Read on Twitter
Persona 5 Twitterfic Challenge **;;
Title: Forgiveness, Part Two
Rating: T
# of Tweets: 24
Pairing: FutaGoro
Title: Forgiveness, Part Two
Rating: T
# of Tweets: 24
Pairing: FutaGoro
{Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.}
—
Except for once with Akira, Goro Akechi didn’t play video games — and didn’t much know how.
Featherman was a very private enjoyment; one enjoyed only between himself and God — and absolutely no one else.
—
Except for once with Akira, Goro Akechi didn’t play video games — and didn’t much know how.
Featherman was a very private enjoyment; one enjoyed only between himself and God — and absolutely no one else.
Until recently, he’d been sheltered — and it showed. There was a lot of media he didn’t recognize; a lot of activities he didn’t enjoy, if only because he didn’t know how to enjoy it.
There was a lot he didn’t know, and a lot more that he wished he did. If only...
...if only...
There was a lot he didn’t know, and a lot more that he wished he did. If only...
...if only...
There was a lot he had missed out on with his circumstances, but... maybe... maybe he could... learn it all; maybe he could catch up.
Perhaps he could act like and be a teenager before he wasn’t one any longer.
...
Futaba Sakura was the opposite of Goro where it mattered.
Perhaps he could act like and be a teenager before he wasn’t one any longer.
...
Futaba Sakura was the opposite of Goro where it mattered.
Futaba may have, at one point, been a shut-in, but now she had friends; now she had a support system.
She was wildly intelligent and loved the things she loved without remorse; without worrying about what others thought.
It was truly mind-boggling to Goro someone could be so...
She was wildly intelligent and loved the things she loved without remorse; without worrying about what others thought.
It was truly mind-boggling to Goro someone could be so...
...unapologetically themselves.
After some prying, Futaba had found out that Goro liked Festherman. After even more prying, she’d discovered he had an interest in video games.
It was all she needed to know to formally invite him over to her place to hang out and... do things...
After some prying, Futaba had found out that Goro liked Festherman. After even more prying, she’d discovered he had an interest in video games.
It was all she needed to know to formally invite him over to her place to hang out and... do things...
To quote Futaba. “Do things together,” she had said to him in her invitation. She wanted to “hang out” and “do things together.”
... Alright.
(There was a level of anxiety associated with stepping inside Sojiro Sakura’s home, but he was trying his best to ignore that anxiety.)
... Alright.
(There was a level of anxiety associated with stepping inside Sojiro Sakura’s home, but he was trying his best to ignore that anxiety.)
“Akechi!” Futaba grinned, meeting Goro at the front door. “Hey! You made it!” Her eyes darted down to his hands, her grin brightening. “Ooh! Hey! What’d you bring me?”
Goro was barely in the door and already he was being bombarded, like Futaba was an excited puppy and she was...
Goro was barely in the door and already he was being bombarded, like Futaba was an excited puppy and she was...
...excited to see him?
Strange.
Goro’s cheeks went a light red as he looked down at the items in his hands. He examined it all, like he didn’t know what he had, then looked back up at Futaba.
“I brought instant noodles,” he said, handing her one of two bags he was carrying.
Strange.
Goro’s cheeks went a light red as he looked down at the items in his hands. He examined it all, like he didn’t know what he had, then looked back up at Futaba.
“I brought instant noodles,” he said, handing her one of two bags he was carrying.
Futaba smiled, opening the bag to peer into it. Her smile brightened as she looked up at Goro, who was a solid foot taller than her.
“Instant Yakisoba!” She laughed. “Aw! Thanks, Akechi.” Holding the bag at her side, she glanced at the other bag. “More goodies? What’s that bag?”
“Instant Yakisoba!” She laughed. “Aw! Thanks, Akechi.” Holding the bag at her side, she glanced at the other bag. “More goodies? What’s that bag?”
Goro flushed again, looking down at the other bag. Brushing his other hand through his hair, sort of nervous, he cleared his throat.
He didn’t look back up at Futaba as he spoke.
“It’s, um... It’s my Featherman collection,” he murmured. “Or... well... Part of it. I have a lot.”
He didn’t look back up at Futaba as he spoke.
“It’s, um... It’s my Featherman collection,” he murmured. “Or... well... Part of it. I have a lot.”
Futaba grinned.
“I, uh... I brought some of the manga you said you didn’t have,” Goro said. After a moment, he cleared his throat and finally looked back up at her. “Did you want to go sit someplace?”
“O-Oh!” Futaba stepped out of the way, letting Goro in. “Right! I’m sorry!”
“I, uh... I brought some of the manga you said you didn’t have,” Goro said. After a moment, he cleared his throat and finally looked back up at her. “Did you want to go sit someplace?”
“O-Oh!” Futaba stepped out of the way, letting Goro in. “Right! I’m sorry!”
Futaba wait until Goro stepped inside and was in the process of taking off his shoes before she shut the door.
Once he was ready, she nodded to him and gestured toward the hallway. She pointed to a door that was plastered in bright yellow police tape.
DO NOT CROSS, it said.
Once he was ready, she nodded to him and gestured toward the hallway. She pointed to a door that was plastered in bright yellow police tape.
DO NOT CROSS, it said.
...and apparently they were going to cross it.
Where had Futaba gotten police tape, anyway? Was it really readily available for purchase like this?
How far out of the loop was Goro?
“Sit anywhere,” Futaba said, as if her bed and desk chair weren’t the only two places to sit.
Where had Futaba gotten police tape, anyway? Was it really readily available for purchase like this?
How far out of the loop was Goro?
“Sit anywhere,” Futaba said, as if her bed and desk chair weren’t the only two places to sit.
...and Futaba had just taken her desk chair, so... apparently Goro was going to sit on her bed.
After a beat, he held out the other bag to Futaba for her to take, which she accepted gratefully and immediately began digging through the bag.
There were... so. many. manga. in it.
After a beat, he held out the other bag to Futaba for her to take, which she accepted gratefully and immediately began digging through the bag.
There were... so. many. manga. in it.
“Whoa! Holy shit, Akechi!” Futaba exclaimed, putting the bag on the ground to hold one of the mangas. “Where’d you get this?!”
Goro blushed, leaning forward to examine what Futaba was holding...
Like he didn’t know.
A pristine, first edition copy of the first Featherman manga.
Goro blushed, leaning forward to examine what Futaba was holding...
Like he didn’t know.
A pristine, first edition copy of the first Featherman manga.
“Uh...” Goro cleared his throat as he sat back, putting both hands in his lap. His eyes darted, to the left and then to the right — and then fell to his lap. “My... my mother gave it to me.”
“...Oh.”
Futaba bit her lip and got up, moving over to the bed to sit down beside Goro.
“...Oh.”
Futaba bit her lip and got up, moving over to the bed to sit down beside Goro.
“You really don’t need to feel sorry for me... if that’s what you’re about to do,” Goro said, turning his head to look at Futaba. “I really— It’s not something— I...”
“G-... Akechi,” Futaba said gently. “It sucks to lose your mom. You’re allowed to get sad about it. I still do.”
“G-... Akechi,” Futaba said gently. “It sucks to lose your mom. You’re allowed to get sad about it. I still do.”
Goro winced, looking back down at his hands. Idly, he wished he were still holding one of the bags. At least he’d have something to fidget with; something to do with his hands.
“You wouldn’t have anything to be sad about if it weren’t for me.”
“Y’know, somehow I doubt that.”
“You wouldn’t have anything to be sad about if it weren’t for me.”
“Y’know, somehow I doubt that.”
Goro looked up. Shocked, he furrowed his eyebrows, frowning.
He was preparing to ask what she meant by that, but Futaba was one step ahead.
Like always.
“I... Look, I know you shot the gun that killed my mother,” Futaba said. “I just... I really don’t think it was your idea.”
He was preparing to ask what she meant by that, but Futaba was one step ahead.
Like always.
“I... Look, I know you shot the gun that killed my mother,” Futaba said. “I just... I really don’t think it was your idea.”
When Goro said nothing and did nothing but hold her gaze, Futaba continued.
“If it weren’t you, it would’ve been someone else,” she said. Biting her lip, she looked down at her lap, figuring out her next words. She didn’t need to explain to Goro he’d been groomed.
He knew that.
“If it weren’t you, it would’ve been someone else,” she said. Biting her lip, she looked down at her lap, figuring out her next words. She didn’t need to explain to Goro he’d been groomed.
He knew that.
“I’m not mad at you,” Futaba continued. She slowly looked up at Goro once more. “I’m not sure I ever really was, I guess. You’re just as fucked by shitty adults as the rest of us. Maybe even worse...”
“No,” he interrupted. “It’s not a contest, Sakura-san. Trauma is trauma...”
“No,” he interrupted. “It’s not a contest, Sakura-san. Trauma is trauma...”
Alright... Maybe that was true. It wasn’t a contest. Trauma wasn’t a contest.
“Well... The point is, Akechi,” she said, “I don’t think you necessarily did anything wrong. You were doing what you were told. No one can blame you for that.”
That wasn’t true.
Goro blamed himself.
“Well... The point is, Akechi,” she said, “I don’t think you necessarily did anything wrong. You were doing what you were told. No one can blame you for that.”
That wasn’t true.
Goro blamed himself.
That being said, everything Futaba had said to Goro helped. Recovery was a long and winding road, filled with weekly pitstops to a therapist he was mandated to see.
If he heard inspirational comments from friendly people along the way, then all the better.
“You can have it.”
If he heard inspirational comments from friendly people along the way, then all the better.
“You can have it.”
Futaba rose an eyebrow, her eyes still on Goro. “Have what?” she asked.
When he gestured down to her hands, she looked down, and her eyes went wide.
“Your mom gave you this!”
“...and I’m giving it to you.”
Futaba not so suddenly hugged him tightly.
...Goro melted into it.
When he gestured down to her hands, she looked down, and her eyes went wide.
“Your mom gave you this!”
“...and I’m giving it to you.”
Futaba not so suddenly hugged him tightly.
...Goro melted into it.
