It’s not until Akechi actually speaks that Ren realizes it’s him - he is, as far as Ren is aware, no longer alive, after all. Why would he expect to see Akechi anywhere, much less wherever here is? And yet, this isn’t the first time Ren has encountered the other boy unexpectedly alive and … as well as Akechi can ever reasonably be. Ren’s reaction is much more muted this time - no gasp, no bewildered question, just a mildly surprised raise of his eyebrows and widening of his eyes behind his glasses as the dots connect, followed by a sharp stuttering of his heartbeat. At least his poker face is still on point; he has no involuntary outward display of anything like feathers to betray the tumult within.
“Long time no see.”
Stealing your lines, Akechi? You bet he is, but there’s nothing but warmth in his tone and a whisper of a grin curving his lips to accompany the words. Ren truly hopes he hasn’t been thrust into some false fantasy world again, because boy howdy, he has missed Akechi more than he ever let on for anyone to see.
See, Akechi wasn’t just a rival to Ren. You don’t make a blood oath out of a bond with someone who’s just a rival. And in all honesty, he’d played up the rivalry aspect of their relationship to keep Akechi’s interest. While there was some genuine competitiveness in play, Ren’s feelings toward the teen detective were much more complex than simple rivalry. Though initially at odds with the Phantom Thieves, Akechi became a comrade with a common goal, a teammate and ally who’d won Ren’s trust through his later actions, and someone Ren considered a close friend, for as close a friendship as Akechi would allow. Despite Akechi’s numerous crimes, and despite his history of deception, power plays, betrayals, and attempts on his life, Ren valued him - his keen intellect, his skills both in and out of battle, and most importantly, his simple companionship. Just Akechi spending time with him like a normal friend at the jazz club, the aquarium, the billiards hall - Ren treasured those memories, and he found his mind returning to them again and again in the weeks since he, Akechi, and the Phantom Thieves won the battle for reality against Maruki and ended the doctor’s twisted desires.
If Ren were inclined toward poetic expressions like Yusuke, he would say that losing Akechi for the second time felt like having a piece of his own heart stolen, or like having a part of his very soul ripped away from him by force. Making the choice to let Akechi go, again, was one of the most difficult decisions Ren had ever faced. It was the right decision, no question, but it hurt him more than taking a Megidolaon straight to the face ever had. The overall war had been won, sure, but not without suffering a significant loss. Their victory was stained with a certain hollowness that Ren could never entirely put out of his mind. Regardless of how Akechi felt about him, Akechi was important to Ren. Special. And he’d failed to save him, in the end. More than any missed opportunity or wrong decision made from the past year, that was the one thing Ren regretted the most. He understood and respected Akechi’s position, and he admired the other boy’s unflinching resolve, but he hated that he hadn’t been able to find another solution. Maybe if he’d had all the facts at his disposal earlier, maybe if he’d had more time - ah, but there’s no point in ruminating on past maybes and what ifs, is there. He and Akechi are here now, together again, and things are weird in ways Ren has yet to fully comprehend, but it’s - it’s another chance. Maybe this is the exact sort of fresh start Maruki envisioned for them with his misguided rewritten reality.
It just better be real this time. Ren’s not sure his heart could handle losing Akechi for a third time.
“I’m very lucky, then.”
Ren reaches up to idly twist a lock of his hair around his finger as he contemplates where to even begin with all of the questions pushing through to the front of his mind. One does not simply ask Akechi for anything, though. It’s not his style to freely give information without an exchange of some sort, in Ren’s past experience, and this is too fragile of an opportunity to risk testing if that still holds true.
no subject
“Long time no see.”
Stealing your lines, Akechi? You bet he is, but there’s nothing but warmth in his tone and a whisper of a grin curving his lips to accompany the words. Ren truly hopes he hasn’t been thrust into some false fantasy world again, because boy howdy, he has missed Akechi more than he ever let on for anyone to see.
See, Akechi wasn’t just a rival to Ren. You don’t make a blood oath out of a bond with someone who’s just a rival. And in all honesty, he’d played up the rivalry aspect of their relationship to keep Akechi’s interest. While there was some genuine competitiveness in play, Ren’s feelings toward the teen detective were much more complex than simple rivalry. Though initially at odds with the Phantom Thieves, Akechi became a comrade with a common goal, a teammate and ally who’d won Ren’s trust through his later actions, and someone Ren considered a close friend, for as close a friendship as Akechi would allow. Despite Akechi’s numerous crimes, and despite his history of deception, power plays, betrayals, and attempts on his life, Ren valued him - his keen intellect, his skills both in and out of battle, and most importantly, his simple companionship. Just Akechi spending time with him like a normal friend at the jazz club, the aquarium, the billiards hall - Ren treasured those memories, and he found his mind returning to them again and again in the weeks since he, Akechi, and the Phantom Thieves won the battle for reality against Maruki and ended the doctor’s twisted desires.
If Ren were inclined toward poetic expressions like Yusuke, he would say that losing Akechi for the second time felt like having a piece of his own heart stolen, or like having a part of his very soul ripped away from him by force. Making the choice to let Akechi go, again, was one of the most difficult decisions Ren had ever faced. It was the right decision, no question, but it hurt him more than taking a Megidolaon straight to the face ever had. The overall war had been won, sure, but not without suffering a significant loss. Their victory was stained with a certain hollowness that Ren could never entirely put out of his mind. Regardless of how Akechi felt about him, Akechi was important to Ren. Special. And he’d failed to save him, in the end. More than any missed opportunity or wrong decision made from the past year, that was the one thing Ren regretted the most. He understood and respected Akechi’s position, and he admired the other boy’s unflinching resolve, but he hated that he hadn’t been able to find another solution. Maybe if he’d had all the facts at his disposal earlier, maybe if he’d had more time - ah, but there’s no point in ruminating on past maybes and what ifs, is there. He and Akechi are here now, together again, and things are weird in ways Ren has yet to fully comprehend, but it’s - it’s another chance. Maybe this is the exact sort of fresh start Maruki envisioned for them with his misguided rewritten reality.
It just better be real this time. Ren’s not sure his heart could handle losing Akechi for a third time.
“I’m very lucky, then.”
Ren reaches up to idly twist a lock of his hair around his finger as he contemplates where to even begin with all of the questions pushing through to the front of his mind. One does not simply ask Akechi for anything, though. It’s not his style to freely give information without an exchange of some sort, in Ren’s past experience, and this is too fragile of an opportunity to risk testing if that still holds true.
“Would you be open to making a deal with me?”