Disclaimer: Toei's, not mine

Notes: Spoilers for up to Training Part 5. My first time writing for the series, characters, or pairing, so yeah. Consider yourself forewarned.

--

"It really doesn't hurt anymore?"

"Yes, Jan. I've been telling you that for the last hour." Retsu let out a put-upon sigh. The fact that he, who prided himself on having a counter technique for every move the enemy made, had been wounded in battle was bad enough. Knowing it had happened because he tried, and for the most part failed, to save Jan (who would have most likely jumped out of the way at the last minute, which would make him realize that his anxiety was getting him nowhere, and thus would have saved the entire team a lot of grief) made it worse. But Jan not letting it go, still asking him if he was in any pain... well, now it was just embarrassing.

Jan smiled at him, but it didn't seem quite as cheerful as his usual ones. Retsu wasn't entirely sure why, but this concerned him... a lot. "That's great, Retsu!" Without warning, he grabbed the other man in a tight hug. "I was so Uja-Uja about you."

Retsu did his best to break off the embrace, but Jan was called the 'Unbreakable Body' for a reason. And, strangely (after he'd gotten used to less oxygen), he found himself resisting less, until he was allowing Jan to hold him. He told himself it was because Jan was unusually quiet right now, and if he didn't protest he might have enough time to deduce why his teammate was so worried about him suddenly. Jan had been poisoned before, he should know how that such a wound was serious, but if treated in time not fatal. But Jan also had Rio's unexpected claim of rivalry to keep his mind occupied, to say nothing of their first battle with the Five Venom Fists. And they had been GekiTouja for most of the time. Perhaps sharing his consciousness with himself and Ran had eased any fears he had...

"A snake bit one of the pandas I used to play with. He died the next morning."

"Oh." Retsu frowned thoughtfully as the pieces finally came together. "So seeing someone you... care about being hurt makes you Uja-Uja?"

Jan smiled again, but this time it was nothing but cheer. "That's it, that's it! Retsu, you're so smart!" His grip tightened, but Retsu didn't complain.

Because for the first time since he had met him, Retsu could sympathize with Jan.