Akira Kurusu

[There's a flash, and then the shadow is bearing down on him. Joker throws up an arm, but he can feel the persona at his back cringing away from the electricity arcing toward him. It's going to be bad, he knows it is, and he's already taken a few hits during this infiltration. He should have taken something from their supplies for his health before they started this fight, but they're running low, Mona had taken a bad blow during their last fight, Panther was low on magical stamina, and the rest of the team will always take priority.]

[His hair stands on end as the lightning gets close enough to feel its heat - and then there's a flash of black and yellow, and he stumbles backward as something more solid collides with him. He hears a grunt of pain and the sizzle of electricity - and when the light clears, Skull stands in front of him, breathing hard, slumping slightly, but only lightly singed, Seiten Taisei's natural affinity for the element lending him more defense.]

[Before Joker can say anything, Skull hefts his hammer and takes a swing at the shadow, sending it stumbling backward. He shouts victoriously, and Joker pulls himself upright to get back into the fray.]

[They leave the palace shortly after the shadow falls, stumbling back out of the museum of Madarame's palace. Joker knows he's been quieter than usual, staying out of the chatter, watching all of them. As they return to the real world, Ryuji stretches his arms over his head and looks in Akira's direction, crooking a grin.]

Man, my bed's gonna feel good tonight. You good?

[There's some concern in his eyes, too, and Akira makes himself smile in return, nodding. Ryuji's grin slips faintly, and he raises his eyebrows.]

Yeah, I'm good. I'll see everyone tomorrow.

[He can hear the confused noises behind him and Morgana sputtering as he hurries to catch up with him as he makes his way toward the station to take the Metro back to Yongen Jaya. He tries to respond normally to Morgana as they step off the train and head toward Leblanc, but he can't stop thinking about the blow Ryuji had taken for him, the hands on him shoving him out of the way, the sight of his best friend's back as he had withstood an attack that would have put Joker down for the count.]

[He had messed up. He had let down his guard, and one of the team had gotten hurt, had taken a hit meant for him. It's something he doesn't entirely know what to do with. He knows the rest of the team cares about him just as much as he cares about them, but he's had good friends before - but none of those friends stuck around after he was (falsely) accused of assault and sent off to Tokyo. None of them would have put themselves in danger the way Ryuji had - the way Ryuji hadn't even hesitated to.]

[He needs to thank him. He also needs to request he never do that again.]

[He doesn't see Ryuji before class, doesn't get a chance to catch him like he'd hoped - and so he sends him a text when they break for lunch.]

You want to get ramen later? I'm buying.

[He doesn't want to start with we need to talk, because that's never a good way to start a conversation, and he doesn't want to have to make this a rushed discussion before they have to get back to class. And so, ramen it is.]

It had taken almost an hour into their trip before it had occurred to Akira he should probably let his parents know he would be a little later than expected considering he had been expecting it just to be him and Morgana on a train for a couple of hours. That had changed, of course, when his friends had decided to be their ridiculous, amazing selves and invite themselves along with him - and then had changed again when they had declared they were turning the roadtrip into a roadtrip complete with stopping at every other roadside stand that caught Ann or Futaba's eye, every scenic overlook that Yusuke declared was the most perfect view he had ever seen and that he had to sketch right then because the light would never be right again or because Ryuji or Morgana decided they couldn't stand to be cooped up in the van for another sixty seconds.

By the time they actually approach the exit to his town, it's dusk and Makoto has threatened to make them all walk the next time someone demands a stop. Akira scoots forward from his place in the middle of the van, directing Makoto through the side streets of his town (the van has GPS, but he grew up here. Even a year away can't take from him the way home.). He points out landmarks for the benefit of the others as they go, pointing toward his favorite restaurant, the grocery down the street where the owner had free candy for the children of his customers, the shop on the corner where his father buys coffee on the way to the station - and...

His voice dies in his throat as they get close to his house, as they pass the intersection where he interrupted Shido's assault on the woman that night. In the van, concerned faces turn to him - and then Ryuji squeezes his shoulder and they pass by. It takes Akira a moment to swallow the emotion - it's over, Shido will never hurt anyone again - but he's anchored by Ryuji's hand on his shoulder and, a moment later, the touch of Ann's hand next to his, and he clears his throat and points out the turn to take them to his house.

Makota pulls the van up in front of the house, and for a moment, Akira's not sure he can move. Then, the front door opens and his mother steps out - and it's all he can do not to shove Ryuji out of the way in his hurry to get out. She reaches for him as soon as she sees him, and he clings in a way he hasn't since he was small and woke his parents with his nightmares. She clings back, ruffling his hair, and he takes a long moment to let himself be held.

Finally, he pulls back, and both their smiles are slightly watery as he says, "Hi, Mom."

"I missed you so much," she tells him, reaching up to cup his cheek for another moment - and then, without taking her hand away, looks past him to the van. "These must be..."

"Oh. Um." He steps back, turning to stand by her side, gesturing to the others as they pile out of the van. Introducing everyone takes some time, and Akira is so busy trying to make sure he doesn't miss anyone or leave out how he met who and oh by the way, this is Makoto-his-girlfriend, and this is Morgana-the-cat-that-he-adopted that he does miss the realization that dawns behind his mother's eyes.

So, when he finally finishes and when she looks them all over and says, "So, you're the Phantom Thieves," it's all he can do to form words at all. His mother just chuckles, though, reaching up to pat him on the cheek again before she gestures back into the house. "Park that around the corner and come in. I'll start the coffee."