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It's more like an abundance of sentimentality. A strange compulsion to protect and guard all things pure and good.

[He casts a glance at the angelic wings on his back.]

Imagine me, a defender of purity.

[Ah yes, Akechi's famously favorite thing. Sentimentality.]

I don't have to imagine it. You're right here.

[It's not hard to picture, either. It's not a far leap from goodness and purity to justice, and Ren is keenly aware that the differences between how Akechi's life progressed are a mirror to his own. The Phantom Thieves fought for justice, after all. If their roles had been reversed somehow, Akechi could have been the one leading the charge for righting injustices in their society. That's what was at the root of his elaborate revenge scheme against his father, after all - addressing the injustice both he and his mother suffered at Shido's hand.]

So ... if you're a protector of all things good and pure, and you just rescued me from that fighting ring ... are you trying to say you think I'm something good and pure?

[His mouth curves into a crooked grin and his eyes take on a mischievous glint.]

'Cause I think we both know that's a stretch.

You're certainly more pure than me.

[Still, he matches Ren's grin with one of his own, tapping his cheek ever so gently with a claw. Just one. The others remain retracted.]

Still, considering you find me attractive in my present state, one might question the purity of said attraction.

[Really, it's all in jest. If anything, he's flattered.]

You say that like I didn’t just literally drink your blood.

[Ren has to laugh at the absurdity of that incident, now that he’s made it through the danger and anxiety of it. Now that a healthy flush has returned to his skin and he feels warm and alive again, he can manage a little humor for the situation.

The pinprick of Akechi’s claw on Ren’s cheek kicks his heartbeat back up, and he closes his eyes for a moment to savor the sensations of this brand of danger. This one is so much more thrilling, because it feels less like losing control and more like giving it to his more-than-rival, with all the trust and love Ren holds for Akechi in his heart.

Ren lazily opens his eyes again and gazes up longingly at Akechi through those impossibly long, dark lashes. The corner of his mouth quirks up, playful once more.]

Or like I wasn’t thinking some very impure things when you pounced on me, back there.

Well, it was oddly attractive.

[Yes, he'll admit it with a snicker. If Ren's going to admit 'impurity,' he might as well.]

Though, if you're having such sinful desires, it's a shame there aren't many comfortable venues to indulge in them.

[Not that he expects it to stop them, if that's what it comes to.]

Mm, I do miss our van.

[It may technically be Ren’s van and Akechi may have his own vehicle, but they have made something of a home there together. So Ren has decided, quite firmly, that the van is theirs.

He’s missed playing like this, too. No one matches his energy quite like Akechi does. No one else is this much fun. It reminds Ren of those first outings after they’d just met - the skillful verbal sparring, the mental cat-and-mouse dance.

And if he can manage to keep Akechi from being drawn into his own troubled thoughts for a while, that’s even better. Ren fakes a scandalized expression - mouth open, eyes wide, palm pressed to his chest - and sits up.]

Why, Akechi - are you saying you liked seeing me out of my mind with how much I wanted you?

[Look at this face. Babies aren’t this innocent. Ren slowly leans forward and drops the feigned shock, allowing a devilish grin to take its place. His voice drops in tone to a sultry purr.]

You don’t need to bleed for me if you want to see that, you know.

Why, yes. Yes I did.

[Look at that toothy, feline smirk, even daring to brush a claw down Ren's chest ever so gently.]

To be so thoroughly desired... To see you unravel before me... Heh. It's quite the spectacle.

[Ren may not have previously lived with the same level of feeling unwanted as Akechi did, but the understanding that he was more tolerated than outright cherished never fully escaped his notice. His parents were less than enthusiastic about his presence in general, and in small towns like the one where he grew up, friends are often made by default, by convenience of proximity more than shared interest or sincere affection. Even when he was sent to Tokyo, followed by the specter of his criminal record, Ren struggled with the knowledge that he was, for the most part, not welcome - until Ryuji and Ann and the rest of the Phantom Thieves. His various friends, contacts, and confidants genuinely wanted to spend time with Ren, and among them all, Akechi was the one who asked for little in return except Ren’s company.

Some of that bond they forged was wrapped in performance, with ulterior motives, on both their parts. But some of it, the more important portion, was authentic and deeply rooted. Akechi was a celebrity; he could have spent what little free time he had with anyone in the entirety of Tokyo, yet he chose Ren, time and again. Truly being someone’s chosen was a thrill for Ren akin to zipping through the Metaverse with his grappling hook and the incredible new powers discovered in his Personas.

And this is a large part of why losing Akechi was so painful for Ren, why Akechi was his wish in Maruki’s reality. All of the bonds Ren forged in Tokyo were unique, of course, but Ren never had a rival before. Akechi’s bond was special.

Akechi made Ren feel special.

Then he was gone.

Nothing was the same between them in January, after Akechi returned, impossibly, miraculously, and sought Ren’s help. There were moments that felt right - moments when they teamed up in battle, perfectly in sync; moments at the jazz club, sharing soft words over drinks - but there was a new kind of distance between them, and it hurt, a splinter in skin that refused to be removed. Eventually, it made sense, after that last long night before facing Maruki, but understanding didn’t soothe Ren’s suffering when Akechi disappeared once again. His rival, gone for good this time, or so it seemed.

Until Revan. Here, Akechi was alive, his heart changed of his own accord, and Ren finally understood the depth of his feelings for his rival. Yet Akechi still hesitated, still resisted allowing Ren in, arguing he didn’t deserve this second chance they’d been given. Square one all over again, with Ren sensing he was more or less tolerated by Akechi but doubting he was truly wanted.

Even after Akechi began to allow his walls to slowly crumble, Ren was never entirely certain his presence was welcome. He’d needed to make a deal with Akechi for the consent to love him, and the question of whether Akechi truly desired the affection Ren offered was one he struggled to fully shake. What if Akechi was only humoring Ren? What if Akechi only agreed because he felt pressured into it? Such uneasy thoughts nagged in the back of his mind, no matter how many kisses or words or moments of soft touch they shared.

Akechi’s answer now dissolves any shred of that doubt that remains in Ren’s mind. His yes, given freely and without reservation, is exactly what Ren needs to hear to finally feel like his status as part of Akechi’s life is truly desired.

The word and the way it’s delivered catch Ren off guard. He’s grown accustomed to the low-grade underlying sense of resistance coming from Akechi that’s persisted ever since January, when the other Thieves shook themselves out of Maruki’s reality and joined the fight. The sudden awareness of something missing that he’d forgotten to notice delivers a shock Ren can’t keep from overtaking him. His expression, usually so firmly under his control, cracks for the moment it takes for the understanding that Akechi wants him to sink in, leaving him stunned and silent as if he’s been dealt a physical blow. He’s forgotten how to breathe. Do vampires even need to breathe? It doesn’t matter. Akechi wants him. Akechi likes that Ren wants him, likes seeing Ren wanting him.

Ren doesn’t need to argue his case any longer. He was right all along - they belong together. Two sides of the same coin, each indivisible from the other half. His brain restarts, remembers how to make words again. His gaze fixes on his more-than-rival again, this time entirely earnest. He isn’t playing anymore.]

Wanna see me unravel all the way for you? I can show you right now. Wouldn’t take much.

[He shifts forward to climb straight into Akechi’s lap, slide his arms over Akechi’s shoulders, press his own body in close to the other boy, melting into his warmth like butter on a plate of pancakes. Any space left between them is too much, and Ren wants it gone.]

Might need your help getting me out of this, though, [he mumbles into the side of Akechi’s neck, taking a deep inhale of his scent, savoring it. Akechi’s claws down his chest sent a few sequins flying moments ago; he may as well finish the job he already started.

What’s the next step beyond desire - need? Obsession? Whatever it is, that’s where Ren has now landed, and he couldn’t be more content.]

Right here, in a house of mirrors?

[Ha... What a thought. It's hardly private. Anyone could stumble upon them, their everything reflected for all to see.]

My, how daring...

[But it's not a no, is it? He even moves one hand to try and help Ren with his top.

They're hardly prepared. They have a hard floor, no comfort or flourishes, and he hardly knows how far they'll want to go... But when was anything ever simple with them?]

[Truly, it’s a shame they’re not better prepared; Ren happens to think getting pinned down and railed by his incredibly hot, incredibly powerful rival sounds pretty awesome, actually. Congrats, Akechi, you woke the freak streak.

Alas. They’ll need to put a pin in that for potential discussion and exploration at another time. Still, even without thorough planning, they have options. They’re both wild cards, after all - resourceful, adaptable.

They’re also both teenagers, at the mercy of their raging hormones. Necessity, invention, etc.

The bodysuit Ren pilfered zips almost all the way down in the back, with two additional hidden zippers on the sides, under the arms. If Akechi can oblige with unzipping the back, Ren will handle the same at the sides while stamping ravenous kisses wherever he can - over Akechi’s neck, under his jaw, up to his mouth. Any graze of his fangs is only a tease, never intending to puncture skin and take blood.]

Don’t wanna share my performance with anyone else? [He grins against Akechi’s mouth, dots another kiss on the bridge of his nose.] Wanna keep me all to yourself?

[Hmmm... Quite the question. Akechi hums, as if this requires deep contemplation.

But yes. He'll unzip the back, gladly accepting the kisses and nips from those pointed teeth.]

I must admit, I'm not particularly inclined to share...

[Zippers now undone, Ren shrugs out of the top part of the bodysuit and allows it to fall around his waist, leaving his top half bare except for the light flush of his skin, the steady glow of his sigil, and the gloves still on his hands. He grins and leans in to kiss Akechi again, deeper, lingering, while his gloved fingers slide gently into his hair.]

Oh - Crow, Crow … don’t you already know I’m yours? All yours. Only yours. For as long as you want me, I’m yours.

[So what if he’s playing up the act a bit - Akechi wanted a spectacle, right? And the sentiment behind the exaggerated manner is still genuine. Ren lazily rolls his head back, eyes shut, throat bared like prey in surrender.]

I need you. Need your hands on me - please, Crow. Touch me.

I could...

[He brings a hand to Ren's chest, lightly tracing the contours with a claw.]

Although...

[He leans in to whisper, because this sounds incredibly seductive in his head.]

It would be far more fun to see you beg.

[Little does Akechi realize, those meddlesome spirits are drawing near...

For now, though, he's much too focused on Ren to realize.]

[For what it’s worth, Ren too has lost sight of everything that isn’t Akechi. The boy has total tunnel vision, no seduction required, but in the spirit of playing along with the bit, he inhales a quiet gasp as that claw lightly travels over his skin.]

I thought I was begging. [His lips purse in a playful pout.] Not enough for you?

[That’s fine, Ren can turn up the act a bit more. He’s a showman, after all, eager to please his audience of one.

Said audience will find Ren draping himself over his chest and torso, arms dangling over the tops of his shoulders, leaning in close to fit against him seamlessly. Even half undressed, he’s so warm, flush from excitement and Akechi’s own blood, a perfect fit against his rival’s body because they belong together.

Ren wastes no time positioning his mouth near Akechi’s ear, exhaling quiet sighs and an almost inaudible moan, for only him to hear.]

I’m already on my knees for you, Crow. Please … I can’t stand that you’re not touching me right now, I need you …

[He breathes out another barely-there sound of longing and peels himself back from Akechi, slowly bending all the way backwards until he’s splayed out on the ground, bent knees on either side of Akechi’s hips, gloved hands resting above his head in surrender. Eyelids heavy with thick lashes flutter halfway closed, his mouth parts, and a desperate, breathy whine escapes from his throat.

Hard to believe this is the same boy who just a short time ago was terrified of overpowering Akechi and causing him harm. Now here he is, an all-too-willing offering for his victor, pleading to be overpowered.]

I’m nothing without you, Crow. I need you … please. Please.

Edited 2025-12-13 02:53 (UTC)

[The thing with Akechi's nekomata form is that his hearing is sharp. That whisper in his ear makes him shiver with anticipation. His eyes zero in on all the subtle shifts in Ren's expression. Those eyelashes, the parting of his lips...

He presses his chest against Ren's, one hand sliding just below his waist. His barbed tongue teasingly brushes against Ren's lips.]

That's more like it...

[But before he can get too comfortable, the spirits cry out.]

There they are! Hurry and restrain them!

[In that instant, Akechi's fur stands on is. He breaks away from Ren, stumbling to his feet. Hereward materializes at his side, ready to strike.]

Damn it. Of course they wouldn't let us go so easily...

[For the briefest of moments, Ren’s entire body tingles pleasantly with the buildup to getting what he wants - no, it’s not just what he wants. This is what they want, together, perfectly synced. It’s the same uncanny knowing Ren remembers feeling the first time they fought using that improvised joint attack - seamless, special.

And it’s ruined by the sound of encroaching voices. Ren groans in frustration, curses under his breath, and becomes a bat for a harried instant before he re-forms in his usual shape, stood next to Akechi and ready to put up one hell of a fight.

(Yes, the body suit is fully back on. It’s vampire physics. Don’t question it.)

Uriel cycles to the front of his mind, but he holds off summoning anyone just yet.]

What’s your call, Leader?

Get down. This won't be pleasant.

[With a growl, he thrusts his sword out.]

Megidolaon!

[A simple, direct order. His wings fan out, ready to take flight as the magic blooms outward, bowling over the specters and shattering several mirrors in its wake.]

Edited 2025-12-15 17:56 (UTC)

You got it.

[Ren doesn’t need to be told twice; he’s already had his Megidolaon for today, thank you very much. He quickly sinks to the ground in mist form, hovering in a slow swirl behind Akechi, out of the blast range.]

[Thankfully, the attack does its job, giving them the perfect front to escape from. Even so, Akechi breathes smoke behind them, to further conceal them.

The question is, where can they go?]

[Excellent question! Ren takes his normal form again as they hurry away from their would-be captors. He’s faster on his feet when he actually has feet, after all. Still, he can’t resist making a quip.]

You are so hot when you’re blowing things up like that, [he says, grinning wildly.]

[Rationally, he knows Ren finds him hot. Ren compliments him regularly. Showers him in affection.

All the same, Akechi's eyes widen at the remark. Perhaps he's simply too flustered still from the interruption.]

You would find me attractive, even as a cat.

inbox!!

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spice advisory; suggestive levels increasing

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cw for #TEENAGERS

very STUPID teenagers. with hormones

cw very teenager very suggestive

cw for more dumbass idiot boys being idiots

cw stupid extremely suggestive idiot boy acting very stupid and horny

1/2 cw for more suggestive, horny idiots... and getting interrupted, lmao

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