Home is whenever I'm with you

[joker_wild]

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."

Comments

[so_pissedoff]

The Thieves, for the most part, are polite during the introductions, each of them stepping forward, one by one, as Akira introduces them. Even Ryuji manages to pull of presentable, respectable, and -- well, it lasts for about another ten seconds beyond Akira's mother disappearing back inside before all hell breaks loose. All at once, they all start talking over each other.

"Dude, she knows we're the freaking Phantom Thieves," Ryuji hisses, horrified by the idea. The hunt for them is off, thanks to Akira turning himself in, but it's still been all but beaten into him that other people, particularly adults, knowing isn't in their best interest.

"I doubt your mother's coffee will live up to Boss's," Yusuke decides airily, much less concerned.

Makoto, meanwhile, is busy fretting over something else, so she may have missed the memo that Akira's mother knows the truth about them. "We're meeting your parents. Should I have brought a gift?" She pauses, glancing down at her blazer as she fidgets with the corners of it. "Maybe I should have worn something more conservative ... "

"Hey, technically I adopted you," Morgana protests, finally, from Akira's bag.

[joker_wild]

"Technically you stalked us," Akira tells Morgana offhand while he tries to sort out the rest of this mess in his head.

"We'll be fine," he assures Ryuji and an equally startled looking Ann. "I told you guys Mom and Dad were on my side through everything. If she knows now, she's known for a while, and they didn't call the city police.

"Almost," he tells Yusuke. "And we could probably convince her a hot pot is the best way to feed this many people."

He's not going to say his mother's cooking is better than Sojiro's coffee or curry, but those also aren't the things he's missed having her cook for him.

He reaches out to Makoto. "You look fine," he assures her, a little more softly. "And coming with me will be enough for her."

They went to the trouble to come with him instead of just leaving him to the train ride alone. His parents will appreciate it.

[so_pissedoff]

"It wasn't stalking!" Morgana insists, headbutting the back of Akira's head with his own. It seems preferable to taking a swipe at him, less damaging, more chiding, which is what he's going for. "You promised to help me and then ran off, so I had to come track you down!"

Ryuji ignores them -- and Akira, for the most part, still somewhat panicked. "Still, dude. She knows. That's like ... I don't even know!"

Yusuke hums, either in response to Ryuji or Akira, it's hard to tell. Makoto, meanwhile, covers Akira's hand with hers briefly, seemingly buoyed by the assurance. She trusts him to know his parents, and so she answers with a smile and an, "Alright."

[joker_wild]

Akira flaps his free hand at Morgana, tilting his head away from the cat as he otherwise ignores him.

"I know," he agrees. "Considering how many times I had to deal with people asking me if I was..." he trails off to glance around them, mindful of the fact that they are still standing in the street. If it was anyone but his mother, he would be far more freaked out - but he knows his parents and knows they had his back through everything. He's actually kind of relieved.

He squeezes Makoto's hand and then lets go. "You should be able to park around the side." He hates to make her move the van, but she's pretty much the only one he trusts to drive without running into something. "We'll wait on you."

[so_pissedoff]

Morgana all but growls, and sinks petulantly back down into Akira's bag. He doesn't want to have this conversation, right now? Fine. Morgana's will content himself in the belief that that means he wins, he's right, Akira's wrong. He wasn't stalking them.

Ryuji, meanwhile, also gives Akira a moment, letting him say his not-really-goodbye to Makoto, before he continues, "Okay. Okay, we can totally deal with this. I mean, Boss knew, and these are actually your parents and they're still, like, asking us to stay for dinner or whatever, right? So, yeah. Okay, we're good."

Never mind the fact that he still seems nervous -- particularly when their exit is going away, Makoto already pulling out of view.

[joker_wild]

"We're good," Akira assures him again. "I wouldn't tell you we were if we weren't." He's not going to ask Ryuji or any of the others if they trust him, because that's just an insult to his friends at this point, considering everything they've followed him through and trusted him to lead them through. He knows they trust him - but he also really doesn't blame them for worrying about what adults might do, considering - again - everything they've been through.

"Your house is lovely?" Haru offers, and Akira smiles as he looks over at her, humming acceptance of the compliment.

[so_pissedoff]

"I know, dude, I know," Ryuji answers, waving him and that not quite unspoken question off. "It ain't you I got a problem with, and it ain't really your parents, either, I just ... " He pauses, letting out a breath that takes some of his tension with it. "How many adults have we met, lately, that haven't been, like, totally shitty?"

He can think of about four, maybe; he doesn't think Akira will be able to name many more. And while he figures he understands his paranoia, that in mind, it makes him feel better to put his issues into words. It's not Akira or his parents, specifically -- it's him.

[joker_wild]

"Sojiro," Futaba supplies helpfully, stepping up to join them, hands clasped behind her back. "All the rest of them are weird."

Akira breathes out a laugh. "We might have one or two more than that, but we bonded over having to deal with shitty adults, so you don't have to tell me again."

[so_pissedoff]

Ryuji gestures to Futaba, as if to say see? Never mind the fact that, when he continues, it's not to argue further, but simply to add, "Just tryin' to explain the meltdown, man."

And why he's probably going to be nervous for awhile, while they're here, on top of just the fact that they're meeting Akira's parents.

[joker_wild]

"You mean this meltdown," Futaba replies, looking up at Ryuji from over her glasses. "What about the rest of them?"

Akira does his best not to look amused at the younger girl's teasing. It may or may not entirely effective.

[so_pissedoff]

"Okay, you know what?" he starts, heat building in his tone as he turns to face Futaba in full. Morgana, anticipating a fight and one he thinks Ryuji will lose, pops his head back out of Akira's bag. "No one freakin' asked you."

[joker_wild]

Futaba just snickers at him, and Akira reaches back to push Morgana back into his bag. "We can fight later," he tells them all, because he knows how long that will go on if he lets it get going.

(Not that he thinks they're serious about their fight, and he might have let them bicker in other circumstances, but.)

"I don't want to keep Mom waiting." As soon as Makoto gets back, they should head in.

[so_pissedoff]

"I'm gonna noogie you into next week," Ryuji mutters, folding his arms over his chest like a petulant child. Barring that, however, he seems content to stand there and sulk until Makoto returns -- which doesn't take very long. A beat or two later, and she's rounding the corner, smoothing the bottom of her blazer down, one more time, as if she still expects her looks to be judged.

"We're all set," she offers, once she's within earshot again.

[joker_wild]

Futaba sticks her tongue out at him in response but doesn't comment further, either. Akira glances back, smiling as Makoto returns. "Let's go," he tells them all, turning to lead the way into his house.

Inside, it's fairly typical. There's an entryway with a place for shoes and a few pairs of slippers, though there aren't enough for all the thieves. Akira sets his bag down, unzipping it all the way to let Morgana out before he turns to slide his shoes off.

His mother steps out of the kitchen, smiling as she takes in all of them crowding into the entryway. "The coffee will be ready soon, and I'm just starting dinner if you would all like to get comfortable."

[shadow_calculus]

Slipping off her shoes, Makoto steps away from the group and turns to Akira's mother, offering her a brief but respectful bow. "Thank you." A beat. "And thank you for hosting us. I know our coming home with you son was ... something of a surprise."

Or at least on short notice. Never mind the fact that it took what felt like forever to get here, for all the times they decided they needed to stop.

[joker_wild]

Akira's mother nods, accepting the bow. "It is," she admits, though she doesn't seem bothered by it, "which is why I had to send my husband for a few more things from the store - I know how teenagers eat, after all," she jokes lightly with a significant look to the boys in the group.

[so_pissedoff]

"Whelp, she's not wrong," Ryuji declares to no one in particular. The glance in Yusuke's direction that follows, the jerk of his thumb, is a little less directionless. "I've seen this dude, like, beaver through a box of pocky in five seconds flat."

It's hard to tell whether or not he honestly thinks himself exempt from Akira's mother's assessment, but either way, Yusuke immediate counters, "I seem to remember you doing the same on more than one occasion ... "

[joker_wild]

"I've seen all of you eat Boss's curry," Haru adds as she joins the others after setting her shoes aside, having taken one of the pairs of slippers when there was one left. "She's definitely right."

Akira looks amused at the banter and then looks back to his mother. "Do you need help?"

She waves him off. "No, no, get your friends settled in. I'm sure you're tired from the trip."

He moves in to hug her again and then gestures for the others to follow. "My room's this way."

[so_pissedoff]

"Pick on effin' Ryuji Day," he mutters, as they head towards Akira's room. He's not sure what he's expecting, really, once they get there, but whatever it looks like, he knows that's not it. Probably because he got used to Akira's room over LeBlanc, disaster through not fault of his own that it was.

[joker_wild]

"I think that's every day," Ann chirps helpfully, though the smile she offers him is light and teasing.

Akira's bedroom here is simultaneously similar to his room at LeBlanc - and very different. It's actually smaller than the storage room, more square. The walls are painted a light gray, two of them bearing posters of a band and a sports team. Leading in from the door, there's a nightstand holding a blue lamp with a shade the same color as the walls. It sits next to a low bed under the window that takes up the second wall; it looks more comfortable than his bed at LeBlanc, covered neatly by a duvet with a blue cover. There is also a pillow in a matching case and another more square pillow in the same darker blue as Akira's bedside lamp.

The upper part of the wall to the right of the door is covered in shelves holding books and DVDs. Under those is a shelf that runs the full length of the wall bearing a small television angled toward the desk chair and computer that sit in front of a bulletin board - on which is currently pinned "WELCOME HOME!" written in a woman's hand on colorful paper. Under the shelf holding Akira's computer and television are a series of drawers and cabinets, though all of them are currently closed.

The fourth wall holds Akira's closet, its sliding doors currently closed, though there is a jacket hanging from one of its knobs. There's also a box tucked into the empty space at the foot of Akira's bed: the things he had taken with him to Tokyo returned but not yet put away.

Despite how much time Akira spent trying to get his room at LeBlanc comfortable, it never quite reached the same levels held by this one. This is clearly Akira's home, and he lets out a relieved breath as he stops in the door for a moment before he shakes himself a little, reaching up to brush his hair back out of its face as he steps farther into the room. "Come on in," he tells the others.

It's probably going to be a little cramped with all of them piling in, but he really doesn't seem to mind that possibility.

[so_pissedoff]

Cramped or not, not-really-argument with the rest of the Thieves all of ten seconds ago or not, Ryuji still looks impressed, as they head in. It's not what he expected, no, but it does feel like Akira's space, and more so than the room at LeBlanc ever did, albeit only in hindsight. If he'd never seen this place, he would have thought LeBlanc felt like Akira; he realizes, now, how wrong he was.

"Dude, nice," he declares, finally.

Yusuke, meanwhile, having claimed a place over near the bulletin board already, squints at it for a moment before, "Your mother wishes you a warm welcome home." It seems important to him, in the same way the Sayuri was always important, that Akira see that before they get too involved, otherwise.

[joker_wild]

Akira glances back at Ryuji, smiling sideways. "Thanks. It's, uh. Neater than usual right now."

His parents clearly made sure it was cleaned up at some point while he was gone. Usually he has laundry to put away and unfinished books on his nightstand. He's not really a slob, but he is a teenage boy.

Akira glances back at Yusuke, looking to the bulletin board and smiling again. "Oh, yeah." He looks back to Yusuke again. "Thanks." He means that, too; he appreciates Yusuke pointing it out to him.

[so_pissedoff]

"You've seen my room," Ryuji shoots back, shrugging. He really doubts that the normal mess of Akira's room could top how his looks on its regular. It's as much as disaster as he is.

"I wish we hadn't," Morgana grumbles, worming his way out of Akira's bag to leap down onto Akira's bed. Flopping down on it, he shoots Ryuji the most sour a face as he can manage as a cat. Ryuji rolls his eyes dramatically in response.

[joker_wild]

"We lived in a storage room," Akira reminds Morgana as he moves farther into his room, setting his now empty bookbag down next to his desk chair - and then steps to the side as Futaba slips past the rest of the group to climb into his computer chair.

"This is yours?" she asks, looking up at Akira, who nods.

"Yeah. I didn't use it for much."

"I can tell," she complains, reaching down to turn it on.

[shadow_calculus]

"Even so, it seems much more ... you, somehow, than the laptop you found at the secondhand store near Leblanc." Much as that's true, even without seeing what wallpaper he has on the desktop or anything else, it's a polite way of saying it's nicer than that brick. Not that she expected any less. Even with all the part-time jobs he managed to juggle, Akira was lucky to have found anything affordable in the first place.