Ren gasps and flinches at the hand on his shoulder, but Akechi's voice, so distinct from his Shadow's even without the distorted reverberation of a Shadow's speech, soothes him. He looks up. Behind his glasses, his eyelashes are spiky with unshed tears.

After a second spent processing Akechi's presence, he grabs Akechi's hand like a lifeline. But he can't stand to look Akechi in the face for long, not after everything he and Akechi's Shadow said to each other. He fumbles with his glasses with his free hand, tossing them to the side, and presses his face against Akechi's legs. It's ridiculous that Akechi, of all people, should offer safety, but it helps anyway.