Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Another disastrous TV appearance. At least they were fewer nowadays. With the rise in popularity of the phantom thieves, giving a platform to their opposition wasn't bringing in the numbers the TV stations would like. No more having to do interviews every day. No more being asked to do food reviews of some sickening dessert. No more spending all his time running between jobs.

More time to relax. No work, no school. He could just go for a walk in the park and let everything else pass him by. At least until Shidou came calling demanding he gets his act together. Goro ducked under a branch, finding a quiet spot of grass to sit on. If he'd thought, he'd have brought a book. He hadn't been reading much recently. He hadn't been reading at all. There wasn't time for that now and it wasn't like it particularly mattered.

A lot of his hobbies seemed to end up like that.

He checked his phone, giving it a quick check for new messages. Nothing from Shidou, whose name he wasn't allowed to save and always called from a burner, but Goro had memorised the number. A couple of clients.

And Joker.

Joker had taken to texting him every couple of nights. Normal conversations, asking how he was, if work was busy, reminding him not to overwork himself, inviting him to LeBlanc. Sending him pictures of his cat, his new pyjamas, the curry he made. Every little thing he wanted to share with Goro for some reason. All because they went out together a couple of times. Played a couple of games together.

He stared at the pinpricks of light, dancing over the flowers around him. Dancing over him.

Maybe it was because he kept spilling his guts to him and telling him things that destroyed the entire persona he'd spent years building up. Telling him secrets no one should know. He'd gotten careless. Told him too much.

And Joker told him nothing.

But he always knew. There was something about him that set him off. When they first shook hands, Joker gave him that look that told him he knew he wasn't using his left just because he was left-handed. He'd given him a similar look every time he made even the vaguest of threats about the phantom thieves, even without insinuating he'd be one of them.

And then the soft, tentative looks. Or the joking. The sort of things that almost made him believe they could be friends. That there was still a chance. That if he reached out there and then, there was still another path to take. That he was the only one keeping him on the one he was walking.

No. Rivals. Enemies. They could be enemies at best, and only if Joker could truly impress him.

Unless...

Goro plucked one of the tiny flowers, twiddling it between his fingers, watching the many petals blur into one as it went back and forth.

Without thinking, he reached for a petal.

"I love him." Goro plucked the petal, letting the wind take it. "I hate him." And the next, slightly more forcefully. "I love him. I hate him." Over and over. Muttering the words under his breath, just barely audible, still somewhat aware that someone may attempt to approach the 'Detective Prince' at any time no matter how zoned out he was. "I love him."
"Akechi?" A voice called from behind him. Of all the people to arrive. He plucked another petal. I hate him. He could hear the footstep as Joker moved off the path and onto the grass. Fuck. Fuck fuck. What should he do what should he-

Before his brain could catch up, he'd shoved the flower into his mouth and started chewing.

Disgusting. Disgusting and filthy and the pollen was irritating his tongue and-
"Sorry, should I call you Detective Akechi?" Joker's hand landed on his shoulder and he spun round, still gagging on the flower. He couldn't spit it out now. Could he? It wasn't exactly in character for the detective prince to be vomiting flowers in public. If someone saw him that would be tabloid news.
"Joker," that damned cat of his meowed. "Look at his mouth." Oh, of course, that damned thing would draw attention to it. Not like it was possible to miss but he'd love anyone else to blame for this situation.

Joker crouched down, putting himself on eye level with Goro and staring directly into his eyes. Staying completely still for a moment before a hand gingerly reached up, fingers grazing Goro's face before cupping his cheek. Goro stayed frozen in place. What was he meant to do? Should he jerk away? Should he wait? He could feel his weight shifting unwillingly. Found himself leaning in just a little. Joker's thumb brushed along his bottom lip and he automatically opened his mouth, forgetting for a moment that it was full.
"You had a petal on your lip." Joker moved his hand away and he almost lost his balance at the lack of support. He blew the petal away, the wind catching it to join the rest. "You can spit the rest out now." He held his hand back up in front of Goro's mouth.

Bastard.

Well, maybe he hadn't been exaggerating when he'd called him his counterpart. He certainly didn't let anything slip by him.

Goro spat the chewed up mess of the flower into his hand and the cat gagged at the sight. A bold move from something that probably coughed up far worse by the hour.
"Gross," he laughed, wiping his hand on the grass. It certainly sounded gross. He could go his entire life without ever hearing that damned sound again. Soon. Soon soon soon. Joker opened his bag, the cat jumping out at the opportunity.
"I'll meet you back at the cafe," he meowed and Joker nodded a confirmation at him before he ran off. Joker didn't bother to watch where the cat had disappeared to, instead grabbing a handkerchief out of the bag. One of those ridiculous phantom thieves ones that were being sold at every kiosk in the country. Despite that, Goro took it when it was offered to him.
"Sorry, I'll be sure to get some with cute pigs on them for our next meeting." I think I'd rather wipe my puke with the phantom thieves.
"That's alright. I appreciate you offering regardless of what pattern the handkerchief has," Goro said, slipping back into his pleasant persona. He could feel Joker staring at him as he wiped his mouth, feel his eyes burning into him.

Just leave already.

"Is some-"
"Do you have hanahaki?" Joker blurted out the question over him. Goro finally brought himself to look at him again, eyebrows knitting together and mouth agape.

Right. Well, that was certainly better than eating flowers in the park.

"Joker," he whispered and made a point of looking around him as if checking no one were listening. Well, it would be better for him if no one heard this conversation. "You can't tell anyone. You know how it is. If anyone hears about this, I'll be on the front page of every tabloid. You have to keep quiet." It wasn't an exaggeration by any means. Some idol had been plastered all over the news kiosk this morning after an unfortunate coughing fit on a live morning talk show. While he was unlikely to suffer whatever awaited that girl, it would be a severe hit for him that would be a bit harder to bounce back from than the phantom thief nonsense.

"Should we head somewhere more private?" Joker stood back up, pulling Goro along with him. "How about we go get some lunch and we'll talk about it."

Absolutely not.
"Of course, do you have somewhere in mind?"
"There's a restaurant I go to with my friends a lot. It's not your usual taste but it should be too busy for anyone to overhear and the booths are built up enough that people shouldn't recognise you immediately." His grip firmed in his hand. "It's where everyone tells me their deep dark secrets." Goro laughed through his nose, feeling a smile creeping up.
"If that's true, maybe you should reconsider and become an undercover cop."
"I don't have any interest in being a rat at any point in my life." He wasn't letting go. "I don't think the ears would suit me."
"Joker," Goro interrupted as Joker started to walk. "I... think it might give the wrong impression if we were to be seen walking there like this."

Joker paused for a second, blinking at him a few times before realising what he was talking about and letting go.
"Of course, detective. That might make your article in the tabloids even bigger." Joker shoved his hands in his pockets but leaned into his ear, breath tickling his neck. "It would be a pretty big shock to see the phantom thieves arch-nemesis holding hands with a boy in the park." Punctuated by him blowing on his ear before walking on ahead.

He wouldn't be destroyed by this.

He followed Joker to the restaurant, staying a half-step behind and doing his best to ignore the people pointing and staring. They always did that. Everywhere he went there was a finger pointed in his direction and someone muttering behind their hand. The distinct sound of a phone camera going off every few minutes. It just happened that now he had to worry about who he was being photographed with.

How many strings would he have to pull to make sure Joker's image wasn't shown to the public when he died? That didn't matter. He could write it off as him getting close to the phantom thieves to destroy them from the inside. People would eat it up without a second thought.

The restaurant was full to bursting, even though the lunch hour was long over and everyone should have been pushing back to work. The staff gave them a dirty look until they realised who it was that had entered their establishment. All of a sudden, they were being swept away to one of the booths, tucked away from everyone else.
"I'm surprised you picked somewhere busy like this. I was always under the impression when one wanted privacy, they would discuss matters in a quiet place," Goro said and glanced over the menu.
"Well, I'd take you to LeBlanc since it's always dead there, but the barista keeps a close eye on what I'm doing. If I were whispering away, he might assume I were doing something illegal and report me."
"I was never under the impression it was dead. There always seems to be a steady stream of regulars when I stop by."
"And I can promise you they'd be clinging to your every word." Goro closed the menu again, not having taken any of it in. This was strictly for business. Joker hadn't even looked at the menu, his eyes fixed on Goro since the moment they sat down. "I wasn't aware it was hanahaki season."
"Hanahaki season can be quite unpredictable in the city. With so many people around, it rarely truly dies. I'll admit, my flare-ups been a bit unseasonable. I didn't think I'd encountered anyone with it so hadn't even thought of carrying a mask."
"I have a phantom thieves one in my bag if you'd like?"
"No thank you, that won't be necessary. I have plenty at home."

Joker clicked the bell on the table, calling the waitress over.
"Pancakes, please. You as well?" Joker asked him, avoiding saying his name in front of an attentive audience.
"How kind, but I'm not fond of them if they're overly sweet."
"One with strawberries, one with sausage, two black coffees." The waitress nodded and left them alone, disappearing back into the crowd.
"I didn't think this would be the kind of place to do pancakes at this time in the afternoon."
"They're doing a special this week. I was looking for a good excuse to check it out. I was worried for a second that I might have to say your name. Maybe I should call you Go-chin while we're out."
"Please don't."
"Ichijou-san?"
"No."
"Dick then."

"Joker," Goro growled at him, desperate to stop these foolish antics. There were times to play along with this nonsense and now was not it. And yet, he defaulted back to his mild tone. "Didn't you bring me here for a reason?"
"My reason is that you asked me to take you somewhere more private, Go-chin," Joker said just as the waitress put their coffee in front of them and disappeared again. "So I thought I should ask first. Who do you have a crush on?"

Fuck.

"That I can't say. Those are private matters I would rather keep to myself."
"But you have someone you like?"
"The disease wouldn't develop if I didn't." Goro stirred his coffee absent-mindedly.
"It seems a pretty mild case at the minute. Are you going to tell him before it gets worse?"
"Probably not. I'm much too busy dealing with the phantom thieves. I'll have to make an appointment with the doctor and get some medication to suppress it."
"No chance it's one of the phantom thieves?" The arrogance. "I assumed the Detective Prince had worked out who they are by now."
"If I have, it's a big step to assume I'd be in love with one of them." Joker laughed, sipping his coffee and grimacing at it.
"I was always a fan of that sort of thing. There was an old anime I used to watch where the phantom thief was dating the cop. I always thought that sort of romance was interesting."

Goro sipped his coffee, instantly understanding what the grimace had been about.
"Unfortunately, real life doesn't work like an anime. I can assure you, I'm not dating a phantom thief and have no intentions to."

There it was. That little thing Joker did. The way his mouth twitched to a frown before returning to complete neutrality. The right conversation topic and he did that at the exact right moment and Goro had instantly known he'd found who he'd been looking for.

"Well, that's the point of taking your medicine. To avoid admitting you're in love and hoping it just goes away.

"Personally, I don't think it would work for me. When I fall in love, I'm all over them. One moment I'm focused on the way they tuck their hair behind their ear, chew their hands when they're concentrating too hard, the way they cross their legs. Next moment, I'm thinking about marrying them, them tucking their hair away for me, holding their hands above their head, opening thei-"
"I'm surprised," Goro interrupted, having no interest in visualising that particular image any further. "I didn't think you were the type to fling yourself at love so wholeheartedly."
"I make a point never to do things half-heartedly. And I'm not one to deny myself what I love."
"I envy you. If only it could be so easy," Goro sighed.

The pancakes arrived and were set down in front of them and the waitress disappeared again. It was nice that they were busy. It saved the risk of a waitress hovering to reveal she's a fan. The pancakes themselves looked delicious; his own, a small stack of pancakes interspersed with sausage patty; Joker's, almost hidden behind a dollop of cream and strawberries.

He made a point to fake a coughing fit before attempting to eat any. For the sake of the act.
"Do your think he knows?" Joker asked between mouthfuls, not having let Goro's problems hold him back.
"'He'?"
"The guy."
"What guy?"
"The guy you're crushing on."
"Oh." Goro snapped back in on where their conversation had been before the interruption. Right. "No, I doubt that would be the case." He'd need to spend the rest of the evening drawing up a profile for his supposed crush at this rate. He slipped his phone out of his pocket, keeping it out of sight as he took note of all the crap he was making up.
"You think he's the clueless type? I always thought you would only be interested in the kind of guy that gave you a challenge."
"I wouldn't call him clueless." He stopped to take a bite, the pancakes falling apart gracefully with the pull of the fork. The pancake and the meat coming together in a perfectly savoury bite, held back only by the dryness of the combination. He would be grateful for the coffee after all. "I don't think he'd believe me the type to go falling in love. He'll probably laugh at me if he found out. Maybe even believe he'd bested me." He kept his eyes low the whole time, adding to the character. Ah, the hidden core of the Detective Prince. A lover of sweets and sweethearts.
"Do you have another rival I should be worried about?"
"Maybe I have numerous, who's to say. I'm sure I have some even I don't know about."
"And one of them happens to be your new crush. You should have told me sooner. Here I was thinking I might be special."

Die.

"Are you satisfied now that you've pried into my private life?"
"I'm always blessed to know more about you, Go-chin. It makes the thousands I spend at the shrine worth every yen."

They parted ways outside the station, Joker having insisted on paying the bill for both of them. There was some time between Joker's train leaving and his own arriving, enough time to pick up a mask from one of the kiosks.

He'd need to remember to wear it in public from now on. Joker had the most inconvenient habit of finding him wherever he was completely unexpectedly. Would picking up some flowers be overdoing it? Definitely. Definitely overdoing it. He didn't want to spend all his time tossing flowers in his mouth. The mask should be enough to convince him and in a few months, it would have faded away and, when Joker asked, he'd claim he got over the silly crush.

Regardless, he checked over the notes he'd taken while he waited on the train. He needed to memorise them all, no doubt Joker would catch him on any slip-up.

His phone started ringing as the train pulled into the station. Shidou.
"Hello?" Goro answered as he got on.
"Akechi," Shidou snapped at him. "I see Mr Okumura is having a fine time." As always.
"That appears to be the case, yes." Goro managed to grab onto the pole in the centre as people piled in around him. "I-"
"Fix it."
"Yes, sir." He clawed at the palm of his free hand. Desperately wanting to scratch at the skin but being held back by the gloves.
"And also," Shidou's growl drew even lower. "I see your pictures plastered all over social media. again."
Well, when wasn't it?
"I can assume they're unflattering ones. I assure you, such images will do no harm to my reputation at this point. After all, everyone's on the side of the phantom thieves now."
"See that it doesn't. And another thing."

Chapter Text

The horrifying display played on every screen in the city. Maybe the entire prefecture. Undoubtedly going out live on nationwide news. Okumura's statement. Finally coming clean about all the crimes he had committed. All the horrible things he had done. Everything everyone already knew about. Everything that was in fact standard across all jobs, all industries. Every boss in the country would work their employees to the bone and find them dead before they retired. As was the way of the nation. As was accepted and moved on from.

Let it be known that no example is made by such a man confessing his crimes. They would have simply nodded. The entire country in unison. And gone "well, that isn't anything new." Maybe in a few years, he would have been taken to court and maybe the court systems would find him guilty. Or a wad of cash would sneak its way around and he'd get a light sentence and be out on parole within months. It wouldn't happen to anyone else, but Okumura foods had gone global. The family was not struggling for favours and Goro knew they had the strings they needed to pull to make it happen.

With so many to pull, Kunikazu Okumura had been oblivious to one of them becoming a noose.

Now his body convulsed live on TV. Blood blistering and popping from every orifice. Gushing out as his eyes rolled back and he choked on a mixture of blood, vomit, and spit. Gathering in his throat and pouring out all over the podium, soiling the reporters' mics. The incessant twitching until the cameras finally cut away. There would be talk about how long it took them to turn it off. How the cameramen and directors had failed to react in time to turn away from the live snuff film they premiered.

Goro sipped his coffee from the Big Bang Burger branded cup. It may as well have been hot water for all it tasted.

If anything would be a lesson, it would be that display. Goro had a feeling there'd be a sharp decline in unnecessary overtime in the next few months. Some of the civil servants would be blessing the phantom thieves no doubt. Let them believe in the phantom thieves. People with a sense of justice outside themselves would curse them out plenty.

He wasn't meant to take a sense of pride or justice from this. This wasn't him delivering justice. It was a job. A job like every other messy one that slid into his hands. It just so happened that there was some trash on this Earth that he didn't mind taking out.

One such being his employer.

He glanced at his phone, checking the email he'd received only 15 minutes before the broadcast went live.

Joker at Tokyo Destinyland, posing in front of the statue of Pascal, his cat hissing at it.
'Come with me next time'
He hadn't been invited. No surprise. Joker's friends weren't particularly talented at hiding their disdain for him. Maybe if Joker had been operating alone, he'd have been harder to catch. He might have been able to slide right under Goro's nose, playing the annoyance. Passed himself off as a phantom thieves 'phanboy' that got off on teasing the detective prince. Unfortunately, he worked with imbeciles who wore all their emotions on their sleeves and said their every thought aloud.

What could be expected of a bunch of good-for-nothing outcast teenagers.

His finger hovered over the reply option. It was strange how Joker could spur him into wanting to gloat so horribly. To send him just a little 'not so just now'. A tease.

That wasn't who he was right now. In fact, he had most definitely checked his phone to see if Shidou had been in contact in regards to the display. Which, of course, he hadn't. It wasn't worth leaving such clear traces of involvement, even from a burner. There was no particular reason Goro checked.

Goro wore the mask the entire train journey to Yongen-Jaya. It had become quite useful to wear it as often as possible. Whenever he was in Kichijoji, Joker had an odd habit of turning up to talk to him before disappearing, seemingly having no reason to have been there to begin with. They seemed to pass each other often and Joker would stop to make idle chitchat every time without fail. So, wearing the mask had become crucial in keeping up this ridiculous charade. However, it had the benefit of people seemingly recognising him less when he had it on. A mask and a hat seemed enough to create some doubt for passing fans. He could get from the station to LeBlanc without being stopped once. Even the gentleman behind the counter said nothing, though he suspected that was more out of respect for him not wanting to call attention to someone who clearly didn't want it.

He ordered a coffee and sat with it. Waiting. Occasionally coughing in case it got reported back. He took a handkerchief from his pocket which he'd taken the time to smother some flowers between. The pollen stained the clean white and bundles of petals and broken flowers were wrapped up in it for effect. It should be convincing enough without him having to actually eat another one of the blasted things.

It wasn't until the evening that Joker finally came through the door.
"Welcome home," Goro said, flashing the smile he'd perfected so well.
"Honey, I'm home." Joker didn't even stumble. A soft tone, a soft smile. He almost sounded like he truly was a husband announcing his return.
"You're back awfully late."
"Our meeting ran long. Sorry I kept you waiting, dear." Joker took a few steps toward him. Goro's heart hammered in his chest. Had he found something out?
"Sojiro-" Joker started but the owner abruptly cleared his throat to cut him off. "Mr Sakura, do you mind if I take my darling wife to a booth?"
"Either take him upstairs or you have to order something."
"Bold, I didn't think you'd-" Sakura gave him a harsh look that was enough to shut him up on the spot. "I'll take a coffee and some curry, I'll pay you at the end of the night."
"One curry and coffee coming right up."
"I was quite enjoying sitting at the counter," Goro said.
"I'm sorry, dear," Joker replied and leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "but I think there are some things we'd rather the owner didn't overhear."

One such thing would be these damn pet names the humour had already dried from.

He took his coffee and slid into the booth, sitting across from Joker once more.
"Have you managed to get some medicine?"
"I got some. The symptoms have gone down considerably but it takes a while for it to clear up entirely. Of course, I'm still contagious as well."
"Maybe you shouldn't be meeting people for coffee then."
"Well, as long as no one has a crush they'll be fine. Anyway, it's not that contagious. Typically you need to be in contact multiple times before you catch the disease."
"We have a lot of elderly customers, though. I think Sojiro would prefer you didn't kill off his clientele."
"I'll be sure to keep my visits to a minimum in that case."
"Or you can always come up to my room. I don't mind cleaning up after you."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind for next time."

Sojiro put two plates of curry down in front of them without a word, though casting a suspicious glance at Joker, before returning to his spot behind the counter. The TV at the back of the room was showing the news. Okumura's face flashed on the screen, followed by the logo for the phantom thieves.
"It must be a hard time for you as a fan of the phantom thieves. Or have you lost faith in them now like most people?"
"A true fan would never lose faith so easily. It's like that episode they always have in tokusatsu. When the people inevitably turn against the heroes because of some misunderstanding and they're cast out." Joker gestured with his spoon as he spoke. "All it takes is a big heroic act and people will realise they were wrong and the heroes were just after all."
"You really think it will play out like that? It's a big assumption to assume they're innocent."
"Have you seen 'Featherman', Goro?"
"I watched some of it as a child. Can't say I've particularly kept up with recent developments. I'm surprised it's still airing after 30 years."
"Sojiro's daughter was lending me some of her copies of older series. She had the millennium series on laserdisc. Apparently, it's a fan favourite." Goro avoided showing any agitation at Joker's ridiculous attempts to derail their conversation. "The heroes would never do something unjust-"
"Do you really think what the phantom thieves did was unjust?" Goro cut him off. Joker's spoon stilled and their eyes finally met, making Goro realise how strongly Joker had been avoiding doing so until that moment.
"On the assumption that they killed Okumura?"
"Yes." Joker's lips pressed tight, eyes growing dark as he put down the spoon. He moved the plate out of his way, crossing his arms on the table.
"What kind of person was Okumura, Goro?"
"You're asking me? I don't have an-"
"I think a detective like you would know. I think you've brushed elbows with the elite often enough to know Okumura by the smell of him. If you haven't met him, what would a great detective's insight tell you about him?" Joker hissed the question and the sound made every muscle in Goro's body tense. He glanced at the screen, the picture of Okumura already gone.

"Okumura was the same as all of the rest."
"All of them?" Joker's eyebrows furrowed, pressing him on.
"Okumura held more political power than people would assume of the CEO of a fast-food chain. The brand export was important, but he was an excellent networker and negotiator. If you attended a high profile event, Mr Okumura was there.

He had the same issue as all politicians."
"Moral bankruptcy."
"Not the most eloquent, but yes. I take it you're not a fan?" Joker smiled in response, body loosening once more as he sat back up.
"You called me your anti-thesis, but I'd say the nature of an anti-thesis is to hold some similarities to the thesis." Joker pulled his curry back over to continue eating it and Goro felt his muscles relax in response. Joker's soft mask slipping right back into place as if nothing had happened.

He couldn't say he preferred it.
"I never thought the biggest phantom thieves fanboy would be on the side of punishment over redemption. Maybe you'd be better off working alongside me."
"That's too cruel," Joker laughed. "I would have rather seen a man like that repent. I'm just saying I don't agree with the kind of man he was. He always deserved a chance to change. That's why I don't think the phantom thieves killed him."

And the conversation had turned to bile in his mouth. Senseless optimism. Complete detachment from reality. Even after what happened with Kaneshiro, this trash didn't understand. People like him would always assume it was just one bad apple, never truly grasping the scale of things.

One bad apple. That was all it took to spoil things.

"Oh, by the way," Goro tried to recompose himself and return to a more light-hearted conversation, "I've been invited to do a panel at your school tomorrow."
"I heard. I was on the committee for counting votes to see who we'd be inviting. I'd cast my vote for you but I can promise I didn't rig it in your favour at all."
"Before you came in I was having to sit and write notes for what I was going to say. I feel I may have to make some calls tonight to check what questions I'm allowed to answer." Goro tried to give him the same easy-going smile he usually gave for the cameras. It felt weaker than when he did it on TV.
"If you're coming all the way out, then we should get together."
"I'll be sure to catch you while I'm there."
"You really know how to make a guy feel special, detective."
"What can I say? After a conversation like this, I can truly say I was right to think there was something special about you."

The confrontation at the school went exactly as planned. No doubt they were all squabbling among themselves in that little office, trying to decide if he was worth keeping. With such a volatile little group, it was a wonder how dilemmas such as this didn't tear them apart. Perhaps that was just the way of criminals. Once someone knows your crimes, they're as much an enemy as they are your friend and the only way forward is to keep them close. Being so killing adverse, they'd be clinging to each other forever, knowing their lives are forfeit to whoever leaves first. It should make them harder to infiltrate, but an outsider that knew as much as he knew needed to be silenced.

Warm breath brushed against his ear and he froze. He didn't look round. The hand took his and he didn't even have time to register who it was before he was pulled into a corner.
"How's the hanahaki?" Joker.
"I thought I held up pretty well, didn't you?" He hadn't. He'd coughed more than a few times throughout, knowing Joker would be watching for it. "I was worried for a second that someone might catch on but I think it came across as a dry throat." Joker's face was completely blank. Hands in his pockets, back relaxed. Blocking any means Goro had of getting around him. "Or are you more worried about me telling your little secret? I promise I'll keep a tight lip until I hear your friends' answer."
"You'll be joining us." Joker didn't miss a beat. "I came to tell you."
"Oh? Did you all talk it out?"
"Not quite." He glanced down at his bag. The cat was noticeably absent again. "But I'll sort it with them."
"I'm glad to hear it, then."

Silence. Neither of them moving. Goro's skin slowly starting to crawl from being stuck in the corner for so long. It felt wrong. Something wasn't right about this. He wanted out. He wanted out now.
"Excuse m-"
"Goro," Joker cut him off, catching the hand that tried to gently move him aside. "Since you're joining the team, we should have a welcome party." Goro's arm tensed in Joker's grasp. There was a gap now. He could breathe. He just needed to relax.
"I don't think your friends are particularly keen-"
"Just us." Joker's grasp slackened just a bit. Then finally letting go.

The air returned to Goro's lungs.
"They're not your biggest fans, but I want to give you a welcome party like they all got. We can do it before the actual job this time since I assume you don't plan to stick around."
"You don't think they'll have a problem with that?"
"They'll get over it. What about you?"
"Hm?"
"Your other rival won't mind?" Joker whispered, leaning in closer. "I assume your love affair hasn't worked out quite yet?" Goro dug his nails into his palm.
"I have no intention of confessing. I am far too busy dealing with you and your friends."
"You'll be finished with us soon. A date will be perfect then. You can tell him all about it and he'll get jealous. Then, once you're finished with me, he can make it up to you."
"Sometimes, I get the feeling you simply want to mock me."
"I don't like letting you have the upper hand, detective." Joker took a few steps back, fully opening the path to let him free. "You're usually free on a Saturday night, right?"

Chapter Text

Luckily before the Saturday of their meeting could roll around, Goro had to get through a few encounters with the phantom thieves. He’d made enough excuses to push back their fated “welcome party” or “fake date” or whatever Joker insisted on calling it.

It didn’t particularly matter if he made a good impression with his friends. They were going to be suspicious of him no matter what. They just had to hold out long enough to fall into his carefully laid trap. Then they could curse him to high Heavens but be powerless without their beloved leader. That was the good side of Joker being so attached to him; he’d keep them from doing anything to destroy his plan.

Goro packed two sets of handkerchiefs rather than just carrying the single set he’d been using in public until now. The second one wasn’t set up like the other, but it would be good to have more to make it more convincing. There was no telling how much Joker had chosen to share with his friends. He’d keep his mask on, still appreciating the anonymity it granted him.

The cat was in the upper window of LeBlanc as he approached and disappeared when their eyes met.

The bell chimed as he entered, and Mr Sakura looked up from his position behind the counter.
“Hm? Ah, Detective Akechi. What can I get you?” Mr Sakura asked, hovering closer to the coffee syphons.
“Joker invited me to spend some time with him and his friends.” He flashed him the same fake smile he always did, but Mr Sakura’s face drooped in response.
“Right. He’s not back yet, but his friends are waiting upstairs,” he said with a gesture towards the back. “Listen, he’s not been any trouble, has he?”

He’s nothing but trouble.

“No, in fact, I’m quite enjoying his company. He’s quite delightful. In his own way.”
Mr Sakura humphed but said nothing more. Goro took it as a sign that he could continue up to the others.

Not that he particularly wanted to. He didn’t expect any of them to be particularly pleased to see him if Joker had even bothered to tell them to expect his presence.

The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could leave again.

He entered the attic, almost surprised by its cleanliness. When he heard Joker was living in what was basically a storage space, he’d expected a layer of dust over every surface. But, seemingly, Joker was neater than he thought. Maybe Joker could do him a favour and dust his room before dying. Not that he was in it that often himself. However, that would mean inviting him back to his place. Who knew what secrets someone like that could uncover with that level of penetration.

The attic was brightly lit, and the phantom thieves sat in their little circle around a coffee table. One of the steps creaked underfoot, and their focus immediately snapped to him. They had to be on high alert with no door for fear of Mr Sakura overhearing them.
“Akechi!” Sakamoto shouted, jumping up from his chair. Joker mustn’t have- “Is it true?”

Huh?

“Joker told us you caught hanahaki,” Takamaki continued for him and shifted from where she was standing to take a step towards him along with Sakamoto.

Ah, they’d blocked his view of the table.

“Well, dude?” Sakamoto prompted him again.

What the fuck had Joker been thinking?

“Unfortunately, I do.” He quickly adjusted his mask, now that he’d been remade aware of its existence.
“Shoot, man, that’s gotta suck for television appearances.”
“Well, I haven’t been on as much as of late. Your rising popularity may have been a saving grace to my career after all.”

Sakamoto’s eyes widened as he visibly chewed the corners of his mouth. Weight shifting, shaking on one of his legs more than the other. He suddenly snapped his fingers, pointing to Takamaki.
“Shoot! That means we gotta wear masks now, right?”
“…Do we?”
“You’ll only catch it if you have a crush, so we won’t all have to,” the younger Niijima spoke up from her place at the table, punctuated with the clink of his coffee cup.
“Oh, right. But what if you have a crush and you don’t know?”
“I don’t think that’s an issue, Sakamoto.” Niijima’s words didn’t seem to soothe him. He continues on his squirming and scratching his hair incessantly.
“So, if any of us wear a mask, we’re basically admitting to having a crush, right?” The ginger girl laughed. He could just see her as Sakamoto kept moving. “You about to be out of luck, Ryuuji.”
“Huh?! What? No. No never. There’s no one I like.”
“We’ll see if you’re still saying that when you’re coughing up flowers all over the place.”
“Come on. I’m not the one with the crush around here.”
“And who do you think does?” Takamaki cut in.

All Sakamoto could do was splutter in response, eyes darting around the room for someone to shift the attention to.

What a foolish lot. This was what his competition was? They really would crumble the second Joker was out of the picture. He slid right by them and around to Joker’s desk with only the ginger girl - Sakura’s daughter - and Okumura’s daughter still watching him. Okumura glared daggers through him while Sakura chose to be more subtle, chiming in on the others’ conversation as she slipped short glances toward him.

He returned a glance to Okumura before averting his eyes to Joker’s desk, pretending to examine it.

Did she know something? Unlikely. Most likely, she was just tender after her father’s death.

Joker’s desk, meanwhile, was scattered with lockpicks and scrap material for the most part, though a laptop was tucked away. Most likely, it was used for managing their website, but it would be good if he could get a look at the contents in case there was anything useful on it.

Not that evidence mattered in this situation.

“I’m just saying if you don’t like him, then how come-” Sakamoto was still going.
“I don’t have any interest in dating. Though I wouldn’t mind getting it for some inspiration. Many artists used their hanahaki as muses for their most heartfelt pieces. There were even some that plucked the flowers from themselves to make paints.”
“No one is asking about that! And no one’s asking about your crush! This is about Makoto!”
“I just wanted to give my views on the subject.”
“Oh, really? Or are you just trying to cover for her?”
“Why would I be trying to cover for her?”
“Geez, I wonder.”

Was it always like this? Was this what he was going to have to put up with? Did they really spend all their time acting like a bunch of teenagers? If they’d been committing actual crimes outside of palaces, they’d have been caught before they even broke in anywhere. They’d have never changed a single heart if the police patrolled the metaverse.

“Look, none of us are at risk of catching Akechi’s hanahaki. Can we drop this silly argument?” Niijima cut them off again, making Sakamoto amplify his groaning. She raised a hand to stop him mid-groan, allowing the sound of the cafe door closing to reach them.

The room fell silent, eyes focused on the stairs. There was the faint sound of people talking in the cafe before the creak of the stairs.

Curly black hair peeked over the bannister, making everyone release a breath in unison, relaxing their shoulders.
“Welcome back, Joker,” the cat greeted him, sitting back down on the table as Joker reached the top of the stairs.
“I’m home,” Joker responded.

Everyone’s eyes were still fixed on him.

Or rather, on the phantom thief mask he was wearing.

“Joker,” the cat spoke first. “What’s with the mask?”
“Oh, you caught a cold, right? Doesn’t Minezawa have a cold? You probably caught his cold, right?” Sakamoto interrupted before Joker could answer the question. Joker walked right past him, placing his bag on the sideboard by the stairs and making his way towards Goro.

Goro side-eyed him, wishing he could curse him without the others hearing.
“Nah, I was worried about catching Goro’s hanahaki. I figured I should wear a mask for him coming. I got the snacks, but Mr Sakura was suspicious of the bag. I got some magazines to cover them.” Joker started unloading the snacks and magazines onto the table.

…

“Joker, I don’t think they should have sold you those magazines,” Goro tried to cover his face with his hand, begging it would be enough to hide his embarrassment at the sight. Sakura and Kitagawa were the first to snatch up the atrocious material, flicking through them without even wincing.
“Damn, Joker, how old do they think you are?” Sakura skimmed over it quickly, then again.
“They know I’ve been working in Crossroads, so they must have assumed I’m old enough for this stuff.”
“The photography work is beautiful.” Yusuke took a lot longer looking over every page, a pen having seemingly materialised in his hand.
“Forget the photography! You couldn’t even get anything with girls, could you?” Sakamoto kicked the leg of the table, making the cups almost spillover.
“I didn’t want to ruin my image.”
“You’re already a convicted criminal.”
“Yeah, but like, for respecting women.”
“No one knows that!”
“It’s important to my own image of myself.”

Goro tried to avoid looking at the magazines. Were porn mags really the best Joker could do to hide an innocent bunch of snacks from Mr Sakura? Then again, it could be a deterrent from having Mr Sakura interrupt them.

“I’m glad you could make it, Detective.” Joker brushed his elbow against him, a smirk overtaking his face from behind the mask. He waited until the others were distracted before whispering, “sorry, I didn’t know what kind of guy was your type.”

Bastard.

“Maybe if I can find out, I can take your mind off your other rival. Care to share?”
“I don’t care to, no.”
“Then you can tell me on our date.”

Why had he done this to himself? Had he considered just forcing his way into Joker’s mind? He didn’t need to put himself through all this.

“I’ll bite for you, Joker.” Sakura threw the magazine across to the other girls.
“No thanks, I’m picky about that sorta stuff.”
“Who’s your crush?”

Once again, Sakamoto perked up, ready to get back to what was apparently his favourite damn subject. Who knew teen boys were this focused on other people’s love lives.

“It’s a secret.”
“No way! You have to tell us!”
“No, I don’t.”
“Dude. We’re a team. Isn’t part of being a team sharing these sort of things.”
“But what if my crush is on the team?”

That got everyone’s attention. Hands were twitching at sides and eyes darting to each other.

They really believed him when he spouted this kind of nonsense. Maybe he was gifted at spitting bullshit.

“Are we having a strategy meeting, or do we plan to just run in the front door swinging?” Joker pulled out a chair, taking a seat at the table with the others. After a second, he glanced back at him. “You’ll see better from here, Go-chin.”
“Go-chin?” Niijima asked, only to go ignored. There was no helping it. Goro took his place by Joker’s side, though electing to stand.

The group started talking about their strategy, only needing him to chime in occasionally with the bits of information he was willing to share about the situation. Throw in a few lines to suggest he was on their side and could be trusted. They didn’t have any choice but to trust his information. His plans would only fall apart faster if he lied to them about something that would be untrue when they got there.

A blister pack was slipped into his hand under the table while everyone talked. Joker leaned towards him.
“I stopped by the doctor on the way back. That should be enough to get you through the palace with us. It’s the extra strong stuff, though, so don’t go getting woozy.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t want to be left behind.”
“You can stick by me the entire time. I think we could make a pretty strong combination.”
“We’ll see. I’m not used to working with others.” Joker gave him a look in response but went back to talking with the others.

He finally remembered to cough when Joker went back downstairs to grab everyone’s coffee.

Chapter Text

Goro fixed his mask, trying to adjust it to cover his cheeks. The heat from them radiated inside it, making it even more uncomfortable. He couldn’t stop fiddling with it, conscious every time someone looked vaguely in his direction, they might see the colour on his face.

He’d slipped up. He’d underestimated his opponent and let himself be talked into something as ridiculous as…

A date. Or a fake date or whatever shit.

It was purely strategic. This would just have to be part of his plan. That’s what this was about, wasn’t it? Justice, by any means necessary. He’d done worse things in the name of justice than string some boy his own age along on a date.

Yet he kept getting himself worked up over it. How would he get work if he couldn’t handle one teenage annoyance on a date?

He reached Yongen-Jaya station and stopped outside the station door. He took a deep breath, enjoying the open air and giving it an opportunity to cool his lungs.

The train was busy again today. He’d ended up crushed against the door with some bastard’s sweat rubbing itself all over him. He checked his shirt and winced back. His best cologne gone to waste. There was only enough left in the bottle to reapply it, and then it would be gone. It had been a gift from one of Shidou’s benefactors and far out of the price range of even the detective prince. And they weren’t around anymore to give him more.

“Need help with that?” A hand landed on his shoulder, almost making him spill the bottle. Goro spun around, almost expected to have thought a similar person into existence. “Careful, I can only afford the cheap stuff.”

Joker.

“Were you waiting for me?” Goro asked him as he slipped the cologne back into his briefcase.
“No, we must have been on the same train. I got stuck in there for a bit. What cologne was that?”

Joker was wearing a new mask, still adorned with the logo of the phantom thieves on the side, but now red rather than the previous black. Most likely, that had been what had kept him back.

Was it that important to get every little jab in at him? Was he that pathetic? Did he have nothing better to be doing when he was the one that insisted on this?

“Where are you taking me this evening?”
“I was thinking we keep it simple. Maybe hit up some old favourites.”
“You asked me out to go to the same places we always go?”
“No, but somewhere I go a lot. Why? Did you want something more romantic?”
“I assumed that you’d be on the more romantic side of things with the way everyone floods around you. If you’re not, I don’t know what any of them happen to see in you.”
“Me neither.” Joker’s smile was visible despite his mask, pushing up at the corners of his eyes. A hand was extended to him.

When he failed to take it, it took his. Joker started walking, all but dragging him along as he went. Despite how busy the train had been, the streets remained mostly quiet. There was no doubt two boys holding hands were going to catch a few eyes, no matter how fast one of them was going. The old ladies minding their shops all looked up as they passed, just stopping themselves from waving to Joker as they processed what they were seeing.

They went past LeBlanc, the smell of curry and coffee wafting to the main street from its doors. It was almost enough to make his stomach growl, painfully aware of having not eaten anything before coming out tonight.

Which may have been on the unlikely possibility that they would get food while here.

But Joker had kept going, only stopping when they reached a small stairway tucked between two shops. There was a sign on the wall with the fees list.
“Baseball?” Goro asked, pulling his hand free of Joker’s grasp.
“I usually come here later when it’s cheap,” Joker replied, now stuffing his hands in his pockets. “But it’s a date, so I’m willing to pay any extra.”
“That’s your idea of a date.”
“We can call it team bonding if you prefer.”
“You really aren’t a romantic.”

Joker started climbing the stairs, flashing a couple of glances back to him.
“I figured it would be a nice change from staring at your ass over billiards, Go-chin. I can look at how you swing.”
“You could do with being less crass,” Goro retorted, following him up.
“In general, or just on first dates?”
“In general. It would make you seem less suspicious.”
“You think I’m suspicious, Go-chin? I thought I did very well at blending into a crowd. I’m pretty generic to look at, after all.”

Even if he did everything in his power to appear unremarkable, it was no coincidence Goro had been able to pick him out of a crowd. He felt like the kind of person who could be picked out of a group of thousands no matter how hard he tried to blend in. When on Earth could a guy like that be counted as generic?

No matter how he tried to present, his presence stood out, declaring him someone people should be keeping their eyes on. Even as they went to the desk, the few people on the benches turned their heads to get a second look just at Joker. Some of them itching to talk to him, others muttering like they already knew he was trouble. The regulars were more used to seeing him and no longer seemed to care about him, but he always left a mark on new people. Yet he didn’t even give them a passing glance, seemingly unaware of the eyes that followed him everywhere.

Could he not feel it? The way eyes would burrow into his skin? Men and women who wouldn’t stop looking, putting a foot forward and then hesitating back and avoiding him after all? It wasn’t something that went unnoticed. You could always see it.

Maybe, he was used to it. For someone like him, his entire life may have been like this. It was normal for him, having never known anything else.

Just another difference between them. Another way that they would never meet.

Joker picked up the bat and slipped into the cage, leaving Goro on the bench on the other side to talk through the mesh.

“We can go somewhere after this if it’s not good enough for you.” He hit the first pitch immediately hitting the target.
“It’s quite alright. It’s not like I expected anything particularly thrilling.” He sat his briefcase over his lap but turned his head to watch Joker. Clearly, his shirt wasn’t working for baseball. Every time he readied to swing, his shoulders seemed to get held back by the material.
“I’ll take that a little personally. Usually, you take me some pretty nice places,” Joker said, right before the woosh of the next pitch sounded. He hit it before continuing, “But usually, I just get dragged around by my friends, so I’m not used to making choices about where to go.”
Another strike to the target.
“Do you not think about just going somewhere someone else has taken you?”
“Nah. Sometimes, places are best suited to the person who picks them out. If I’m going to take you somewhere, it shouldn’t be sloppy seconds. I’d want to go somewhere that tells you something about me.”
“And here?”
Joker shrugged, “I like baseball.” He hit the next ball a second too early. “I didn’t start playing until I came here, though. When did you start playing billiards?”
“I’ve been playing a while,” Goro replied. “Not long, but a while.”
“Why’d you start, though?”
“I was-” another pitch bounced off the net, “spending a lot of time in places with billiards and dartboards. Some of the guys there decided to teach me to keep me entertained.”
Joker just nodded.
“It was fun, though, so I kept it up. Eventually, I was better than everyone else in the-,” Goro caught himself, “place.”
“A prodigy as always. Not that it’s surprising when it comes to you.”

His hands were shaking in his lap as the last pitch hit the target. Joker came out of the cage, eyes landing on him.

He coughed to hide the shaking. Slipping a tissue under the mask to pretend to remove a petal or whatever.

Did Joker even buy this silly little act? It felt like he was being strung along for his amusement. This was just another bastard that wanted to watch him suffer, and, as always, he was left to keep them entertained.

He took the bat, switching into the cage and readying himself.
“I wasn’t good at much. I’ve picked up a lot of skills since coming here,” Joker said as he sat down on the bench.
“Like,” Goro started, giving his brow a meaningful raise when Joker looked his way.
“Exactly. I could have never pulled off that kind of work before. Though, if you asked Kamoshida’s shadow, I’m sure he’d have told you I’d been a natural.”
“It almost seems like something to be proud of.”
“I picked up other things. Most of them are helpful for work, though. But I’m starting to get the hang of repairing old tech. You’d be amazed what some of the places are selling and the prices they still go for. I had to buy an old broken laptop. I’m sure if I asked around back home, there would have been someone willing to part with one to avoid having to go through recycling it.”

No doubt that was less true if he were to go home now. Goro hit the first ball, though it flew wildly away from the target.

“Did you get that laptop fixed up?”
“Not yet; it’s still on my workbench for when I have time to troubleshoot it some more.”
“Shame,” Goro tried to shake away any remaining nerves before the next pitch. “I need some information from a laptop before we head out on this mission. If you had the skill, you might have been able to handle it.”
He missed the next one completely.
“Don’t worry. Futaba will be able to handle that.”

He’d noticed it while they’d been at the meetings with the others. Joker called all of them by their first names. Even Goro, despite never having been given permission to or any reason to think it was appropriate. It was rare that he used it, but all the phantom thieves he referred to exclusively on a first name basis.

His grip tightened on the bat, bracing to hit the next one.

“How are your relationships with the rest of the group?”
“What brought that up?” There was a slight hesitation in Joker’s voice.
“I was just curious. After all, you insisted upon wearing that mask today.”

He hit the ball, just missing the target, before turning to judge Joker’s reaction. Joker gave that smile again, big enough to almost wholly overtake his eyes.

But that was no doubt a deliberate move. Goro could just make out how dark his eye had grown through the sliver of eyelids, almost obscured by the glare of the lights reflecting in his glasses. The hollowness of the smile, even when it couldn’t be seen. That was enough to know.

“I’m on a date with Go-chin; shouldn’t he try and believe he’s the only one on my mind?”
“I thought this was a date to make my crush jealous.”
“Maybe I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Goro gritted his teeth as he turned back to hit the oncoming ball. It hit the wall behind him with a rattling thud, making the walls shake.

“Well, then take me as the jealous lover. Reassure me about your friends.”
“There’s nothing between them and me, honey. They’re just friends, I promise.”

Was he seriously going to have to play house just to get answers from him? Was this really what it had come to?

“Then you won’t mind telling me, right?”
“Of course, dear. You should know I’ve no interest in any of those girls. They’re just friends. We go out shopping together or visit places they like, but it’s only in a friendly way. You have nothing to worry about.”

Playing house wasn’t going to get him anywhere either, then. Glad that had been clarified as well.

But a weight had strangely been lifted from his chest. Had it really taken him that long to get over a slight discomfort? Usually, he’d come around far faster than that. There was no point being noticeably bothered about things that were no one’s business.

“Ryuji and Yusuke aren’t a problem either. Ryuji’s so aggressively straight it’s cringe-worthy, and I don’t think Yusuke cares for romance at all. I don’t think he’d even recognise a date if he went on one. You’re my only love, Go-chin.”

A lump forced its way into his throat, and he did his best to push it back down. That nickname was really starting to get on his nerves.

He hit the target. The ball bounced off it and rolled off with the rest to be retrieved later.

“Out of luck, Go-chin. Guess I’m the only one getting the prize. Unless you want to go another round?”

He wouldn’t lose next time.

Chapter Text

Clearly, their love letters to the phantom thieves hadn’t received any response despite all the desperate attempts to reveal their identities. That and their sudden drop in popularity had made room for Goro to make his way back to the limelight. It was the first morning show he’d been on in a while. People’s faith was wavering once more, and he would always be the solid back they could lean on. He would always be the people’s hero, even if they betrayed him.

He did his own make-up at home, but it was never the same level as the studio artists’. He sat in the blaring lights of the make-up studio as they prepared him once more. It was almost pleasant having what was nearly a long forgotten face return to him.

There’d been quite a few people who’d told him he looked better when they saw him on TV. That was precisely how it was supposed to be. He didn’t take any issue with them commenting on that. His appearance was only as important as was necessary to optimise his popularity.

When the make-up artist left, he opened his briefcase, automatically reaching for the mask.

He couldn’t wear it on TV. There’d be too much gossip. It would have been handy when his popularity was dipping, but now that it was on the rise, he needed all eyes to be on the task at hand. Everyone needed to be focused on the danger the phantom thieves posed to society. It was far too easy for them to get distracted. A strong hand had to herd them in the correct direction, or they’d lose their way.

The phantom thieves themselves would be watching, though. No doubt they’d be fighting each other over why he’d chosen not to wear the mask. It was unlikely any of them had the insight to understand what kind of effect his having hanahaki would have on society. Then again, they’d probably delight at his name in the tabloids.

The studio was set for their regular evening show, running in the six till seven slot. Usually, that was around the time Joker would get back to LeBlanc. Mr Sakura tended to have this channel on for the customers, keeping them entertained with the news interspersed with the typical celebrity interviews. His face would probably be the first thing Joker saw as he came in the door. As always, he would be denouncing the phantom thieves, though this time with just the slightest edge of backing them up. While it may be unusual for the regular viewer, the other phantom thieves should be persuaded that it was a sign he was indeed on their side. That was all he could hope for.

An assistant stood by the studio door, directing people where to stand and where to place anything for later in the show. She was so focused on the work that she had to double-take when Goro came in and flashed her a quick smile with a wave. He hadn’t seen her before; she shook just a little bit, mouth hanging open until she caught herself. As was the usual reaction when he met the new staff at the studio. Somehow, they never seemed to fully convey who people would be working with when they took the job. She directed him to stand not too far away, preparing him to be called up early in the show.

He took the opportunity to silence his phone. Shidou had been pre-warned about his appearance, though he would undoubtedly avoid watching it himself. He’d send him a message later in the night regarding his feedback and whatever jobs he wanted to be done. The Phantom Thieves chat tended to go off randomly, regardless of whether its members should have been paying attention in class or in other activities. Joker was the quietest in it, but he tended to message Goro where the others wouldn’t see. The lock screen showed the previews of unread messages from them; Takamaki and Sakamoto going back and forth as ever; a photo from Joker.

His thumb hovered on the screen, almost unlocking it automatically to look. It went in his pocket instead.

The cameras started rolling, and the countdown began. The hosts gave their usual show introduction before launching into yet another discussion about the Phantom Thieves. The lights and make-up did an excellent job of hiding the darkness around their eyes and how they dulled over as they recycled the same old conversations. Months and months, this had gone on; they had grown tired of it while the public still craved to hear it.

“We welcome back to the show, the Detective Prince, Goro Akechi,” the male presenter said. Goro walked on for his introduction, although the audience knew who he was all too well. He shook their hands as they gave the rundown to anyone who had somehow missed all of the recent events and sat down on the guest couch.
“Well, Detective, following the tragic death of Mr Okumura, there’s a lot of debate about whether the Phantom Thieves can be trusted,” the female presenter started. “But you’ve been against them from the start.”
“Yes, we have been running in opposition to each other, at least in the eyes of the public.”
“It’s still hard for some of our viewers to accept that the Phantom Thieves would be behind such a brutal execution. People have been getting in touch with us saying that there’s no way the Phantom Thieves would do such a thing,” she continued. Goro covered his mouth, pretending to ponder the question as if he hadn’t rehearsed his whole script.
“In all honesty, I have to agree that that’s possible. It seems out of character for the Phantom Thieves to do such a thing.”
As he’d expected, a beat of silence followed the hosts, subtly looking around until noticing the prompt to pick up the dead air.
“Well then, Detective, it sounds like you have quite a profile built up for the Phantom Thieves. Do you have any insight as to who they might be?”

It wasn’t like he didn’t know, yet his mind flashed up Joker’s face. This would probably be when he was walking into LeBlanc and tuning in to hear what Goro was saying about them. The rest would have their phones ready, most likely for whatever group chat they hadn’t let him into.

Would Joker join in on cursing him out?

“While there’s no telling who it might be, I have some ideas about the kind of person. Even if I did know who exactly, I wouldn’t expect them to be the kind of person everyone knew.”
“Really? Then, please, tell us, Detective,” the male presenter prompted.

“We know the Phantom Thieves are working as a group, so there’s every possibility of there being a variety in their backgrounds. They have all united over a common sense of justice. The way justice has been executed; that suggests they’re most likely fairly normal people. No one stands out. The people they target don’t seem to be due to personal grudges but based on their position of power. If they had been behind the death of Okumura, I would believe it was a sign of them getting drunk on power that they’d not previously had experience with. However, I want to believe that-”

He cut himself off. His script had gotten bundled up and caught in his throat. Belief. In their sense of justice. Believing in the Phantom Thieves.

Deep breath in, subtle as he could.

It didn’t reach his lungs.

The lump in his throat was getting worse.

The presenters were starting to fidget as they leaned in.

He wanted to believe in what? What had it been?

That Joker wasn’t some-

His throat was so dry that he narrowly stopped himself from retching. It was starting to hurt.

“Sorry, can I have some-” he started, turning to the crew and hoping one would have water. The stage lights caught his eyes, burning into them and blinding him. He couldn’t see them. Everything beyond the set was dark.

He started to cough. His eyes beginning to feel like they were bulging.

That was it, wasn’t it?

He’d been wrong to believe in them.

Maybe he had been the one to do Okumura in, but they’d take it as a lesson. One to replicate for all to see.

Japan’s beloved detective prince.

His secrets would be out by this time tomorrow. Everyone would know exactly who he’d really been.

He coughed so hard that tears welled in his eyes. Getting worse and worse. No doubt blood would soon join them.

Were you proud of yourself, Joker? He’d really played him for a fool.

Who hadn’t?

One final cough, forcing the lump to dislodge from his throat and fly from his mouth, covering his hand.

His eyes opened just enough, blurry with tears but just making out the sight.

A blur of blue on his hands.

His focus regained slowly.

A bundle of flowers lay in his hands, covered in spit.

There was shouting from off set. He couldn’t quite make out the words being said.

Suddenly the side of a cameraman was pressed into him, almost knocking him over with the force. The brute, not thinking straight as he tried to get a shot of Goro’s hand.

Goro slammed it into the lens, and the cameras quickly cut.

“FUCK!”

Goro waited until he was home before he started screaming. As soon as the cameras cut, Shidou had sent a car to take him home. The interview was cut short at such a disaster taking place.

His phone hadn’t stopped pinging.

‘Detective Prince Hanahaki Scandal?!’
‘Detective Prince’s Secret Crush?!’
‘Who Is Goro Akechi In Love With?’
‘Could These Photos Reveal Who The Detective Prince Is In Love With?’

News article after news article. Rolling in faster than he thought they could be typed. He’d kept alerts for his appearances to see how the public reacted, but they’d never been this quick off the presses. After all, everyone had been itching for an exciting new twist on his end. They’d had one for the Phantom Thieves, so there had to be one for Goro.

The Phantom Thieves seemed equally excited. Their little group chat had kicked off the second he started coughing.
‘Is Akechi alright?’
‘Should we do something?’
‘probably forgot his suppressants :/’
‘oh yeah that’s probably it’
‘Feel better soon, Akechi \ o /’
Brats.

Joker had been messaging him just as aggressively in their private chat.
‘Go-chin, call me’
‘Are you okay, Go-chin?’
‘Where do you stay?’
‘I’ll bring stuff over’
‘We can meet somewhere if you want just lmk’

Goro’s thumb hovered on the message box, debating responding.

His chest started shaking again, and he dropped the phone, running to grab a tissue to hack up the flowers once more. Their petals scratched his throat as they came up. He scraped his tongue with his teeth, peeling the petals away.

When he looked at the tissue, it looked nothing like the ones he’d crushed into it before.

He wiped his mouth and threw it away before picking up his phone.

Then there was a singular message from an unregistered number.

‘Call me.’

Goro hit the dial button on it. The person answered on the third tone.

“What were you thinking,” the man growled down the line, voice low.
“I apologise-”
“I already have a load of magazine articles about the shitfest you caused. By morning, you’ll have reporters coming out of your ass. Not that that’s going to bother you, I assume.”

What was he meant to do? It wasn’t like he’d intended for this to happen.

“I’ll make sure they don’t turn up anything. If they do, they won’t reach the presses to speak about it.”
“That better be the case, Akechi. Don’t doubt I will if I have to throw you under the bus in a cover-up. You promised none of this would come back to me, and I will make sure of that no matter what.”

He knew better than to sigh while speaking to Shidou. He’d pick up on it instantly.

“Unfortunately, it will mean that I can’t do any extra work for you. They’ll be tailing me for information about this crush. Anything unusual may spark its way and get out of hand.”

He could hear Shidou gritting his teeth.

“Focus on your main task. Don’t let the media catch wind of anything. Don’t let those Phantom Thieves get in your way.”

Chapter Text

“Go-chin!” Joker’s voice somehow managed to ring louder than every other voice in the station. His hand shot up over the heads as people pushed past him on their way. Goro regretted having looked. Why did he respond to such a ridiculous nickname? Joker was already barrelling through the crowd to get to him. There wasn’t any way he could pretend he hadn’t seen him now and escape. He took the bun from the counter with his change and got out of their way before Joker reached him.

“Are you okay?” Joker asked but didn’t wait for a response before grabbing his wrist. “Come over. We can talk at LeBlanc.”

Goro shook him off, refusing to follow in the step he’d taken.
“Mr Sakura will hear us. And I have no interest in discussing this with you. I’d prefer we keep negotiations strictly to matters concerning our group project.”

Joker stared at him for a minute, hands falling lifelessly to his sides. It was hard to read his face from the messy hair, the fake glasses, and the paw-print mask. The mask had been a step too far in giving him a way to hide his true intentions. He unzipped his bag a little further than it had already been, making enough room for the cat to poke its head out.
“Morgana. Head back to LeBlanc. I’ll meet you there.”
“Joker,” the cat grumbled but was cut off before it could say anything more.
“Don’t get caught. I’m not visiting animal services to get you back.”

The cat’s ears went back, hair raising, but it jumped out of the bag all the same and disappeared among the legs of the crowd.

Joker held out his left hand, palm facing up.
“I know somewhere we can talk in peace.”

Goro’s own hand raised automatically, ready to take it. But a snare tugged around his heart, emphasising every beat, making them ring in his head. It grew faster as the roots wrapped around it, trying to strangle it.

He coughed up another bundle of petals and wiped them from under his mask.

Joker’s hand was shaking as he watched him.

“Where do you intend?”

Joker’s hand dropped back to his side.

Goro clicked the metal of his heel along the rail track. With a bit of skill, he could create a spark. Having it was somewhat of a hindrance. The toes of his shoes were lined with the same, and no matter how he positioned his feet as he walked, they would make a rhythmic tap that could alert any shadows to him. It would go undetected as long as he was careful, but it meant being constantly aware of how he moved and where he stepped. It suited the prince’s persona.

And on rare occasions, he could use it to feel just a little more powerful.

Joker kept a few steps ahead of him, balancing on the rails as he went. He never wobbled. Each foot was placed perfectly in front of the other. He’d be well on his way to the circus with a bit of practice.

They hadn’t journeyed particularly deep. Without the aid of the Phantom Thieves’ minibus, there was no fast way to the deeper levels. They had to travel through the labyrinth on foot. Luckily, the shadows were weak enough to fear them even when they were on their own, and when his heels clicked on the rail, they scattered.

If any of them had been braver, he’d have gladly put them in their place.

Still, he hadn’t gotten used to Mementos. While on his own, he’d never had a need to delve into the public consciousness. No doubt it would have been helpful; there had to be a way to quickly influence them from within that the Phantom Thieves had never thought to manipulate. With this sort of access, they could have made themselves heroes in the eyes of the public with minimal effort. If only they were a little brighter.

The atmosphere was oppressive, however. It didn’t stand out as firmly from the safety of the minibus, but wandering about like this made the walls feel alive. They seemed to writhe in hunger as the pair walked by, squeezing just a little tighter at sections as if they were waiting to catch them unawares, then taper off until they couldn’t hope to move between the fleshy walls.

Yet, despite its ever-changing nature, Joker seemed to navigate it with ease. He’d found the escalators down the first few levels without a single wrong turn. Now, he strode on, ever confident in what his sense of direction would lead him to.

And it led them to a swirling red vortex, where the rails left the floor to spiral round and in. When gravity was against him, Joker jumped off the rail and turned back towards him. His hand went from his side, clearly intending to reach out to him, before falling back. Joker turned back towards the vortex and disappeared inside it.

Surprisingly, it felt more like walking through a door than the washing machine like feeling Goro had expected. One minute they were in the central part of Mementos, then in a side room where the rails ended. Nothing but the end of a tunnel to see.

“Will this do?” Joker spoke for the first time since they’d gotten there. At the same time, he took off his mask and put it inside the pocket of his long coat.
“Careful, I’m still contagious,” Goro tried to make it sound light-hearted, but he could hear the annoyance in his voice leaking through.
“That’s fine. How are you feeling?”
“The same as I have been for weeks. What’s gotten you so concerned all of a sudden?”

It was always interesting seeing Joker with his masquerade mask. Despite the fact it was intended to hide him, it removed his ability to hide behind the lenses of his glasses. It had to be a practised skill. People who genuinely wore glasses were no more disguised than anyone else. But, Joker was always finding ways to use them to obscure others’ vision of him. They made him even less himself than the Joker mask did.

Was that his desperation to come across as a nobody?

Now, those eyes bore into him, darker than they ever were when they travelled as a group. The weight of that gaze was enough to set off the snare once more and catch him itching at his gloves.

“You know something, don’t you?” Goro’s voice automatically dropped a pitch. He could feel a wisp at the back of his suit as it did. It almost made him want to turn around and see if his shirt had started to change colour.

Joker continued to stare at him, eyes not moving from his face. It felt like he hadn’t seen this much of Joker in a long time. Yet still, he said nothing. Goro tried to steel himself under that gaze, pulling himself back to who he should be at this moment. He needed to remain the Goro Akechi Joker was used to, or his entire cover would be blown. It didn’t matter what he knew. As long as there was some plausible deniability, he could make it through to the end of this mission. If his suit had been changing behind his back, it returned to normal with a single deep breath pulling him together, rattling the leaves on its way down.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Joker said, just as he breathed out. Goro’s eyes widened, almost losing hold of his centre. “They don’t have to know anything of what happens here.”

Goro’s chest tightened at the words, roots and stems wrapping around his veins and arteries. Honestly, if this was what he was like on the tablets, he’d hate to experience this damned disease off them. It almost made him light-headed; it was enough to stop him from thinking. He found himself paused there, staring back at Joker’s cold face.

Joker closed the distance between them once more, hand coming to Goro’s chin, thumb extended to his mouth. Instinctively, Goro moved back to break the contact, though the imprint of warmth still lingered where Joker had touched.
“What are you doing?”
“You looked like you were about to choke again,” Joker replied, hand falling back to his side.

The pressure encapsulating him snapped away, blood rushing back to his brain.
“You really did just bring me here to mock me, didn’t you?” Goro growled, falling back into himself as he drew the pathetic sword that came with the Detective Prince. “Do you really consider yourself better than me?”

Had he really appeared so pathetic that someone like this would consider himself better than him? Believe himself to be stronger? A flea that couldn’t even kill for what he claimed to be his justice? That talked big of hatred of society’s trash but fell in line to appease his friends? How he had fallen. All for a silly little act to appease that trash himself. Usually, it didn’t matter what anyone thought of him. He’d been in countless minds. Seen a thousand versions of himself. Weak. Desperate. Needy. One’s that distorted him into an unrecognisable version of himself. None of them had ever mattered. He’d cut through those who saw him that way if need be, but most of them he let be. Allowed them to see him however they pleased. Let them treat him however they wanted. What did it matter who he was to them? He knew who he was, and he’d achieve his goals one day. So it didn’t matter.

Yet, when Joker was the one looking down on him from his oh-so high and mighty stance, he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t bare having those cold dark eyes stare into his soul and deem him something worthy of not just pity but mockery. That was the world’s hero. Someone who would see someone like him and decide he deserved only to suffer more.

If the world saw who he truly was, they’d have praised Joker for this action as well.

Goro tossed his sword to his left hand and lunged forward in the same second. Sword meeting the metal of the replica gun. Joker had used it to defer the blow, moving him just off target. There was no time to reset his stance; he had to go for the next blow.
“Robin Hood,” Goro called, hoping that it was still the one that would answer his call. In response, a light struck down, enveloping Joker and sending him flying back. He bounced off the bumpers, falling onto the tracks as Goro righted himself. Joker crouched there, coughing from the sudden impact.

“Kaguya,” Joker whispered, barely audible before a similar light shone before Goro’s own eyes. The impact his, bringing a searing pain. He could feel his skin blistering, over and over and going raw. The skin peeling away. Then all the pain disappeared instantly, not a scratch left on him.

He called for Robin Hood again, setting to attack again. He lunged as Robin Hood fired his shot, aiming for Joker’s shoulder in timing with him standing up.

The blade bounced off him, and Robin Hood’s arrow shot struck him simultaneously, driving him back. What the Hell? Had Joker done that, or did Robin Hood fuck up his shot? He hit the ground, barely avoiding hitting his head on the tracks. He’d gone from alright to feeling as if his ribs could crack at the slightest push in a single blow.

Joker stood before him once more, cape billowing in a non-existent wind. This wasn’t the end for him. He had to get up.

Using his sword as support, he forced himself up. He was gasping but tried to limit himself to stop Joker from seeing the damage he’d dealt. Never show weakness, no matter the enemy. They’ll only take advantage of it.

But his brain remained rattled. He couldn’t think straight to hope to command Robin Hood effectively. Once more, he lunged with his sword. Again, it bounced, this time flying free of his hand. The hilt knocked against him as it went. Not thinking, he turned to follow it, catching a glimpse of its shining light in the darkness.

Another blow of frei hit him, burning him once more.

He snapped back around to look at Joker, mouth opening and ash falling out. It coated his teeth, his tongue, his mouth, his throat. Any excess moisture it clung to. It was a disgusting taste, but that was nothing compared to how hard it made breathing. The pain in his chest, the ash in his mouth. The roots of the cursed hanahaki may have been the only thing holding his ribs together now, though its flowers had burned.

He coughed, trying to clear his throat, scraping his tongue with his teeth to peel it off. Spit poured from his mouth in a swirl of grey and black. What a vision he was facing such judgement.

Through his coughs, he could hear the click of Joker’s shoes along the rails, as they had done the whole way there. His childish balancing act along the line. The noise stopped probably only a few steps from him, though Goro struggled to check between coughs. Desperate to be rid of it sooner, he tried to wipe it off on his sleeves, smearing them with streaks of grey.

Most of it finally gone, or at least enough to let him breathe, Goro inclined his head to see Joker. While the power of Kaguya no longer shone from him, his other weapon remained at the ready. The prop gun he always carried and had used to block his initial attack stayed by his side. If he wanted to protect himself from that, he’d need to be able to summon Robin Hood to protect him.

His eyes wandered up further, meeting Joker’s face once more. A neutral mouth, though his eyes burned behind that mask. Something was ticking away in his brain as he looked down upon Goro.

Then his throat felt clogged once more. Something clinging to the sides, powder sticking to the damp. He coughed again, head falling back to force him to stare at the ground. A cough. Another cough. Coughing and coughing until finally, it entered his mouth, and he could once more spit it out.

Yet another bunch of those damned flowers lay before him. Bright and blue in contrast to all around them. In comparison to all they had interrupted. More and more forced their way up, flowing out his mouth with every cough. Hitting the floor and then scattering from the force of more.

” Your case must be pretty severe if you’re still coughing after those.” Joker knelt down beside him. “They’re the strongest on the market. I thought they’d be enough to get you through the mission.”
“This isn’t over,” Goro managed to get out between coughs before vomiting a mixture of flower heads and leaves. The mess only narrowly missed his hands. He couldn’t even lift them to wipe his mouth.

But still, Joker’s gun twitched at his side, rocking in his fingers.

He was still valuable, wasn’t he?

Joker put the gun away and leaned forward a little, seemingly unbothered by the vomit between them.
“We’ll continue when you’re feeling better.”

A tear settled on one of the petals, held on by its curve. Goro forced himself onto his shins, trying to look at Joker’s face through blurred vision.
“Promise me. Promise, we’ll finish this. And I’ll destroy you.” He couldn’t make anything out, but something in the smudge of red and black seemed to move. Then, a hand gripped his wrist, pulling him to shaky feet. His legs gave out instantly, letting him fall against Joker.

“I promise.”

Chapter Text

“Put me down.”
“Nope.”

The street was busy. Even at this time of night, everyone was still loitering about or waiting on the late trains to take them home. The food vendors and lottery counters still had lines of people. A small crowd formed around a man preaching. Teenagers huddled together around their phones, laughing with each other.
“People are staring. Put me down,” Goro demanded again, trying to kick Joker’s side but finding he couldn’t put any power into it. People stared at them almost as soon as they exited Mementos, pointing and whispering. His head rested against the back of Joker’s, and the rest of him draped limply over Joker’s back. He wondered if any of their whisperings included his name. Despite being unable to do anything, he kept his ears strained for the sound of a phone camera going off.

Worst of all, he didn’t feel better at all. Joker carrying him through the station was almost enough to lull him to sleep; it was such a struggle to keep himself conscious. With each step, the world around them grew blurrier. The voices all merged together until none could be distinguished from each other. He didn’t even know how Joker got them through the barrier, only felt himself being placed on the seat when they got on the train, Joker’s warmth leaving him.

A cool hand pressed to his forehead.
“You’re running hot.”
“Fevers are common. The body sometimes responds like… is a virus…” he tried to explain but couldn’t keep his thoughts straight long enough. He’d done his research to be as convincing as he could. There were so many things he’d learnt and never gotten to use. But he was far too tired to share them now.

Joker handed him a sports bottle from his bag. Goro didn’t hesitate before drinking from it, despite the water being lukewarm at best and the flavour of Joker’s mouth clinging to the cap. He nursed it as the train started moving, sipping from it every so often.

Where were they going? He doubted Joker knew where he lived. Then again, he could most likely google it, knowing how his fan base was. It wouldn’t be the first time someone turned up at his door.

It didn’t matter. He was starting to nod off with the motions of the train. Wherever he woke up was wherever he woke up. He could deal with it later. His head would lull a little closer to Joker’s legs, tempted by the comfort of not having to hold his own head up.

At least Joker didn’t push him off.

He was only dozing when Joker hooked his arm back under him, pulling him to his feet and leading him back off the train. The crash of the cold air on the way out of the station was just enough to wake him back up. Joker prompted him to keep his legs moving, leading him down the main street. They were in Yongen-Jaya again, though he wasn’t sure why he’d expected anything else. It wasn’t like this would be the time for Joker to reveal some extra secret Phantom Thieves base to him.

They turned the corner to LeBlanc, though Joker paused just as they approached the gate. He did a quick switch, pulling him to the right instead and into the laundromats. Most of the machines were off, only a few still turning, the room shaking as they entered the spin cycle. It travelled up his legs, hitting his stomach and shaking the flowers. It almost felt like they were falling apart inside him, rattling off each other, spinning like the washing machines. Joker rested him on one of the off machines before disappearing back out the door.

Goro took a deep breath, feeling like he could breathe for the first time that afternoon. Even with the constant rumbling and rattling, the atmosphere felt like it had lifted significantly when Joker left. Maybe he was just a bit on guard, and it was choking him, making him feel even worse than he already was. He leaned back as he slowly inhaled, then exhaled. If he could just centre himself, maybe he’d feel at least well enough to get back to his own place rather than have to deal with Joker. Who knew how-

He started coughing before he could even fully form the thought. Whatever. He could still get back. He just had to get Joker to stop clinging to him, and he’d be free to go.

Damn him. He was getting more and more annoying every time they met. It wouldn’t be long until this was all over, but lately, the thought of him was enough to make him sick.

Joker returned, slipping in beside him to try and hook his arm around him again.
“I can walk,” Goro moved his arm out of the way and pushed himself off the machines. “I feel better now I’ve gotten some fresh air. I can probably make it home. Excuse me.”

But Joker took up all the room between the sets of washers and dryers. His path was blocked entirely, and he showed no interest in moving.

“Joker,” Goro growled.
“You still have a fever. You’ll stay at LeBlanc tonight.”
“Last I checked, LeBlanc had only the cafe and an attic. I’m sure Mr Sakura would rather I didn’t sleep where his customers may see me early in the morning. Especially if I’m sick.”
“The attic is big. You have plenty of space to sleep.”
“I’m not interested-”
“If you collapse on the train, it would be big trouble for you, right? Anything could happen. There’s no telling who will find you,” Joker said and took a step towards him. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you, Go-chin.”

He truly did hate him. Joker didn’t wait for a response before grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the laundromat. He pulled him through the door of LeBlanc, into the dark cafe. Goro could feel all the clarity he’d finally gained vanishing from his head once more. He couldn’t even close the door behind him before another fit of coughing overtook him.

Joker left him at the counter, closing the door before going into the kitchen to turn on the lights and take something from the fridge. Goro pulled himself onto the stool, wiping his mouth with a napkin and trying to keep himself upright. It wasn’t long before his head was too heavy for that, and he rested it on his hand, propping himself up with his elbow.

It was different, being here alone with Joker. Every time he came here, there was a load of childish thieves plotting and scheming and having their silly little dramas. Before, Mr Sakura had always been here, serving the regulars and making idle chitchat with him to try and make him feel comfortable despite how he clearly stood out. He’d appreciated it too.

Alone here, with Joker, he didn’t feel normal at all. It felt almost like he’d broken in somewhere he shouldn’t be. There was no buzz of chatter to listen in on. No TV yapping away about whatever. No phantom thieves. He wasn’t even sure if the cat was there. If it was, it was choosing not to bother them.

It was just them. Alone in a place, neither of them truly belonged. Maybe Joker thought he did now, but he didn’t. He was still an outsider that had been placed here. That lived in an old storage attic out of the kindness of someone’s heart. His friends came to him because they got something from him. He gave, and so he got, but what he got wasn’t what he deserved. They took more and more and more.

The exchange was a lonely night, with a sick boy sitting at his counter. And only after being begged to keep him company.

He didn’t smell the curry until it was in front of him. He’d gotten used to the perfume of the flowers dominating his nose. It was rare he could smell anything else anymore. But the curry smelled sweet and inviting, and the steam travelled up his nose, moistening the flowers that were inching their way in there again. Joker handed him a spoon and some coffee to go with it.
“Will Mr Sakura be okay with you giving this out?”
“I can pay for it if not. You won’t believe the amount of money you can make by stealing it.”
“Here, I thought you’d have some morals about such things.”
Joker smiled at him over the counter. Goro took the spoon and ate a spoonful of the curry. Sure enough, it was sweet. More so than usual. There was no easygoing for those who wanted something a bit sweeter or a bit less spicy; Mr Sakura only served one type of curry, and if you liked it, you bought it. This one was still as spicy, though it only started to hit after he swallowed it. It was only slightly under the level he’d grown used to being served here. However, the flowers inside him seemed to flee in fear of it, crawling back down as if they’d catch fire if it touched them. His sinuses felt considerably lighter, allowing him to breathe through his nose and fully take in the scent.

“What do you think?” Joker asked, leaning on the other side of the counter.
“This isn’t Mr Sakura’s curry,” Goro confirmed but took another bite.
“Oh?”
“You made this.”

Joker clapped in response before grabbing a spoon from the counter and helping himself to some from Goro’s plate.
“Impressive, Detective.”
“I doubt Mr Sakura would let anyone else in his kitchen.”
“Well,” Joker started but stopped abruptly to fan his mouth for a second. “Not after the disaster of letting Futaba help.”
“It’s not the same, though. You still have a long way to go.”
Joker laughed, “he tells me the same thing.”

Between them, they finished the plate. He was allowed to keep his coffee to himself, Joker instead opting to grab a glass of milk from the fridge.
“I’m lucky it’s not just cat milk we have with the amount Sojiro buys. He’s only started stocking this because of Futaba coming by. Before, he was only interested in cat milk since humans can’t be allowed to alter his work.”
“It must be high praise for him to let you in his kitchen.” His head somewhat clearer than it had been, and his fever most likely broken, Goro’s ears had perked up again. Joker was being shockingly open again. At this rate, he’d be able to get any information he needed out of him in no time.

Not that he hadn’t already gotten most of it. Joker took the plate away as soon as Goro ate the final bite. He disappeared into the kitchen, washing the dishes and leaving them on the rack to dry. What would be a good use of this opportunity? What was the most pressing matter? He’d come to accept the phantom thieves weren’t really all that. They were more of a publicity thing than anything else. Convenient fall guys. A stepping stone on his path to Shidou. Regardless, he needed things from them. Joker would give them to him like this. For once, he didn’t need a kind ear. The more Joker talked, the better it would be for him. If only he knew what to ask. Who helps you? What are their names? What is your relationship with them? How much do they know about the phantom thieves? Are any of them powerful? Do any of them have political connections? Scientific connections? What do you know about the cognitive world? What secrets lie in Mementos? How can we utilise it?

“Are you worried about me?” Was the question that ended up falling out. He hadn’t even been thinking it, but it fell from his lips all the same.
“Of course, I am. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you,” Joker turned and flashed that smile again. “Go-chin.”

How disgustingly insincere. That was his true nature, wasn’t it? Always knowing exactly when to cut him off. Even when he asked the most harmless thing.

“Does that mean I won’t be allowed to go home tonight?”
“Sure does.”
“Even though I’m feeling better after that curry?”
“I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you, Go-chin,” Joker said as he returned from the kitchen and leaned across from him again. “You can sleep wherever you prefer. I don’t mind sharing a bed if it’s you.”

Trash.

“Well, I don’t want to spread this, so I’ll have to decline that offer.”
“You’re so certain I’ll get it, Go-chin. Do you know something? Has your detective work pulled up something I should know about?”

The flowers should have still been held back from the curry and suppressants, but there came a tightening in Goro’s heart. Despite having wasted none of his time on Joker’s love life, he was filled with the inexplicable need to answer ‘yes.’

Instead, he stood up and headed for the stairs.
“I’m going to bed,” he called back behind him.
“Will you wait up for me?” Joker called after him.
“No, I’m an early sleeper,” he lied, hoping that it would hide that he was still exhausted from such a severe turn. It wouldn’t do if Joker got the idea that he’d been right to keep him behind. “I believe there’s a futon on one of the shelves in your room.”
“It’s not been cleaned. You can take some blankets and the couch if you’re that tired.” Goro looked over the bannister, hovering on going up the next step so Joker wouldn’t leave earshot. “Or the bed. I promise I won’t mind.”
“Good night, Joker.”

Goro opted for the couch, taking a spare set of pillows and blankets from the shelves as he passed. It was better than sleeping under his coat or in bed with someone he couldn’t get comfortable around. The pillows were worn, and the blanket tickled his nose between fibre and dust. Despite everything, he’d never gotten the hang of sleeping when he wasn’t comfortable. Even on Joker’s couch, it was clear how worn down it was. Most likely, Mr Sakura had used it until it was near threadbare and left it up there, intending to throw it out when he got around to it. A spring dug in just a bit, enough to shuffle out of the way. Still, he’d have to be careful of accidentally moving back and waking himself up again.

There was a creak on the stairs. Then more as Joker’s footsteps edged closer to him. They stopped beside the table, and he could hear Joker’s breathing. A slight whistle in his breath.

He stood there a minute before moving on and falling into his bed.

Most nights, Goro worked late. He’d sit in front of his laptop until the early morning, compiling all the information he needed for jobs. Sorting everything he knew of the phantom thieves and how they’d be factored into his plans. Making his way back from meeting clients who’d insisted he’d stay later than he really wanted to. His brain was always buzzing with things he needed to do. People he needed to see. Calls he needed to take. Even those ‘dates’ with Joker were just more work.

His last actual break had resulted in him eating a flower.

Hoping Joker was asleep, Goro rolled over on the couch, still doing his best to avoid that spring. There was no sign of the cat. It was just the two of them. The moonlight shone over Joker’s bed, showing him pressed tight to the wall as he slept.

What if he had agreed to share that bed? Would Joker have suddenly backed out of his teasing? It would have been an easy way to one-up him.

Goro reached his fingers to the back of his mouth, plucking the brave little flower that had taken its place there. In a show of its strength, it came out whole. Not a single petal was crushed. The moonlight caught it and made it a paler blue.

The last time he’d had time off…

He took a petal between two fingers and plucked it.

I hate him.

I love him.

I hate him.

I love him.

I hate him.

He never knew if the outcome was decided by the last petal or by the one left unsaid.

Without time to ruminate on it, he’d hoped he’d forget his silly little crush. Not that it would grow to the point of choking him. He’d been so busy that there was no time to consider such things. There was no time to think about how he felt and how he’d gotten in this situation in the first place. There was only plotting. Trying to make this plan work no matter how difficult it became.

He had to hate him. If he didn’t hate him, he didn’t know what he would do.

Everything he planned hinged on him hating him. It ended with Joker hating him and then feeling nothing at all. That was how it had to be.

Everything Joker did annoyed him. He couldn’t allow himself to be endeared by such things. Otherwise, everything would fall apart. When he was with others, he couldn’t think of where Joker was or what he was doing. Even though he hadn’t managed to stop that at all.

He could just make out the rise and fall as Joker breathed, occasionally accompanied by that whistle. He’d never noticed it before. Everything was so busy that it must have gotten drowned out.

Typically, he’d be noting it to investigate and factor into his plans. Somehow, that whistle would be part of the Phantom Thieves’ downfall.

Yet, tonight his heart hurt. More than anything, he wanted to go over to that bed and shake Joker awake. Ask what that sound was. Was he well? Had he been to the doctor? Was it normal? He’d changed his mind, and he wanted to…

Goro pulled the blanket up over his head, trying to block the sound from reaching his ears. It wasn’t doing him any good, being able to see him like this. He’d have to be more careful in future. Time off work was bad for him.

He hated thinking.

Chapter Text

Goro turned notifications off on his phone. It had been buzzing non-stop. After hearing his text tone the first ten times, he’d switched it to vibrate. When he could no longer ignore its rumbling, he switched it to silent.

But when he needed to use his phone, the notifications appeared in an endless stream. So they were turned off.

He’d overslept. By the time he’d woken up, Joker was at school, and he’d have to give his excuses to Mr Sakura. While Mr Sakura didn’t seem to mind, Goro had focused entirely on keeping his face from turning red. He could only assume Mr Sakura would be more flustered if he thought anything suspicious had occurred.

There was no point going to school, so he’d called to explain his absence, and that was when he first noticed the group chat. He opened it and scrolled to the top without reading any of the newer messages.

The first message of the day was from Joker. There wasn’t any actual text, but he’d sent a photo.

A photo of Goro. Fast asleep on his couch.
“dude what?” Sakamoto had replied half an hour after the photo was sent. No doubt he’d still been sleeping.
“youll get him next time joker :pensive:” Sakura’s daughter quickly followed him.
“What do you mean get him dude what???” Sakamoto replied, followed by two more messages, “Why is Goro there??”
“Joker???”

Joker didn’t respond.

Eventually, another message came in, this time from the younger Niijima, “I’m guessing Sakamoto already found you to ask but is Goro alright?”
“maybe we should check his school and find out :3” Sakura’s daughter chimed back in, “oh what do you know he wasnt in school this morning” “wow joker dont pick a school night next time!”

Goro closed the chat, not caring to investigate the thousand more messages debating what business he’d had staying in Joker’s room last night. Either Joker would clear it up, or he wouldn’t. It didn’t matter which.

He’d returned to his empty apartment, leaving his keys on the side table and his shoes at the door. Every time he returned, the apartment felt just a little bigger. There’d been a time when he’d been excited to receive such a spacious place to stay. It was still only meant for one person, but it offered far more space to himself than he’d been used to. The thought of having it all to himself, to do with as he pleased, had excited him. He’d spent the first few days trying recipes on the new stove and trying out all the appliances Shidou had pre-stocked the place with. The first few attempts had been disastrous, but he’d kept practising until he made something delicious.

Goro took a combini bento to the couch and switched his laptop on. He’d never changed it from the default background, and the only icons on his desktop were the pre-loaded programs and the recycling bin. If anything, it would appear more suspicious in its lack of use. He plugged in the external hard drive he used for work and started sorting through the files. Checking all his information was up to date, that there was nothing he still needed to pass along or anything Shidou wanted to add.

His emails were empty. A rarity.

He switched the hard drive for a USB, pulling up the actual information on Joker. A detailed profile and many photos that he’d acquired in case they came in handy later. Cheap evidence of places he’d been, things he’d done, and his connections to the other phantom thieves.

He opened some of the more recent ones he’d gotten and zoomed in on his face, covered by the mask.

Goro unplugged the USB and closed the laptop. If no work needed to be done immediately, he didn’t feel like searching it out. He picked at his food as he lay down on the couch.

A completely smooth surface. It was solid and still smelled of the packaging. There was no lingering dust whenever he moved and no awkward springs to be avoided. He couldn’t even get his head comfortable on the armrest and ended up with it flat against the cushions.

He turned on the TV, flicked through a couple of channels, and then turned it off again. Then turned it on again and kept it on the news, listening to the same news cycle they seemed to just replay every day. It wasn’t long before it faded into the background as it always did, and he pulled out his phone.

The group chat had gone silent. The preview message on the home screen had Joker’s name beside it.
“Palace run today. Please bring supplies as required.”

Under it was a private message from Joker.
“Take suppressants. If you need any more, lmk and I’ll have some ready for you.”

Internally, something in him registered a “don’t fall behind” within those words.

Goro fell asleep on the couch, phone slipping from his fingers and bouncing off the linoleum floor, the news continuing to play.

“Well, who’s going in the main team then?” Sakamoto was the first to start shouting at the castle gates.

“Primary team is me, Ryuji, Morgana and Akechi. Everyone else is on scouting duty. If you run into danger, you let me know. Do not risk fighting anything on your own. You need to be backup if one of the primary team is in danger. Futaba will monitor the perimeter for us as we work and will tag everyone to help draw up a map until we can find one. Akechi,” Joker finally addressed him, though there was no doubt the entire lecture was for his benefit. “You won’t be reporting back to Futaba directly. Just stick close to me; that way, she’s covered for both of us.”

“I assumed that was the entire point of the primary team,” Goro replied with a smile. It was strange having them see his mouth again.

“Primary team’s role is fighting. We protect everyone so that nothing gets in the way of the mission.” Joker led them to the entrance they’d already identified, the non-main team lagging behind to keep an eye out. Joker slipped in through the window with Morgana close behind. Leaving Goro outside with Sakamoto.

Sakamoto glared at him, leaning back on his leg slightly. Goro wasn’t going to bother hanging about for whatever he wanted and took the opportunity to slip in ahead of him.

The inside was a blur of lights and sound. Dice, roulette wheels, and glasses clinked off each other as the shadows performed a facsimile of gamblers enjoying a good time. If it weren’t for their lack of stability, they might have had a chance to pass as such. But, as always, they wobbled like jelly when they moved, and their faces remained poorly formed. He’d never liked them much. When he’d explored palaces on his own, he hadn’t thought twice about ridding them of anything that got in his way. Real or not, they didn’t matter.

But here he was, on his best behaviour. They could squirm as much as they liked as they took their best guess at what a royal flush or tenpai was, and he wouldn’t hurt them. Or, at least, not without Joker’s orders, he wouldn’t. If Joker wished it, he had no choice but to perform.

“Akechi, by me. Ryuuji, watch our backs,” Joker commanded before sprinting for one of the platforms. He landed on it without a sound, not even slowing his stride. Goro had no choice but to race after him, trying to catch up to match him. He was impressed. He hadn’t expected Joker to move through palaces as gracefully as he did. All that clumsiness and bravado seemed to disappear. He didn’t hesitate as he narrowly avoided two or three-story drops. He’d even stop to look down at the shadows below, smiling like he’d found something he’d been looking for.

This Joker was hardly recognisable to him.

They bounced between the platforms, Ryuuji keeping an extra one behind as asked and Morgana shortly behind them. Where Joker had gained grace on entry, the cat had gained a bobblehead and the balance to match. Even though it still landed softly, its body seemed to sway with a struggle to keep it upright.

Joker led them through the palace with ease. He never hesitated for a moment before locating the next path to follow, the next vent to slip into, or the next place to hide. Perfectly silent, expecting them all to know what to do. And it seemed that that was precisely the case. It seemed like instinct to know what patterns of his to follow, and Goro was never entirely caught off guard by his turns.

Before they knew it, they’d managed to sneak onto the lift to the higher floors.

“Akechi, do you think you can handle security?” Joker asked as the lift ascended, talking over everyone’s heads. It was far too crowded like this. Did they really need all of them to handle one palace?
“What do you want me to do?”
“You know Niijima, right? See if you can talk us in.”

Goro nudged his way through the group, feeling each of their glares as he did so in the cramped space. It seemed they’d relaxed enough now that the danger was on the other side of a door.
“And if I can’t, what do we do?”

Joker looked at him, though his head didn’t move. His face remained perfectly still, showing nothing.

“We don’t hurt Niijima. Everything else, we do what we must.”

Goro stood by his side at the door until it opened. He stepped out ahead of them, knowing fine well Sae Niijima would be there to greet them.

“Detective Akechi, how are you enjoying the games?” Sae smiled, taking a long drag from her cigarette.
“I feel I require a bit more of a challenge, as it happens.”
“Oh, really? What kind of challenge would that be?”
“I brought a talented individual I believe can give me a good run for my money. I’m sure you’d be interested to see how it goes between us.”

At the clear indication of himself, Joker stepped out of the lift. He stayed behind Goro, hunching more than he had been.

“Ah, this must be your beloved phantom thief.” Goro choked, suddenly feeling a sprout trying to get past the suppressants, strengthened by having someone call it out. “Well, I didn’t think it was that serious.”

It took all his strength to keep the grimace internal.

“Think what you like. The papers have been speculating wildly enough. I don’t mind if you feel like throwing your hat in the ring.”

“And here I thought you were out to sweet talk me into letting your friends stay.”

All his strength.

“If you do, I’m sure it will clear up a lot of things.”

Niijima took another drag of her cigarette and flicked the ash onto the shadows she had acting as her bouncers. They wiggled in an attempt to avoid it with little success.

“Follow me.”

Niijima turned and started to walk down the centre of the room. Goro and Joker only got a few steps before she stopped.
“Just the two of you. The rest of your friends can wait where they are-” She turned her head as she spoke, only to freeze as she looked into the group.

Her eyes were locked on Makoto, standing among them.

Yet she said nothing.

The shadow bouncers closed in around the group. No doubt they were no real match for all the phantom thieves when they were working together. Joker had made a motion to them at his side, and they all did as they were told. Most likely, as long as they behaved, Niijima would have no problem letting them stay in custody until the stakes heightened.

She led them through the room, taking them through a large door at the end. The room inside was far less grand than the rest of the building, though still lavishly decorated and filled with shadows along the walls. All watching the table in the centre. A set of them walked out and moved one of the chairs, bringing another over to join the table. A chair for each, all identical.

Sae took her seat, facing the door. She gestured for them to sit as well. Goro sat on the chair to her left, leaving the one to her right for Joker.

“Shall I let you decide what we’ll play, Detective?” Sae pulled out a deck of cards from a drawer on the table and began shuffling them.
“I believe it’s best to let the guest decide the first game.” He turned to Joker with a smile. “What will it be, Joker? Any preference?”

Joker glanced at him out the corner of his eye as if wanting to say something. For once, Goro wasn’t anywhere close to the same wavelength. Unless Joker found this entire display tedious. That he could understand.
“How about higher or lower?”

Really? Now?
“I’m sure we can handle something a little more advanced-”
“Higher and lower is fine. It’ll be a good warm-up round before your friend displays his true skills. Personally, I’d be impressed to see him match you on a game of pure chance.”

Oh, of course, it would suit her just fine. It was easy enough to cheat at a game like that if they didn’t keep a close eye on her. Then again, she still had the upper hand regardless of if they caught her or not.

“Akechi, you deal the cards to start. We’ll take turns,” Joker said and held his hand out to Sae. She handed him the deck, and he shuffled without checking the deck otherwise.
“And in the case of a double?”
“We’ll call it an instant loss.”

God, how he wanted to tear him apart right there and then. So much for shaking off that bravado. If anything, he was far worse as a phantom thief. The only thing saving him was that Goro didn’t want to step out of line with Niijima watching.

He took the deck when Joker offered it to him and dealt them a row each. Nine cards for each of them. He could only hope that there was some fairness in the deck between the two of them shuffling.

Joker flipped his card first, followed by Niijima and then Goro. A two of hearts, a 6 of clubs, and an 8 of diamonds.
“You know, I have a little skill in card readings,” Joker said as though there was any apparent relevance to what they were doing.
“I believe that’s a different kind of card,” Goro informed him, but Joker just smiled.
“Higher,” Niijima announced before flipping her card to reveal a king. “And what do you believe you can read from these cards?”
“I don’t know how good these cards will be when they’re created in a palace. I can’t promise any readings will be accurate.”
“Your play?”
“Lower,” Joker called and flipped it, revealing the ace in a matching suit.
“I think your cards say more about you than anyone else’s.”
“That’s what I mean about it being inaccurate here. The phantom thief of hearts may be having some influence.”
“Lower.” Goro turned his own card to reveal the four of hearts.

“If you don’t feel like reading from them, maybe you can give me some insight into your relationship with our dear detective. Not that I can say anyone’s particularly surprised to see you together. Lower.” A four as well.
“I’ll take that as flattery.”

Goro wouldn’t.

“Higher.” A Queen. Joker scratched at his throat. “Akechi is trying to capture me, and this is part of his cunning plan for me to reveal all my secrets and fall right into his hands. The police are no doubt waiting for me outside.”

Goro shot up, spine turning to a rigid spike skewering his body. Joker only shot a glance from the corner of his eye.

“Higher.” Goro turned his card. Five. “And what makes you believe that?”
“Can’t trust a cop. Even the detective prince.”

The spike splintered through his body.

It didn’t matter.

“If that really true?” Niijima had a cruel little smile twisting on her face. “I didn’t get that sense at all.”
“You work with who you must. Lupin himself would work with a detective if the time called for it.”
“Do you base all your actions off Lupin?”
“Only the good ones.”

“Lower.” An Ace.
“Higher.” A King.

Goro hesitated on his own cards before settling.
“Lower.”

He flipped the card.

Another five.

“Afraid that’s you out, Detective,” Niijima smiled. Somehow, he’d been left out of this game from the beginning.

Joker tapped the corner of his next face-down card. Goro swiped up the cards that had been dealt to him, checking the same corner on them.

Well, that explained how everyone else at the table was playing.

“You don’t believe yourself to be particularly close with Detective Akechi then?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I think it may even be the opposite of what I said.” His voice was starting to get hoarse.
“Really? Let me guess; you fell for his charms like everyone else in Japan.”
“Maybe you should become a detective, Miss Niijima.”
“The same skills come in handy in the courtroom. After all, it’s all about the ability to read your opponent. If anything, Detective Akechi may need to reconsider his career after taking so long to figure out how we were playing.”

Goro gritted his teeth but kept his mouth shut.

He wasn’t in charge this time. If he was, she wouldn’t have gotten to talk this much.

“Falling for his charms must be why you were carrying those suppressants in your pocket.”

Joker’s eyes suddenly went wide, hand flying to his pockets. They lay flat against his side, him rapidly patting them down.

Niijima placed the pack on the table. A different one from the one he’d given Goro; a different brand and half-used.

“I’m guessing you are due another of these round about now.”

Joker cleared his throat. Though he’d tried to stop it from being too obvious, Goro noticed.

The prescription date was before he’d started giving them to Goro.

“These aren’t a particularly strong dosage, and I’m guessing you don’t take them in front of your little troupe.”

She couldn’t be more on time with her attack. Or the mention of the condition was simply enough to start Joker coughing.

“What can I say? I have a flair for the dramatics.” Joker said.

And then he didn’t stop coughing. Joker spluttered over his cards, eye bulging as his hand clamped over his mouth.

Between his fingers…
“It looks like you’re not the only one feeling a little poorly, Detective Akechi.”

The purple petals disappeared into Joker’s fist, pushed under the table and out of Goro’s sight.

“So it was you.” Goro’s mind was blank except for one thing. A connection that couldn’t be clearer.

“I caught my hanahaki from you.”

Chapter Text

“Joker, what’s going on?” That damned cat shouted behind him. Goro wasn’t turning to find out how many of them were following him. Why were they following him, anyway? Were they all that desperate to see his little soap opera unfold?
“Akechi!” And their little leader of the pack screaming the loudest of all.

Goro didn’t slow. Storming through the crowds of the casino, fists clenched as the shadows parted to give him a clear path to the exit. None of them even tried to attack them. Their little display had removed any worry Sae had and they weren’t showing any interest in stealing her treasure, so why be on the defensive? The phantom thieves were no threat. Goro was no threat. They were entertainment. Observe them and watch them fall apart from the deceit they sowed themselves. Point and laugh as your biggest enemy falls apart in front of your very eyes.

Goro exited the metaverse on his own, reappearing outside the courthouse and doing his best to fall in among the other people walking. Not that it would do him any good. Joker would recognise him the instant he caught up. He had to get somewhere Joker wasn’t likely to find him.

He stopped in front of the gate to the courthouse.

He flashed the security guard a smile as he stepped in, the guard instantly standing to attention when he saw his face. Goro disappeared inside and looked around. There were only a few officers hanging around, but most people were busy and paid little attention to him. Most the staff were so used to him being there that they felt no need to ask what he was doing.

Goro sat on one of the seats and took the remains of the suppressants from his pocket, choking down all he could. It had to be him. It just had to be him. And, of course, he kept it to himself this entire time. For all the time they’d spent together without the rest of those bastard thieves, he’d never thought to come clean about what he’d done. He’d let Goro be pulled along in his silly little pantomime.

So that was what he thought of him.

“Akechi!” A familiar voice shouted. Goro immediately stood up.
“Mr Shidou-”
“What have you been playing at?” Unconsciously, Goro took a step back. If it weren’t for the security, Goro was sure Shidou would have had him up against the wall. “We’re entering campaign season and you’re still playing your stupid gam- take that damned mask off!”

Goro did as he was told, stuffing it into his pocket. He kept a straight face as Shidou continued.
“You’ve made no progress! Do you really think things are good enough as they are? My ratings are barely where we need them to be and you’re busy fucking about. Every time I contact you, I get nothing but back chat. How much longer are you going to let those phantom thieves run circles around you?”

Naturally, in this environment, all Shidou could do was put on the face of righteous anger. Everyone had gotten so good at playing their roles.

“I understand your concern, Mr Shidou, but I assure you, we have been making considerable progress on the case. If you’d like, we can speak about this more privately at a later date.” Goro put on his most diplomatic voice for the security as their eyes drifted to them.
“I expect you in my office at eight pm tonight. Do not keep me waiting,” Shidou spat, his teeth gritting so hard it was almost audible.

He didn’t wait for a response before storming out the door, leaving Goro where he stood.

The world had never stopped for Goro’s problems, and it wasn’t about to stop over yet another betrayal. After all, why would this one be special? Everything was the same as it ever was. He didn’t need to go getting excited over things when everything was happening on his end. He’d orchestrated this entire thing. It had been his mistake.

Goro took his phone back out. There was nothing he wanted to check. There was nothing to see on there. Yet his finger automatically hit the group chat icon.

"You can no longer send messages to this group chat."

Well, they'd certainly not wasted their time. He hadn't even officially left yet. God forbid any of them have any emotional moments or they'd be turning on each other. Then again, maybe that made them better criminals than he'd though. After all, they knew to cut someone off the second they were a liability.

Better criminals. Still not good criminals. After all, a good criminal organisation would make sure that that liability wouldn't be able to rat them in.

Goro paused. He'd lost sight of them but there was no way to know that they'd actually lost sight of him.

He shook himself off. That wasn't possible. They only knew how to get into palaces. The realm of regular people was beyond them and there wasn't anywhere that Goro held deep enough ties to for it to consider becoming a palace.

It was too dangerous for them to go after him. Whether they killed him or changed his heart, they'd no doubt leave their childish little calling card at the scene to make sure they got to suck up the glory. There may have been a time when it would have done them good to show they could bring a change of heart to even the detective prince, but that ship had long since sailed. Now they were nothing but a pack of killers. Anyone who saw them pull off such a stunt against Goro Akechi would see nothing but the fact there was no true justice left in the world.

They were at a stalemate.

Goro would be the one to break it.

As soon as he locked his phone again, it vibrated, the screen lighting back up. He unlocked it, ready for whatever may come.

It was Sae, asking for updated information on the phantom thieves. Right, right, bureaucracy stopped for no man nor no revenge plan. He promised to get her the files, apologising that there would be some delay due to having other meetings to attend to. At least that gave him an opportunity to slip her some information that may be just enough for her to connect the dots and place some suspicion on her sister. Being able to knock some of them down individually before he made his first strike would aid him well.

Before he hit send, another message appeared at the top of his screen.

"Goro, message me as soon as youre willing."

Goro swiped it away and went back to typing his response to Sae.

"I'm sorry about the hanahaki"

It wasn't like Goro to make mistakes when he was typing, but maybe he'd gotten a bit too used to typing on his phone and wasn't lifting his fingers enough.

"Can we please talk about it"

It was an extremely annoying design quirk to have notifications stop you from typing. It made them far more intrusive than they needed to be.

"Let me know when youre ready"

Goro was finally able to hit send on what was really not that complex a message. He'd worry about setting up the files for her later. He wouldn’t want to risk giving away too much of what he knew. He only needed her to have some breadcrumbs.

Goro asked to borrow a room in the police headquarters to get some work done. Really, he was just trying to buy himself some time to make sure that there was no chance of him being followed out.

He sat at the computer, clicking through files that, to someone passing by, may seem relevant to his work. None of them really mattered.

Then, once again, he opened the database and pulled up the same file he'd looked at over and over again.

Joker Joker. His photo, glasses-less, staring back at him. An unremarkable young man, who barely stood out from the other people Shidou had gotten in trouble for getting in his way. The dull eyes staring at him through the screen. He seemed almost unlike himself. This was neither the boy he'd followed around playing phantom thief with, nor the boy that had stood in that courtroom begging and pleading that he'd done nothing wrong, not knowing that the system didn't care. It wasn't built to care about him. It was simply built to convict.

But he remembered that fury. That desperation for justice in the same way so many of them had when they stood in court, knowing they'd done nothing wrong. Joker Joker had grown angrier and angrier, looking around the courtroom like a rabbit stuck in a trap. Yet no one would look at him and those who would showed no sympathy. No kindness. Goro could remember the moment Joker Joker had turned to his own parents, tears in his eyes, only for them to turn away. He remembered that being the only moment he'd paused in his desperation, before seeming to thrash even more desperately for someone to free him of his snare.

They'd met eyes then, but he doubted Joker remembered that part. After all, Goro was just another person who would do nothing to help him. He was just someone sitting in with no stakes in the trial.

When they'd exited, he'd been a few steps behind Shidou as Mr and Mrs Joker apologised profusely for their son's behaviour and swore their allegiance.

Goro closed the file as an officer walked by. No doubt if he was caught looking at a file, there would be gossip flying around about who he had on his suspect list.

Goro shut down the computer.

By eight o'clock, he was standing in front of Shidou's office door, waiting to be let in. There was the familiar sound of shouting down the phone at someone or other, all he knew was this time it wasn't him. Not yet at least.

When the phone clicked off, Goro entered.
"You're late, Akechi," Shidou snapped at him.
"Sorry, I didn't want to bother you while you were on an important call, so I waited outside until you were finished."
"It wasn't that important. I'd have finished it sooner if you'd made yourself known."

Goro nodded and apologised again before approaching the desk. Shidou stood up and unplugged the phone at the wall. "What the fuck is going on with the Phantom Thieves?" Shidou's voice was but a harsh whisper, even so far from the door.
"They ran into some complications with the current palace. We're still on track for the infiltration day intended. I'll have the police mobilised and ready to act on the day. You have nothing to worry about, Mr Shidou."
"Then you better start losing that damn attitude you've been giving me. I'm paying you too much for the amount of fuck all you do. I have a popularity rating to meet before elections start and if you continue letting these phantom thieves run around-"
"I'm well awa-"
"What did I say!" Shidou cut him off. Goro didn't flinch, simply watching the man turn red, his teeth bared and pressing tight enough to crack.

This was to be Shidou's preferred type of meeting with him.

"We have more targets than just the phantom thieves that need to be taken care of. Your little game of cat and mouse needs wrapped up or we're going to have trouble when people start getting in my damn way again."

Shidou sat back in his chair, his face returning to normal, though he continued to glare at Goro the way he never would an ordinary citizen. Despite everything, it made his skin crawl.

"Can't you get some work done on the side?" Shidou asked.
"I think it's too risky to attempt to deal with anyone in the metaverse at this time. It would risk redirecting the phantom thieves from their mission with Miss Niijima. The entire plan to catch them would be rendered pointless if they leave her palace alone."
"Other work then. If you're going to be costing me this much money, you can at least provide some sort of service until this phantom thief bullshit can be wrapped up."

Goro's gaze dropped to the floor as he took a deep breath.

It would do him some good to have something to do to get his mind off the Phantom Thieves.

As he exited the building, he checked his phone again. Sae had thanked him for his help and was willing to wait until the morning to receive the documents.

Joker's messages sat unread.

If he had other work to do, he didn't need to think about Joker. If he didn't think about Joker, his symptoms wouldn’t be as strong.

It would be better if he could remove them completely.

Lying on his couch, he searched for hanahaki surgeons in the area. There were plenty in Tokyo, all with their own sites to advertise how their service was the best you could find.

Cleared up completely.
Preventatives to deal with recurring hanahaki.
Minimal scarring.
Recovery pack provided in price.
Easy procedure.
Simply procedure.
Affordable.
Permanent.
Semi-Permanent.
Non-Permanent.
Pollen allergen care.
Trimmings.
Allows regrowth.
Manageable.
Controllable.

Goro bookmarked one of the sites, locked his phone and fell asleep on his couch.

Chapter Text

"Thank you, Detective Akechi," the client said with that ridiculous dazed smile still on his face. He hadn't had a full grip on himself since Goro had come in. There wasn't even an attempt to hide how starstruck he was to have The Detective Prince Goro Akechi in his home.

Shidou would take a handsome sum from this man just for referring him no doubt. That would be on top of the cut he took from what the man gave Goro for his services.

"Here's my card," Goro said with his standard smile as he handed him his private card. "If you ever need me again, you can call that number and I'll be able to arrange to meet you."

The man couldn't even pull himself together long enough to respond. Goro was able to leave without hearing another word out of his idiot mouth.

He was tired. That was the fifth client Shidou had made him take that week to make up for the time he'd "wasted" chasing after the phantom thieves. At least it was meaningless work. He could go in and shut off his brain and everything would be handled in a couple of hours. The same routine. Familiar steps and nothing complex. No one getting in his way. Yet still exhausting.

He checked his phone to make sure Shidou wasn't calling him out to anywhere else before he boarded the train. Shidou had built up quite a backlog of clients for him. If he didn't tell him he was finished with one, that would give him the opportunity he needed.

"Yougen-Jaya, this is Yougen-Jaya," the announcement voice rang as they approached the station, pulling in and a few people getting off with Goro snuck in amongst them. As always, he'd managed to go unnoticed. It was almost funny. At this point, if he came without the disguise every time, the people in Yougen-Jaya may have grown used to his presence.

He stuck close to a couple for a few metres before moving to stop them from suspecting him of following them. While most people wouldn't recognise him, there was every chance he'd run into someone who would if he was messing about coming here.

There were hundreds of others, but Takemi Medical Clinic had remained understated in their advertising. They seemed like somewhere that wouldn't be looking to push how they had celebrity clients. Rather, they probably had some celebrity clients already that they weren't going to spill any information on. Doctor Takemi seemed like she'd be fairly clued in given what people said about her.

No one stopped him on his way. Even when he quickened his pace in front of the alleyway towards LeBlanc, no one paid him any mind. Everyone seemed to be in the mind to mind their own business and there was no one around who was interested in him.

Dealing with those clients had done him some good then.

He entered the Takemi Medical Clinic, only to find a tiny waiting area completely unmanned. Well, he was assuming it was a waiting area, there certainly wasn't anyone waiting there. The place was empty, the paint peeling, and the fliers tacked up had the ink wearing away purely from age. Looking at some of them, he was fairly certain they weren't all accurate following recent medical developments.

After a minute, there was some muffled voice coming from deeper inside, most likely behind the door that he could only assume was for the actual consultation room. Goro looked at the desk, searching for some sort of bell to make his presence known, only to come up empty. He sat down on one of the chairs, listening to the unintelligible female voice for what could be heard of it through the door.

He was starting to nod off a little by the time he heard the door click and his eyes shot open as it opened. A young woman in a short dress and lab coat walked out holding a clipboard that she was balancing some pill bottles on.

"New patient?" She asked after only barely glancing at him. She didn't seem to be paying any real attention. She reached over the counter, grabbed some papers off the desk and handed them to him. "Fill those in, I'm just finishing up with my last patient." Goro nodded and took them to lean on the counter. He started filling them in with his information and filled in a note with the reason for his visit. He could only hope he had lifted enough money to pay for the treatment.

Doctor Takemi dipped back into the room. Her patient remained silent, but he could hear her voice droning over something.

The door opened and Doctor Takemi stepped out, holding it open behind her.

Joker stepped out, glasses fogged, and shoulders hunched.
"Let me know how you're feeling in a few days," Doctor Takemi told him. Joker nodded slowly and took a few steps towards the door before stopping.

Goro looked away just as he looked at him. He pretended to still be reading over the paperwork. His pen ghosted over the letters he'd already written, hands shaking as his airways were starting to tighten and cut off air to his head.

The bell chimed as Joker walked out the door, leaving Goro alone in the clinic. Doctor Takemi wasted no time grabbing the forms from him.
"Hanahaki disease, huh? Seems to be a lot of it going around at the minute. You really started a trend with your little TV performance," she said, not looking at him. She paused to check her watch and compare it with the one on the wall. "I'll take you right in."

Doctor Takemi led him into the consultation room, and he took a seat across from her. She quickly hammered his details into the computer system, pulling up a sheet for notes that she immediately typed "hanahaki" into.
"So, what kind of treatment are you looking?" She wasn't even looking at him, her entire focus was between her computer screen and a notepad she had on the side, covered in chicken scratch.
"I'm wanting to get surgery to remove it."
"Right," she replied and typed a note into the box. "I just gotta ask you a few questions. What reason do you have for wanting to take the surgery route?"
"Is this really necessary?"
"I don't want sued when your ass changes your mind, so, yea, it is."

Goro's nose twitched, and he was glad his mask hid the scowl he hadn't been able to hold back.
"Just put that it's having a negative effect on my work life."
"Do you have a full understanding of the potential risks of this procedure?"
"You didn't have any details of how you perform the procedure on your website, so I can't say I do."
Doctor Takemi sighed and opened one of her drawers, rummaging through it until she picked up a stack of papers a centimetre thick. She flicked through it rapidly.
"I'll give you a full copy of this to go through before we conduct the procedure. You'll have general anaesthesia. You'll have the regular risks of general anaesthesia. The risks of performing the surgery will depend on the grade of your hanahaki. If it's not too bad, they'll only be working with your respiratory system, primarily your lungs and throat. Medium cases will include heart surgery. In severe cases, we may have to consider brain surgery. It's extremely rare, but it has been known to happen. Hanahaki is unpredictable at the best of times. It will take some testing to make sure we know all the areas and will be able to get it all."

Goro could see the diagrams on the papers she was flicking through. It ranged from basic diagrams of the hanahaki locations by severity and turned to photos of an infested brain, littered with leaves that looked like they belonged to a variety of reed.

The patient hadn't survived.

"One thing to be aware of is that in some cases the hanahaki will have infected the groin area, but this will be fairly noticeable. If this is the case, let us know. Surgery on the groin may result in complications down the line so we want to make sure patients are aware of these things before going ahead."
"Isn't the brain infestation more pressing?"
"You'd be amazed what people find important."

Goro could feel the bile crawling its way up his throat. Even if that wasn't a risk for him, he hadn't considered that it was a possibility.

"If you want to sit on the bed, I'll give you a quick look over and that will save time with the referrals," Doctor Takemi finally looked at him, giving him a small smile that held no ounce of gentleness. He wouldn't be surprised if she were the type to enjoy scaring her patients.

Goro sat on the bed and removed his shirt as instructed, folding it, and setting it down neatly on the bed beside him. Doctor Takemi checked his chest with the stethoscope, front and back, instructing him when to breathe deeply. "Sounds pretty bad in there. Very strong rustling when you breathe. Can definitely justify it impacting your work. What about the other area I mentioned?"
"Nothing. I haven't noticed any issues with it."
"Well, keep an eye on it. We ask you avoid anything that may cause any advancements in your condition while you're on the waiting list," she added to her notes on the screen, adding some names to the referrals box while she was at it. She came back over with the blood pressure monitor and slipped that on him, taking a reading.
"Your heart rate's a little low, so you are potentially looking at some heart complications. That's going to add to your risks. I'll take a blood test though so we can confirm if there's any pollen in your bloodstream."

Goro waited patiently while she did all her checks, listening to her "um" and "ah" as she added more and more notes to his file. When she was finally done with her assessment, she started listing off all the potential risks and side effects. Everything from losing interest in the person to infection to needing a pacemaker in future. She skipped over the things she felt weren't relevant, saying they'd go over them if it came to it after they'd done all their tests.

Goro clenched his fists in his lap.

"Are you alright for me to go ahead and make the referral?"
Goro bit his lip.
"Please do."

She sat looking at him, not adding anything to the file on her screen for the first time since he'd come in the door. Goro slowly lifted his face, making eye contact with her, trying to show his resolve to go through with this.

Doctor Takemi got up and went to the door, quickly opening it and looking out, before closing it again and snibbing it. She leaned against it as if to keep it closed if someone got past the lock.
"Mr Akechi, if you have any reservations about getting this surgery, you should let me know now. We can look at alternative methods for dealing with your hanahaki."
"With all due respect, doctor," Goro said, trying to put on his biggest smile for it to show through the mask. "I have been on the strongest suppressants for a while and they're not doing the trick. I'd rather get this over with for good than push through, hoping it will go away on its own or that the person will return my feelings."
"There are things besides suppressants," Doctor Takemi replied, crossing her arms and glancing at the crack in the door before looking back at him. "There's been rumour that you've been up to some unsavoury stuff, Mr Akechi."
"What are you getting at?"
"What I'm getting at is I have some drugs I've been testing. I'll need you to fill in some forms proving you agreed to test them for me and I'll make sure everything is up to code. It's just a case that they've not been widely tested yet and I could use some more volunteers."

Goro narrowed his eyes at her.
"It would eliminate the need for you to get surgery. You just take a pill each day and it will slowly start to kill off the hanahaki. You'll report back to me with any side effects, and I can make any changes to make sure you'll be hanahaki-free before you'd have even got to the front of the queue for surgery. What do you say?"
"So, you want me to play guinea pig?"
"If you don't want to, I'll get that referral and bill written up and you'll be right on your way for surgery. I just wanted to give you the option since I'm sure being out of commission to recover from surgery would be detrimental in your line of work."

It definitely seemed the easier option, especially if she was telling the truth. As long as they didn't pose any major threats, he'd most likely be hanahaki-free by the time Joker was in for questioning. That would be far more convenient than having to balance hospital appointments and surgeries around completing his mission.

"I'm in your hands, Doctor Takemi." Doctor Takemi smiled and finally moved away from the door. She went to the cabinet and pulled a stool over to stand on while she reached into the shelf. She retrieved a small brown pill bottle with a child-safety cap and a handwritten label. There were clear gaps on the shelf where similar ones must have been. At least he wasn’t the only guinea pig she had. When she handed it to him, it looked fairly unremarkable. If the label had been printed, he wouldn't have assumed anything of the bottle.
"You look like you expected me to hand you a bottle of snakes," Doctor Takemi mumbled as she took out another batch of forms and sat them in front of him. "Official guinea pig forms. Fill those in and it's all yours. I won't even charge you since you're doing me a favour."

Goro exited the clinic, bottle rattling in his pocket.

Chapter Text

Goro had taken to drinking coffee in the morning. At the height of his hanahaki, it felt like the heat would wilt the flowers and force them back down after the progress they made overnight.

He no longer felt them shrivelling away. He’d take his pill with his coffee, and every day it went down smoother and smoother.

The coffee also helped him to recover from the sleepless nights. He hated to admit it, but most nights he’d dream of Joker. The sort of dreams that had exacerbated his symptoms. Shortly after he started taking the pills, those dreams had cleared away. Except they were replaced by new dreams. Dreams that seemed so real in the moment. Dreams where he could feel everything that happened to him. Dreams that made him wake up five times every night and check his phone for an email he’d dreamed of, only to spend half an hour searching for it and coming up with nothing.

It wasn’t like they were nightmares. Some were nightmares. But they woke him time and time again and by morning he was exhausted, barely holding himself together. The first few days, he’d been pushing through to continue meeting clients and get work done. Keep busy. Keep his mind off things. Give the pills time to do their thing. But now he couldn’t stand the thought of it.

He texted Doctor Takemi with his report on the side effects. She sent back a thumbs up emoji.

He sipped his coffee, leaning against the French doors of his apartment, overlooking the balcony. The mug he’d left out overnight had filled with rain and continued to overspill.

If he couldn’t take clients for the time being, and his feelings for Joker were subsiding, that probably meant he should return to his main case. The twentieth was fast approaching after all. He could only hope he’d get back in on time to execute his plan.

The unread messages from Joker sat. Even though he’d been kicked from the group chat, Joker had continued to message him. They came less frequently and were less nonsense than they had been. He hadn’t sent a single photo since. They’d all been desperate pleas for him to respond. To apologise. To ask to talk about this.

They’d stopped completely after their passing each other at Doctor Takemi’s.

“Can we meet at Leblanc?” Goro sent back, not acknowledging any of the messages. As nice as it would be to meet somewhere else, he wanted this to be private. This was to be a moment between him and Joker. Right. “Just the two of us.”

Joker started typing immediately.
“I’m in all day”

“Did you see Futaba on your way in?” Joker was standing behind the counter, drying the mugs when he came in.
“I saw her and Mr Sakura on their way somewhere, but I didn’t stop them.” They hadn’t even looked his direction. Leblanc was unusually quiet today. It probably made a good opportunity for the pair to spend some time together or get groceries. Though he wasn’t quite sure how comfortable Sakura’s daughter would be with that.

“We can go upstairs, as long as I come down if we hear the bell.” Joker set the mug down and folded his apron, leaving it behind the counter as he headed up the stairs. Goro followed him, clutching his briefcase tight. “Do you want something to drink?”
“I’m fine.” Goro knew he should make this last and try to play the pleasant guest in these situations. These situations. Not against Joker though. Joker had already seen through him far too much to be taken in by it.

“How’s work?” Joker asked and sat down on his bed, his arms propping him up from behind as he kept his eyes locked on Goro. His voice was steady. No breathlessness or rattle. But everything looked the same as when he’d last been there. Nothing new on the shelves or things left behind.
“It’s been busy. I haven’t had much time for anything else. And it was good to do something other than pretend to look for the phantom thieves.”
“I guess it wasn’t easy being on shift twenty-four-seven. Being able to take some time off probably made a big difference.”
“Well, I had enough time to script some of my interviews for my interviews after we handle Niijima’s palace.” Ignore they were mostly gloating that Joker would never…

Maybe he should have accepted that coffee after all. The vines still had enough power to twist their way around his heart even if they had lost a lot of strength. Situations like this were bound to make them flare up.

“How’s the hanahaki been?” Joker asked.
“Ah, that,” Goro replied, smiling the best he could. The fakest he could. He hoped Joker could tell. “I’m on the waiting list for surgery to have to removed. It was causing so many problems with work. I might not be on quite the restrictions of an idol but it’s pretty similar. The agent that handles my media appearances got it booked for me so it should be within the next few weeks.”

Joker’s was staring dead into him. His expression completely unreadable.
“Wouldn’t it be better to confess your feelings? It’s safer than getting surgery.”
“I feel we’ve reached an understanding that it’s a perfectly hopeless situation.”
“What makes you so sure it’s hopeless?” And there his expression broke, brow furrowing and eyes narrowing. Baring his teeth.

Goro’s heart thumped in his chest, restraints finally dropped.

“It would look bad if the Detective Prince got together with someone, and I can’t deny there’s some prejudice if I did get a boyfriend. Part of my appeal, after all, is being pretty, young, and available. I wouldn’t want to lose my marketability when people realise, I’m not available after all. They need the illusion of their personal Detective Prince to keep their faith where it belongs.”
There was a twitch at the corner of Joker’s mouth, “You’re still just a celebrity at the end of the day.”
“And celebrities still have to play by some of the rules.”
“But not all of them.”

The silence hung heavy in the air, building a wall between them.

“But not all of them,” Goro confirmed.

“That was what you were at Takemi’s for then? I thought your agent would have some fancy doctor lined up to do expert surgery.”
“I’ve been assured Doctor Takemi will be able to handle the situation just fine. Speaking of Doctor Takemi, however,” Goro smiled. “I take it you were in about your own hanahaki?”
“She’s my doctor. She’s been prescribing my suppressants.”
“I’m surprised she’s still prescribing them. You’ve had it longer than me; I would have expected her to start talking to you about your surgery options.”
“She offered me a trial on some new drug she was working on that did the same thing. I’m not interested though.” He paused and reached into a bag he’d left sitting beside the bed. He pulled out a pill bottle to match the one in Goro’s briefcase. “She gave me some away with me in case I changed my mind. I take it she offered you the same.”
“Hm?” Goro put on his best innocent face.
“It would fuck you over pretty bad if you had to worry about surgery when you got media appearances to focus on and catching us. That and you look like shit.”
“I think saying I look like shit is a bit much.”
“Probably some of the side effects of these things. It’ll probably go away if you stop taking them.”
“Well, it seems you know why that isn’t an option.”

Joker put the bottle down on the bed and stood up. In a few short paces, he was towering over him, his head blocking the light and casting a shadow over Goro. His fists were tight at his sides. Every hint of quiet confidence Joker always tried to exude had disappeared. Yet, he said nothing.

No matter how subtle the scent should have been, like this it prominent enough to burn his nose.

“And when are you going to do something about yours? You can’t keep taking those suppressants forever. I saw the pictures of what can happen.”

Joker just stood over him, face blank once more.

“Of course, it doesn’t matter to me. You can make whatever choice you wish. But I want to make sure we can see this through to the end together.”
“You want back in?” Joker asked, but his face stayed the same.
“There’s no point in being upset with you. It’s not like you passed it on deliberately. Fighting with you isn’t going to cure me. What’s most important is we focus on the task at hand and find who that masked man is.”

That was enough for Joker to step away, though he seemed to just wander aimlessly.
“I figured you’d forgotten about that when you had to focus so hard on catching the phantom thieves, Go-chin.” The words dripped out over his chin, and even though he was turned away, Goro couldn’t help but feel he was baring his fangs again.
“I never lose sight of my goals. I just have to juggle a lot of things, and it keeps me on task to focus on my presentation for work. If I’m too busy thinking about the real justice, people might start to see through my performance.”
“I’d be surprised,” Joker turned back to him and now he had fallen back to that pleasant face. The one he always had when he was talking with the Phantom Thieves. The one that was his supposed good and pure side. “You’re a talented actor, Go-chin. You should have more faith in yourself.”
Goro laughed, “You have a lot of faith in me.”
“I have to. Otherwise, how could I have you fighting by my side against Sae’s shadow.”

Perfect. That would make things a lot easier.

“You don’t mind taking me back then? Even without discussing it with the others?”
“I already discussed it with them. They all said that you could come back if you asked.”
“Ah, I’ll have to thank them.”
“I’ll add you back to the group chat.”

Joker took his phone out his pocket and sat beside Goro, throwing an arm around him as he snapped a picture of them together. Goro’s phone dinged as he was added back in and Joker sent a message to the chat.
“He’s back!!”

Goro faked a laugh before standing up, ignoring how Joker fell without him there to support him.
“Well, in that case, I better be going. There’s still work to do.

“I’ll see you at the infiltration.”

Chapter Text

Doctor Takemi gave him a new version of the pills after he filled in the report about the first batch. She took the old ones back and had the new ones ready to go and dismissed him again.

While his sleep schedule mostly improved and woke up for a short while feeling well rested and near cured, it didn’t last long. His skin started to break out in red batches and tiny bumps. At first, they weren’t too bad, but over time they grew itchier and itchier, until he was spending hours lying awake at night. A fortune on creams to try and soothe them until Doctor Takemi could get him the next batch that he could only pray would be better.

He didn’t need to take it much longer anyway. He didn’t need to get the surgery either.

He’d spoken with Shidou, and the police, and their plans had been finalised.

What happened to hanahaki when the person you loved died? He’d sat up, scratching his arms until they were raw and bleeding. A repeat of one of Shidou’s interviews playing on the TV in the dark living room. His coffee cooled on the table. Searching for an answer.

The fact was no one agreed. There were many people who’d been so unfortunate and had been kind enough to share their stories to soothe the soul of someone waiting on their beloved dying. Some of them admitted their hanahaki cleared up the day the person died. Others said it cleared the day after the funeral, when they felt they had proper closure on the death. Others said it took months. Years. Some said they did have to get the surgery because they couldn’t stop loving them, no matter how long passed. Some told stories of loved ones who died of hanahaki after losing their beloved because they were unable to let go.

Goro swore to be in the first group. Being the one to pull the trigger should assure it.

The fact he had the strength to pull the trigger proved he was over such ridiculous feelings.

The eighteenth rolled around before he knew it. His phone continued to light up with plans about leaving the calling card for Sae. The younger Niijima would do the honours. Sae would be very proud of her, of course. Not that he’d be one to gloat when the time came. It wasn’t like he had grown any interest in their family drama. This wasn’t about their family drama. It was about his.

One step closer. Whatever sacrifice was necessary.

But the calling cards were the realm of the Phantom Thieves. He could leave that up to them. Ever since he’d got back into the group, he’d been playing himself as semi-distant though still reliable. Dedicated, but hurt. The perfect balance for them to offer him their trust just long enough for his plans to play out.

On the nineteenth, he went over the plan with the police for a final time. Everyone had been specially selected for this mission by either himself, Shidou, or the chief of police who knew when it was best to keep his mouth shut. He would make sure that the officers also knew when to keep their mouths shut. Not that they should have any problem with it, of course. They were selected because of their sense of “justice”. As far as they were concerned, the law was concrete and people like the Phantom Thieves couldn’t be allowed to go around doing whatever they pleased. That was for the likes of Shidou, who would offer some improvements to their bonuses in return.

All going according to plan, they’d be none the wiser about their entry into the metaverse. It was a heavy gamble, though. They’d never done a full practice to work out the maximum amount of people they could get in. If some got left behind, there was nothing they could do. And they had to hope the shadows didn’t decide they were enemies. There was no telling how Niijima would perceive a heavy intrusion of police officers on her territory.

Then there was the fact they would be faced with an entire luxury casino that hadn’t been there before.

Even if they had to make some sort of explanation about the metaverse, these people knew to keep their mouths shut.

With everything in place, Goro just had to wait on being summoned the next day.

Goro stood back as the shadow Niijima and younger Niijima had their moment. Everything had gone exactly to plan. He could practically sit back and just watch the entire thing unfold. The police should enter the palace any minute now and after that it was just about making sure the Phantom Thieves didn’t pull off too daring an escape.

“Akechi.” Joker had broken away from the group, coming over to join him. Sakamoto and Kitagawa had gone to retrieve the treasure, though Goro had expected a grander affair for retrieving such a thing.
“So, this will be the end of the Phantom Thieves.” Goro told him, avoiding looking in his direction.
“As agreed,” Joker confirmed. “Which means we’re not going to be enemies anymore.”
“It would seem so. It’s a shame we couldn’t actually go head-to-head. I think you might have given me a run for my money, given the chance.”
“We can try that over a game of cards.”
“I don’t plan to play cards with you ever again.” Joker laughed.

Really, all should have been forgiven. If he was who he said he was, it would be. This would be when they moved on from it and…
“We don’t have to lose touch after this. I’d still like to meet with you.”
“I’m afraid my hands are going to be full. And I wouldn’t want to bother an ordinary high school student like yourself.”
“I don’t mind. I still want to see justice served. If I can help, I want to help.”

Goro smiled to himself.
“After this, I don’t think you’ll be able to provide any more help. But I appreciate what you did offer.”

He finally looked in Joker’s direction. When they’d been going through the palace, he’d gotten used to seeing the stern, eternally unphased face of the Phantom Thieves’ leader. The moment they stepped into the palace; all emotion was left behind. He became analytical, calculating, never missing a beat. On his own, he could have been one of the greatest thieves of the century.

Even with the mask covering half his face, there was no ignoring that now was when that Joker disappeared. Eyes cast down, staring at his shoes rather than confidently looking out at his team as Goro had imagined. He was biting his lip repeatedly, near tearing it to shreds. A petal slipping between those lips and being forced back down.

“We’ve had a great rivalry, haven’t we?” Goro said as he forced himself to look away. Sakamoto and Kitagawa had returned with the treasure, which seemed to be nothing more than a modest briefcase. While he doubted Niijima being involved in the case for much longer, especially given the conflict-of-interest issues that were about to arise, he somewhat wished he could get an opportunity to learn what made such a thing worthy of being her treasure. He’d expected something a bit more sentimental, but he didn’t know Niijima that well to dispute it.

But with the treasure in hand, he gave the signal to commence with the next phase.

“If you like, I could keep doing crimes. Saves the issue of not having free time, not needing me to help you. I’ll become the eternal thorn in your side that you can’t ignore.”
“Enemy readings!” Sakura shouted before Goro could respond. Everyone flocked to her as she pulled up the screen, revealing an army of shadows.

Did this usually happen? When the Phantom Thieves grabbed Okumura’s treasure, hadn’t he only had so long to step in? Had they had such a flock of shadows?

All the Phantom Thieves were talking over each other, rapidly trying to get a plan together.
“If we move as a group, we’ll be an easy target,” the younger Niijima’s voice called above the rest.
“But if we split up, we’ll be easier for them to take down!”
“Then we need to make sure they’re not going after everyone. Keep their focus on just one person,” Joker responded, forcing them all into silence. Goro adopted the same worry they all had as they waited for what Joker would say next. “I’ll distract them. Everyone else, get out. I’ll meet you back at Leblanc with the treasure.”

Perfect.

Everyone started up again, but Joker ignored them and took the treasure from Sakamoto before walking away.

When they heard the first shouts from the casino, it was their turn to move.
“I’ve highlighted the closest escape route. Everyone, follow me and don’t get caught,” Sakura told them and pulled up the map on her screen, a square flashing at what Goro could only assume was their destination.
“I’ll lead,” Sakamoto spoke up next. “Ann, Haru, Yusuke; you’re with me. If we run into any enemies, we’ll handle them. The rest of you, focus on escaping above all else, got it?” Everyone nodded in response.

Goro stuck to the back of the group as they made their way back through the palace for the escape route. Even in the back halls, the shouting from the shadows and screams of the imaginary patrons rang out. Every time a shadow caught sight of Joker; the entire group paused in a panic that they’d been seen. There were still shadows rushing down the back halls, on their way to join their comrades in their attempts to apprehend Joker.

They all had to take a separate hiding spot to avoid being seen. The corners and decorations were too small to hide more than one person at a time, and it wasn’t long before Goro managed to be left alone, standing against a wall where the others couldn’t see him. When the shadows slipped by them, they wasted no time in sprinting for their next hiding spots, paying no attention to anyone they may have potentially left behind.

As good as it would be to escape with them, it didn’t matter anymore. It wasn’t like he needed to be in their good graces after this. All he had to do was make sure his plan succeeded. The way to do that was to oversee it himself.

Slipping into his preferred suit, Goro stuck close to the shadows as they headed for the main hall. Without the glitz and glamour of the white and gold, he disappeared into the darkness with ease and none of them seemed any the wiser that they were being followed.

Goro entered the hall as Joker sprinted across the lights. The shadows before him all crammed together on the balcony, crushing into each other in such a way that their bodies seemed to meld as gloop. Their ridiculous costumes bursting as the wearers flattened and twisted their way into monstrous forms, tendrils reaching out to grab someone far beyond their reach. Looking over the other balconies, the other shadows were in a similar state, seemingly unable to give chase over the lights as Joker put on his little show.

Certainly a show. It was amazing what light footwork he was capable of when he didn’t have to worry about anyone else in tow. Front-flipping between lights, landing so gently that they barely wobbled. A smile on his face like he was having the time of his life. The treasure barely more than an afterthought in his hands.

If he lived past tonight, he truly could be the eternal thorn in Goro’s side.

Slipping back into the hall, Goro followed along the side of the room until he reached the way to the balcony over the main entrance. If he was going to make his daring escape, this would be the place. The guards were ushering him towards it, he just had to wait. Just in case, he swapped back to his princely attire, ready with an excuse about getting separated from the group and heading for the main entrance when he couldn’t remember the way out.

And sure enough, Joker appeared from the opposite hall, looking directly at him. This was fine. Joker wouldn’t waste his time with him anyway. He was acting as a diversion, which meant he’d be trying to keep the shadows from noticing Goro as well.

Huh?

An arm wrapped around his neck, and something was pressed against his head as he was dragged out to the front of the balcony. Being suddenly drug out to the blaring lights was enough to momentarily blind him, stopping him from fully registering what was going on. When he managed to blink it away, a group of human-looking guards in black were coming down the halls, guns in hand.

The arm tightened around his throat. Goro’s hands shot up to try and pull it away before it could get an opportunity to strangle him, but the arm refused to budge.

“Step closer and I’ll shoot,” Joker’s voice rung in his ear. Goro froze, hands shaking. Steadily, he pulled them away from Joker’s arm.

His hands. His gloves. His gloves were black.

The guards lowered their weapons, looking to each other. Joker’s arm loosened again, the gun moving an inch away from Goro’s head. He didn’t dare move. There was no way Joker would do anything. He couldn’t be in real danger. All of this was just part of the show.

It was fine. It could work like this. Even if Joker dragged him all the way to the door, the police would get him, and everything would be back to how it should be. Slight hiccups weren’t enough to set them off path.

This was it. He’d done it. Everything was in check. He’d won.

Joker spun him around to face him, their eyes meeting and his dark eyes pierced through Goro’s own. The serious look of a phantom thief. No longer a teenager playing games with his friends. Playing the hero. The Joker before him was a criminal through and through. If he did get away, he might never be satisfied with just changing hearts in the metaverse.

What happened to the boy he’d saw in that courtroom?

“Go-chin,” Joker whispered, barely audible against all the commotion. “I love you.”

Before Goro could fully process the words, lips met his, the petals on Joker’s lips slipping between his own. The dry pollen coated his lips and tongue, sapping all moisture between them until their mouths were perfectly matched. Without thinking, he kissed him back, trying to push the invader back and take control of it. He wasn’t going to let Joker win like this. He wasn’t…

“We know your plan,” Joker whispered against his lips.

Goro froze.

What?

“We’ve been making our own plans,” Joker continued. “We’re going to take down Shidou. You should help us.”
“What are you-”

A click came from the gun.

“I said, don’t move,” Joker shouted. One of the guards mumbled Goro’s name. So much for the best they had to offer.

After a minute with Goro still pressed against his chest, Joker removed his gun from Goro’s temple, pointing it between the guards as he started to move them both along the walkway.
“We’ll help you. I’ll even let myself get caught. You just have to get me back out and we can end this. Together.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You love me, right?”

Goro grit his teeth. All the restraints that had been crushing him had disappeared.

“I love you too. So, let me help.”

The stained glass of the front entrance window stood behind Joker now. A spotlight shone through briefly before disappearing again.

Beyond that window, they were waiting.

“Deal,” Goro grumbled. Joker’s entire expression washed away in an instant, the arms around Goro suddenly growing loose. The light returned to his eyes as he looked at Goro again, mouth falling open. Goro took the step, pushing him closer to the window as he caught his lips for another kiss. No more petals or leaves lingered in their mouths. The pollen had already been washed away.

Joker leaned into it, the corners of his mouth turning as he did.

He loved him.

Idiot.