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A neatly wrapped box of chocolates sat beautifully on the coffee table. The wine-red sheen of the waxy decorative paper contrasted with the worn-down light mahogany surface of the table. It was prominent, reminding. Next to it lay a scarlet envelope. The contents hidden within contained a secret almost too scandalous to share. It was a new version of Pandora’s box. It patiently waited to be delivered and opened, unleashing chaos into the world once it was.
Akechi was more nervous than he’d like to admit. Today was Valentine’s Day, a day filled to the brim with love and merriment. However, it would most likely turn into a day of dread and heartbreak. Akechi sighs as he paces back and forth in front of the light mahogany coffee table, occasionally glancing at the items decorating it. He had made everything himself (save for the few times he begrudgingly asked Sae for help with design and flavour ideas). The various-flavoured chocolates, the box containing them, the decorations on the box, and the neatly written letter beside it were all his doing, and yet he felt that he hadn’t put enough effort in. He felt his lack of effort was going to lead to rejection somehow.
“Ugh, this is so unbelievably stupid,” he says to himself. “It is only an admission. If he does not reciprocate these feelings, it is not the end of the world.”
However, this was far more than just a simple admission. It was his whole heart wrapped up in high-quality cardboard and decorated with his devotion. Akechi never knew love could be this nerve-wracking. He thought the people who described it as such were weak fools. Now, he’s realising he was a weak fool, too. A weak fool who thinks he has a shot with someone he declared a heated rivalry with a short few months ago.
Ren was the bane of Akechi’s existence. The cool and prideful man did nothing but get on Akechi’s nerves. Most of their relationship was spent one-upping each other or studying each other’s moves. Ren had no redeeming qualities. None at all. Ren was a clown who did nothing but annoy him whenever he got the chance. He cared too much. He cried at stupid romance movies. When faced with light flirting, he lost his decorum too easily. His glasses made him look like a pathetic puppy. He laughed too warmly. He was too vulnerable with those he trusted. He was too friendly. The pink hue that would appear over his face in the winter shone too brightly. When Ren ate, he got food all over his stupidly cute cheeks- Akechi shakes his head, and a light blush settles across his face.
“Ugh, I swear, I will rip him to shreds when I see him next! How dare he make me feel these… feelings!” Akechi shouts to himself.
He swallows a lump in his throat and picks up the items delicately. “I need to get this over with,” Akechi sighs. “I’ve literally dealt with worse things than some stupid love declaration. I will live.”
Akechi fixes his posture and takes a moment to recollect himself. He takes a deep breath, holds it in for a good few seconds, then breathes out. He repeats this a few times until he feels ready to step into the outside world and confront Ren. Once he is ready, he travels to LeBlanc. He knows that Ren likes to get in an extremely early-morning read before he starts the day. He hated how that random fact made his heart flutter. Akechi found that to be one of Ren’s more convenient traits. Nobody came to LeBlanc this early in the morning. It was the perfect setting to get humiliated and humbled. A more humiliating thought crossed Akechi’s mind: Sojiro and Morgana might be there. He would have an audience to his humiliation show if the two regular inhabitants were there. Akechi sighs. It was too late to back out now because he was already here, gift in hand. He would have to try to ignore the two, though that would be difficult. He did not want to confess in some decently populated run-down alleyway, nor did he feel like taking another long train ride just to get his heart ripped apart and thrown away at some nice place. This unfortunately has to be the place to confess.
“Good morning,” Akechi calls out as he hesitantly enters LeBlanc. He offers his trademark smile as the nerves start devouring his flesh. At least, from the look of things, Sojiro was not currently in the building. Neither was Morgana, surprisingly. “I see you’re fitting the glasses stereotype perfectly today.”
Ren looks up from his book and nods in acknowledgement. “Today is not a great day for teasing, Goro,” he says, taking a sip of what appears to be strong coffee.
Akechi immediately knew why the boy’s usually snarky mood dimmed. He was thinking about November 20th again. This made Akechi even more hesitant to give Ren the gifts. How could Ren possibly say yes to something he is clearly in no mood to talk about? Akechi’s smile falters, and he sighs once more. He’s come too far to give up now. He’ll just offer a softer approach. Maybe it could lighten the mood? Maybe it could make Ren feel better? He doubts it, but at least he could try.
He walked up close to Ren, standing in front of the booth he was stationed at. “Well, Ren, I am in no joking mood either. I have… something that I need to get off my chest. Something that I am having great difficulty coming to terms with.” Akechi confesses reluctantly, hiding the gift behind his back.
Ren places his drink down and shuts his half-read book. He leans against the wooden surface of the table in front of him. Ren crosses his legs and folds his arms neatly on his lap. He quirks up an intrigued eyebrow. “What could possibly be troubling the great detective prince Goro Akechi?”
Akechi scoffs. “I thought you were in no joking mood, Joker,” he teases lightly.
Ren chuckles softly. “I’m not, though, with you; you somehow always manage to make my mood brighten. Now, what is it you needed to tell me?” he asks, playful innocence painting his face.
Akechi’s heart was about to explode and kill everyone in a 50-mile radius of him. “Well… It’s…”
Akechi was having a hard time confessing his feelings. He felt childish for having such difficulty. He’s literally gone to war with shadowy beings of mass destruction. He’s faced his father’s twisted image of him and lived to tell the tale. His nerves of steel and years of determined hatred have helped him avoid becoming a pile of ground meat in this hellish society that chewed him up and threw him away. So, why was this so hard?
Akechi clears his throat and swiftly shoves the handmade gifts into Ren’s chest. The items fall in Ren’s lap, and the surprised boy looks down in confusion. A series of emotions played across Ren’s face as he examined the gifts, none of which made Akechi feel hopeful. Akechi’s stomach churned, sweat decorated his body, and his teeth pierced his bottom lip. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand there. Time felt too slow. He desperately needed it to hurry up.
After what felt like an eternity, Ren carefully opened the small red box, and shock manifested on his face. “Goro…….. Why, thank you for the chocolates,” he says sheepishly. “And from the look of things, these are homemade. Wow… I never would have expected you to give me something like this.”
Akechi swiftly looks away from Ren, red violently smearing itself across his cheeks, and hums in response. “It’s not that big of a deal. It’s only chocolates.”
Ren chuckles, the dreary mood from earlier subsiding. “Not a big deal? I thought you hated my guts. I still have the glove to prove that after all.” Ren says, unaware that by saying that, Akechi felt even more certain of an impending rejection.
Akechi was feeling shakier by the second. Everything between the two would change this day, but he didn’t know if it would be a welcome one or a harsh one. Ren placed the box on the table and picked up the envelope. He inspected it for a while, admiring the attention to detail.
Akechi would have laughed and made fun of the boy for that, but his nerves ate up whatever snark he had. Instead, he impatiently waited for the likely rejection. “Just open the damn letter. Are you incapable of doing something so simple?” Akechi impatiently demanded. Ren was killing him more painfully than the bullet from his cognitive self.
Ren giggled at Akechi’s impatience. “Alright, I’ll open your silly little letter.”
That light-hearted comment offended Akechi greatly. There was nothing silly about it at all. His dignity was on the line. Everything he had built with Ren ran the risk of crumbling once the ink on that piece of cardstock paper broke free. This was no laughing matter. This wasn’t small. Ren was a fool for thinking so.
Akechi remained silent as Ren fiddled with the letter. His slowness was starting to irritate Akechi greatly. How could someone be so slow at opening a letter? All you had to do was tear open the envelope and then unfold it. It was so simple, even a heavily sleep-deprived Ryuji could do it!
After what felt like thirty eternities and ninety-five aeons, Ren finally unfolded the note. Pandora’s box was open. The genie was out and unable to go back into it’s bottle. Akechi was mentally preparing himself for the impending rejection. He felt like a nervous schoolgirl confessing to her crush at lunch, and he absolutely hated every second of it. He was about to sprint out of the cafe and repeatedly bash his head against the reinforced concrete exterior until it was painted red. Silence wrapped him up in thorny bondage. He knew Ren was a fast reader. The letter shouldn't have taken him more than a minute to read. Unfortunately, it was taking Ren several minutes. Minutes that passed by with a red-hot sting. He could feel the cloth hang uncomfortably on his body; every place the air hit his skin felt searingly cold. It made him want to scream and free himself from his fleshy prison.
“Goro…” Ren began softly.
Akechi flinched at the gentle tone. He could feel the disgust and harsh rejection coming. He was prepared to have his heart diced by Ren’s sharp, dangerous tongue. He balled up his fists and refused to look at the boy across from him. He was overwhelmed and needed to be freed from the shackles of his strong emotions.
“I… I had no idea you felt this way about me… I…” Ren went silent for a few moments. “For the few months I have gotten to know you, you never cease to surprise me,” he said with a chuckle. “I…” Ren looked away, a pink blush dusting itself over his cheeks. “I like you too…”
Both boys were determined not to look at each other, pale flesh turning red as time passed. Silence blanketed the cafe. Akechi was embarrassed, stunned, confused, elated, and frustrated all at once. After about 5 minutes of silence and recollection, Ren was the first one to move. He stood up and gently grabbed Akechi’s hands. Lightning shot through Akechi’s fingertips. After a few seconds, Ren softly kissed him on the cheek. That made both of their faces burn brighter.
“Happy Valentine's Day, Goro,” Ren says shyly.
Akechi clears his throat. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he states as he finally musters up the courage to look at Ren.
Ren smiles at Akechi and this time leans in for a kiss on the lips. Akechi leans in too, and soft lips collide with rough ones. The kiss was sweet and filled with many unsaid emotions. Akechi’s chest felt like fireworks, and his stomach was an aviary. The kiss made him feel light-headed, but in a way he didn’t mind. They pull apart and gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes. All that worry Akechi built up vanished, and in its stead, peace filled his soul. Maybe things will be alright after all.