Chapter Text
The group of kids congregated in Cafe Leblanc like they had so many times before, crowding around a booth not large enough to accommodate them. Sojiro had never thought much of it before, just happy that Ren and Futuba were socializing with friends. Now he hovered at the counter, busying himself with preparing drinks for the group, doing his best to listen in.
He didn't understand most of it, even with the hurried explanation he'd been given to get him caught up to speed, but he got the important part. That the were going back into that world. The thought terrified him. But this wasn't his world, there was nothing he could do, so he did what he could. Coffee, a soda for Ryuuji, and something to eat. He wished he could do more.
The talk stretched on into the evening as they deliberated strategy over plates of curry, and by the time Sojiro was seeing them out the sun had begun to sink below the horizon.
"You kids get to the station safe," Sojiro said, sending them each off with a container of leftovers. "Futuba, head on home too."
The kids all gave their goodbyes and headed off. After they dispersed, Sojiro turned back into the cafe, where Ren was gathering up dishes from their table.
"Don't worry about that," Sojiro said, waving a dismissive hand at the dirty table. "I can get them, go get some rest."
Ren shook his head. "I'll help," he said, continuing to gather. Once his hands were full he turned to head behind the counter. Sojiro looked over to Morgana, who was lazily stretched out on one of the bar-stools in the same place he always was when Ren did his cleaning. Both of them seemed set on continuing the routine.
"Alright," Sojiro said, "You get the dishes and I'll start wiping things down. We'll wrap it up quick."
Ren nodded, getting to work.
Neither of them talked during this, both working in the comfortable silence that had become common between them in recent months. Sojiro had to admit, it was nice to have Ren in the room with him. Somewhere he could look over and see with his own eyes that Ren was okay, that he was still here.
It didn't take them long to finish up, and Ren prepared to head to his room.
"Are your bandages alright?" Sojiro asked, "Does anything need replaced?"
While waiting for the others to arrive earlier, Sojiro had done his best to tend to Ren's injuries. His cheeks were badly bruised and bloodied, like he'd been slammed into the ground. There was a bandage on one of his wrists, too. Both had bruised badly, but one had split where the handcuffs pinched and tore at the skin.
"They're fine, thank you," Ren said, bowing his head a bit in thanks.
The quiet stretched between them for a second. Ren hovered near the bottom of the stairs, as if waiting for Sojiro to dismiss him. Sojiro, on the other hand, was trying to build the courage to ask something he should have asked earlier.
"Did they… are you hurt anywhere else?" He asked.
Ren shook his head. "No, I'm-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence before Morgana jumped up on the counter and meowed loudly at him, tail fluffing up. It was as if the cat was trying to correct him, call out a lie.
Ren winced at that, as if reacting to the cats scolding. One of his hands drifted, as if unconsciously, to the side of his chest. "Just a couple bruises." Ren's words were as casual and unalarming as he could manage, but they still hit Sojiro like a ton of bricks. He thought about the way Ren had winced against his hug earlier, and how he'd been constantly adjusting the way he sat in the booth during the strategy mission, like he was uncomfortable. Paired with the evidence he had been thrown to the ground, and the dirt that had been on his clothes before he'd had the chance to change while waiting for everyone else to arrive, it didn't take the biggest imagination to understand the implications.
God, he was just a kid! A kid attempting to do his best in a world there the adults failed him over and over and over again until he had to take things into his own hands.
He collected himself from that line of thought as fast as he could. No use ruminating when the kid was standing right in front of him.
"You go head on up," Sojiro said. "I'll bring you some ice."
Ren shifted his weight slightly, like he was unsure about this. But Morgana jumped off the counter and began heading up the stairs. Halfway up he turned and meowed Ren, causing the boy to break out of his stupor and follow him up the stairs.
Once he was out of sight, Sojiro turned back to the kitchen. Luckily, this was something he was actually able to do to help Ren. He knew Ren didn't often ask for it, and Sojiro didn't often offer it, but maybe that was something that needed to change. As he shook out a plastic bag and filled it with ice from the freezer, he thought about the fact it was almost a year ago now that Ren had first moved in. Things sure had changed so much since then. Once the bag was full, Sojiro wrapped it in a dish towel to provide some protection before heading upstairs.
"Here you are," Sojiro said as he climbed the last step into Ren's room, only to see that Ren wasn't listening.
Ren was sprawled out on his back, one arm hanging off his bed as he snored softly. The poor kid must have fallen asleep the second his head hit the pillow. Not that Sojiro could blame him, after the day he'd had. He'd need the rest for the days ahead as well. Morgana was curled up in the space above Ren's shoulder, his head nestled up against Ren's cheek. Sojiro couldn't help but smile to himself at that.
"Don't worry, I gotcha," he said quietly. He gently layed the bag of ice across Ren's chest, where he had indicated the bruises. Ren stirred slightly in his sleep before settling again, letting out a sigh in his sleep at the relief the ice provided. His bangs had fallen into his eyes while he shifted, and Sojiro reached out to brush them back, allowing his hand to linger longer than strictly necessary. Ren was safe, he was alive, he was here.
Morgana looked at Sojiro curiously, and Sojiro pulled his hand back. "You watch over him, alright?" Sojiro said to the cat, jokingly. Morgana lifted his head at that, looking right into Sojiro's eyes, and Sojiro swore that he nodded.
Sojiro thought about what Ren had explained to him, about this meta-universe, and how they had caught their traitor because he'd reacted to something Morgana said. Maybe this cat really was more special than Sojiro had initially believed.
Sojiro nodded back at him, before heading back to the stairs. He turned off the light and began to descend. After a couple steps he looked back.
"Bring him home," he said, his voice a whisper. "I'll be counting on you."