The Dinner Party

What am I doing here again?

Ryuu sighed, and reached to loosen his tie, before, again, remembering that he couldn't do that. Even if the vultures at the table didn't say anything, Io would give him a look and he was (supposedly) at this godawful dinner to support him.

"Supposedly" being the operative word seeing as Ryuu still had no idea why he was there. When Io invited him to dinner at some high-class hotel, he'd been ecstatic, always happy to spend time with his best friend, and never one to turn down a fancy meal. The enthusiasm had wavered when he learned it was a formal black-tie event with a bunch of Suits, but he didn't back down then, promising to behave.

And then the dinner actually started, and Ryuu wanted nothing more than to take the fork and stab someone in the throat.

There were all these… rules that had to be followed. You had to sit a certain way, eat a certain way, talk a certain way. Of course, Io knew all these rules like he knew his bank account, but Ryuu was just left to stumble blindly.

And these weren't even the nice kind of Suits, who at least gave the impression of being human under the jackets. No, these guys were just formal, faceless goons who talked down on anyone who couldn't keep up with the conversation, like Ryuu.

Ryuu liked to think that his long-standing friendship with Io had taught him enough about the wonderful world of finance, but clearly it was just a whole different language entirely. Io and the Suits could have sat around the table talking in English and it wouldn't have changed the fact that Ryuu could understand nothing.

Worst of all, Io wasn't even paying attention to him.

Somehow, Ryuu got through the first course of the dinner without stabbing anyone (it helped immensely that the food, unlike everything else, was actually good). But as the servers brought out the second course, Ryuu finally excused himself, unable to stand the oppressive atmosphere any longer.

He ventured out into the hotel's lobby. There were only a few people around, including the employees, so Ryuu settled on an empty couch, taking up as much space as he could. He finally loosened his tie, albeit not so much loosened as pulled off entirely, and undid the top button of his shirt for good measure. Finally, he could breathe again. He pulled out his phone, checking through all the messages he'd missed.

The one time Io had noticed him was when he'd gotten his first text, and out of habit reached for his phone right away. Io's disapproving glare burned into his mind, and he took extra care not to touch it after that.

But he was done with that. Out of the prying eyes of the Suits, Ryuu didn't care how he acted. He needed someone to talk to, and if playful texts to his girlfriends was the only conversation to be found, so be it. It wasn't like he'd even be missed.

Time passed differently when Ryuu was on his phone—quicker. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been texting, when a shadow suddenly loomed over him.

"There you are," a familiar irritated voice said and Ryuu looked up at Io's troubled eyes, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Were you now?" Ryuu tucked his phone away, "Well, you found me."

"What are you doing out here?" Io moved over to the other couch.

"Not hungry."

"Yes, well, I'm afraid that's not really important. It's proper manners to—

"Just shove it."

Io paused, for the first time noticing the anger in Ryuu's eyes. Anger aimed at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a quieter, almost frightened voice.

"Seriously? You invite me to dinner, spend the whole night ignoring me except when I screw up, and then have the nerve to ask what's wrong?" Ryuu scowled, "Forget it, I'm going home." In the back of his mind, he pitied any girl who would ever get stuck on a date with Io. He'd probably take her on a tour of the Investment Banks of Japan, he thought icily.

"Wait, no. Don't go," Io—independent, calm Io—grabbed Ryuu's wrist as he walked past, holding it in a firm grip, "I need you here."

Ryuu, veteran player of dating sims and playboy extraordinaire, had mastered a language of his own: the language of dating. There were certain words, when used in certain contexts, that irrevocably tugged on his heart. "Need" was one of those words, especially in the context of being needed, and especially from the mouth of his best friend.

Ryuu raised a brow, silently awaiting his explanation.

Io's shoulders slumped, slightly. "Don't go, please," he said, still holding Ryuu's wrist, "You're right. I've been… cold towards you. I'm sorry."

That wasn't an explanation, but it was a start, so Ryuu and sat back down on the couch, freeing his wrist.

"Well, who are those guys? The goons in suits, I mean."

"Lawyers, investors, brokers," Io listed off, "I was meeting with them today to discuss prospects for a new project."

"What? Trading stocks isn't enough for you anymore?"

"Stocks are a good, if highly volatile, way to build capital, but if I wish to maximize my gains, I do need to branch out into other things as well. An opportunity has come up, and so, I am getting acquainted with some more experienced members of the trade."

"…Okay," Ryuu just nodded along. Sucking up to snobs for money advice, got it, he translated mentally. "So why am I here?"

Io didn't answer right away.

"Io?"

"It's… easier… with you here," he finally breathed out.

"Huh?"

"All of the men in that room," Io continued carefully, "have been in this business longer than I have been alive. They have handled larger sums of money than I have in assets, and all of them have experience, knowledge, and connections, that I can only dream about right now." He took a deep breath. "In short, they intimidate me."

Ryuu blinked. The edges of his lips started to curl into a smirk. They intimidated Io? Self-made teenage billionaire? Every one of those Suits with their 'connections' should have cowering before Io instead, as far as Ryuu was concerned.

"Seriously?"

"Quite," Io admitted with a rueful smile, "It's selfish, but I invited you here because it's easier for me to be in that room with them with you by my side. You… calm me."

Every dating sim Ryuu ever played told him this was a major event flag. He was stunned silent, momentarily unsure of what to say. There were no falsities in Io's words though, he knew that.

Ryuu chuckled lightly. "Is that all?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Geez Io, couldn't you have told me that earlier?" he asked.

"I intended to," Io admitted, "But I was afraid that if you knew what this dinner really was, you wouldn't want to come along."

You're not entirely wrong there, Ryuu thought, then shook his head. "No way. If it's for you, I can handle sitting in a room full of stuffy Suits for a few hours." As proof, he picked up his discarded tie, and started retying it around his neck. As soon as it was firmly and neatly in place, he jumped up from the couch and extended his hand for Io to take. "Now then, shall we?"

"Ryuu, no it's fine," Io said, "You're right. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. You don't have to stay."

"Yeah, I know," Ryuu grinned, "But I want to."

AN: Thanks for reading :)

This was written in response to a prompt "You don't have to stay" (Ioryuu) sent by Magiccatprincess. Thank you :)
(It was also actually written before Insomnia ^^")