. Sound good?"

"No problem! I have to run, so I'll see you later."

"Seeya." Akira waved him off and started to walk forward, but stopped after a few steps. "Oh, and Mishimia?"

"Yeah?"

"That name you're giving me," Akira said. "Ren Amamiya? Not a bad name."

After bidding Mishima farewell, Akira sighed as he stepped up to Leblanc. It had been a very long day. These past few days had been long, come to think of it. Not that he wasn't happy to see everyone, of course, but there hadn't been much alone time with his girlfriend. Tae had mentioned taking a day off at some point this week to spend time together either at her apartment or in the attic of Leblanc.

He said he would prefer her apartment. She tended to get pretty loud.

Tae gave him a playful slap on the shoulder for that remark.

As he stepped into Leblanc to grab some of his belongings from his room before heading over to Tae's, the bell chimed, and he stopped in his tracks.

Daisuke, his father, was seated on a stool across from a completely nonplussed Sojiro, who reading from a newspaper. On the bar next to his coffee much was a manilla folder.

He looked over to the door and smiled. "Hey, Akira. I have a feeling you weren't expecting to see me again this soon, were you?"

"Dad?" Akira took a few steps into the café and dropping his bag onto the bar. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, you were right about Hernández-san's coffee," Daisuke said, sipping from his own cup. "It's pretty good, but nothing compares to Sojiro's."

Sojiro grunted and turned the page.

"I thought I'd hop over here and get a taste, and then the darndest thing happened. We got to talking about you."

Akira looked over to the conspicuously silent Sojiro trying and failing to hide a grin.

"You never told me you had six jobs." Daisuke shuddered. "Apparently, you were always out helping people, too. A medical assistant, supporting politicians, helping reporters, I could go on. Christ, I can't imagine what that did to your sleep schedule."

"Dad. You didn't come all the way back to Tokyo after less than a week to have some of Sojiro's coffee. It doesn't taste that good."

"Hey," Sojiro said, throwing Akira a look.

Daisuke chuckled. "You'd be right." He picked up the folder. "You've got quite the life waiting for you here in Tokyo. Opportunities that just don't exist in Meguro, huh?"

He held it out to Akira.

"These are the necessary forms to finalize your transfer from Tokuyama back to Shujin," Daisuke said.

Akira's eyebrows shot up, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "W-What?"

Daisuke nodded. "Sojiro here has agreed to take you in for the remainder of your third year. Based on your academic excellence the previous year, Shujin is more than willing to take you back. I talked to Hernández-san about it, and he says he and his daughter can easily run the café without you. In fact, it would save them some money."

"Are… Are you saying what I think you are?" Akira asked.

"This is your decision," Daisuke stressed. He lost all the jovial tone he had been carrying. "This isn't an exile, this isn't me abandoning you again, I am not making the same mistakes as last time. But let's be honest here, Akira. You're don't belong there anymore."

He let out a dry chuckle. "I'm not sure you ever did, to be honest."

"How long have you been planning this?" Akira asked, still stunned.

"Since your birthday." Daisuke narrowed his eyes and steeled his expression. "I'm serious, Akira. I'm not forcing you do this. If you truly feel like you should stay in Meguro, fine. I'll rip up this form, and you can come back with me at the end of the Summer."

Akira slowly reached out and grabbed hold of the folder. As he flipped through it, he saw it was completely legitimate.

"I can stay?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing. After all these months of pleading to someone, anyone, to return, the chance was here.

"You can stay," Daisuke confirmed.

Akira started to chuckle. "I'll have to explain this to Hideaki and Tanimura. They were only expecting me to be gone for a month. They might not take this well."

"Those two have been coming around to our place a lot these past few days, actually," Daisuke said. "I've been chatting with them. Tanimura-san says he plans on staying until Nakamura-san graduates, then they're going to move into a place together here in Tokyo until they each get some firm footing."

"He never told me about that," Akira murmured. He would have to ask Tanimura about that when next got the chance.

Daisuke shrugged. "Maybe the plan isn't set in stone. Either way, they seemed receptive enough to the idea of you going back to Tokyo."

"Huh." Akira frowned. "You're being serious, aren't you?"

"I just want what's best for you, Akira. And I think this is it."

He looked up at his father. All doubts about his father being genuine washed away when he saw the slightly sad look on his expression. Did his father secretly want him to say no? That he was willing to stay in Meguro?

Because he wasn't. He was going to take this offer. But at the same time, where would that leave his father? Would all the progress they've made just disappear?

"And you?" Akira asked. "What are you going to do while I'm gone?"

Daisuke shrugged. "I'll think of something. And don't worry, I'm not going to abandon you again. I'll do what your mother would have done and call you every day to annoy you, to make sure you're eating right and getting enough sleep."

"You know, I don't think I'd mind if you came to visit every now and again," Akira said with an uneasy smile.

Daisuke smiled. "Likewise, son."

Akira stepped up to his father and held out his arms. Daisuke stood up and embraced his son.

"I'm going to miss you," Daisuke said. "But I know you're going to do great things here."

"Thank you," Akira said. "Thank you so much."

They broke apart the hug and stepped away from each other. Sojiro looked on, a small smile on his face.

"How long are you staying?"

"Tomorrow morning," Daisuke said. "I don't plan to drive back to Meguro this late at night."

Akira looked over at the clock. It was pretty late. In fact, it should be late enough for…

"Can you wait here for a second? There's… I need to go do something real quick."

Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I can stay."

Sojiro threw Akira a knowing look. "Are you sure, kid?"

"Sure about what?" Daisuke asked, confused.

"Hopefully, you'll see soon enough," Akira said and quickly exited the café.

He rushed over to the clinic down the street and threw open the door. Behind the counter, Tae startled. "Akira? Geez, you sure do know how to make a dramatic entrance."

"Hey, do you think you could close up for the night?" Akira took several deep breaths.

She raised a brow. "Is there a particular reason?"

"My dad is over at Leblanc, he just said I get to stay in Tokyo, and I was hoping to introduce you to him," he rattled out.

She clicked her tongue, looked down at her clipboard, and laughed. "Well, you sure do know how to make an evening memorable. Let me get my jacket, then we'll head over."

She put down the clipboard, shrugged off her lab coat, and threw on her leather jacket. As she came around from behind her counter, Akira grabbed her by the waist, lifted her up and spun her around.

"Ah! Akira! Put me down!" Despite her protests, she was laughing along with him.

He set her down and beginning kissing her. "I," kiss, "love," another kiss, "you."

She patted him on the chest, still smiling. "Lead the way, guinea pig."

When he came back into the café, he had Tae wait outside. "Dad?"

Daisuke looked over to him. "Yes?"

"So, I have something to confess," Akira said nervously. "I didn't tell you everything when I told you about my time in Tokyo."

Akira wasn't sure that he liked the smile that cross Daisuke's face. It was a smile that said he already knew exactly what he was talking about.

"What, did Godzilla pass by and we just never noticed?"

That brought a laugh out of Akira. "No, but… I wanted to introduce you to someone before you left."

He leaned out the door and motioned for Tae to enter. When she did, he saw his father's eyes widened.

"Dad, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Tae Takemi." Akira turned to Tae. "Tae, this is my father, Daisuke Kurusu."

Tae nodded and stepped up to Daisuke. He shrunk under her gaze as she she looked him up and down. Sojiro chuckled again.

"Akira told me about you once," she said suddenly.

"He, uh, he did?"

She nodded. "Back when you hadn't called him for a year."

Daisuke's face fell, and he looked away from her, not daring to look her in the eyes.

"I told myself that I had half a mind to slap some sense into you if I ever did get the chance to meet you."

He didn't reply. Behind them, Akira looked on with bated breath.

She shrugged. "But he's also been telling me that you're trying to be better."

Daisuke blinked in surprise and looked back at her.

"So," Tae said, holding out her hand. "I'm willing to try, too. It's nice to meet you, Kurusu-san."

He tentatively reached out and shook her hand. "It's, uh, nice to meet you as well, Takemi-san. Thank you."

Tae raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For keeping my son sane. For being there for him when I… when I wasn't."

"Well, it's the least I could do."

Daisuke smiled and nodded. Then he frowned and turned to Akira. "You, me, and your girlfriend are going to have a talk, young man."

"Hoo boy," Sojiro muttered, closing his newspaper and putting away. He took off his apron and put on his jacket and hat. "It's been pretty slow, so I think I'll just close up."

"Don't think this means you're off the hook, Sakura! How long have you known?"

Sojiro laughed. He began to make his way out of his café. "Always a pleasure, Takemi-san."

"Likewise, Boss."

"Kid, make sure to lock up when you three are done."

"Will do, Boss."

"And Daisuke?" He turned and gave his old friend a smile. "Go easy on them. They're good for each other."

Daisuke snorted but still nodded. "See you tomorrow, Sojiro."

With that, only the three of them were left. They quickly moved to one of the booths.

Akira and Tae were immediately inundated with questions. How old was she? How did they meet? When did they get together? Was she away of his activities as a Phantom Thief? Were they thinking rationally when they decided to pursue a relationship?

Throughout the questioning process, Tae gripped Akira's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He couldn't help but smile at her. She really was beautiful.

Daisuke saw the way the two looked at each other. He knew it quite well. He saw it every time he looked into Hikari's eyes. Even though he kept his stern father act up, he knew there was nothing he could say or do to tear them apart. Not that he wanted to, of course.

She clearly made his son happy, and he clearly made her happy. The unorthodox nature of their relationship didn't really matter to him.

As the questioning winded down, Daisuke shook his head and laughed. "You know, I don't know whether or not your mother would've thrown a fit or have been happy for you."

"I'm sure it would've been both," Akira said, grinning.

"Heh. Probably." Daisuke looked to Tae. "Promise me something, Takemi-san."

"Yes?"

"Keep him safe." Daisuke shot his son a knowing look. "Knowing him, he'll get into some trouble and need all the help he can get."

Tae smiled and looked at Akira. "That's the plan. I think I've been doing alright for the past year, all things considered."

"That you have." Daisuke checked his watch and got to his feet. "Crap, I need to check into a hotel for the night."

"Are you alright with this, Dad?" Akira asked, he and Tae getting to their feet as well. "With us, I mean?"

Daisuke looked between the two and shrugged. "I can't say I'm altogether pleased that you took another huge risk last year, but… well, it's not my place to pass judgement. So, even though I'm sure you never needed it, you have my approval."

Akira nodded his thanks. "Thank you, Dad. I can't say that enough."

"I'll see you tomorrow before I have to leave, Akira." He looked to Tae. "Takemi-san. It was a pleasure to get to know you. I know my son is in safe hands."

"Don't worry, Kurusu-san," Tae said. "I won't let anyone hurt your son."

Daisuke gave them each one last look, nodded, then left the café to the two.

Akira let out a breath he wasn't even aware he was holding.

"He seems alright," Tae said, still looking at the door. "I can definitely see where you get your looks."

Akira laughed. "Yeah."

"You have one thing he doesn't though," Tae said, turning to him. She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek.

"That is?"

"It's your eyes." She smiled. "Your eyes still glow."

Akira laughed. "Careful. My corniness is rubbing off on you."

"Oh, shut up and kiss me."

He happily obliged.

When they broke apart, he embraced her and help her close. Despite himself, he felt a tear fall. A sob broke out.

"Are you alright?" Tae asked.

"Yeah," Akira reassured her, pulling away to look her in the eyes. "Yeah, I'm just… I'm happy."

She smiled and pulled him in close again. They just stood like that for a long while, taking in each other's presence.

Even as the time passed, even as they locked up the café and headed to the attic to spend the night, Akira couldn't believe it.

It wasn't until he awoke the next morning, clothes gone and curled up with an equally naked Tae, that he finally let himself believe the previous night was real, that it wasn't some cruel trick.

He realized where he was, in this quaint little attic above a quiet café in Tokyo, mere blocks away from an apartment above the local medical clinic. He realized where he was staying.

He was with her.

He was home.

A/N: For whoever made it to the end, thanks so much for sticking through! I want to give a huge thanks to Cosmic Sky again, both for your continued support and giving me inspirations for idea in this fic, like Meguro and Tokuyama.

From Ashes to Diamonds may be over, but I have more things I want to do in this world, so keep your eye out for more. Who knows what it'll be? Fluffy one-shots? Heart breaking angst? LONG LOST TWINS?! Okay, probably not that last one.

Leave a comment down below to tell me what you all thought of it, and thank you once again!

Spino, out.