doublecrowss | Inbox for awash

[He thought he would try something new!]

Oh no. I guess we'll fail.

B(

[ But that's so... silly... ]

Hmmm, I don't know. I'm not really the type to willingly fail on a mission. I only play to win, you see.

[He can be silly if he wants!]

Don't you want to try it anyway? BO

[ It's true, he is very silly. ]

Perhaps. Though my company might be all the reward you get for it.

That sounds like a great reward.

[ Wow, what a flirt. ]

Very well. And how were you planning to do this? Do you want to come over?

Do you have blankets?

Of course. Though you can bring a few extra, if you think you'd be too cold.

Then I'll be there soon.

[And so he will, showing up about half an hour later, carrying an extra blanket.]

[ And when Akechi goes to answer that door, he can't help but chuckle at the sight. Did Akira really think he didn't have enough blankets, for crying out loud... ]

Ah, I thought the quest was meant for cuddling under a single blanket? Are you planning to build a fort?

[ They're... probably a little too old for that! ]

[A casual shrug.] If that's what you want to do. [He wouldn't judge your childish fantasies, Akechi.]

Either way, we have enough now, right?

[ He doesn't have any childish fantasies!! (Even though one of his Personas is essentially a super hero...!) ]

I suppose we do. Come.

[ And he's going to lead Akira to his room, which is nothing special, really, but perfectly clean and organized, with a made bed and a couple of blankets neatly folded in a pile on top of the mattress. There's not much in the way of decorations, but there is a journal resting on a nightstand, and the infamous sock puppet by the pillow. ]

My bed isn't much bigger than yours, but that should be good enough. We've made it work before, right?

[He takes a look around when he gets there, noting the lack of personal touches. It's hard to find decor in this town, of course, but it still feels a bit odd that Akechi's room is just as clean and polished as the rest of him.

Except for, of course, the sock puppet resting on the pillow. The first inroad Akira really made into Akechi's space.]

Uh, yeah.

[He gets a little flustered when he remembers that, because he had been so awkward at the time, but it's well behind them now. He goes to the opposite side from Akechi, then waits for his cue to settle in.]

[ There's the sock puppet, which he moves to the nightstand as he takes a seat on his side of the bed, but if Akira pays close attention, there's the occasional personal touch peppered across his room. The journal, which was a birthday gift from Lupin, has a few dried up flowers pressed between pages to serve as a bookmark-- the remainders of a flower crown he got from Ochako. And the pocket watch that he winds up before placing aside? A birthday gift from Minato.

They're still few and far in between, perhaps barely noticeable, but welcome touches of warmth and life in the otherwise sterile emptiness of Akechi's room. His heart is much the same way. ]

Aren't you going to lie down? [ He asks once he's done with his evening routine. ] It would probably be more effective than trying to cuddle while standing, you do realize?

[He gives the slightest roll of his eyes, then comes around to the other side of the bed and lays down, wiggling a bit to get closer to Akechi. The blanket he brought gets tossed to the end of the bed until it's needed.]

Thought I'd let you take the lead.

[This is his room after all. Akira is just the guest.]

And here I thought you didn't like that.

[ It's a playful jab at Akira's reaction back when Akechi forcibly took on a leader role, though the circumstances were vastly different.

But, if this is what he wants, then Akechi will follow suit and wiggle closer, draping his covers over the both of them, leaving the extra blanket at the foot of his bed, should they need it later. Next, he casts an arm around Akira and pulls him in closer, for the sake of being faithful to quest requirements and because he plain wants to. ]

There. [ A smile, albeit just a tad bit cocky. ] Is this enough taking the lead to you?

It'll do.

[He says it with a smile as he leans his head in and leans comfortable against Akechi's shoulder, nestled in his side.]

Maybe next time I won't have to tell you first.

[It's just a tease, a small smirk on his own face now.]

[ Next time, huh? Well, that does sort of give him a cue to bring up a different topic he had been meaning to, so: ]

Well. If you want me to completely take the initiative, there's something I wanted to discuss with you. About a different quest I would like us to try.

[ One Akira might not like all that much, but it's worth a shot. ]

Hm?

[Another quest, huh? He tries to go over the others in his mind - there was the sphinx, but he doesn't know why that would really need discussion. Maybe this is the gratitude quest, then? That's a little embarrassing, but he'll accept, of course!]

Which one?

[ Aha... haha... no, none of those. So as a preemptive measure, Akechi pulls him even closer, idly combing Akira's hair with his fingers, as though trying to balance out the gravity of his upcoming request with the weight of his affections. ]

Quest number 35.

[ And, in case Akira needs further clarification: ]

I... wish for you to take my color.

[ Yup. ]

[There's a moment, and then Akira pulls away. No matter how nice the feeling of fingers combing his hair might be, what Akechi said is too startling for him to remain cuddled up.]

What?

[He has to be misunderstanding. Akechi wouldn't really want him to do that, right?]

[ Yeah, well. He does. ]

Don't look so surprised. I have been in that position before, remember?

[ And the fact that Akira has pulled away even when they were getting all nice and cuddly is probably an indication this discussion is going to be every bit as difficult as Akechi anticipated, though not enough to dissuade him. So he sits up in bed, and takes another minute to figure how to begin to explain his train of thought. ]

In fact, it's because of that prior experience that I wish to do it. That I want the real you to do it.

[ It... probably doesn't tell Akira very much, but it's a start. ]

The... real me...?

[He remembers what Akechi told him before, of course: that the demon that took his color looked like Akira. But that was a demon, and Akira is Akira. Why does he need to take Akechi's color too?]

I don't understand.

[ A sigh, and he takes another moment to sort through his thoughts and put them into words.

It would be easier if he could simply start with "I actually like having a break from feeling anything," but even he can tell that could potentially ruin his mask as a cool and collected young man who has his life together. On the other hand, feelings can't be ignored forever; as he's come to realize, they have to eventually be dealt with, and there's still a side of him that is disturbed by the memory of what happened in the woods that day. A side of him that will keep nagging, unless he can handle it.

And at least like this, he can be honest, too, if not entirely. ]

Back at that time, I fell for a demon's trap, and since then, I have thought of that as my weakest moment. No matter how much others tried to dissuade and reassure me it was fine, I could never truly get rid of that feeling. And up until not long ago, I could at least compartimentalize it, but now...

[ A pause, and he looks at Akira. Now that they've come to this point, now that they're more than just temporary acquaintances or even friends-- ]

I don't want to see you as a weakness anymore. And so, in order to wipe off that lasting impression, I thought that perhaps reenacting that moment with the real you in charge this time would help. Rather than being fooled by an illusion, I want it to be a conscious decision, and to know that I'm not being tricked, but placing my trust in you instead. If I can have that, I believe that will set my heart at ease.

[ If he can have that, maybe he can begin to see Akira as his strength, too. ]

[Akira waits patiently, and then listens patiently, wanting to hear Akechi out on this. It's clear that he's given this a lot of thought, and while it's still hard to grasp for Akira, it's also clear that this is something important to him - no, something he needs.

But... Akira still feels hesitant. He wants to help, he really does, and it's concerning that Akechi calls him a weakness, but... he's afraid of what will happen. What if he takes too much color, and Akechi becomes emotionless again? What if the color he takes never goes back?

If he were the cause of making Akechi like that again... he's not sure he could handle it.]

...I think I get it, but... is this the only way you can stop thinking of me as a weakness?

[Maybe there's some kind of compromise here - something else that will do the trick.

(He has a feeling there isn't, but he has to try.)]

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