8A/N: Some things have been edited or added to make the story a better read. The core is the same however.
Jeez, Ren thinks as he cleans dishes in Leblanc on a Tuesday evening. Its sure been a hectic couple days. I was released just yesterday and already I've learned one of my closest friends is actually alive, gotten a warm and crazy welcome from my dearest friends, and today I've had to make coffee for god knows how many people, actually god probably doesn't I struck him down. Still a crap ton of people have come through most of them were...
Sojiro must've been thinking somewhere along the same lines because he looked up from the cups he'd been working with and said thoughtfully, "Oh right, today's Valentine's Day. No wonder there were so many guys bringing girls in here."
Ren chuckles quietly and mumbles under his breath still cleaning the dishes, "I love this place Boss but honestly its so quiet and nearly empty, normally. You didn't notice something was up at the first half dozen couples?"
"Don't you have anything going on?" Sojiro asks, actually looking towards Ren now. "I mean, you've been living here nearly a whole year.
Ren's heads tilted towards Sojiro now but all he gives is a shrug and a small grin as he cleans up another plate. I dooo... he thinks, drawing out the word in his head. Don't think you've met her as my girlfriend... Or even at all come to think of it. I always snuck her into Leblanc when you weren't here. So unless you have a hidden camera...
"Y'know, when I was young, hoo boy..." Sojiro says getting a faraway look in his eyes.
She should be here soon Boss, then you'll- Ren thinks before the jangling bells of Leblanc's doors opening disrupt his thoughts. Ren's turning around and Sojiro's already facing the door to greet the new customer.
Or at least he would've but the lovely young woman stepping in has caught both of them off guard. Sojiro because he clearly recognizes her and has a reasonable guess why she's here. Ren because its his girlfriend and he hasn't seen her in almost two months. She's beautiful as always, Ren thinks, noting the outfit was the same cheerful blue and red checkered one that she'd worn on their last night together. On Christmas Eve.
"Excuse me..." Hifumi Togo says quietly, gazing at her boyfriend.
Ren steps out from behind the counter without saying a word, gazing at the girl who stole his heart. He's not entirely sure what to say. He's considered apologies, declarations, promises, but none of it seems right now with this beautiful girl he loves staring at him.
Eventually and perhaps inevitably its Sojiro who breaks the silence, giving a soft chuckle, "Ohhh... You should've just told me..."
Ren can feel heat rising in his face at that and Hifumi's face is tinged pink. "Here I'll leave the store to you," Sojiro says walking for the door, his tone gentle. "Enjoy yourselves." Morgana follows him out without a word and its not the first time Ren is glad the cat kept his mouth shut and out of the way when he and Hifumi were alone together.
"Good evening," Hifumi says voice bearing a tinge of mischief and a warm smile on her face, having moved close enough to touch her boyfriend mere seconds after the jangle of bells indicates the door being shut and a slight clatter marking the sign's shift to closed.
"I'll make you some coffee," her boy offers gesturing to a booth where they could both sit.
"Thank you very much," she replies a broader smile growing on her face. She sits down and watches her boyfriend as he blends two coffees, one for each of them. Watches the nimble, careful movement of his hands so different from the firm decisive actions he'd make as they played Shogi. Even in matches he couldn't win which, admittedly, had been most at the beginning his determination and thirst for victory in uncertain conditions had caught her attention, he had a gambler's spirit, she had said at the time. She didn't realize just how right she had been until far later as the boy she'd come to know appeared on television as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, allegedly having committed suicide while in captivity. Slowly the moment plays back through her mind Her shogi board clattered to the ground, pieces slightly scattered when she'd seen that picture, seen that news. She'd been unable to cope with the shock... And yet... Somehow she'd known he wasn't gone. She couldn't have explained it then but... she still felt like he was there. Now she could explain and would've to anyone she could. She was in love with Ren Amamiya and though she hadn't realized at the time, already had been when he "died". Its said people feel something when the love of their life dies. And...
"I'd felt nothing," Hifumi whispers to herself as she watches her boyfriend wipe his hands on his apron and picking up their coffees. "So... he was still there and yeah he was."
"Here ya go miss," he says exactly as he had to every woman who he'd served that night, placing a coffee in front of her. "I hope you enjoy." He sat down on the side of the booth opposite her, with his coffee in front of him. The steam from both their cups trailed into the air.
Hifumi frowns at him, "I was worried you know." There's a bit of her old glare in her eyes as she says it.
Ren flinches slightly with guilt, glancing away. "Sorry Hifumi... Didn't mean to upset you..." He tugs on his hair in the back a little which Hifumi knows as well as anyone is a sign of his guilt and embarrassment.
Her eyes widen suddenly and she quickly says, "Oh no... I-its not like I'm trying to lecture you... The reason I'm here today is..."
"Valentine's?" Ren offers, knowing it could be bad news but desperately hoping not. I mean she's most certainly not here to play a match. Her board is nowhere in sight.
"Yes," the beautiful shogi player says softly with a gentle smile, pulling a box from her purse and sliding it gently towards Ren. "It isn't much but..."
The Trickster's eyes widen slightly at the box before him. Its a handsome shade of dark green, wrapped in a pretty red bow. Is that..? Valentine's Day Chocolate? For me? I wasn't sure if she'd had time, considering all the effort she put into my release.
"Through my attempts to make that... I realized..." Hifumi says sounding somewhat embarrassed and slightly ashamed. "My lack of talent."
Ren looks his girl straight in the eyes for maybe the second time that night and says softly but seriously, "I'll savor it."
Hifumi's brightening smile and lighter tone is a treasure all its own when she says, "All I did was melt whatever I bought at the market, so it should be fine... I think."
Ren beams at his girlfriend from the other end of the table, "I'm sure it'll taste great."
"Until I met you, I never imagined that I'd have... a boyfriend," Hifumi says, her cheeks tinging pink at her own words.
"Yeah this is... a first for me too... Hifumi," Ren says, blushing himself as he looks over at the girl he still thinks of as the Star. No, not the Star, anymore. Now she's his Star.
Hifumi closed her eyes at his words though as she speaks more now they slowly inch back open, blush deepening. "I-I need to devote myself to learning how to do things... o-other than shogi."
"L-let's work hard together," Ren says blushing a bit himself though smiling. "Let's d-do our best and be the best we can be..."
"Next year..." Hifumi says shyly though her beaming smile could warm anyone even in the dead of winter. "Please let me atone for my... Homemade chocolates."
"Let's come here again next year..." Ren says, the shyness in his voice belying his broad smile. "You can... Give me them again right here... In Leblanc... In this booth... Though I'm sure these are amazing!"
"People still call me the Phony Princess. I'm quite the villain now," Hifumi says with an impish grin, her voice holding an odd mix of bemusement and pleasure. "But to be honest, I like it better than being treated like an idol. It's really freeing." She can't hold back her giggle once she's said it all.
Ren's smile is mischievous after she's said it all. You sound like a Phantom Thief when you say that Hifumi... Maybe in another world, you became one of us... I think you'd get along with Ann... And Makoto already seems to like you, she's told me as much... And Futaba would probably try and get you to play virtual shogi... And Haru would, well Haru might be jealous... And Ryuji'd be checking you out, and I'd slug him in the arm... And Yusuke would be wanting to paint you, honestly he probably already does and unfortunately I can't punch him for that he's as clueless as a puppy dog... And Morgana would be calling you Lady Hifumi... Which would result in me punting him to the moon...
Hifumi seems to have missed, well that or she's choosing to ignore, his brief slip into his Joker style for a second there because she continues talking, a bit more earnestly and with a touch of sadness to her voice this time. "As long as I have a board and playing pieces... I can go anywhere with shogi... So my goal is to be the best professional shogi player wherever I may be... Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"Makoto... told you... huh?" Ren asked, grasping her meaning.
"Yeah, it... it was troubling to hear," Hifumi says looking down. "I wish you'd told me..."
Ren is all set to apologize but before he can say, "I'm sorry" or give an explanation "I wasn't trying to keep it a secret but when we first got together so much was going on that all I wanted to think about when we were together was you" Hifumi is already glancing at him.
"I would... I'd like to sit next to you," Hifumi says quietly, her dark eyes fully meeting his grey ones for the first time since he's sat down.
Ren gives a nod and rubs his hand on his apron nervously. "Sure." He watches his girlfriend walk over and has to choke down a laugh when she slips a little on some coffee he and Sojiro had missed. Its nothing more than a spot nor does she lose her balance for more than a second but its cute as well as funny to see his girlfriend so normally full of queenly grace and poise lose her balance as she walks over to her former criminal boyfriend. Whose criminal record her determination and coordination along with so many of his friends determination helped erase. He considers how blessed he must be for a second or two but then she's standing next to him and he scoots over a bit so she'll have room to sit.
After settling herself into her seat the Phony Princess turns to her boyfriend to find he's already staring at her. Meeting his gaze she quietly says, "I never felt distressed being alone, until I met you..."
Ren's mind goes white with guilty thoughts even as his gaze remains fixed on her, How did she feel when she saw I'd "died?" Or having to hear of my incarceration from someone else? Or hearing from someone else that I'd be leaving just a month after getting back to her?
"You're going home next month, yes?" Ren's girlfriend asks him sadly, choking on her next words. "Thinking about you leaving I-I..."
Ren's been thinking about asking her this since his drive home from juvie in Sojiro's car, "Want to tag along?"
"H-huh?!" Hifumi gasps, staring at her boyfriend with wide eyes and blushing cheeks. "I apologize for discussing such a heavy topic when we haven't seen each other in so long."
"You didn't know until I was gone," Ren says, guilt evident in his tone and reaching the decision he'd ask her again, but not today. "Its only fair you ask me about it, now that I'm back."
"Well, I was able to wait for you to be discharged, so living apart won't be difficult..." Hifumi says, trying to put on her brave face but failing somewhat as she chokes up for the entire part about them living apart. "I can't seem to conceal my true emotions... from you."
"Then don't," Ren murmurs, not caring if she hears him.
Hifumi leans against his shoulder and though she's blushing she's smiling broadly and looks comfortable. His entire body feels warm from her touch and he's sure his face is dyed scarlet. They've been this close before, closer even and he hopes they will again but she still makes him lose it, every time. "That means I'm quite serious about you..." she says warmly. "And I will not allow a redo."
Ren's heart warms at her words and leans down to kiss her head. "No redos," he promises. "I love you Hifumi." As she echoes his words, replacing her name with his own the world seems to stop for them. And in a booth in a cafe a boy called the Trickster held a girl dubbed the Phony Princess all through that night neither caring if anyone found them later. After all none of those who'd judge could ever be satisfied and those that wouldn't already were.
A/N: This isn't the end for me and this ship! Though my next works being entirely post canon or between Valentine's Day and the True Ending may be in a separate story or stories. I'd appreciate any thoughts on the work and this chapter especially!
