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Ryuji, he thinks, is a lot like the warm sun. Hot, warm, nourishing. Ren definitely needs him in his life.
But, Ryuji is also like the thunderstorm you’ve been yearning for while out in some arid, endless desert. The crashing thunder, lightning, the cool fresh air that comes with a storm coming in and―
―He coughs as he hits the ground.
Maybe thinking about this while they’re fighting Shadows wasn’t the best idea. In his defence, Ryuji―Skull was there, lightning crackling on his hands and a grin on his face as he fries a Shadow that’s weak to Zio.
He groans as he sits up, feeling drained from the attack. In the next second, Skull arrives, obviously worried. “You okay, man?”
“I’m goo―“ He starts to say, but then his mouth goes dry as Skull’s hands come up cup his face. Ren gulps as Skull checks for his injuries. Even with Skull not actively using his powers, he can feel shocks of electricity passing from the other’s hands, and he has to force himself to keep his eyes open, instead of closing them and folding into Skull like he wants to.
“Are you sure?” Skull asks with a frown and narrowed eyes.
“Just a bit drained,” he says quietly, truth spilling due to Skull’s stare.
“Why didn’t you say so!?” Skull whines, and Ren pouts as the warm hands on his face leave, “I should have som―aha!” Skull grins as he pulls out an energy bar from his pocket, shoving it into his face. “Eat!”
His eyes widen, “I―my arms.”
Can he move them? Probably. Will he? No.
Skull starts to frown again, but doesn’t complain as he opens the energy bar and feeds him. Ren gives him a grateful smile as he cheers inwardly.
Energy bar eaten, Skull pulls him up by his shoulders, and he hums as an arm stays around them, making him lean on Skull.
“Oh,” Ryuji says, and Ren’s forcibly reminded of the other Phantom Thieves as they stare at them. The Shadows have been defeated, and the other Thieves are now giving him unimpressed looks, with eyebrows raised under their masks.
He might have waxed poetic about Ryuji to all of them at some point, and will do so again in the future, but he ignores that and just gives a tiny what can you do? shrug beneath Ryuji’s arm, blinking innocently at them.
Ren pouts as Ryuji plays with his phone. Lying on his own bed. With his boyfriend right next to him! Sighing, he rolls over to lie on top of his boyfriend, and Ryuji looks away from his phone to smile at him. “Ryuji,” he says (whines), who’s smile gets even
wider before leaning up to kiss him.
The shock is sudden, going all the way down to his toes, and he shudders, ending the kiss. “What happened?” Ryuji asks, face full of worry.
“You just zapped me,” he says with a grin.
“What?!” Ryuji yelps, and moves out from under him to stand.
Blinking, he crosses his legs as Ryuji bites his nails. “It was nothing, Ryuji. Come back.”
“But―But I could hurt you, or―“
“You can’t. It was like licking the end of a battery, it wasn’t painful. Just sudden,” he explains. “Ryuji,” he holds out his hands, and after a few moments Ryuji grabs them, still looking troubled, “it’s fine, I swear,” he squeezes his boyfriend’s hands, focusing on how warm they are, “I don’t mind it,” he says quietly.
“Is this some weird fetish thing?”
“It’s more of a you thing,” he wriggles his eyebrows, and Ryuji rolls his eyes.
“Weirdo,” his boyfriend mutters before leaning down to kiss him chastely.
“Your weirdo.”
[Fin]