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Late one evening, Riou receives a call.
“Yo,” Samatoki says. It’s easy to tell when it’s Samatoki speaking; he sounds no different over the phone than in person. “You free tonight?”
“Of course,” Riou says easily. For Mad Trigger Crew, he always is. “Is there a new mission?”
“No,” Samatoki says. “It’s a bar.”
Riou pauses. Why would he be needed at a bar in between missions? “Refueling for a mission…?”
“What- no, man, what the hell.” Samatoki sighs, and he’s silent for a moment. “I just… wanted to invite you for dinner. Team dinner. On me.”
Riou… was not anticipating that. He has never received an invitation of this sort before. A strictly social invitation between business partners…
“Drinks, too,” Samatoki says. “But don’t take advantage of it like I know shitty cop will.”
“Hm,” is all Riou says in response. Surely there are better people for this sort of activity than Riou. But Samatoki did call it a team meeting…
“I mean,” Samatoki continues, suddenly sounding quieter than before. “Only if you want to, you know. Don’t gotta come. Just thought maybe it’d be good for us, or… something, I don’t know, this sounds fucking stupid.”
Ah. He really does want Riou there. “I’ll be there.”
“Good,” Samatoki says, and Riou thinks he sounds relieved. “See ya.”
Samatoki hangs up. Riou stares at the receiver for a few seconds before putting it away. He’ll trust Samatoki’s judgement on this one.
Samatoki and Jyuto are acting strange today.
“Riou,” Samatoki says, holding a piece of meat in his chopsticks. Samatoki had gotten all three of them private seating in the back — which Riou can only assume is the result of some type of favor. But Riou thinks he ordered too much, even for the three of them. “You ever had this one before?”
Riou thinks he’s probably made it for himself before. “Not from here.”
“Try it,” Samatoki says, dropping it onto Riou’s plate. Usually, Samatoki loves to eat meat and will eat all of it on his own. Strange.
“Riou,” Jyuto says, “this restaurant is known for their seafood. You should try the eel.”
Jyuto puts the food onto Riou’s plate before he can move a muscle. Riou gets the impression that he’s being fed. It’s not bad, it’s just a bit… odd, coming from them.
“Thank you,” Riou says, because he is thankful, no matter how off it feels. Samatoki and Jyuto both smile at him, softer than he’s seen from either of them, and resume eating and talking quietly.
Strange. How strange.
Samatoki suggests they drink at his place after, and oddly enough, Jyuto agrees without any hesitation, so Riou follows. As soon they get there, Samatoki brings out a slightly concerning amount of beer for a single person and opens a case.
“Take one,” he says, holding it out to Riou. Riou hesitates.
“Maybe he doesn’t like your nasty ass beer,” Jyuto says, smirking, even though he’s holding an open can. Samatoki glares.
“As if your taste in those disgusting wines is much better,” Samatoki scowls. His face softens when he turns back to Riou. “It’s not gonna kill ya. Take it. On me.”
Riou doesn’t usually drink. Being incapacitated is dangerous, and the feeling of being drunk is not one he particularly enjoys, either. But one standard glass is not enough to significantly impair his functioning, so he accepts. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I got a whole case we can finish tonight.”
“You’re on your own with that,” Jyuto says. “This tastes terrible.”
“Then why the fuck are you drinking it,” Samatoki says, though he seems to be acting angrier than he actually is. “I’ll drink it for you if you’re gonna be fucking ungrateful about it.”
Jyuto just laughs, and him and Samatoki start bickering. There’s no real bite behind it, so Riou lets it happen. He tries the beer for himself, and it doesn’t taste good — too bitter — but he’ll at least try for them.
It gets late. All three of them are crowded onto Samatoki’s couch — despite the fact there’s other seating in the living room — with Riou in the middle. Samatoki always seems to be leaning against him, while Jyuto only does so when talking to Samatoki. It’s unfamiliar, but Riou doesn’t mind, so he lets it happen.
He is, however, still confused about the purpose of his presence here. Surely there is some type of mission he is needed for. He’s happy to spend time with them, but he knows he’s not the greatest company. He hasn’t had much to offer all night. Or maybe this is some type of test…? Samatoki and Jyuto have been acting strangely, after all. It could be that they’re making sure he is still fit for Mad Trigger Crew. Or worse, maybe they are in danger and trying to signal to him through their actions. If that’s the case, Riou should have taken action earlier, should have-
“Oi, Riou,” Samatoki says, snapping his fingers in front of Riou’s face. “You didn’t hear a damn thing, did you?”
He hadn’t. Ashamedly. “My apologies, I-“
“Nah, don’t apologize, it ain’t that serious.” Samatoki sits back, resting his elbow on Riou’s shoulder. “It's just that it’s midnight. June 21st now. Happy birthday.”
“You are so uncivilized,” Jyuto says, to which Samatoki just shrugs. Jyuto sighs, and then fixes Riou with a smile. “Happy birthday, Riou. It’s not a big celebration, but I hope you like it.”
Riou stares. He was not expecting this to be the reason for their strange behavior, or for them to go out of their way for him at all. “How did you know?”
“It’s on your dog tag,” Samatoki says, at the same time Jyuto says, “It’s in your file.”
So Samatoki somehow read his tag without him noticing, and Jyuto looked up his personal information… He’s surprised they care that much.
“Thank you,” Riou says, “but I don’t need-“
“I believe you came over to celebrate my birthday just a few weeks ago?” Jyuto says. “You said it was important for comrades to know and celebrate important days like this. We are simply doing what we should as a team.”
“What he said,” Samatoki says, then sighs. “Riou, you’re always so damn serious. Take it easy for a night, will ya? You can stay over here.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t put it as bluntly as Samatoki did, but the sentiment remains the same. You’re safe here. You can relax for tonight.”
Jyuto leans back, his shoulder touching Riou’s, while Samatoki rests his head on Riou’s other arm. Riou hasn’t been this physically close to anyone in years. Usually, being crowded makes him uncomfortable, and accepting gifts and favors is not something he normally does, but this feels warm. Doing it with Samatoki and Jyuto feels different, safe. He can enjoy this.
He smiles. “Thank you, Samatoki, Jyuto. I’ll be able to enjoy this day because of you.”