Ryuji didn't always hate the rain.

Before, before it wasnt really anything he cared either way about. It was wet, it was cold, it was inconvenient because he couldn't go running unless he wanted to slip around in the mud. But he didn't really think much of it otherwise.

Now though? He absolutely hates the rain. The cold always seemed to cling to him, the wetness weighed him down, there was a fog that made his brain fuzzy and tired and if he's left by himself without outside input he'd likely sleep most the day instead.

The worst part of it is how his leg got this persistent bone deep ache.

It wasn't so bad in Mementos. The way his body felt stronger, faster, more durable over all. It let him remember how good he felt when he was active. Why he could never sit completely still, always tapping a foot or messing with something in his hands. It did wonders to wear out his Adhd.

That's part of why he decided to start training again.

Ryuji knows he gets crabby when it rains, he can't help it. He just feels like shit when it does. Kidd seems to agree with him, immediately pressing close without needing to say anything. When they roam the Metaverse Kidd takes away the worst of the stiff muscles, the dead (heh skeleton joke) weight is gone, he feels lighter for it and the brace that supports their thigh is a soothing pressure.

Skull is really beginning to like the smell of sea salt. It drifts around when there's just Skull, not Ryuji and Kidd. Skull wonders if the sea would make his leg ache like rain does.

He doesn't think Akira likes rain that much either. The way the guy hunches his shoulders, more than he normally does, as far under his umbrella as he can.

There were a lot of things he tended to notice with Akira. Like how when he talks to people, or more like when people talk at him, Akira doesn't always look them in their eyes but just to the side. He fidgets like Ryuji does, fingers rolling his pencil around during homework or rubbing over coins he picks up after fights. It was a lot easier to get Akira to talk, actually talk, not just answer him on occasion, if Ryuji asked about things Akira seemed to enjoy.

The first time it happened, when Akira spoke more than a single sentence, he had asked what the brunette was reading. It turned into a full three minutes of rambling.

Akira had 'found a book at the library about Arsene, how the stories were kinda short but really fun to read and he might go looking for more because there were actually quite a lot of them. That he could probably learn a lot from them because the way Arsene plans heists was so insanely meticulous and isn't it just so weird that the author of Arsene is named Leblanc when he is now living in a cafe with the same name? But after reading some of the stories he can understand why he suddenly has this attraction to pretty jewels that he didn't have before, he really never thought jewels were pretty before he got Arsene but now it kinda makes him feel like he's some weird bird wanting to snatch up all the shiny things he sees..'

Then Akira turns to him, looks him in the eye, and sees Ryuji staring at him in open shock and surprise. He immediately clams up, turns bright red and hides under his hair.

Ryuji couldn't hold back his laugh. It wasn't meant to be teasing, but the way Akira scrunched up means he didn't think the same. So the blonde throws his arm over his friend's shoulder, who didn't flinch nearly as bad as he would have two months ago, grinning brightly, "Heck if the book has you this excited, maybe we should all hang out on Sunday and have a Lupin the third marathon? See if we can learn some new tricks?"

Akira doesn't look at him again, but the shy, relieved smile and soft hope in his eyes is more than enough.

Later, after freeing Futaba, Ryuji hears her talk about what it's like being autistic. And some of Akira's little harmless ticks click into place. The two of them might not be real siblings but Ryuji thinks Futaba and Akira are good for each other. The banter, teasing, and the way they seem to push the other to test the edge of their comfort zones make him forget they only just met this year.

It was hard to remember ever feeling as happy as he was without Akira.. He wasn't sure what to think about that..

They had just come out of Mementos and of course it was raining. It had been for the last two days to be fair, but those two days didn't involve Joker getting hit with an ice spell that froze him to the spot and nearly ended up losing his kidney to the spear stabbed clean through his side..

Joker didn't handle ice that well, neither did Panther. Same with wind on Skull or lightning on Mona. Sometimes Ryuji wonders if that's why it's so easy to argue with the cat, they were just so naturally opposite even the Metaverse noticed it.

Even now, after the others left and it was just the three of them killing time in the underground mall waiting for the train, Akira's eyes were still mostly red. Hands that would usually be tucked in his pockets are instead holding his bag to his chest, like he was trying to steal the warmth from Morgana through the fabric and ease the shivers that still bothered him.

Ryuji strides over to where he left Akira last, a bag of fresh drizzled naoto in his hand, and catches the brunette staring at some jewel earrings on display. A finger playing with his earlobe as he probably wonders how they would look.

"I bet you could pull it off." Ryuji smiles as he bumps their shoulders together.

Akira startles, hand flying back around his bag and blinks at him with those glowing ruby eyes. He then huffs bitterly. "Kinda have enough people thinking I'll stab them for no reason.. Don't you think it'll just draw more attention?"

Ryuji puts his free arm on Akira's shoulder, steering the way to their train. "Dude, who cares? You walk around with a cat hanging out of your bag."

"Not a cat!"

"You hang out with me, who has just as bad a rep as you. Everybody knows about the shit between Ann and Kamoshitstain. Hell if anything you could probably walk face first into a wall and within a day it would get replaced with some other bullshit about you trying to bust it down because it offended you or something..."

Akira chuckles, leaning into him for just a second as they squeeze through the door on the crowded train.

"Besides, I think they'd look good. I kinda get the feeling that you can wear just about anything and it would still work for you." Why did he say that…?

"You didn't really need to walk me back, you know." Akira mutters after they head upstairs. He's out of his wet coat and trying to disappear into the blanket while Ryuji is setting up the dvd player.

"And what would Mona have done if you passed out on the train hmm?" The blonde sits next to him, snacks at the ready and hot coffee on the table. "You're still pale as Hell and that much blood loss on top of freezing solid isn't something you can just shake off that quick even with healing magic."

Akira actually hisses at him when he snatches the blanket away. Draping it around both of them so that his own body heat is added to his friends, "Nope we are going to sit here, watch mindless reruns and eat junk food while you rest. Mona sit on him."

"Why?"

"Cause it's like an unspoken universal rule, you can't get up if there's a cat laying on you."

"That's not a thing.. And I'm Not a CAT!"

Morgana sits in Akira's lap anyway.

Three episodes in, Akira leans against him and sits up just as quick. He looks half asleep, trying not to look at Ryuji as he pulls the blanket tighter. So Ryuji puts his hand on Akira's shoulder and slowly pulls him over against his side.

He doesn't trap him there, just waiting quietly while Akira sits tense. Like Ryuji would be the one to change his mind. "You're fine Birdy, go to sleep I gotcha."

Slowly, bit by bit. Akira's weight presses more as he relaxes. And Ryuji thinks that its actually pretty comfortable.

When they go back to school the next week there are some new rumors going around and Akira's name is said a lot. Ryuji isn't sure why until he's leaning against the stairway and sees him and Ann leave from their class.

Ann is smiling, something smug and proud, as Ryuji's brain short circuits. Akira anxiously reaches a hand towards his neck and Ann gently slaps it away before he irritates the fresh piercings that she surely helped him pick out. Small simple first time studs, with brilliant rubies that would match the glow of his eyes. Ryuji was right, it did look good on him and he isn't sure what to do with that.

Eck the weather hasn't been great to me lately… I needed some warm fluff.. Also I know from the way the art style is, it's likely just the shadow of his ear canal, but the loading icon on tactics makes it look like Joker is wearing an earring and I can't unsee it! Arsene tells him its ok to want to wear pretty things, he's a thief after all, style is important! Ryuji wants to steal Akira. Cause he thinks he's pretty. He just dosent know why yet.