Slipping Through the Cracks of Your Cold Facade

Then there’s Akechi. Akechi, who is all grace and mild manners and mild smiles, with a mild laugh and a constant mild expression, nothing but pleasant and soft spoken and so subtly fake that Akira almost fell for it. Around him, Akira feels the need to provoke, to push and poke until he sees cracks in the mask, slivers of the real Akechi Goro slipping through. He never feels more competitive or impulsive until he hears the layer of sharp, poisonous thorns underneath that calm, honey-like voice. At the same time, however, Akira feels the same playfulness he does with Morgana, the same calm as with Haru, feels softer and more innovative, feels louder and quieter, thoughtful and energetic, constantly resisting the urge to smile for no reason, constantly shifting from listening quietly as the Detective Prince talks to teasing him with a slow smile to refusing to back down until the Earth cracks from the force of their arguments. It’s fun and almost addicting and Akira thinks it might get him into trouble one day, if it hadn’t already.In which Akira has no impulse control but it actually works out for him.(Kind of) Written for Shuake Week 2021! Prompt: Free Day