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Futaba's palace had been excruciating. Between the scorching heat and complex puzzles, the whole of the palace had been utter hell. Sure, Akira hated seeing how Futaba thought of herself, how she believed she was the cause of her mother's death, but honestly, after defeating her mother's cognition, Akira was more than glad to flee the pyramid for the final time.Helping Futaba open up to the group was the easy part. It actually gave Akira a more domestic feeling.Like being a part of a real family.It was something Akira had never properly felt before. Or perhaps he had a long time ago. Either way, Akira knew that this feeling was very new to him...but he liked it. He liked the warmth he felt from wanting to protect someone else, he liked the way he could never fight a smile whenever Sojiro did something for him, even though he pretended not to care. That's why seeing how happy Sojiro was to see Futaba out of her room lit a strong sense of pride inside Akira.
On the last Sunday before September, Akira had planned to hang out with some friends, but then Futaba had called up the stairs to him, telling him to help out with the dishes. Akira gave a sigh, but in all honesty, he didn't mind helping out a bit. He dressed into his casual wear and headed down to the cafe."You want anything Futaba?" Sojiro asked, a content smile on his face. Futaba was sat in her usual crouched position on the furthest chair at the end of the bar while Akira stood behind the counter, preparing a new pot of coffee."Orange juice. 100% natural." Futaba replied."That reminds me, you're going to the beach tomorrow, right? Go have fun, and make up for the fireworks. Just try not to cut loose too much." Sojiro stated. Honestly, had it not been for Morgana reminding him that morning, Akira probably would have forgotten, what with all of the things he'd been helping his different friends with."Fireworks?" Futaba looked up at him quizzically before looking to Akira."Oh yeah, you wouldn't know. The kid'd tried to go to the fireworks festival, but it got rained out. Not only did he get crushed in the crowd, but he came home looking like a drowned rat."Futaba snickered at the idea of the dark-haired teen as a sopping-wet rat. After the moment had passed, a more contemplative expression took hold of her features."Fireworks, huh..." She trailed off, staring ahead.Just then, the bell above the cafe door jingled, signalling a new patron. Futaba jumped up out of the chair and bolted behind the counter, standing behind Akira. The person entering the cafe turned out to be Akechi."Hello." The brunette greeted, falsetto smile in place as usual."Oh... Welcome." Sojiro greeted the boy in return, voice seeming a bit forced.Akechi just then seemed to notice Akira standing behind the counter, and he turned to him, a look of surprise crossing his features."Oh! You're...""Huh? You two know each other?" Sojiro asked, glancing back and forth between the boys. Suddenly, recognition dawned on the man."Wait, aren't you...?"The brunette smiled cheerfully."I'm Akechi.""Oh yeah, the one on TV and stuff. So what brings you here, Mr. Detective?" Sojiro asked, clearly a bit shocked."This place is more than I imagined it to be. The atmosphere is wonderful;" Akechi looked about the cafe, "no wonder Sae-san recommended it so strongly to me."Sojiro blinked, then recoiled in shock. His expression quickly morphed into anger."I already told her everything I know. There's nothing more I got for you people."Akechi shook his head, still smiling."Oh no, that's not my intention. I just came to enjoy some coffee."Sojiro deflated a bit, letting out a quiet 'oh...' of resignation.Akechi turned to Futaba, who was still hiding behind Akira."And she is...?" He asked. After a second, though, recognition lit up in his eyes, and he smiled once again."Oh, you must be Wakaba Isshiki's..."He was quickly cut off by Sojiro at Futaba's flinch at the mention of her mother."What'll it be?"The smile disappeared off of Akechi's face."I'll have whatever you recommend.""Coming right up." Sojiro answered quickly, irritation barely contained in his voice.
Once Akechi had been seated with a cup of coffee, he sighed, looking down into the glass in front of him."It seems I'm unwelcome no matter where I go..."Akira almost said 'that's not true', but kept his mouth shut. He'd probably only make the situation worse anyways. At his silence, Akechi looked away, looking almost sad."...Did I bother you? My apologies. Apparently my mother was in a relationship with some low-life of a man... She was swiftly discarded when he learned she was pregnant. That despair would lead to her death. Thanks to him, I was passed from foster home to foster home. But, I do quite well for myself these days."Futaba let out something between a groan and a sigh. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't. Akechi changed the topic."Ah, yes, Medjed. To think they'd be taken down by another hacker. I'm not sure whether Medjed was defeated by the Phantom Thieves themselves or an avid supporter..."Akechi then turned to Futaba again."Um, you're... Futaba-chan, right? Sae-san told me about you. Many kids your age seem to be fans of the Phantom Thieves... Do you like them too?"Futaba said nothing."What's the matter?"Finally, she spoke, voice laced with annoyance."...You're popular too, Ace Detective Akechi."Akechi simply laughed at her response."Thank you."'That wasn't exactly a compliment...' Akira thought to himself."Although I'd rather not be compared to people like the Phantom Thieves, if at all possible."He took a sip of the coffee."Mm, this is delicious. You get to drink this everyday? I'm incredibly jealous."With a more serious tone, he said something else that caught Akira off guard."I would never have thought you'd be boarding at this cafe... We seem to share some kind of bond."Akira hesitated. He needed to choose his words carefully."I agree."With that, the tense atmosphere from earlier dissipated, but Akira didn't forget the all-too familiar expression of loneliness on Akechi's face as he spoke of his mother.
Akechi's words rung in Akira's head, over and over again. He knew all too well what it was like to feel that way. That's probably one of the reasons why he got along so well with Futaba. Akira felt some kind of unspoken urge pass over him. In a way, he almost felt as though he owed this to him."I suppose I should be going." Akechi stood from the bar and turned to the door, slipping on his plastic smile once more. An internal battle raged inside of Akira. If he let him go now like this, he may never get the chance again to connect with him like this. It was now or never.Akira lurched forward and grabbed Akechi's wrist, startling the detective."Wait... Please, come with me for a minute.""What? Why?" The brunette protested indignantly as he was dragged off towards the stairs.
"What did you need to speak with me about, Kurusu-kun?" Akechi sat on the sofa, hands clasped on his knees. He looked, for lack of a better term, rather annoyed for having been dragged up here out of nowhere. Akira couldn't exactly blame him.Akira sat on the bed, running a hand through his hair nervously."Uh, sorry for that. I was just, um, thinking about what you were saying earlier and..." Akira trailed off, closing his eyes, fighting off the nauseous sensation that rolled over him in waves. Akechi raised an eyebrow, waiting for Akira to continue."I just wanted you to know that... you aren't alone. And you're definitely not a bother." Akira finally said, sighing in admittance. Akechi lifted his head a bit, slightly intrigued by his statement."Oh? How so?" He asked. Akira could feel the beads of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. He was about to tell this boy about something that had never once left his mouth, not to anyone else."I know what it's like, feeling unwanted. I've been treated that way my entire life." Akira clenched his fist to try and control the trembling of his voice, and continued."My parents both made it explicitly clear to me that I was just some nuisance that they were being forced to put up with because they didn't want to have to deal with any legal repercussions. And for as long as I can remember, they were always fighting. I guess eventually my mother got tired of it and ran off, leaving me with my father. After she left, my father started getting into drinking again..."Akechi's expression shifted. He no longer looked exasperated, but instead curious and perhaps a bit concerned. He silently nodded for Akira to continue, already having an inkling of an idea as to where this particular story was headed."Most of the time, he'd just ignore me altogether, but sometimes he'd hit me. To be honest, it wasn't all that bad. I was able to handle it, you know? But then it started getting worse. Sometimes he'd...tell me that I needed to take r-responsibility, that it was my fault my mother left, and he'd-." Akira stopped there, unable to utter the words.For a moment, Akechi simply stared at the other teen, then his eyes widened as Akira crumpled down into himself, burying his face in his hands as the dam finally broke, tears falling freely down his cheeks.Akechi rose from the sofa, the revelation of Akira's confession still sinking in. He crossed the short distance between them and lifted his hand to the dark-haired boy, but hesitated.He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be here. What was he doing?His hand quivered, then he tightened his jaw and leaned in, wrapping the boy in a tight hug.
When Akira's body finally stilled and the tears were no longer soaking into the brunette's shoulder, he released his hold on him, leaning away to sit beside him instead. Akira let out a weak sniffle, eyes red and puffy from finally letting go of several years' worth of bottled-up abuse and loneliness.Akechi rested his hand of the other boy's shoulder, patting it in awkward attempt at comfort. His earlier display had been mostly instinctual, but he honestly had no idea how to soothe someone in this kind of situation, especially not when he related so deeply to them like this.When Akira finally looked ready to talk again, Akechi softly asked; "What made you decide to tell me?"Akira looked him dead in the eyes, a look of fierce determination in his glossy eyes."Because I couldn't let you leave, knowing that you felt like that. You needed to know that you're not alone, and that...there are people who care about you." Akira looked away almost shyly as he muttered the last part."Ah..." Akechi flushed. Why did he suddenly feel so...weird? He rubbed at his chest, willing away the fluttery feeling within, then stood from the bed."That...means a lot to me, Kurusu-kun. I actually do have to go now, but...thank you."With that, the flustered detective high-tailed it down the stairs and out of the cafe.
Later that night, as the brunette tossed and turned in his bed, he couldn't help but muse at just how quickly and easily his entire opinion of the very boy he'd been planning to kill had changed so drastically.
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At first, there weren't any noticeable changes in their relationship. After that night, Akira hadn't seen the brunette boy for nearly a week. Then, just like nothing had happened, he started coming back to Leblanc again, usually in the evenings when Akira was working the counter. The two shared comfortable, easygoing conversations with one another. The first leap in their relationship occurred after a few days of the two delicately tiptoeing around one another.It started out as a fairly average evening. Akira helped Sojiro close up by doing the dishes and serving any of the last few customers. Sure enough, Akechi walked through the door just as Sojiro was about to leave."This one's up to you, kid." Sojiro waved without looking back at the two teens, then left. Akechi gingerly stepped closer and sat down near the end of the counter."Good evening, Kurusu-kun." Akechi greeted, a small smile gracing his lips. Akira found that Akechi had begun to drop his mask a bit when it was just the two of them. Perhaps this was a sign of trust from the detective?"Likewise," Akira returned the smile, "and you'll be having the regular?" Akechi nodded in confirmation, and Akira went to work brewing a fresh pot of coffee.As they waited for the coffee, Akira turned and leaned forward on the counter, grinning widely at the boy opposite of him."So, I'm curious," Akira began, and Akechi blinked, looking at him, "what was your first case like?"Akechi thought for a second before letting out a low chuckle. The sound of his breathy laughter filled the room, striking something deep in Akira's chest."Believe it or not, it was a rather silly case compared to the ones I work on now. I was told that I was to help locate a vehicle that had been reported missing, but I suppose someone got some things mixed up along the way. That was a case actually assigned to someone else, and they'd accidentally given me the wrong order. Imagine my surprise when I show up to the scene, only to be told to climb up into a tree to get a kitten that'd gotten stuck."Akira openly burst into laughter at the story. There was something endearing about the thought of the detective sitting precariously on a branch, trying desperately to coax a small kitten into his arms."Must've been quite the case. Did you get the kitten?" Akira asked, amused. Akechi nodded."Yes, I did. I also left with a thoroughly-scratched face and leaves tangled in my hair." The brunette smiled nostalgically at the memory."Hey, don't feel bad. My first part-time job was as a food cart vendor. I had to wear the whole getup and everything." The two shared a laugh.Finally, Akira was able to pour the boy a cup of coffee. He'd learned that the detective preferred smooth Colombian with only two scoops of sugar, but no cream. It wasn't surprising, seeing as he appeared to have a bit of a sweet tooth (if his food blog was anything to go by)."Thank you." Akechi thanked the dark-haired teen and took a sip of his drink. Akira waited expectantly. Akechi tested the flavor before looking back to the teen, a smile blooming on his face."It's perfect, as always." Akira fought a blush at the straightforward compliment.While Morgana always reprimanded him for getting too 'chummy' with Akechi, Akira found that he just couldn't help himself. There was something about the detective that pulled him in like a magnet. He was good-looking for starters, and he was a really engaging conversation partner.If his initial suspicions of the detective were correct, and Akechi truly was the Black Mask behind all of the mental shutdowns, then Akira knew he would have do everything he could to win the other's trust and help him change. Maybe someday, he could even convince the boy to join the Phantom Thieves... After all, at the end of the day, didn't they have the same goals? After he finished his coffee, Akechi stood to leave, placing some coins on the counter."Thank you for the coffee, Kurusu-kun. I should get going now."Before he could even reach the door, Akira's voice called out, stopping him."Oh, wait!" Akechi's heart skipped a beat in his chest as he turned to meet the barista's expectant gaze. This was awfully familiar, wasn't it?"Ah... Yes?" He asked."I almost forgot to ask, but I was hoping we could exchange numbers." His eyes widened at the boy's bluntly-worded question. He could already feel the heat rising into his cheeks."W-why's that?"Akira looked away sheepishly, running a hand through his hair."Well, exams are coming up, so I'll probably be spending most of my free time studying. I'd still like to chat now and then, when we're both free..." Akira trailed off, looking to the side. Akechi stared at him for a long moment. Why did he look so embarrassed asking for a friend's number? And why was it only making Akechi even more flustered?"Yes, I suppose that would be a good idea." Akechi pulled his phone from his pockets, willing his hands not to start shaking and give away his nervousness. The two exchanged numbers, and Akechi finally took his leave.Akechi leaned up against the side of the building where he'd parked his bicycle, placing a hand over his racing heart.Why was he starting to feel so... awkward around this person? He was just some criminal trash, right? Then why did he feel like this?After a long moment stuck in his own thoughts, Akechi froze as realization dawned on him, and he quickly jumped upon his bicycle and rode off, face flushed scarlet. That night, as Akira settled into bed, he couldn't help but grin stupidly at his phone. He hadn't expected for Akechi to fall for his little lie about his exams, let alone actually give him number."Why are you smiling like that? It's creepy." Morgana swatted at Akira's hand to divert his attention from the screen."Oh, nothing much. I just finally got a handsome prince's number." Akira answered, punctuating his statement with a little sigh.Morgana made a gagging sound."Ugh, don't tell me it's him."Akira ignored the nagging feline and sent a quick message to his new contact. Akira: 'good night, detective :)' He wasn't expecting a response, and instead closed his eyes.After a few minutes, his phone pinged, alerting him of a new message. His heart leaped at the name that appeared on the screen. Goro: 'Goodnight to you, too.' A long pause, and then another message came in. Goro: ':)' Akira rolled over onto his side, slinging his arm over his face as he let out some kind of unholy sound somewhere between a hiss and a gurgle.He was so screwed.
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Goro sighed as he rounded the corner. Today's 'meeting' had taken a bit longer than he would have liked, leaving him feeling drained.'I guess I'll just go straight home for today...' he grumbled to himself, quickening his pace.His apartment building was located just beyond the commercial district, leaving him to walk the busy side streets past restaurants and businesses. Among the garbled chatter of the people around him, a familiar voice caught his attention. He turned and saw the source of the voice was none other than Niijima Makoto. She was standing alongside Akira outside a diner. Goro stopped in his tracks, quickly darting into the nearest alley, far enough to not be spotted by either of the two should they turn around, yet still close enough to see what they were doing.The Niijima girl said something to Akira, gently swiping the bangs out of her face. Akira nodded mutely in response to whatever she said, and they turned to the diner. Niijima stepped closer to Akira and wrapped herself around his outstretched arm, and like that, they entered the building, leaving the detective open-mouthed and with a dark, bitter feeling coiling in the pit of his stomach. Goro slammed the door shut behind him.So what? Who cares if he was dating her? It wasn't as though he owned the other boy, so why did the thought of Akira with that girl sting so much?'It should be me.'Goro froze as the implications of the thought dawned on him. What was he thinking? He was acting like an obsessive stalker.'It wouldn't be the worst thing I've done...' he reminded himself somberly. It had been nearly a week since he and Makoto had begun their investigation of Tsukasa, Eiko's host boyfriend. Since then, for whatever reason, Akechi had stopped responding his his messages, and he stopped coming to Leblanc. The two didn't even coincidentally run into one another at the train station anymore (Akira had always found in endearing, especially since the detective didn't actually take the train, instead choosing to travel by bicycle. Still, he always insisted that their meetings were because of 'fate').He tried calling the other several times, but his phone always went straight to voicemail. Naturally, Akira began to worry. What if something happened to the brunette? His worries were completely forgotten, as the next night, the boy himself marches right into Leblanc, a scantily-clad girl in tow.He sat himself in the booth closest to the door, and the girl slid in directly next to him. Akechi turned to look over the girl at Akira, a smug grin plastered on his face."Hello again, Kurusu-kun." He greeted, voice seeming a bit too...cheerful. Akira winced as the girl giggled almost mindlessly, twirling her hair around her fingertip as she practically latched herself onto the detective."Welcome. What can I get for you two?" He forced out his most polite welcome. He didn't need to get chewed out by Boss for scaring away his customers.Akechi wound his arm around the girl's shoulders, pulling her flush up against his side. He couldn't fight the bitter resentment he felt towards this random woman who was plastering herself against the detective, coyly leaning her head against his shoulder. Jealousy was a wicked monster, wasn't it? Akira dutifully served the two, though it took every ounce of willpower in him not to 'accidentally' spill the hot coffee on the girl, if just to get her to back off of him. He couldn't help but notice how throughout their conversation, the brunette kept glancing over to him, as though gauging his reaction. He'd always look away whenever their eyes would meet, pretending as though he were simply looking about.When they finally finished their drinks, Akechi subtly nudged the girl and whispered something to her. She smiled and detached herself from him before standing to leave."Thank you for bringing me here, Goro~" She cooed, the detective's name rolling sweetly off her tongue as though it were the most natural thing. Something panged within his chest, and this time, he didn't even bother to conceal his expression as the girl finally left.Akechi silently lifted his gaze to look at Akira, and his face dropped in shock when he saw the dark look on the ravenette."So... Who was she?" Akira asked, willing his voice to remain neutral.Akechi's mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled to come up with a proper response."I- She's just... a friend." He stammered, face flushing."Really?" Akira deadpanned."It looked to me like she was more than just a friend."Akechi spluttered."W-well, why does it matter to you? It's not any of your business!" Akechi shot back, suddenly becoming defensive. His words, in all honesty, cut pretty deep.He was right, after all. It wasn't any of his business who the detective chose to be with at any given time. As far as their relationship went, they were really only friends, weren't they?Akira looked away, finding himself at a loss for words at first."Well, at the very least, you didn't have to bring her here. It's annoying." He finally responded. The brunette's eyes blew wide in anger and frustration, and he jumped up from his seat."Well, this is your fault to begin with! Seeing that girl hanging off of you like-" Akechi froze, eyes widening in horror as he realized a second too late the words that were already leaving his lips. Akira simply stared."...What?""Nothing." Akechi lowered his head, suddenly finding the floor to be very captivating."No. Who were you talking about just now? 'That girl'?" The cogs began turning in his mind as the truth clicked into place."...Makoto." He uttered, voice almost a whisper. Akechi said nothing, instead keeping his gaze fixed to the floor, face burning with shame."Don't tell me you... You were...jealous? Of Makoto?" Akira asked incredulously. For a long moment, the other boy remained silent. Finally, he simply nodded.Something that Akira would have described as 'butterflies' fluttered in his chest, his jaw slackened at the admission."Oh my god..." Akira stated, voice low.Akechi prepared himself for the judgement. The rejection. The disgust.He was not prepared for the words that actually left Akira's mouth."That's so cute.""Huh?!" Akechi's head snapped up at the open compliment. His face flushed impossibly brighter. Akira chuckled, his own face tinted pink."Actually, I'm...happy. I was feeling the same way too. With that girl that close to you, even calling you by your first name like you were really close..." Akira trailed off, looking to the side.Now it was Akechi's turn to fight off the ticklish sensation within his chest as the boy before him smiled shyly at him, rubbing the back of his neck."-my name." Akechi mumbled. Akira looked confused, obviously not having heard him."I said... You can use my name, too." Akechi covered his face with a hand, embarrassed.Akira stepped around the counter and took the brunette's hands in his, gently removing it from his face."Only if you call me 'Akira'."He gaped like a fish out of water at the request before scrunching his face up in determination."Okay..."Akechi reached up, placing his hands on either side of Akira's face, and tugged him down, placing a quick, chaste kiss on his cheek. Immediately, he scrambled backwards, placing some distance between them."GoodnightseeyoutomorrowAkira!" He blurted out, words melding together. Then, he bolted from the cafe, leaving behind a pleasantly shocked barista.When Akira's brain finally caught up with what had just transpired, the brunette was already long gone. A stupid grin spread over his face."...Goro..." He said the name experimentally, marveling at how it rolled off his tongue and left behind a sweet buzz on his lips.He found he quite liked it...
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After the incident, he and Goro started officially going out. They even did normal couple stuff like holding hands, visiting each other after they got out of work, cuddling when they thought nobody else was watching, and even going out on dates.One such date, their first, was planned for tomorrow, since it was a Sunday and neither of them had any work to get in their way. To say that Akira was 'nervous' was an understatement."Oh God, what am I gonna wear? Should I buy something? What if it doesn't go well?" Akira was pacing back and forth across the attic, reflexively unrolling and rerolling his sleeves (it was a nervous habit he picked up). Morgana let out an annoyed sigh."Ugh, quit acting all lovey-dovey. It's gross." Akira turned and glared playfully at the cat. Morgana merely rolled his eyes in response. Akira knew that the real reason he was so upset about it was because he'd been telling Akira again and again that Goro was dangerous, and he shouldn't get too close to him.And Akira knew, if he really was who they thought he was, and if he'd really done all of those things... It wasn't as if he couldn't change, right?Akira paused in his internal ramblings and pulled out his cellphone, opening his chat log with Ann. She was the only one he could ask advice from who would understand; plus, she was the only one who even knew that he was gay.Akira: ann I need help plsA few moments later, a response came in.Ann: what's wrong??Akira: i have a date tomorrow and i don't know what to doAnn: !!!Ann: details. now.Akira: its a secretAnn: nooo you have to tell meeeAkira: i cant i'm too busy dyingAnn: ugh fine i'll help, but i want all the details afterAkira: ann you're the bestAnn: and don't you forget itAkira smiled warmly down at the messages. He felt so incredibly lucky to have friends like Ann.Akira awoke the next morning to the ringing of his phone. As soon as he was able to get his eyes to stay open long enough, he slung his arm over and grabbed it off the shelf."Hello?" His voice was strained from having just woken up. He unintentionally let out a yawn, arm reflexively stretching up over his head. Ann's voice rang through the receiver into his ear, and he winced, pulling it back slightly."It's about time! I thought you were never going to pick up!" She practically screeched. Confused, he glanced over at the clock."Oh my God, it's almost eleven!"Akira set the call on speakerphone, all but hurling it onto the nightstand as he sprang out of bed to throw on his clothes. Where was Morgana when he needed him?"You better be here in twenty minutes, or you'll end up late! And you do not want to be late on the first date." Ann chimed in with a warning as Akira struggled with his pants, nearly stumbling forward onto his face."On my way." Akira grabbed his phone and bounded down the stairs, a fiery determination burning in his chest. Today had to go well. Ann ended up dragging him to some kind of fancy salon. She explained that the industry she modeled for hired some of the employees here. It definitely did seem as though she had connections, for when they stepped through the front doors, the two were almost instantly surrounded by four women, each with various different styling equipment in their hands."Takamaki-san, is this boy the friend you told us about?" One of the ladies asked, cooing in admiration as she fiddled with Akira's hair."Yup, that's him! Just give him a quick do-over; he has a pretty important date coming up in about an hour." The woman gave a coy giggle in response and ushered Akira towards a room in the back."This way, hun. We'll have you looking absolutely ravishing in no time at all!"Ann simply smiled and waved him off. After having him change into a more stylish outfit which somehow fit perfectly (he wasn't sure he even wanted to know how they knew what size he wore), they spent what felt like eternity tugging and prodding away at his hair. Finally, after having applied some gel and brushing through his hair, the women seemed satisfied with their work. He was handed a small mirror. His jaw slackened in awe at the sight before him.His unruly locks were somehow straightened and slicked back, almost giving off that cool, rich-boy vibe. One of the ladies called Ann in, and she gasped in shocked delight when she saw their handiwork."Oh my goodness, you look great!" Ann squealed. Akira looked up at her in pure astonishment."This is...amazing.""See? Now you're ready to go 'wow' your prince charming." Ann beamed at him. Akira fought back a blush at her words and nodded. When the train finally arrived, Akira found himself standing up a bit straighter, glancing back and forth between the two doors as the passengers flooded out into the already crowded station. At last, he sighted the familiar cinnamon-haired teen and his heart rate surely spiked. A goofy grin he imagined could only be described as 'dumb' spread across his face.As the other boy approached, he noticed that he too had dressed up for the occasion. His heart swelled at the idea of the detective worrying over what to wear to impress him.Finally, as Goro stopped right in front of him, he was able to drink in the brunette's appearance.He looked absolutely gorgeous.His shoulder-length locks were pulled back in a small, loose ponytail. He was donning a plain white button-up and a pair of chestnut brown slacks. Akira felt his face flush. His boyfriend was was so good-looking! He could feel the detective's gaze on him as well, crimson orbs looking him over in apparent appreciation."You look great, Goro." Akira broke the silence, smiling sweetly at the boy. Goro returned it with one of his own. One thing he was proud to have learned about the other was that he seemed to really like receiving compliments."Not as stunning as you, though. I was a bit worried that I had overdressed, but it looks as though I was worried for nothing. Still, though, I can't say that I'm disappointed. I quite like what you've done with your hair."Akira's heart felt as though it were going to hammer out of his chest with how hard it was pounding. Face dusted red with delight, he took Goro's hand."Should we go?"Goro smiled, lightly squeezing his hand in his."Yes."Just like that, hand in hand, the two boarded the next train (Akira was so lost in Goro's eyes that he wasn't even paying attention to where they were headed. After all, this was Goro's surprise for him), not caring who may be looking their way. They were both content just basking in one another's warmth, blissfully blind to the rest of the world.