There was an awkward air the room as a young bespectacled man sat in a room by himself. If it were any other room he would be alright with it, content to just blend in with the surroundings but this wasn't just any room. This was his girlfriend's room. It was neat and orderly with various books filling two bookshelves to the brim beside a white work desk. Ren almost expected there to be a mess of paperwork on the desk but everything was sorted in proper stacks. The Buchimaru-kun pencil case that had become so familiar to him sat just beside the edge, its cute black and white face smiling towards his direction. The bed he was sitting on wasn't as hard as his own bed back in LeBlanc's attic but it wasn't all that soft. Probably great for the back and posture. It was neat and the bed was made, with a few stuffed toys presented nicely amongst the pillows. The room definitely represented its owner, Makoto Niijima.

Speaking of his girlfriend, she had ducked out of the room for a moment. And so here he was, sitting by himself waiting for her. It was the first time Ren had visited the Niijima apartment and he wasn't all that sure why Makoto wanted to hang out in her room instead of the living room but she told him that her Sister would probably smell his cologne on the couch. Makoto had assured him that it wouldn't be the case in her room as Sae never went in there, especially without Makoto's knowledge. Sae had surprisingly accepted their relationship but Ren knew the elder Niijima sister had some reservations about it. At least, the speed that their relationship was progressing and the more intimate things they would get up to, which Ren understood. And so that's why he sat in that room. Though Ren could tell Makoto actually wanted him there for perhaps another reason, the red hues on her cheeks were a dead giveaway. He knew that she wasn't expecting anything scandalous happening, maybe some kissing and a decent make out session. Definitely some cuddling, Ren knew she loved cuddling with him.

Ren was starting to get a little bored. For whatever reason Makoto was taking her sweet time with whatever she was doing. The frizzy haired boy leaned back on the bed, resting his back against the wall when something piqued his interest. There was something hidden behind one of the bookshelves, the corner just peeking out. He stood up and reached out to look at it. Makoto would probably get annoyed at him for it but he was bored and curious. He held the white pages of it in his hand. It was last year's calendar and there were several things written on different dates. He flicked through them, starting with January. There wasn't anything of note in the first few months but there was an interesting entry in April.

April 18th: The First Day I Met Ren.

"Hm?" Ren wondered in surprise.

Was this part of when she was tailing him before she joined the Phantom Thieves or was it something else? If he could recall it was that time in the library when he ended up sitting at the desk she was occupying in the library to study. He didn't think there was anything truly significant about that meeting at first; they didn't even talk to each other, other than Ren asking for permission to sit there. And yet it seemed important to her. He flicked through to the next entry.

June 20th: The Day I joined the Team.

Ren pondered for a moment. Yes that sounded right. June 20th was the day Makoto awoke to her Persona. It was also the day he basically had a heart attack with how she almost got herself kidnapped to become Kaneshiro's "customer". Though he had to admit, he liked the brave side of her and found himself even more attracted to her once she really took on the mantle of "Queen". After they had dealt with that 'Money Grubbing Asshole', she had joined the Phantom Thieves as not only their advisor and brains but as his second in command and friend. It wasn't long after she joined that she asked him to help out with learning how kids their age spent their free time. Which brought Ren to the next entry.

July 6th: The First Time Ren and I 'hung out'.

It was during the time they were waiting for the change of heart and was the first time that they had really spent any one on one time together. So Ren took her to the arcade. He chuckled at the memories. She was a total newbie to video gamesand it took him a while to teach her but once she got the hang of it she started to get really into the game. Like, really really into it. There was a lot of shouting and screaming but he liked seeing that side of her. It was unbearably cute. Ren flicked to the next entry.

August 13th: Our First Double Date. D:

The angry emoticon she had drawn made Ren laugh. It was when she had asked him to pose as her boyfriend so she could keep an eye on a friend she had made. Eiko and that guy with the 90s anime hairstyle Tsukasa. While he did agree to accompany her as a favour his intentions weren't completely just about their friendship. It was around that time that he really fell for her. Not just an attraction based on her natural beauty or an admiration of her high intellect. But genuinely falling in love with her. With who Makoto Niijima was. Every moment he spent with her became special even if it wasn't. He just loved being around her. He looked at the next entry.

September 10th: Our First romantic sunset together. 3

A content smile graced Ren's lips. Even though they weren't together then, he did find that moment in Hawaii to be really romantic. Walking together along Waikiki beach, the feeling of the sand underneath their feet as they talked amongst themselves. The cool sea breeze that blew against their exposed skin as they sat together on that bench, basking in the warm sunset glow. It was only a few hours but that afternoon he spent alone with her was one of his favourite days. With the heart that Makoto had drew beside the entry, it seemed it was the same for her. Ren smiled when he realized it. These definitely weren't dates related to the Phantom Thieves. They were related to him and him alone. The next one was a dead giveaway.

September 22nd: Our First Day Together.

That was definitely a day Ren could never forget. From the confrontation with Tsukasa and Eiko to hiding out in a bar of all places. At least Lala-chan had been courteous about it though the bartender did eavesdrop on them with great interest. Who could blame her though? Makoto had begun pouring her heart out to Ren, someone she had so much trust in. And there was an obvious attraction between the two that had been steadily growing since she joined the Phantom Thieves. Attraction and romance. She admitted that Eiko's words were right and that the Student Council President that aced every exam would definitely flunk a test of love. It was almost a little cute how she lamented about not being able to study about things like romance. And then Ren had to say something like "I'll be your study partner". It was both smooth and dorky at the same time but it seemed to work. They both confessed to being attracted to each other and decided to start dating properly. The next entry was another step in their relationship.

September 25th: The First Time we held hands as a couple.

Ren was surprised that she kept track of that date. Though he remembered the moment he didn't remember the exact date. It was on a date to the amusement park which coincidentally was their first official date as a couple. He was surprised she didn't list that and instead focused on holding hands. Makoto had wanted to ride a rollercoaster and though Ren had reservations, he complied, unable to say no at how adorably excited she was. In the Metaverse he was the indomitable leader of the courageous Phantom Thieves. In the real world, he hated things like heights. In Palaces sure he could jump from place to place, traversing high places with great confidence but here? Oh boy, that was another story. And so when the big drop on the rollercoaster track came he instinctively grabbed for her hand. The best part was Makoto thought he was just being romantic and worried about her. After the ride, he continued to hold her hand, taking full advantage of the situation. Though she was a little flustered about it she enjoyed it a lot. Holding hands with her first boyfriend. The next entry was quite romantic as well.

September 28th: The First Time we ever cuddled.

They had gone back to LeBlanc after school to study for a bit. Makoto had wanted to get a head start on things considering how busy they were becoming and that afternoon was one of the few free afternoons they had where Ren didn't have any commitments. He remembered how they sat on the couch studying, how focused Makoto's face was and how playful he began to feel. After all, trying to read up on why soccer balls show up well on television wasn't as interesting as the most beautiful woman in the world who just so happened to be sitting beside him. So being the mischievous trickster that he was, he made a move. It might have been one of the most overrated and overdone moves in romantic history but it worked. He yawned and stretched his arm around her shoulders before settling it down, holding her gently. Suffice to say her reaction was exactly what he was aiming for. A loud and quite adorable "Eep!" escaped her mouth as she threw the pencil in her hand in surprise. Ren made it worse by nuzzling himself against her. While it was surprising to say the least, the warmth of Ren's embrace was too hard to pass up and she leant into him, a happy yet flustered smile on her face.

It would only get better from there. Especially with the next entry.

October 8th: Our First Kiss

Ah now that was a day Ren could never forget. It was just a normal evening in Café LeBlanc and Makoto had stayed back after their group meeting. Well it was more like hanging out since they had already stolen Haru's Father's heart and were waiting for the change. What a crazy week that was. Pushing away the negative incidents, Ren focused on that one kiss. Everything he remembered about it. The couch that they talked on. How Makoto had told Ren about her aspirations and how he had helped her not just because he was their leader but as a friend and lover. It was when Makoto had gone through her second awakening; when Johanna became Anat. An awakening that signified their special bond.

"… Makoto." Ren whispered with a smile.

The memories came back to him. The touch of her delicate fingers laced around his. The flushed colour of her cheeks as her crimson eyes stared into his own. The shape of her lips, slightly quivering in anticipation. The warmth of her breath puffing against his cheeks as she leant in. The way her eyelashes fluttered just before her eyelids closed. And then that blissful feeling of her soft supple lips pressed onto his own. It was a feeling he could never forget nor could he ever stay away from. As evident by the next entry.

November 3rd: The First Time we ever "Made Out".

The light blush on Ren's cheeks instantly flared as bright as his girlfriend's eyes. She kept track of this too?! She had always been awfully flustered about things like that, though she adored the romance between them, she was easily embarrassed after kissing would escalate and heat up between them. Still, it was something he loved doing. The way their mouths would move in perfect synchronization. The way their hands would wander up and down each other's body. Ren couldn't help but feel flushed just thinking about it. Quickly trying to get past his lustful thoughts he checked for the next entry. His lips curled into an almost bittersweet smile.

December 24th: Our First Christmas Eve Together.

That day was probably the longest day in Ren's life. The day they resolved to steal the public's treasure. The day they uncovered the mystery behind Ren's dreams and the Velvet Room. How they moved through the Depths of Mementos and fought a god hell bent on controlling the masses. How the public finally acknowledged the Phantom Thieves as their heroes allowing Ren to awaken a power beyond any of their imaginations. The day the thought they had won, for everyone. The day they thought they lost Morgana. The day Sae approached him about her struggle to put Shido away for good.

The day Ren thought could be his last with Makoto.

And so he tried to hide it from her. But Makoto being the naturally curious and intuitive person she was knew something was up. He was surprised she didn't add "The First Time Ren truly hid something from me", even if she had some idea about it. He thought she would be mad that he had gone to turn himself in and for a while she was. But instead of sulking around forever she and the others resolved to free him. And so for the next few weeks they worked hard, gaining support alongside Sae and their friends. Ren smiled. He remembered Sae recounting their efforts to him during his confinement. It was honestly what kept him going. And from what Sae had told him, Makoto had spent the most time working towards Ren's freedom. Ren couldn't help but adore the younger Niijima. It was around that time when he knew for sure that if he ever got out, no when he got out.

She was the woman he would eventually marry.

There were no more pages on the calendar much to Ren's disappointment. He mentally facepalmed when he realized why. Of course calendars would end at December. Still, the little trip down memory lane he had was nice. Maybe this year's was around somewhere. He began to mentally continue it. The day he was released, the lovely evening he spent with Makoto the next day on Valentine's Day. The first Valentine's chocolate he had ever received, not just from his girlfriend but in his life. At least, the ones from his relatives didn't count. He was broken from his thoughts by the sound of the door opening.

"Sorry about that, Ren. I was just-" Makoto's voice began before stopping abruptly.

She noticed what he was holding in her hands and quickly became embarrassed about it.

"Ren! Where did you find that?" she asked.

"Uhh…" Ren began "Sorry it was just there and I… couldn't help but look."

Makoto almost instinctively grabbed it from him before burying her blushing face into it.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She mumbled something into the paper.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." Ren stated.

"It's embarrassing…" Makoto said, her face still deep in the white page.

Ren chuckled before placing his hands at her waist.

"Why is it embarrassing?"

Makoto looked up at him.

"Because…" she started to say before stuttering again "I-I wanted t-to make su-sure I remembered a-all these d-dates."

"Makoto…"

She leant in, her forehead against his chest.

"S-sorry. I know I'm n-not that experienced of a girlf-friend so I wanted t-to keep t-track of important th-things that h-happened in our relat-tionship. J-just in case y-you wanted to make things s-special."

She yelped in embarrassment, not leaving her position against his torso. Ren laughed a little before wrapping his arms around her.

"It's okay," he said reassuring her "I know you're the type to keep track of dates but I didn't expect this."

"I'm sorry." she apologized before glancing up at him.

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize." Ren replied as he caressed her cheek "While yes, these were significant milestones for us, every day with you is special."

She smiled, an amused chuckle leaving her lips.

"You're such a sweet talker."

The trademark Joker smirk appeared on her boyfriend's face.

"Going to write that down too?" he said in jest.

Makoto smacked him lightly on the chest.

"Now you're just making fun of me!" she said pouting.

They laughed together before she placed her head softly against his chest once more. He embraced her a little tighter, resting his head on hers. After everything that had happened to them in the past year, things had finally quieted down. Now they had all the time in the world to celebrate these milestones and create new memories.

Just the two of them together in love.

So begins ShuMako week! I'm really excited to be participating in this as it's the first time I've done anything prompt related. Hopefully you all enjoy my submissions for the week.

Do leave a comment or review! I love reading those even if it's just something small you liked about it.

If you'd like to follow me on twitter (I often post updates about whats going on with my writings) you can hit me up at /MadmanJrs