Work Text:
As the train pulls up to the station, Ren is quick to rush out the doors after they open. He walked with wide strides as he made his way to Ryuji’s house, cursing the gods that he didn’t live closer to him. With every step he took, the message he received kept popping up in his head.
Can you come over? It’s gettin bad again…
Ren grit his teeth together, hoping that he would make it in time. It was rare that Ryuji would have episodes like this. But whenever he did, he knew it would be tough for the blond to pull himself together. After the first incident, Ren promised him that he wouldn’t let him suffer from this alone ever again. And since then, he’s done well to keep his promise.
Finally making to the apartment complex Ryuji lived in, he took the stairs two at a time to make it to the second level. Taking out the spare key that both Ryuji and his mother graciously gave him, he approached the door and unlocked it. The brunet was quick to enter the home, throwing the door shut behind him as he made his way to Ryuji’s room.
“Pardon my intrusion.” He said, making his presence known for he was unsure if his mother was home or not. He didn’t want to seem rude, regardless of the matter.
Entering Ryuji’s room, he found the teen to be curled up in his bed. He remained still aside from the rise and fall of his breathing. Making his way to the side Ryuji was facing, Ren cautiously approached and hunched over.
“Hey, Ryuji. How are you feeling..?” He asked, his tone gentle.
Ryuji spared a glance to Ren before shifting his gaze back to the wall. He swallowed dryly, wanting to speak but he couldn’t find it in himself to do so.
Exhaling softly, Ren sat on the floor next to the bed; he wanted to give Ryuji the space he needed while showing him that he wasn’t about to leave his side. Not until he felt better and even then that wasn’t a guarantee.
“Thoughts crept up on you again?”
Ren looked up to his friend, watching as he nodded slightly. He frowned. “I’m here now. You’re going to be okay. We’ll get through this together.”
Ryuji made a small sound; an attempt at speaking as far as Ren could tell. With the attention drawn to him, he could see that the former athlete held out his hand. The brunet took a hold of his hand, caressing his skin with his thumb. He learned that it was one of the things that helped Ryuji calm down. Physical contact reminded him that he had someone there for him and who was he to deny that. With moments like these, the boundaries of their friendship would have been questioned. But at the end of the day, they cared for each other and it needed to be shown. They learned the world was too cruel to not show your friend the love they deserve.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Ryuji hesitated. He swallowed again before speaking, his voice cracking through his silent tone. “...Am I useless?”
“Not at all. You’re kind and considerate. You’re always willing to help. You’re one of our strongest teammates. You’re not useless at all.”
“I… was thinkin’ back to what the guys from the track team used to say. They were right. I just cause nothin’ but trouble. I brought down the track team. I’ll probably say somethin’ stupid and bring down the Phantom Thieves too—”
Ren was quick to cut him off. “Nonsense. Look at how far you’ve come, Ryuji.”
Silence.
The bespectacled teen pressed his lips together, remaining patient as he watched his best friend process everything. Self-doubt was something Ryuji constantly dealt with. Between remembering the verbal abuse he endured in the past and the pressure of having to keep up with his peers and teammates now, Ren could understand why he would relapse from time to time.
“I’m trying… I’m…”
“You’re doing great. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of everything you’ve done.”
“Even when I screw up?” A look of disdain came across his expression, bitter from his own statement.
“Even then. Because it’s a learning experience. You mess up, you learn, you succeed next time.” A pause and he smiled softly. “Look at me. I screwed up so badly and got sent here for probation. But if I didn’t screw up, I wouldn’t have met you…”
Shifting his gaze once more, Ryuji looked to Ren’s face. Seeing the smile on his face, he was brought a sense of relief. He exhaled with slight amusement.
“...Guess you got me there. Can’t really screw up more than you, can I?”
“I basically say I’m glad to have met you and you come after my life like that? I brought you your favorite snack to cheer you up, but I guess I’ll be keeping it to myself now.”
Ryuji let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head against his pillow. “Such a drama queen.”
“The best one there is around.” Ren responded, his smile widening from having heard the laugh. “...Feeling better?”
“A bit, yeah. I just… I’m sorry. I didn’t think I would start thinking that way. I remembered one thing and it kinda went from there.”
Raising his free hand, he waved dismissively. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. I just want to make sure you’re good.”
With their hands still enclosed within one another, Ryuji gave his a squeeze. A physical indication that he was going to be okay.
“I’ll be here for you as many times as you need me to be.” Ren added. “Until you can kick those thoughts in the ass like I know you can, I’ll always be here for you.”
“Thanks, RenRen. That… means a lot to me.”
“Anytime, Ryuji.”