After Sae had departed from the house, Akira came to the realization he had nothing much to do. He had done the dishes, he had spoken to Makoto (who was still a bit tweaked by the coffee) and played some games on his phone.
The bird chirped. The sun shined. All was well in life, except for….a few things.
None of it deterred from the fact that he was bored, though. He lazed on the couch solemnly, going over a mental checklist of what to do, until he heard a ring from his phone and he glanced at it.
Ann: Hey, you're in town again. We're hanging out, right?
Akira smiled. It was always great to hear from his friends and former comrades. The group had stayed in touch with their group chat; discussing the numerous things they would do once Akira had returned. The thought put a small smile on his face once again.
Akira: Sure, I'm free today. What do you have in mind?
Ann: Let's meet at Leblanc.
Akira: Can't. Sojiro had me stay at Sae's place because he ran into legal trouble.
Ann: :O! LOL! You're staying at Makoto's place??? How is that
Akira: Something I need to tell in person.
Ann: You're totally right. Why don't we just meet at the cafe downtown?
Akira: Sounds good to me.
After saying goodbye to the tweaked Makoto and ensuring that she would be safe, he departed, taking the numerous trains he had to to land downtown. Though it was a bit trickier to get downtown because of a number of different trains he had to take, he eventually found his way, texting Ann along the way.
The thief was excited to see her. The two had discussed numerous things many times and always had one another's back. Very seldomly they fought, and if they did, the fighting was over very soon, or found to not be serious at all.
An emotional vent, a great listener and speaker, and a neverending dedication to those she loved, Ann was one of Akira's best friends.Their relationship was different then it was to his and Makoto's; it was more casual, more lax, and Akira truly believed he could tell Ann anything and she would be willing to discuss it.
Maybe freak out a little bit; but ultimately, she would be there. It was an endearing trait.
He pondered this as he walked downtown, the lights never failing to amaze him. The skyscrapers were a testament to Tokyo's grandiose nature; the crowded, bustling streets with young and old alike was a far cry from Akira's hometown. Advertisements played on large TV screens on the buildings, and different cries of salesmen and laughter from friends flooded his hearing.
He smiled. This is home, he thought, not the quiet place where he lived.
After taking his time, he arrived at the cafe, checking his phone to see where exactly she was. The cafe was small, and, as expected, crowded, but it didn't matter to Akira.
What mattered to him was the girl in the back, with a goofy smile on her face, waving at him enthusiastically, signaling him to sit down.
An almost childish excitement began to flood him as he walked past the wooden tables and chairs, ducking the low hanging lights, and dodging the running kids around. An irresistible smile landed on his face as he sat down quickly.
Ann eyed him up and down.
"You haven't changed a bit," she said, before smiling, "Good."
"Making judgements before I even talk, are you?" Akira bounced back playfully.
"Oh, please. I'm not Shujin Academy." Ann replied, the two having a somber chuckle over it.
"Well, how have you been?" Akira asked once more, keeping the solemn flow going. Ann looked at him with a sharp expression in her eyes.
"Better. My modeling has been going good, and my rival's mind tricks have long since tarnished her name within the game. I'm not saying she's out of the picture completely, metaphorically and literally speaking, but…" Ann trailed off.
"What about you?" Ann asked, with what seemed to be genuine warmness flooding her voice.
Akira stared. "I've been...alright. My parents still aren't over what I did, or what I came to be, but that's okay." He chuckled a bit. "I've always liked it better here. While the rumors did get annoying, I wouldn't trade it for the world."
Ann smiled at that. "I can tell. You just love us, don't you?" Ann smirked teasingly, "We love you too. Come here, you big loser," Ann said, and the two embraced quickly. Akira felt at peace.
"Speaking of 'us'," Akira began, "How's everyone else?" Ann brightened at that. "They're just fine," She started, "Ryuji's been spending a lot of time with Makoto for tutoring, and Yusuke has grown into a fine artist. He's actually decently popular now. Futaba has grown, too. She goes to school now, and she's actually pretty charismatic. And Haru," Ann stopped. "Let's just say….Haru is more in touch with herself."
Akira shuddered. "I don't even want to know," he replied.
The two split up. "Yeah, you don't. So, what about staying at Sae's?" Ann asked, her voice eager with anticipation.
"It's certainly something," replied Akira, "This morning, Sae lost her keys and I got stuck in her bed. Makoto answered the door tweaked on coffee and wearing no pants."
He figured it best to leave out his and Sae's late night chat; lest Ann got the wrong idea. If Ann got the wrong idea, that pretty much meant the entire group would start getting wrong ideas.
Ann had a loud, quick laugh. "That's crazy. The student council president, all tweaked out on coffee," she laughed again.
Akira nodded, smiling along with her. "Yeah. Though, she isn't really that student council president anymore, is she?" Akira smirked.
"No," Ann let out another somber chuckle in agreement, "No, I guess she isn't."
The two began to talk about their activities within his absence. Shujin had taken steps to ensure situations like Kamoshida would never happen again, and Ann had reported that Akira had helped some of the students themselves with their integrity. It wasn't a complete redemption, but it was a start, and Akira was more proud of his friends than any adult had probably ever been.
They soon left the cafe, wandering the streets and hitting up the Red Light District, watching a movie, and getting lost in each other's company. The cries of salesmen were even larger here, providing more than one shady service, for the right price.
Akira was a bit saddened by it. The Phantom Thieves had quite literally saved the world, and here they were again, sullying themselves with vice.
Oh well, he thought. At least mankind will choose their own destiny.
They continued, even stopping at Crossroads, saying hello to Lala and Ohya. The two were delighted to see him and teased him about finally getting a girlfriend, but Akira just ignored their remarks and discovered how they were doing. After brief conversation, they departed, returning to the front of the Red Light District.
It was time to return to Sae's.The duo stood outside the movie theater, the numerous neon lights of the area providing a glow for their faces, and relished the sounds of joy and just a little bit of vice.
"Today was fun," Ann chimed. Akira nodded his head in agreement.
"It was, but we should bring the rest of the crew along next time. I miss them too." Akira smiled.
"Oh! That reminds me," Ann yipped in surprise, "Ryuji said he wanted to talk to you. Why's your phone been off?"
Akira raised an eyebrow, quickly checking his phone. It didn't power on, much to his chagrin.
"It must be dead," he guessed, "I'll text him when I get home."
Ann nodded, content with his answer. The two embraced once again and said their goodbyes, vowing once more to see each other within the time Akira had down here.
He made his way home, the night warm, but lovely. Sometimes, the rail tracks would open up from the underground, and he'd see the city passing by, with all the lovely colors that reflected off the glass.
His thoughts soon pondered to Ryuji, however. He was sure nothing was wrong, though.
At least I hope not.
Persona 5
When Akira entered Sae's home, the smell of cooking steak and spices flooded his senses and made his mouth water. The noise crackled. The TV was playing what seemed to be a soccer game, and the windows were cracked open, giving the apartment a buzz of life that Akira found he liked quite well.
Sae was in the kitchen, attending to the steak itself, wearing an uncharacteristic but loose-fitting white T with basketball shorts.
"Hello, Akira," She called out, not turning from the food. Akira responded but with his own greeting, but one thought crossed his mind.
"Where's Makoto?" He asked, looking around for the younger sister.
Sae brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ear before replying,
"Recovering from the coffee. She's resting in her room. Why?" Sae asked, though the question came out soft; almost concerned.
"No reason." Akira dismissed. He sat on the the far end of the house, where an outlet remained, plugging in his phone. He let it charge for a bit, enjoying the game and the smells and the company of Sae.
Soon, dinner was done, and Akira was sure Sae was a goddess. Crisp steak laid aside juicy mash potatoes and green beans, all exalting a dignified, delicious aroma, and Akira was sure by the time he went to pick up the fork that was laid beside him his hands were shaking.
Sae set the plates down and sat across from him, eyeing him playfully. "What's got you all bugged?" A flash of concern spread across her face. "You didn't drink coffee, did you?" She asked quickly.
Akira snapped out of his revoir, looking down at the food. "No, no," he replied, "This….just looks delicious, Sae. Thank you. Plus, I live at Leblanc, remember? I can handle coffee just a bit better than Makoto." The last part he let out with a laugh.
A small blush appeared on Sae's face. "Oh, well, thank you," she said sheepishly, "I've been trying to learn how to cook. I'm glad to see my work impresses. I also should've taken your home into consideration."
"It always does. Don't worry about it." Akira said, taking a mouthful of steak and shoving it inside his mouth greedily. He failed to notice that Sae's blush had deepened drastically.
The two talked about their day, which was seldom interesting. What was more interesting was their regards for each other, and the way they stole glances at the other when one pretended they weren't looking. The soccer game played, long forgotten by now, and the two ate much slower than they needed too They talked about trivial things, like the weather, and strangely enough it began to fill a void they didn't even know existed.
By the time dinner ended, the two were happy. Very happy, in fact. Sae let out a joyous sigh as she retired to her bedroom, carelessly chucking both of their dishes in the sink.
"Goodnight, Akira. Get some rest!" She called out. Akira replied "Yes, ma'am," but thought internally,
I should be the one saying that.
The living room was silent now. His thoughts rang out.
Crap...I'm forgetting something…
He glanced around and noticed his phone, still plugged into the wall. Ryuji!
He walked over quickly and powered it on with haste. Right away, it began dinging, to the point where he almost didn't hear the door opening from Makoto's room and the respective footsteps coming his way.
Ryuji: Dude, we have to talk, since you're in town.
Ryuji: Hello?
Akira: Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, I was out with Ann.
Ryuji: It's cool. But dude, I've got a problem.
Akira: What is it?
Ryuji: You're at Makoto's place, right?
Akira: Yeah.
Ryuji: Well... here's the thing, man.
RyujI: I like her. And… I think she likes me.
Akira stared at his phone.
Akira: What?
Ryuji: It just kinda' happened, yanno?
"Oh, hello, Akira." Makoto said from behind him, her tone tired, causing the young boy to jump a little. She stared him down incredulously.
"That was weird. Is something wrong?" She said, concerned. Akira stared at her again.
Makoto...liking Ryuji? That sounds wrong to me…
But instead, he said,
"No, nothing's wrong. Sae left you a plate on the counter." Makoto nodded and retrieved her food. Akira watched her with a certain heaviness in his heart. He couldn't figure it out himself.
He stared back down at his phone, and then at her.
This can't be right.
A/N- Don't hate me! I know you all came here to see Sae/Makoto X Akira. You'll get what you all deserve, but stick with me for now. Perhaps. Maybe. It's a possibility. Who knows where the whims of fate will lead us? Hehe. Here's a longer chapter for you guys, anyway.
Reviews:
version15: Thanks for reviewing twice in a row! And yeah, I try to add a little bit of detail to compensate for my weak emotion describing during writing. I find it usually does the trick. I at least hope it's entertaining, in one way or another.
ICouldBeEnticed: Glad I could satisfy! I plan on having a lot of fun with Makoto. In my opinion, not enough fics try to break her character, as she's always regarded as the strict one with a nerdy side. While that's all fun and dandy, she's still human, and will remain so. At least I'll try. Don't worry, I plan on giving her a lot of love. Thanks again!
P.S.- I had to upload this three damn times cause of errors transferring from google docs to here. Pain.