A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another special one-shot, in this case a Valentine's Day one-shot. And of course it's a Persona 5 based one-shot because why not have it feature the cast of Persona 5 Royal/Persona 5 Strikers? That said, this will be a fair bit different from some of my other Persona 5 Royal/Strikers oneshots in that it won't strictly speaking be focused on the Phantom Thieves as a whole, so much as on some of their allies they met over the course of both Royal and Strikers, moreso Strikers since the story will be set post-Strikers but Royal's events will be canon and the 'true ending' of Royal will be reflected in this story. Also, as a warning, this story will have an M-rated scene in it, which will be clearly marked so those of you who don't like reading that sort of thing can skip over it.
That said, onto a more relevant topic, which is pairings. A lot of the usual pairings will be involved in this story, but some will be a bit different than usual at the same time since I feel like changing it up a bit.
So for those curious, these will be the pairings: RenXSumire (I know I pair these two a lot, but dammit they're so adorable together, how can you NOT ship them? However, unlike most fics with this pairing, it won't be the main pairing of the story but moreso a side pairing), FutabaxYusuke (yes, I do tend to constantly rotate who I'm pairing Futaba with, but to be fair that's because the games don't really give a clear picture of who she'd canonically be with, though the amount of times that Yusuke and Futaba are often seen next to one another in Royal is rather telling in my opinion), AnnxShiho (because I think they go good together, plus the fact that Shiho literally says 'I love you' to Ann during Ann's Rank 9 cutscene with Ren is quite telling of how Shiho potentially feels about Ann, at least in my opinion), and of course the actual main pairing of the story, which I'll leave a surprise for now. Granted, as far as I know, this pairing isn't one often seen or attempted in Persona stories, so yeah, it is what it is there. That said, on with the summary!
Summary: About a week before Valentine's Day, Akane gets the idea to enlist the Phantom Thieves' assistance for a plan of hers to surprise her father for Valentine's Day, a plan which may or may not involve setting up a romantic dinner for her father and a certain SIU operative turned defense attorney that's related to one of the aforementioned Phantom Thieves. However, because this is the Phantom Thieves we're talking about, things predictably go awry. Despite this, can the group successfully pull off Akane's plan to surprise her dad? Or will the plan fail? Read to find out!
Before I forget, let's grab the disclaimer!
Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form, and the credit for actually owning the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega and Koei Tecmo, so all credit to them!
That said, on with the story!
PERSONA 5: A PHANTOM VALENTINE'S SPECIAL
(About a week before Valentine's Day, at a house in Kyoto)
"So let me get this straight. You and the others had to stop a power-crazed A.I. who was bent on making itself a god while also stealing the distorted desires of literally the entire Japanese population for the most part? I'm impressed you pulled it off, but not surprised, given who the leader of the Phantom Thieves is. Between us? I'd say we've both had our lives changed for the better by him, haven't we Zenkichi?" A female with silvery-grey hair and brown eyes said as she looked at the male on the other end of the video call she was in, an older male around her age with dark brown hair with a shorter beard the same color and glasses. The male, or Zenkichi as the female had called him, nodded as he spoke up.
"You're not wrong, Niijima. Hard to believe Amamiya managed to change both of our lives for the better, isn't it? Not to mention, he and the others even managed to help me repair my frayed relationship with my daughter, Akane. I don't think it'd be an inaccurate statement to say we both owe them a lot." Zenkichi said with a wry smile as the female, or Niijima as he'd called her, chuckled before she nodded and spoke up.
"I agree. More to the point, he's even managed to make those he works with better off for knowing him. And I thought we agreed we were on a first-name basis, Zenkichi? So why do you keep calling me Niijima when you know full-well my name is Sae?" Sae asked Zenkichi, who chuckled and spoke up with a sheepish look on his face while he spoke.
"Sorry, Sae. I was raised in a traditional home where a man and woman being on a first-name basis was something of a big deal, but if you insist, I will try to start calling you by your first name more often. Fair enough?" Zenkichi said with a wry smile as Sae nodded and spoke up.
"That'll do. Speaking of Akane, how's she holding up?" Sae asked Zenkichi, who smiled before he spoke.
"She's holding up rather well, thanks for asking. She's still running that live stream of hers from time to time, and keeps in loose contact with Amamiya and the others. Though last I heard, they split up to go their separate ways after briefly reuniting a couple months ago for Christmas. Though from what I've heard, some of them, such as Sakura and Kitagawa, stay in close contact.
I have to say, I wasn't expecting you and Akane to take to one another like you have. But I suppose you're naturally good with kids to some extent, given what you told me about practically having to raise Makoto after your father died. So I can see you having developed maternal instincts to some degree from that." Zenkichi said with a wry but teasing grin as Sae winced before she spoke up.
"Um, can we not talk about that? I don't mind you bringing it up, but that's kind of a tough subject for Makoto and I both to bring up still." Sae said before Zenkichi nodded and gave Sae an apologetic look while speaking up.
"Ah, say no more. My apologies for bringing up a sore subject. Speaking of sore subjects, am I the only one who realized that Ren and the others were oddly subdued the other day when we gathered in that group chat? Granted, Sophia wasn't, but that's besides the point. She's always cheerful for the most part, other than a couple of instances I can think of." Zenkichi said as Sae spoke up with a frown.
"I think if I recall correctly, that day was the 1-year anniversary of both their last mission and the loss of one of their own, at least assuming I remember what Makoto confided in me correctly. Apparently, it had something to do with stopping a crazed man from trying to re-write reality as we know it to make everyone's wishes come true in a way that eliminated sadness and/or suffering?
Needless to say, Makoto and her friends put a stop to it in short order, even giving up their own actualized realities to do so. Oddly enough, I never did find out what Amamiya's actualized reality was, but that's both besides the point and not relevant to our conversation. My point is, they were probably grieving. As to why neither yourself or Sophia could understand that, it was before you two joined the group." Sae said as Zenkichi nodded and spoke up.
"I see. That makes a certain amount of sense. After all, the others did mention they'd been in conflict with a certain power-hungry would-be prime minister previously. I believe they called him Shido? They seemed to react strongly enough when I mentioned Owada being a former supporter of his to them, if nothing else." Zenkichi said as Sae nodded and spoke up.
"Ah, you mean Masayoshi Shido? Yes, his case was kind of a big deal for them. Honestly, it was a big deal to me as well, since his case was what helped me decided to quit my job at the SIU and become a defense attorney after helping get Amamiya freed. Suffice it to say he was a big reason that their group formed in the first place since from what I understand, he was the reason Amamiya moved to Yongen-Jaya about a year and a half ago for his year-long probation which ended about 3 weeks early due to his record being expunged after Shido confessed to what he did.
Granted it's been about a year since Amamiya went back home, and close to a half-year since his short-lived return to Yongen for the summer. As such, I do believe they were probably remembering their fallen comrade that day. So I wouldn't hold it against them." Sae said to Zenkichi, who nodded while Sae kept speaking.
"Back on topic, I notice it's nearly Valentine's Day. So I couldn't help but wonder if you might have already had any plans for the occasion?" Sae asked Zenkichi, who shook his head sadly and spoke up.
"No, I'm afraid I don't really have any Valentine's plans to speak of, Sae. But then to be fair, I've not exactly had a lot of motivation to celebrate the holiday since my wife and Akane's mother passed." Zenkichi said as Sae nodded and spoke up.
"Ah, right, I'm sorry. I forgot about that. Do forgive me for bringing up a potentially painful topic without meaning to." Sae said as Zenkichi smiled and spoke up.
"That's quite all right, Sae. You didn't know. But I assume you had a reason for asking?" Zenkichi said as Sae nodded.
"I did indeed. This might be a bit out of nowhere, but I confess myself curious about you. So I was thinking, maybe we could meet up that day, possibly spend the day together? You can say no if you don't want to do that, but I figured it couldn't hurt to at least ask." Sae said as Zenkichi spoke up.
"Not at all, Sae. I'd be delighted to spend Valentine's Day with you. I'll admit that I've wanted to get to know you a bit more myself since you helped me out. You seem like a rather nice woman, and I don't exactly believe it inappropriate to add that you're also a pretty woman too." Zenkichi said smoothly as Sae blinked at this and spoke up in surprise.
"Y-You think I'm pretty? I'm not sure if I should laugh at that or be flattered, Zenkichi. But thank you for the kind words just the same. And I'm glad you agreed. Maybe we can spend the intervening week figuring out what we want to do that day and then compare notes when we meet up?"Sae suggested as Zenkichi nodded with a smile and spoke up.
"I'd like that, Sae. Maybe then I'd have a reason to actually look forward to Valentine's Day again?" Zenkichi said as Sae nodded and spoke up.
"Fair enough. I suppose I should let you go for now, Zenkichi. But we will speak again soon. Look forward to it." Sae said before smiling as she ended the video call, leaving Zenkichi to nod to himself as he put his phone down and flipped through the TV, seeing if there was anything on worth watching. Unbeknownst to him, Akane had been listening in to his and Sae's conversation in earnest, hoping the two got together as she thought they made for a cute couple.
Of course, the 14-year old was a bit biased in her thinking, since she had a rather healthy appreciation of Sae considering she got her father out of jail after he was arrested for trying to save the Phantom Thieves from an ambush the previous August. And even if neither Sae or her father would admit to it, Akane could tell the two were subtly drawn to each other. Giggling to herself quietly, Akane headed down the hall to her room, deciding to make plans to gather her father's co-workers that had shown up at her house with him in a group chat in hopes of setting up a surprise for the her father and Sae.
As it so happened, Akane had been added to said co-workers' contact lists on her dad's request shortly after they'd parted ways the previous summer. Granted, they had recently gotten back together for a short time about a month and a half ago for winter break, wherein they gathered at Leblanc, a cafe that Amamiya used to live at, for Christmas. So it made it quite easy to pull out her phone and start up a group chat with most of the group, quickly adding Kitagawa, Makoto, Sakamoto, Takamaki, Amamiya, Sakura, Okumura and Yoshizawa to a chat and sending a message to start the chat.
"Hello there! I know this is a bit out of nowhere, but it's been a bit, so I figured I'd take the chance to touch base with everyone and see how you're all doing. So how is everyone?" Akane sent, waiting for a bit until a response came, in this case from Sakamoto.
"Yo, what's bonkin', Akane!? Nice hearin' from you! And to your question, I'm doing good. Just tryin' to make somethin' of myself now that I'm in college. That, and I've been tryin' to get back into runnin' again now that my leg's been doing better." Sakamoto sent as the next response came in from Makoto.
"Oh! Hi, Akane! Wasn't expecting to hear from you! I'm doing rather well, just focusing on my studies as usual." Makoto sent as a response came in from Amamiya at that point.
"Wow, for once I'm not the main focus of one of these. Kinda nice, to be honest. That said, Morgana and I are doing well too. Just getting used to being back in the countryside. To be honest, I'm going to be glad to graduate, since I can move back to Yongen full-time and be closer to everyone." Amamiya sent as Sakura sent a response at that point.
"Mwehehe! We both know you only want to move back to Yongen so you can be close to a certain red-headed gymnast you're crazy for, Ren! Not that I blame you, though. She is rather flexible and can rock a leotard." Sakura sent as Kitagawa sent a response.
"Indeed. Nice to see you're still as quirky and devious as ever, Futaba. At least you don't let our lack of together time keep you down." Kitagawa said as Sakura sent a response.
"Shut up, Inari! You don't get to patronize me just because you happen to be my boyfriend! Maybe once we're more serious, I might let you, but not before then." Sakura said as Okumura sent a response at that point.
"Hi, Akane-chan! So glad to hear from you! Sorry I've not been messaging more, been busy with the company and stuff. And I see Futaba and Yusuke are still going strong as a couple, despite how unlikely of a pairing they seem to be." Okumura sent as Takamaki sent a response at that point.
"That's one way of putting it, Haru! And hi Akane! To your question, I've been doing good. Just been spending time with Shiho where I can. It helps that we're both graduated at this point. Actually, she and I are talking about moving in together, so that's a thing that's happening." Takamaki sent as Yoshizawa chose then to send a response.
"Oh, hello there, Akane-chan! Nice to hear from you! I've been doing well, just focusing on my gymnastics, and of course spending time with Ren-senpai where I can. I do have to wonder, though, why neither Sophia or your father are included in this chat?" Yoshizawa sent as the group blinked at this before Akane sent a response.
"I never got Sophia's contact info to be honest. As for why my father isn't here, let's just say I may or may not have also called this chat to try and put together a surprise for him for Valentine's Day, which may or may not involve him and Makoto's sister." Akane sent as Makoto sputtered and sent a response.
"What does your dad's friendship with Sis have to do with your surprise?" Makoto sent as Sakura sent a response.
"Really, Makoto!? Obviously Akane knows those two are crazy for one another, even if neither will admit to it! So methinks she wants to try and set them up on a date for Valentine's Day. And if that is her plan, I approve! They deserve to be happy too, after all. Does anyone disagree with me?" Sakura sent as Amamiya sent a response.
"Yes, well, be that as it may, is there a reason that Akane's not on a first-name basis with most of us? I can't help but notice she only seems to call Makoto by first name in this chat. Yet we all call her by first name." Amamiya sent as Akane winced and sent a response.
"That's because I keep forgetting to ask if you want me to be on a first-name basis with the rest of you. With Makoto, it was necessary since both she and Sae have the same last name and I can't just go around calling them Niijima-san the younger and Niijima-san the elder respectively all the time, now can I? But if you're all agreeable, I'll start addressing you by first name." Akane sent as the others sent responses, starting with Sakamoto.
"Yo, I don't care if you call me Ryuji or Sakamoto, Akane. I'm a simple guy like that." Sakamoto sent as Sakura sent a response.
"Same. I'm okay with you calling me Futaba if you want, Akane." Sakura sent as she got a similar list of affirmatives from Amamiya, Kitagawa, Okumura, Takamaki and Yoshizawa. Akane sent a response at that point.
"Got it. From now on, I'll address you all as Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Futaba, Yusuke, Haru and Sumire respectively then." Akane sent as Ren sent a response.
"Now that we've sorted that out Akane, how is your dad doing?" Ren sent as Akane sent a response.
"He's doing pretty good. He's been chatting with Sae a lot of recent. And judging by what they were saying, I think he might be working up the nerve to finally confess his feelings to her, but I could be wrong on that. As such, I was hoping to enlist your collective assistance in getting them together if possible. After all, other than Morgana and possibly Ryuji and Makoto, the majority of you have found pretty good success in the romance department. Oh, and Haru as well. I always forget she's had bad luck in that regard as well. After all, the only real relationship she's been in was with a creep of a guy. Not that that's her fault, mind." Akane sent as Futaba sent a response.
"I would say probably either myself or Ren are your best bet if you want tips on how to get your dad and Makoto's sis together. Although the latter might be a bit apt to constantly start comparing things to how he wooed Sumire, so be warned about that." Futaba sent as Sumire sent a response at that point.
"FUTABA-CHAN! Don't lie about Ren-senpai like that! He's not biased! Besides, that's rich coming from the girl who based her boyfriend's pet name off of inari sushi!" Sumire sent huffily as Ren sent a response.
"You tell her, Sumi! Put that little gremlin in her place! And Futaba, unless you want me to karate chop your head, you'll knock off the lies! I know Boss raised you better than that!" Ren sent as Ryuji sent a response.
"Oh, damn! Ren's serious if he pulled the Boss card on Futaba! He rarely does that!" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.
"You're all immature, other than maybe Sumire, since she's just standing up for her boyfriend. And people wonder why I'm in no rush to find love." Makoto sent as Ann sent a response.
"Not in a rush, eh? That's funny. Shiho said she was sure she saw you the other day holding hands with someone. You sure you're in no rush for love?" Ann sent teasingly as Haru sent a response.
"First of all Ann, I was with Makoto for that. She was helping some little kid find their parents. So that's probably what Shiho-chan saw." Haru sent as Yusuke sent a response.
"Makoto, I appreciate you speaking up on my behalf, but I'm used to Futaba calling me Inari by now. I know she does it as a term of endearment. Besides, it's not as if I haven't had my own quirky moments with her." Yusuke sent as Futaba sent a response.
"Thank you, Inari, that's quite enough. At least you've outgrown your 'nude paintings' phase, which is good since I'm not sure I'd have been comfortable doing that anytime soon anyways." Futaba sent as Akane's eyes went wide on reading Futaba's response, mouthing 'nude paintings!?' under her breath before sending a response.
"I don't think I'm gonna ask what Futaba meant by 'nude paintings phase', since I don't think I wanna know. At least Makoto, Ryuji, Sumire, Ren and Morgana aren't quirky." Akane sent as Ann sent a response.
"HEY! I'm not quirky, Akane! Just because I happen to prefer women to men doesn't make me quirky. Also, given Makoto's choice of conversation topics and Ryuji's occasional lack of tact, I'm not sure they're free of quirks. I'll give you the other three though, since other than being a bit too enthusiastic about their relationship at times, Ren and Sunire are both quite adorable. And Morgana is just Morgana, the fluffy yet adorable mascot/senpai-type figure to the group." Ann sent as Ren sent a response.
"Morgana is both thankful and slightly offended by what you said, Ann. Also, glad you approve of myself and Sumi." Ren sent as Haru sent a response.
"Focusing on the main topic, how did you want to get your dad and Sae together, Akane-chan?" Haru sent as Akane sent a response.
"I dunno, just make sure their plans on Valentine's Day go off without a hitch, for starters? I know Sae asked Dad to spend Valentine's Day with her already, so that's basically as good as a date right there. Maybe with some luck, they'll get together on their own, but it never hurts to have you lot as backup in case things seem to fall through. Besides, I know some of you are in relationships too, so you could use this as a chance to make Valentine's Day plans of your own with your boyfriend or girlfriend." Akane sent as Makoto sent a response.
"Ignoring the fact that you clearly eavesdropped on them to get your information, I think your dad and my sister would be really amazing together, so I agree with wanting them together." Makoto sent as the others also sent affirmative responses. Akane then sent a response.
"Good, then it's unanimous! Now, do we want to meet up together in person at some point to fine-tune our plans, or would we be better off doing so in chat?" Akane sent as everyone agreed to meet up in about three days at Leblanc for a gathering to plan out how to make sure Zenkichi and Sae got together safely, with Ren agreeing to add Sophia to the group chat, which he quickly did as the AI in question sent a response after seeing the group chat.
"Oh! I wasn't expecting to hear from you all! HI! It's been a while! And hello there, Akane! Nice to actually be able to speak with you, since I can't exactly leave devices what with the whole being an AI bit, though if you'd ever been to the Metaverse, we'd have probably gotten to meet. Oh well, it is what it is there! And to your initial question, I'm doing well, just been travelling around a lot with Ichinose and helping her learn about her heart." Sophia sent as Ren sent a response.
"Sophia? NO. Akane is not going to the Metaverse! It's bad enough she was used by EMMA! We're not having her learn about the Metaverse, or any of that! As it is, she's a huge Phantom Thief fangirl! Imagine if she became a Phantom Thief!? No thank you. I'd rather not have Zenkichi out to scalp the lot of us because his daughter became a Phantom Thief. But I get what you were trying to say." Ren sent as Futaba sent a response.
"Boo! Ren's turned into a total dad! Not to mention, he's totally acting the opposite of Joker right now." Futaba sent as everyone else's eyes widened at what she'd sent. Akane sent a response, looking confused.
"Wait, why are you calling him Joker, Futaba? Sure, Ren's a nice guy, and I can see why Sumire claimed him for herself, but Joker's much dreamier than Ren is. Besides, as I recall, there were only 10 Phantom Thieves, yet recent reports of their activities seems to indicate their numbers were at 11. Almost as if two more members joined up. Odd." Akane sent as Ren sent a response.
"SHUT UP, FUTABA! IX-NAY ON THE ODENAMES-CAY IN FRONT OF AKANE!" Ren sent as Futaba sent a response.
"Mwehehe! If only you knew how wrong you were, Akane-chan. But I can't say anymore, lest I get punished for it. Sorry." Futaba sent as Yusuke sent a response.
"And on that note, I say we adjourn for now. Until our gathering at Leblanc, farewell everyone!" Yusuke sent as the group left the group chat on that note...
(A couple days later, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren and Sumire)
"Isn't this nice, Sumi? Just you, me and an empty restaurant with no one underfoot to bother us." Ren said smoothly as Sumire giggled and nodded before speaking up while she and Ren sat on Ren's bed together.
"Agreed, Ren-senpai. Now kindly quit talking and come here." Sumire said confidently before gently pulling the collar of Ren's shirt to pull him down to her so she could kiss him, which Ren grinned at before returning the kiss as he landed gently on top of Sumire, the two staying together for a bit making out. After a few minutes, Ren and Sumire came up for air, both red-faced and smiling goofily at each other. Sumire smiled serenely at Ren before she spoke up while looking into Ren's eyes.
"That was rather amazing, Ren-senpai. How is it you leave me wanting more when we kiss like that? I hate that I don't get you, yet I also find that mysteriousness of yours so irresistibly attractive. Why did I fall for you again?" Sumire asked as Ren chuckled and spoke up with a grin.
"Because I was the one to pick you up when you thought you were broken and help you put yourself together time and time again? That, or you simply can't get enough of my charisma and good looks? Either or." Ren joked as Sumire giggled and spoke up.
"It might also be that sense of humor you've got as well, Ren-senpai. Either way, you've got me wanting you all to myself, whether I like admitting to that or not. I almost hate that I'm trying to succeed at gymnastics to be honest, since I swear sometimes I find myself wanting to just straddle you and kiss that smug grin off your face before, well, you know, THAT." Sumire said, seeming to lose her nerve near the end of her comment as Ren frowned and spoke up.
"Hm? And what do you mean by-?" Ren said in confusion, before his eyes widened slightly as realization set in for him and he kept speaking.
"Oh, right. THAT. Not gonna lie to you Sumi, I find that rather bold of you to say, but if you think you're ready for THAT, I won't stop you if it's truly what you want. But only if you truly feel you're ready for that step. I don't want you doing that because you think I want you to, only for you to have regrets about it later. I'd rather wait as long as I have to for you to truly be both ready for and comfortable with that step." Ren said honestly, looking into Sumire's eyes while he spoke and smiling at her. Sumire returned the smile as she spoke up.
"I appreciate that you're so considerate, Ren-senpai. But I think to be honest? If there was one person I'd be ready to take that step with, it'd probably be you. Granted, it's only been a bit over a year since we got together, but I think if we've lasted this long, we're probably meant to be. And honestly I'd prefer my first time be with someone I know I'm going to be committed to for the long haul.
Besides, if we're being honest here? I think that person is definitely you, Ren-senpai. So if you want to do that, I have no objections. And considering you left Morgana-senpai with Futaba-chan and Boss-kun for the night, we have the place to ourselves. So why not take that step tonight?" Sumire said, her face slightly red as she heard herself speak. Ren smiled at Sumire as he spoke up, looking lovingly into Sumire's eyes while he spoke.
**lemon starts here. Read ahead at own risk, otherwise skip to the section marked *END OF LEMON* to continue reading**
"Are you absolutely sure this is what you want, Sumi?" Ren asked Sumi, who bit her lip lightly in consideration before she nodded and spoke up.
"Yes, Senp-I mean Ren. I am sure this is what I want." Sumire said before Ren effortlessly flipped their positions so Sumire was on top of him while he spoke up.
"In that case, lead the way, Sumi. I trust you to take charge if that's what you want." Ren said as Sumire giggled and spoke up.
"I never would've pegged you for a sub or bottom, Ren. But somehow I'm not surprised." Sumire said before kissing Ren once again, who smiled as he returned the kiss eagerly. After a few minutes of intense kissing, Sumire flushed slightly as she shyly tossed her red sweater aside to reveal she was wearing a short-sleeved white button-up shirt under her sweater, before smirking at Ren as she playfully lowered her mouth to Ren's neck to lightly suck on the base of his neck affectionately, making Ren give a low groan of appreciation for what Sumire was doing before he spoke up.
"I don't know where you learned that, but keep going Sumi. That's nice." Ren said as Sumire giggled and obliged, stealthily fumbling with the buttons of Ren's coat as she did so. Ren smirked as he helped Sumire divest him of his coat, and eventually both their shirts, leaving Ren basically topless and Sumire in just a form-fitting baby-blue silk bra on top as she smiled while taking in Ren's toned physique, impressed by how well he'd taken care of himself, licking her lips appreciatively as she spoke up.
"Ooh, looks to me like someone's been keeping themselves in good shape. I never would've guessed you were so chiseled, Ren. I like it." Sumire said, tentatively running a hand along Ren's four-pack abs in intrigue, making Ren smile as playfully leaned up to kiss along the base of Sumire's neckline while she explored his physique with her hands, making Sumire flush red before she spoke up.
"R-Ren, n-no fair doing that while i'm taking in these abs of yours. You make it difficult to focus." Sumire said with a giggle as she leaned in to playfully trace circles on Ren's abs with first her finger and then her tongue, making Ren shudder a bit in mixed excitement and surprise before he spoke up.
"Oh? I had no idea you were so frisky, Sumi. But somehow I like that about you." Ren said mischievously as Sumire nodded before flushing as she modestly yet boldly reached behind her back to unhook and then discard her bra, letting her B-cup breasts fall free for Ren to see, making Ren's breath catch at the sight of Sumire's petite yet impressive figure. Ren eventually spoke up.
"W-wow, so glorious. I think I'm even more in love than I already am with you." Ren said appreciatively as Sumire blushed and spoke up.
"Thank you, Ren. I know I'm probably not as generously endowed as most girls at our school, but I'd like to hope I'm enough for you, at least?" Sumire said as Ren nodded and spoke up.
"Of course you're enough for me, Sumi. As far as I'm concerned, you're perfect the way you are. Plus, you're still not fully developed. So I think if anything, it's only going to get even better as time goes on. So I'm more than okay with what I see, Sumi." Ren said as he gently ran a tentative hand along Sumire's exposed chest, gently exploring the exposed skin and carefully caressing Sumire's breasts lovingly as Sumi blushed while moaning huskily before she spoke up.
"Keep going, Ren. I didn't think that would feel that good. I like it." Sumire said shyly as Ren nodded, deciding to be a bit bolder and carefully wrap his mouth around a breast to give it a tender, loving kiss, lightly running his tongue around her nipple lovingly, being careful to take his time doing so, making Sumire lightly run her fingers through Ren's hair lovingly while leaning down to press a kiss of her own to Ren's nipple, enjoying the husky-sounding groan he gave for her efforts. After a few very satisfying minutes of teasing each other's chests with their mouths, Sumire kissed Ren again before speaking up shyly.
"I suppose now is the part where we take the rest off and bare it all?" Sumire said shyly as Ren nodded.
"That's right. Now we see all of each other. Of course, we can still stop here if you're not comfortable going all the way just yet, Sumi. I would never make you do anything you're uncomfortable with. I love you too much for that." Ren said sincerely as Sumire smiled and spoke up.
"Thanks Ren, but I think the moment is right for it. So I'll go first, if you're okay with it." Sumire said to Ren, who nodded as she stood up to slide her shoes and socks off as she then unbuttoned, unzipped and removed her jeans, leaving just a frilly pair of baby blue panties to cover her before reaching over to start fiddling with Ren's belt to undo it, making Ren grin as he helped her undo his belt before she eventually tossed his shoes and socks aside and tugged off his pants, leaving him in just a pair of silky black boxers with a red waistband, making Sumire's eyes widen at the very distinct bulge she could see in Ren's boxers, making her blush as she spoke up.
"I-Is that all you, Ren? If so, you're huge." Sumire said shyly as Ren nodded and spoke up.
"Yup, that's all me Sumi. I'm not too big for you, am I?" Ren joked as Sumi lightly slapped Ren on the chest and spoke up.
"Shut up, Ren! You know there's no such thing as too big, as long as it comfortably fits." Sumire said as Ren grinned and spoke up.
"I guess in this case, that's literally what she said." Ren joked teasingly as Sumire groaned at Ren's joke before deciding to punish him a bit by sitting right on his lap, playfully grinding her butt against his crotch to tease him, enjoying the mixed whine/moan from Ren as she did so.
"Oh come on Sumi, no fair! I realize that was a poor joke, but do you really have to punish me for it?" Ren asked as Sumire smiled and kissed Ren, deftly reaching for the waistband of his boxers to toss them to the ground before tenderly and affectionately kissing the tip of his shaft by way of apology for being rough on him before, making Ren be the one to flush red this time before giving off an involuntary moan at the feeling of Sumire's mouth on his shaft as he spoke up.
"Damn, Sumi! Were you practicing that!? That's amazing. You're so gentle, yet mind-blowing." Ren said honestly as Sumire giggled and spoke up.
"I'm also only like this with you, Ren, so enjoy it." Sumire said as she made a show of sliding her panties off and tossing them aside before playfully turning around and sitting down so that Ren's face was between her legs, flush against her shaven core, making Ren grin as he lovingly pressed a light kiss to the just-visible nub between Sumire's legs, making her moan involuntarily at Ren's gesture before she spoke up.
"Mmm, keep going Ren, that's nice." Sumire said as she spread her legs a tiny bit to give Ren better access as he obliged, carefully using two fingers to slide her folds open and insert his tongue into her opening, tentatively exploring her inner walls lovingly, making Sumire flush as she leaned down to wrap her mouth around Ren's shaft, taking him into her mouth as she ran her tongue experimentally up and down his length, enjoying the low groans of enjoyment she could hear from Ren as he pleasured her with his tongue, the two staying like that for several minutes before Sumire moaned as she felt herself clench a bit and spoke up.
"Mmm, yes! Keep going, Ren! I think I'm getting close." Sumire said as Ren nodded, speaking up while he kept going.
"Me too, Sumi. Shall we drive each other over the edge together?" Ren said smoothly as Sumire nodded and lightly sucked on Ren's shaft affectionately. A short time later, Ren felt himself constrict in Sumire's mouth at the same time Sumire arched back slightly and almost moaned Ren's name out while Ren groaned Sumire's name out lowly as they both came in each other's mouths, smiling as they removed their mouths from each other and smiled while Sumire spoke up.
"That was pretty amazing, wasn't it Ren?" Sumire asked Ren, who nodded and spoke up.
"Absolutely, Sumi. And think, that's not even the main event. That's still to come! Unless you're not ready to have me inside you more than you already have?" Ren said as Sumire giggled, playfully wiggling her butt against Ren's crotch before she spoke up.
"Would I have come this far with you if I wasn't ready for that step, Ren?" Sumire asked Ren, who shrugged and spoke up.
"Good point, Sumi. I guess, now we go all the way?" Ren said as Sumire nodded and spoke up.
"Yep, you're right. Well, here goes." Sumire said as she straddled Ren's waist, carefully maneuvering herself so her entrance was over Ren's shaft, carefully lowering herself so he was buried in her up until he was positioned by her entrance, and looking at Ren as she spoke up.
"I know this next part is probably going to be painful for me, so try not to think less of me if I have to take a bit to adjust after the first initial entry before we really get into it, okay Ren?" Sumire said as Ren leaned up to kiss Sumire before speaking up.
"Not at all, Sumi. I'm quite okay with taking this at your pace. Now shall we get this ride started?" Ren said teasingly as Sumire blushed but nodded, grinding herself against Ren, who obliged by giving one good upward thrust to break through her barrier and enter her, making her lie still for a few moments as she adjusted to the slight discomfort of Ren entering her before she looked at Ren a couple minutes later and spoke up with a shy smile.
"Okay, I'm good now if you want to keep going, Ren." Sumire said as Ren nodded, thrusting into Sumire very slowly but rhythmically, making Sumire blush but moan appreciatively as she rode Ren eagerly. For a time, no words were spoken as the two rhythmically rocked against one another, getting into the throes of their passion. After a few minutes, the silence was replaced with low but appreciative moans from Sumire as Ren kept thrusting into her. After a bit and a subtle nod from Sumire, Ren gradually increased the pace and intensity of his thrusts, playfully licking each of Sumire's breasts as he did so, enjoying the audible moans from Sumire as she spoke up.
"Holy crap, you're incredible, Ren! Never mind noticing me, I want you to ravage me!" Sumire said breathily as Ren nodded, upping the speed and intensity of his thrusts as he turned Sumire's head gently to face his so they could kiss passionately as they made love. After several long minutes, Ren and Sumire both moaned audibly through their kissing as they started getting breathless, breaking apart for air as Ren spoke up.
"Holy fuck Sumi, our stamina is insane. I think that clock said we've been at it for almost 20 minutes? Granted, most can keep it up for easily 30+ minutes, but we're still starting out, so we can work our way up that direction. For now, though, how're you doing?" Ren asked Sumire, who smiled as she spoke up.
"Very well, Ren. Ooh, yes Ren! Please, keep going! I think I'm getting close again!" Sumire said sensually to Ren, who nodded as he kept thrusting, and a few more minutes later, he heard Sumire moan again and spoke up.
"Oh, fuck! That's good, Ren! Keep it up! I'm coming!" Sumire said as Ren nodded, feeling himself clench a bit as well, giving a few more good thrusts before he heard Sumire moan huskily before she spoke up, prompting him to claim her lips in his for a kiss as they both made muffled cries of euphoria, glee and pleasure as they both released at the same time, feeling their release wash over each other before they relaxed on each other, slowly catching their breaths, both very red-faced but very happy at what they'd just done, Ren smiling as he reached for the blanket to pull it over the two of them as he looked lovingly into Sumire's eyes and spoke up.
**LEMON ENDS HERE**
"Well? How was that, Sumire?" Ren said to Sumire, who smiled at Ren and spoke up while looking into his eyes happily.
"That was incredible, Ren! I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest, but that blew me away, in a very good way. Though, I can't help but notice we forgot a few things while doing that." Sumire said as Ren's eyes got huge and he swore before speaking up.
"Shit, we forgot to use protection and precautionary measures! Sorry about that! I think we both just got super excited, and didn't think about it until after the fact. Oh well, if this has any sort of unforeseen consequences, we'll just have to deal with them together. Because after all, we're in this together, for the good and the bad, Sumi. I'm going to be by your side, no matter what." Ren said sincerely as Sumire smiled and spoke up while laying her head happily on Ren's shoulder before she spoke.
"And I'm happy to hear that, Ren. I think that's one of the things I love you for the most, if I'm being honest." Sumire said happily as Ren put his arms around Sumire and spoke up.
"I love you too, Sumi. And I always will." Ren said as he gently held Sumire close to him, the two looking rather content at the skin-to-skin contact, eventually drifting off to sleep in each other's arms, unaware that the entire thing had been eavesdropped on by a certain red-headed hacker/ex-shut in who had Leblanc wiretapped...
((Around that same time, at the Sakura house, in Futaba's room with Morgana and Futaba))
"Ooh, what's this? My wire-tap's picking up something." Futaba said eagerly as she tuned into the frequency and listened in, her eyes going wide as she and Morgana heard the intense bout of passion shared between Ren and Sumire, the not-cat's face going red before he spoke up.
"Why are we listening in on them doing that, Futaba!? Isn't that a breach of their privacy!? And as a gentleman, I can't in all good conscience condone that." Morgana said as Futaba chuckled and spoke up.
"Mwehehe, perhaps, but it's also called blackmail material. You can't tell me you wouldn't enjoy having something to hold over Ren's head if he ever gives you grief, Morgana. Besides, look at it as getting tips on what to do or not do for when and if you ever turn human again and decide to try and make a move on some lucky lady." Futaba said to Morgana, who thought about it and spoke up.
"That is true, but still, this is wrong. Their first time should be something beautiful and precious that only they get to enjoy without being spied on. Besides, would you like it if Ren had had your room wire-tapped, and heard you and Yusuke going at it like that if you two were to ever do that!?" Morgana said to Futaba, who thought about it and spoke up.
"That's not going to happen for a while, given how slow Yusuke is in moving towards intimacy, but I see your point. Fine, this stays between us then. Fair enough?" Futaba said to Morgana, prompting the lone feline member of the Phantom Thieves to ponder Futaba's offer before nodding.
"That will do. But for reference Futaba, I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life at all. I was just trying to offer advice where I can." Morgana said as Futaba nodded and leaned down to gently pat him on the head comfortingly, speaking up as Morgana started to purr.
"Mwehehe, you're so smooth and silky, Morgana. I like petting you." Futaba said contentedly as Morgana spoke up and huffed.
"HEY! I'm not a-! Oh wait, that's right, I kind of am a pet now since I live with Ren, aren't I?" Morgana said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.
"Yup, that's what we in the business call the definition of a housecat, Morgana. But you're still the founding member of the Phantom Thieves." Futaba said as Morgana grinned and spoke up.
"I am, aren't I? Thanks, Futaba. You're actually pretty sweet when you want to be." Morgana said happily before curling up in Futaba's lap and purring contentedly as Futaba proceeded to pet him while the two watched TV together, neither seeing an amused Sojiro watching them from the doorway, pleased to see the two bonding...
((The next morning, in the attic of Leblanc))
Ren and Sumire smiled happily as they dozed, both content to lay on each other as they slept. However, their peaceful rest would be short-lived, as they found out a few short minutes later, as they heard the sounds of footsteps padding up the stairs before a familiar feline voice could be heard speaking up.
"Ren! I'm home! Hello? He-" Morgana said before trailing off mid-sentence as he took notice of the trails of clothing strewn across the floor, his eyes widening as he realized some of the clothes were distinctly feminine, making his jaw drop as he realized what was going on when he saw two sets of bared arms draped over the two blanket-clad figures on the bed, making Morgana back quietly up and head down the stairs to give Ren and Sumire some privacy, before seeing the smirk on Futaba's face as she spoke up.
"Mwehehe, was I right, or was I right? They totally did the deed last night, didn't they?" Futaba asked a red-faced Morgana, who nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Sojiro looked at this and frowned before he spoke up.
"Futaba? Why's the cat looking so red-faced?" Sojiro asked Futaba, who spoke up.
"If I had to guess, he probably ran upstairs to greet Ren, and saw something he wasn't expecting to see. But that's all I'm saying on that." Futaba said as Sojiro frowned and spoke up.
"What do you mean by that, Futaba? It's not like Ren was...Oh. OH! Did he do that with his girl last night? If so, I think I have a whole new respect for the kid." Sojiro said with an impressed smirk on his face. Futaba spoke up at that point.
"Well, one way to know for sure. I'll be right back." Futaba said before disappearing up the stairs, camera phone in hand as she took some pictures of the couple, especially of their bare figures that were mostly covered by the blanket they shared, save for a generous view of their shoulders and arms, and maybe a very slight glimpse of Sumire's petite cleavage over the blanket, refraining from giggling as she did so.
Unfortunately for Futaba, she forgot to silence her phone as she took the photos, so after around the fifth or sixth photo, Ren and Sumire both slowly yawned and sat up, the blanket slightly dropping as they sat up, giving Futaba a very generous view of Ren's toned chest and Sumire's modest figure, making her giggle as she discreetly snapped a photo of the two before darting off down the stairs before the two fully woke up. After she fled from the room, Ren and Sumire both woke up a bit more as Ren spoke up.
"Huh, were we both having the same dream Sumi, or was Futaba in here just now?" Ren asked Sumire, who shrugged as she spoke up.
"It kinda looked like her, and thinking on it, I thought I heard a camera going off a little bit ago." Sumire said as Ren nodded and spoke up.
"I see." Ren said, before a couple seconds later his eyes widened in realization as he spoke up.
"Wait! You said you heard a camera going off, and I thought I saw Futaba in here?" Ren said as Sumire nodded, before her eyes also widened in realization. The focus then shifted to a confused Sojiro and Morgana looking at a grinning Futaba as she came down the stairs, about 3-4 minutes before the two could just hear a pair of voices both gasp and yell at the same time.
"FUTABA/FUTABA-CHAN!" Sojiro and Morgana heard two voices yell out from upstairs before turning to a grinning Futaba, who spoke up.
"Oh yeah, you definitely saw something you weren't expecting to see, Morgana. I have the photographic evidence right here. Mwehehe." Futaba said before Sojiro frowned at Futaba and spoke up.
"Futaba, did you take pictures of those two in bed? Why would you do a thing like that!?" Sojiro asked Futaba, who chuckled as she spoke up.
"For starters, it makes for great blackmail material if needed. For another thing, you can't tell me you wouldn't want photographic proof that you taught Ren well, Sojiro. But most importantly, I know for a fact those two have a surprisingly large fanbase surrounding their relationship, so I can just imagine how viral they'll end up if I posted a few of these pics online for the fans to see. Mwehehe." Futaba said deviously, moments before furious footfalls could be heard coming down the stairs and Futaba felt her phone get yanked out of her hands, only for a different hand to lightly but firmly karate chop her over the head, making her flop over face-first on the table dramatically before the voice spoke up.
"Hmph, serves you right, you sexually-deviant little gremlin. Next time, don't snap embarrassing photos of me and Sumire like that. I don't care if you were doing it for the fans, that's not okay to do that without asking. And since you took those photos without asking, I'm deleting all of them off your phone. Be glad that's all I'm doing." The voice said, making Sojiro turn to face the source of the voice and grin as he spoke up.
"Heh, nice to see you in the land of the living, Ren. Sorry if this little brat gave you two a rude awakening. I know I raised her better than that." Sojiro said as Ren laughed and spoke up.
"I know you did. It's not your fault that some of those lessons might not've fully stuck with her. Oh well, I guess there was no harm done, other than the fact that she positively mortified both myself and Sumire by taking those pictures. So I suppose we can forgive her this time." Ren said with a pointed glare at Futaba, who looked at her phone before wailing slightly as she saw Ren had indeed made good on his word and deleted all of the photos she'd taken, making Futaba cry in anguish before speaking.
"Noooo! Not the fan-service, Ren! Why are you so mean?" Futaba said dramatically as Sumire spoke up at that point.
"Fan-service? Never mind, I don't think I want to know what that means. But seriously, next time respect our privacy, Futaba-chan. We might have allowed you a few tasteful shots of us together, but none of the ones you snapped, and especially not the more mature ones you somehow got. Shame on you." Sumire said as Ren turned to Sumire with a raised eyebrow and spoke up.
"Mature ones? What all did she get photos of, Sumire?" Ren asked Sumire, who flushed before she spoke up.
"I think we dropped our blanket when we woke up for a second, because she had some rather racy shots of us both together on her phone. My guess was she was gonna use those photos to make herself go viral somehow." Sumire said as both Ren and Sojiro's eyes widened at Sumire's mention of rather racy photos, before both turned to a nervously chuckling Futaba, who spoke up with a sheepish look on her face.
"Eheh, oops? How did those get there?" Futaba said, trying to feign innocence, only to get another light karate chop to the head from Ren as he spoke up.
"No more R-rated shots, Futaba! That's not okay at all!" Ren rebuked Futaba as Sojiro spoke up.
"Seconded! I can see you taking some embarrassing photos of them cuddling or laying together, but that's of them fully clothed, NOT of them in potentially compromising situations. You're to keep your embarrassing photos PG-13 when you take them, Futaba! Got it?" Sojiro rebuked Futaba, who just nodded and spoke up.
"Fine. Sorry, Ren. Sorry, Sumire." Futaba said as Ren and Sumire both forgave Futaba. After that, Ren turned to Sojiro.
"I guess since she and I are up for the day, any chance you could serve us up some of your coffee and curry, Boss? Might as well make sure we get a good meal in us before we deal with the rest of the day, since if I recall right, the rest of the group's coming over today at Akane's request to plan out some sort of surprise for Akane's dad and Makoto's sister for Valentine's Day, which is coming up in a couple of days." Ren said as Sojiro nodded.
"Not a problem. Two house specials, coming up." Sojiro said as he went to prepare the meals, enlisting Futaba to help him do so, leaving Ren and Sumire to sit together at a booth, a still-embarrassed Morgana hopping up on a nearby stool and speaking up.
"For the record, I do not condone or approve of what Futaba did! I tried to stop her, but you know how she can be. Sorry about her, you two. Hopefully you at least enjoyed yourselves last night." Morgana said as Sumire smiled and gently gave the feline some comforting pats on the head while she spoke up.
"It's quite all right, Morgana-senpai. I know you tried to keep her in check. And to your other remark, we did enjoy ourselves. Thank you for being considerate of us." Sumire said as she gently picked Morgana up and lightly hugged him to her for a moment, gently kissing the top of his head before letting him go, at which point he curled up happily next to her, making Ren smirk as he spoke up.
"Ah, I see you've still got the touch with the ladies, eh Morgana? Too bad that wasn't Ann that hugged you like that, right buddy?" Ren said to Morgana who sheepishly nodded and spoke up.
"True. But I accept she's happy with Lady Shiho. Though if you're gonna be doing what you did last night a lot now, maybe don't leave the evidence lying about for people to see when they come to greet you the next morning?" Morgana suggested as Ren and Sumire's eyes widened as Sumire spoke up.
"You saw that!? Oh my, we're so sorry if we scarred or traumatized you, Morgana." Sumire said to Morgana, who smiled and spoke up.
"Don't worry about it. I was more surprised and embarrassed than anything. Though I think maybe let's not mention this to the others, lest you both get teased or congratulated, if not both, for it." Morgana said as Ren and Sumire nodded their agreement, around which point Sojiro came out and set two meals in front of Ren and Sumire before he spoke up.
"Here you go, you two. Two house specials. Enjoy." Sojiro said as he and Futaba headed to the counter to talk while Ren and Sumire enjoyed their food in peace. Eventually, the two finished eating and the dishes were cleared away. A little while later, the door chime was heard as the door opened and the first of the other Thieves walked in. The first Thief was a blonde-haired male, had black eyes and a near-constant grin on his face, and wore a red graphic T-shirt with the words 'NO MO' RULES' on the front in yellow lettering with a purple jacket worn open over the shirt, with black jeans and red running shoes. This was Ryuji Sakamoto, the ex-runner/resident potty mouth and master procrastinator of the Phantom Thieves. Ryuji had a seat at a booth after fist-bumping Ren and nodding to Sumire, who returned the gesture.
After that, the next Thief walked in. Like Ryuji, this Thief had blonde hair, but was female, and wore her hair in twintails, had clear signs of pink lipstick on her face, very striking teal eyes, a fluffy tan coat worn open over a a red blouse, tan skirt, red leggings and black pump heels. This was Ann Takamaki, the ex-gossip turned model and unlikely heart of the Phantom Thieves. Ann smiled as she hugged both Ren and Sumire, gently reached over Sumire to pat Morgana lightly on the head, making him look up and smile before he purred happily from Ann's touch, not seeing the amused grin Ren gave him before Ann joined Ryuji in his booth.
At that point, the third Thief walked in, and like Ryuji, this Thief was a male. His dark blue hair stood out on its own, but when paired with his striking hazel eyes, slight smirk, and distinct grey uniform he wore with a dark-blue jacket and black dress shoes, it was easy to identify this male as Yusuke Kitagawa, the resident art expert/artist and keen eye of the Phantom Thieves. Yusuke exchanged curt nods with Ren and Morgana, accepted a hug from Sumire, and sat in the same booth with Ryuji and Ann as the next Thief walked in.
This thief was female, like Ann. However, unlike Ann, she had short brown hair with what appeared to be a naturally formed headband at the top of her head made from her hair. Between this, her distinctively red eyes and button nose along with her small smile, paired with a grey blouse, short black skirt, brown leggings, black boots and a black jacket over the blouse, it was easy to see that this was Makoto Niijima, the resident big sister/former student council president of the Phantom Thieves, and the younger sister of a certain ex-SIU agent turned defense attorney who'd helped Ren and Zenkichi in the past. Makoto smiled and hugged both Ren and Sumire, waved to Morgana and sat in the last seat of the booth with Yusuke, Ann, and Ryuji.
After that, the next Thief walked in, who was also a female. Between her floofy brunette hair, easygoing smile, distinct brown eyes, and magenta beret with a purple jacket worn closed over a light blue blouse, purple skirt, pink leggings and pink heel shoes, it was easy to see that this was Haru Okumura, the resident green thumb/mother figure of the Phantom Thieves. After she hugged both Ren and Sumire, and gave Morgana a couple of pets, getting a purr from the lone feline member of the Phantom Thieves, she then took a seat at the counter as Ren spoke up.
"Considering that the rest of us are either in the back with Boss since they got in trouble, no longer with us, unable to come since we couldn't work out a way for them to travel into my phone to sit in, or are already here, I think that's everyone accounted for." Ren said, but was proven wrong as the door opened up once more, this time admitting a shorter, brown-haired female with brown eyes and a short black dress that ended at her knees, black knee-high socks and a pair of grey shoes.
This was Akane Hasegawa, daughter of the Phantom Thief Zenkichi Hasegawa, who was himself a PubSec agent who ended up being recruited into the Phantom Thieves after an unusual set of circumstances required him and Futaba to team up and rescue the rest of the Phantom Thieves from a Shadow form of Akane that was known as a 'Monarch', from when the Phantom Thieves had to go through alternative versions of Palaces which were known as Jails. Akane waved at the group as she took a seat at the counter next to Haru, as Ren spoke up once more.
"Okay, NOW that's everyone hopefully. Before anyone asks, Futaba's here too, but she's in the back getting lectured by Boss since she may or may not have tried to get photographic evidence of how close Sumire and I are. But we're not here to talk about how much of a sexually deviant gremlin Futaba is, we're here to help Akane with surprising her dad and Makoto's sister, aren't we?" Ren said as the others nodded. After a few minutes, a slightly sulking Futaba came out and sat on a counter stool next to Haru, at which point Akane spoke up.
"Thanks for agreeing to gather here like this. As you might all know, the day after tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so I was hoping we could help subtly push my dad and Makoto's sister together, since as Futaba's no doubt realized, those two are totally in love with each other, even if neither will admit it. And I think they'd be amazing together. I also know my dad invited Makoto's sis to spend Valentine's Day with him, so maybe we can somewhat tail them from a distance and make sure things don't go awry. Ideally, we won't have to do much more than watch as my dad finally makes a move on Makoto's sister.
But if needed, some of us can subtly give them a bit of a nudge in the right direction, such as Futaba using her skills to ensure that only romantic music plays if my dad and Makoto's sister end up going out to eat. Probably, for the sake of simplicity, we can use the cover of the all of you coming over for a sleepover the night before to allow us to be nearby without having to answer too many questions." Akane said as Futaba grinned and spoke up.
"Oh? You need my hacking talents, yes? Mwehehe! Consider me enlisted, if you need me." Futaba said eagerly as Ren and Sumire both groaned and Ren spoke up.
"NO! You're not hacking anything, Futaba! You're just ensuring that romantic music is playing! Don't keep trying to act up! You're already on thin us with us after this morning, you know." Ren said in a scolding tone to Futaba, ignoring the confused looks that the others exchanged, excluding Sumire and Morgana, who'd been there for the whole thing. Makoto then spoke up.
"Ignoring that, I agree that a sleepover is a good idea for us having a convenient excuse to be there. Granted, if my sister asks, I'm not sure what to tell her." Makoto said as Ren spoke up.
"You can tell her that Akane invited you and the rest of us over to hang out with her for Valentine's Day, which would be the truth. Besides, it's not exactly a secret that Akane might want a certain Phantom Thief to be her valentine, given how much a fan girl of theirs she is." Ren said teasingly as Akane's cheeks reddened a bit from Ren's words before Sumire huffed and spoke up.
"Ren! Don't tease the poor girl! Besides, you and I know full well you have no room to tease her about that, considering we both know the Phantom Thieves, and I know that Joker wouldn't tease his fans like that." Sumire said as Akane's eyes widened at what Sumire had said.
"Wait, you and Ren know the Phantom Thieves!? That's huge, Sumire! Are they as cool in person as the videos make them seem?" Akane asked as Morgana smirked and spoke up.
"Mwehehe! Most of them are cool, yes. But some of them are just tactless buffoons most of the time, even if they have good hearts." Morgana said before yelping as he felt himself lightly yanked upwards by Ren, who glared at him and spoke up.
"Hey, no bashing the Phantom Thieves like that, Morgana! You know damn well one of their biggest rules is 'Never bash them to their fans!', which is what you just did." Ren said pointedly as Morgana winced and spoke up.
"Eheh, right. Sorry. Ignore what I said, Akane." Morgana said as Ryuji predictably spoke up.
"Oh shut up, Mona! You say that like you've not had your share of immature and childish moments too!" Ryuji said as Ren, Morgana and Futaba's eyes all went wide at what Ryuji had said while Akane gasped and spoke up.
"Mona!? Did you just call Morgana by the code-name of one of the Phantom Thieves, Ryuji!?" Akane asked as Ryuji winced and spoke up.
"Oh, crap! No, I meant to say Morgana! I sometimes mispronounce his name as Mona. My bad." Ryuji said as Makoto and Ren both groaned at how lame Ryuji's cover-up was. Morgana glared at Ryuji.
"What was that, you carnal blonde monkey? At least I'm a gentleman most of the time!" Morgana said as Ren stepped in and broke the two up.
"That's enough, you two! Do I have to separate you two, or can you get along?" Ren asked Morgana and Ryuji, who huffed as they turned away from each other as Futaba spoke up.
"Seriously, those two are so childish sometimes. At least I can say Inari has more maturity than either one of them." Futaba said with a smile as Yusuke spoke up.
"Be fair, Futaba. They might fight a lot, but they do that because they care about one another, deep down." Yusuke said as Ryuji and Morgana huffed and spoke up in unison.
"WE DO NOT!" Ryuji and Morgana both yelled at the same time, making the others, Akane included, laugh at their unintended synchronicity. After a while, the group decided to meet up the following afternoon at Akane's house for the sleepover and to fine-tune their plans once more info was available about Zenkichi and Sae's plans. At that point, the group dispersed once more, with plans to meet up at Akane's house in two days' time to finalize plans for surprising Zenkichi and Sae for Valentine's Day...
(Time Skip- Valentine's Day, at the Hasegawa household with Zenkichi, Akane, Ren, Morgana, Futaba, Ryuji, Yusuke, Ann, Haru, Makoto, and Sumire)
"I can't believe I got talked into entertaining you guys for Valentine's Day, just because Akane wanted to spend the day with friends. Man, this is going to make it tricky to keep my plans." Zenkichi said as Ren smirked and spoke up.
"Plans, you say? Did you already have plans for today, Zenkichi?" Ren asked Zenkichi, who blinked at Ren but nodded as he spoke up.
"Actually, yeah. I did. Makoto's sister asked me to spend the day with her, but that's going to be tricky to do if I have to keep an eye on you guys." Zenkichi said as Ren spoke up.
"No problem. We can watch ourselves for awhile if you want to go honor your plans with Sae, and the rest of us can look after Akane for you if your plans go longer than expected." Ren offered as Zenkichi smiled at Ren and spoke up.
"Heh, not a bad offer, Ren. I think I'll take you up on that. You know my contact info if anything comes up. I'll be over at the Niijima household hanging with Sae, but I'd prefer if you didn't contact me if it's not necessary. And between us? I'm both excited for this and terrified out of my mind! Usually I'm the one doing the asking out, not the one being asked out. So this is new for me." Zenkichi said as Ren looked at Zenkichi and smiled as he spoke up.
"Do you have feelings for Makoto's sister?" Ren asked Zenkichi out of curiosity, to which Zenkichi flushed but nodded as he spoke up.
"Yeah, I think I do, to be honest. Not only has she helped us both out a lot, but Akane's taken quite the shine to her. And that's not something she does often. Not to mention, Sae is quite beautiful. I think for the first time since Aoi passed, I might actually be falling for someone." Zenkichi said as Ren smiled and spoke up.
"That's good. I might not have known your wife, but I feel as if she wouldn't have wanted you to mourn her forever. She'd have wanted you and Akane to move on eventually and keep living your lives for her. So don't feel guilty if you find yourself wanting to take a chance with Sae. Just listen to what your heart tells you. And if you do manage to get lucky enough to get with her, do not do anything to screw it up! I can say this from the little experience I have, but if you and Sae are meant to be together, fate will likely as not make it happen for the two of you.
After all, you've already passed the 'if you love someone, let them go, and if it's meant to be, they'll come back to you' hurdle, considering you basically let her go after she got you out of trouble last year. And look at you two now. You're about to meet up and spend Valentine's Day together. Maybe that means she's falling for you as well. But the only way to know for sure is to talk to her about it. But that's just my opinion. Go get her, and good luck." Ren said to Zenkichi, who nodded and shook Ren's hand before he spoke up.
"Thanks, Ren. You're pretty wise for a kid, you know. I think I'm gonna get going now. You keep an eye on things here." Zenkichi said as he grabbed his car keys and left to go meet up with Sae. Once he'd left, Ren walked over to Futaba and spoke up.
"Phase 1 complete. The wolf has left the building." Ren said as Futaba chuckled and spoke up.
"Mwehehe, good. Now for the bug I planted on Zenkichi's phone to do its' job." Futaba said as the others gathered around to listen in on the conversation...
(Meanwhile, at the Niijima household with Sae)
"Heh, look at me. I'm acting like a giddy schoolgirl who's waiting on her crush. But Zenkichi and I are just friends, aren't we?" Sae said to herself before smiling as she spoke to her reflection in the mirror.
"I think I'll ask him out today. Worst case, he says no and we stay friends." Sae said decisively for herself, before going and taking a shower, and changing into her outfit for her plans with Zenkichi, which was a shoulder-length flowing silver dress with sparkling accents and a slit down one leg to show off some leg, light brown leggings, black stiletto heels, and a shiny silver bangle and platinum necklace that Makoto had helped her pick out for the occasion. No sooner than she'd finished getting dressed and applying her makeup and perfume than she heard a knock at the door, making her hurry to the door to answer it.
"Yes, hang on. I'm coming!" Sae said as she went to the door. She looked through the peephole and smiled as she saw a nervous-looking but well-dressed Zenkichi on the other side, and opened the door for him and stood aside to let him in.
"Ah, you're here. I'm glad you could make it, Zenkichi. Please, come in." Sae said, stepping aside so Zenkichi could walk inside, letting herself take in the smoothly-pressed but still impressive dark grey tuxedo he'd picked out with a smart white dress shirt and a black, grey and white tie, as well as his usual black glasses and matching dress shoes. Sae smiled as she subtly licked her lips while looking Zenkichi over before speaking up.
"Forgive me for coming off forward, but you clean up rather nicely when you want to, Zenkichi." Sae said appreciatively as Zenkichi chuckled and said the same.
"Thanks. I could say the same of you, Sae. You look incredible." Zenkichi said as Sae smiled and spoke up.
"I was hoping you'd notice, Zenkichi. Oh, before I forget, one moment." Sae said, walking into the kitchen, before coming out moments later,a box in her hand.
"Here you go, Zenkichi. Sorry they're not homemade, but I'm not the best cook in the world." Sae said as Zenkichi blinked, and opened the box to see it was a box of chocolates, making Zenkichi smile as he tried one out and enjoyed it, smiling at Sae as he spoke up.
"I don't care that they're not homemade, Sae. They're still delicious. Thank you so much. I love them." Zenkichi said to Sae, who shyly smiled and spoke up.
"Thank you. I'm glad you liked them, Zenkichi. That having been taken care of, I was thinking we could sit and talk for a bit before we go out to eat." Sae said as Zenkichi nodded before he spoke up.
"Of course. I'm okay with that, Sae." Zenkichi said as the two had a seat on the couch. Sae then spoke up.
"Well, first of all, I'm glad we've had the chance to get to know each other these past few months, Zenkichi. It's made me appreciate you a lot more, I feel. But I think I have to be honest with you right now. I think I've grown to see you as more than just a friend, like a lot more. And I have to wonder if you feel that same way about me?" Sae asked Zenkichi, who gulped at Sae's comment before he spoke up.
"To be honest? I also feel more than friendship for you as well, Sae. You're a very beautiful woman, and also a very kind-hearted woman. Not to mention, you've managed to get Akane to warm to you, and she doesn't do that with just anyone. So that also speaks highly of your character as well if she's that fond of you. But more importantly, I've found myself quite impressed by you, and how you carry yourself, both at work and at home.
So if I'm being honest with you Sae, I think I have something of a crush on you. And judging from you saying you see me as more than just a friend, I feel as if you might have a crush on me as well. Do you?" Zenkichi asked Sae, who nodded as she spoke up.
"Yes, I do have a crush on you as well, Zenkichi. I think I've had one for some time, but didn't act on it before now out of not wanting to possibly push you into something you weren't ready for, since I know you and Akane've been going through it since the loss you both endured. And for what it's worth, I'm happy you two were able to find some measure of closure on that when you brought in Okuda. But can you blame me?
You're not only an amazing dad to Akane, but you're also one hell of a man, not just in terms of appearance, but in terms of character. Sure, you had your rough spots, but you managed to stand up and take responsibility for them and make things right, regardless of if you had help in doing so. Not to mention, you're always so selfless and caring about others. I quite admire that about you, Zenkichi." Sae said, smiling at Zenkichi as she looked into his eyes, making him smile as he spoke up.
"I was just doing what any good father would do for his daughter. But I think it's the fact that we've both basically had to step up and be the equivalent of single parents to Makoto and Akane that's helped us bond like we have since we can both relate to how something like that would feel. And given how well-behaved and responsible Makoto's turned out, you did a fine job raising her on your own, so give yourself some credit." Zenkichi said to Sae, surprising her by gently laying his hand on hers, making her blush a bit as she took his hand in hers as the two looked into each other's eyes. After a bit, Sae spoke up.
"I see. I suppose at this point, the only question left is where do we go from here? Because, to be honest, I think we both feel the same about each other. As such, I'd not be adverse if you wanted us to give it a try as boyfriend and girlfriend, Zenkichi. I think we could make a pretty good go of it together, don't you?" Sae said to Zenkichi, who blinked but nodded as he spoke up.
"I agree, Sae. I think we could make a fantastic couple, if that's really what you want. And I don't think it's a lie to say that I love you." Zenkichi said to Sae, who gasped but smiled as she spoke up.
"I love you too, Zenkichi. So, shall we be boyfriend and girlfriend then?" Sae asked Zenkichi, who smiled as he spoke up.
"I'd love nothing more, Sae. Now come here." Zenkichi said with a sly smirk as he leaned in towards Sae, who blushed but also leaned in slowly, the two getting closer and closer until their lips finally met in a simple but sweet kiss, which lasted for several enjoyable moments before the two broke apart, both flushing at what they'd just done before Sae eventually spoke up shyly.
"W-Wow. So that was our first kiss. I have to say, I wasn't expecting to be so right, even if it was a bit simple and not as magical as I'd thought it'd be." Sae said as Zenkichi grinned and spoke up.
"That's because it was our first kiss, Sae. Sometimes, romance has to be worked at. But I think we both are serious enough about this we can make it work between us, don't you?" Zenkichi said to Sae, who nodded and smiled as she spoke up.
"I agree. Y'know, do you wanna just have something delivered while we stay here and enjoy our new-found status as a couple, since it is Valentine's Day?" Sae asked Zenkichi, who nodded and spoke up.
"Naturally. I had a feeling this might happen though, so I came prepared." Zenkichi said, reaching down and lifting up a couple of bags that he gently set on the table in front of a stunned Sae, who recognized the logo on the bag and spoke up.
"No way, you had Boss make us a meal for two before you came here? How did you know we'd end up together to enjoy it?" Sae asked Zenkichi, who smiled as he spoke up.
"I didn't, but I decided to take a risk and follow a hunch my gut had that it would be a good idea to grab it ahead of time. And wouldn't you know it, lo and behold I was right." Zenkichi said smugly, grinning at Sae, who huffed but smiled as she spoke up.
"Well, it seems your gut was right on the money, Zenkichi. Let's eat." Sae said to Zenkichi, who smiled and nodded as he went to get the dishes so the two could enjoy their private meal...
(Meanwhile, at the same time all this was going down, at the Hasegawa household with Ren, Sumire, Akane, Haru, Ryuji, Morgana, Futaba, Makoto, Ann, and Yusuke)
"So he's on his way to Sis's house?" Makoto asked Ren as he came back into the room with Akane to join the others. Ren nodded as Futaba spoke up.
"Yep, and thanks to the bug I put on Zenkichi's phone, we'll be able to hear their conversation. Mwehehe." Futaba said as Ren huffed and spoke up.
"You're lucky you did it for a good cause, Futaba. Makoto, did you get that GPS tracker planted on Zenkichi?" Ren asked Makoto, who nodded as Akane spoke up.
"I'll ignore that, since we're trying to get my dad and Makoto's sister together. But he should be there by now if Futaba wants to switch that bug on." Akane said as Futaba nodded and hit a button, turning on the bug she'd put on Zenkichi's phone, just in time to hear him greet Sae on the other end. The group sat together in the living room to listen in. After a lot of reminiscing by Zenkichi, the group started hearing Zenkichi and Sae discuss their feelings. And then the part they waited for was heard over the bug.
"...I agree, Sae. I think we could make a fantastic couple, if that's what you want. And I don't think it's a stretch to say I love you." The group heard Zenkichi say through the bug, making Ryuji, Haru and Futaba's jaws all drop before they swore and all passed yen over to a now-smirking Ren as he pocketed his winnings, just in time for Sae's response to be heard.
"...I love you too, Zenkichi. So, shall we be boyfriend and girlfriend then?" Sae asked Zenkichi, at which point Ren, Yusuke and Ryuji all swore as Ren handed most of his winnings over to a triumphantly smiling Makoto, who nodded and pocketed her winnings, followed by Ren leaning in to whisper into Sumire's ear.
"You win. Looks like I have to bottom you." Ren said so only Sumire could hear as Sumire smiled and spoke up.
"HA! I win our bet, Ren! You have to do what I want! Now c'mere." Sumire said as she slyly pulled Ren in for a kiss, ignoring the gasps and cheers from the others as she kissed Ren briefly before pulling away, unaware of Futaba grinning as she spoke up.
"And you also lost OUR bet, Ren! Now pay up!" Futaba said smugly as Ren nodded, pulling Sumire in to kiss her again, to her surprise. After that, they heard Zenkichi and Sae plan to get a meal together, most of the group's jaws dropping when they heard Sae mention Zenkichi getting food from Leblanc, at which point Ren and Futaba grinned as they fist-bumped, to the confusion of the others. Futaba then spoke up.
"Mwehehe, Ren and I had a hunch those two wouldn't want to leave once they got together, so we had Boss put together a special meal for them that Ren then gave to Zenkichi while giving him a bit of a pep talk earlier. And now, with Zenkichi and Sae together, I'd call that mission accomplished!" Futaba said as the group cheered a job well done, the couples among the group deciding to find places to cuddle and spend time together, since it was in fact Valentine's Day, while the singles, which were Ryuji, Haru, Morgana, Makoto and Akane, plus Ann was technically counted as single as her girlfriend wasn't there, gathered together to do a special Valentine's Day edition of Akane's webstream, which was well-received by her fanbase.
As the couples at the Hasegawa household, along with Zenkichi and Sae at the Niijima house, all snuggled together, they all mutually agreed that this was one of the best Valentine's Days ever...
END OF STORY
A/N: And there we go! One Valentine's Day one-shot, done and dusted! Granted, by this point it's technically the day AFTER Valentine's Day since I kept getting distracted while typing this out, so if I'm right, it should be about 1:00AM on Feburary 15th as I type out this end-of-story A/N, so we'll say Happy Belated Valentine's Day to all those reading it! Hopefully this story ends up being worth the wait! And to anyone reading this who also reads Persona 5- The Phantom Files, I have 14 chapters of that story backlogged and ready to post, and will probably put out an update for it in the next couple of days with any luck. So I apologize for how long you've been waiting for that update, but that story's not dead! So please be patient just a bit longer!
And thanks to anyone who favorites, follows, and/or reviews this story as the support is much appreciated, since it tells me I'm doing my job right as a fanfiction writer! And that's what it's all about in the end, is making quality stories that you, the readers, can enjoy! That said, until next time I post an update (likely for Phantom Files), sithlorde1988 out!