And Akechi doesn't question his assumptions. Of course Ren would be glad to be with him, the way he's glad to be with Ren. With his mug in one hand, he rests a hand briefly on Ren's shoulder, rather more innocently than he used to in Sae's Palace.

"We'll get through it. Eventually we'll go home, and we can—" He breaks off, with a pained little laugh, painful in how it is almost familiar. "Well, we can forget the whole business. With a bit of luck."