A/N: Okay, I'm gonna need you all to tell me if Ann is out of character here. Well, she's gonna be a little out of character on purpose. This is Ann in a situation we haven't seen her in before and angrier than we've seen her before. So, yeah this is a tad bit OOC on purpose.

However, tell me if it's too much. Like I've said, this is my first time writing Persona. So I want to make sure I get everything right. The help would me much appreciated ^_^.

(45 Minutes Later: Sadayo's Bedroom)

Ren stroked Sadayo's hair as she slowly began to fall asleep with her face buried into the crook of his neck. His arms were wrapped around her, their body heat and the blankets were preventing the cold from interrupting their rest. While sleep seemed to be approaching Sadayo with ease, Ren's mind wasn't being merciful. The events of the day were running rampant throughout his brain. He was ecstatic that Ryuji was so understanding, but he couldn't deny his friend was right. This relationship, if it went poorly, did affect the rest of the team.

Hell, even if they weren't caught, what if Sadayo just broke up with him? Ren was certain that he would have a mental shutdown. He wouldn't be able to lead the team, focus in a fight, have the heart to be a Phantom Thief.

The reaction of his friends terrified him. Or more specifically one of them...

"...Ann." Sadayo suddenly propped herself up, angrily glaring down at her boyfriend. "Wh-? Oh! No! Nononono! I was NOT thinking of another woman that way. She's not even my type! I don't even like blondes, or-"

"Pfft, hahahaha!" Sadayo laughed as she fell back down onto the bed, realization coming quickly to Ren.

"...You can be cruel sometimes, Sadayo."

"Hmhmhm. You're the one always getting the upper hand on me. It's nice whenever I can get you. I know you're not interested in Takamaki." She cupped his cheek, a small frown replacing her smile. "You were thinking about how she'd feel about us, huh?"

Ren sighed, laying his head down on her chest. She stroked his hair, burying her nose in it. "Yeah. Ann is one of my best friends, and one of the first people to actually give me a chance here. I can't shake this feeling that she'll think I've betrayed her."

"I won't lie to you. That is what she's going to think. While I know what we do isn't exactly considered moral by most, I do know it's nothing like what Kamoshida forced on her. But, she won't see it that way."

Ren shook his head, "How could I convince her that it's different from him? That what we have is real? I'm afraid telling her about how much I love you might just make her more sick." Ren sighed once more, coming to a conclusion. "Maybe Ryuji was right. I should tell her sooner than later."

Sadayo lifted his head to look him in the eye. "Woah, okay. Let's slow down for a second here. Is that really a good idea? We just got lucky with Sakamoto, and you want to tell another one of your friends?"

"The longer I keep this from her, the worse her reaction will be. Maybe we just need to tear off the band aid. She won't rat us out either."

"She might not say anything, but...will you lose her?"

Ren sat up, his gaze falling to his lap in contemplation. Sadayo sat up with him, holding the blankets to her chest as she laid her head down on his shoulder and rubbed his back. "It's inevitable. She's going to find out someday. Whether it be now or when she receives the invitation to our wedding."

Sadayo grumbled, smacking his shoulder. "Very funny."

Ren chuckled, kissing her forehead. "You get the point though. I've made my choices and I don't regret them in the slightest. I'm not giving you up, so...we should deal with it now."

"And Suzui?"

"I have no idea. It would probably be best if Shiho didn't know for a while, but Ann wouldn't want to keep something like that from her. Telling them at the same time would probably make Ann even more defensive and angry. And even if we convinced Ann to accept us, that would probably make Shiho feel like Ann betrayed her." He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. There seemed to be no way for any of it to end even remotely positive. "Maybe we should just confess in our last will and testament."

"Just sleep for now. We'll talk about it tomorrow." She lightly pushed him back down, putting herself back into the position they were in previously. "I know this is serious, but whatever happens we'll have each other. Ugh, your corny lines are getting to me."

"Judging by what we just did 10 minutes ago and where I'm sleeping, they got to you a long time ago. Besides, you're the one who reads all those romance novels."

"Hold me and go to sleep or I'll fail you."

Ren chuckled, but he conceited. He curled his arms around Sadayo, burying his face into her hair as she pressed her face back into his neck. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he couldn't deny Sadayo was right. They'd have each other. He'd do everything he could for this to end well. He'd fight with everything he had to not lose Ann.

But, if Ann wanted him to stop seeing Sadayo...

...If she gave him an ultimatum...

...Oh, this really wasn't good.

......

(The Next Evening: Leblanc)

"Are you absolutely sure it's safe to be here without my maid outfit?"

Ren placed Sadayo's coffee down on the counter, moving around to her bar stool and placing his arm around her. "In all my months of living here, besides my friends, not a single Shujin student has shown up to Leblanc. I haven't even seen one in Yongen-Jaya. Boss never comes back after this hour. And Ryuji and Futaba are the only ones that would show up without messaging me first. Ryuji already knows, and Futaba doesn't know who you are. We're fine."

"Okay. And here I was thinking you enjoyed it when I wore it."

Ren smirked, "...Well, I mean-"

"Not. One. Word." He chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he sat next to her. "So, I noticed Takamaki never looked like she wanted to kill you today. I have to assume you didn't tell her, or we just got extremely lucky and she's perfectly okay with us."

"No," Ren sighed. "I chickened out the whole day. Not that school would have been a good place to tell her anyway."

"Are you absolutely certain we should tell her right now? Maybe you should wait until you think it's the perfect time."

Ren sipped his coffee, "We are still going through a palace right now. I guess it'd be better to wait for things to die down. It should be soon, but not rushed." Ren stood back up, moving over to Sadayo. "And I can't deny, more time to keep this relationship to ourselves isn't too bad." His hands found her hips, he pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you."

Sadayo blushed heavily, but brought the tips of their noses together. "I love you, too." They kissed passionately, knowing that neither would ever regret their choice of being together. No one could convince them otherwise.

*Jingle*

"Sur-...!" Ren and Sadayo froze at the jingling of the bell above the door and the voice that followed. They detached their lips, both staring wide-eyed at one another. They very slowly turned their gazes towards the entrance. Their stomachs dropped as they were met with not just Ann, but Shiho as well. The latter seemed to be holding a small gift bag. "...-prise."

The silence that followed felt like an eternity. No one moved. They barely blinked. They barely breathed.

Why was Shiho even there?

Ren did his best to analyze both of their faces. Ann's face was the worst possible combination of emotions he could've asked for. The state she was in looked to be a mix of confusion, anger, horror, and nausea.

Shiho looked like she was going to be sick.

Sadayo also looked like she was about to vomit.

Ren was a leader for a reason. It was time to take charge before things got even worse.

He raised his hands defensively towards the two girls. "Before anybody says anything, let's make something clear. Sadayo and I are going to get the chance to explain ourselves. Please leave all comments until we're done speaking. Afterwards, you can express all the anger you want, I promise. I even deserve it. But, Ann, if I can jus-" Before he could finish his sentence, Ann twirled Shiho around and led her out the door. Ren looked back at Kawakami, "Is that better or worse than what we wanted?"

Sadayo hid her face in her hands, not even able to muster up a legitimate answer. "Mmph."

"Right, worse. Much worse." Ren took off out the door, hoping he could catch them before they made it to the train station. Luckily they hadn't been moving very fast, and the streets were empty. Ren caught up to them at the end of the alley in front of the secondhand shop. "Ann! Just wait!" She didn't respond. "Ann!" She kept walking, pushing Shiho a little to keep pace with her. Ren ran in front of them. "Ann, just stop! Just let me explain!"

"Ren, you need to move."

"No! Please, just one minute. That's all I ask."

Ann's glare grew fiercer. Ren could have almost sworn her Persona's fire was burning in her eyes. "Ren, I need to get Shiho out of here. Move. Now."

"Both of you, please. Thirty seconds. I'm begging you, Ann. If I can just make you both understan-"

*SLAP*

Ren blinked a few times as he tried to process what had just happened. Ann, one of his best friends in the world, just slapped him hard across the face. "Move, before I make you. I need to get Shiho out of here."

Ren put a hand up to his cheek, the sting still lingering. He almost moved, not wanting to piss her off further. However, while he never really argued with Ann before, he knew letting her walk away wasn't an option. He'd let her process it all for however long she wanted, but she was going to have at least some of the story first.

Ren took his faux glasses off, hardening his gaze and widening his shoulders. "No. We're going to talk. Now. I understand if Shiho doesn't come. I understand that you're angry, and confused. But, I'm not going to let you walk away before you've heard me out. The last thing in the world I want is to hurt you, so just please listen. This isn't what you think it-"

"Not what I think!? What I think is you're screwing a teacher! Our teacher! Even after Kamo-"

"This is nothing like that! I'm-" Ren stopped himself, lowering his voice. There might not have been anyone else outside, but it was still public. Anyone could show up. "She's not blackmailing me. She's not forcing me to do anything. If anything, I'm the one who pursued a relationship."

"Oh, I could see that! You were definitely enjoying it. It doesn't matter who started it. It's still a teacher going after their students. It's still...I-It's still..." Ann closed her eyes, her hand grasping Shiho's, who had been quiet the entire time. "It's still wrong. Especially after what Kamoshida did to Shi-..." Ann paused, not sure if she should bring up what had happened to Shiho. Her friend was definitely uncomfortable as is. "...to us. She has to see that, doesn't she?

"You can't just put her in the same category as Kamoshida."

"Watch me. I knew it. I knew she had to have known about Kamoshida, just like the rest of them. Now she's following his example."

Ren suddenly grew furious. His brow furrowed, his glare burning holes into Ann's face. "How dare you accuse her of that. Don't you-"

"How dare I?! How dare you fuck your teacher! I spent so long being called a slut, a whore, easy, being perved on by that monster, all of the above, and I wasn't even screwing him. And now, one of my best friends saw my suffering, helped me through it, and just says, "Who cares? I wanna get away with screwing my teacher! I wanna ignore what happened to my friends, and do exactly what they tried so hard to stop! Who cares what they think?"

Ren's fist clenched, his frustration rising. He took a deep breath, calming himself down before he made things worse. "I'm telling you, Ann. It's. Not. The. Same."

The blonde shook her head, averting her eyes for a second. "She may not be Kamoshida. But I still see another teacher taking advantage of her students. Maybe not in the same way. Maybe you started all this. But, Ren, this...it's just not right. How many other students has she slept with?"

"Shut up!" Ren uncharacteristically raised his voice, taking a step forward. He stopped himself again, grimacing at his temper. After everything he went through with Sadayo, it was really hard to hear those kind of things spoken about her. Calming down once more, Ren continued. "Don't speak about her that way. Sadayo isn't like that. You have no idea of how much went through, and what we went through together."

Ann sucked in a deep breath, "Is it more than what we've been through together? Is it really? Everything? I just don't understand why. Is this a kink thing? You like older women? What is she, like 30?"

"Twenty-fou-...That's not the point. I love her. That's all yo-"

"You love her?" Ann asked incredulously. "You. Love. Her?...I'm done."

"We're not don-"

"Yes. We are. With this conversation, and..." Ann paused, trying to make sure of what she wanted to say. "...and with the team. Right now, I don't feel comfortable. For the time being...I quit."

Ren faltered, his angry expression fading. He looked over a Shiho, wondering if Ann had told her about the Thieves. But, Shiho simply kept looking at her feet as if they were the most fascinating things in the world. "Ann...the team is far more important than our personal issues."

"The team doesn't work when we have personal issues, Ren. Do you really think you and I are going to be able to work together properly after this? I just...I can't right now."

"I-..." And the final card had been played. The move Ren had been begging and pleading to every god of every religion to stop from happening. The ultimatum. Ann may not have actually given one to him, but it was still there. It was either Ann or Sadayo. He had to make a choice right then and there. He could say he would stop seeing Sadayo, beg Ann for forgiveness, try to explain. But...He couldn't. He wouldn't. Sadayo wasn't an option. "I..."

Ann continued to stare at him, awaiting his response. A response she probably wasn't expecting.

"...I'm sorry."

A tear fell down Ann's cheek. She nodded, "I'll help Haru. But, I'm done after that. At...At least, for now, I guess." She began leading Shiho past him and towards the train station. They descended down the steps, out of sight. The sun had completely vanished from the sky as night fell upon Tokyo.

Ren gripped his hair, going down on his knees as he kept mentally kicking himself for didn't just go worse than he expected. That was literally the absolute worst possible way it could have ended. Standing up, he trudged his way back to Leblanc. He almost turned around to try and catch them before they got on a train. But, the damage was done. He made his choice.

*Bzzt*

Ren quickly pulled out his phone, hoping it was Ann. But, Ryuji's name popped up on his screen. He answered the phone, bringing it up to his ear.

"Yo, dude! I totally forgot to tell you! She'll kill me for spilling, but Ann and Shiho are stopping by to surprise you. She said it was to thank you for helping her with Shiho, modeling, stuff like that. If you got Kawakami over, get her outta there!"

Ren sighed as he leaned against the front door to the café, "A little late there, buddy."

"Oh...Ooooooh shit. I'm sorry, dude."

"No, don't blame yourself. This one...this one is definitely all on me."

"It uh...It didn't go well, did it?"

"That doesn't even begin to describe it. She..." Ren lowered his voice, his tone seeped in sadness. "...She quit the Phantom Thieves."

"For real?! Tell me you're kidding!"

"No. She said she didn't feel comfortable around me anymore. And with Shiho right there...I just made it worse. I chased them down, Ann started saying some things about Sadayo. I just snapped for a second, and...She was trying to get Shiho out of there, but I kept getting in the way. I was too desperate for her to hear me out. If I had just waited, let things cool off, maybe...I don't know. Ann said she'd help with Haru, but after that she was on an indefinite break."

"Shit...Fuck, I-...What do we tell the others? How are we gonna tell them why she did it?"

Ren shrugged, "I'll have to confess, tell them about Sadayo. I have no choice. We'll...I don't know. And I know my decision is selfish. I know the Phantom Thieves and what they do matter more to the world, but I jus-"

"Nah, I get it. We go through enough shit as it is, and we all deserve at least one thing for ourselves. Kawakami is yours. You shouldn't have to sacrifice someone you love. That's not what we signed up for."

"But I-

"Dude, we'll try talking to Ann tomorrow, hopefully everything will have calmed down by then. We'll fix this."

Ren nodded, somewhat comforted by his friend's words. "Okay. Look, I have to go explain things to Sadayo. She looked almost as sick as Shiho. I'll see you later."

......

(Ryuji's Room)

Ryuji heard Ren hang up, his final words sounding somber. Ann quit?! She can't just...

The blonde growled, jumping up from his bed and grabbing his hoodie. He rushed out the door, grumbling to himself, "Why am I suddenly the team therapist fixing everyone's problems?"

......

(Leblanc)

Ren walked through the door, looking for Sadayo. She hadn't left the spot he had left her in. She was still sitting in the bar stool, her face hidden by her hands. He left his glasses on the counter, and made his way over to her. Ren pressed himself against her back, wrapping his arms around her middle and burying his face into her shoulder.

She sighed dejectedly, "How bad?"

"...She quit the Phantom Thieves. I don't think she's going to talk to me anytime soon."

The teacher curled up in her chair, a small whimper escaping her body. "What have I done? What have I done? What have I-"

"Stop. None of this is your fault."

Sadayo pried his hands off of her, standing up and backing away. "None of this would have happened if I just rejected you! If I just had some small semblance of control over my emotions! I'm ruining another one of my student's lives!"

"...Do you regret loving me?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head in protest of Ren's question, "You should! I'm making everything worse again! I-"

"That's not what I asked." Ren walked up to her, looking her in the eyes. "I asked, do you regret loving me? Do you really wish you never said yes to me? Do you really want to take back everything? We knew the consequences. We knew some people wouldn't accept us, but we still chose to be together. Ann is one of those people. It's just something we can't avoid for now. If you said yes to me back then, knowing that something like this could and would happen at some point, you knew you wouldn't regret it. You promised that if confronted about us, you would admit it proudly. So, right now, do you regret loving me?"

"...No. No, I don't."

"Good, because I don't regret any of this. Not a single second of it. I wish I could take back some of the things I said to Ann, but I don't regret you. She gave me a choice. Either I stop seeing you, or she quits the Thieves. I chose you. I always will." Ren gently put his hands around her waist, pulling her against him. "We'll figure this out. I'll talk to her again, more civilly this time. Hopefully, she'll allow me to fully explain, give the full story. Without mentioning Becky, of course. Although, Ann knowing about your maid job would be better than having Ryuji know.

"I can already hear Sakamoto's laughter."

Ren laughed, his heart still heavy. But being with Sadayo helped ease the pain. "It's like you said last night. No matter what happens, we'll have each other."

She hid her face in Ren's chest, "Ugh, that line is so cliché it hurts. And that's coming from the woman with a rom-com collection."

"Cliché? Yes. Is it effective? Still yes. And speaking of rom-coms, let's just forget about our problems tonight. I rented a new movie, and I think you need this now more than ever. Morgana is with Futaba tonight, so we're completely alone."

"Don't get any ideas. Tonight isn't feeling particularly romantic. I just want to relax."

Ren smiled, kissing Sadayo on the forehead before moving around the counter and to the fridge, "Just go upstairs, I'll get us some drinks."

"Boss doesn't have any beer, does he?"

Ren smirked, "No. Even if he did, you said tonight wasn't romantic enough. You're extremely horny when you get drunk."

Sadayo stopped with her first foot on the steps, a frown on her face. "Excuse you, but I've never gotten drunk around you. I haven't been drunk since college, and I've never been blackout drunk. I drink light beer for crying out loud."

"Oh, so you're just always horny." Sadayo grumbled in response as she climbed the stairs. "You didn't deny it!" All Ren received was silence as she finally entered the attic. Ren's smile vanished as he was left alone. His heart was heavy, and pain spread from his chest.

As much pain as he was in, he still wouldn't change his answer. He had no choice. He cared about Ann with everything he had. He'd lay down his life for her in a heartbeat. But, his love for Ann and his friends was far different than his love for Sadayo. His friends were his home now...

But, Sadayo wasn't optional.

......

(Ann's Apartment)

*Ding Dong*

Ann didn't move from her position on the couch. Shiho was asleep in the other room, still never having said a word.

*Ding Dong*

'Just go away.'

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

"Alright! I'm coming! Just stop ringing the damn doorbell!"

A voice rang out from behind the door. "Then answer it the first time, Takamaki!"

Ann's eyes widened, "Ryuji?"

"Yeah, it's me. Now would you open the door. I need to talk to you."

Ann sat back down, "I don't wanna talk right now. I-"

"Look, I know things are weird with you and Ren. And yeah, him and Kawakami is kinda weird. But this isn't something to quit the team ove-"

"What?"

"I said this isn-"

Ann got up and stomped over to the door, yanking it open before Ryuji could finish his sentence. "You knew?!"

The faux blonde raised his hands defensively, "Hey, I just found out yesterday. And not intentionally I might add! Lemme guess, you catch 'em making out, too?"

"Why didn't you tell me?! Or anyone else on the team!"

"Why didn't you?"

"I just found out half-an-hour ago!"

"So? We have a group chat. You could've said something. You're not gonna rat them out for the same reason I didn't. It's not our place. And if he gets arrested, the team is completely screwed. Makoto might be a great co-leader and strategist, but she's not Ren."

"B-But...they..." Ann growled, moving back into her apartment. "What's wrong with him?! Why? Why would he do this?!"

"Didn't he explain to you?"

"I-"

Ryuji held up a hand, "Wait, let me rephrase that. Did you let him explain?"

"I saw everything I needed to."

Ryuji blew a raspberry as he sighed. He knew this was gonna be difficult, but it seemed like he was gonna have to use his trump card. "Is Shiho here?"

"Yeah. She's staying the night. She's asleep right now. I don't think she'd be up for this conversation."

"Damn. I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone, but maybe this is for the best."

"What do you me-AH!" Ryuji suddenly grabbed her by the hand, dragging her out the door. "Ryuji! Let me go! I'm not talking to him!"

Ryuji closed the door behind him, leading her down the hall and towards the elevator. "I'm not taking you to talk to him. I just need to show you something." He continued to lead her out of the building and towards the train station. The trains would only run for another couple of hours or so. He needed to act quickly.

"Ryuji, this is the train to Yongen-Jaya! I told you I'm not talking to Ren!"

"And I told you that I'm not taking you to Ren. You might not trust him anymore, but you sure as hell better trust me." Ann let out a heavy sigh, but kept quiet.

"Fine, but make it quick. I don't want Shiho to wake up and I'm gone."

"We won't be long...I think." They hopped on the train, taking their seats as the train took off.

"What exactly are you trying to do, Ryuji? Are you telling me you actually agree with what Ren's doing?"

He shrugged, "I mean, I didn't like how he lied and kept it from us. But, I understand why he did it. I wanted to make sure he knew how it would affect the team if he got caught. Besides that? No, not really. Sure the age thing is...weird, but we're well past that point. But, Kawakami isn't old or anything. She's still in her early twenties so it's not like he's going after cougars or something. And, if we're being completely, totally honest here...I think Ren hit the jackpot. Kawakami is pretty damn hot."

"Ryuji!" She punched his arm, frowning at her friend.

"Ow! What?! I'm just being honest!"

Ann shook her head, "But she's our teacher." The teen boy opened his mouth, but closed it. "What?"

"Ann, look. You might not be willing to listen to Ren, but please just listen to me."

"Fine."

"No. I need you to seriously listen to me. This is coming from me, so you know that I ain't bullshitting you."

"...Okay, but I'll make no promises that I won't slap you, too."

"You slapped him?!"

"I didn-! I mean, I did. But, I didn't wan...Urgh! Just get to the point."

Ryuji took a deep breath, "Ann, I know Kamoshida still has a weird effect on you. But, at some point, you have to realize that not all teachers are like him." Ann didn't respond to that, so he took it as a signal to continue. "I get we fight shitty adults, and I know he was as big of a total piece of human garbage as they come. But, even I gotta admit...Kawakami's kinda awesome."

"You've already said she's hot, Ryuji!"

"That's not what I meant! I mean, in the past few months she's been the best teacher in the school. Everyone thinks so. She's seriously become everyone's favorite. She doesn't just help when people ask for it, but she seeks them out when she notices they're having trouble. Wanna know why I know that? She offered to tutor me! Me! Of all people! The one she used to think of as nothing but a trouble-making waste of space. I'm not even in her class! And you know what? I think I'm gonna accept. She doesn't look sick and tired anymore, she's not pissy all the time. She's downright friendly to me, and apparently she's helped a ton of students with their resumés. And based on the very vague timeline Ren gave me, I think we both know who's responsible for her mood shift. He told me they got together a few months back, around early July."

Ann couldn't deny most of that was true. A few months ago, Kawakami had walked into the class looking legitimately happy. Like, extremely happy. The entire class was weirded out by it. Ren also had a smile 24/7 for a full week during that time. He would never tell why he was so happy. And Kawakami definitely seemed to be helping others at every given opportunity. "Wait, that was also around the time we went to Mementos to stop those people from harassing Ms. Kawakami."

Ryuji nodded, "Yep, Ren said that was related to it. He wouldn't say what they were doing, or why they were harassing her. But, do you remember how he was acting that day?"

"Yeah, he was scary. He basically fought them all by himself. He didn't even let them show their true selves as Shadows. They were basically beaten when they still looked like normal people. Makoto gave him an earful about overaggression after that."

"Ren clearly cares a whole lot about her, and has clearly been good for her. And, if you really want proof... " Ryuji pulled out his phone, opening the Nav app. "Sadayo Kawakami."

"Results not found"

"See? Nothing. No palace."

"Ryuji, I get where you're going. But-"

"I'm not done yet. Answer me this. Do you honestly think Ren would date Kawakami if she was in any way like Kamoshida? Do you think Ren would take all the risks if he didn't think she was worth it?"

Ann ran a hand down her face, taking a deep breath. "I know she's not Kamoshida, Ryuji. I don't mean to compare her to him, it's just...After everything that happened, I just don't trust them. They ignored Kamoshida's acts, they ignored the students, the principal blackmailed Makoto. It's all just so messed up, and no one can deny that she was a part of all of that. And, Ren did all of this behind our backs, which means he knows how we'd feel about it. He knows what he's doing, and he didn't even care to consider us. I don't...I don't even know anymore."

"Well, keep thinking about it while you walk, cause we're here." They left the train, making their way to the surface streets of Yongen-Jaya. They walked past Leblanc, down to Sojiro's house.

"What are we doing here? Does Boss know?"

"Not that I know of. I think you and I are the only ones." Ryuji rang the doorbell, waiting for an answer. Sojiro opened the door, confusion appearing on his face.

"What are you kids doing here so late?"

"Sorry, Boss," Ryuji responded. "But, it's really important that we see Futaba. It won't be long! We'll be out of your hair before ya know it."

"...Alright. I can't deny Futaba more social interaction, no matter what time." Ryuji thanked him, moving inside and down to Futaba's room. They knocked and entered, Futaba and Morgana perking up at the sight of them.

"Lady Ann! Oh...and you ."

"I ain't got time to argue with you, cat. Futaba, can you still hack into Ren's phone?"

The teen flashed her evil gremlin smile, "You say that like I stopped hacking it at some point."

Ryuji's eyes widened, "Wait, does that mean you know about Kawakami, too?"

"...Who?"

Morgana whined, "Ryuji! You've known for 24 hours and you couldn't keep your mouth shut!"

"Hey! I didn't tell Ann!"

"...Oh my God, did Joker get caught again ?"

"Sure did. See? Maybe I'm not the screw up around here."

Futaba raised a brow, "Well, you just told me."

"I-...Well-...You still don't... Would you just fuckin' hack his phone?!

"Jeez, fine. What do you want? Text, phone calls, audio?

"Can you get audio and video?"

"On it." Futaba opened a new file and typed on her keyboard for a few seconds. "Done. Now, why are we spying?"

"Not you. Us."

"Wha-?! But this is my room!"

Ryuji looked around the room, "All for Futaba leaving." He and Ann raised their hands, and Morgana a paw. Futaba grumbled, leaving her room muttering threats. "And stop spying on us!"

"I make no promises! Mwehehehe!"

Ryuji groaned, turning to Morgana. "So, why didn't she know who Kawakami was? She combs through like half of our texts."

Morgana replied, "I've been making sure she doesn't read your texts most nights now. Besides, before a few months ago, Joker would always call her from the yellow phone at Leblanc. They were being more cautious back then."

Ann put her hands up, getting their attention. "Why are we spying on them in the first place?"

Ryuji took Ann by the shoulders, sitting her down at Futaba's computer. "Just watch."

Morgana asked, "Whatever you're planning, are you sure it'll work?"

"Not at all."

"Figures."

"Let's all just hope they ain't banging right now."

"Wait, wh-!?"

*Click*

......

(Leblanc: The Attic)

Ren checked his phone for the millionth time in the past thirty minutes. He was hoping for any kind of text from Ann. His hope was quickly diminishing as the minutes came and went.

He felt a soft kiss press against his neck, "I'm so sorry."

Ren looked down at Sadayo as she laid against him, the soft glow of the television enveloping them in the dark. "You've been saying that for an hour. How many times do I have to tell you this isn't your fault? It's mine."

"It doesn't matter how much you say that. I played a part. Maybe I can convince her to talk to you."

Ren shook his head, "Honestly, that might just make it worse. You're probably the last person she wants to talk to besides me. If she would just listen to me for five minutes, maybe she would understand."

"Our situation isn't one most would understand."

"I don't care if she doesn't understand how I feel. I just want her to see that you can be trust, that what you and I have isn't bad." Ren placed his phone down on the bed, shifting so he was above her. "I wish she could just see how much I Iove you."

Sadayo raised her hands up, cupping both sides of his face. "Maybe my love for you is what we should convince her of. I'm her main problem. She doesn't trust me. Maybe I can prove to her that I really love you."

Ren leaned into her touch, "This is my mess. You don't need to convince her of anything."

"Yes, I do."

"Not if she keeps saying those things about you."

She tugged Ren's hair, a frown growing on her face. "Enough of that. You know how and why she's feeling this way. Most would likely assume horrible things about me if they found out."

Ren closed his eyes as Sadayo's hand returned to his cheek, "I'm so sick and tired of all the accusations. She yelled at me for being ignorant of her being a victim of that, but she failed to notice she was doing the exact same thing to you."

"It's understandable."

"It's hypocrisy."

Sadayo shook her head, "Her past experiences influence her train of thought. She has good reason to believe what she does. When people accused her, it was just teens spreading rumors and corruption. Right now you're just frustrated with her, but you have a bias towards me. This can't be easy for her. It's not easy for anyone. Don't blame her for making parallels to the Kamoshida situation. You and I both know that a teacher-student relationship isn't exactly shined on in a positive light."

"He was a monster trying to take power where he didn't deserve it, and a rapist. You are a woman, who went through so much hardship and trouble just for helping somebody. A woman who worked endlessly to get her life back, and earned it. A woman who helps her students, enjoys helping her students, truly cares about them...perhaps cares about one of them a little too much."

"Don't I know it."

"What I'm saying is, she needs to see the real you. The smart, gorgeous, kind-hearted, young woman that you are. If I talk to her again, and she refuses to at least try, then I can't do anything else. I made my choice, and I refuse to go back on it. Maybe..."

"What?"

"...Maybe I should be the one to quit the Thieves."

Sadayo looked at him concerned, "Why wou-"

"I'm the reason she's uncomfortable. I'm the one who won't give up the one he loves. I'm the one being selfish. They have Queen, she's already a fine leader. If I'm going to cause the team pain, then I shouldn't be around. I can't get her to listen, but...she shouldn't leave because of me."

"Don't you love what you do? Being a Phantom Thief?"

"I do, but I love you more. You won't have to worry about me going off on dangerous missions anymore, and I'll have more time to spend with you."

Sadayo shook her head in disbelief, "You're investing a lot into me."

"And it's already paid off tenfold over and over again. I'll see if I can get through to her first before I decide, but no matter what happens you can't blame yourself."

"...Fine. It's your decision, but...I don't like it. Don't forget what I said about relying on me. I'll be here for you, no matter what. Which also means, I'll take the fall for you. Any time, anywhere. Don't fall on my sword for me."

"Don't fall on my sword, either."

Sadayo chuckled, "We just went in circles, but I suppose the message has been sent." She stroke his cheek, sadness in her eyes, but love still ever present. "I love you, Ren."

"I love you, too." Ren leaned down, kissing her with all the passion he could exert. "Now, about tonight not being romantic enough..."

Sadayo pushed him down on his back, placing her head on his chest and focusing back on the movie. "No."

Ren groaned, but smiled to himself.

......

(Futaba's Room)

Ryuji clicked off of the video, looking over to Ann. "I don't know about you, but that was pretty damn wholesome to me. I think she seriously cares about him. She was even trying to defend you. I don't want either you or Ren to quit. Us three are what started all this."

Morgana spoke up, "Hey! I'm the one wh-"

"Not now, cat. Talkin' serious over here. Ann..." She finally turned her eyes to him, her face clearly showing she was in deep thought. "...Just talk to him. Please? Just let him explain, without slapping him. If ya still wanna quit after that...I guess I can't stop ya. But, know Ren has never, ever tried to hurt you or any one of us intentionally."

Morgana nodded, "Lady Ann, I also would like to vouch for Joker and Kawakami. Every time she's been over, all she does is show how much she cares about him. Whenever we're alone, she talks to me thinking I'm a normal cat. She tells me about how much she worries about him, or wonders what things she should do for him or how to repay him. She's a good woman. And don't tell Haru, but she gives the best ear scratches. Hands down."

Ann was silent, but she stood up and walked towards the door. The faux blonde slumped, thinking he had failed. "Ryuji?" He looked up at Ann's words, hope in his eyes. "...We don't give you enough credit." She walked out the door, leaving the house.

"Why is everyone only realizing that now?!"

Morgana put a paw on his shoulder, "If it makes you feel any better, I still don't give you any credit."

......

(20 Minutes Later. Leblanc)

Ren looked down at Sadayo, her eyes mostly closed as she began to fall asleep. "I'm gonna assume you're staying the night."

"Mmph."

Ren chuckled, carefully getting up. "I need to go lock up then." Making his way down the stairs, he pulled out his keys and headed to the front door. He looked up, his eyes widening as he was met with the crystal blue eyes of Ann through the glass. He made his way over and slowly opened the door, coming face to face with her. "...Hey."

Ann rubbed her arm, biting her lip nervously, "...Hi."

"I-, Uh...Sorry, I didn't hear you knock."

"I didn't. I've been standing out here for twenty minutes trying to muster the courage to enter." Silence filled the air once again, until they both broke.

"I'm sorry."/"I'm sorry."

Both paused at the other's apology. Ren shook his head, "No, Ann. I screamed at you, I didn't even consider how you'd feel for my entire relationship with Sadayo. I lied to you, all of you. And, poor Shiho. I probably made it so much worse for her. I just...Please, don't quit the Thieves. I'm the problem here, I-"

"I'm not quitting and neither are you."

"You're not? Wait, how did you know I was going to qui...Futaba?"

"Futaba."

Ren quickly pulled out his phone, looking directly into his camera. "Stop spying on me."

*Bzzt*

Futaba: No

Ren glared at the camera.

Futaba: ...Fine

He put his phone back into his pocket, returning his attention back to Ann. "But, why did-"

"You wanted me to hear you out." Ren stopped at her interruption, surprise etched onto his features. "I'm sorry for not giving you the chance to explain...and for slapping you...and for...and for insulting and accusing Ms. Kawakami of things I had no idea if she was doing. So, I want to hear it. All of it."

"I don't understand. What made you want to come back?"

"It was Ryuji, actually."

Ren smirked, "Maybe I should give him that substitute co-leader spot after all." The teen moved out of the way, motioning for Ann to enter. "Coffee?"

"I'm fine." She sat down at one of the booths, wrapping her jacket around her tighter. Ren sat across from her. "Is she still here?"

"Yeah, upstairs. But, she's asleep. We can talk to her later, I can tell the full story. And, Shiho...Is she...?"

Ann's eyes moved down to the table, "I'm not sure, to be honest with you. She hasn't spoken since. I just took her to my room, and she's been asleep for a while."

Ren nodded while taking a deep breath, "Okay, well...there will be some details that I can't tell you. Sadayo finds them embarrassing, and they're private to us and us alone. So to still give you the full scope of what happened, I'm going to have to be a little vague in some areas. I promise none of them will be lies."

Ann nodded, hearing the sincerity in his voice. "Go ahead."

"It started one night when I was with Ryuji and Mishima..."

A/N: So yeah, that happened. Once again, constructive criticism is always wanted and welcome.