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When Ren was first been shipped off to Tokyo, he had been more homesick in those first few days than he ever imagined he could be. Arriving alone in an unfamiliar city, sprawling impossibly larger than the small town he was used to just to live in the dusty attic of a man who seemed ready to toss him at the first wrong step made him ache for the familiar hills of his home town. Sure, he didn't really have much in the way of friends and his parents left him to his own devices most of the time, but the loneliness was comfortable and easy to disappear into. Here though, everything was big, loud, and unfamiliar, with eyes always on him in silent (and sometimes not) judgment.
Despite none of that changing, the homesickness had quickly faded as he was launched head first into a tale of supernatural thievery and adventure. Things were busy, and exciting, and he had actually made friends. And none of them were quite so special as the not-cat, Morgana. The feline creature had quickly nominated him as his host in reality, but what started as a relationship born of mutual benefit quickly turned into an important partnership. His furry friend had made himself an irreplaceable part of Ren's life. When it came time for him to leave behind the life he'd built in Tokyo, it was a relief that at least one of his new, dear friends wouldn't have to be parted with. Proving them to be truly inseparable, Morgana had declared that wherever Ren went, he would dutifully follow.
The lonely train ride away from the city he'd come to love is eased slightly by his companion. Morgana springing from his bag on the platform had been a welcome surprise, to be sure. The thought that he might have to leave without saying goodbye to him had made his chest burn, like a gaping wound he had no way to close. Now though, he watches the cat-like creature sleep in his bag on the seat beside him while the train speeds along and the idea of returning to Inaba doesn't feel so much like an ending. Ren reaches over to scratch Morgana under the chin, earning him some pleased purring that turn his lips up in a faint smile. Things would be different again, but at least they were doing it together.
Arriving at the station, he's not at all surprised to find no one there to meet him. Ears flat against his skull clearly broadcast Morgana's displeasure. "You were gone for a year, the least they could do is come pick up their only son." He grouses from his regular perch as he takes in the unfamiliar countryside. Ren doesn't really mind the walk. It beats an uncomfortable car ride with his parents any day, and the sun is shining warm on his face, making it well worth the effort. It gives him plenty of time to stretch his legs after the train, anyway. He knows the route from the station to his house by heart, yet it feels so foreign now. The houses are the same, as were the neighbors, but Ren isn't. For better or worse, his year away had irrevocably changed him. Would his parents even recognize him when he walked through the front door? Would he recognize them?
It didn't matter, in the end. When he arrives at the house, neither of them are there, leaving him and Morgana to settle into the stillness of the house alone. The cardboard boxes he'd mailed home ahead of him are stacked outside his bedroom door. Letting himself in, it's clear from the stale, musty air that no one set foot inside since he left. Morgana gets a brief tour of the house, which he appraises with a judgmental gaze, before he sets about reclaiming his space. The lone window in the room is tossed open before anything else; the March breeze brings a chill to the room, but it beats the suffocating air of his room, so it stays open as he unpacks his boxes. Morgana lets out a sneeze as he settles on the bed, content to watch him sort through clothes. "You traded one dusty room for another. At least this one should be easier to clean." He says with a sort of shrug as he lazily grooms himself.
There is occasional commentary as Ren works through the boxes, something he welcomes. He smiles as he listens to the familiar chatter from the boyish voice of his friend; it would seem strange to an outsider that between boy and cat, it was Morgana who was the talkative one of the two. Ren had never been much of a talker, though, and Mona never seemed to mind carrying the conversation. Now is no exception, alone in house that feels strange to them both, and it makes the job of unpacking into light work.
Arriving at the final box gives Ren pause, though. Rather than the clothes and toiletries of the other two boxes, this one has contents much more precious. Trinkets and figurines, assorted posters and statues, a carefully folded flag, bright red like a familiar pair of gloves he'd likely never wear again; this one contained the many gifts that had decorated his attic bedroom, each one a gift from a trusted confidant. Running his thumb across the corner of the flag, he contemplates if he should bring it out. The fabric is cheap and thin, something produced quickly in the height of their popularity; it's no less special to him, though. It's proof that he did something worthwhile. Even if the only ones who will ever know the truth are a handful of trusted friends (and a small section of the public security department) he had been apart of something bigger than himself, something that made a difference. He'd hang the flag up...someday. Today, having just left it all behind, it carries too big an ache, much like everything else packed beside it, so he folds the top of the box back up and slides it under his bed for another day.
"I almost forgot that was today." The new voice makes him jump. He whips to the doorway to see his mother standing there, frustratingly neutral expression on her face as she takes him in. Her eyes drift over to Morgana, posture now rigid as he lays still on the bed. "I see you decided to bring it with you after all." She says finally. Ren had never mentioned Morgana to either of his parents before. Sojiro must have told them at some point; God knew he'd probably spoken the elder Amamiyas more than their own son had while he was gone. His mother just nods at them. "Just make sure it behaves. As long as it keeps out of your father's way, it should be fine." It's apparently the end of the conversation as she doesn't wait for any sort of response, silently gliding back down the hallway.
"So that's your mom, huh? Makes me wonder what your dad will be like." The cat trails off, an expression etched on his face that Ren had come to recognize as uncertainty. He scratches Morgana behind the ears, pushing his own uncertainty aside. When his father does finally come home, hours later, they see little of each other, which is definitely for the best, and he would insist to anyone who asked, himself included, didn't sting. They're barely acknowledged by the man of the house, and he says nothing about Morgana, so that's that.
Ren pointedly waits to eat until he's sure neither of his parents are near the kitchen. Never the 'family dinner' sort of home, Ren is long since used to feeding himself, but having only just gotten home, he's had no chance to get groceries, and the pantry is sorely lacking options. Dinner that night is beef bowls from the local Chinese diner, delivered to the corner of the street so as not to bother his parents. Morgana doesn't comment as they wait on the chilly sidewalk in the dark, but he can feel the disapproval. Ren does his best to placate him with the best pieces of beef from his meal.
As he readjusted to his childhood home, Morgana was a much needed balm, lessening the ache of missing the rest of the people he held so dear. The first few days were particularly brutal; barely seeing his parents, Ren and Morgana were left to their own devices. He feels something like a ghost haunting the walls of a place he used to consider home, floating through the halls of his childhood, unseen and unheard.
Getting up in the morning to a silent house feels wrong now. No Boss in the kitchen, no smell of curry or coffee to greet him. It leaves an empty feeling in his chest that Ren does his best to shove down. When he gives Morgana a tour of the rural Inaba, he lingers in the local Junes long enough to get equipment to make his own coffee, the way his guardian had taught him. None of it was close to the quality of the tools at Leblanc, but they'd suffice. The bean selection was lacking, though, so he'd have to turn to online ordering for anything worthwhile. He cooks them curry when they get home and for a short while, home doesn't feel so far away.
It doesn't last. By the time he starts back at school, the sickening loneliness has sunk its claws back in. He's unable to sneak Morgana in to Yasogami, leaving him to face the school days alone. School passes in a haze now. He pays enough attention to get by, but that's about all he can say about it. Whispers follow him the same way they did in his early days at Shujin, but he shrugs them off. He isn't invested enough to let them bother him. He keeps his head low and powers through until he can go home and talk to his friends.
Nearly two weeks after they'd arrived, Morgana gives him a look that he can't decipher as he watches Ren lay in bed, lazily texting his friends. Seemingly coming to a decision, the feline prods at him, butting his head against Ren's. "I know it's kinda boring here, but I was thinking, maybe you could find a job. It'd be a good way to occupy your time, and then you can save up to do something fun, too." The boy gives a half shrug at the suggestion. "Come on, we can find something where I can go with you, like we used to! I'm kinda bored too, you know."
Finally, Ren relents. He had made some good points, he supposed. Standing up from his bed with a back arching stretch, he nods for Morgana to follow him. "We may as well start looking now."
Mona's little face lights up in a way that makes Ren's chest ache inexplicably. When was the last time he'd seemed this happy? "Perfect! Just maybe not Junes, though. That place gives off weird vibes." He said with a shudder.
The two of them end up on a purposeful stroll through Inaba's little shopping district. A few places like the diner and Shiroku are immediately written off for how unlikely Ren thinks it would be to get away with Morgana tagging along, secretly or otherwise. It drastically narrows down the search of an already shallow pool of options, but he's not one to give up easily. Now that he's outside with his friend leaning on his shoulder, happily chatting in his ear, Ren feels almost relieved. It quiets the restless energy he'd been unsure what to do with.
At some point, they end up in the local textile shop. About as small as small businesses went, the little shop had been around for longer than Ren could even be sure of, having been run by the Tatsumi family for generations. It seemed like a long shot for employment, all things considered, but at this point he was running out of options unless he could get Morgana to cave on the Junes embargo. The interior of the store boasts brightly colored fabrics, hand-made accessories, and more, all leagues above the quality of goods you'd find in any chain store. So taken in by the beautiful items, Ren doesn't clock the shopkeeper until he greets him. "Welcome in! Is there something I can help you with?" He whips his head in the direction of the man who'd spoken. A touch too loud in his opinion, but the man seems friendly enough. His presence manning the shop is enough to clue Ren in on who he is, but the distinctive scar on his forehead is enough to confirm it as Kanji Tatsumi, son of the current owner.
"Ah, maybe. I'm looking for some part-time work and I was wondering if you needed any assistance." He recites the same spiel he’s given to every other shop owner on the street.
"Oh, you a high schooler? I've been thinking I could use an extra hand now and then, actually. You thinking after-school hours?" Ren blinks in surprise. This was the farthest he'd gotten in asking for a job all day. A few of the others had hemmed and hawed, maybe even really considering it, but ultimately they hadn't needed the help, especially not on such limited basis.
He flounders too long, causing Morgana to slam into his side from inside his bag, hissing him. "Answer him!"
"Sorry, yes, I am! I'm not in any clubs, so if there were any specific days you needed help, I could be available."
But his stumble had derailed the discussion. "Did your bag just move?" A brutal train crash. "Did it just hiss? You got a cat in there?" A fiery crash that you couldn't look away from. Great. Bracing himself for the worst, he expects Tatsumi to rip him a new one for bringing a cat into his fabric shop with his shedding fur and sharp claws. Instead, the young man's eyes light up. "Can I see it?" He practically begs.
Ren's expectations once again turned upside down, he complies. "Uh, yeah." Carefully unzipping the opening further, he coaxes a sheepish Morgana into the open. "His name is Morgana."
"Hey little guy." Kanji extends a hand for Morgana to inspect. "Is it cool if I pet him?"
"As long as he's okay with it."
"I'll allow it." Morgana says haughtily as he leans his head into the delighted Kanji's hand.
The man wastes no time showering his friend with affection, something Morgana is clearly enjoying if the rumbling purrs are anything to go by. "So, do you usually bring your cat places with you?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Cool. If, uh, he's chill and doesn't mess with any of the goods, I don't mind if he hangs out while you're working."
"While I'm working?" Things had very quickly gotten off track, but it seemed to Ren like he was being offered a job; they’d just skipped over some important parts.
"Oh, right! I didn't technically offer you a job yet. If you're serious about it, you can start on Monday after school. I'll teach you what you need to know, shouldn't be hard. I'll just have you manning the front of the shop, moving stock, easy shit like that."
"Yeah, that sounds good. I can be here Monday, then." He looks down at Morgana, blissfully hanging out of the bag. "Or I guess we will be here?"
"Sounds good!" Kanji waves them off cheerfully.
He leaves the little shop in a daze. After the run of rejections he'd had, to suddenly have been enthusiastically offered the perfect job almost felt wrong. Ren half expects to show up on Monday to be told that it had all been a joke and send them packing, but the shoe he's waiting to drop never does. Kanji Tatsumi proves to be an enthusiastic and patient boss. There's a vague recollection of the rumors that had followed the older boy back when Ren was just in elementary school, whispers of a violent, angry delinquent, nothing but trouble. He knows better than to listen to rumors like that, and he'd never put much stock in them even then; it's still baffling though, how many good people seem to be stuck with outlandish labels because society couldn't be bothered to look a little closer. No, much like the other 'delinquents' he knew, Kanji didn't match his reputation from 5 years ago, and not just because he'd long since stopped dying his hair.
They quickly get into a rhythm after that. Ren meets Morgana outside Yasogami High's gates, and they make their way to Tatsumi Textiles most days. Even if Kanji doesn't need his help that day, he always offers to let the pair hang around the store 'just in case'. If his boss has any thoughts about his seeming preference to hang around the store instead of his own home, he never voices them, at least not to Ren. He doesn't admit it put loud, but it seems Morgana had been right to push him to get a job. The change brought him out of the slump he'd sunk into, at least for a little while. Of course, these things never seem to last. Not for him, at least.
Just at the start of Golden Week, things take a nose dive. The morning starts off badly when he wakes up off kilter, an unpleasant dream that he can't fully remember lingering on the edge of his consciousness. It's not unusual, after Tokyo, but still off-putting. He's never sure if it's better when he can't remember or not. Things get worse before he even gets out of bed. Checking his phone, he sees a string of messages from Ryuji. His best friend was set to come visit, having secured permission to travel during Golden Week. Instead of confirmation of his impending arrival, though, Ren is met with a series of apologetic texts. Ryuji is no longer able to come, the messages explain, to take care of his mother who'd fallen sick the night before. Ren knows that the apologies and promises to reschedule are genuine, so he assures his friend that all is well and wishes both Sakamotos the best.
Flopping back in bed, his mood sours further. Logically, he knows Ryuji didn't bail on him on purpose. He's just being a good son, taking care of his hardworking mother when she was ill. He knows this is in no way about him. But logic plays no part in the sinking feeling of rejection festering in his chest. It takes him longer than it has in weeks to pull himself out of bed.
Morgana’s unnaturally blue eyes feel especially piercing as Ren gives him the update while he’s making himself a cup of coffee. The beans he’d bought are nearly gone; maybe he’d ask Sojiro for recommendations. “It figures that Ryuji would bail at the last minute.” There’s no bite to Morgana’s statement, he knows that. That doesn’t stop it from rubbing him the wrong way.
“Don’t say it like that.” Ren sighs, failing to keep the frustration from creeping into his voice. “He didn’t just bail, it’s not his fault his mom is sick.”
There’s a look of genuine surprise on Morgana’s little face, and it does briefly send a pang of guilt in chest. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s actually surprisingly mature of him to prioritize his mother that way. Though I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising, he’s always been kind of a mama’s boy, hasn’t he?” Ren isn’t sure what to say to that, not when his companion continues to wear a troubled expression that seems reserved for him.
"Who are you talking to?" It’s not the rescue he was hoping for. His father has seemingly taken a detour on his way out of the house to appear in the kitchen entryway and his tone is dangerous, teetering on the edge of trouble if he doesn't like the answer.
Ren doesn’t meet his eyes. "Just Morgana."
"I'd be careful, boy, or someone might think you expected that cat to talk back." His measured words are a warning, a threat to mind his appearances. That a boy who held conversations with animals got people talking about you, about your upbringing, and not anything good.
Ren grips the mug in his hands tighter, giving a terse nod in response. "Understood."
Morgana waits until they hear his father leave out the front door. "I hate the way he talks to you." He growls, hackles raised. "He shouldn't be able to get away with that! If the Metaverse were still here-"
Something dark inside him bubbles over. "It's not!" Ren snaps before he can stop himself. "We're not Phantom Thieves anymore." He scrubs his hand over his face in frustration. "It's fine, so just let it go."
"How can you say it's fine! It isn't!" Practically wailing in protest, Morgana jumps to the counter, closing the distance between them. “Your father, both of your parents have been awful since we got here! They barely speak to you, and when they do it’s just to criticize you or-or make it about them somehow! They’re the exact kind of people we would’ve tracked down in Mementos and changed their hearts, so why do you just pretend it’s not a problem?”
“It doesn’t matter, Morgana.” Ren doesn’t understand why Morgana can’t just leave well enough alone. He’s dealt with his parents’ chilly distance for as long as he can remember; what’s one more year before they can leave and not look back?
“Of course it matters! They’re hurting you, so it matters.”
“No, Mona, it doesn’t matter because there’s nothing you can do. There’s no more changing hearts! Unless you can meow at them until they decide to be better parents, this is just how it is. You’re just a cat now.” He spits at him. The regret is once again instantaneous as the little tuxedo flinches like he’d been hit. “We’re nothing now.” Ren tells him, his own voice sounding exhausted. He can’t bear to wait around for some sort of response. He stalks out of the house, slamming the door behind him and just walks. He doesn’t have any sort of destination in mind, only a desperate need to release the frenzied energy.
It’s a good thing there isn’t any class today, because Ren wouldn’t have made it. He isn’t really sure how long he ends up wandering, mindlessly going wherever his feet take him. Making a pass by the riverbank, he almost stops there for a quiet place to think. ‘To brood’ he can almost hear Morgana tell him. The thought pushes him beyond the tranquil spot. Being alone with just his thoughts doesn’t really appeal to him at the moment, anyway.
From there he does walk with a purpose, an end point in mind. It’s just after noon when he arrives at Tatsumi Textiles. Kanji raises his eyebrows in surprise at the sight of him. “I thought you weren’t coming in this week. Isn’t your city friend coming to visit, or something?”
“Last minute change of plans. He can’t make it, so I figured I’d see if you needed help instead.” Ren tries to keep his tone casual, unbothered, but all of the ugly feelings from before bubble beneath the surface, just on the edge of breaking through.
“I won’t say no to an extra set of hands. I’ve got plenty of new orders to work on. Man, you sure switched things up on me today, you didn’t even bring the cat with you, huh?” And then Ren nearly knocks over a display at the mention of his partner in crime. It’s impossible for him to put into words, at least none that he could explain to Kanji, so he just stands there, fists clenched so hard he already knows his finger nails will have left marks on his palms. He’s angry, at Morgana for picking at old wounds, things he told himself didn’t bother him anymore; he’s also angry at himself, more so than anything else. Mona may not have meant to target something sensitive, but Ren couldn’t say the same. And how could he say any of this to Kanji, who’s looking at him with such concern now, without sounding like he’s crazy? He can’t. "Hey, if you're not feeling up to working today, I can manage fine just me." His boss tells him.
"No." The forceful reply is as much a surprise for Ren as it is for Kanji. He doesn't try to take it back though. The two of them lock eyes, holding each others’ gaze before the older of the two finally nods.
“Suit yourself. We got some new stuff I’ve been wanting to display, so you can work on getting that set up. There’s a couple of boxes in the back, you can’t miss ‘em.” Kanji relents, shrugging with a measured casualness. Ren grabs the lifeline with both hands, throwing himself into whatever work his boss invents for him. Every mundane task is something to keep him from dwelling on his earlier outburst, from spiraling completely. He’s still there when the sun starts dipping behind the mountains, which is finally the point where Kanji kicks him out. “Get your ass home, kid. It’s supposed to rain soon, I ain’t gonna be responsible for you gettin’ sick.” And so Ren has no more excuse to avoid his house.
The evening air has a bite to it, an uncharacteristic chill for so late in the season. It sweeps through him as he walks home alone under the gray sky, pushing his mind further into an unpleasant head space. Like Kanji had predicted, it starts to rain halfway home. He doesn't bother searching for his umbrella, letting the rain slowly seep into his clothes. By the time he walks through the front door, his hair and shoulders are completely soaked. As he trudges through the silent house to his bedroom, he doesn’t see any sign of Morgana. Realistically he knows Morgana wouldn’t have gone far if he even left the house at all, but it doesn’t stop the Phantom Thieves big fight from coming to mind. For as badly as he’d messed up, though, he chooses to believe Morgana will keep to his word and not run away again; the day catches up to him anyway, exhaustion hitting him full force, so he peels off the wettest of his clothes and climbs into bed. Despite the lack of his usual companion, he’s asleep almost instantly.
The unconscious realm isn’t kind to him. That night he dreams of handcuffs tightened flush against his wrists, rendering them raw and bruised. The same cops that haunt him even in his waking hours are there, with their needles and violence and cold, smug sneers. It’s a familiar dream, perhaps more vivid now than during the drug-induced haze through which he’d lived it. He comes to consciousness in drenched in a cold sweat; he thinks he might have been screaming.
In his bleary panic he tries to get out of bed, desperate to get anywhere else; this turns out to be a mistake. In the wake of the nightmare, Ren’s mind hasn’t fully adjusted to the waking world and for a moment too long he thinks he’s in a different bed than the one in his childhood bedroom, but rather the thinning futon in Leblanc’s attic that he’d called his for year and left behind not so long ago. He is painfully jarred from this mistaken location by slamming into the wall instead of sliding out of bed like he’d expected. The difference in layout meant the orientation of the beds was different, making for a painful mistake.
He’s glad to remember that his father is away on business, knowing he hadn’t woken him. His mother relied too heavily on sleeping pills to be disturbed once she was out. Morgana, though, seemed to be another story; through the haze of confusion and panicked breathing emerges his savior. Despite having holed up somewhere else in the house besides his usual spot on Ren’s chest, he finally took advantage of the cracked bedroom door, streaking in with a wild look in his eyes. The cat wastes no time to offer comfort, rubbing his face against Ren's tear soaked cheeks. He hadn’t even realized that he was crying.
The little tuxedo cat doesn’t speak as Ren works to quiet his sobs, offering his presence, silent save for the rumbling purrs. Eventually the cries quiet enough for him to face Morgana for the first time since that morning. There’s so much Ren wants to say and also doesn’t want to say. Really, he’s not sure if he should start with gratitude or an apology, or if they would even be welcome. He’s beaten to the punch. “I’m not still mad at you.” Morgana says, as if he knew the unspoken question that lingered on the edges of his mind.
Taking a shaky breath, he scrubs a the tear stains on his face. “You’re not? Why?”
Morgana gives what Ren has come to recognize as his own version of a shrug, limited by his cat-shaped body. “You needed me.” He said simply. And suddenly Ren feels like he wants to start crying again. Focusing instead on the feeling of fur under his hand, he pushes the urge to the side as Mona gently butts his head against his rib cage. “Come on, you won’t get back to sleep like this. I think we still have some of that nice chamomile tea downstairs.”
Ren’s too tired to put up a fight, and it feels paradoxical that it leads him to get out of bed (right-way-round this time). Not wanting to let go of his friend, Morgana is carried to the dimly lit kitchen. He’s loath to give up the comfort he provides, but it proves hard to fill the electric kettle with his arms full of cat, so he frees Morgana. They both pointedly ignore how his hands shake as he prepares their drinks. Ren is mulling over how best to say the things he needs to as he pours their tea, one mug and one saucer, when Morgana beats him to it for the second time.
"I’m sorry I was so pushy.” Ren is the one who should be apologizing, he thinks, but Morgana always finds ways to surprise him. “I was frustrated. We're supposed to be a team, but I could see you struggling and wouldn't let me in. So I guess I kept trying to push my way in. I know things aren't the same as when we were Phantom Thieves, but I still want to be useful to you. I can be, I know it."
"I’m the one who needs to apologize. You’re not just a cat. You’ll never be ‘just’ anything. Mona, if you weren't here, I don't know how bad things would be. You've done so much, just since we got to Inaba." Morgana starts to protest, but Ren throws up a hand to quiet him; if he stops now, he may not be able to finish. "I thought leaving here and going to Tokyo was one of the worst things that could happen to me. But it turned out to be the opposite. Having to leave everyone behind felt like I was leaving myself behind, too." He reaches over to scratch Morgana's ears. "You were the one good thing when we got here. Not because of how useful I think you are, just because you're my friend. My family. If I was here alone, I don't think I could do this. So...thanks for sticking by me. Even when I don't make it easy."
Morgana slips off the table, abandoning his saucer of tea to plant himself in Ren's lap. "You were kind of a pain, sometimes." He teases, leaning against his chest, the gentle rumble of purring beginning. "But I forgive you. You're really important to me, Ren. And you've helped me out tons, so don't forget to let me in when you're not feeling your best, okay? It's my turn to help you, now."
Fingers carding through the sleek, black fur, Ren leans into the affection, curling slightly around Morgana's much smaller body. They stay that way for a while, until he lets himself be gently badgered into going back to bed. Getting back into bed sees Morgana settled in his favorite spot, once again purring away as he’s curled up on Ren’s chest, and the rest of the night passes in peaceful, dreamless sleep.
With no school again the next day, they wake up later than normal to the late-morning sun in their eyes. Still perched in the same spot on his chest, Morgana cracks one eye open to meet Ren’s. Neither of them are in a rush to get up, basking in the new day; Ren lazily reaches up to scratch under the cat’s chin and he’s rewarded with an adorable trill that he’s too content to be embarrassed about.
Eventually though, they do get up, deciding to head to Tatsumi Textiles again for the day. Or at least as long as Kanji tolerates them, not that he’s gotten tired of them yet. Almost ready to leave, Ren holds up a little cat-sized jacket, something that only stuck around because Ann had been the one to pick it out, gushing about how adorable Morgana would look in it. “You wanna be dressed up today? I’m pretty sure Kanji’ll get a kick out of it. I think he missed you yesterday.” He whispered conspiratorially.
“Mm, fine. But you better take some pictures of me to send to Lady Ann! And make sure they’re good ones.” He lets himself be manhandled (actual words Ren hears muttered under his breath) into the jacket, which proves to be the perfect choice, considering Kanji lights up at the sight of Morgana.
"Hey, little guy is back! And he's all dressed up. Looking good, Morgana!" He grinned, eagerly scratching the cat under his chin. The affection is met with purrs and chirps as Mona leans further into his hand. "Looks like things are going better today."
“Yeah. They are.”
“Good, cause I got plenty of work for ya today, if you’re up to it.”
“Definitely.” Ren confirms with a nod, setting his bag containing Morgana down. “Just tell me where you need me.”
“Cool, you can start doing inventory counts for me.” Kanji is distracted as he directs Ren towards a task. Almost bashfully, he asks the question on his mind. "Do you think if I knit him a tiny sweater, he'd wear that, too?"
Ren doesn’t even have to consider it. "Oh, 100%. I would love to commission you to make Morgana a sweater."
"Nah, not a commission. Trust me, the only payment I need is seeing the little dude wearing my work." He gives Ren a look that feels like he sees right through him. "You need to save your money anyway, right?" For the first time in weeks he feels a swell of hope at the kindness, and what it really represents. Maybe he just meant money for visiting his friends, or maybe he knew that Ren planned for them to hightail it back to Tokyo as soon as he’d graduated. It didn’t matter, exactly, but he knows, somehow, that Kanji Tatsumi understands. Oblivious to Ren’s thoughts, Kanji starts puttering around the shop. “Hold on, I think I got a pattern for it somewhere around here. Lemme grab it, see if the measurements are good.” His boss doesn’t wait for a response, striding into the back of the shop as he looks for the pattern.
Once he’s out of sight, Morgana speaks up. “You have a knack for finding good people, don’t you?”
Ren considers all the friends he made in Tokyo, the ones he was desperate to see again. He missed them, pieces of his soul left behind in the city that was meant to be his prison. Then he thinks about Kanji, gruff but incredibly kind, a bright spot in the difficult transition that he hadn’t expected to find, that he wouldn’t have found if not for the most important person. His eyes settle on Morgana and he smiles at his most constant friend, his steadfast partner. “I guess I do.”