Spoilers.
I might write about parts of the social link later. At rank 5 now (level 5 charm...really?), so that's kinda sitting there now. Oh well, that's why we have NG+.
For now, enjoy.
"Um...C-can I hold your hand?"
Akira nodded; Makoto made to latch onto his arm but hesitated when he took his hand out of his pocket and offered it to her. It was surprising enough that he had bothered to even remove his hand from said pocket, but it seemed that this was a perk of their newfound...relationship. "Ah...w-well, you don't have to-"
A crack of thunder outside quickly silenced her, leading her to swerve around Akira's shoulder and lock their arms. Akira made to comment before she reached down and grasped his hand, willingly lacing their fingers together for added security. He smiled at her instead, an expression she returned uneasily before trying to guide him to the door. They made it a few precious steps before another creak echoed out and Makoto dropped to her knees in fear, still holding Akira's hand. He squeezed it reassuringly, leaning down to speak softly. "Makoto? C'mon, we're almost at the door."
"N-no...my legs won't move."
Akira winced as two screams burst into his eardrums, his brief moment of distraction preventing him from catching a good look at who the second suspect was. As for the first...he looked down, stifling a laugh at how Makoto had latched onto his leg out of desperation. "Uh...Makoto?"
"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry, pleasesaveme-"
Akira chuckled nervously and scratched his head. What is she apologizing for…?
"Makoto, it's okay. Futaba's…" He glanced at the doorway the mystery girl ducked into, cocking his head slightly as he muttered, "...gone, I guess."
"I'msorryI'msorrypleasesavemeSisAkiraplease…"
...Did he hear that right? Akira adjusted his glasses to hide the light blush on his cheeks. Knowing he ranked on her figurative emergency contacts was actually pretty flattering. "I'm right here, you're okay. Give me your hand."
Makoto looked up at him, struggling a bit to see his face in the darkness. Nonetheless, she still fumbled blindly for his hand until he took it and helped her to her feet. "See? You've got this-"
"Are you okay, Futaba?!"
Ryuji jumped in surprise. "Crap, he's home!"
He, along with Ann and Yusuke dove into cover, pressing themselves against the wall as Sojiro burst in. Makoto felt Akira's fingers tighten the slightest bit around her own as the older man shouted, reaching for a flashlight, "Who the hell are you?! Don't move!"
Akira opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. Makoto looked just about ready to freak out…
"You hear me?!"
Akira squinted slightly as a flash burst in his eyes, bathing both him and Makoto in a bright, unyielding light. A momentary silence fell over the group until Sojiro stammered, "Y-...you? What are you doing in my house…?"
...Why is he talking like I'm the only one here…?
He quickly scanned around; Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke were still hiding, but Makoto...She had managed to sneak around his shoulder, effectively hiding herself from Sojiro's view. ...Oh.
May as well roll with it. He waved. "Hi there, Boss."
Sojiro raised an eyebrow, about to speak when he looked past Akira's shoulder. "You're..."
"Ah…"
Makoto peeked around Akira's shoulder, stepping into view to manage as polite a bow as she could. "Um, g-good evening, sir. We, er...didn't mean to intrude…"
Her voice lowered in volume the more she spoke, so she settled for bowing her head to hide the blush on her cheeks. "Niijima-san...Wait, are you two dating?"
She stood at attention as soon as she heard 'dating', about to fervently shake her head when Akira said, "Yeah."
"Huh. Is that true?"
Upon realizing the question was directed at her, Makoto pointedly looked away, uncertain of how to answer until Akira took her hand again, his thumb brushing comfortingly against her skin. Finally, she settled for a small, "Yes."
Sojiro stared at the two of them for a good ten seconds, nodding and offering a small smile. "Figured as much."
It would seem this is pretty much turning into a progress report of where I am with bits of my personality sprinkled in. Is that bad…?
Hope not. Also hope you liked.