Maybe it's a fantasy of his, but Akihiko likes to indulge in the knowledge that only he can share those little pockets of pure quiet with her at the playground. It's like a secret privilege he's been entrusted with and he's conscious that apart from her twin, perhaps he's the only one that's allowed to see her like this.

Or maybe I'm deluding myself into thinking I'm special.

But he'll trust the illusion because it's very convincing and it makes him happy just to share this space with her, regardless of who has access to this spectacle in the end.

Today is blistering hot, devoid of any wind and quite humid, but running still felt great because she's here. The sky has this haze that tints its colors with a blurry filter, like there's too much suspended water cloying the air, diffusing the early lighting until everything is covered with blush.

Warm tones were always hers and it just enhances how she contrasts with everything else despite her current stillness. Minako's eyes are hooded, lashes damp with sweat, cheeks piqued with red that echoes her subdued gaze. Her lips are parted slightly, almost as crimson as her irises because of exertion and so wet they reflect prickles of light when she breathes.

But it's her silhouette below him, dark and backlit with the foggy orange where it rests, her back to the horizontal bar, that outlines just how much her inwardness feels like a solar eclipse. As if she is pulling on all her soul, distilling her very essence into something new that she can then expand outward anew. And it's in these moments, when she revives to full brightness, dull garnets catching fire back to stars, that Akihiko holds his breath.

He never talks until she does, he's just a bystander to a small daily miracle, waiting patiently. Eventually, she raises a hand to push some sticky strands of copper from her jaw and takes a deep, calculated breath, leaning her head until it barely touches his knee. Her now alert gaze looks at the birds flying above, and her voice is mellow.

"I never really thanked you properly."

Akihiko moves his hand on his perch to rest on the outside of her shoulder, barely applying pressure.

"What for?"

"I could say everything, it would apply… but I mostly mean for indulging my request. I was pushy, and selfish."

Is she concerned because I was high-strung? That couldn't be helped…

The hum of stress comes back at the mere memory of her melting over him and he's pretty sure he's blushing furiously. Akihiko brushes his thumb in circles on her arm, exhaling as slowly as he can to distract himself and get a grip.

"I wanted to, and you're allowed to be selfish sometimes."

Minako chuckles softly in reply.

"I'm not supposed to; I'm a giver, not a taker."

He's reminded of the distress in her eyes on the ferry, how much she shoulders upon herself and never complains, she just keeps doing it with a smile and tireless energy. It sounds very… lonely in a weird roundabout way. And either nobody sees it because she wears her masks well, or nobody offers because they're distracted, and so she keeps doing it and never asks in return.

Except she came to me that day.

"I'd rather you be selfish once in a while and do or say what you really want. Nobody would ever hold it against you, least of all me."

She snorts in amusement.

"Trust me, you don't want me speaking my mind, you'll run to the hills in less than five."

Do or die, as they say.

"Try me."

She inhales slowly, speaking in a shaky voice.

"I don't know, I'd rather not lose these… little moments of ours. They're very… precious to me."

And she leans her head harder to rest fully against him as if to emphasize she means exactly these little episodes of penumbra he's privy to.

"You won't."

And it's true, Akihiko would never give this up for any reason, unless she chased him off very forcefully. She waits a bit before talking again.

"You could say I used the parameters I was given. I was tired, I missed you, and since you spoiled sleep forever for me the other night, I improvised."

You and me both then, beds just suck now.

"And that's why I stayed, because I missed you too."

There's a quite bit more he'd like to say but he can't quite arrange the words in his head in short order, so he squeezes her shoulder to try and emphasize it. Minako softly giggles in acknowledgement.

'How come you never used that favor you won?"

That's a hard one, skip.

"I'm saving it for an emergency."

Her shoulders shake in silent laughter.

"Like me pushing too hard and needing a break?"

He smiles, bewildered, he never even thought of that. Knowing her, he'll have to intervene again in the future anyway and she just served it on a silver platter.

"Yeah, that's a good thing to keep in my back pocket. You're quite stubborn."

Akihiko bites his lip before speaking again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How come you never try to come up here? I'm sure you can do it."

Minako sighs and takes her time answering in a low voice, slightly tinged with regret or longing, he's not sure which.

"Just because I can do something doesn't always mean I should."

Akihiko's reminded of his sneaking at the arcade and her talk with Junpei about not pushing people around. It sounds like she's holding something back, and it has to do with him somehow. This could go any number of ways, but he's curious and he hates that tone in her voice, so a distraction seems in order.

"It's okay to admit you just can't, you know. I won't judge you."

He injects a little smugness in the quip to really drive it home, hoping it works as well on her as it would on Shinji. Minako gasps in reply.

"Are you doubting me?"

She sounds incredulous and a little miffed to be honest, maybe he pushed it a little too much.

Score.

"You… So… what do I get if I prove I can?"

He's taking mental notes because this could be useful down the road. Also, she'll be out of excuses to not stand next to him where he can see her better. Or hug her, or...

"Absolutely anything you want."

She takes a breath and moves away from the bar, looks up at him and narrows her eyes dangerously.

"Okay. Well, get down and look that way, just in case I fluke this badly. I'd prefer to keep my leader rep intact and all."

Akihiko laughs but complies, stepping down in a puff of sand and taking a few steps to give her some space. He can hear her footsteps crunching on the floor and her breath intake, then the humid air whistling and he just keeps grinning.

"Don't turn around, just take about six steps backward."

And so, he does, until his shoulder blades hit the bar and its her hand that rests on his shoulder like a butterfly. Her nails are painted a light pink color and they're quite pretty.

"Eh, for once I'm taller than you."

She's also flaunting different things in his view; today she's wearing shorts because of the heat, so her naked legs are brushing on his arm, and he has no idea what to do with his hands. His fingers twitch in memory of them coiling around his own and he inhales very slowly.

At least she can't see my face.

"So… I can get anything I want?"

Minako sounds quite happy at the prospect, and he swallows painfully, inner current wavering wildly in his eardrums.

"Hmm hmm."

She chuckles softly and it sounds mischievous.

"Okay… then close your eyes and don't move."

Scrounging his eyelids would probably help to keep him grounded anyways, so he stays still, not too sure what she's about to do. Then the hand on his shoulder slides delicately to his neck, and up in his wet hair in a flutter and she's grazing his scalp with the tip of her nails.

Oh my god…

Her weight shifts a bit for balance on the bar and she puts her other hand there too, ruffling the strands that were sticking flat to his forehead because of the heat and exercise.

He can't help but whisper.

"It's probably pretty gross, we ran hard."

Minako chuckles in reply.

"Like I care. Is it because you want me to stop?"

"N-No."

Her voice is barely a murmur.

"Then let me have this, please."

He tries desperately to tone the intense shiver that is traveling up his spine when he feels her fingers behind his ear. She just keeps going, playing with his hair with little hums of contentment and Akihiko is losing his mind. He can't do anything with his hands except clench them and he can't lean his head to her like she does when she's below because that might cost him his sanity, so he endures and rolls back his eyes.

Maybe I was a cat in another life.

His head is full of sparks and it tingles everywhere, so he speaks before he starts making any kind of embarrassing noises.

"Why this?"

She sounds all gushy when explaining but her voice is nervous.

"Because it's as soft as it looks, and so pretty, I always wanted to do that, and.. hmm, well… ah, never mind."

What's this?

"Never mind what?"

Minako chuckles again, definitely jittery like she's embarrassed. This doesn't happen often.

"Oh no no! I'm not telling you that!"

And then her phone alarm rings, and she hisses in irritation, slowing her ministrations until she stops completely. He takes a deep, slow breath to calm his thundering heartbeat, feeling completely out of sorts.

Time just slips through everything, all the time.

She drops down next to him and speaks very softly.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's simply because of the timing, I need to get back or I'll be late. But I promise I will."

She's smiling apologetically, meeting his eyes despite a deep blush. Whatever it is, it's doing a number on her and he's very curious now.