He's in a very good mood that night as they staircase new territory in Tartarus and Junpei picks up on it immediately, cracking jokes the whole way as they stroll with Koromaru at the front. While Iori may sometimes be a lecherous slob, he's good in a fight and seems to respect him a fair deal, so it's a nice tentative friendship they've been building over time. Akihiko and Mitsuru end up as the default dorm authority to the juniors because there's no adult around to keep them in line and if one of them needs a push toward the right mindset, it's definitely Iori.
Their canine scout keeps detecting shadows from quite far away, pausing with a growl and flattened ears whenever it senses movement and it's a great asset in the ambient gloom to avoid ambushes. As a result, they made good time clearing all traces of enemies from the floor and just need to find the stairs upward.
"That dog is awesome, he's making all of this so easy, we're always getting the jump on them tonight!"
Iori tries to get Koromaru's attention and while the dog swishes near to get a brush in his coat from him, he quickly runs off to Minako's side for head scratches as they walk, lolling his tongue in satisfaction. She's been taking him for walks and playtime almost everyday at dusk, usually with a disguised Aigis and Minato in tow, and it shows. The teen looks at her with a tinge of jealousy at the dog's preference for her company and Akihiko, feeling very laidback mentally, drops him a deadpan comment without even thinking.
"She's just way more adorable than you are. Deal with it."
Now why did I say that out loud?
He can hear her giggle behind them and ever dramatic, the swordsman touches his chest like he's been stabbed right through.
"Aww senpai, you wound my heart. But you're not wrong, she's very cute."
I could write an essay on that.
His wink and raised eyebrow almost tempt him with a reply but he drops it like he never said anything. There's a saying about not tempting the devil, and that also applies to Iori's mind.
The less you in particular know, the better. Bait the hook before you slip again.
"Just spend more time with him, play catch or something, you're a baseball player. As long as you don't feed him crappy leftovers like Yukari, you'll figure it out."
"She didn't really try to pawn that burned chicken to him for real!? I thought Ken was pulling my leg."
Iori is trying to repress a laugh to not attract any unwanted shadows their way, but said dog looks relaxed so they're probably safe.
"Oh yes, and he refused to eat any of it. Be careful what you feed him, instant ramen is not appropriate for a dog, just so you know."
That instantly riles him up but he keeps somewhat of a lid on it, Junpei is anything if not extremely predictable in his contempt for authority or criticism of any kind, except when it comes from the twins or his seniors.
"Hey! I eat other stuff sometimes! You and your nutritional obsessions I swear…"
They're coming close to the next staircase and Minako unsheathes her evoker, eyes glowing and head cocked to the side to listen to Fuuka's directives. She's been having a good time listening from the rear and her smile is impish once it lights up their way.
"Look lively boys, we got a big fish to fry above and then we'll call it a night."
She crouches down to pet her furry sidekick, scratching him behind the ears until he closes his eyes.
"You ready Koro-chan?"
The dog just dips his nose in her ear, licks her cheek and wags its tail happily. Iori looks their way with a pout of envy, unsheathing his sword from its back scabbard while rolling his shoulders.
"Aww man, he even gives her kisses, how sweet is that? I definitely need to find a ball for him, maybe I got an old one in my closet."
Really? Did you have to word it like that?
They're always all business when in Tartarus because that's the nature of the fight and distractions can be messy, but for a split second, Akihiko's focus flinches hard and he's reminded how far in time this exact moment stands from next morning.
Akihiko is kind of rigid in his habits. The orphanage had a strict schedule that he grew accustomed with, school is a hard lot of dedicated timeslots as well and the way his training works is pretty much the same. Even his meals are set to a plan that he respects dutifully, his inner clock strikes at dawn without fault and Tartarus is on each day at midnight sharp.
In a weird unspoken agreement where they know it would affect the others and her leadership, they keep to themselves and it's kind of been this way since the very beginning of everything. It's just growing into something a tad different now, it's very addictive and he really wants all of it to become a permanent fixture.
He loves running with her every morning, it's already ingrained into his life unless he's too sleep-deprived and it keeps them both in shape to handle shadows. Minako was always a creature of movement and graceful as a dancer when handling her weapon of choice, but it gives her footwork and dodging an extra edge that makes him slightly less worried about having her at the front with him.
Still not going to slip up though, can't afford to, even if she could probably burn the whole tower to the ground with just her twin in tow if she really wanted.
There's also the fact that it's just them in a silent, still-sleeping world that slowly wakes up, like her luminous red eyes opening after a dip into her soul and he likes having her all to himself in privacy. That's already inked down in his daily mental planning and what initially started as an occasional event is now an everyday thing he's strongly attached to.
And she keeps taking my hand now, ever since that morning .
Akihiko still doesn't dare do more than hold it during those moments as to not disturb her, but he keeps his palm up now, so he can cradle hers and close his fingers around it with care. Summer vacations mean they don't have to hurry to get back, yet it seems that the time she spends with a glazed look toward the horizon shortens every so slightly since she started leaning into his touch and he wonders why but doesn't ask.
"You're like a quiet comfort that doesn't judge. I trust you."
How did you know? Then again…
Minako's expression is almost dreamy when she turns his way, eyes barely open and pensive, voice raw.
"I'll explain it at some point, perhaps."
He's curious but doesn't pry, if it's a coping mechanism like he suspects it is she'll tell the story in her own time. After all, it's bad form to kick open someone's closet to stare at the skeletons without invitation, and Akihiko has manners. Instead, he runs his thumb over the skin above her nails and looks at her patiently. She cracks a small smile and surprises him with a curveball statement.
"Tell me something about your childhood I don't know about."
Deliberate mood change. Alright.
"I used to be so afraid of thunderstorms at the orphanage I would crawl under my bed so nobody would know. Pretty ironic now, I know."
She laughs at that one and her eyes light up with compassion.
"Awww, but you were just a kid. Alright, your turn. Ask me anything."
Ouch, that's harder than it looks.
Akihiko mulls it over, eying her carefully because this could go in any direction, knowing her. In the end, he settles for something very safe despite everything else that burns his tongue.
"What's something to eat you haven't had in a while?"
Her gaze goes sideways to ponder for a second and she bites her lips with mischief, like she's holding back on something, but she finally answers a tad more seriously.
"I'd have to say gyozas, haven't found a decent shop for that nearby. The spicy kind with some crispiness are just the best."
It wasn't the original reply she had in mind and he knows it, yet that makes static shock bounce all across his head in some weird anticipation. He accidently worded his question in a way that gives him two answers, and his conclusion is proven when her lashes lower a bit over the intense glow in her irises to stare at him.
Wasn't the intent but I'll definitely take it.
Feeling cheeky, Akihiko keeps his head facing the trees, trying his best to look nonchalant and avoid drowning in her gaze or he'll never resist her. That red is dangerous to his sanity at any point of his existence, but particularly now. He's been thinking about this since they last came here and he doesn't quite know how to bridge the gap naturally yet; graceful entries are apparently in the same bucket as graceful exits for him.
"Really? I don't think I had any of those in a while either."
Minako can be fast as a comet and apparently, she knows very well how early day exhaustion makes him a little sluggish; she tested that before and won easily. He simply doesn't register the hand grasping his shirt in a flash until she yanks him toward her suddenly and he has to catch himself with his free arm to prevent his fall down the horizontal bar. Her voice has a dangerously pleasant tone when she whispers in his ear.
"You monster."
His chuckle of amazement at her aggressiveness barely escapes before she flutters her lips on his cheek and he just loses it, turning around to kiss them in rough urgency with his own like he got burned. She makes one of those humming sounds when he bites down gently on the bottom one, mind full of colorful fireworks and golden shimmers on a nightly background when he squeezes her hand tighter. Akihiko can't move the other one from where it is on the bar because he'll lose his balance, but he'll make do.
She's more stable on her own perch and her fingers on his collar crawl up his neck like a loose claw, nails prickling him like she's barely unable to prevent from scratching every time he glides his mouth across hers. He simply can't stop trembling at that mental picture and that look in her hooded eyes; perhaps it's a good thing they're on such a tight beam strewn across sky and packed sand, outside where anyone could see them because there's something raw and red crawling inside him that rattles all the padlocks at the back of his mind, and it terrifies him.
Every time I touch you it's like the burns run deeper.
Either she knows what kind of turmoil is assailing him, or she feels the same way, because she moves her fingertips to his hair instead, ruffling it very softly and he fully closes his eyes. He runs his thumb on her painted nails in tandem with the pressure of his mouth on hers, a very slow counterpoint to the deafening drumming of his pulse in his eardrums.
If that's the new routine I don't ever want it to stop.