1V-Day Heart-to-Heart
On February 13th, the combined efforts of the Phantom Thieves and their allies brought forth not one but two joyful reunions. Although it was supposed to be a celebration of the victorious return of their leader as well as an early farewell party, Morgana wound up stealing the show with his unexpected appearance. He then declared that this momentous occasion would be his comeback party and demanded sushi on the spot. Sojiro, who had just returned with food and party supplies, appeased the cat by feeding him a treat.
Yusuke remarked that if Morgana ever became human, he would be like Ren. The rest of the Thieves agreed whereupon Morgana playfully ribbed at Ryuji, exclaiming he would not want to be like him. The usual bickering between the hot-headed blondie and the not-cat started, Ann told them to shut up, Futaba seized on that opening to pick on Inari, and thus things were back to normal.
Two by two, the Phantom Thieves left, leaving Ren and Makoto standing at the entrance of Leblanc. They both shuffled their feet and Makoto smoothed her hair, unsure of what to say. Ren offered her a small smile. She returned it shyly.
"Welcome back."
"I'm back."
Makoto took one step towards him with her hands folded in front of her.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
Ren smiled widely and held his arms out. "A little cold."
She stepped into his open embrace, sinking her head into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, rocking them back and forth. She sighed happily and hugged him as tightly as she dared.
He was cold - especially his hands. Normally, she was the one who soaked up his warmth whenever they embraced but this time, she could feel her body heat seeping into him.
She pressed herself against him and he moved his arms down her back and held her tighter, welcoming her warmth.
He was paler than when she last saw him and his eyes were like dark pits, sunken in with fatigue. Even his lips were drained of color, a pale pink tinged faintly with blue. She could only imagine the sleepless nights, the opposition during the trials, and the pressure of constant surveillance that he faced alone. She could feel the outline of his ribs through his clothes and as she ran her hands along his back she noted a decrease in muscle mass.
But he was here. He was alive and well and he was here - right where he should be!
We did it. We got him back. I'm so glad we didn't give up.
They parted and Ren gently stroked her face. "You lost some weight." he murmured.
His eyes bore a hint of sadness as he looked her over. "I'm sorry. For worrying you."
Makoto pressed his hand into her cheek. She scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head slowly.
"Mm-mmm." was all she could muster.
A tear managed to escape and rolled down her cheek. He wiped it away.
"I know there's probably a lot of things you want to yell at me for. So go ahead, I'll listen to all your complaints. You can even punch me if you like."
Her eyes flew open and he saw them flash with anger.
She inhaled sharply and made a fist. "You…"
Ren's heart nearly stopped. There was nothing quite as scary as his Queen's cold fury. He shut his eyes and braced himself. Her hand fell soft upon his cheek. He cracked one eye open. After waiting a few seconds to confirm it wasn't a feint, he slowly opened the other eye. That flash of anger subsided as quickly as it had come.
"You're right. There is a lot I want to say. But even now, our time together is so precious…"
She sighed and lowered her hand. "And I think you've endured enough. We should both get some rest for now."
"Yeah..." he said, glancing in the direction of the attic.
Going to bed sounded like a good idea but before he could, he needed to sort some things out with Morgana.
He felt her take his hands in both of hers and he turned his attention back to her.
"Ren?"
"What is it?"
She lowered her eyelashes. "Do you have some time tomorrow evening?"
He tilted his head. "Tomorrow evening?"
"B-because… It's Valentine's so I thought maybe we could spend some time together…"
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, right. Today's the day before...right. Yeah, let's meet up."
He clasped her hands warmly. "I'll hear you out tomorrow. All of it."
She smiled. "You better prepare yourself. Alright, I should get going. Good night. Sleep well."
After the initial nervousness of presenting her first Valentine's Day chocolate to him, Makoto drummed up the courage and asked to sit next to him. Ren nodded once, pulled her coffee cup to his side of the table and scooted over, patting the open spot beside him. As she settled into the booth seat, he slid her Valentine Chocolate between their cups and toyed with the wrapping.
"Can I have one now?" he asked her.
"Now? Um, i-if you want. Here, let me open the box for you." She lifted the lid, revealing a tray of dark chocolate cubes, smooth and lustrous under the warm light of Leblanc's stained glass lamps. "I think they're all the same. Please, go ahead and try one."
He brought one piece to his lips and popped the whole thing in his mouth. Makoto waited expectantly for his reaction.
"It's good." he told her.
"R-really? I'm glad. Then again, it was store bought after all."
"You'll have one too, won't you?"
Oh, he knew her so well. If chocolate was placed in front of her, it was going to be eaten. No exceptions.
"May I? Then..." She ate one, savoring the semisweet chocolate and the aftertaste of cream and vanilla.
He put a hand on his chin. "Hmm. I'm gonna have to return the favor, but how?"
"You don't have to. It's Valentine's Day and I wanted to do something special for you and- Oh. I see."
She blushed and smiled into her hand. He was already thinking of setting time aside to be together one month ahead, before he had to leave.
He nodded when he saw she understood. "That is, if you're not busy that day."
"Of course not! I'll be sure to make time. I look forward to it."
"Great. We'll work out the details as the date gets closer." He capped the box and set it aside, giving her his full attention.
She folded her hands in her lap. "So...what I really wanted to talk to you about is…"
She sighed and gripped her forearms. "When I think back to what you held back from me, what you wanted to tell me on Christmas Eve, I was..."
He looked down at his hands. "Were you angry with me?"
She drew a shaky breath, willing the knot in her chest to loosen up. "You lied to me."
He stiffened. "Again, I'm really sorry. There wasn't enough time and I didn't want you to worry. Please, Makoto, if there was any way I could-"
She laid her hand over his.
"Wait. Let me explain," she told him, keeping her voice calm and steady. "I know why you did it. To protect us."
She bowed her head. "You put your life on the line for us again. Just saying it isn't enough to fully convey my gratitude, but thank you, Ren."
He wanted to take her into his arms but he knew now wasn't the time. He only nodded mutely and waited for her to continue.
"While you were incarcerated, I had a lot of time to think and sort out my feelings. I was angry. But more with myself. I kept thinking, if only I had realized you were planning on turning yourself in sooner. If only I was stronger, maybe I could have helped you. At the very least, you wouldn't have needed to shoulder that burden on your own. But at the time, I was so preoccupied with Sis and the trial's outcome. I thought I ruined our Christmas Eve together, bringing that up."
He shook his head. "I trusted you guys. That if I got the conspiracy to focus all of their attention on me, you would be able to do something on the outside."
She grimaced. "At first it all seemed hopeless. You were gone, Morgana disappeared, and we couldn't fight using the Metaverse. Even if Shido confessed, it wouldn't be enough to declare you innocent. We needed a definitive evidence to overturn a sentence. But how? The evidence was likely destroyed by the hands of the corrupt police and no one would hear us."
Her expression softened as she thought back to what transformed the Phantom Thieves' gloomiest Christmas into one of hope. A fool's hope, but hope nonetheless.
"Fortunately we had Ann to rally us into action. So everyone did what they could. I made so many phone calls in the past month and I was amazed and encouraged by everyone's willingness to help."
She crossed her arms and leaned back into the cushioned seat. "I admit, there were times where it felt like we were taking one step forward but two steps back. It would be easier to just give up. But when I kept thinking of the choice you made so we could fight, how could I waste that chance you gave us?"
"Yeah..."
If Makoto had looked at him then, she would have caught a glimpse of him looking a little misty-eyed.
"I was amazed by what Sae-san told me."
"Sis did? How? When?"
The way her eyes sparkled with avid curiosity made him smile. "In between trials and visiting hours (more like minutes). Just hints. No names, but she gave enough detail for me to know who she was talking about. And when that woman, you know the one who was forced to give a false testimony, was brought in to testify, I knew it was because of you guys."
He let out a small chuckle. "I don't mean to spend the entire evening apologizing - unless you want me to - but, I'm sorry for disappearing without saying anything. Honestly, I regretted it. Keeping quiet. Not chasing after you. I had to tell myself, this was the only way to keep you safe and that you'd be able to handle it.
She bit the inside of her mouth. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You said it best: 'the more critical the situation, the less I want to rely on others.'. I want to change that part of me. I hope you'll give me another chance."
She wrapped her fingers around his.
"I guess we have lots to work on if we're going to keep at this, huh?"
"I guess we do." he agreed, squeezing her hand.
"Oh, that's right…" Her smile faded.
She released his hand and gripped her forearms again. She hung her head, allowing her bangs to drift over her eyes. He waited for her to put the next thing that weighed so heavily on her mind into words.
"You're going back next month, right? What will happen… to us?"
It was only natural for Makoto to worry about something like this. After all, their relationship had only just begun. Would they continue this bond they shared or would they let things end here?
That's all I seem to be doing since I got back. Making her worry. He thought ruefully to himself. Ideally, it'd be nice if she could come with me. But, no. We both have things we need to do. Makoto, what I want for us is...
"Nothing will change."
She raised her head to meet his eyes, reassured by his words and the honesty behind them. Her thoughts gave way to relief and they tumbled forth from her mouth. "...Yes. Yes you're right."
Ren smiled at her kindly and nodded. She sat up straighter and her countenance brightened.
"You know, there was a lot I wanted to say, but none of it matters now that we're here together. After all that waiting, living in different places doesn't seem like such a big deal. Right?"
He contemplated her words, observing the coffee rings staining the rim of their half-empty cups. She was right. Although he wasn't looking forward to being away from her, that was nothing compared to being separated for the past couple of months. But for now, they were together. And that was enough.
Makoto leaned against him, breaking him out of his quiet introspection.
She nestled her head on his shoulder. "And... I've been waiting for you for so long. I should be allowed this much...right?"
He stroked her cheek and tipped her face towards him. "If not more…" he said in a low voice and leaned down, pressing his lips gently against hers.
It had been far too long.
His glasses clattered on the table as he gripped her face with both hands and went in for another kiss. She slipped her arms around his neck as her hands became lost in his thick curls. Ren's hands moved down her neck, along the curves of her waist, then back up the curvature of her spine. She felt herself bending under his weight though he kept her steady with one arm around her back. Her fingers found the black-rimmed collar of his shirt. She gave it a tug, deepening the kiss. He grunted softly and she moaned in response. Everything became pleasantly hazy and she had the strangest sensation she was floating.
Not good - excess within control, this was not.
Makoto attempted to get a feel for her surroundings but her spatial awareness was being overwhelmed by Ren's eager caress, his gasps for air in between each kiss, the warmth radiating from his face to his fingertips causing tingling sensations to spread from her lips, down her spine...
Danger! Overheating! Stop! STOP!
She tried to sit up straight. Ren homed in on her face and in his eagerness, knocked his teeth against hers, causing her to bump her head against the back of the booth's headboard.
"Ow. Ren..."
He stopped. He had one arm around her waist and one hand supporting the back of her neck.
"Sorry. Are you okay?"
She stared at him for a moment. The heat between their faces was like an open oven. His entire face flushed red, his ears even more so. She had no doubt her face was just as red, if not twice as red as he was.
"Y-yeah. I think we got a little too excited."
He pulled her up so she was sitting straight. Then he turned his head away, with his elbow resting on the table, and coughed deliberately into his hand.
She whipped around and pressed her hands to her cheeks. They burned feverishly hot, as if she had been sitting close to the fireplace.
Ren removed his apron, folded it, and placed it in the corner of the table.
"Uh, what do you want to do now?"
Makoto retrieved his glasses, folded them and handed them back to him. He considered putting them back on before setting them on top of his folded apron. She ran her fingertips along the edge of the table. "M-maybe I'll get us more coffee. We only used half of water in the kettle, right? I'll go get it."
She slid out of the booth seat.
"It's not hot anymore. You'll just be diluting it. I'll reheat it for us."
He made to follow her but she held out her hand. "It's fine. Right now, I just..." She looked away, feeling extremely self-conscious.
"It's fine." she repeated mechanically.
They both needed to calm down and she was trying to make that space for them. He sighed softly and let her go. "Okay."
...
She refilled their cups and sat at the edge of the booth. Ren glanced at her cautiously. She appeared to be concentrating on the circular water stains on the table, most likely thinking of a way to restart the conversation. He kneaded his temples. Keep it together, he thought to himself over and over. Keep it together.
It was so quiet, the hum of the ceiling fans could be heard.
Ren was about to reach out to Makoto but then, she suddenly laughed as if she had just remembered a funny anecdote.
"You know, us girls were thinking the same thing. We all wanted to give you a piece of our mind. Futaba was going to headbutt you and Ann wanted to bring out the whip."
He gulped.
"I don't think I want to know what Haru was planning."
She nodded sagely. "A wise decision on your part. But don't worry. I managed to talk her out of it."
I'm starting to think it might've been safer to stay in jail. he thought, keeping a straight face.
"As for me, I'm still a little mad and it will come out now and then."
"Understandable." He thumped his chest. "Your anger, your sadness, your fists, I'll take them all on."
"Look at you talk big." she scoffed lightly before slumping forward. "I don't want to hit you. Huh? This is strange. Why am I so tired all of a sudden?"
He reclined in his seat and patted his shoulder. "Here."
Cautiously, she lay her head on his chest. "Is it okay if we stay like this for a little?"
"Yeah." He put his arm around her shoulder, noting the way her body tensed up, just slightly.
"Sorry. I always seem to ruin the mood."
He took her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles. "That's not true at all. What's important is that we're comfortable being around each other. I can't see it working any other way."
She peered up at him. Her eyes asked him why he was so patient with her. He smiled at her gently.
"It's okay, Makoto. This relationship we have? It's between us. That means we're allowed to take our time. Sure, there are things we both want but I feel like, if we rushed into things, it would mar what we've built up. And I don't want that. You're too important to me."
He meant it with all the sincerity in his heart. She knew that and it made her blush all the more.
"You're important to me, too." she mumbled into his shirt.
"Hmm?"
"Nothing. T-thank you, Ren. I'm happy to be told that."
"I see." said he, grinning widely.
After a few moments of silence she raised her head. "Can we...try again?"
He pursed his lips. Clearly, he was reflecting on his temporary lapse of self-control. Makoto rose and fell with his chest as he released a slow breath, before finally nodding.
They sat up straighter and faced each other. Ren laid one hand on her cheek. Makoto closed her eyes. As he drew closer, she shuddered involuntarily.
Oh. Don't push yourself for my sake.
He paused, his lips millimeters from hers and she could feel his quiet breath tickling her nose.
He ran his thumb over her cheek then gently kissed it and drew back slightly.
Her eyes fluttered open, surprised but expectant.
He smiled shyly and tapped his cheek. Wordlessly, she leaned in and pressed her lips upon his cheek with the same amount of delicacy that he gave her. Then she drew back and looked at him with quiet anticipation.
He tilted his head, past her other cheek, and kissed her neck, right below her ear. Her eyes fluttered shut again and she gasped softly as she felt his nose tenderly graze the side of her face.
Ren held perfectly still as she kissed his neck but also gasped when he felt her nose and eyelashes skim the side of his face. He gently brushed her bangs aside and kissed her temples, moving from left to right. He bowed his head as she mirrored his kisses, relishing the feeling of her hands, smooth and callused from her daily aikido regimen, caressing his face as her lips skimmed his forehead.
He took her face in his hands again and leaned in to kiss her nose but paused when he felt her lay her fingertips upon his lips. He gazed silently into her eyes.
Slowly, she withdrew her fingers then tapped her lips with her index finger before tapping his lips again.
With a slight nod, Ren closed his eyes and waited. He felt her fingers trace his jawline, he heard the sound of her mouth parting, then finally her lips on his, soft and sweet.
She drew back and beamed at him. A soft blush graced her cheeks and he found himself captivated by how beatific, how beautiful she looked when her eyes were on him.
The day he turned himself in, he regretted lying to her. He plead in his heart for her to understand. And in the bleak, cold cell where he was confined, he vowed at daybreak that he would return. To his friends. To her.
A small lump welled in his throat and he swallowed it. There were people waiting for him. There were people crying out for justice on his behalf because they believed in him. Because they wanted him back. Because they refused to let anyone take him without a fight. And the girl who faced him with unwavering eyes set up a network, took charge, and kept them organized. And now, here she sat before him, with a warm expression on her face that told him there was nowhere else she would rather be but here, with him.
He took her into his arms and held her close. "Thank you, Makoto. For fighting on my behalf."
She embraced him, nestling her head into her favorite spot beneath his chin and against his collarbone.
"Welcome home, Ren."
Welcome home. Since when did such an ordinary phrase hold so much meaning for him?
He nuzzled his nose into her hair and pressed his lips on the crown of her head.
"I'm home."
