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Goro knew it was bound to happen. With his announced break, he didn't really have any excuse to delay his homework that was due early. And even though it doesn't matter, Goro refuses to let his grades drop because of his own negligence.
To hell with not getting any sleep tonight, Goro will finish everything that was assigned to him, and with flying colors.
As the hours pass, the stack of essays gets bigger, and Goro still takes care of his handwriting with every word, everything is clean, smooth, perfect.
And while he's in the middle of an English assignment, a ringing bell interrupts him.
He glances at the clock, two o'clock in the morning. No one calls at that time. Except maybe...
Shido.
Can't he have a quiet evening without that bastard bothering him? His doubts about their assassination plan are his problem, Goro has better things to worry about.
But he swallows his hatred and picks up his phone, however, it's not a masked number that's displayed but one of the few registered contacts.
"Akira?"
It's the middle of the night, why is he calling him at such a...
...Are they caught? Have the Phantom Thieves discovered their secret agreement and want to confront him?
"Tch." He picks up the phone and brings the phone to his ear. "Akira-kun."
"A-Akechi."
Goro blinks a few times, surprised. He has never heard Akira speak like this, his tone low, filled with emotion. He who is always so nonchalant and neutral, the expressions only subtle...
Goro is thrilled to hear something so unique. One of the few things he has that the others don't.
And nobody will be able to have it, will be able to hear this weak, terrified voice again because Akira is his, Goro will be the only one who will have the chance to hear it.
Nobody will have the opportunity to hear so much emotion in his voice. Goro will protect him like a treasure. He wants to own Joker like Joker owns him. He...
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't, I didn't mean to! Akechi help me..."
His panic escalates, and Akechi listens to him carefully, still silent. This isn't the time. Akira doesn't seem to be in a good position, and it would be a problem if he died today.
"I didn't mean to! I-I'm sorry! It's not my fault, i-i-it's not my fault!!! A-Akechi!"
"Akira."
Goro stands up from his desk. He can hear the sounds of the city from the cell phone, so Akira is outside. He puts on his jacket, still holding his phone to his ear.
"Akira. Calm down. I need to know where you are."
"I-I... I-I-It...!"
"What do you see? Can you describe your surroundings to me?" Goro keeps his tone calm and reassuring. He seems freaked out enough already, no need for more aggression.
"B-blood. There's blood. I-I-I got it...!"
A crime scene? How Akira... never mind. If that's really the case, he can't let Akira say anything more. It would be compromising if Futaba overheard their conversation.
"Describe the streets to me, what you see around."
"S-Some noise. I... Shinjuku I'm s-sorry... oh my god... I have..."
Shinjuku. Alright, he knows his destination.
"Do you want me to stay on the line?"
He hears panting, my god. Goro doesn't know if he can handle a panicked Akira. Sometimes he hears a few sobs and incomprehensible words. Goro concludes that it's best if he stays in touch.
"Akira, focus on my voice."
On me.
"Everything will be fine (for now). Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in slowly. One. Two. Exhale. One. Two."
Goro tries as best he can to induce the same instructions he gives himself during his own distresses.
"Close your eyes. Imagine yourself in Leblanc. The strong smell of coffee. The curry. Can you do that for me, Akira?"
He hears a sound and silently hopes he's helping him.
"There is nothing. There's no danger. Just take a deep breath."
Goro sighs and leaves his bike on the street when he gets to the subway.
"It's warm. Pleasant. Breathe in. One. Two. Exhale."
He gets on one of the last trains to Shinjuku in a hurry. God, and he thought his only nightmare this evening would be the endless exams to study for.
"How are you feeling, Akira?"
"A-Akechi...I...I have..."
"Shhh. Take a deep breath. I'm here."
A woman glares at him for talking on the phone in the subway. Goro ignores her, he doesn't care about the calmness that must be respected in public places.
"I'll be there in ten minutes. Can you hold on, Akira?"
"I-I... y-yes."
"Perfect. That's it. You're doing great. Inhale. Exhale. Don't forget."
Goro slowly whispers everything that comes to his mind. He pays attention to every sound he can perceive from the phone.
Shinjuku... Akira has a job in a cross-dressing bar there if he remembers correctly.
'Crossroads' where was that again?
"A-Akechi, there are footsteps. Th-they're going..."
"Akira."
"I-I didn't mean to! N-No, no, no..."
"Akira, take a deep breath. Please."
His breathing is rough again. God damn it. Why does Goro always end up in this kind of situation?
He quickly exits the subway and starts navigating through the suspicious neighborhoods of Shinjuku.
"Are you near Crossroads, Akira?"
"Y-yes, th-that..."
"I'll be right there."
"A-Akechi, you won't mind, right?! You will believe me, will you?! I didn't mean to! It's not..."
Goro stops the phone call, seeing Akira, hiding behind a garbage container and...
A dead body.
Akira is... in an unfortunate state. He's shaking, crying, legs folded over himself. His grip on his phone is strong, as if he is clinging to his last thread of life, as if he depends on it. His gaze is still fixed on the corpse of a rather old man, it would seem.
Goro thinks he recognizes him, is it one of Shido's financial supporters?
But it doesn't matter, he kneels down next to Akira.
"Akira. I am here. What happened?"
"I... I-I didn't!"
Akira clings to him and Goro ignores Loki who purrs with glee at his actions.
"I-I did... it...it's me..."
He hiccups and shakes even more.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Goro pulls him closer and stares at the dead man on the ground. He has to calm Akira down before he gets the full story.
"Akira... it's all right."
"I-I didn't mean to!!! I p-promise! He c-came and I couldn't...!"
"You did what you thought was right."
"I-I didn't mean to...!"
"I know."
So Akira is guilty of this man's state...?
"Are you able to stand up?"
"B-but and..."
"The Yakuza can easily be pointed out as culprits. It's not a very safe place around here, after all. At worst, I'll use my connections. Did you leave any tracks?"
"He... I-I just pushed him..."
"Hm."
Goro slowly pulls away from Akira, still in shock. He picks up the corpse and throws it into the container.
Goro sighs and picks up Akira gently.
"Hold on to me. We can't stay here."
_ _ _
Goro didn't think he would have a guest today. But Akira always seems to surprise him and not necessarily in a good way.
Goro sighs and puts down the cup of tea in front of Akira, who is sitting on the sofa and covered with a blanket. He's silent and still awake. Goro hears him thank him, his voice still low and weak.
Who would think that he would be the leader of the Phantom Thieves right now, so fragile, so weak... Goro could break him so easily.
Instead, he sits down next to him and looks at him. He notices the absence of glasses. Maybe that's why he looks so fragile.
"How are you feeling?"
Akira stares at Goro for a long time, he doesn't answer right away, hesitating.
"Horrible."
"I'm not surprised."
Goro relaxes on the sofa, he's exhausted.
"What happened?"
Akira closes his eyes and shivers.
"I...I just came to work at Crossroads. Lala-chan allowed me to cross-dress for fun. Nothing too...bad. But..."
Akira picks up his cup of tea and shakes, Goro places his hands around his, calming him. Goro ignores the direct skin-to-skin contact, usually so repulsive with others, which is soothing with Akira.
"...I don't know who it is. I didn't mean to, that wasn't what I intended, I just wanted to-"
"Point by point, Dear. What happened?"
"There's...this client. He's been trying to buy out Crossroads for a few months according to Lala-chan. He came in and... he started hitting on me."
Akira cackles dryly, letting out the panic that almost explodes. Goro doesn't say anything, the man is already dead, it's not like Goro can make him pay for touching what is his.
"It wasn't innocent. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so terrified."
"And Morgana?"
"He had stayed with Futaba. He wanted to know if our 'plan' was prepared or something."
"Hm." Goro crosses his legs and encourages Akira to continue.
"He left after Lala-chan threatened him. I thought I was done with him, you know. Just a rich, self-centered old pervert! I mean I've changed the hearts of people more horrible than that why it was..."
Goro slowly moves closer and hugs him. Ugh. He hates the effect Akira has on him. Goro would like to call him manipulative, exploiting his feelings, but he knows he's sincere...
That's not important, Akira needs comfort. Goro is the only one there, so he doesn't really have a choice. Well, it's not like Goro would have let anyone else see Akira so distressed.
"I... he followed me. He tackled me against a wall in that alley, he was drunk and aggressive and..."
Goro grits his teeth but lets him finish his story. This bastard. Motherfucker...
"I pushed him. He fell and then bled and..."
Akira breaks down again in tears.
"I didn't mean to! I just wanted to be left alone. I just wanted..."
"Worthless piece of shit."
And Goro doesn't hold back his words. Akira looks at him surprised, not yet used to seeing his true personality. Goro is tired and doesn't calm his rage. He takes off the mask of the polite and pleasant detective to embrace his fury.
"Did he touch you, Akira."
"He..."
"Akira."
He turns his head and Goro has his answer.
"If you wouldn't have killed him, I would have done it myself."
"That's not necessary, Akechi..."
"Did you look at yourself, Akira?"
Goro glares at him. No one has the right to do this to him. No one can touch his gem, treasure, the only person Goro ended up caring about without facing the consequences of his punishment.
"What he did to you is unforgivable."
Akira moves closer to him. Loki approves the warm, comfortable embrace. God, for Loki to finally approve his touch, his chaotic persona, designed to ruin everything he touches, his rage personified... Goro is really in love with Akira, huh.
"Sometimes I forget that you can be so possessive."
"Shut up."
Akira chuckles softly. Goro prefers to see him like this.
"I'm a murderer now."
"Welcome to the club."
"I... I didn't want to..."
"I know. You're far too moral and self-righteous to end up killing willingly someone."
Akira looks him straight in the eye. Goro sees the uncertainty, the dread, the fear.
"And knowing you, it won't happen again. You're not like me, after all."
Goro cackles.
"You'll never be like me."
Akira runs his hand through Goro's hair, slowly and gently. A soothing, loving gesture.
"Goro." God, Akira doesn't know how Goro can melt and be willing to do anything to hear his name. One day, he will reveal his real name to him, the one his mother gave him. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. Why did you even call me?"
Akira lowers his head.
"I was panicking. I had just... I..."
Goro sighs.
"It's not your fault."
"Wh-!? Yes it was!? I killed him, I pushed that old man and..."
"And he was harassing a cross-dressing bar owner, strutting around because he had the money to do whatever he wanted, supporting Shido financially and literally molested you."
"... Sometimes I think you are a horrible influence on me, no one can easily accept a murder..."
"Speak for yourself. You're with an assassin. I kill my designated targets willingly, Akira. It's not your nonvoluntary murder that's going to disgust me."
Akira sighs. Goro glares at him as he stops his soothing movements in his hair.
"You need therapy. You know I can recommend a..."
"No."
"Maruki-sensei is though..."
"You need therapy just as much as I do for different reasons and figure you're not getting any help from that quack, you're probably more his therapist than he is."
"That's not true."
"Tell me that by looking at me, if you want to affirm I'm wrong."
Akira doesn't look at him.
"You idiot."
Goro detaches himself from Akira and gets up to prepare the bathroom. He goes to get a pillow and a change of comfortable clothes.
"The bath is hot." Goro throws the clothes at him which Akira catches in mid-air. "Leave the door unlocked if you need me."
"I'm not made of porcelain."
"You haven't looked at yourself Akira. That bastard..."
He closes his eyes.
"After what happened today I don't know if our plan is really..."
"Goro."
"I don't know what the officers can do to you in this room. And what happens if they do worse than what that old man tried to do? I wouldn't be here, I couldn't...
"I can handle being hit, Goro."
"And who's to say it'll just be hitting. What if they drug you?! Rape you?! I can't..."
"Goro."
"This is stupid. This is ridiculous. I can't let you be part of such a..."
"It's the only way to fool Shido and the others. You know that."
Akira stands up and hugs him.
"I will still be here afterward. I promise you Goro."
Goro sighs and pushes him.
"Stop trying to soothe me when you're the one who got assaulted."
"I..."
"Shut up. Let me take care of you. For once."
He takes him by the hand and leads him into the bathroom.
"Goro, are you really..."
"I'm not going to fuck you. Idiot. Get in the bath."
"Bossy."
Goro sighs and lets him undress in peace, Goro rolls up his sleeves and admires Akira diving into the hot water that Goro has prepared.
"Are you going to wash my hair?"
"Since you seem unable to do it yourself... Yes."
Akira smiles at him and Goro throws water at his face, embarrassed.
He runs his soapy hands through his hair, delicate as if he were taking care of a treasured jewel.
And Akira isn't that different from a diamond at the core. What an appropriate analogy.
"Akechi. Do you think... that others... will perceive me poorly now."
"Hm? Elaborate."
"I killed someone. The intent isn't important. I am... how can I stand for such high moral when I am..."
"Those idiots... blindly believe in you." Goro untangles a knot in his hair without tugging. "I doubt they will abandon you for such a thing."
"I have blood on my hands."
"And I'm covered in it. If these fools are really as you describe them, they will stay and support you. And even if they don't... I'll be there."
Akira turns slightly so he can see Goro sitting on the edge of the tub.
"I'll stay as long as you want me to stay."
Akira smiles tenderly at him like the fool he is.
"I feel the same way, Goro."