I promise.

Goro stared at the words etched on his right palm, ink black in color.

I promise.

He had done a little research about soulmates, but the internet didn't say much on the matter. The words form the moment you were able to comprehend language, and vanish when you or your soulmate dies. The sensation of having the words removed from your skin depended on the person. There were no real tell-tale signs on when they'll meet you, how they'll meet you, just that you will meet. Because those words etched on your skin would be the last thing they tell you. It could be something common that you'll hear a dozen times before lightning strikes, or something extraordinary or downright creepy.

There was no escaping it.

He remembered what his mother's had said, it was written on her back.

Is anybody home?

She would spend hours upon hours, waiting for Shido to come back, for an apology, a happy ending. And she dreamed of dying peacefully and old in her bed, hearing his voice while her eyes closed for the last time and she breathed no more.

It turned out that Shido wasn't even her soulmate, it was some local delivery guy who gave Goro candy and coins sometimes (technically, he stole them, but he only glanced at him with a knowing smile before going back to work so it still counted). The look on his face when he saw her corpse on the bathroom floor...

That was the awful side of the whole soulmate thing, you weren't even guaranteed a happy life with the love of your life. Some may pass you by a million times without either one noticing, or maybe the first thing you hear from them is their last words to you.

The world is cruel, Goro shouldn't have expected any better.

Still, sometimes when there was nothing to do, nothing to focus on, he would remove his glove and stare at the words, imagining what contexts it could be in.

What would they promise? To get home safely? To deliver something? To keep a secret?

Goro shuddered at the thought. There were a lot of secrets Goro Akechi bore, none of them especially pleasant. To share his darkest secrets with his soulmate...

...only to have them die by it.

His mood instantly soured at the thought. He didn't have a hard time imagining Shido's henchmen kill whoever he ran his mouth to if it could hurt his image. Or maybe they would disappear from his life the second they hear about his true nature, and that those last words would be nothing but a lie.

He pulled on his glove and stood up from his desk. He needed to put his mind off those kind of thoughts.

《》

"Care to share, detective?"

Goro faked a smile for the cameras, posture straight in the plush red couch.

"Of course. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the case surrounding the artist Madarame."

"There it is! So the Phantom Thief excitement has reached you, too?"

Phantom Thieves this, Phantom Thieves that. It was ridiculous, with their pompous calling cards and desire for "justice", and these extraordinary "change of hearts". But the way they operated... was there more to it than simple blackmail? It had to be.

The Q&A continued, with scripted answers and charming smiles.

Heck, he could've been an amazing actor in another life. Surely it wouldn't be as miserable as being part-time detective prince and part-time assassin.

"Let's try asking someone from the audience about this!" The female host rose from her seat and made her way down from the stage. She looked around and approached a messy haired boy with glasses and a blank expression, devoid of emotion and any concentration. Goro recognized him as the boy he spoke to backstage, along with his blonde friends. "Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?"

The boy seemed startled awake from his reverie, back straightening and eyes blinking rapidly. Giggles and glares were sent his way, Goro keeping himself carefully neutral as he watched. After a deliberate pause, the student finally answered. "I'd say they're justice itself."

Goro did not miss the ghost of a smirk dancing on his lips and the hint of confidence, however small it may be. Was that a challenge? Did he even know who Goro was?

"How curious.", the detective spoke up with interest, voice still soft and polite but with a hidden edge to it. "If I may ask, why do you think so?"

《》

"Ah, there you are."

The boy looked up from his phone, staring curiously at him.

"I just wanted to thank you, for your bold words under the show. Not many dare to speak up like you did."

"Oh. Uh, thanks?"

"Please, don't be so shy. I really think - ", Goro paused, sensing how the other boy tensed up for a moment. "What's wrong? Did I say something upsetting?"

He took a deep breath, keeping his eyes closed a few seconds longer than necessary. "No, it's fine.", the boy said and played with a fringe of black hair. And that's when Goro noticed. On his inner arm was a word, enough to form a sentence on their own.

Please.

"I -, forgive me. I didn't realize -"

"Don't sweat it, it's fine.", the boy shook his head. "Though I would appreciate it if you didn't say that to me."

"Of course.", Goro smiled, before he remembered a crucial detail. "How rude of me, I don't think I caught your name yet."

"Ren Amamiya.", the boy, Ren, introduced himself with a small bow.

"My name's Goro Akechi, but I'm sure you already know that." He glanced at his wrist watch. "I'm afraid that I'll have to take my leave, now. I hope to see you around."

As he walked away, the smile he wore felt less fake.

《》

Goro found the boy, Ren, if he recalled correctly, very interesting. Thought provoking. He even spared some time for a chat in the morning with him every time he was supposed to enter Mementos or travel a long distance (he used his bike otherwise).

They would find themselves in small talks at the Shibuya train-station about things ranging from the weather to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, as the vigilante group called themselves. Their conversations were always cut short by whatever train they had to take to reach their destinations, but it was pleasant nonetheless. 

Ren didn't seem as startled and uncomfortable as in the beginning, but he noticed how the other boy's school bag moved on their own sometimes and how he looked like he talked to himself before Goro approached him. It was strange, but he didn't question it. Maybe he should.

It was the fifth time before Goro brought it up.

"Excuse me, Amamiya-kun, but I've noticed your bag moving on its own accord from time to time. What exactly do you keep inside it?"

Ren scratched the back of his neck and appeared to be thinking, before he said, "Can you keep a secret for me, Akechi-san?"

The question caught him off guard. Can you keep a secret? "Of-of course." I promise. He then added, "Unless it's something illegal."

The other boy snorted, but smiled at the half-joke. After what he assumed was 10 seconds of intense consideration, Ren said, "It's a cat."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me."

Goro had to blink a few times to process it. "Wha -, why?"

"Because he has separation anxiety."

This was absurd.

"What's his name, then? Can I see hi -?"

"Next train: Aoyama-Itchome"

"It's my train. Bye, Akechi."

Ren dodged his questions as proficiently as he dodged the crowd, which was impressive for someone who had lived in the countryside all his life.

That Goro knew that would be another secret for him to keep.

《》

Goro found that killing shadows was an excellent way to vent bottled up rage and envy. It kept him distracted, too.

Even more, it was an important job that only he could do. Something that made him special. Something he was good at. And he got stronger for every demon he slew.

Hirota Shota. What a dumb name. He had gotten better on navigating trough Mementos, much to his and his employer's delight.

"You. I-I've heard about you!" 

Goro had forgotten what the man had done to be fated such an early death, but didn't have the time nor the patience to listen to the shadow's cries.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me, please, don't kill me! I'll do anything, just - "

A bullet to the head and the shadow ceased his groveling and pleading.

He didn't particularly enjoy murdering people in cold blood, but it got things done. 

It's not like he cared or anything.

(But sometimes he would stare at his hands for what felt like hours with a sinking feeling that didn't have anything to do with the promise that will most likely not be kept).

《》

The young detective couldn't help but stare as Ren, part-time barista at Leblanc, prepared his coffee. It was a delicate procedure, but Goro didn't care (but if anyone asked he would still be able to use that as an excuse).

"Enjoy."

"Thank you."

The coffee smelled heavenly, and the taste was even better. It was smooth and round, with a heavier mouthfeel to it than he was used to. It wasn't bitter in the slightest, and almost reminded him of a cup of cocoa.

"It's delicious. What is it?", he asked and took another sip.

"It's -, uh...", Ren glanced at the shop owner, Sojiro Sakura, for a hint.

"Have you already forgotten, kid? I showed you that blend yesterday!", Sakura exclaimed in fond exasperation.

"Oops. Sorry."

"Psh, please.", he shook his head and went to the back of the shop, unaware of how his trainee froze up in place. "Hey, did you rearrange my stuff?"

Ren let out a breathy laugh, and Goro couldn't help but pity the boy. "Paranoia is an odd look on you."

"You're not the one with one of the most common words in history scribbled on your skin.", he retorted, and was absolutely right.

It would take decades for Goro to find someone willing to keep a promise, when there was no one to trust but yourself. "I still don't understand your exaggerated fear. It only applies to future potential lovers." Even then, those would be their last words, how would he know which was their first?

Ren shook his head, attracting Goro's attention once again. "Soulmate doesn't necessarily mean lover. It could be a friend, a family member, anyone you're close with." He looked away with a frown, voice dropping. "Or want to be close with."

"Ren! Get over here, I can't find anything!"

"I should go now. Thank you again for the coffee."

"Have a safe trip home."

Goro stood up, paid, then left the coffee shop with more knowledge than when he entered it (and butterflies in his stomach for the strange what-ifs).

《》

Were the Thieves disappointed when he exposed them and forced them to cooperate? Or maybe they were just mad and bitter about getting caught and the thought of splitting up?

If that was the case, then they shouldn't have been so sloppy to begin with.

Goro could feel the distaste, smell it in the air. It was so obvious, an elephant in the room.

The Phantom Thieves did not want him around.

However, the displeasure seemed to have lightened when they saw how skillful and useful he was. How easy it was for him to understand and follow trough with orders and attacks. And this wasn't even the full extent of his power, but they didn't need to know that.

He couldn't help but find it pleasant and exciting to fight in a team. The way they complimented him, and how he managed to solve problems no one else could, and how everything was so new - !

It also made him feel bitter. They had each other, he had no one (even though Ren tried to convince him otherwise). What if he was the one who met the arrogant cat-thing first? He would've known about stealing treasures, he would've known about changing people for the better, he wouldn't have to kill people in the first place.

And he would've had friends.

But the hole he had dug had become too deep, and only now had he realized that he dug his own grave.

All he had to do now was keep digging, and perhaps find peace in the downfall of Masayoshi Shido.

"Akechi, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Amamiya-kun. Just thinking, that's all."

《》

Goro had the gun he stole from the guard pressed to Ren's forehead, beaten and bruised yet still defiant.

"This is where your justice ends."

A trickle of blood ran down his forehead, before he collapsed on the cold metal table, coloring it, too.

Carefully, delicately, Goro pried open one hand of the corpse, implanting the murder weapon in his hand.

As he left the interrogation room, a sickening feeling gnawed in his stomach, and he couldn't help but tug at his glove to see the words. Not that he needed to, Ren didn't say a thing under his last moments. Still, it was comforting to see the words there, that his soulmate was still out there. That whatever awful deeds he committed, they would still be there, waiting, oblivious to his crimes.

He couldn't help but wonder what Ren said to his soulmate, whether friend or lover, before he left to never return.

《》

"What do you think about the leader of the Phantom Thieves' suicide?"

"I believe it was a cowardly move, to rather die than taking responsibility for their actions."

"He was a trickster 'til the end, huh?"

It wasn't that he was uncomfortable on-stage, he had been in the spotlight multiple times for it to truly bother him anymore. But the artificial love the public showered him in had always agitated him, as much as he craved it. If he told them about his poor origins, they would be gone in a flash. They would never support a bastard child, they would never support someone so dirty and disgusting.

"Akechi-kun?"

"Ah, excuse me." It felt harder to fake a smile. "I'm feeling somewhat dizzy at the moment. I think my mind has been worked up lately by the task I've undertaken."

A phone rings somewhere in the sea of people.

A phone...

Didn't Sae show him a phone...?

His stomach flipped, and he didn't know what to feel when he came to a conclusion.

He had been tricked.

《》

Goro, or the Black Mask, was on his knees, defeated by the Phantom Thieves themselves. Defeated by the boy he thought he had killed and framed.

And then they wanted him to join them. Join them! To change his father's heart together. He was special in their eyes.

After all he had said. After all he had done.

They thought he deserved better.

He didn't, he knew that. He had known for all his life and a group of strange outcasts wasn't enough to prove him otherwise. But it still made butterflies dance in his stomach, it still ignited a small delicate flame of hope in his chest. Hope to be better. Hope to be happy.

But before any life-changing decisions could be made, a perfect replica of himself made an appearance.

And he was just as pathetic! If not more.

The cognitive version of himself had the guts to mock him, and then threaten him to kill Ren and betray the Thieves (again).

"If not, you'll die, and I'll kill them myself."

His gun was trained at Ren, as the doppelganger's on him. There was no hesitation in his eyes, he had already made his choice.

"I'm sorry."

It felt as if it went in slow-motion as he turned to the cognition and shot him, it, in the stomach, before shooting the locking switch on the wall. The alarm was loud, too loud, and the red flashing lights were distracting.

"Go on without me! Change my father's heart! Please!"

And he had been crying the whole time, his eyes red and puffy, but he didn't care, because he was about to die.

And through the pounding and cries of "Come back!" and "we'll save you!", through growling creatures and the distorted screech of "I'll kill you!", two solemn words slipped in his ear and his right hand itched like crazy.

"I promise.", said Joker -, no, Ren Amamiya, and his voice was truly broken.

______________________________________
A/n

It turned into a poem in the end there whoops.

I'm kind of digging this ending, but I had a much better ending in mind but I couldn't use it and that's the saddest thing of all :'(

And this came out so much more platonic than I wanted to but *shrug* interpret it however you want.

Shot out to the ao3 writer JadeDraggy2017 and her fic "Time Till 0:00" (plus the other fic "To Love at Time's End") because that's so beautiful and soul crushing for a Shuake and Akechi fan I had to retaliate. I got inspired by other authors too, but that was mostly in style, which-scenes-came-first and did-this-scene-even-happen? stuff. (It almost screwed me over when I realized I used two different writing styles and it looked so weird XD) (and I just blended them together so it still looks weird I'm sorry I'm lazy)

Finally my obsession for ao3 has paid off, I thought I would die in Shuake hell without anything to contribute ^^'.

Also, I used this prompt (why don't I have an arrow pointing down in my keyboard?)

I added more details and tweaked it with Ren's statement about soulmates because I was like "wait, can't friends and pet owners be soulmates too I swear..." and I looked it up. Y'all should do it too if you're curious.

I want to write about Ren's pov (and it should be no less crueler) and Akechi's life before his mom died and some glimpses of THE DELIVERY MAN AYY.

But we'll see. Maybe I'll just say "screw it" and let the ideas rot and die in my head.

... I should be working on another fic I promised myself but I made this in one day and a half screw off.

demondaughter21

Ps.
•I know Akechi said something about thesis and anti-thesis, but I've no idea what
•I bought a yoyo and it's great for brainstorming ayyy
•should I add #wattpride and put a sticker? It is pride month after all and in my eyes these boiz are gayyyy
•this AN is terribly long I should start ranting on my blog again

Edit: I am totally putting a sticker because my dudes; it's a sticker.