Chapter Text
It was, admittedly, a bit of a surprise when Momozou suddenly stormed into the apartment one unassuming afternoon.
Ritsu flung himself back into Reigen, who squealed in response, which caused Teru to turn around so fast that he slipped on the carpet and fell over.
Momozou stood before the humiliating scene, lips pressed into a thin line as he restrained from laughing. “Oops. My bad,” he said, attempting to appear apologetic, but his eyes betrayed the smile he wore.
Ritsu gave Reigen his space back, rubbing the back of his head where it had collided with the man’s shoulder. “No, I’m- sorry I freaked out. I just... wasn’t expecting you.”
”Yeah, none of us were,” Teru grumbled from the floor, rubbing his back. Momozou grinned sheepishly and helped pull him back up.
”How did you even get in here? The door was locked!” Reigen gestured to the then wide-open front door.
”Um... it wasn’t though?”
Reigen’s face blanked. “...Oh,” was all he said as he stood and closed the front door, making a point of carefully sliding the lock into place, even pulling at the handle for good measure. He returned and took his place back at the couch without another word.
Teru interrupted the moment with a cough. “So... what’s up? You look pissed.”
”Ah, right. About that...” Momozou sighed, shoulders slumping. “I kinda had a fight with my mom. She, uh- no, you know what, I don’t feel like talking about it. Can I just, like, chill here for a bit? Or for the night? Probably for the night, she’s gonna need some space.”
”Yikes. Sounds serious,” Reigen said. He held his chin, eyes scrunched up in deep thought, before simply leaning back with a shrug. “Eh, sure, why the hell not? You’ll be the newest addition to my boy collection, which I guess is something I have now?”
Teru grinned happily, slinging an arm over Momozou’s shoulder as he led them to the couch. “That’s right! We’re like cats. Feed us one time and we just keep coming back for more!”
”I think I’d prefer cats. Cats don’t sass me about my work attire and blast some pop idol’s songs on the radio at four in the morning.”
”Aren’t you allergic to cats?”
Reigen groaned loudly, rolling his head back. “Uuggh, why does life have to be so difficult!? Why can’t life just give me a dog and be done with it!”
Ritsu relaxed as the others resumed their typical banter, but examining Momozou in closer detail, he still looked a bit run-down. His hair was a mess and his clothes looked wrinkled and loose, like he had thrown them on before running out of his apartment earlier. He couldn’t tell if the area under his eyes was dark, but the puffiness of his eyes suggested he might be sleep-deprived. Or maybe... he had actually been crying?
You can really see all of that? I had no idea.
Ritsu almost screamed again. Almost. He miraculously held it in, only jolting slightly as the rush of adrenaline came and went when he realized the voice he had heard was Momozou’s. The boy was looking at him with a little smirk, probably amused at his reaction. He didn’t say anything else, just tapped the side of his head with a raised eyebrow.
Ah. Right. Momozou was a telepath.
Heh, don’t worry about it. Honestly, I’m a little touched that you’re worried about me even though we kinda just met, Momozou gave him a small smile, then seemed to let the act slip just a bit, expression falling and body hunched over, giving a hint as to just how tired he actually was. I do actually have bags under my eyes. If my skintone was any lighter, I’d probably look like I had a pair of black eyes. Like someone straight up punched me, two fists right into the eyes, he said it humorously, and Ritsu was inclined to smile as well, but he couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Having to work a job every day when he was so tired... not to mention having a fight with his mom... he had an aloof air about him, but it must be hard on Momozou to deal with so much.
Ritsu had an idea, and closed his eyes in focus. Can you hear me?
Momozou actually laughed out loud at that. Teru momentarily looked at him in confusion, then opened his mouth in a silent “Ah,” and turned back to continue the conversation he’d been having with Reigen.
Yeah, I got you. Uh, you don’t have to concentrate so hard. It’s just... thinking.
Ritsu realized he had subconsciously been squeezing his eyes shut, relaxing the muscles in his face, bringing a hand up to hide the light blush that rose to his cheeks. Right. Sorry. I’m not used to this.
I wouldn’t expect you to be.
Ritsu couldn’t think of anything in particular to say. Momozou had said earlier that he didn’t want to talk about what had happened, but he had to admit he was curious. He had only heard about Momozou’s mother in passing comments, and had little information on his home life. He had hoped that it was better than Ritsu’s own had been.
That’s right, Teru never mentioned why you were staying here. Is... that why? Because your home life was shit?
Oh dammit he did it again, didn’t he?
I’m so sorry! he tried to express as much as he could with only the voice in his head. I didn’t really... talk much. At all. I- oh God I went days, weeks, without making a sound, so I’m used to just- just thinking- I keep doing it! I’m so sorry, I can’t-
Hey, hey, don’t freak out on me. It’s cool, Momozou reached behind Teru’s back to awkwardly pat his shoulder. You do seem like the kinda person that thinks too much. But- don’t feel like you have to police your own thoughts around me, okay? I appreciate honesty more than faked appearances.
Momozou was turning out to be a comforting sort of presence, calm and laid-back disposition making it a little easier to be relaxed around him. Still, he was finding it increasingly difficult to quell the flaring panic that was taking root in his lungs, making breathing a bit of an ordeal. His close proximity to Reigen and Teru, both completely oblivious to their psychic conversation, was making him feel too hot, too exposed. He had an overwhelming urge to run away and hide somewhere.
”Oi, kid, are you doing okay? Your breathing’s a little funny,” Reigen chimed in, placing a hand on his back. “Whoa, your heart’s really pounding away in there. Do you need some water or something?”
”What happened?” Teru asked, and when Ritsu looked to him, he saw he was addressing Momozou, not him.
Momozou looked sadly at Ritsu and shook his head. “Do you want some space? I understand if you do. I’m sorry.”
Ritsu vehemently shook his head; he wasn’t about to let his past ruin the potential for new friendships. “...Not your fault, I’m-“ he wheezed, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. “This just- it was bound to- I want to, I should talk, just- in the room? T-Teru’s room?”
Momozou watched him intently, nodding along. “You want to talk to me in Teru’s room?” he repeated, to which Ritsu nodded again. “Is that okay with you, Teru?”
Teru looked completely lost, eyeing Ritsu concernedly. “Yeah, I guess?” he looked up at Reigen, who only shrugged, equally as confused.
With permission, Ritsu wasted no time booking it down the hall, already beyond ashamed to have his emotions put on display in front of everyone again. He wasn’t used to feeling so exposed, but that was the price he’d have to pay if he wanted to be around people. He just wished he wasn’t so... fragile.
Momozou entered the room as he seated himself at the edge of Teru’s bed. He gentle closed the door behind him, giving Ritsu the privacy he’d wanted, but he still felt worked up, his mind racing a mile a minute, but it was all white noise, meaningless feelings and moments.
Momozou gingerly sat at his side, giving him a generous amount of breathing room.
Before he could even open his mouth, however, Ritsu spoke up. “Don’t- don’t look at me like that.”
Momozou drew back, puzzled. “Like what?”
”Like- like I’m pitiful. You feel bad for me. I-I don’t want to be seen like that. I’m not like that. I’m not a little kid, I,” he rambled on, unsure what he was trying to say, emotions bubbling in his throat and making it difficult to speak. “I want to hide, just, hide I-“
Ritsu blanched at the thought that came to him next. “I... want to be back home.”
Momozou watched him with a neutral expression. He didn’t know how far his telepathy extended, how much he could hear or see, how much he already knew about Ritsu’s life, and not knowing just fueled the anxiety brewing in his core, hot and light like helium. “I want to be honest with you here- being afraid of me, or what I can hear, isn’t an uncommon reaction. I’m used to it. I just want you to know that I can’t really... control this,” he said, waving his hands around his head. “There’s no ‘on’ or ‘off’ switch. It’s a constant stream of all the thoughts going on around me. Can’t block ‘em out. So it’s not like I’m intentionally singling you out or spying on you or anything. I can’t help hearing it. If that... makes you feel any better.”
He wasn’t sure if it did, but he nodded anyway. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling at all. He was still shocked, even a little disgusted with himself, for having even the slightest desire to return home.
He realized Momozou could probably hear that, too, so he decided to just go with it.
I hated it there. My parents barely acknowledged my existence. I never left the house, never talked to anyone besides my tutors, and even that was limited. I was alone with myself, my thoughts. I was totally isolated from the world. I- I dreamed of running away someday, of living some kind of... normal life. Like I could ever be normal.
He choked, and a few tears slipped out, falling slowly down his cheeks.
I can’t believe I would ever want to go back, but- God, I hate it, but it makes sense! This world, it’s all new to me-
All alone, all that time, I- I never learned how to- how to talk to people, how to act, how to- to cope with, with new things, new experiences, so here I am falling to pieces because of something minor and stupid and I can’t fix it because I don’t know how and nothing makes sense but home... I was safe at home. Things made sense there, I knew how to act, what to expect. I never fell apart like this because nothing ever changed. I was just- alone. Alone with my thoughts.
God, he hated himself. He hated how pathetic he must have looked to Momozou, trembling and blubbering over nothing. He hated not having telepathy himself, to know what Momozou must be thinking about him.
“Hey... I’m not gonna judge you for this at all. Hell, from what you told me, this makes sense. If you were so used to being alone for years, and suddenly there’s new people around... I mean, it’s been building up. You gotta- well, you gotta get used to... feeling things. And expressing those things. Or else this is gonna keep happening, over and over,” Momozou scooted a bit closer to him, an open and sincere look in his eyes. “Trust me, I know from experience. It’s not your fault. Just... gotta take the time to learn.”
Ritsu scrunched up his nose. “I think I actually agree with Reigen. Why does life have to be so difficult?”
Momozou laughed warmly. Ritsu noticed that Momozou was the type of person that laughed with his whole body, leaning into his shoulder. “Tell me about it!” he chuckled, the sound making Ritsu’s heart beat a little faster. He had already started to calm down without even realizing it.
After the humor died down, Momozou sat back up again, and Ritsu momentarily lamented the warmth that left his side. He looked pensive, staring off into the distance with a blank expression. Eventually, he sighed, slouching over to rest his elbows on his knees. Ritsu winced at his terrible posture. “Okay, how about this? I’ll tell you about the fight with my mom. That would make things even, right?”
”Wait, you don’t have to do that-“
“Nah, I kinda lied earlier about not wanting to talk about it. I just didn’t want Teru to hear about it.”
”Why? Isn’t he your friend?”
”Of course! He’s just... dramatic. You know how it is.”
Ritsu nodded slowly. “Okay then... I guess if you’re willing to talk about it, I’ll listen.”
”Haha, I’m not forcing you to!” Momozou chuckled again. “But I’m gonna start talking anyway, so you might as well listen.”
Ritsu smiled, sitting up straight to show that he was paying attention.
Momozou sighed loudly, pushing himself back and flopping down on top of Teru’s bed. “Okay, so... it was really stupid. Not really worth fighting over, but, you know. Shit happens.”
”So, like... I worked some overtime the past few weeks. Need to make rent payments and all that. And I might have... passed out at some point?”
”Oh my God, what?” Ritsu gasped, unaware that Momozou was actually that sleep-deprived.
”I know, it’s bad and all... I just woke up on the kitchen floor and my mom was nearly having a heart attack. I told her I was fine, and after the panic died down, she just got really angry. Said it was selfish of me to work myself half to death.”
”Haha. Can you believe that? She called me selfish! For working! To support our family! And shit, that just... really hurt. I went off on her, said some things I didn’t mean, and walked out.”
In the silence that followed, Ritsu was at a loss as to what he could say. He didn’t exactly have any advice to offer; he had little in experience when it came to interacting with parents in general. Still... “It... sounds like she really cares about you. I think what she meant to say was that... you should think of your health for her sake, too.”
”Yeah, I’m getting that now. I’m still pissed, though, so I think I’m just gonna chill here until I feel better,” Momozou finished, sitting himself back up with a grunt. “Anyways, that’s the story. Thanks for listening and all that.”
”Ah. Well, um, thanks for... telling me?”
”Do you feel any better now?”
Ritsu sat still for a moment, gauging his mood, placing a hand on his chest to feel the beat of his heart. “I think so?”
”That’s better than nothing,” Momozou said with a smirk. “You wanna go back out now?”
Ritsu thought for a moment, then nodded. “Sure. But there’s something I want to ask you once we’re there.”
Ritsu got up and left the room before Momozou could question him, eager to bring up the idea that had popped into his head. Then again, being a telepath, maybe he already knew.
Reigen and Teru looked up as he entered the living room. “Hey, kids! How’d it go? You doin’ all right now?” Reigen asked, giving Ritsu a pat on the shoulder as he sat back down.
Ritsu was a little worn from pouring his heart out and didn’t feel like talking, so he just nodded without any further elaboration.
”You didn’t mess up my room, did you?” he asked Momozou suspiciously as the other boy entered as well.
He fell down onto the couch, heavy enough that Teru nearly bounced in the air. “I’ll never tell,” he teased with a wink. Teru glared intensely at him, but his sly expression never once faltered.
Soon after, normalcy resumed, and Ritsu had the opportunity to try out his idea. Hey, Momozou?
Momozou looked to him quizzically. Yeah?
The Christmas tree. What does it look like?
Huh? Momozou craned his neck to look past the others on the couch. He grinned as he realized what Ritsu was asking. Ooh, I see. For starters... the tree is green, obviously. Like, a dark green, kinda blue-ish?
Ritsu lightly chuckled under his breath. Yes, go on.
The lights are... okay don’t tell Teru or Reigen but they’re ugly as all hell. I hate those big lights, like the retro ones from the 50s, the light is so unsaturated and dull. Oh, they’re in like... reds and greens and yellows and blues. But they’re ugly.
Ritsu snickered, covering his mouth with a hand. What about the ornaments?
Oh God don’t even get me started.
Ritsu snorted out loud, unable to contain his laughter any longer.
”What, what’s so funny?” Teru questioned the two as they continued to laugh. “Hey, don’t leave us in the dark! What’s so funny that even Ritsu is cracking up?”
”You wouldn’t get it,” Momozou waved him off, much to Teru’s dismay. Okay so these two are super sentimental dweebs, if you couldn’t already tell. They’ve got all kinds of old family ornaments with really blurry pictures on them and, like, baby shoes and shit. Then there’s a ton of super hideous cheap plastic ornaments that Reigen picked up at convenience stores over the years, literally for no other purpose than to fill up space. And of course Teru has ornaments with his favorite idols’ faces plastered on them. They just have these sweet family pictures and then just... overly cutesy pop idols in big poofy dresses. It’s a mess.
Ritsu could absolutely picture the kind of atrocity that Momozou was describing, and it fit Reigen and Teru so hilariously well.
”They’re definitely laughing at us, aren’t they?” Reigen droned, leaning over to Teru. “See, this is what happens when you start a boy collection. They telepathically mock you.”
”And you’re saying a cat wouldn’t do that?”
”Cats don’t have psychic powers!”
”But how do you know?”
”God please... have mercy on a poor, old soul.”
They were all laughing then. Well, everyone but Reigen.
Ritsu felt a little more like he was home. Not the home he came from, but what a home should be.