A Reason to Hold Hands

The night was humid, Makoto noticed, as she, Akira and the others arrived at Sojiro Sakura's home. Tokyo was on the verge of summer, and she cursed the hot, moist night. It left her skin feeling sticky, and the wind agitating against her body. Despite that, she offered no complaints to the rest of the team, walking with determination and purpose.

The Phantom Thieves had hoped to meet Futaba/Alibaba that night, and Makoto had also hoped to prove her worth to the group, but the Phantom Thieves were already running into a difficult obstacle. As embarrassing as it was to admit, the famed band of thieves were being kept out by a simple locked gate.

The brunette sighed, pressing the doorbell once more, before trying to turn the gate's knob. No one answered the ringing, and the knob refused to budge once again. "It doesn't seem like Boss is home," she stated. She tried not to let her frustration be heard in her voice. "Perhaps we should come back tomorrow?" she suggested, stepping away from the gate.

"Or maybe we can call him?" Ryuji held out his phone, only to frown as he glanced at the others. "Do any of us have his phone number?"

"If he ever calls me, he usually does it over Leblanc's telephone line. Never with his cell," Akira replied, shrugging as he walked towards the gate to inspect it.

"Hm. Perhaps we can leave a note?" Yusuke offered.

"Maybe we should try talking to him at the store again?" sighed Makoto, regretting the poor suggestion immediately. "Either way it doesn't seem like we'll be able to talk to him tonight."

"Guys? Gate's open." Akira opened the gate with a light push, smiling at his friends as they stared back at him. He lifted up his hand and motioned to the two bobby pins between his fingers.

Makoto blinked, realizing what the young man had just done. He's always so nice, and he always seems so innocent... It's so easy to forget he's a Phantom Thief. "Excellent work, Akira-kun, but are you sure we should be doing this? This would be considered trespassing," she noted, glancing at the open door.

"That's a three year sentence, with a possibility of a 100,000 yen fine," Akira explained, placing the pins back in his pocket. Makoto was surprised to hear him recite the fact, but she was even more surprised to find his characteristic smile had faded away into a flat, neutral line. "I understand, but Boss is a friend, and Futaba is in trouble. As much as I hate to invade Sojiro's privacy, if someone needs help, we need to help them. If he catches us, we'll just say we found the doors unlocked."

"Excellent idea, Joker. That's why you're my best pupil," Morgana complimented, bringing everyone's eyes down to the smug cat on the ground. "But we should hurry inside. It sounds like it's going to rain," the feline hissed, glaring at the sky.

"Works for me. Way to show that Phantom Thief know-how, bro," Ryuji grinned, high-fiving the taller boy. Ryuji was the first to walk towards the house, Ann following close behind him.

"A little louder, Ryuji. Maybe you can blow our secret again," the blonde girl joked. Yusuke followed behind her as Akira motioned Makoto to step pass him.

"I know the others have already gone in, but ladies first?" He was smiling again, and Makoto felt comforted at the sight of it. His smile always did seem to have that effect on others.

Makoto nodded her head in thanks at him as she walked forward. "Thank you." Akira followed behind her as Ryuji held up his hand.

"Um, dude? This door's locked too. You wanna work your magic on it?"

Makoto noticed Akira's smile fall flat once again. "Are you okay?" she whispered. If her friend and teammate was troubled by something, she wanted to help him. He had helped her, after all.

"I just remembered when I was at least hesitant to break the law," he muttered. For a moment, Makoto could see conflict in the younger boy's silver eyes.

"You want to help someone. That shouldn't be considered a crime," she told him, and he seemed to take the remark to heart. His lips curled once more, but it wasn't his usual smile. It was unique, almost amused, and it felt like it belonged to her and her alone in a way.

"Thank you, Makoto." Without another word, Akira walked forward to unlock the next obstacle. Makoto stared at him, her brow wrinkling slightly.

He's such a strange person, yet I can't imagine anyone else leading this group. Akira Kurusu had quickly become Makoto's closest friend, yet it felt like the young man walled himself off from others. He sought to be close to them, but he struggled to allow others close to his own heart. He was an enigma, one that Makoto found more and more intriguing

The group entered the Sakura residence and called out for Sojiro, but there was still no answer. The group moved forward, Akira leading them now, with Makoto by his side. The brunette student went through the group's options in her mind, when a clap of thunder was heard and the lights suddenly went dead. What truly shocked Makoto, though, was the scream that followed the darkness.

There was no telling where the scream came from, and Makoto found herself jumping in surprise. A switch in her mind shifted her body into a fight stance, her ruby eyes scanning the room for any sign of trouble. She felt something brush against her shoulder, and her reflexes took hold of her arms. She smacked the hand away, before throwing a punch to where she predicted her opponent was. She felt soft, tender flesh against her knuckles as a familiar voice cried out.

"Ow! A-are you okay, Makoto?" Akira groaned, rubbing his face with his free hand as Makoto's cheeks turned scarlet.

"A-Akira-kun! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You just hit me in the... nevermind." He was no doubt trying to save her some guilt, not wishing to reveal the extent of his injury. "I'm fine. Are you okay? You looked like you were about to fall."

Makoto's blush only intensified. "Y-yes. I'm fine. I'm sorry! I just wasn't expecting that. T-the sudden darkness and the scream, I just-"

"H-hey!" Ann shouted from behind them, interrupting the two. "Can we please get out of here?!"

"Would you stop freaking out?" groaned Ryuji, though Makoto could hardly see him in this light, or lack thereof.

"I-I-I'm not freaking out! I just want to get out of here! It's dark, and I can't see a thing!" It sounded like Ann was making for the exit, and judging by the echo of footsteps, Ryuji, Morgana, and Yusuke were following her. Unfortunately, Makoto found her legs unwilling to move.

Then she felt something warm touch her hand, and a voice tickle her ear. "Makoto?"

"Yes, I-I'm fine. Um... That is your hand, correct?"

"Um... Y-yeah. It's just... I'm scared of the dark too? So I'd thought I'd hold your hand. Cause I'm scared. I'm terrified of the dark." He wasn't fooling Makoto. She could see right through his lie. "Not that there's anything wrong with being afraid of the dark, right?"

Akira didn't sound disturb by the lack of light at all. In fact, she could almost see his smile in the dark. No, the far more likely truth was that he saw her fear. He could tell she was nervous and was trying to help her save face around the others.

"Yes. Of course," she whispered back, squeezing his hand as thunder echoed from outside again.

"It's okay. We're almost there," his voice quietly promised. "Everything's okay." Akira was an utter gentleman. He made it clear that he wanted to help her, without her appearing weak in front of the others. His voices soothed her rising fears and calmed her nerves, and she found herself thankful for his presence. She was about to utter out her thanks, when the unmistakable creak of an opened door stung her ears.

"Eek!" Makoto would have been ashamed to act this way, normally, but she just couldn't help it. The darkness felt all encompassing, and bitingly cold. "Who's there?! W-what was that?!" Doors don't just open by themselves! Someone's in here! Something's in here! "I-I can't take this anymore! I'm leaving!"

She threw her legs forward... but unlike the walking motion that she had practiced for over sixteen years of her life, Makoto found her legs unresponsive. Her step became a plummeting fall, and she was sent face first towards inky abyss below her.

"M-my legs," she whimpered, closing her eyes in preparation for the painful fall.

"Makoto!" Akira's voice cut through the darkness, and suddenly Makoto was flying up.

She wasn't sure how it had happened, she had squeezed her eyes shut during the fall, but suddenly was she in Akira's arms, legs in the air. He was carrying her, one arm under her knees, the other supporting her back. Even in the dark, she could see his bespectacled eyes staring at her. His silver eyes glimmered with concern and worry as he held her. She prayed he didn't see her ruby cheeks.

"Are you okay?" he inquired.

H-he's holding me like I was his bride... Why is he holding me like that?! Her hand was on his chest, how did it get there, she wondered, and she could feel his firm muscles against her fingertips. They were just beyond the thin material of his shirt, letting her paint a picture in her mind as her fingers gently stroked his chest. Wow. That's...

"Makoto?"

"Fine! I'm fine!" she cried out, pulling her hand away from Akira's body. "T-thank you for catching me."

"My pleasure," he replied, his glasses shimmering in the moonlight. "I..." He froze, and Makoto could see his head slowly turning, staring into the abyss. That's when Makoto noticed it. There were two reflections of light. Akira's glasses, but something else. She could just barely see it, but there it was.

Eyes. Eyes staring at Makoto like a hungry wolf. A figure, short in stature, but the fact she could just barely make out the outline of it brought a chill to her spine. It inched closer, like a predator inspecting its dinner. The thunder echoed once more, and this time, lightning illuminated the figure. Whatever it was, she could barely see it, but it was right beside Akira, and staring right at Makoto.

"Hi there," Akira greeted, smiling at the creature.

Makoto couldn't help herself. She screamed, throwing her arms around Akira and burying his face into his chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please save me, Sis!" she screamed into Akira's pecs.

"Are you okay, Futaba?!" a familiar voice shouted. In the back of her mind, Makoto could hear the door opening, but fear was like a ghost possessing her body. All she could do was cry out for her sister, as she buried her face in Akira's muscular, robust chest.

The brunette would never know if the gods above were mad at her, or if she just had rotten luck. Perhaps she had insulted someone, and karma was simply at work. Either way, Makoto was left with the painful realization that Sojiro Sakura was staring at her, held in Akira's arms, and pressing her face into his chest. Her mind tried not to think about how this looked, but she found her cheeks and neck turning impossibly red.

"Akira!? Niijima-san?!"

"Hello, Sojiro-san," Akira nodded his head at the man, and Makoto had to strain her eyes under the sudden light the two were under. Akira had only the slightest tinge of red on his cheeks, while she was the physical equivalent of a tomato.

"What are you two doing in my house?!"

"G-good evening, s-s-sir," whimpered Makoto. "W-we didn't meant to... um... intrude..."

"Wait, are you two dating?" the older man asked, pointing the flashlight towards their feet.

"W-we're just friends!" Makoto corrected, though her arms were still on Akira's neck, and his hands were still holding her tightly to his chest.

"This is what friends do together nowadays...?"

"No!"

"It's okay. It's not just us. Ryuji and the others are over there watching us," Akira explained, motioning to the others with his head. If Akira realized the implications of his words, Makoto didn't see it. He just stared at the three stepping out of their hiding place. Even Morgana was there, hiding between Ann's legs. "We brought sushi," he explained, as if that would clear everything up.

"We're so sorry," Ann apologized. "We were worried you were passed out or something!"

"Huh? Was the gate unlocked or something?" Makoto could see Akira bite his lower lip, physically restraining himself from telling the truth. Makoto moved to help him, after all, he had already helped her. Even if his help had led to a far more embarrassing moment that would haunt her for years to come...

"A-actually there's something else, Boss. We wanted to ask you something..."

Sojiro led the group out of his home and down the empty street, promising to explain the truth to them back at Leblanc. Makoto and Akira took up the rear, the young man's eyes on Makoto's still rosy face. She could see his face out of the corner of her eye, smiling at her with that same, slightly amused grin. She would have called it smug, if she didn't know who she was talking to.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she muttered. "Just... humiliated."

"Right. Sorry about that."

"Don't be. You were just trying to help, I just... I can't believe I froze up like that..."

"Hey, it happens." His hand was on her shoulder, firm, yet gentle, and she placed a hand on top of his as silent thanks. His smile was gone, but his eyes still shimmered, like an ocean reflecting the moonlight. "When I was arrested, I froze up. I didn't know what to do. I didn't scream, I didn't yell, I was just... quiet."

Makoto's eyes widened, and realization set in. She looked at Akira, shocked that he would open up to the experience to her. It wasn't like when he first told her about it. That was when she was with the others, that was as a group. This was personal. There was no one else to hear him besides her.

"I was scared. and I look back on those days and I wished I had done something better." He looked at her, and while his eyes seemed off, he still seemed like himself. Like it was just a different shade of silver. Makoto couldn't explain it, there was just something about him that felt different, but the same. "I don't regret trying to help her. I just wish I had been better."

"You did your best. There's nothing anyone else could have asked of you, and what happened after was not your fault," she told him.

The very thought of a person abusing their power like that infuriated the young woman. It was the kind of thing her father would have fought tooth and nail for, the kind of evil that needed to be stopped. It sickened her, and her anger only rose when she saw the victim. Akira Kurusu was a kind man, kinder than any she had ever met. He did not deserve this.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you," she muttered. A hollow apology. She meant every word, but what good would it do? She didn't commit the crime, she knew that, and her apology would give him nothing of substance. It was worthless, yet he smiled at her.

"You can make it up to me by not being mad at yourself. You're fantastic," he complimented, and her cheeks felt that familiar burn of embarrassment. He chuckled quietly, before glancing towards the others. They were still following them, but at a snail's place.

"I'm sure Sojiro-san is going to have a lot of questions for me later. He must think we're quite the odd couple." Makoto groaned at his choice of words, and he laughed at her shame. "I'm sorry, I'm just teasing. Come on, we should hurry before the others leave us behind."

Akira walked forward, his hand slipping out from under hers. Makoto watched him walk away, her mind wondering just went through the thief's heart. He was an odd person, yet he was also wise beyond his years. The brunette followed after him and the others as a small smile finding its way onto her face.

END

Been a while since I updated this bad boy, huh? My bad.

A little rusty, but I liked this chapter. If I can get it done right, I'll be following this with an update to Tragedy that would be a sort of sequel to this, focusing on Futaba and Akira instead. It'll probably take me a few days, or something, but we'll see.

Hope you guys are well! Take care, and stay safe.