Shuake Week 2020

Summer Festival (Day 4)

The question is sudden and without any preamble. "Do you want to get married," Akira asked while holding Akechi's hand tight as they weaved in between festival stalls on the hunt for festival games to slash through.

Earlier that day Akechi had admitted that he never had been to a summer festival just for his own amusement. It had always been for work, in an attempt to keep up the appearance of a respectable youth, or he simply didn't have the means to travel to one when he was in the foster care system.

Akira was scandalized at the thought and immediately planned to rectify it. Lucky for them the Shibuya fireworks festival was tonight and Akechi found himself later that evening surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city as it seemed everyone and their mother wanted to see the display.

It took Akechi a great amount of effort to not dramatically snatch his hand away from his boyfriend. What kind of question was that? "No," he said evenly with a stiff tone that left no room for argument.

"Why not," Akira asked because he always had to push his luck.

"It's not legal."

"Who cares about legality," he grinned and gripped his boyfriend's hand tighter. "I just love you and want to show it."

Akechi rolled his eyes. "We are two men holding hands and you're wearing the most feminine Yukata I have ever seen in my life. I assure you everyone can see we are together."

"I said I want to show that I love you, not that we're together."

Something akin to embarrassment bubbled up in Akechi as he glanced over to the raven. Akira wore his usual goofy smile but anyone could see he was completely serious. Realistically Akechi knew Akira loved him. He heard him say it every morning and night. He saw the way Akira looked at him as if he was the only man in the world.

He knew Akira loved him.

He didn't know if he loved Akira.

Scratch that! Akechi knew that whenever he woke up next to the other man he felt an instant burst of happiness. And he knew that life without Akira would be dreadfully dull, almost not worth it if he was honest. But was that love?

To the ex-detective love was a foreign concept. His childhood was quick. One moment he was born, the next his mother was dead and he was expected to be an adult in a kid's body.Akechi couldn't remember his mother's voice, face, and least of all her love. A mom was supposed to be a child's first experience with warmth yet when he thought of his mother she was vast and cold, like a frigid winterscape.

So what was love? Akechi didn't know. He didn't want to be wrong either. He didn't want to say I love you only for it to be a lie. He couldn't lie to Akira.

"You're stalling," Akechi finally said, his eyes catching a booth. This was his out. "You keep talking because you don't want to lose at Ring Toss."

Looking over to where the brunette was pointing Akira shrugged. "I wasn't but if you want to play let's play."

Goro is thankful for the distraction and decimates his partner. He's always been the one with better aim-- both in the Metaverse and in real life-- so of course, he wipes the floor with Akira, who takes it in stride.

With a smug smirk stretching his lips Akechi looked at his total compared to the other man's. Wow, he fucking wrecked Akira. "What do you want?""Hm?""It's commonplace for boyfriends to win their significant other a festival gift, correct? What do you want? Anything on the top row is fair game according to my point total."

"Oh," Akira smiled gently. "That's sweet of you." He thought for a moment before answering again. "I want the Mona looking kitty plush."

"How could I tell," he asked dryly and sent the vendor off to go retrieve the prize.

"I'm predictable, huh?"

"More than you could ever believe."

The worker placed the stuffed cat in Akira's arms and with that, the couple walked off. Akira beamed down at the toy, happiness radiating off of him. Akechi wondered if it would always be this simple. Would Akira always be so easily impressed and smitten with Akechi or would this end?

It had been four years by now, surely enough time for the honeymoon stage to wane and resentment to rear its hideous head into the relationship, but it hadn't happened yet and that terrified Akechi.

When would this disappear? When would loving gazes turn into daggers? When would Akira finally get tired of putting up with him? When--

Akira's soft voice broke into his thoughts. "Goro?"

"Hm?"

"I asked if you wanted to do goldfish scooping. I know it's sort of childish but you never did it when you were young and you might like it."

"Right, of course, I would love to beat you at that. How do you play," Akechi asked as he allowed himself to be led to a booth by Akira.

With a hearty laugh, Akira said, "No you don't really beat people at it, it's a solo game. You just try and get a fish on the paddle," The raven explained as he moved to pay for a round at the stand.

"No, let me pay."

"You paid last game."

"And I won the last game too," Akechi said definitively, taking out his wallet. "Winner pays for the loser. Seems like a fair deal, don't you think?"

Akira effortlessly showcased how to pick up a goldfish with the paper-thin paddle and Goro motioned to do the same but with more vigor. The tiny orange fish he set his sight on goes flying off of the paddle and back into the cool blue pond with a splash.

"Damn..."

"Try to be less violent. A little gentler, alright?"

With a growl, Goro said, "Don't tell me what to do Joker."

Akira shook his head. Fine, you can try it your way but each time you fail is another couple hundred yen out of your pocket."

"Shut up and watch me get so many fucking fish."

It takes two broken scoopers, a lot of rage, and 3500 yen but eventually Goro Akechi managed to catch and contain a singular goldfish into a bag. He triumphantly grinned as Akira gave him a way-ward thumbs up. Having already won a fish or two, most of the children that had been playing when the couple started were long gone.

"See I told you I could get a fish."

"Actually," Akira spoke with humor lacing his tone, "If I recall you said you would get so many fucking fish. Last I checked that would require plural fish and I only see one in your hand."

Akechi snorted and barely resisted the urge to fling his fish over his boyfriend's head. "Yeah well, where is your fish? Did it swim away?"

"No, I gave it away."

"You did what?"

"I gave it away."

"Why?"

The raven shrugged. "Because some little girl was having a rough time winning a fish so I gave her mine."

"You are unbelievable," Akechi cried. "You have to let kids work for their success. She'll never learn otherwise!"

"Honey," Akira said with an unimpressed look, "It's goldfish. Not like I helped some random kid cheat on her test."

"It's all the same. You have to let kids work for it Akira, do you hear me?"

"Since when do you know so much about kids?"

"I work in social services. I see kids daily."

"Yeah, you do, don't you?" Akira checked his watch. We have ten more minutes until the fireworks are to start, wanna find a place to watch them Goro?"

He agreed to come today so of course, he wants to watch the fireworks in the best possible place. "Do you have a spot in mind?"

"Oh absolutely," Akira tugged his boyfriend along the street, his getas clacking along the pavement. It took a few minutes but somehow in the middle of Shibuya Akechi and Akira are standing on a grassy knoll.

"I didn't know this place existed..."

"Neither did I until Makoto told me about it. Turns out this tiny park is soon to be removed so I figured why not come here so we can both enjoy it's last few days together."

Akechi nodded at the idea and gracefully sat down.

"And look," Akira pointed to the sky as his glasses reflected something blue and shiny, "the fireworks are starting!"

Akechi had never seen fireworks for fun. He's always been at a photoshoot while they were going on and thus was there on a strict schedule. He had never known just how spectacular it felt to watch the tiny, colorful bulbs spring up into the sky only to see them explode into a myriad of other hues.

The entire time a smile never left his face. The display went on for forty-five incredible minutes and once the smoke had cleared and it was all done, Akechi turned to Akira with wide-eyes and said "That was fucking fantastic! Did you see that one that looked like a Ferris wheel?! So cool!" He sounded like a child. It was cute.

"I'm glad you loved it," Akira said, rubbing his finger's over his boyfriend's knuckle with the fondest expression known to man. "Glad it met your expectations.

"You meet all my expectations. Always. You're my rival never once have you disappointed me Akira. You certainly wouldn't start now."

"I can never be so sure. Maybe one day you'll get bored and find a new rival."

"Fuck that," Akechi hissed. "No one could replace you, what the hell are you saying?"

"Right," Akira agreed but his heart wasn't in it. "Well do you want to head back?"

"Wait, a moment what was that?"

"Huh?"

"You just agreed with me but I can tell you don't. What the hell was that" he demanded. "Do you honestly think I have some other rival I go and crush at Ring Toss or something? Just what do you mean by your tone."

"Goro come on, it's been such a nice evening and--"

"Answer me, Joker."

"Do you love me?"

"Excuse me?"

"I," the ex-leader started but broke off. "I just think that sometimes you don't actually love me. I know you can't express emotions well and I know you are working on that but it's sort of eating me up. I get that two people don't have to be married to show love but I just--"

"Wait you don't really want to marry me then," Akechi said in a flat voice. "You just want a damn I love you?"

"No, I do! Someday! I want to have one of those big, gaudy American style weddings with you and invite all our friends--"

"--all your friends--"

"--But I really just want to know if you love me. It's okay if you don't. I can live with never actually being the one for you but I'd like to know who or what I'm replacing at least."

Akechi blinked. "Are you stupid?"

"Huh?"

"I distinctly remember calling you my one and only rival. You were my first real friend damnit when the hell would I have time to find anyone else that could compare to you?"

"Well, I--"

"No," Akechi continued, "you must be brain dead if you think you would be a replacement for anyone. You are an upgrade from all the other sniveling losers I used to spend my time with. No one has ever come close to giving me what you give me. I don't know if this is love but holy fuck Akira you can't be replaced. Not to me."

"Oh," he gaped. That sounded an awful lot like love in his books.

The men stared at each other for a moment as the summer heat swirled around them. Akira felt hot tears threaten to spill. He tried to sweep them away. "I love you too Goro."