His reaction is muted, disbelief and distress in equal measure. Frowning deeply, he folds one arm across his chest and bends the other to lean his chin into his hand. Those red gloves he’s been wearing throughout the dream are gone now.

Ren doesn’t need to question why Akechi would believe this. He understands what their society thinks of orphans and children with unmarried parents. He has heard Akechi refer to himself as a scandal, a disgrace, a cursed child; now that he has abandoned the Detective Prince facade, his lack of self-worth is practically a flashing neon sign. At this moment of realization, Ren’s heart breaks all over again for the other boy. It seems he has been an unwitting source of Akechi’s pain. If only he’d known sooner …

This is a dream, right? And dreams are irrational. Akechi said so himself. Ren would normally not be quite this forward, but words and even those projections of emotions are simply not enough. He may end up attacked over this, but it’s a risk he’s willing to take. Akechi is worth the risk.

Ren steps forward and gently pulls Akechi into a hug, solid and warm with all of the love he holds in his heart.

“I wish,” he says, a fierce whisper, “I could find every person who ever hurt you and make them pay for it.”