TheCharredDragon
Tis the Hour to Reload
Summary: Goro's sucking up at a fancy party for a job when his wife, Akira, decides to swoop in and not only have fun with it, but to give him good, life-changing, news. (Akechi/Fem!Akira) Happy Birthday Akechi!
Goro groaned, staring at the restroom mirror as he regained his composure as well as inspected himself. His suit was fine, no splotches or stains on the white tuxedo. His bowtie was in order, along with his hair and dress shoes. Minus his current slouching posture, he looked impeccable.
He just wished he felt the same. It was going to be a long night otherwise.
He sighed and then his phone buzzed with a notification. When he pulled it out, he ended up smiling slightly when he saw it was just a message from his wife.
Akira: How are you holding up?
Goro: I'll survive the night.
Akira: You make it sound like you're in the wild.
Goro: It might as well be. How about you? I'm assuming your work is going well if you're texting me.
Akira: Oh it is. Just need to do a few finishing touches.
Goro's peeked at the phone's clock and sighed.
Goro: I best be going now. I miss you.
Akira: See you soon.
Goro raised an eyebrow at the emoji and started getting suspicious. But with the time he spent in the restroom, and the likelihood she was busy now herself, he would have to deal with it later. So he examined his suit one last time, took a deep breath and returned to the dancefloor with a smile on his face.
When he made it to the ballroom, he was greeted by both men and women, the former speaking to him more on subjects like science or politics while the latter talked of the other people in the room, both of them obviously trying to get on his good side. And all the while he had to pretend that they were, at least enough that they wouldn't know he felt otherwise. However, the worst came when the dance segment of the night rolled in and he was swamped with even more women asking for a dance with him, despite his marital status, but he was by himself for a reason shown of his hand. It was one of the biggest reasons he hated being a part of formal gatherings, with the exceptions of those set up by his friends and family.
Speaking of the latter, after declining one of those many ladies, his phone buzzed and he saw it was text from his adoptive sister.
Futaba: Hey big bro! Make sure to play along! And congrats in advance! >
And then from his brother-in-law.
Ren: Sorry for finding out before you did but congratulations. I call dibs on planning by the way.
Goro raised a brow at that. That was the second and third texts he got tonight that seemed to have more meaning then the text showed. He was curious, largely because he couldn't understand it. It also made him worry that Akira and Futaba were prank tag teaming on him again, which made a chill run down his spine. With Ren on top of it... He hoped that was not the case. For one, they were nasty when they wanted to be. For two, this was a ball and the last thing he needed was . For three, it usually meant he had done something stupid for a man of his intellect without him knowing and that worried on what he did wrong.
The answers to those thoughts would come sooner than he anticipated as someone tapped his shoulder and a very familiar voice said,
"Hello good sir, may I have this dance?"
He whipped around, uncaring of his decorum, as he stared wide eyed at his wife, who was grinning much like the Cheshire cat. He would've responded had his brain not shut down at what she was wearing. It was a gorgeous black dress, one that looked out of a fairy tale. It was most likely made of velvet as she had gained a fondness for it. It also exposed her shoulders and its skirt flowed like waves. There were obvious rose designs around the waist and her arms were covered in equally dark gloves leading all the way to her elbows. But most of all, she wasn't wearing her glasses. This time they were off, with her glistening hair styled to frame her face and her lips looking very temptingly crimson.
Her smirk got worse at his silence. "What's wrong, dear? Cat got your tongue?"
Goro gulped and felt a blush come on as he tried—and failed—to glare at the comment. Of course she had to pick black. Not only did it contrast with his white clothes but it reminded him very much of her former thief attire. But that wasn't important right now.
"Aki, what are you doing here?" he sakd in a whisper
"Isn't it obvious? I wish to dance with my husband" she said, still smiling.
Goro groaned as he tried not to let his mind wander at the sight of his alluring wife. "You know what I mean... Aren't you in the middle of work?"
Somehow, her grin got three times worse.
"Yes. Yes, I am. And I intend to enjoy as much of it as I can," she said. Then she held out her hand and her smile turned much less devious and much more warm. "Shall we?"
And at that moment, Goro felt like he was a teenager again, brought back to the time all those years ago when the girl who would one day be his wife looked at him with those eyes, so full of life and so full of kindness, and told him that she simply cared for him, no ulterior motives at all.
And like then, he couldn't resist.
"Yes, let's," he said, returning her smile, and took his wife's hand.
Everything around him faded as he focused only on Akira and trying to match her movements. Equals though they were, he always wanted to be one step ahead of her, not only because it pushed her to do the same, but it eased his mind to know that he was always at his best for her. They stepped, they twirled and they leaned against each other as they moved across the dancefloor, all the while their eyes glued to each other and laughing at the joy bubbling out.
"You've been practicing?" Akira said during one spin.
"Well, I had to if I wanted to catch up with you," he said, chuckling sheepishly. It was replaced with a more worried expression as he continued. "But speaking of you, you still haven't told me why you're here."
Akira raised a brow as they did another spin, her smile still there. "You're not wondering how I got here?"
He scoffed, smile returning for a moment. "I have a feeling it either involved trickery or using your occupation, so no."
Akira laughed. "On point as always, Detective. Then you should be able to figure out why I'm here."
Goro frowned as he decided to give it some thought. Akira was still working so somehow her dancing with him was involved with that. But then he remembered Futaba's text, and when he did, his brow furrowed.
"How exactly are you supposed to help me?"
"Easy," she said. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear with a tone that made him shiver. "I'm here so you can enjoy yourself. And I thought I'd do the same while I did so."
She also decided to press tighter against him. All Goro could do was gulp and hold onto her as they moved for him to dip her down, their faces and lips incredibly close to each other. The trance was broken as the people around them cheered and applauded at their dance. Though, as they both stood up and bowed to the audience with their arms linked, the pulsing energy within him still remained.
Goro was equally cursing and thanking any and all gods that this woman decided to be his wife.
As they left the dancefloor, he said, his face still pleasant, "And if the host gets suspicious of the true reason I'm here?"
"They won't. I'll make sure of it."
"Well, I'm not entirely sure how you'll do such, but I'm sure Makoto wouldn't let you do anything reckless."
The former Phantom Thief pouted at those words and said, "I'm not that reckless."
All he did was give her a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. It wasn't long before she mirrored it with a scoff.
"Okay, okay, I get it," she said. "But you still love me anyway."
"I do," he said, the words easily leaving his tongue. "Which is why I worry."
They stopped by the serving table as Akira's smile and eyes turned watery, like she was close to tears. It made him frown and stroke her cheek.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head and held his hand against her. "Nothing. It's just..."
"Just...?"
"When will the ball end?"
"In about..." He checked his wristwatch. "...an hour."
"Ah... I see..." she said, her smile slightly dampening.
Which only made his worry worsen.
"Akira... You know I'm here for you, right? Like how you are for me?"
Its usual luster returned as she laughed. "I know," she said. "I was just hoping to tell you somewhere quiet since I can't wait any longer."
"Tell me what?"
She closed in once again, a strange combination of a mischievous smirk and a warm grin, as she said right beside his ear,
"I'm pregnant."
His breath caught and his body tensed as he held her.
"What?" he said, something he would hit himself over later.
For now though, Akira laughed and leaned back as she repeated herself.
"I'm pregnant."
And Goro smiled and laughed so loud and hard, he knew he would get stares. But he didn't care for that then. All that mattered that the love of his life had another one within her and he couldn't be happier. Or more nervous.
"I can't believe it..." he said as he hugged her tighter but mindful of her stomach now that he knew what lay there. "When did you find out?"
Akira chuckled. "Yesterday," she said. "I would've told you before the rest but they found out."
"I'm guessing I should blame Futaba."
"Hey, only a little. We were having a girls' night and I ended up puking in the bathroom and Makoto insisted I get checked."
"All right, all right," he said.
"You all right?" she said, noticing his slight tremble.
Goro didn't stop his scoff. "I should be asking you that," he said, before turning somber. "But to be serious...as happy as I am to hear that...I'm terrified."
Funnily enough, his fear was not unlike when he was young, when he feared that when Akira and her friends would find out of his past deeds, that his first and only friends would reject him for what he's done, not that he would ever blame them. Except now his fear was different. And just like then, the raven haired girl pet his hair and soothed his nerves, saying,
"You'll be fine. We'll be fine. We have each other...and the others."
And his smile returned at the reminder. "Yes... Yes, we do."
With that news, he actually forgot that he was, technically, still in the middle of a mission as an operation. But just like the ball as its end came at long last, he couldn't care less for that, apart from being aware of his surroundings even more for threats to his wife and now unborn child. It wasn't until well into the next day, late into the morning as despite her pregnancy Akira wasn't any less of a vixen, that he remembered of the other reason why he had come to the ball, specifically that the host of the ball, a rising politician, had been involved with illegal drugs.
Goro gave a deadpan look at his wife aa soon as he woke. "Couldn't you have waited until I finished my report?"
She just shrugged, her smile unrepentant. "You didn't resist now, did you?"
Goro flushed. No he hadn't. But Akira knew that it was close to impossible to resist her when she was like that and so he merely grumbled at his piling work.
Loud and rapid banging on the door echoed in their home and it was obvious who it was when it opened with neither him or Akira doing so.
"Congrats big bro!" Futaba said, no doubt using her spare key.
She wasn't the only one to come through as the rest of the former Phantom Thieves came in, sans most of the "older members" unfortunately, but Ren was quick to tell them that they also wanted to congratulate them. The rest of the day was spent teasing both him and Akira about their state of "dress" when they arrived and their new baby, as well as plans for it, like names and such.
However, despite the jovial mood, as soon as the rest of the team left, Goro couldn't help but hold onto Akira tight and sigh. Of course, being the empathetic person she was, she glanced at him with worry and said,
"What's wrong, Goro?"
"Well, it's just..." He shook his head. "...never mind. It's silly."
"If it's bothering you, it's never silly."
Goro chuckled, conceding to that fact. So he gathered his words and said,
"I just worry sometimes that this is all a dream...that any moment, I'll wake up and find myself back in a foster home, all by myself."
His grey eyed wife kept silent for a few moments. Then, placing her hand above both of his holding her, she said,
"Sometimes I think the same too."
Goro blinked and moved so that Akira was pressed up against him while seeing her face better. "Really? Why?"
Then she gave a sidelong smile. "That you're here, alive, when you could've..."
The last word was left unsaid, but they both knew what it was. Instead, Akira snuggled into his chest, rubbing under his chin much like Morgana would.
"A million and one things could've happened...and yet I'm here, with you as my silly husband, me pregnant, and all of our friends and family doing well. I couldn't ask for anything better." She took a deep breath. "So no, I don't think it's silly of you to think it's a dream sometimes."
So many emotions swelled within him at those words. Happiness at his life, gratefulness that all he knew were in the same boat, give or take, relief he wasn't the only one with worries, concern that she had them at all, anxiousness for their new family member and a thankfully very, very small amount of guilt for having this life, all rolled into one feeling.
But there was no way to adequately express all of that in so few words. So instead he kissed her right then and there and, no doubt with a watery smile, said,
"I love you."
Author's Notes: Happy birthday, Akechi!
This fic was inspired from the lyrics of The Whims of Fate of Persona 5's OST, specifically the line "Does that sexy / gown tell what she's / got in store for her man", hence the title of the fic.
And yes, this is supposed to be vaguely set years after my long fic, Persoma 5: Refraction, but I sure ain't revealing what their jobs are at this point, at least for Akira. Partially 'cause I first wrote this a year or two ago and actually "set" in aiyumi's Wings of Rebellion, and also wrote it waaaay before I had proper plans for Refraction. So basically this is slightly edited from the original version but not by much. Just their jobs.
This fic is Rated T for Akira's flirting, Akechi trying (and failing) not to fall for her charms, and the implied happenings in their bedroom. (Or rated F for fluff, feels and fooling around.)
Goro groaned, staring at the restroom mirror as he regained his composure as well as inspected himself. His suit was fine, no splotches or stains on the white tuxedo. His bowtie was in order, along with his hair and dress shoes. Minus his current slouching posture, he looked impeccable.
He just wished he felt the same. It was going to be a long night otherwise.
He sighed and then his phone buzzed with a notification. When he pulled it out, he ended up smiling slightly when he saw it was just a message from his wife.
Akira: How are you holding up?
Goro: I'll survive the night.
Akira: You make it sound like you're in the wild.
Goro: It might as well be. How about you? I'm assuming your work is going well if you're texting me.
Akira: Oh it is. Just need to do a few finishing touches.
Goro's peeked at the phone's clock and sighed.
Goro: I best be going now. I miss you.
Akira: See you soon.
Goro raised an eyebrow at the emoji and started getting suspicious. But with the time he spent in the restroom, and the likelihood she was busy now herself, he would have to deal with it later. So he examined his suit one last time, took a deep breath and returned to the dancefloor with a smile on his face.
When he made it to the ballroom, he was greeted by both men and women, the former speaking to him more on subjects like science or politics while the latter talked of the other people in the room, both of them obviously trying to get on his good side. And all the while he had to pretend that they were, at least enough that they wouldn't know he felt otherwise. However, the worst came when the dance segment of the night rolled in and he was swamped with even more women asking for a dance with him, despite his marital status, but he was by himself for a reason shown of his hand. It was one of the biggest reasons he hated being a part of formal gatherings, with the exceptions of those set up by his friends and family.
Speaking of the latter, after declining one of those many ladies, his phone buzzed and he saw it was text from his adoptive sister.
Futaba: Hey big bro! Make sure to play along! And congrats in advance! >
And then from his brother-in-law.
Ren: Sorry for finding out before you did but congratulations. I call dibs on planning by the way.
Goro raised a brow at that. That was the second and third texts he got tonight that seemed to have more meaning then the text showed. He was curious, largely because he couldn't understand it. It also made him worry that Akira and Futaba were prank tag teaming on him again, which made a chill run down his spine. With Ren on top of it... He hoped that was not the case. For one, they were nasty when they wanted to be. For two, this was a ball and the last thing he needed was . For three, it usually meant he had done something stupid for a man of his intellect without him knowing and that worried on what he did wrong.
The answers to those thoughts would come sooner than he anticipated as someone tapped his shoulder and a very familiar voice said,
"Hello good sir, may I have this dance?"
He whipped around, uncaring of his decorum, as he stared wide eyed at his wife, who was grinning much like the Cheshire cat. He would've responded had his brain not shut down at what she was wearing. It was a gorgeous black dress, one that looked out of a fairy tale. It was most likely made of velvet as she had gained a fondness for it. It also exposed her shoulders and its skirt flowed like waves. There were obvious rose designs around the waist and her arms were covered in equally dark gloves leading all the way to her elbows. But most of all, she wasn't wearing her glasses. This time they were off, with her glistening hair styled to frame her face and her lips looking very temptingly crimson.
Her smirk got worse at his silence. "What's wrong, dear? Cat got your tongue?"
Goro gulped and felt a blush come on as he tried—and failed—to glare at the comment. Of course she had to pick black. Not only did it contrast with his white clothes but it reminded him very much of her former thief attire. But that wasn't important right now.
"Aki, what are you doing here?" he sakd in a whisper
"Isn't it obvious? I wish to dance with my husband" she said, still smiling.
Goro groaned as he tried not to let his mind wander at the sight of his alluring wife. "You know what I mean... Aren't you in the middle of work?"
Somehow, her grin got three times worse.
"Yes. Yes, I am. And I intend to enjoy as much of it as I can," she said. Then she held out her hand and her smile turned much less devious and much more warm. "Shall we?"
And at that moment, Goro felt like he was a teenager again, brought back to the time all those years ago when the girl who would one day be his wife looked at him with those eyes, so full of life and so full of kindness, and told him that she simply cared for him, no ulterior motives at all.
And like then, he couldn't resist.
"Yes, let's," he said, returning her smile, and took his wife's hand.
Everything around him faded as he focused only on Akira and trying to match her movements. Equals though they were, he always wanted to be one step ahead of her, not only because it pushed her to do the same, but it eased his mind to know that he was always at his best for her. They stepped, they twirled and they leaned against each other as they moved across the dancefloor, all the while their eyes glued to each other and laughing at the joy bubbling out.
"You've been practicing?" Akira said during one spin.
"Well, I had to if I wanted to catch up with you," he said, chuckling sheepishly. It was replaced with a more worried expression as he continued. "But speaking of you, you still haven't told me why you're here."
Akira raised a brow as they did another spin, her smile still there. "You're not wondering how I got here?"
He scoffed, smile returning for a moment. "I have a feeling it either involved trickery or using your occupation, so no."
Akira laughed. "On point as always, Detective. Then you should be able to figure out why I'm here."
Goro frowned as he decided to give it some thought. Akira was still working so somehow her dancing with him was involved with that. But then he remembered Futaba's text, and when he did, his brow furrowed.
"How exactly are you supposed to help me?"
"Easy," she said. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear with a tone that made him shiver. "I'm here so you can enjoy yourself. And I thought I'd do the same while I did so."
She also decided to press tighter against him. All Goro could do was gulp and hold onto her as they moved for him to dip her down, their faces and lips incredibly close to each other. The trance was broken as the people around them cheered and applauded at their dance. Though, as they both stood up and bowed to the audience with their arms linked, the pulsing energy within him still remained.
Goro was equally cursing and thanking any and all gods that this woman decided to be his wife.
As they left the dancefloor, he said, his face still pleasant, "And if the host gets suspicious of the true reason I'm here?"
"They won't. I'll make sure of it."
"Well, I'm not entirely sure how you'll do such, but I'm sure Makoto wouldn't let you do anything reckless."
The former Phantom Thief pouted at those words and said, "I'm not that reckless."
All he did was give her a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. It wasn't long before she mirrored it with a scoff.
"Okay, okay, I get it," she said. "But you still love me anyway."
"I do," he said, the words easily leaving his tongue. "Which is why I worry."
They stopped by the serving table as Akira's smile and eyes turned watery, like she was close to tears. It made him frown and stroke her cheek.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head and held his hand against her. "Nothing. It's just..."
"Just...?"
"When will the ball end?"
"In about..." He checked his wristwatch. "...an hour."
"Ah... I see..." she said, her smile slightly dampening.
Which only made his worry worsen.
"Akira... You know I'm here for you, right? Like how you are for me?"
Its usual luster returned as she laughed. "I know," she said. "I was just hoping to tell you somewhere quiet since I can't wait any longer."
"Tell me what?"
She closed in once again, a strange combination of a mischievous smirk and a warm grin, as she said right beside his ear,
"I'm pregnant."
His breath caught and his body tensed as he held her.
"What?" he said, something he would hit himself over later.
For now though, Akira laughed and leaned back as she repeated herself.
"I'm pregnant."
And Goro smiled and laughed so loud and hard, he knew he would get stares. But he didn't care for that then. All that mattered that the love of his life had another one within her and he couldn't be happier. Or more nervous.
"I can't believe it..." he said as he hugged her tighter but mindful of her stomach now that he knew what lay there. "When did you find out?"
Akira chuckled. "Yesterday," she said. "I would've told you before the rest but they found out."
"I'm guessing I should blame Futaba."
"Hey, only a little. We were having a girls' night and I ended up puking in the bathroom and Makoto insisted I get checked."
"All right, all right," he said.
"You all right?" she said, noticing his slight tremble.
Goro didn't stop his scoff. "I should be asking you that," he said, before turning somber. "But to be serious...as happy as I am to hear that...I'm terrified."
Funnily enough, his fear was not unlike when he was young, when he feared that when Akira and her friends would find out of his past deeds, that his first and only friends would reject him for what he's done, not that he would ever blame them. Except now his fear was different. And just like then, the raven haired girl pet his hair and soothed his nerves, saying,
"You'll be fine. We'll be fine. We have each other...and the others."
And his smile returned at the reminder. "Yes... Yes, we do."
With that news, he actually forgot that he was, technically, still in the middle of a mission as an operation. But just like the ball as its end came at long last, he couldn't care less for that, apart from being aware of his surroundings even more for threats to his wife and now unborn child. It wasn't until well into the next day, late into the morning as despite her pregnancy Akira wasn't any less of a vixen, that he remembered of the other reason why he had come to the ball, specifically that the host of the ball, a rising politician, had been involved with illegal drugs.
Goro gave a deadpan look at his wife aa soon as he woke. "Couldn't you have waited until I finished my report?"
She just shrugged, her smile unrepentant. "You didn't resist now, did you?"
Goro flushed. No he hadn't. But Akira knew that it was close to impossible to resist her when she was like that and so he merely grumbled at his piling work.
Loud and rapid banging on the door echoed in their home and it was obvious who it was when it opened with neither him or Akira doing so.
"Congrats big bro!" Futaba said, no doubt using her spare key.
She wasn't the only one to come through as the rest of the former Phantom Thieves came in, sans most of the "older members" unfortunately, but Ren was quick to tell them that they also wanted to congratulate them. The rest of the day was spent teasing both him and Akira about their state of "dress" when they arrived and their new baby, as well as plans for it, like names and such.
However, despite the jovial mood, as soon as the rest of the team left, Goro couldn't help but hold onto Akira tight and sigh. Of course, being the empathetic person she was, she glanced at him with worry and said,
"What's wrong, Goro?"
"Well, it's just..." He shook his head. "...never mind. It's silly."
"If it's bothering you, it's never silly."
Goro chuckled, conceding to that fact. So he gathered his words and said,
"I just worry sometimes that this is all a dream...that any moment, I'll wake up and find myself back in a foster home, all by myself."
His grey eyed wife kept silent for a few moments. Then, placing her hand above both of his holding her, she said,
"Sometimes I think the same too."
Goro blinked and moved so that Akira was pressed up against him while seeing her face better. "Really? Why?"
Then she gave a sidelong smile. "That you're here, alive, when you could've..."
The last word was left unsaid, but they both knew what it was. Instead, Akira snuggled into his chest, rubbing under his chin much like Morgana would.
"A million and one things could've happened...and yet I'm here, with you as my silly husband, me pregnant, and all of our friends and family doing well. I couldn't ask for anything better." She took a deep breath. "So no, I don't think it's silly of you to think it's a dream sometimes."
So many emotions swelled within him at those words. Happiness at his life, gratefulness that all he knew were in the same boat, give or take, relief he wasn't the only one with worries, concern that she had them at all, anxiousness for their new family member and a thankfully very, very small amount of guilt for having this life, all rolled into one feeling.
But there was no way to adequately express all of that in so few words. So instead he kissed her right then and there and, no doubt with a watery smile, said,
"I love you."
Author's Notes: Happy birthday, Akechi!
This fic was inspired from the lyrics of The Whims of Fate of Persona 5's OST, specifically the line "Does that sexy / gown tell what she's / got in store for her man", hence the title of the fic.
And yes, this is supposed to be vaguely set years after my long fic, Persoma 5: Refraction, but I sure ain't revealing what their jobs are at this point, at least for Akira. Partially 'cause I first wrote this a year or two ago and actually "set" in aiyumi's Wings of Rebellion, and also wrote it waaaay before I had proper plans for Refraction. So basically this is slightly edited from the original version but not by much. Just their jobs.
This fic is Rated T for Akira's flirting, Akechi trying (and failing) not to fall for her charms, and the implied happenings in their bedroom. (Or rated F for fluff, feels and fooling around.)