Work Text:
Ryuji could tell that Yusuke was avoiding looking at him as they walked out of Tae Takemi’s clinic.
It was easy to forget how sedentary Yusuke was in the real world after seeing him fighting as Fox, so it didn’t really cross Ryuji’s mind that his health could be affected by his lack of physical exercise until Yusuke got injured in the Metaverse, and had to see a doctor—who scolded him for his unhealthy habits.
Ryuji looked at him, trying to think of what to say. “Yusu…”
“I didn’t think my health was in such a bad state,” Yusuke murmured.
That wasn’t surprising.
“Dude…” said Ryuji. “You might be pretty strong in the Metaverse, but you still need to take care of your body in the real world.”
“I know.” Yusuke lowered his eyes. “But I’m usually so focused on my art and our missions as Phantom Thieves, that there is little time for anything else.”
“You do have time to go out with me, though.”
“Of course I do. It is my priority.”
That immediate response made Ryuji smile. They had only been dating for a few weeks, but even before Ryuji confessed to him, Yusuke was always willing to spend time with him, even if only by doing different things in the same ambient.
“I guess we gotta use that time to make you healthier, then,” Ryuji thought for a moment. “How about we start exercising together? We could go for a run, so you won’t need to pay for the gym, and all that.”
Yusuke’s expression embittered, as if the idea was repulsive.
“C’mon, babe…” Ryuji insisted in a sweet voice. “I’m trying to help you.”
“I know…” Yusuke sighed. “I just can’t say that exercising is among the things I enjoy doing.”
Ryuji could understand the feeling: it probably wasn’t too different from when Makoto made him study with her in an attempt to save his grades. Sometimes, when he tried hard enough, she agreed to go somewhere fun with him once they were done, like the arcade, or his favorite ramen restaurant.
That thought brought an idea to Ryuji’s mind.
“Then,” he said, “if you give running with me a try tomorrow, I’ll do anything you ask me in exchange.”
That seemed to catch Yusuke’s interest. “Anything?”
An alert went off in Ryuji’s mind. “No naked posing, though.”
Yusuke seemed slightly disappointed. “You say that as if I’ve never seen your naked body before.”
“How can you say that with a straight face?” Ryuji shook his head. “Showering together and stuff is one thing… Posing with my ass out is too much.”
“That’s unfortunate…” Yusuke considered the proposal for a while longer, then smiled. “Very well, I have decided, then.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“If I agree to exercise with you, would you be willing to give painting a try?”
“Painting?” The suggestion caught Ryuji by surprise. “I mean, yeah… I could do that. But you sure you want this?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll suck, y’know?”
“The result doesn’t matter as much as the action,” said Yusuke. “I simply want to do something I enjoy with the person I love the most.”
He seemed really excited by the idea… It was pretty cute, to be honest.
“When you say it like that, I can’t really say no.” Ryuji smiled. “Okay, just don’t blame me when my painting ends up like crap.”
“I won’t.” Yusuke’s expression brightened with anticipation. “I’m looking forward to our artistic endeavors.”
Ryuji had to hold back his laugh. “You’re so easy to please.”
“Isn’t that a positive trait?”
“Yeah.” He leaned toward Yusuke, getting on the tip of his toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Love you.”
Yusuke responded by kissing Ryuji’s temple, walking close to him as they made their way to the train station.
They met in a public park after class the next day. Ryuji was happy with the idea of having a running partner after such a long time doing it on his own, while Yusuke… He didn’t seem too sure of it yet.
“Won’t I slow you down?” asked Yusuke.
Ryuji dismissed his worries with a gesture. “Nah, don’t worry. It’s good that I won’t force my leg too much.”
“Alright.”
They started slowly, with just a walk. Then, little by little, Ryuji improved the pace, and Yusuke accompanied him. He tried not to make the actual running parts too long or intense, allowing Yusuke to get used to it first. After a few minutes, when Ryuji noticed Yusuke was already about to reach his limit, they stopped, sitting on a bench.
“Are you okay?” asked Ryuji.
It took Yusuke a few seconds of heavy breathing before he was able to respond. “My heart is about to burst.”
“Take some deep breaths with your stomach.” Ryuji reached inside his bag, taking a water bottle from it. “Here, have some water.”
Yusuke took the bottle, drinking almost half of it in one go. He then returned the bottle to Ryuji, slouching forward and closing his eyes. “This feels awful.”
Ryuji gently patted his back. “It’s for your health, y’know?”
“Yes.” A few more deep breaths, then Yusuke straightened his back, drying the sweat from his face with a handkerchief he took from his pocket. “Very well… I suppose I can do it sometimes.”
“Three times a week?”
Yusuke averted his gaze, not seeming too happy. “I suppose…”
“Great!” Ryuji grinned. “And don’t even think of giving up… You already agreed, so I’ll drag you with me if I need to.”
The thought seemed to amuse Yusuke. “You won’t need to.”
They stayed there for a while, until Yusuke recovered from that exercise. Immediately, a wide smile took his face.
“Now, you must fulfill your end of the deal,” he said.
“Yeah, yeah. We’re going to your place?”
Yusuke agreed. They went to the Kosei dormitory, and Ryuji couldn’t help but notice how ecstatic Yusuke seemed, almost like a little kid who had been promised a gift. Ryuji had never been an artistic kind of person, but seeing how important it was to Yusuke made him care about art more than he ever did before.
By the time they reached Yusuke’s room, the sky was starting to darken, warning them of the incoming rain. Ryuji hoped it would stop before he had to leave, but soon the thought was pushed out of his mind by Yusuke, who started to pile up thick sheets of paper and other art materials on the floor, gesturing for Ryuji to sit there, close to him.
“I think this is the first time I paint anything since middle school…” said Ryuji.
“Don’t worry so much about making it pleasing to the eyes. Just paint whatever feels right to you.”
“I think that’s easier for an art nerd like you.” Ryuji shrugged. “But okay… I’ll give it a try.”
And try he did… Unfortunately, though, his art skills hadn’t magically improved a single bit in those past few years. After a few sad attempts, Ryuji sighed, defeated.
“Well…” he said. “I tried.”
Yusuke set his gorgeous works aside to take a better look at Ryuji’s. “I like them.”
Ryuji let out a short, incredulous laugh. “C’mon, Yusu… I know it’s trash.”
But Yusuke simply shook his head. “It shows you value my interests enough to give them a try. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than this.”
As usual, it didn’t take much to make Yusuke happy.
“I still wish I was better at it, though…” said Ryuji.
“You can better your skills if you keep practicing.” Yusuke paused, looking at Ryuji with a hopeful expression. “We could do this again sometime, if you’re interested.”
Oh, man… That guy was too cute. Ryuji couldn’t hold back a wide smile. “Sure, why not? It was fun.”
Yusuke beamed with the response. “I’m glad you think so.” He thought for a moment. “I enjoy this. Getting to learn more about the things that matter to you, and having you learn more about the things that matter to me.”
“Yeah… Me too.”
They returned those art materials to their rightful places, then, while their creations dried, they moved to Yusuke’s bed, dedicating the remaining time they had together to cuddling. When evening came, however, the rain outside was stronger than ever. Ryuji looked outside the window, watching the heavy raindrops falling against it: he wasn’t looking forward to the trip back home.
“It ain’t stopping, is it?” he murmured.
“Seems like it isn’t,” agreed Yusuke. “It would be difficult for you to go back like this, so why don’t you stay for the night?”
The suggestion was slightly surprising: Yusuke had spent countless nights in Ryuji’s home, but that would be the first time Ryuji did it in his room. He smiled. “Seems like a good idea.”
Saying that, Ryuji stretched his back, yawning. Yusuke observed him for a moment, before turning his attention back to the sketchbook he had in hand.
“You can borrow some clothes, if you want,” he said.
Ryuji giggled at the thought. “I’m not sure how they will look on me, but... Sure. Gimme the biggest shirt you have.”
Yusuke smiled at him, indicating the drawers against the wall. “Feel free to choose.”
Ryuji approached the drawers, searching its contents for a moment. He picked up an old long-sleeved t-shirt and sweatpants. “I guess these will do… Okay, time to turn into an art nerd.”
Saying that, he took off his t-shirt, replacing it with Yusuke’s. It was a little tight, but the soft material compensated for the slight discomfort. Next, he got rid of his uniform pants, wearing the other ones, which, as expected, were a little too long for him. He chuckled at the sight.
“I feel so big and so small at the same time.”
Yusuke, who observed him with an amused look, agreed. “Are you comfortable?”
“Yeah, they feel nice... And kinda smell like you.”
Pleased, Ryuji returned to the bed, getting comfortable there, while Yusuke continued to sketch. Ryuji’s attention turned back to the rain outside.
“Now that I know I won’t need to go back like this,” he said, “the rain sounds pretty nice...”
“Indeed.”
Ryuji briefly closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax. Soon, he felt a movement on the mattress, opening his eyes to see Yusuke’s face just a few centimeters away from his; he leaned forward, kissing Ryuji’s lips, then lay by his side, resting his head on Ryuji’s chest.
“What?” Ryuji placed a hand on his head, caressing his hair. “You want some attention?”
“I’m happy that you’re staying for the night.”
The sincere response warmed Ryuji’s heart. “You get happy with so little…”
“It’s not little,” answered Yusuke. “I’m blessed to have the person I love so close to me.”
Ryuji hadn’t seen it that way before, but now that Yusuke said it, he realized that he felt the same way.