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Goro has been in a bit of a slump recently.
It's embarrassing for him to ever admit this, but he's been… bested. God, that word makes his lip curl up in an unconscious snarl.
As a detective, it's his job to solve cases that stump the police force. And while he's certainly not the biggest fan of the cops (stupid pigs rarely ever do their job right), Goro makes sure that he remains competent. That much is in his control and he intends to keep it that way.
However, since a few months ago, there's been another.
Phantom-Spider, the people called him. Even just the name makes Goro seethe.
He normally wouldn't have cared all that much. Maybe he'd make a few comments on TV just to keep up appearances as Tokyo's Darling Detective with his resolute sense of justice. But secretly, he's glad for this new vigilante exposing the corruption within the police force and SIU.
But this also means that now, Goro's had five times his normal workload, which he is becoming increasingly pissed off about. It's getting harder and harder to keep up his mask, what with extra cases and now the requests flooding in to investigate the rot inside the system fraying his nerves. He's tired.
Stupid. This is all so stupid. Could this Phantom-Spider not have spoken to him before choosing to do all this superhero bullshit? Goro really would have preferred a heads-up.
"Who pissed in your coffee today? Not including me, that is," comes a voice in front of him.
Goro glances up from where he's been brooding into his mug for a good twenty minutes or so and finds his least and most favorite person in this entire city: Ren Amamiya.
They've known each other since highschool and built up a very complicated rivalry ever since then. They both know there's something else between them, but Goro refuses to acknowledge it because he's not looking to be in tune with his emotions. He's got better things to worry about.
"Apologies, was I making a scary expression?" Goro forces himself to relax. Ren is really the only one who can read him like an open book, and he's not in the mood to be psychoanalyzed at the moment.
Ren snorts. "I thought you were gonna vault over the counter and strangle me. Though—"
"Don't tell me you'd be into that."
"—I'd be pretty into that."
Goro inhales long and deep. He is not going to pop a blood vessel today. He will not.
Ren has been… flirting with him for the better half of their odd friendship/rivalry, always making little comments here and there. Telling Goro how he looked sexy when he's concentrating or insinuating that Ren would be a good candidate for a boyfriend.
Sometimes Goro entertains him, and sometimes he doesn't. It really depends on his mood, much like most of his behavior. And currently, he is not looking to be flirted with.
"I'd like to ask you something, Amamiya," Goro starts.
"Aw, back to my last name? Did I piss you off that bad?" Ren leans against the counter.
Goro rolls his eyes. "Focus, please."
"Alright, alright. Shoot."
"You've heard of Phantom-Spider, yes?" Goro taps a gloved finger against his cup. "Do you believe in that sort of justice? The kind that comes from such a vigilante?"
Ren's expression melts into something thoughtful, and Goro appreciates that he's actually taking this seriously. This is what he likes about his rival, that he can match Goro on most levels and engage in these sort of conversations with him.
"Well," Ren begins, "I think he's doing a lot more than the cops. And Tokyo's crime rate has been going down pretty fast."
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Goro sighs. Of course Ren would approve of all this. "But I do disapprove of the methods."
"Then what would you do?" Ren asks him.
And god, Goro both hates and loves when he does this. It pisses him off to no end that Ren has the audacity to mouth off to him, yet at the same time it's thrilling. Finding someone who can keep up with him after being idolized for so long was like a breath of fresh air. Goro likes a challenge and Ren is the biggest one he's ever experienced yet.
Goro brings his cup to his lips, taking a sip of his coffee. "I know I certainly wouldn't do this," he says, because he doesn't want to prove Ren right.
Because he would. Perhaps if he were still a little younger, still drawn to that wonderous hope of being a hero, he would.
"Hey. Don't worry," Ren shoots him a cheeky smile. "I'll always be your biggest fan forever."
Goro can't help but chuckle at the flattering words. "I'm pleased that I have your unconditional support."
Ren nods solemnly. "Goro Akechi will never have zero fans because I'll still like him even when I'm dead."
"You're ridiculous, Ren." Despite his words, there's that note of fondness that always seems to sneak into his tone when he's speaking with Ren. It makes him sick.
But he really can't stop himself. It's a habit at this point.
So, Goro dislikes this Phantom-Spider. But Ren seems to like him. He can sense this becoming a new debate topic for the two of them.
Well, it's a good thing Goro will never have to interact with this 'hero', as he's always gone by the time the cops show up anyway.
I.
Goro has never been the greatest driver.
It isn't that he's completely incapable of it, considering the fact he still has his license. However, behind the wheel, his emotions tend to spike rather aggressively.
To put it simply, Goro Akechi suffers from road rage. Horribly.
He's ashamed of it, but he really can't help himself. How is he meant to stay calm when he's trapped in a two-ton metal death machine surrounded by other two-ton metal death machines? Not to mention the fact that the other people driving them are certified idiots.
But now, as Goro slams the accelerator to try and reduce the distance between him and the criminal speeding on the busy Shibuya roads, he can't help but feel that he's being idiotic right now.
It hadn't started this way. Goro had been called in for a robbery at the nearby bank for no reason other than convenience. He'd already been out on the road, so he cruised around searching for a vehicle that matched the description of the one present at the scene.
He'd found it parked in an alley, and when he tried carefully approaching he'd almost met his end in the form of being splattered right onto the concrete. He'd managed to jump out of the way before they ran him over, but then they were speeding away and Goro could absolutely not let them escape. So now he was here.
His target sharply swerves, and when Goro follows he narrowly misses crashing into the fire station. He can feel his teeth being ground into sawdust as his jaw clenches.
He's really trying his best to not crash and die right now, but that's proving to be a lot easier said than done.
Shibuya is an annoying city to drive in, much less start a car chase in. He's twenty-one years old and thumbing the edge of death.
A small part of him finds it positively exhilarating.
Goro's bored. He runs through such a monotonous routine of college and work that he can feel his brain melting every second he spends doing either. He wants something else in his life.
All work and no play makes Goro Akechi a very dull boy.
So fine. Maybe this high-risk car chase is doing something for him, but could he really be blamed?
He watches as the vehicle racing ahead shifts into a sudden drift, resulting in the surrounding vehicles to honk and veer out of danger, and Goro thinks that maybe this person should have gotten a career in auto racing because that is much too smooth for a simple streetcar and perhaps he should try auto racing just for the hell of it. But then he remembers Ren exists, who would either join as his rival or cheer him on.
Knowing what an adrenaline junkie Ren is, Goro can safely say he'd pick the first option. Especially if there's a chance for the two of them to compete in such a high-stakes sport.
And then Goro realizes the car is driving straight towards him. His stomach drops and his hands jerk the wheel sharply to the left. The tires of his car skid against the pavement and now he's slueing towards a building.
"Fuck fuck fuck!" Goro grits his teeth and slams on the breaks. "Fucking shit!"
His car jerks and he screws his eyes shut. This is it. This is where Goro Akechi meets his horrid end. The media is going to have an absolute field day with this. Maybe he should have put more effort into his hair this morning.
A minute goes by. And then another. But the crash and the pain never come.
Goro cracks open an eye and finds that his car is… safe. Which should not at all be possible considering the speed he'd been going just five seconds ago.
When he glances to the side through the passenger window, he finds the fine spinnings of a supersized spider's web.
No fucking way.
A blur darts past in his windshield, and when his gaze shoots towards it he finds the city's friendly neighborhood Phantom-Spider swinging along towards the fleeing vehicle that Goro had been after.
A strong wave of humiliation and pure, unbridled rage crashes within him. How dare this vigilante not only save him, but also go after his target?! Oh, Goro's going to give him a piece of his mind once he gets out of his car.
He unlocks the doors and tries the handle. It doesn't budge. He tries again, and it only yields the same result.
The stupid doors have been webbed shut.
Goro is going to give this Phantom-Spider a piece of his mind if he can get out of his car.
He tries lowering his windows and finds, to his maniac delight, that they're free. He fishes for his pocket-knife before flicking it open and undoing his seatbelt.
Hell would have to freeze over before Goro ever sits around and waits for someone else to help him with anything.
He doesn't bother calling Sae either. He knows that she'll figure all this out at some point, and it's only a matter of time. So, he does what any normal person would do and leans out of the window before slashing the webs keeping his car door firmly shut.
"Woah, careful! That stuff's grade-A webbing, y'know?"
Goro freezes as something—rather, someone— lands on the roof of his car with an obnoxious thump.
When he looks up, he finds Phantom-Spider staring back at him.
"You—!" Goro brandishes his pocket knife at the other.
"Shit—!" Phantom-Spider yelps and scoots back a fraction. "Watch where you point that thing! Do you always treat people who saved you this way?"
"I didn't need you to save me. I'm no damsel in distress," Goro hisses. He's got no energy to keep up his charming facade at the moment. And who even cares? Phantom-Spider is overstepping his bounds and Goro does not take kindly to that sort of behavior.
"There's no way you would've survived that," the other points out.
Goro's eye ticks. Yes, he's quite pleased with the reminder that he would've been a delightful display of carnage had he not landed within the web. Certainly.
"Let me out," he orders calmly instead.
"As you wish, Detective."
Goro silently glares as Phantom-Spider jumps down and tugs at the webs binding his car door, undoing them easily.
Realistically, Goro knows the other would know his own webs better than he, but he's still pissed off over the fact that he'd removed them so easily. He wants to go home and take a fucking nap, which is an absolute first for him since he never willingly rests. It's always work until someone or the other forces him to take a break.
"There you go," Phantom-Spider announces after a moment, his tinny voice grating on Goro's nerves.
"About time," Goro grumbles before snapping his knife shut and stuffing it into his pocket.
"By the way," Phantom-Spider starts. "You should call for backup. I got the guy webbed up over there—" he jerks his head somewhere vague over his shoulder, "—so you can take him in."
And then he's gone, slinging away into the city to probably save a cat from a tree or something equally stereotypical of a 'superhero' like him.
Goro inhales and counts to three. Then he pulls out his phone, presses Sae's contact, and hits the call button with so much force it's a miracle his screen doesn't crack.
"Akechi?" Sae asks after the line rings for a few moments.
"…I believe I require some assistance," he says politely, ignoring the red swimming in his vision.
II.
It was meant to be a ten minute walk. A quick trip down to the Triple Seven in Kichijoji because when he came home earlier in the evening, Goro had realized there was absolutely nothing edible in his fridge. Which had meant he'd have no dinner.
Goro does not like going to bed hungry. He's perfectly content with skipping breakfast or lunch (much to his friends' chagrin), however skipping dinner only means that he'll wake the next morning to dreadful cramps. He'd already learned his lesson from the first time he'd done it many years ago. So, he decided to do a very fast shopping trip. In and out.
Well, it should have been fast. That is, until a group of men forced him into an alleyway and cornered him on his way home, demanding his wallet and other valuables.
Clearly, they were all dangerously intoxicated. It was kind of pathetic, honestly. Goro feels insulted that he became the target of such a pathetic bunch.
That's alright. He'll be out of this in no time. And then he can go home and cry into his miserable microwave dinner while watching some trashy horror movie. The thought inspires absolutely nothing but emptiness in him.
"C'mon, pretty boy," one of them cracks his knuckles. "Surely ya got s'mthing in that case o' yours."
Goro clicks his tongue against his teeth and clutches his briefcase a little tighter.
"I have nothing of use to any of you," he says.
Another man growls and shoves him to the wall. Goro's lip curls in distaste.
"You're gonna hand over th-that briefcase, y'got that? We won't ask again."
Too easy. This is too easy. Goro could laugh at the sheer stupidity being displayed in front of him. He doesn't, of course, but he could.
"Gladly," Goro smiles and white-knuckles the handle, pulling his arm back in preparation.
He's going to knock the shit—
"Think fast!"
Goro doesn't have the chance to figure out where the voice comes from, because suddenly the man pinning him to the wall is yanked away and sent flying into a dumpster.
The others practically trip over themselves trying to locate the attack, but the alcohol's dulled their senses. Their movements are sluggish and jaunty, which doesn't help them dodge the sudden barrage of webs shooting down from the shadows.
The distraction presents him with an opportunity.
Goro braces and then swings. His briefcase meets the side of one of the men's head, resulting in him stumbling back with a cry of pain.
"Crazy bitch!" he spits.
"Fuck you too," Goro retorts, readying his case again.
That movement is enough to scare them, for their eyes widen and they immediately stumble out, dragging their now unconscious friend out of the dumpster with them.
Goro watches them flee with their tails between their legs, and once he's certain they're gone he relaxes.
He huffs and loosens his tie before glancing up.
And there he is. Goro can feel irritation bubbling up in his throat.
Phantom-Spider waves from where he's stuck to an apartment wall before shooting a web and swinging away.
Now alone, Goro scowls at the space where Phantom-Spider used to be.
Instead of crying into his dinner tonight, perhaps he'll seethe into it instead.
III.
Today has been a particularly awful day for Goro.
He woke up with a pounding headache, his college lecture had been dreadfully boring, and then immediately after that he needed to get on the train to see Sae. She'd picked up a case regarding a series of assaults and muggings and needed his assistance.
After working with each other for so long, they've come to know each other's schedules, which is why he's so incredibly pissed off. Because Sae knows he had a lecture today.
And now the train was so horribly packed with people that he can barely breathe. He'd been able to snag a seat, but that hardly did anything because the traincar is just crammed.
He is so sick and tired of everything.
Goro had ranted to Ren in their messages earlier on in the form of a massive paragraph, but didn't get much before the other said he'd had some urgent business to attend to. This only tanked his mood even further.
He thinks of closing his eyes, just for a second. Maybe it will calm his raging headache, the darkness of his eyelids. But he barely gets to pat himself on the back for such a genius idea because the train lurches violently, jerking Goro back to awareness.
He feels his temples throb, and he grits his teeth. Useless train conductor, someone should fire them for doing such a poor job at keeping a steady journey.
Concerned murmurs erupt all around Goro before the train lurches again. He feels himself tilt backwards and the loud, grating sound of metallic sparks fills his ears.
Oh. Fuck.
The train intercom dings before the conductor's voice comes through.
"We seem to have lost control of the train. P-Please remain calm as we try to get it back on track."
Goro can tell she's trying to stay level, but he hears the telltale waver in her voice. She's just as terrified as the passengers.
As everyone in the car pitches sideways and he himself hangs onto his seat for dear life, Goro thinks natural selection must be coming for him. There is no other explanation for this string of misfortune that has fallen upon him.
Couldn't it have waited until he at least reached his thirties? Or even during his years of suicidal ideation? Seventeen year old Goro would have been happy about this, however twenty-one year old Goro is the complete opposite.
Something blurs past the window, which is a wonder he even noticed it because everything is blurring together outside with the train being out of control.
He's jerked forward and narrowly misses falling out of his seat and smashing his face against the dirty floor.
He really does hate to admit it, but he's beginning to worry. At this speed, it would take a miracle to stop the train safely. Loud exclamations erupt from those around him, and he thinks he can hear a child crying somewhere.
What an awful way to go, lost in a sea of other dead faces when the news comes out about this.
And then he hears it. The telltale scrape of the train skidding to a halt.
His body is lurched one last time before everything quiets. Confused murmurs filter into the air, and Goro clutches his briefcase tightly. Nothing comes from the intercom, and he almost believes that they'll all be trapped here.
That is, until, the doors slide open and a familiar masked face peers into the train upside-down.
Phantom-Spider drops off the top of the train and lands on the station platform gracefully. There's a crowd of people clustering nearby, recording with their phones or simply gawking at the fact that their beloved superhero is right here, close enough to touch.
Goro is still shaken, but he's recovered enough to feel a touch of irritation at being rescued again. He is so tired of this.
"Is anyone injured?" Phantom-Spider calls into the car, to which he receives the shaking of heads and confirmations that everyone is safe. Goro chooses to keep his mouth shut.
And of course, to make things worse, he begins helping people off the train. Carefully taking their hands or guiding them by the shoulders to bring them to safety. Goro tries not to get caught in that, but it's as though Phantom-Spider seeks him out specifically.
"Let go of me," Goro snaps when his hand is held, harsher than he intends but doesn't regret it.
Phantom-Spider seems to pause at that before he retracts his touch. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"
Goro only responds once both of his feet are standing on the platform. "Perfectly."
"You sure?"
"Don't you have other passengers to assist?" he asks sweetly. He ignores the way his legs tremble slightly as he takes a step forward.
"Station manager's handling it," Phantom-Spider says, jerking his head towards a stately looking man approaching the entrance to take over.
Goro grits his teeth. "Well, surely a… hero such as yourself has other crime-fighting responsibilities to attend to, no?"
"The city can wait, especially for someone as pretty as you." And then he has the audacity to wink.
Goro hates that stupid mask. He hates that it's clearly extremely high-tech, because he's never seen motion tracking on such a thing before. He's going to punch the other. He can feel his headache worsen.
"What?" he bristles instead.
Phantom-Spider shrugs. Strangely, the black, red, and white of his suit reminds him of Ren. Which is stupid considering Ren has never worn those three colors together. Perhaps he is delirious from the stress. He'd been the last person he'd spoken to before this, after all.
"Objectively speaking," Phantom-Spider waves a hand. "And hey, now that I know you're alright, I should head out."
"You—"
"See ya!"
Phantom-Spider does a little two-finger salute before leaping onto one of the pillars nearby and pistoning himself onto the rafters of the ceiling.
Goro glares daggers at his disappearing form. His mask and suit may be high-tech, but his voice could use a little work. It's crackly and slightly grainy and—
Huh.
Now that Goro thinks about it, he realizes there's always been something off about Phantom-Spider's voice that he could never quite place his finger on. There's a sort of distorted quality to it that no natural human voice would have.
Goro sighs. Of course the vigilante would use a fucking voice-changer of all things. He begrudgingly admits it's a clever idea, and he feels ashamed that it took him so long to realize.
He spots a familiar head of silvery hair hurrying towards him in his peripheral, and when he turns he finds Sae Niijima locked onto him with creased brows.
"Akechi," she starts when she's close enough. "Are you alright?"
Goro forces himself to smooth out his expression. "I'm alright. Just a bit shaken, that's all," he offers with one of his perfect, megawatt smiles.
"Oh, good," she pinches the bridge of her nose. "When I heard about what happened I came over as soon as I could. I was hoping you wouldn't have been on the train, but…"
"No worries," he tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. "That Phantom-Spider came and saved the day. Again."
Sae gives him an odd look, but she says nothing more on the topic. "Alright then. Do you still feel up to talking?"
"Of course. How about we discuss it over sushi?" Goro dusts himself off with his free hand. "After all, I only just escaped death."
Sae raises a brow before she shuts her eyes. "Fine," she concedes. "And I'll… let you pick where we go, I suppose."
Goro beams much more genuinely this time. Maybe today won't be too bad after all.
IV.
Now that he thinks about it, it's really stupid that he's up here.
Occassionally, the prosaicness of his days really gets to him. It makes him feel as though he's going to burst out of his skin or slam his head against the wall or do something equally as violent. And during these times he always, always thinks about his horrible father and his poor, dead mother.
So he ended up doing the only thing he ever does when things get like this: He ran.
Goro had driven around Shibuya for a while before pulling over to the side of the road closest to the railing of the highway bridge he'd been on. He needed fresh air.
His hands clench the guard rails, and with each gulp of fresh air the tightness in his chest unravels bit by bit. He swipes an aggressive hand over his eyes to brush away the wetness threatening to break loose.
Goro shakes his head. He's fine. He'll be fine. All he needs to do is get through today and everything will be okay. The guardrails shift beneath his hands as he leans forward against them.
Perhaps he should visit Jazz Jin after work. Yes, that will be nice. Muhen never expects anything of him and never has. It's the closest place to home he has, maybe other than LeBlanc (what a foolish thought, Goro bites his tongue).
The light breeze of the summer air blows through his feathery locks, and Goro stares down below into the busy city streets. He hears cars race past behind him and he realizes he doesn't really want microwaved meals for the rest of his life and is it just him or did the ground just suddenly become parallel to his vision?
Ah. Hang on.
"FUCK!"
Goro gasps frantically as the guardrails give underneath his body and suddenly he's tumbling down down down.
Stupid! Why has no one realized they've been loose? Where the fuck is all his tax money going?! (He knows where, but it makes him feel better to be pissed off about this).
All these misfortunes are too convenient and god he'd like this better if maybe he had a parachute. The city looks pretty nice from this angle. And Goro wonders whether maybe this was always meant for him. His throat is already hoarse from screaming, but that small part of him still stuck to his soul since he was just a kid has long made peace with his death. Or the coming of it.
The wind roars through his ears as it whips his hair. His eyes clench shut as he braces for impact. Would it hurt? He thinks it might, especially because the asphalt is so hot all the time. But maybe he won't be around long enough to feel it.
His stomach swoops, and Goro's lids snap open as the feeling of a warm body suddenly envelopes him all at once. He sees the familiar black and red suit and so many complicated feelings run through him, but the biggest of all is relief.
Oh. Okay.
Phantom-Spider swings the both of them back up to where he fell, and Goro finds a gap where the missing guardrail is meant to be.
When his feet touch the ground, his legs tremble violently. In fact, his whole entire body does. His breathing comes in short, punctuated gasps.
Goro has never missed the ground this much in his entire life.
"You alright?" Phantom-Spider asks, and Goro only realizes that he's still hanging onto the other for dear life because that warped voice is right in his ear.
He shoves the vigilante away, only to almost fall backwards as well from the instability of his legs. An arm wraps itself around his waist, preventing him from landing flat on his ass.
"Okay, let's sit down."
God, the sudden gentleness of his voice is really pissing him off. It reminds him too much of a certain someone.
Phantom-Spider carefully maneuvers the two of them to the ground near Goro's car. He crouches next to Goro, resting his arms on his knees.
"How," Goro swallows as his voice comes back to him, "are you always around when I'm—"
Oh, he doesn't even want to say it.
Phantom-Spider seems to understand what he means, however, as he answers his question rather smoothly. "I'm just awesome like that, I'd say."
"Goodbye," Goro says dryly as he moves to push himself back to his feet, shaky stature be damned.
"Hey hey hey," Phantom-Spider gently presses down on his shoulder, keeping him sitting. "I was kidding. Sorry."
Goro only glares.
"It's the spider senses. Danger signaling or something." He shrugs. "At first I thought it was just for myself, but I guess I can just tell where shit's happening nowadays."
"You guess?"
"Don't give me that look! Takes a while to get used to powers like this! I'm learning new things everyday."
Goro exhales, trying to will his heartbeat back to normal. The adrenaline rush is still going strong, and he definitely can't drive back now.
"Did you, uh…" Phantom-Spider begins. "You didn't jump, right?"
Goro tuts. "No. The guard railing simply came loose as I was leaning against it. Judging from how easy it gave, I assume it's been that way for a few weeks to a month."
The other nods. "I see. I assumed as much, but I wanted to make sure."
His heart spikes with irritation. "Why do you care so much?"
Phantom-Spider blinks. "I mean, you're a citizen of Tokyo. I care for the people."
Goro snorts. Yeah right.
Phantom-Spider stares up into the sky for a few moments before cursing under his breath. "Shit, I need to go."
"Another call to action, I presume?" Goro inquires, keeping as much venom as he can out of his voice. He can feel himself getting a little drowsy as the excitement from earlier begins to wear off.
"Yeah. Sorry."
Goro only hums.
"Can you get home?"
"I'll manage," Goro responds with little enthusiasm.
Phantom-Spider seems to hesitate for a moment before nodding.
"Alright," he says as he steps towards the gap in the guardrails. "I'll see you around then, Akechi."
"Wait, what are you—"
He hardly gets to finish his sentence before Phantom-Spider falls back with open arms. A minute later he sees the other swinging away, disappearing into the spaces between the tall buildings.
Such a showoff, Goro broods gratingly. A penchant for theatrics, that man has. And he thinks of Ren and himself in that moment because he knows the both of them are… perhaps dramatic in their own ways.
Goro knows Ren loves attention. Not all the time of course, but his flair and subtle melodrama indicate that preference.
He buries his burning face in his arms as he remembers that Phantom-Spider has gone off to probably heroically stop another crime.
He's been such a shitty fucking detective lately.
V.
Goro's eyes adjust rather quickly to the blinding studio lights that surround him from every angle. He's gotten so used to this that it all feels like second nature.
It took a long, long time for him to be convinced to agree with this. But eventually he relented because what else does he have going for him? He's fucking tired and wants attention right now. Wants the confirmation that people still adore him and need him, especially with that web-brained idiot slinging around the city recently.
Late Night Special With Tokyo's Detective Prince.
It's cheesy. It's superficial. And it's exactly what he needs to make this country remember his fucking name forever.
"Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Akechi," the host gushes. "I'm sure you'd rather be at home right now, so it's truly an honor."
Goro lets out a charming little laugh, "Please, thank you for inviting me. And it's not as though you're interrupting my sleep schedule. As they say, crime never sleeps!"
The live studio audience cooes and agrees with his statement, and the host laughs delightedly.
Works every fucking time.
"That's right! Your workload has gotten much heavier in the recent month, hasn't it?" she asks. "Oh, I hope it all eases up soon."
"It certainly is a lot. However, it's for good reason." Goro's expression morphs into something more serious. "After all, it's quite shameful that so much corruption has gone under our noses for this long."
The host nods sympathetically. "Of course. We thank you for your hard work."
See? He's useful. People still need him. Take that, Shido.
Goro hopes his deadbeat father is rolling in his grave.
"Now, for the hottest topic," the host begins excitedly. "I'm sure we're all wondering what you think about our city's latest hero."
God fucking damnit.
Goro flashes his brightest smile. "Ah, you mean that Phantom-Spider?"
"The very one! Surely you both work together, seeing as you both have such a strong sense of justice?"
He might stab himself when he gets home. He'll think about it.
"I hate to disappoint, but that unfortunately isn't the case," Goro sighs.
"Really?" she sounds shocked. "Why is that?"
"Vigilante justice is not one of my beliefs. While I am thankful for his revealings of the unscrupulousness within our justice system, he is still traversing within an out-of-bounds area, so to speak."
"I see," she muses. "Well, you are eloquent as ever, Akechi. That's quite the statement!"
Yes. He is perfect. He is better. And he certainly will not entertain this little gossip session on live TV any longer.
"I simply don't agree with taking the law into one's own hands," he replies.
"Absolutely radiant, Akechi! I could listen to you for days!"
Goro can only keep smiling sweetly. He's heard that line at least fourty-seven times now.
The show goes rather smoothly after that. He's asked silly, unimportant questions in an effort for the people to get to know their Darling Detective better (never Goro Akechi. Never himself), and he answers as honestly as he can.
After all, this is all a result of him carefully selecting the most palatable parts of himself. The bits and pieces he knows the masses will adore. The Detective Prince is Goro Akechi, but Goro Akechi is not the Detective Prince.
He's in the middle of answering a mundane question about the things he does in his free time when he is rudely interrupted by the east wall of the TV studio exploding.
Screams and gasp erupt from the audience, and both Goro and the host shield themselves the best they can from the flying debris that threatens their safety.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, GORO AKECHI!" shouts a booming voice amidst the dust and drywall. A body emerges from the rubble, stepping into the glaring lights menacingly.
At first, Goro has no clue who the hell this is and why they know his name. But then he realizes that he knows that voice. He'd arrested the person who it belonged to just a few months ago.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Goro blanches.
Kunikazu Okumura is standing there, in the TV studio after literally blowing up a way in, when he should still be in prison. But he also looks nothing like the Okumura that Goro remembers.
For one, his skin is fucking turquoise, and he looks like some bootleg villain from a shitty sci-fi movie.
What the actual fuck.
"Um. We'll be right back," the host mutters meekly to the camera before the crew books it out of there at an inhuman speed.
Goro would've followed them. In fact, he would have loved to. However, the moment he makes a move to escape, the ugliest robot he has ever seen in his entire life blocks his path.
"That is such an eyesore," he grumbles as he ignores the panicked shouts coming from the outside. Oh well, he's always in a mood to fight. This is perfect, he thinks as he turns to face the other man.
"I've finally found you," Okumura says gleefully.
"Apologies," Goro holds up a finger as he fishes out his phone. "Could you stay still for a moment?"
"What? Why?"
"I'd like to take a photo to show to Haru later. No doubt that she'd like to see what her father is doing now."
Okumura growls and presses a button on the remote control in his hand.
Goro hears the robot standing behind himself make a move to grab at him, and if he were a lesser man then perhaps he'd have been caught. However, Goro has not come this far by being mediocre.
He ducks, dodging the claws easily before sheltering behind one of the many rows of chairs that had been set up for the show.
"Stop moving so I can exact my revenge!" Okumura roars.
"Revenge for what, exactly?" Goro snarks as he tosses a chair in Okumura's general direction. "For me rightfully revealing your exploitative practices? For serving justice where justice is due? Don't make me laugh!"
Perhaps it's not his smartest idea, goading a man who is clearly not normal anymore. But this entire situation is simply so ridiculous he has a hard time believing it's real. Why in the world is his life turning into a Featherman comic?
When Goro peeks over the chairs, he finds the robot aiming a fucking laser cannon at him. He can hear the thing firing up which he takes as his sign to move.
As he's in the middle of shifting to a different hiding spot, he hears an angry exclamation erupt from Okumura. It strikes him as odd, because Goro is sure that his little chair attack hadn't done all that much.
When he glances over again, he finds that the robot's laser cannon is blocked by a spider's web.
It's only a second later when Phantom-Spider comes in swinging. Literally.
His foot makes contact with the side of Okumura's head, knocking him to the ground.
"Must you always come in to steal my thunder?" Goro sighs.
"Yes, I know. You're just so happy to see me, I get it," Phantom-Spider blows him a kiss.
Goro pretends to grab it midair and stomp on it.
"Ouch," he places a hand over his heart. "And after all the times I saved you too."
"As I've mentioned to you many times before," Goro says brightly. He can hear he crowd outside the room cheering for their hero. "I did not need your help."
"Hey, so remember that time on the bridge—"
"Don't test me."
Phantom-Spider snickers before dodging an attack by another robot that had somehow materialized inside.
He shoots out a web that attaches to the robot and pulls. Goro watches with begrudging awe as the heap of metal is yanked around and flung through the broken wall.
Okumura apparently doesn't know when to quit however, as he keeps sending in robots whenever the current ones are destroyed. Goro's getting bored of this.
As Phantom-Spider fights off the incoming bots, Goro sneaks around the studio. He finds the control panel for the stage lights, and he feels a sly grin creep onto his lips at the idea that's beginning to form inside his mind.
He's quick to figure out the controls, only needing to do a quick scan of the manual that's just lying around after the earlier intern fucked up the coloring and needed to reread it before they went live.
Goro presses a few buttons, and soon enough all the stage lights are pointing right into Okumura's face. Even Goro himself can't deal with that much brightness concentrated into one place.
Okumura shrieks, and Phantom-Spider takes that as his opportunity to fight off the last scraps of metal and steal the remote from the other's hands.
When Goro runs back, Phantom-Spider tosses him the remote before webbing up Okumura to one of the couches.
"Well, that's that I suppose," Goro says after a moment, observing the device in his hands before chucking it to some far off corner of the studio.
Phantom-Spider cocks his head. "What's with the whole revenge plot?"
"Ah, yes." Goro clears his throat. "I was tasked to investigate Okumura Foods after receiving reports of mass suicides in his employee pool. I ended up uncovering his rather unethical business practices and gathered enough evidence to have him arrested. I assume he's still bitter about that."
"You haven't heard the last of me, Akechi," Okumura threatens.
"Mmn, yes," Goro drawls. "I believe I should head home now. It's awfully late." He can hear police sirens approaching from the outside.
"Let me take you back," Phantom-Spider offers.
"Oh. That's quite alright," Goro declines. "I can get home on my own."
"Do you want to risk something like this happening again?"
"And what would be the chances of that?"
"Hey, if this guy's mad, who's to say others aren't either?" he argues.
There's merit to the claim, Goro will admit. Maybe Okumura was a one-off thing, but if he isn't…
Goro bites the inside of his cheek. "Fine," he relents. "But only because I'm in no mood to deal with the cops."
Despite not being able to see his face, Goro can just tell the vigilante in front of him is grinning widely.
"You're gonna wanna hold on," he warns as he wraps an arm around Goro's waist.
"What the hell do you—" Goro demands, but then he's hoisted into the air as Phantom-Spider shoots out a web towards an open window.
"Holy mother of shit!" Goro yelps when they end up a hundred something feet in the air. The cold night wind blows past and he practically clings onto the man webslinging them through the city.
"I've got you, don't worry," Phantom-Spider assures him. "Like I said, just hang on."
"I will have absolutely no trouble doing that!" Goro bites out hysterically.
He calms down after a while, and eventually he finds that the rhythmic motion of the swings are comforting in some strange way. Still, he can't fully relax, especially with the constant fear of the other accidentally letting go or something resulting in them both becoming a fresh coat of paint for the roads below. So he keeps his arms tight around Phantom-Spider's neck as he hangs onto his back.
"You know," Phantom-Spider begins, amusement lacing his tone. "I kind of lied to you before."
"Pardon?"
"I lied. About my spider sense telling me about danger everywhere. It only works for myself."
"I figured," Goro mutters. "Then how do you do it?"
"You'll see. Hey, Oracle? You there?"
It's silent for a moment before he speaks again. "I'm putting you on speaker, give me a minute."
They land on the rooftop of a random building, and Goro watches as Phantom-Spider fiddles beneath his mask for a moment before pulling his hands away.
"Can you hear me?" he asks.
A woman's voice crackles to life from his mask, filling the darkness of the night. "Loud and clear, Joker."
"Joker?" Goro parrots curiously.
"Ooh, are you with that detective?" comes the voice from the mask again.
"Yep," Phantom-Spider replies. "Don't say anything incriminating."
"You know I wouldn't!"
"Sorry," he turns his attention back to Goro. "Oracle is how I know where to look for danger. She's my eyes and ears across the city."
"Is it an AI?"
"Nuh uh! I'm a real flesh and blood human!" says Oracle. "Frankly, I'm insulted you compare my technical skills to a lame computer program."
Goro blinks. "Um. My apologies."
"Sketchy-Kechi's not as snappy as you claimed, Joker," she teases. "Do you think maybe he just hates you?"
"Is Joker your… real name?" The minute the question leaves his mouth, he realizes it's stupid and he regrets ever voicing it.
Phantom-Spider (Joker?) however, doesn't seem to think of it that way. "No. It's just something she calls me. Phantom-Spider's too long, y'know? Hardly convenient when she's shouting stuff at me during a fight."
"I see… I suppose that makes sense." Goro crosses his arms. "What should I call you, then?"
Phantom-Spider shrugs. "Call me whatever you want. Joker, Phantom-Spider, or maybe even…" He steps closer, and Goro's heart does a funny little flip. "…Yours," he purrs.
A beat passes between them, and he can't help it.
Goro laughs. And not his usual, princely chuckles that he often fakes for the camera. No, he full on cackles, letting it echo to the sky.
"Wha— Hey! Don't laugh!"
"Oh my god, that was so lame," Oracle snorts.
"Come on! That was totally smooth."
Maniac little giggles punch their way out of Goro's throat. "Goodness that was— I haven't heard anything so awful in my life."
"I'm gonna leave you here."
"Oh, but you won't," he says when he's able to properly form words again.
Joker's hands land on his hips. "Try me."
"Please, you're the one who so eagerly declared to protect me on my way home. Don't tell me Tokyo's beloved hero is going to leave me all vulnerable?"
"Man, you got me there," he sighs. "Alright, where are we going?"
Goro pauses at the question.
He should go home. That's the most logical choice. He can go home and shower and crawl into bed and sleep for whatever hours he can get.
He really should… But…
"Do you perhaps know where LeBlanc is?" Goro asks before he can think twice.
Joker tilts his head from side to side before shaking his head. "Nope. Let's go."
When they're traveling again, Joker speaks. "Hey, Oracle."
"Yeah?"
"Set directions to LeBlanc."
Oracle huffs. "What am I, Google Maps?"
"Nope. You're better than them."
"…I'll take it. You win."
The rest of the journey is quiet. Goro stares down at the tiny dots of light that're meant to represent Shibuya, watching as they fade away as they get further and further.
Eventually, Joker drops him off right at the entrance of LeBlanc. It's dark inside, and he almost feels bad at the prospect of waking Ren up.
"Is this it?" Joker glances at him.
"Yes. Thank you."
"Anytime, Detective," he says before sending himself back into the air.
Goro watches him for a moment before his feet begin to move on their own. His curiosity is getting the better of him.
He follows Joker for perhaps a few feet until he's out of sight and Goro's staring up into the dark velvet sky.
He stands there until a chilly night breeze seems to pass through him, pulling a shiver from his body.
He should go back.
When he knocks on LeBlanc's door the first time, he receives no response. It's on the second where the lights in the attic flicker on.
Goro waits until the main cafe lights flood the interior, and he finds Ren rushing towards the door in a hoodie and sweatpants.
"Goro?" he asks, surprise painting his tone once it's open.
Goro fiddles with the edge of one of his gloves. "…Do you mind if I come in?"
"Oh. Oh wow," Ren snorts the next morning as Goro's drinking coffee.
"What is it?"
"Take a look for yourself." He hands over his phone.
Goro takes it and finds a Twitter post pulled up on screen.
It's a shakily taken video of last night's… drama. Where Joker had oh so kindly lifted him up into the air with zero warning and disappeared with him into the night. The caption reads: 'Are Detective Prince Goro Akechi and Phantom-Spider having an affair?!'
"Oh god," Goro says with mounting horror.
"There's also a bunch of tabloid articles," Ren offers helpfully.
"Oh god."
This is bad. This is worse than bad. This is absolutely and utterly humiliating. Goro is going to kill Joker. Lord help him.
"Hey, it's not so bad," Ren smiles. "Think of it as a rivals-to-lovers thing or whatever."
You're my only rival, Goro wants to say.
"You're an idiot," he snaps instead.
Ren just laughs, and Goro imagines how he'd look with a bullet hole between his eyes.
I.
The giant crash outside on his apartment balcony is what shakes Goro out of his productive flow.
He'd been working well into the night, the time being almost midnight now. But he supposes he can take a break, if only to investigate the suspicious noise outside.
He swipes his pocket knife from his desk because he'll be damned before he does this sort of thing unarmed. After the little scrap with Okumura, Goro has been much more careful when he's on his own. So far, nothing else has happened, but he isn't willing to take any chances.
Goro pulls back the curtains and finds a dark lump on the floor of his balcony. He swiftly unlocks and opens the sliding glass door, only to find—
"Joker?!" Goro exclaims.
"Oh," Joker says before leaning his head back against the railing. "Hey, Akechi."
Well, it seems his attempts of avoiding the other finally failed. After the whole bullshit rumors that began circulating, Goro was careful to not ever been seen with Joker. And all that simply led to the very man he was trying to dodge landing on his balcony.
Joker looks… horrific, to put it simply. He looks as though he's been mauled. He's covered in blood, and there are multiple tears in his suit with cuts and scrapes covering every inch of visible skin.
"What on earth happened?!" he hisses. "Come on. Inside."
"It's nothing," he protests, but he allows Goro to drag him into his apartment anyway.
He forces Joker into the bathroom because despite his concern, he refuses to be scrubbing bloodstains out of his couch anytime soon.
"You are incredibly idiotic," Goro grits out between clenched teeth. He digs around in his cabinets for the medkit he knows he has from the time he had to stitch Ryuji up after he somehow gashed his own leg. "What did you do?"
"Dunno. Bad fight," Joker mumbles.
Goro snaps his fingers in front of the other's masked face. "Don't fall asleep on me now, Joker."
He's not going to let Joker die. Not in his apartment at least.
"I won, by the way," Joker tells him, like he wants Goro to be proud. "I won."
"Yes, I'm certain you did," Goro nods. as he pulls out various medical supplies.
Goro patches what he can, disinfecting the visible cuts before applying bandages and ointments as thoroughly as possible. Joker rambles the entire time, talking about whatever bullshit seems to come to the forefront of his mind.
"Oracle?" Goro tries at some point. Maybe she'll hear him and tell him how to help Joker.
"She's not on the line," he exhales, body slumping like his strings have been cut. "Went out about two hours ago when the guy almost smashed my head in."
"You need to go to a hospital. I can't do much here," Goro admonishes.
"No I… You gotta…"
Goro freezes when he spots Joker's hand reaching for his mask.
"You're not seriously—" he begins.
"I want you to know."
"Why me?"
"I just do. Trust me."
Goro bites his tongue. He can't believe the other is doing something so unthinkable. So positively risky and practically stupid. But he can't find it in himself to argue because there's a small part of him that's curious. That's always been curious.
When the mask comes off, he finds Ren Amamiya staring back at him.
Goro stares.
"Ta-da," Ren grins weakly. He doesn't have his glasses on.
Goro's mouth tries to make words, it works around them and shapes them, but nothing comes out.
Everything from the past few weeks suddenly clicks together like a lego set.
It's alright. Focus on something easy. Ren is injured. He should go to the hospital.
"You should go to the hospital," Goro tells him again. "I have clothes you may borrow in order to hide your suit."
Ren's chest fills out as he inhales deeply. "Take me to Takemi's."
"Absolutely not," Goro scowls. "Yongen-Jaya is much too far away."
"The doctor's are gonna find out eventually. Tae is better."
"What, as if she won't find out either?"
Ren gives him a raspy chuckle. "She already knows."
Goro almost face-palms. "Of course. I should have known you could never do something this stupid on your own," he grumbles. "Allow me to guess. Oracle is Futaba?"
"Yeah…"
"I should have known. She's the only one in your little group that's talented enough for that role."
"We need to go to Tae's," Ren requests. "She'll know what to do. Trust me."
There're those words again. Trust him.
He's still having some trouble connecting the images of Joker and Ren together, but there's a deep, grossly sentimental part of him that does believe in him. Goro, for all the times he has said he's hated Ren, trusts him with his fucking life.
Goro exhales shakily. "Fine. We need to hurry."
He's growing much too soft.
Ren smiles, and Goro's traitorous heart responds by punching his ribcage.
He leads them both to the car and straps Ren in before doing the same to himself.
"You're going to want to hold on," Goro repeats the words from that one night.
"Whuh?"
He doesn't give any more warning as he slams the gas.
The half-hour journey is knocked down to fifteen minutes, and soon enough Goro finds himself parked near Takemi's clinic.
"If I don't die from my injuries," Ren gasps, "I think it'll be a heart attack."
"You're going to be fine." Goro gets out before helping Ren. "I did say we needed to hurry."
Surprisingly, the light is still on inside, so Goro marches the two of them through the door. Ren is leaning against him, and Goro tries to cling onto the warmth emanating from the other's body.
Takemi is sitting behind the front desk, reading a magazine uncaringly. That is, until, she spots Goro approaching with a bloodied and battered Ren, and her brows raise to disappear beneath her bangs.
"I can't do much for a dead man," she says slowly.
"He's not dead," Goro says through gritted teeth.
Ren waves at her to prove Goro's point.
"Alright. Bring him back here." She gestures to the side door before exiting through one on her side.
Goro takes him to the examination room where Takemi is waiting. She helps him lay Ren down on the bed before moving back to scan the injuries.
"Nothing life threatening," she announces finally. "He'll definitely have some scarring, and he'll need a lot of bed rest. But he'll live."
The sigh of relief that escapes Goro feels like an escape from doom.
"If you don't mind my asking," begins Goro as he watches her gather supplies, "but why are you still here? It's awfully late, isn't it?"
"I stick around for him." She jerks her thumb towards Ren's now-unconscious body. "After revealing his identity, he's been letting me know when he'll be out fighting crime. I stay here to check on his injuries whenever he comes back."
"Ah." But he came to Goro this time. Maybe it was for convenience purposes, but that doesn't negate the fact that Ren revealed himself to him, his sacredly protected identity. It makes his heart preen.
"Did you patch him up?" She interrupts his thoughts.
"I did what I could, yes," Goro nods.
"Then he's really lucky you were around. Any longer and he would've bled to death."
Goro pales. "But you'd said his injuries weren't life threatening."
"Yes. But with the sheer number of them and the blood he'd already lost, it would've been deadly."
He's not sure whether to laugh or cry in this situation. Ren is a fucking idiot.
"You should head home, Akechi," Takemi says, not even looking at him.
"Oh. You know—?"
"Of course I do. Everybody does."
Right. He's a celebrity. It'd be more unlikely if she didn't know who he is.
Without saying anymore, Goro exits the examination room and instead seats himself in the lobby.
He's not sure when he dozes off, but he's jolted awake by someone shaking his shoulder. He blinks the sleep from his eyes and finds burning fluorescent lights trying to flashbang him. He groans lowly and rubs his face.
"Didn't I say to go home?" he hears Takemi chide.
"How is he?" Goro asks when he can finally see again.
She huffs out a laugh. "He'll be fine. Knocked out like a light, though. Come see him tomorrow."
He almost declines, wanting to stay here and monitor Ren's condition. But then he realizes that he'd hardly be doing anything here. He can't help Ren any more than he already has and he should just let Takemi work and now that he thinks about it, he's completely exhausted. The chairs in the waiting room are beginning to hurt his back. Takemi should really buy better chairs if she wants anyone to come here.
He chews on his lip. "Alright. I'll return first thing tomorrow then."
Takemi smiles. "I think he'd like that."
True to his word, the first thing Goro does the next morning is get himself ready to visit Ren.
This time, he allows for the half hour trip because now he doesn't have a bleeding out man in his car. Takemi greets him when he enters and brings him into the examination room, where he finds Ren staring up at the ceiling.
"Had to stitch him up a bit," she tells him. "Mostly just his head, but with that bird's nest you won't even be able to tell."
He nods, and she turns on her heel.
"You're awake," Goro observes after Takemi leaves the two of them.
Ren's eyes widen and he lifts his head just a bit to look at Goro. His face lights up in recognition. Without those fake glasses of his, it's much easier to see the natural sharpness of his gunmetal eyes. It feels slightly overwhelming for Goro, as he's so used to the lenses softening the impact.
"Tae said you'd be coming," he grins.
"Yes, well, I'm here," Goro says, words stilted.
They both go quiet, simply staring at each other. Ren looks much better than he did last night, with bandages and a dubious looking hospital gown draped over his frame.
"You're uh, not gonna tell anyone. Are you?"
The question makes him think. Just last night he'd condemned the idea of vigilante justice, saying that he didn't believe in it. But, he can't deny the certain appeal that comes with being one of the very few who know Joker's identity. Perhaps he's selfish.
"No. However, I want the truth, Ren." Goro pulls up the rolling chair to sit himself next to Ren's side. "All of it."
Ren's expression drops, and he stares down at his lap. "Alright. I mean, you deserve as much. Where do you want me to start?"
"From the beginning, I'd hope."
He snorts humorlessly. "Dick."
Goro can't help but smile.
"Truth be told, it's all confusing to me too," he starts. "Maybe three months ago, I'd been cleaning out the attic. And while I was dusting beneath the table I felt this sharp pain on my neck. Obviously, my first reaction was to smack it, and when I pulled my hand back it was a spider."
Goro grimaces.
"I didn't think much of it. Went to get it checked here on the off chance it was venomous. Nothing was wrong, so Tae sent me back and that was that." Ren smiles at him ruefully. "Stuff happened. But long story short I didn't realize anything was wrong until I woke up that night practically cocooned to the ceiling."
Ren's eyes meet his, and Goro waits for him to continue.
"Radioactive spider bite. Don't ask me where it came from, I couldn't tell you. But eventually I ended up like this. "
"That was perhaps the worst explanation I have ever heard," Goro deadpans.
Ren laughs. "Sorry. It's the best I can do."
Goro can only sigh. "No, I… Then what was all of this? What happened last night?"
"Last night was…" Ren shakes his head. "Don't you think it was weird, how Okumura came after you? Especially in the way he did?"
"I… suppose."
"Oracle—Well, I guess Futaba, since you already know—mentioned something about an external force acting within Okumura that night. Something not entirely his. It started during his prison break." Ren frowns. "I thought that was strange, especially since something like that can't just happen in the span of three hours. So I set to investigating it. Last night was… part of that."
"Another one?"
Ren nods. "Do you remember Kamoshida?"
The name strikes something in Goro's brain. "That Shujin coach? The one who'd been physically and sexually abusing his students?" He remembers working on that case. No one would say a word about it, not the teachers nor the other students. It took him ages to gather enough evidence to have him convicted. Ren had helped him during that time.
"Yeah. Same thing happened with him. I was dealing with it last night."
Goro's head spins. This is all so… so fucking ridiculous. He has to be dreaming right now. There's no way any of this is seriously happening.
But then he looks at Ren, and last night was definitely real. The panic and the worry that ate away at him was all real.
"…How are you feeling?"
"Better. A lot better."
He nods before another thought pops into his mind.
"Why me?" Goro asks again. "Why would you—" he gestures to Ren's… everything.
Ren's expression softens, and Goro hates how his stomach flips at the sight. "I feel like you of all people deserve to know. I mean, we're rivals after all."
"That's…"
"And all my flirting wasn't just for show." His gaze turns back to his lap, and Goro can see the way his cheeks flush. It's cute. "I really do like you, Goro. Sucks that a near death experience is what finally made me say it."
Goro tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. "Well, it's not the worst confession in the world."
"Really? Good to know I met your expectations."
"Hah. Hardly," Goro hums. "But I'm willing to give you another chance."
Ren perks up. "Seriously?"
"…Yes."
"Does that mean you're a Phanboy now?" Ren grins.
"In your dreams," Goro rolls his eyes. "Once you're out of here, I expect a date worthy of our rivalry." He's pleased to see the look of surprise on Ren's face.
The other places a hand over his heart. "I solemnly swear."
"Good." Goro gives Ren a withering glare. "And don't you dare do something like this again. I don't know how generous I'll be next time."
"Man, you're hot when you're mean."
"Shut up," he snaps, trying to will down the traitorous blush flooding his face. "Focus on recovering."
"Yes sir."
Goro checks his watch and curses. "I need to get going, Ren. But I'll… I'll come visit again this evening. So don't do anything idiotic."
"Don't worry, I've had my fill," Ren assures.
Goro pushes himself to his feet stiffly before pausing when he sees Ren's smiley face.
God, fuck it.
Before he can second-guess himself, Goro bends down and presses a kiss to Ren's cheek. His embarrassment is worth it when he pulls away and finds the other's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"Well. Goodbye then," Goro coughs as he power-walks out. The look that Takemi gives him when he passes by lets him know that he's most definitely bright red.
He can't stop the little smile on his face as he climbs into his car and turns it on.
Perhaps his boring, monotonous life is ready to hatch from its mundane chrysalis. And maybe things won't be so bad when it does.