Chapter Text
Ryuji wasn’t sure when it had started, but by the time he realized his feeling for Akira was way more than purely platonic, he knew he was already in too deep to pull out.
Ryuji had never thought he’d ever fall for a guy. Hot chicks had always been his type. Big eyes, soft boobs, slim waist, soft hair, long fingers—yeah, these were his things. Then the fact that Akira possessed nearly all these traits (the boobs were the exception, obviously) was impossible to dismiss. Seriously, that dude looked far better than a lot of girls and boys Ryuji’d known. Even with his thick-rimmed fake glasses and crazy nest of messy curls, he was still like a model walking out of a fashion magazine, his handsome features and perfect body shape refused to stay hidden…
How’d Ryuji know these? Uh, he was dense, but not blind. And no, he definitely didn’t goggle at his bro, even though there was this one time when they hit the gym and Akira was right there next to him changing out of his sweaty shirt after a grueling workout and it was totally an accident that Ryuji took a glimpse at his glistening torso (Damn, when did Akira got so toned!?) and the glimpse turned into a long stare until his best friend’s concerned “Ryuji, you okay?” snapped him out of his momentary brain freeze—
…Fine, maybe he was goggling a bit.
But of course, Ryuji wasn’t that superficial to care only about the appearance; to say Akira only got the look would be a huge insult to his character anyway. That guy was so much more—he was cool as hell, and kind, intelligent, dauntless, reliable, funny, caring. You name it. Always looking out for his friends and even people he barely knew, putting their needs over his own and even going as far as sacrificing his well-being to make other people’s lives easier.
Akira had been by Ryuji’s side and had his back right from the very beginning. Since then his resilience and solidity had become a pillar that Ryuji had leaned on for countless times. Even though the guy wasn’t the chatty type, he just always seemed to know what to say to make you laugh when you were having a rough day, make you feel valued when you felt like no one gave a dame about you. He was just there listening when you got to vent, ready to give you support and whatever you needed to make it through the day. Even without saying a word, his presence alone was already grounding and comforting.
Yeah. That was pretty much his awesome friend, his best buddy, his leader. It was probably one-sided and might sound damn mushy like some melodramatic chick in those corny flicks that Ann loved to binge-watch so much, but Ryuji would even go as far as to call Akira his soul mate. Because that was the truth; he felt like Akira truly understood him, and he relished every minute he got to spend with him. Ryuji just couldn’t will himself to leave his side for too long. There was something special about Akira, unassuming at first glance but when you get close enough this alluring aura of his would keep drawing you in like a moth to a flame.
“You’re like a puppy following around his owner,” Morgana had once teased him when he had come pick Akira up after his shift at Untouchable, planning to grab dinner at the beef bowl diner across the street together.
Ryuji could feel heat creeping into his face, but managed to shoot back, “Says the cat who follows Akira wherever he goes!”
The cat was right if he were being honest with himself though—he thrived to be the center of the leader’s attention, not entirely unlike a puppy eager to please his human companion. Whenever Akira said yes to his hangout invitation—hell, even just by looking at him in the eyes, speaking to him, his heart would do this little giddy flipflap kind of like a runner’s high. The things Ryuji would do to spend more time with Akira, to make the two of them become something more than best bros…
But no, he couldn’t risk it, for fears that it might ruin their friendship and the whole Phantom Thieves team dynamic. A lot was riding on the tight bond they had created in the last few months, both in the real world and when engaged in battle in the Metaverse. Not to mention Akira and the rest of the Thieves were the best things that had happened to him ever since…since Kamoshida. Him being selfish and acting on his emotions and confessing to his bro would surely mess things up. He couldn’t afford that.
So yeah, Ryuji was set upon keeping his giant crush a secret.
That was until one day, Ann threw out the question while the group was in Big Bang Burger upon returning from another Mementos training. Ryuji, Ann and Yusuke, their latest member, were waiting in a booth while Akira queued up in line waiting to order.
“So when are you gonna tell him?” Ann said out of the blue, propping her chin in her palm.
“Huh? Tell who what?”
She gave him a knowing look. “Akira. That you love him.”
His heart came to a screeching stop. “W-What!?” He was glad he wasn’t eating yet or the food would no doubt go down the wrong pipe. “I-I dunno what you’re talkin’ about!”
“Oh sure you do,” she wriggled her eyebrows playfully. “You think you can hide from me, Ann Takamaki the love expert, with the way you’ve been eyeing him lately?”
Oh crap. He wasn’t that transparent, was he?
Before Ryuji’s brain could come up with an excuse, Yusuke spoke up, “I too agree it is rather obvious you are romantically attracted to our leader, Ryuji. Akira to you too, I believe. To be blunt, I find it quite inconceivable that the two of you aren’t already an item.”
“Wait, nononono we ain’t datin’ or anythin’! Where the eff did ya even get that idea from!?” And Akira liking him back? There was just no freaking way.
“My apologies for assuming, but it seemed to me the two of you were always together, reluctant to leave each other’s side.”
“W-we’re just, uh, really close I guess…He-we’re best friends! Yeah, yeah…at least I see him as my best friend…”
“Don’t play dumb, Sakamoto. I know you love him,” Ann teased.
“I-! I wouldn’t call it love so soon--” he blurted out.
“A-ha!” Ann pointed at his nose, looking all victorious. “So you don’t deny you’re into him!”
Ryuji dropped his head into his palms and groaned. This wasn’t how he imagined coming out to his friends at all. “…I hate you, Ann.”
“No, you don’t. You love me, well, not in the way you love Akira, apparently.”
“Ughhh…am I really that obvious?”
“What do you think? Even Yusuke here can tell there’s something going on between you two. Mind you, it’s Yusuke we’re talking about.”
Yusuke tilted his head slightly to the side. “I’m afraid I don’t quite get what you’re insinuating, Ann.”
The blonde girl raised an eyebrow at the artist before turning to Ryuji, “See?”
He sighed, shoulders dropping. “Guess you’ve got a point…”
Something seemed to click inside of Yusuke’s head. “Oh, are you suppressing your feeling for Akira because of me? How considerate of you, Ryuji!”
“Wha--that’s not--!”
Before he could finish, Yusuke cut him off, “While I do view Akira as a great friend and his appearance is aesthetically pleasing, I assure you my sentiment purely stems from my artistic pursuits and I have no intention of turning our friendship into a romantic one.” He added with a smile, “Thus you have my whole-hearted blessing to court Akira. The two of you look perfect together.”
“No Yusuke I ain’t--”
“Did I hear my name?” And suddenly Akira was there in front of them with a tray full of food, and Ryuji shrieked so loud and high-pitched that half of the patrons in the diner turned around to give them the stink eye.
“Ryuji, are you alright? You look all flushed,” Akira asked as he put down the food and took the seat beside him, who had to avoid the leader’s intense gaze to prevent his own face from combusting. Ann’s amused look and Yusuke’s encouraging expression from across the table did absolutely nothing to help his situation.
“Y-yeah, dude! J-just the heat! It’s really hot in here! Haha!”
Apparently Akira wasn’t sold, because the next second he put his hand on Ryuji’s forehead to feel his temperature. Ryuji swore his face went aflame right that instant.
“Huh, I think you’re running a fever.”
Ryuji grabbed the chilled soda in front of him and downed the whole bottle in record time.
------
For a while, Ryuji was content with just being Akira’s best friend and his right-hand man in battle. Getting to spend time with the leader when he was free was enough. It had to be. After all, Akira was a busy guy and too amazing a guy to be chained down and monopolized by a single person, even if said person was his best bro. Akira deserved all the attention and love in the world after he’d been wrongly accused of a crime he didn’t commit and then abandoned by his shitty parents and old friends. Ryuji couldn’t be that selfish to want to keep him all to himself.
But to his dismay, as their little group of rowdy misfits expanded, the time Ryuji got to spend with Akira alone became less and less. Sure, they still met up as a group frequently for Phantom Thieves business, but it was different from those one-on-one quality time when he could bask himself in his bro’s full attention.
He tried to ignore this pang in his chest and not look too disappointed whenever Akira turned down his invitation to hang out with a contrite apology because he had a part-time job or commitment to one of his many confidants, promising to make it up to him another day. Ryuji did his best to maintain his cheerful expression as he waved Akira off, hoping he didn’t look too much like a whining child craving his parent’s love. But it got harder and harder to do so as time went on.
Especially now that Makoto had officially joined the team and Akira seemed really invested in making her feel welcome. Ryuji couldn’t blame him. The Prez might seem stoic at first and was constantly nagging them (mostly just Ryuji and Ann as Akira was already top of his class) to study, but she was actually pretty cool, an easy-going senpai who loved to take care of her friends. She was smart too, just like Akira, but the exact opposite of Ryuji who was loud and hotheaded and didn’t think things through before acting on them, which more often than not got him into trouble.
On top of all that, the Prez rode an effing bike in the Metaverse—seriously, how cool was that! Not that Captain Kidd’s pirate boat wasn’t cool enough, but you got to admit a motorcycle was another whole level of coolness.
So maybe Akira found her ass-kicking too? Maybe he was even…into her? It wouldn’t be that surprising if he was. The leader and the strategist did look good as a couple. And Akira was all nice and attentive to her lately, but then he was nice and attentive to all of his teammates and friends, Ryuji included. That was just who he was. So that didn’t necessarily had to mean he had a crush on her…right?
Yeah…definitely. Ryuji was just…overthinking…
------
“Today’s your birthday!?” Akira shot up from the makeshift seat crate he’d been slouching in in the fishing pod in Ichigaya. Ryuji couldn’t recall a time when the normally level-headed leader looked this shocked and panicked, his eyes as big as saucers.
“Ugh…yeah…?”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?”
“It slipped my mind...?” The blonde scratched the back of his neck. “It ain’t like I got a big celebration party every year, y’know, not even before my Da—that bastard left us.”
He had meant to say that to lessen his friend’s guilt, but it clearly didn’t help. If anything, Akira looked more distraught at his words as he sat back down.
“C’mon, dude, it really ain’t that big of a deal!” He lightly elbowed Akira’s arm, careful not to jostle the fishing rods in their hands too much.
“But it is—it’s your birthday! And I didn’t get you anything.” Akira twirled his bangs between his fingers, looking all moody and pouty and, Ryuji thought to himself, kinda adorable. “I feel like a shitty friend right now.”
“Nah…it’s alright, man. You’re a true bro, really,” he grinned, and then in a much lower voice that he was sure the other couldn’t catch, added, “Already got what I wanted anyway.”
I get to spend all day with ya. What else can I ask for?
“What was that?”
“N-nothing! Just sayin’ if it’d make you feel better, you can treat me to ramen after we’re done here!”
Akira snorted. “You can at least choose something a little more expensive. We eat ramen together at least twice a week.”
“Nah, ramen’s fine. I like ramen.” I like you. He desperately wanted to say that, but settled for looping his arm around his best friend’s shoulders as they continued waiting for the fish to take the bait.