Ren laughs, not unkindly, because he knows that the roots branching underneath Akechi’s shock grew from seeds of abuse, devaluation, and hatred, and not all of those seeds were planted by other people in his life. Some of those seeds were planted by Akechi himself.

“Is that really such a surprise? It’s normal to want to spend time with the people you love.”

It takes Ren a moment to realize what he’s just admitted aloud, and in the speaking of this sentiment - giving the feeling form with words - something in his mind clicks into place. Like earlier, when he came to the realization that Akechi viewed him as better, something inside of him feels realigned, more complete.

He loves Akechi. He’d been dancing around it earlier, swept up in his anger and frustration, circling around the answer to a crossword clue that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Everything is in focus now. Ren hums a quiet sound, some kind of nonverbal that’s interesting, and takes another sip of his coffee.

Fear and anxiety slice into the atmosphere in staccato bursts, and Ren forces himself to keep watching Akechi to gauge his reaction to this revelation. Ren doesn’t expect the news will be received well, but he can hope for the best.