Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Where are you going, Ritsu?”

”Out,” he’d say, and his mother would turn away.

She didn’t bother asking anymore. He packed a small duffel bag and walked out the front door. He didn’t say goodbye.

It was raining when he stepped out. The weather forecast had been wrong. He sighed and pulled his hood up over his unkempt hair and started walking.

-*-

He had no idea where he was going.

He had been hoping his psychic powers would be strong enough to detect an aura - his aura - but he was having no such luck. He should have expected his own shortcomings.

He could see signs everywhere, but couldn’t read them. He was wary of crossing the street when he glanced to the stoplights and saw nothing to indicate their status. He felt like a child, having slipped from his mother’s guiding hand, but he ignored that ugly, cold twinge in his lungs and pressed on. He would find a way. He would adapt.

-*-

He had stepped in puddles more times than he could count, and his toes were becoming numb in his waterlogged socks. He might have walked in circles a few times, but he had no way to tell - every building looked the same to him.

He had stolen money from his mother’s purse and food from the kitchen, and he only felt a little bad about both acts of theft. He was munching away at some sort of cereal bar as he paused at a street corner, contemplating his next destination. He had long since passed the point of familiarity, likely already a good distance from the neighborhood he’d grown up in.

Faceless strangers passed him by without a second glance, shoulders hunched underneath identical umbrellas as they scurried along in the steadily pouring rain. Not a single soul considered to stop for him, for the lone boy without an umbrella, without a clear purpose. He didn’t resent them for it.

He swallowed the last bite of the cereal bar and tossed the wrapper in a nearby garbage bin, ultimately deciding on taking the left path.

He had always chosen the least populated areas to explore. It wouldn’t make sense to search anywhere else - he’d never been a fan of crowds.

-*-

At some point, he’d realized that he was being followed.

To be honest, they weren’t very good at it; the duo stuck out like sore thumbs in that attire, dressed like proper businessmen in such a run-down section of the city. They had no reason to be there on their own, and for every turn he took, they followed a distance behind.

He couldn’t fathom what they could want with him. In his ragged old sweatshirt and jeans, he could have passed as a homeless youth wandering the streets in pursuit of spare change and generous passersby. Mugging him would be a fruitless effort.

Kidnapping even less so - for who had any use for a sickly blind boy like himself?

They followed, regardless. If they were waiting for him to arrive at home to make their move, they would surely be disappointed to find that he no longer had a home to return to.

-*-

They were growing impatient.

There were times where they drew so close that he could just barely hear their mumbled conversation over the slowly dwindling rain, though he couldn’t quite make out what was being said. The larger of the two seemed to be agitated.

He found himself growing a bit nervous. Why have they continued their pursuit of him for so long without making a move? What would happen if - when - they did?

He was not a fighter. He knew psychic powers could be used to hurt, but that was not how he intended to use his.

He needed those powers to see. Fighting would mean giving up what little vision he had left, and he was admittedly, ashamedly terrified of the dark.

The tension in the air was palpable. They would take action soon, that much he was sure. He took a shaky breath and slowed down.

He might as well try to get in the first swing.

-*-

“Why have you been following me?” he asked simply, back still turned to them, though he could see them just fine.

The question startled them, and they came to a sudden halt, looking to each other as a means of silent communication.

”You are Ritsu Kageyama, are you not?” the smaller of the two asked, voice cold, heavy, sharp. He asked the question already knowing the answer. There was a sword hanging from his hip.

”Who are you?” he responded bluntly. That time, the two didn’t seem at all surprised.

”Why are we even bothering with this?” the larger man spoke up, clearly impatient. “He’s just a kid, let’s grab him and get outta here!”

The smaller man sighed, pushing a pair of glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. “Really, I’d rather not resort to violence if it can be helped...” he trailed off, taking a step forward. “Though I have to admit, walking around in this weather for much longer can’t be good for my health.”

The large man rolled his eyes and cracked his knuckles. “Whatever, so we’re doin’ this, right?”

His heart skipped a beat. Suddenly he didn’t feel so cold anymore.

”I suppose so.”

The sound of a katana being pulled from its sheath reverberated through the desolate side street. He ran as fast as his overworked legs could carry him.

-*-

The rain had stopped, leaving a thick humidity hanging in the air that filled his lungs like syrup, sticking to his insides, making him feel sick. His legs hurt more than they’d ever hurt before, but he couldn’t stop running.

There were more of them, many more of them, chasing him relentlessly, goal still unclear. He hastily ducked and weaved his way through crowds of bystanders. It was difficult for him to discern which were innocent and which were after his head, bringing panic with every brush of a shoulder.

They were all wearing the same kind of suit. For some reason, that simple observation stuck out in his mind, but there was too much adrenaline pumping through his veins to make sense of it. There was no time to think, he just had to keep running.

-*-

It must be a miracle, he thought, as his frantic escape had led him straight to the local train station. There were so many people, making their way home from a long day of work, and he slipped right into the crowd and disappeared. He had to act fast.

Except he couldn’t read the maps on the wall. He couldn’t see where the lines ran to or when. He couldn’t even make out how much a ticket would cost him.

They would find him soon enough, he had to do something-

“Excuse me, miss?”

It was a desperate, impulsive decision, calling out to a woman that had just passed him by. She turned as she was addressed, looking to him with a confused but kind expression. “Yes? What is it?”

”Ah, I hate to disturb you, but I’m a little lost,” he began casually, screaming on the inside. His ability to slip into a lie so easily scared even him sometimes. “The truth is, I’m legally blind... I was hanging out with some friends of mine, but at some point I was separated from them. I’m sure they’re worried about me. We were planning to go back to my house at the end of the day, so I think it’d be best to go there now, except I can’t navigate the train station myself. If you’re not too busy... could you help me buy the right ticket and get to my train?”

Fortunately, the woman appeared to buy into his story, nodding with a sympathetic smile. “Oh, of course! It would be no trouble at all!”

Bingo! Maybe his luck is finally starting to turn around.

”Oh, thank you miss!” he replied cheerily, then brought out the small wad of yen he’d stuffed into his duffel that morning. “I should have enough for the ticket here...”

As he held out the money, the woman shook her head, gently pushing his hands back. “Oh, no, I can buy a ticket for you!” she said, then walked up to the map. “Where are you wanting to go?”

By nature, he wanted to protest her generous offer, but he didn’t want to waste any more time. “O-oh, thank you very much!” he said honestly, bowing out of respect.

Then the question caught up with him, and he froze.

He didn’t even know where he was now, how was he supposed to know which stop he wanted?!

She was looking at him expectantly. He had to make something up.

”Ah, well, I’m not sure how far I wandered when I got lost... which station is this?” he tried weakly, the sweat building on his forehead thankfully hidden by his bangs.

”Oh, this is the Salt City Station,” she replied, unfazed by his uncertainty.

He was in the heart of the city then, at least he was familiar with that much.

”Ah, I live... to the west of here,” he mumbled, hoping that she would catch on and elaborate.

”To the west, to the west...” she repeated to herself, finger tracing along lines that were invisible to him. “Ah, is the Paprika station close enough?”

Finally, something to go off of!

”Yes, that’s perfect!”

She was beaming at him, seemingly pleased by that simple accomplishment in communication. “Okay! I’ll just buy this ticket right here...” she began fumbling with her purse before pulling out a wallet and shuffling through it for the needed amount. He stood in nervous anticipation, senses heightened to every little motion around him, just waiting for the men in suits to appear through the crowds of inconsequential faces.

The ticket machine beeped a few times, and a slip of paper was dispensed. “There we go!” the woman said, grabbing the ticket. Then, after looking between it an the boy next to her, she reached out and gingerly took his hand, placing the ticket in his palm.

The motion startled him, and his face flushed at the gesture. “Th-thank you...” he stuttered, keeping his head low.

She laughed airily, still holding his hand as she began to walk. He resisted the impulse to smother his face in his free hand. “Really, it’s no trouble at all! I’m in no hurry to get home,” she began, skillfully maneuvering the two of them through the crowded station. “You won’t believe this- oh, I never introduced myself! I’m Hitomi, by the way- as I was saying, you won’t believe this, but I was supposed to be meeting a guy here for a date, but he never showed up!”

The topic was so normal that it was almost jarring. It was something he would have heard back in school, gossip between some of the girls in the class, the boys snickering at her misfortune. He could still remember the blue of the sky he saw through the window as his mind wandered. “Miss Hitomi, my name is Ritsu. I’m sorry that happened to you, though. It’s inconsiderate to leave someone waiting for you like that.”

”Right?! I got all dressed up and everything, and he didn’t even bother to come at all!” Hitomi ranted, her grip on his hand tightening as she expressed her anger, but surprisingly, he found he didn’t mind the otherwise mundane exchange (it had been so long, so long since he’d had someone to talk to like that, so long since he’d been treated like a person worthy of conversation) and allowed his shoulders to relax. “Ritsu, when you go out with a girl, don’t be that guy, okay?”

He almost chuckled at that, but he found he was starting to grow tired as he calmed down. “Of course, I wouldn’t do anything like that. If I make plans, I’ll stick to them.”

He saw her face, so full of life and emotion, and it made his heart ache. When was the last time someone had looked at him like that?

When was the last time his mother ever smiled at him?

Their little moment was over too soon. They had arrived at his train, and he was getting on alone.

They paused before the open doors, and her hand slid out of his, only a lingering warmth remaining. “Okay, we’re at the Paprika train now,” she turned to him, voice laced with concern. “You’re sure your friends will be there? I don’t mind riding along with you, if you need me to.”

She really was too kind.

”Don’t worry about me, I’m lucky to have very good friends. I’m sure they’ll be waiting for me,” he said, and he wished he was telling the truth. He wished this was real, that he wasn’t making up a happier story just to fool this caring, naive woman into helping him escape the city.

She looked like she had further doubts, but before she could voice them, the intercom announced that his train would be departing from the station soon. She sighed, adjusting the bag on her shoulder anxiously. “Well, if you’re sure... then I hope you have a safe trip, Ritsu.”

He smiled and hated himself. “Thank you again for your generosity, Miss Hitomi. I hope your next date will treat you better.”

She laughed, waving him off, though she lowered her hand once the thought occurred to her that he couldn’t see it. But he did, and he appreciated it, and he almost returned it.

Almost.

As the train doors slid shut behind him, those men in suits came into view, and his heart stopped. They apparently hadn't spotted him however, so he hoped he hadn't inadvertently made that sweet woman a target by associating with her.

As the train began to move, and he took his seat, he caught something new in his vision, and those strikingly eye-catching outfits suddenly made sense.

They had little, identical metal pins on their jackets.

Chapter Text

Ritsu was prone to motion sickness.

He hadn’t been before, years ago, when his eyes still functioned properly. He remembered enjoying train rides, watching the scenery outside whiz past, relaxed and carefree.

With his new vision, his mind processed movement differently. A field of psychic energy encompassed him in a dome, mapping out the physical forms of anything within range. Any object within that field took a bit more of his energy to handle, and as a result, rapidly moving objects risked overwhelming his senses completely.

But he must always see, for the alternative was dark nothingness, an endless nightmare. So he put up with it.

After several minutes, Ritsu’s exhaustion began to catch up to him. He felt a deep ache in his legs and a pit in his stomach, and pain surged behind his eyes with every heartbeat. It was calm and quiet on the train despite being crowded, everyone absorbed with something else or remaining politely silent, content to sit and watch the world go by. After having wandered aimlessly for hours, he finally felt he had found a respite. A place to rest.

Though his eyes slid shut, he could still see all around him, still mindful of potential threats as he drifted off to sleep.

-*-

When he awoke he felt too warm, too stiff, too empty.

He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but as he looked around, there were significantly less passengers aboard the train than there had been before.

Where was he? Was he still in the city? He had only wanted to escape the strange men that had been chasing him, but he couldn’t abandon his search yet, he had to be in the city somewhere, right?

In a panic, he scrambled to the nearest doors to attempt to peer outside. However, no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn’t make out anything beyond the metal confines of the train. Frustrated and sick, he plopped back down in his seat, anxiously awaiting the announcement of the next stop.

At the first opportunity, he squeezed through the slowly opening doors and into the unfamiliar station, running through mostly empty corridors to find the outside.

When he stepped into the open, he was drenched in rainwater. The neighborhood he found himself in was obviously suburban, not a single skyscraper in sight. Just the thick foliage of trees overhead.

His legs gave out beneath him, and he landed hard on his knees, water soaking through his jeans. He was hopelessly lost.

He felt a fever setting in.

He had left work early and all but sprinted straight to the grocery store, but his efforts had been in vain. The weather turned sour before he could make it home.

Grumbling to himself, he plopped down on the bench beneath the safety of the bus stop, lamenting his soaked jacket and soggy socks. At least the food in his shopping bags had been mostly spared.

The bus was sure taking its sweet time to show up. He was growing more antsy by the second. Maybe he could sneak in a quick smoke...

As he reached for the pack of cigarettes he kept stashed in his briefcase for “emergencies”, he caught something in the corner of his eye. He hadn’t even noticed in his rush to escape the rain, but there was another person sitting on the other side of the bench. His fingers stilled. Looks like he couldn’t smoke after all.

He leaned back dejectedly, sagging down in his seat. Hopefully the bus would come sooner rather than later.

...

Maybe this person wouldn’t mind...?

No, no, no, it’s beyond rude to start smoking in such an enclosed space! What if they had asthma? He’d feel terrible if he made someone sick with his bad habit.

... They sneezed.

It hadn’t occurred to him just how cold it was, harsh winds cooling already damp skin, even with the modest protection that the bus stop provided. It couldn’t be good for anyone to be stuck out in that kind of weather. They were like two sad, wet sailors in the same broken down ship. Hell, maybe he should offer them a smoke, too.

But... now that he took the time to really look at them, they seemed... young. Young and thin and- oh dear, they were shivering, the poor thing! They only had a sweatshirt on, a thoroughly soaked sweatshirt, that couldn’t be providing sufficient protection!

...Huh. A sweatshirt, jeans, dirty sneakers, and a... duffel bag? Was this a college student or something? But there weren’t any campuses around for miles... his Responsible Adult senses were tingling. Something was amiss here. He should probably say something.

He leaned over to the side a bit. “Hey, kid. You all right there?” he asked, a simple question, not wanting to pry. Just asking if they were okay.

He had expected them to jump or squeak or... emote at all. Sadly, they only further confirmed his suspicions as they barely reacted with nothing more than a low “mm”. They did not look up at him.

Okay, so maybe he needed to pry a little bit. “You seem pretty cold, is all... and this bus sure is taking a while to get here, huh? Do you need anything?”

They sat up slightly, no longer so hunched over, curled into themselves, but they still wouldn’t look at him. “I’m fine,” was all they said, and fell silent again. They said enough for him to hear the dry crack in their voice. They sounded tired. Fragile, even.

He was starting to get worried. “Ah, don’t take this the wrong way, but... how old are you, exactly? You seem a little young to be out here on your own.”

They had their arms wrapped firmly around their torso. The tips of their fingers were blue, digging into the thin fabric of their sweatshirt, hard enough to leave marks on the skin underneath. “Really, I’m fine. Thank you for the concern, but I can handle myself,” he said. He didn’t answer the question. So... probably pretty young. Probably too young to be out on their own. Their arms tightened around their stomach. The signs were becoming more apparent.

”Okay, okay, fair enough,” he said, raising his hands. “I’m just saying... you’re soaked, kid. To the bone! Me, being a responsible citizen, well- I’m sure you can handle yourself, but it’s best to be safe rather than sorry, right? There’s no shame in asking for help if you need it.”

That got their attention. They sat even straighter, eyes narrowed, though still pointed very much away from him. “I really don’t need any help. I just got caught in the rain, that’s all. I’m... I don’t live too far, I’m just waiting for the rain to let up.”

”Heh. Okay then... if you live around here, you must know what street we’re on, right?” he tried, leaning closer, scrutinizing. It was all so terribly familiar, he was sure of it now.

They tensed up, knuckles turning white. “I- why- why does it matter? It’s creepy to ask that kind of stuff. Why should I answer you?” he stuttered, obviously defensive, all bark and no bite. Backed into a corner.

He chuckled at that. “Well, at least you’ve got the sense to be cautious around strangers. I can respect that,” he said, then, as they sighed in relief, “In that case, my name is Arataka Reigen. I’m 28 years old, and I’ve lived in this town for 13 years now. I live down on Chestnut Street, in the nutmeg apartment complex.”

They turned to him fully, brows creased in suspicion. It was then that something caught him by surprise.

Their eyes... were distant, foggy, unfocused. They were not looking at him, but somewhere past him, staring into empty, infinite space. Though he got the impression he had their complete attention at that point.

This kid was very much lost. They were clever, as well. If he wanted to get anywhere, he had to be direct.

”You’re a runaway, aren’t you?”

He hit the mark. They became rigid, closed off, sucking in a sharp breath. Their blue-tinged fists were clenched tightly around the strap of their bag, like they would make a break for it at any moment. He could remember that special brand of panic. It was a taste he didn’t miss.

”Before you freak out... I’m not gonna turn you in or anything,” he reassured them, leaning back, giving them personal space to hopefully help them feel more comfortable. They still glared in his general direction. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all. How could I ignore you when you’re sitting there trembling like a leaf all by yourself? I get if you don’t want to talk. I’m just offering to help.”

”You...” they began, stumbling over words, licking dry lips. “Why do you care? It’s-it’s none of your business. You don’t have to trouble yourself,” they finished in a mumble, clearly upset at being caught so easily.

”What, it’s the job of us adults to take care of kids!” he replied, and before they could protest, “Anyways... I used to be just like you. Ran away from home more times than I can count. Spent too many nights cold and hungry on the streets. And you know what? Nobody stopped to help me. I kinda wished they would, but they never did. Maybe things could’ve worked out differently if they had...”

"Why are you telling me this?" they asked, softer but still wary. He had to get this right; he could help this kid, he could actually make a difference!

”I just went shopping, got some fresh groceries right here,” he shook his shopping bags for emphasis, “and I was on my way home to cook dinner for myself and my nephew - you know, he might actually be around your age - so how about you pay us a visit? A roof over your head and a nice, hot meal! If you let me do that much for you, I won’t bug you again. How does that sound?”

They sat back against the bench, expression shifting in small increments, apparently mulling over his proposition. His heart made a leap, mentally cheering as he anticipated their answer.

”...Mister... Reigen, was it?” they asked slowly, carefully considering their words. “If... if you’re really that intent on this, then... I guess it can’t hurt. I won’t ask for anything more.”

A hot meal and a place to stay. How often had he found himself wishing for just that much?

Conveniently for them, it was at that moment that the fabled bus finally decided to show itself to mortal eyes, rounding the corner with a burst of exhaust fumes and squealing tires, and he stood triumphantly from the bench, a hand outstretched. “Great! I promise, you won’t regret it once you’ve tasted my home cooking! I’ve been getting pretty good lately!”

They, too, rose up on unsteady legs, and as another pleasant surprise, easily reached for and took his offered hand, giving it a single shake. “Ritsu,” he said, tone lighter than it had been before. “Just Ritsu.”

Chapter Text

He decided that Reigen Arataka was obnoxious approximately ten minutes after meeting him.

He talked incessantly about everything and nothing, apparently oblivious to the fact that his audience of one was not at all interested in what he had to say. Some small part of him figured he owed the man some semblance of conversation after the kindness he’d shown, but that part was growing smaller by the minute. He must be more tired than he thought.

Not to mention that the man was incapable of sitting still for more than a few seconds. His frequent hand movements alone were enough to trigger his motion sickness, along with the added bumpiness of the bus ride to Reigen’s apartment.

He really hoped they were almost there. A warm meal sounded lovely.

He was starting to feel sick. With every flick of the man’s wrists, a shockwave rippled through his brain, a pulse that sent shivers down his back, his overwhelmed nerves stuttering, staggering, faltering as they attempted to process the rapid motions.

But it was his own fault, wasn’t it? He didn’t have to see these things if he didn’t want to. It wasn’t bad enough, he told himself. Darkness would be worse. He repeated it to himself as his stomach threatened to turn over.

-*-

Ironically, it had stopped raining by the time they made it to the apartment. He supposed he should be thankful for the chance to dry off.

He followed close behind Reigen as they climbed several flights of rickety old stairs, the man complaining the whole way up about his “bad knees”. He was just grateful they weren’t riding in an elevator, otherwise he was sure he would be sick.

His apartment was located on the third floor; he had to wait as Reigen caught his breath after the climb. He resisted the urge to make a snide remark - he knew the man’s name, but other than that he was practically a stranger, and it felt odd to act so casually around someone he had just met. That and his brain was too fried to come up with anything funny.

Reigen led the way right to his door and fumbled with the shopping bags on his arm for a few seconds before fishing a key out of his pocket and jamming it into the lock. “Teru, I’m home! Don’t be mad that I’m late, it was the bus’ fault!” he called out as they stepped inside, kicking his shoes off and shoving them off to the side. Ritsu followed, slipping his own shoes off and arranging them more neatly beside Reigen’s. He already felt warmer just being inside a home, even if it wasn’t his own.

As they entered the living space, his eyes widened. It wasn’t what his eyes could see, but his powers, that caught him off guard.

Color. There was color in his world, bright and iridescent and shifting in the air as it followed an invisible current.

In the center of it all, a person, shining like gold.

Reigen approached them, raising an arm up to tussle his hair. “Heya, kid. We’ve got a guest today! I think he’s around your age too,” he said, gesturing to Ritsu excitedly.

From what he could make out of the person’s expression, he didn’t seem too impressed. “Who is this? I haven’t seem them around before,” he asked, crossing his arms, clearly suspicious of the newcomer. He couldn’t really blame him, he could only imagine how terrible he looked.

Fortunately, Reigen took initiative and replied for him. “This is Ritsu, and he’s pretty new to town. I thought I’d invite him over for dinner, give him a warm welcome. So why don’t you be a good host and get him a fresh change of clothes? We got soaked out there!”

He seemed taken aback at that. “Wh- seriously?” he started to protest, but something in Reigen’s expression must have shut him up. He sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. “Fine, I can do that... I probably have something that’ll fit him,” he mumbled.

Reigen gave him an approving pat on the shoulder. “Great! I’ll get started right away on dinner while you’re at it,” he declared as he entered the kitchen, setting the grocery bags on a counter and rolling up his sleeves. He can’t remember ever seeing someone so enthusiastic about cooking.

Ah. And suddenly he’s alone with... Teru? Thanks for the introduction, Reigen...

”Right, this way then,” Teru said, already walking away from him. He followed silently behind.

Teru turned into what he assumed was his bedroom, but Ritsu stood at the doorway for a few unsure moments, feeling awkward about entering someone’s personal space. Teru didn’t give confirmation one way or the other though, so he decided to suck it up and walk in anyway. If Teru didn’t want him there, he could just tell him to get out.

Teru’s room was average in size, well-decorated though Ritsu couldn’t make out any sort of color scheme. Everything seemed well organized while also giving the appearance of a space well lived in. It was nothing like Ritsu’s own bedroom. It was much warmer.

The other boy was rummaging through a dresser full of clothing, humming faintly to himself as he searched for something suitable for Ritsu to wear. Come to think of it, he was already pretty used to people choosing his clothing for him. He never cared for fashion trends of the day, but he didn’t want to look like a complete idiot either. He wondered if Teru was the fashionable sort. He wondered what was considered fashionable at all these days.

It was easier to stay inside, in his own world. Leaving the house only made it more obvious how many worlds were closed off to him.

”Hey, you gonna take these or what?”

He jumped, not realizing he had zoned out until Teru was in front of him, impatiently holding out a bundle of clothing in his face. “Oh, s-sorry,” he stuttered, grabbing the offered bundle with a small bow. Strange, he hadn’t bothered to be too polite with Reigen, but he felt more vulnerable around this boy. Maybe it was because Teru was his age? He rarely interacted with anyone that wasn’t at least a decade older than him. Younger people could be awfully... judgmental.

”You’re pretty weird, aren’t you?”

Case in point.

He really didn’t know how to respond to that. He certainly wasn’t what most people would consider “normal”, but was he really weird?

”You can speak, can’t you? Say something,” Teru continued to pry, advancing a little too far into his personal space. Then again, wasn’t it Ritsu that was intruding in Teru’s personal space?

Despite his fatigue, he found his snark. “You’re an esper, too. You’re just as weird as me.”

That got Teru to back off, if only just a little. He raised a brow, resting a hand on his hip in what Ritsu could only describe as a sassy stance. “Well! You can speak and bend spoons,” he said in an almost mocking tone. “Then... you wouldn’t happen to be associated with Claw, would you?”

Before Ritsu could even articulate a response, Teru had grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pressing him hard against the wall. His face was uncomfortably close. “Because if you are... I won’t hesitate to beat you down.”

Fear broke through the surface of his exhausted mind, and at once everything was almost too clear, too real. His body screamed at him to run, but his limbs could only hang limp and frozen. There he was, in a stranger's house, being threatened by another esper over something he didn't understand; the situation was so strange and unfamiliar to him that he had no idea how to act. His mind had totally blanked. Thankfully, at his prolonged silence, Teru huffed and released him, allowing him enough room to breathe again. Without another word, Teru brushed himself off and left the room, heading back towards the living area. “The bathroom is to the left~” he called over his shoulder in a sing-song voice.

Ritsu clutched at his heart and focused on slowing his panicked breaths. His mind was reeling, trying to make sense of what just happened - and subsequently chastising himself for appearing so weak. He should have said something! He should have defended himself! Yet all he managed was to freeze under Teru's accusatory glare.

Running away from home. Deceiving an innocent woman out of her money. Getting himself lost. Intruding in someone else's home, accepting their clothes, their food, with nothing to offer in return... his face flushed hot with shame. How pathetic he must appear to people, a defenseless blind boy all on his own. He couldn't stand being pitied.

Get it together, Ritsu! Remember why you're doing this! he reminded himself. This is for his sake. You can survive a little lost pride, can't you?

That's right - he would only be here for a single night at the most. He could leave in the morning and put all of this behind him, focus on the mission at hand. He could do this.

With a deep sigh, he pulled himself up and made his way into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Time to change into a stranger’s clothes. All for a warm meal...

-*-

The apartment was nothing special, a little messy, a little run-down, but otherwise it was cozy and held in the heat well enough. However, for some reason, Ritsu couldn’t stop shivering.

He was dressed in comfortable, casual clothing, a long-sleeved shirt and some sweatpants, but as he sat at the dinner table, his arms frequently flushed with goosebumps, and he felt a draft against his back. The other two didn’t seem to notice anything, and he didn’t want to complain too much, so he kept his mouth shut. Except to eat his food, of course.

The rice was pretty good, but it was hard to mess up with a rice cooker if you knew how to use it. The miso soup... not so much. It was a bit too bitter for his tastes, but it wasn’t awful, either. He was hungry enough that he’d eat anything at that point.

Reigen was only slightly quieter at the table, pausing every so often to shove some more food into his mouth before continuing on his tirade. Teru would interject every so often, but Ritsu remained mostly silent. Reigen made attempts to include him in the conversation, but stopped after realizing that he just wasn’t in the mood to speak. Besides, it felt strange to enter into a conversation between people who were much more familiar with each other than they were with him.

It was a little disappointing that the meal didn’t seem to do anything for the chill he felt. At least he had something in his stomach.

After they were all finished, Reigen and Teru gathered the dishes to wash in the kitchen, and Ritsu moved into the living room to rest on the couch and formulate a plan. Firstly, he had to figure out where in the hell he was. From there, he would be able to map out where he would travel to next.

He hadn't forgotten about those strange men that had been after him in the city. Would it be safe for him to return now? Was he even safe outside of the city? Did he even need to be in the city at all? Where would he have been able to hide for so many years?

Projections were shifting into blurry masses in his sight. Shadows were creeping dangerously close, but he was too tired to bother moving his legs up onto the couch to avoid the inky tendrils. He felt so cold, but he wasn’t shivering anymore. He couldn’t.

”Oi. Kid, are you feeling okay? You don’t look so good-“

There was a hand on his shoulder, warm and firm and grounding. Without much thought, he leaned into the touch, desperate for comfort. He didn’t want to be alone in the dark. He couldn’t go through it all again.

”Good God, you’re burning up!”

”He’s sick? How long was he out in the rain?!”

He was back, back in that place. This time, however, he wasn't alone.

-*-

He never thought about it much. Or at least he tried not to.

But it had been so long since he’d felt a friendly touch.

His parents avoided him. They were gone for most of the day working, anyways. They didn’t want to be home, around him. The reminder that they had failed as parents.

He was homeschooled. The tutors were professional. Cold. Cold, cold, cold. Cold adults, a house full of dead hearts. Stuck in the dark, starved of human contact.

He hated to admit it, but he was lonely. Maybe that was what drove him to leave. Even if he knew, deep in his heart, that his brother was probably long gone. It was the only hope he had left. The final, fleeting remnants of warmth that remained in his memories.

He felt that same warmth in the man’s hand that held him. It was terrifying. Terrifying, but he felt his soul had recovered something he had lost.

Chapter Text

He decided that Reigen Arataka maybe wasn’t such a bad person approximately 24 hours after meeting him.

He’d been asleep for the majority of those 24 hours, but the most unpleasant thing about it was the fact that he had an awfully high fever and a killer headache.

Well, that and Teru’s not-so-hidden passive-aggressiveness. Which... admittedly wasn’t entirely unwarranted considering Teru was left to care for him all alone as Reigen had been called away on “urgent business”. It seemed he couldn’t afford to call off for the day, as much as he’d wanted to.

Teru didn’t interact with him much regardless, opting to watch television out in the living room for the most part, which was just fine with Ritsu. It still felt strange to be sleeping in someone else’s house, but his aching body won over the internal struggle and he was content to sleep the day away curled up under the covers - Reigen’s covers, as he’d given up his bed for their sickly guest.

He didn’t get sick too often (he hadn’t left the house too often), but when he did, it was always absolutely miserable. He couldn’t breathe out of his nose at all, and it felt like he was rubbing against sandpaper with every slight movement, the fabric of his clothing and the blanket brushing against over-sensitive skin. He could barely even manage to sit up long enough to eat something.

Teru made sure he suffered through it, though. He’d gone through all the trouble to bring him food, he should be a grateful guest and eat as much as he can.

It was around lunchtime - probably - when Teru started asking him questions.

”Where do you come from? You’re definitely not from around here,” he’d began the interrogation, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned closer to him.

”Astute observation,” he’d grumbled before taking a bite of the soba noodles Teru had brought for him. Teru made a face at him as his head was lowered, unaware that he could see it all clear as day. “You’re right, though. ‘m from out of town.”

Teru snorted, sneering at him. “Yeah, no shit. Where from?”

”Does it matter?”

Teru hummed disapprovingly, but gave up with that line of questioning for a different approach. “So then what are you doing here? Reigen never went into specifics.”

Ritsu put a little more thought into answering that question. “I was... looking for someone. But I don’t think they would come here,” he decided to say.

”Hah? What’s with the secrecy? You sure you’re not up to something?” Teru asked suspiciously, leaning even closer into his personal space. He hated to have someone scrutinizing him so closely when he probably looked like hot garbage, but he fought the temptation to look away and appear even more guilty.

”I don’t like being asked these personal questions,” he said firmly, setting his bowl off on a side table. “I apologize for intruding, but I’m not... up to anything, or whatever it is you think I’m doing. I just want to keep to myself and move on once I’m able to.”

He held himself as high as he could considering his physical condition, even under Teru’s unwavering stare. “I see. Then, let me ask about something you’ve already mentioned; you have psychic powers too, right? What can you do?” he finally leaned away, allowing Ritsu some much-needed breathing room. “Regardless, I bet you’re nowhere near my level.”

Where does he get off one-upping some sick stranger while they lie in bed? He chose to keep that internal comment to himself. “I’m not sure what you mean...?” he said, honestly, not clear on how to answer such a question.

Teru scoffed at him for what had to be the 50th time that day. “Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, energy barriers, astral projection... just off the top of my head. Not to mention the more high-level abilities that an esper such as myself could pull off, of course,” he goaded on, practically preening as he sat there inspecting his nails with a practiced aloofness.

Still, Ritsu wasn’t really sure what to say. He had only ever used his powers for one thing and one thing only, and had quickly learned through experience that he couldn’t See and lift things with his mind at the same time. “I-I,” he stammered, suddenly very embarrassed, “I just- I just use them to... get around?”

“What, so you can fly or something?” Teru asked, brow raised in mild interest, though it quickly turned to frustration as Ritsu shook his head.

”N-no, not... it’s hard to explain,” he tried to discourage the boy from persisting, but he sat still, indicating that he was willing to listen to a long-winded explanation. Ritsu sighed deeply, running a hand through his unkempt hair as he gathered his thoughts. “Basically, I project a field of energy in a certain radius around me. It sort of acts like a scanner, projecting back to me everything that enters that field, as long as it has a physical form. Though I can see spirits as well, and the auras of other espers.”

Teru was surprisingly silent throughout his explanation, focused in on every word that came out of his mouth. He was feeling strange under the boy’s gaze, like he was still experiencing embarrassment... at least, he assumed that must be what it was, as a faint heat began to pool in his cheeks. Eventually, after processing the information, Teru addressed him again. “Uh... I understand that and all, but... why?”

”Ah... isn’t it obvious...?” it dawned on him then that he’d never mentioned to Teru that he couldn’t see, and apparently Reigen had never mentioned it either. “I use it to see because I’m blind.”

Maybe that came out a little too bluntly. Teru’s eyes widened, and he didn’t reply for several seconds. “Huh. Here I thought you weren’t looking at me because you were shy or something. My bad.” he said, and actually laughed. There was no malice, in fact, it almost sounded awkward, his own version of an apology, though there was nothing to apologize for. “Though that must mean you can’t do much else. Hmm, what a shame... it’s a bit counterproductive to use telekinesis if you have to give up your sight to do it. If only espers could use more than a single technique at one time...” he trailed off, hand to his chin in deep contemplation. “Either way, I guess that also means you’re not with Claw. They’d have no use for an esper that can’t fight,” he finished with a shrug.

”What is Claw, anyway? You mentioned that last night, too.”

Teru seemed to consider answering his question, but then waved him off. “Eh, I’m sure it’s nothing you have to worry about,” he said with a smirk, already standing from the bed.

Ritsu jumped forward, reaching a hand to stop him. “Wait, so you’re allowed to interrogate me, but you won’t answer any of my questions?” he spluttered, though he knew from the start his protests would yield no results.

The boy spun back around to face him with a cheeky grin. “What? Shouldn’t you be getting back to sleep now?” he teased, hands behind his back, leaning to the side, like a child innocently taunting him. As Ritsu sat seething with his annoyance, Teru slipped out of the room as quickly as he’d come in, and he was alone again with a cold bowl of soba noodles and more questions than answers.

Teru... that boy made no sense to Ritsu. He couldn’t read him at all, and it just left him feeling even more lost than he already had been. Everything that came from Teru’s mouth tasted bitter, laced with hidden meaning, yet something about him was glaringly honest and it threw his perception off. For a moment it had almost seemed like they were getting along... and though he was loathe to admit it, it felt so, so nice to connect with another person his age, especially someone who he could open up to about his psychic powers. Even if it was just a one-sided connection. Even if it would have to end once Ritsu stepped out of the door once more, out of these strangers’ lives.

No, no, he couldn’t let himself be distracted by such childish feelings of loneliness. He had left home with a single purpose in his heart, and if he were to fulfill that purpose, he had to keep moving.

He blamed the aching in his chest on the fever. The wet pressure that built behind his eyes, too.

-*-

He did fall back asleep in the end. He woke up as Reigen arrived back home, loudly announcing his return to the apartment’s occupants. He could hear Teru’s muffled complaint through the thin walls, followed by Reigen’s still very loud and indignant response. Ritsu would have chuckled if the action didn’t agitate his cough.

A series of comments thrown back and forth, shuffling across the floor, and Reigen entered the room, opening this  door much more quietly. “Hey, look who’s awake!” he said cheerfully, leaving the door open for Teru as he walked in. The boy rolled his eyes at Reigen as he leaned against the doorframe. “So how are you feeling now? Any better?”

Ritsu managed a strained smile, throat a little too dry to be completely comfortable. “I-I’m feeling better than I was yesterday, thank you,” he said, though his words weren’t quite as convincing as he’d meant them to be with such a hoarse voice.

Reigen laughed, patting him on the shoulder. “Sounds like you could use a drink, huh? Hey Teru-“ he turned to Teru, but he had already walked off towards the kitchen. “Ah, looks like he’s already on it,” he said, then leaned in closer. “I’m sorry about him, really. My nephew can be such a drama queen sometimes, I swear,” he whispered to him, chuckling as Ritsu smiled again. “Yeah, you know what I mean. Try not to take it personally though. He’s a good kid, deep down. Just been through some shi- stuff, so he’s pretty defensive around people,” his voice was so soft by the end, filled with something remorseful and sad.

Ritsu had to wonder what could have happened to affect someone as headstrong as Teru. His behavior from the previous day came to mind. “Does that have anything to do with Claw?” he asked.

”Claw?” Reigen sat back straight, looking surprised.

Just then, Teru entered the room with a glass. “Reigen, I told you to get more tea at the store yesterday!” he started to complain but froze instantly as Reigen turned to him. “W-what’s with that look?”

”Teruki, I thought I told you to stop worrying about those Claw guys,” Reigen said, in a stern tone, more serious than Ritsu had ever seen him before.

It was Teru’s turn to be offended, drawing back defensively. “Who said I was worry-“ he cut himself off, glancing at Ritsu, and he realized what they had been talking about. He sighed in exasperation. “I’m not worried. He mentioned being an esper, so I asked if he knew anything. That’s all.”

“You accused me of being part of them...” Ritsu thought to himself, but he didn’t want to worsen the tension by saying that out loud. Still, he was getting pretty tired of being in the dark. “What is Claw, really?”

Teru hesitated a while more before properly entering the room, handing Ritsu the glass he’d brought with him. He took a generous drink of the cool water, the liquid soothing to his scratchy throat. Teru opted to lean against the wall opposite of Reigen, and the two looked at each other as they likely came up with something to say. A truthful explanation, hopefully.

Reigen began with a cough. “Basically, Claw is a yakuza clan with a whole bunch of espers under their name. Apparently they target young espers specifically for recruitment, even resorting to kidnapping on some occasions. Just some scummy adults looking for gullible kids to scam into doing their dirty work,” he became increasingly agitated as he went on, disgust evident in his voice.

Still, Teru wasn’t satisfied. “‘Just some scummy adults’? These guys aren’t your average yakuza goons,” Teru nearly shouted, pushing himself away from the wall in a huff. “Torture and murder are child’s play to them. They’d do anything to get what they want, even if it meant killing a child esper that dared to disobey them!”

Reigen tried to reach out to him, but Teru jerked his arm away. “Come on, Teruki, that’s enough-“

”God, I hate how you just write this off like it’s no big deal!” Teru snapped at Reigen, causing Ritsu to flinch. “This isn’t just some cautionary tale - this is real! Claw is a real, tangible threat! You know what they did to-“

Reigen stood abruptly and gripped Teru by the shoulders, holding him firmly in place. “Teruki. I know very well that Claw is a threat, but causing a panic like this will do no one any good. You’ve got to keep yourself together,” he spoke slowly, calmly, looking Teru right in the eyes.

Teru stared at the man for a minute before his shoulders sagged in defeat, taking a deep breath as the aggression slowly left his system. Rather than reply, he simply brushed Reigen’s hands away and returned to his position against the wall, pointedly avoiding looking at Ritsu.

Reigen rubbed the back of his neck as he sat back down with a small groan. “Sorry about that, Ritsu. Didn’t mean to get so heated,” he apologized, Teru crossing his arms tightly against his chest with an almost imperceptible pout.

Ritsu was at a loss for words. He felt like he had experienced that entire sequence of events from outside of his body, gazing down from the corner of the room with an impassive distance, unable to really feel anything, processing the words at a bare minimum level. Gradually, he sank back into his own mind, blinking rapidly as everything was reconnected. One word was glowing brighter than the rest, relevant to him in some way. “Yakuza,” he repeated to himself, feeling the word on his tongue, tossing it around, gears clinking and clanging as life returned to them. A lightbulb blinked into existence, a successful link, a realization.

Reigen had been watching him with a curious expression, brows raised as his eyes lit up. “You said... Claw kidnaps psychic children?” he recalled his escape from the city, adult espers hot on his trail, and the metal pins that adorned their suits. White, hot panic surged through him, breath quickening, pulse frantic.

Reigen noticed this change in demeanor and moved closer to him in concern. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

”I think,” he gulped, the implications of what he was about to say already racing through his mind, “I think Claw was after me.”

Reigen’s expression immediately darkened, and Teru sucked in a sharp breath. “What? What do you mean?” Teru asked him, swiftly stepping to the bedside, though thankfully Reigen kept him from getting too close.

“I was... I come from Seasoning City. I hadn’t meant to leave, but these men appeared out of nowhere and started chasing me,” he tried to bring back and memories of their auras, an esper’s fingerprint, an identifying feature, but he mustn’t have noticed in his rush to get away. “At least two of them were espers, I’m sure of that. But there were more men around the city, too. I just ran around trying to get away from them and ended up at the train station, so... I didn’t really think, I just got on and eventually ended up here.”

“Is this why you ran away from home, Ritsu?” Reigen asked him gently, voice so sweet and so soft, and it reminded him of his parents, of the way his parents used to be, how they used to care when he was hurting, and that only hurt him more.

He shook his head, fighting back the conflicting waves of emotion that surged within him. “I... it was, um. Unrelated,” he tried to elaborate, but found he simply didn’t have it in him. “I’m sorry, I’d rather not say... just that I was looking for someone. I was just walking around the city when they showed up.”

“Are you positive they were with Claw? Seasoning is rife with yakuza from all kinds of families,” Teru joined in, though not nearly as insistent as he’d been earlier.

Ritsu thought back to his confrontation with the two men that had been tailing him. “I don’t know for sure, I-I couldn’t sense an aura, but two of them definitely felt stronger than the others. One of them had a sword at his hip, and they knew my full name. They weren’t trying to hurt me right away, but they were going to fight if I resisted,” he said, suppressing a shudder as he considered what could’ve happened to him if he hadn’t gotten away. Judging by the things Teru had mentioned, it would’ve been far worse than a fever.

”A sword? A sword against a kid?” Reigen muttered, mostly to himself, but he looked horrified at the mere thought of it. “I’m sure glad you got out of that unharmed, Ritsu. I’m even more glad that you’re safe here with us and not still out wandering the streets.”

Though Reigen’s words warmed his heart, they also brought a sinking feeling of dread to rest in his stomach. “They knew me by name... would they really give up so easily? What if they’ve followed me here?” he whispered, subconscious thoughts already painting terrifying pictures, worst possible outcomes. “I-I shouldn’t be here, you could be in danger because of me!”

Reigen shook his head firmly. “Absolutely not. I’m not going to send you back out into unfamiliar territory when there are violent people after you. Either you’re staying here, or...”

”Going back home?” Teru finished for him, but the waver in his typically confident voice caught Ritsu off guard. Wouldn’t he be happy to see Ritsu leave? Why did that suggestion upset him? “I’m guessing... for you, that’s out of the question?”

Ritsu nodded stiffly. It wasn’t just about his personal quest anymore; now that he’s had even the tiniest taste of freedom, he couldn’t imagine crawling back to that lifeless household again, that lonely place devoid of warmth. Now that he’d felt touch again, the caring touch of a genuinely kind soul, he thought he would die if he had to experience such crushing isolation again.

Teru crouched by his side, a motion so unexpected from the boy that he nearly flinched away from him. “This is... just my own opinion, okay? But if I were you... I-“ he paused, voice cracking as it raised a few octaves, “I would just suck it up and stay here. I mean, you- you’re not so bad, I guess, just- I don’t know, help out with chores or something and you’ll be fine.”

Both Ritsu and Reigen were stunned into silence at Teru’s acceptance of the situation. “Well. That wasn’t the response I was expecting, but I’m glad you feel that way, Teru!” Reigen praised his nephew, ruffling his hair. Teru squawked and leaped away from his touch, patting down his fluffy hair with a scowl. Reigen chuckled at the reaction, teasing Teru about his apparently “trendy” hairstyle.

Ritsu had stopped hearing them. It was hard to hear much of anything with the speed of the blood rushing behind his ears. His breath hitched in his throat, and he quickly brought a hand to cover his mouth.

The other two saw this and stopped, once again focusing on him. “Are you feeling sick again?” Reigen suggested, but Ritsu shook his head. He sat back and allowed him to formulate a response.

”I-I’m,” he strained, choking on his own emotion, overwhelmed in a way he hadn’t been in years. “I feel so- I, I just can’t th-thank you enough... I-I don’t deserve this...” he felt so ashamed of himself for crying, so embarrassed of expressing such raw emotion in front of these people he’d only met recently. If he were back at home, his mother would yell at him. His father would pretend he didn’t exist.

Reigen and Teru were neither of those people. Reigen wasn’t shouting at him. Teru had accepted him into his household. He was real. He existed. He was crying, crying real tears, streaming down his pale, sunken cheeks, dripping from his chin, staining the shirt Teru had given him to wear. He couldn’t stop, and he didn’t want to.

He let it all out, all of the sorrow and anger and fear and bitter, chilling loneliness. Reigen shifted closer to him, placed a hand on his shoulder, offering comfort, and Ritsu didn’t hesitate to take it, burying his face into the man’s shirt. Reigen held him by the shoulders as he cried, solid but not overbearing, allowing him space to pull away if he needed. It was too nice. Reigen was being far too nice to him and he didn’t deserve it-

“Every human being deserves to be shown kindness. You deserve to have a safe place, a place to call home, Ritsu. You do,” Reigen said to him, and he could feel him speak, feel the soothing rumble of his chest.

He was crying too hard to tell him that this felt more like home than the house he’d fled had ever felt to him. This felt like a piece of his heart that he’d been missing for so long he hadn’t noticed it was gone.

Chapter Text

A few days into Ritsu’s stay in his new (temporary?) home, he was starting to get used to the unfamiliar environment.

He still occasionally tripped over furniture he wasn’t expecting to be around a corner, and he had to ask for assistance if he ever wanted to find something in the kitchen. He had started to help with a few chores, something that made him feel like he was really a part of the household. It was almost surreal, washing dishes together in the kitchen, chatting animatedly about Reigen’s day at work or some new idol that Teru was obsessed with. Even if he didn’t join in the conversation, he felt like he was welcome to.

Still, he felt more comfortable talking to Reigen than Teru, even if the man was a bit... scatterbrained, at best. Trying to take care of two teenagers couldn’t be easy when you were never planning to have kids in the first place. He was trying, at least. Although his cooking skills left something to be desired, and he was preoccupied with his job for most of the day, he kept up a lighthearted atmosphere when he was home.

Except when Teru was in a bad mood. Which, apparently, was most of the time. So there was a lot of bickering between them, most of the time.

”Honestly, if you’re going to complain about your poor old man back every night, you should let me make dinner.”

Reigen scoffed. “No way in hell, not after you nearly burned the apartment down. Twice!”

“I told you, the stove is old! It’s not my fault it caught on fire!” Teru groaned, pointing at the offending appliance.

”What?! How dare you? That stove has been with me through thick and thin! Good ol’ boy has never set fire to my home, not once! Maybe he just doesn’t like you,” Reigen crossed his arms with a huff, scowling at whatever program he was watching on television. “If you hate it so much, how about getting a job and saving up the money to buy a new one?”

”What is it with you and anthropomorphizing random household objects?” Teru replied, completely ignoring Reigen’s last statement. “You should really get out more. Meet someone nice. Rich, hopefully. Then we can move into a better house with a better stove so I won’t set the apartment on fire.”

”Ah, a man can dream,” Reigen says wistfully while maintaining a completely blank expression as he continued to stare at the TV. “That reminds me, though. Ritsu!” Reigen’s sudden outburst startled him, and he nearly jumped off of the couch, Teru snickering at his reaction. “You’re going shopping tomorrow!”

”I... am?”

”Absolutely! It’s pay week!” Reigen said, matter-of-factly. “It’s about time you got some clothes of your own to wear. Something you can choose for yourself. Anything you want! Within price range, of course.”

Ritsu paled at the idea. “You don’t have to do that! You’re already letting me stay here, I can’t let you spend more money on me.”

Reigen barked out a laugh, slapping him on the back a little too hard. “Oh, it won’t be me spending the money!”

”Huh?”

He looked over at Teru with a big, shit-eating grin. “Teru! Buddy! My good nephew that I trust with my finances! You’re going to take Ritsu out clothes shopping!”

Teru was silent for a few seconds before muttering an unimpressed “I’m doing what?”

”Take a look at me. Do I look like the kinda guy that knows what’s fashionable right now?” Reigen gestured at his body, clothed in some kind of thin tee shirt and baggy sweatpants. “You’re the one that’s into this kinda stuff, not me. That’s why you should be the one to help Ritsu pick out some nice clothes!”

”He can’t even see color! Why does it matter if what he’s wearing is ‘fashionable’ or not?”

”Hey! Teruki Hanazawa, don’t be rude!”

Ritsu decided now would be a good time to speak up for himself. “Um... I don’t really care much about clothes. I don’t need anything new, really.”

Reigen wasn’t having any of that. “Nonsense! You shouldn’t be stuck wearing Teru’s hand-me-downs every day. I’m sure you’d feel more comfortable in clothes you can call your own!”

He couldn’t argue with that. Teru’s clothes were a little big on him, and the bagginess made him fidgety, constantly having to fix the sleeves that were slipping down his arms and the pant legs that tucked under his feet as he walked. Regardless, the thought of going out shopping with Teru soured the image of fitting clothing.

To his surprise, though, Teru gave up the argument relatively quickly, considering how much he’d been protesting at first. He just sank down into the cushions with a very exaggerated pout, making a point not to look at any of the other people in the room. “Whatever. I wanted to go out tomorrow anyway. I guess I can bring him along.”

Reigen looked skeptically at Teru for a moment. “Well... all right, then. Seriously though, do NOT spend any more than I say you can. At all. Not a single yen more.”

”Even if I find a shirt with an adorable puppy on it that’s exactly your size?”

Reigen’s retort caught in his throat. His mouth was a thin line, eyebrows creased as he went to war in his mind. “Gh... n-no... I don’t need it, so don’t- wait, wait, okay, unless it’s a chubby shiba inu! And it has to be a chubby one! Only then! Can you maybe buy that for me if you see one! If it exists!”

Teru just smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Ritsu couldn’t keep the smile from growing on his own face. Maybe getting out for a day wouldn’t be too bad, even if it was with Teru at his side. It would be nice to wear something in his own size for a change. He could actually look forward to tomorrow.

Okay. Scratch that. Ritsu had never felt more awkward than he did in that exact moment, walking through largely empty streets, Teru leading the way to the nearest store that sold clothing of any kind in cold silence. It was honestly a little creepy, with the wind and the slight drizzle raining down and the fact that like nobody lived in this eerie, bizarre little town. Maybe one or two cars drove past at some point, an old man was snoozing on a bench a few meters back, but that was it. As much as it embarrassed him to admit, he actually tried to stay a little closer to Teru than he normally would. He would hate to get lost here.

As they made their way further into town, the weather started to pick up, erratic winds blowing fat droplets of cold water into their faces. Teru grumbled, slipping a hand out of his hoodie pocket with a sigh and casting a translucent barrier over his head, generous enough to (mostly) cover Ritsu as well. “I hate the rain. I go to all the trouble to style my hair, and for what? Damn rain ruins everything,” he droned, pausing to turn back to Ritsu. “We’re gonna make a detour, go someplace nearby and wait for the rain to pass.”

Teru had already moved on before Ritsu could voice a reply. “Couldn’t that take hours? It’d be more productive to go to the store now - the rain would probably stop while we were inside,” he offered, but Teru’s stubborn back refused to change course. Ritsu sighed, unwilling to argue any further when he knew Teru was the only one of them that knew how to get around. Without him, Ritsu wouldn’t be able to do anything.

They took a right at the next intersection and walked straight through a pair of rickety sliding doors, an airy jingle marking their entrance into the building. Ritsu could hear faint music playing from somewhere, and there were rows and rows of displays showing off various goods. “Is this a convenience store?” he asked incredulously, recognizing the distinct smell of cheap instant noodles as soon as he stepped inside.

Teru seemed perfectly unconcerned, stretching his arms high above his head. “Yep! The best convenience store in town!” he declared, striding in like he owned the place, completely oblivious to any other customers that might have been shopping.

Ritsu followed anxiously behind, trying to keep his voice low so as not to disturb anyone. “I thought Reigen said we shouldn’t spend any more money?”

Teru spun around so fast that Ritsu flinched back, the motion making his head spin. “I didn’t say we were buying anything, did I? We’re just waiting until the rain lets up, that’s all.”

”I don’t think they’d allow us to just stand in here without buying anything.”

Teru sagged forward with a groan. “God, it’s fine, okay? I know a guy that works here, I do shit like this all the time! He doesn’t care!”

Ritsu still felt as if he was breaking some sort of rule, but he kept quiet, unwilling to poke at Teru’s patience any further. He dropped it with a frown, opting to walk down a few of the aisles instead - he could at least look like he was doing something, even if he had no idea what any of the foodstuffs lining the shelves actually were. He grabbed a random item at eye level, moving it around in his hands, making a game out of guessing what was wrapped up inside. Lightweight, solid, in a larger number... cookies, maybe? Or could they be crackers?

”Excuse me. Do you need help finding something?”

Ritsu squeaked, nearly dropping the box in his hands as he jumped away from the sudden voice. He hadn’t even noticed another person entering his field of Vision. Was he really that invested in the whole cookie/cracker thing? “S-sorry! I’m fine! I’m fine, I don’t need anything,” he clumsily tried to cover himself, shaking fingers fumbling with the mystery box.

The stranger hummed, then raised a hand and pointed at the box. “Those are cookies. Not great cookies, but they're definitely branded as cookies.”

Ritsu froze, body going rigid. “How did you...?”

”There you are! I thought you were supposed to be working today?” Teru walked up behind him, addressing the person that stood before them now.

The stranger snorted. “I am. Was. Had to check on supplies in the back room. Manager still thinks someone is stealing candy bars from our recent shipments. Paranoid asshole.”

Oh, of course! It’s my old friend Social Awkwardness! Ritsu could feel his limbs straining to fold in on themselves and disappear, frozen to the spot, caught literally in the middle of a conversation he had nothing to do with. What he wouldn’t give to have the power of invisibility...

”Oh, yeah. Guess you haven’t met him yet,” Teru said, gesturing to Ritsu. “This is Ritsu. He’s new in town. Staying with us a while,” he then flipped his hand around to point at the stranger. “Ritsu, this is Momo. He’s cool I guess.”

”Shut up! That’s not my name!” they cried, shoving Teru away, who was giggling at him. “Ugh, please don’t listen to him. At all. My name is Momozou, Momozou Takenaka.” Takenaka finished much more calmly with Teru temporarily out of the picture. “It’s nice to meet you... Ritsu?”

Ritsu nodded stiffly. “Yeah... nice to meet you too... Takenaka?”

Teru broke into another fit of giggles as Takenaka cringed. “Just- just Momozou is fine. I really don’t care about formalities.”

Ooookay, Momozou it is then. Score two for Social Awkwardness. Ritsu showed off his most unassuming smile. “Of course, Momozou,” he repeated, confident in the fact that he would definitely forget at least one of the three names he’d learned in the past week at some point. It was bound to happen.

Teru stepped back up beside them, clapping a hand on each of their shoulders. “Great! Now we’re all friends!” he chirped. “Now that means Momo will come with us when we go shopping for clothes today! Right?”

Momozou’s eyes went wide, swiftly looking back and forth between them. “What? What shopping? Don’t you have enough ugly clothes already?”

Teru’s friendly demeanor instantly vanished as he physically recoiled at Momozou’s casually brutal remark about his fashion sense. “What the hell would you know about high fashion, you wear the same three outfits in rotation!” he cried, brushing himself off and straightening his collar, the peak of style. “It’s not for me. We’re getting Ritsu here some new clothes.”

”Oh, really?” Momozou asked, looking down at Ritsu. “Well, in that case I think it’s up to him whether I come along. Don’t want to intrude.”

Before Teru could hit him with the “you better say yes” glare, Momozou slapped a hand over Teru’s eyes. “No glaring, you little shit. Let him decide for himself.”

Well then. He liked the guy already. He suppressed a snort as he responded. “Sure. I don’t mind if you come along.”

Momozou grinned, flashing him a thumbs-up as he freed Teru’s eyes. “Cool. So... when are we going?”

”Whenever the rain lets up,” Teru answered as he fussed with his bangs, an unfortunate casualty of Momozou’s hand. It took him a minute to realize that Momozou was staring at him with a disbelieving expression. “What? You can leave a little early, right? Nobody ever comes in here on weekdays, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

”If I get fired, you’re the one responsible for finding me a new job,” Momozou resigned, walking past them towards the front of the store. “I’ll check on some stuff and change, and then we’re going. I’m not going to stand around in here until the rain stops, we go out and get soaked and we take it like men.”

Teru ran after him, whining loudly. “What about my hair? Momozou, it’s not easy to look this good, you know! Hair care products are expensive! Come on, give me some sympathy here!”

His cries fell on def ears. Ritsu rolled his eyes, reaching out to put the box of cookies back on the shelf before he paused, turning it over in consideration.

How did Momozou know what he was thinking...? It had to be coincidence.

With a shrug, he set the box down and left to join the other two boys as they prepared to venture out into the world.

”No! God, no, Teru- I swear, if you don’t put that back-“

”Why? What’s wrong with it? It’s flashy!”

”It’s blinding!”

Teru deflated as he reluctantly returned the jacket he’d picked out. “The color would compliment his eyes! I’m telling you Momozou, you have no understanding of color coordination.”

”That’s not why we’re here. Just let him pick out what he likes! What are you, his mom?”

”Actually,” Ritsu interjected, catching Momozou’s attention, “I... kind of need a second opinion in this case. I... can’t see very well, so I can’t pick anything out until I know what it looks like.”

”You can just tell him you’re blind and use your psychic powers to see,” Teru said, completely casual. Ritsu turned to him in a panic. “He’s psychic, too! He gets it!”

”As Teru so eloquently described,” Momozou addressed his friend scornfully, “I am psychic. Just telepathy, though, nothing fancy. But he’s right, I get it. That’s a pretty useful ability to have.”

Ritsu took a few seconds to recover from the all-encompassing terror that had briefly triggered his fight-or-flight response, releasing a shaky breath. “T-telepathy...?” he wheezed, genuinely curious about such a unique power. It made sense then that Momozou knew what he was trying to do back in the store, and had humored his little game enough to give him the answer.

Teru’s gasp interrupted that train of thought. “Ooh, look at that jacket over there!” he squealed, dashing over to another rack and yanking the hanger off to show them. “It’s...! Well, it’s pretty plain, but that’s what you’d like, right? Now, normally I’d recommend a more vibrant color palette, but this deep blue would compliment your dark hair and eyes so well!” he rambled on excitedly, holding the jacket up to Ritsu’s chest. “What do you think, Momo? You have to agree with me on this one.”

Momozou sidled up beside Teru, eyeing him over. Having so much attention directed at him made Ritsu’s face heat up, shuffling nervously as the two formulated their opinions, but eventually he couldn’t stand the tension any longer. “What does it look like?” he asked softly.

Teru was apparently still enamored with his choice, moving his head around at odd angles and pouting his lips in thought. Momozou was kind enough to answer instead. “Well, like Teru said, it’s like a deep blue, navy I think? Sorry I’m not good at this. Uhhh and it doesn’t have any patterns on it, just the solid color. The buttons on the front and the lining is a cool gold color. I don’t know the first thing about fashion, but I think this looks good. Worlds better than the other things Teru was looking at- ow!” Momozou yelped as Teru jabbed his elbow into his ribs.

”I like it! You should get this,” Teru finally decided, shoving the jacket into Ritsu’s arms. “If you like it too, that is, which you totally should because it would look great on you.”

”Th-thanks?” Ritsu stammered, already being pulled along by the elbow to another rack.

”Great! Now we have something to work off of! If this is the kind of thing you like, we can find things that are similar. Oh, you’ll need jeans, just more real pants in general,” Teru went to work, sorting through rows and rows of clothing of all shapes and sizes, pulling out a few things, holding them up against Ritsu, sometimes frowning and putting them back, other times dumping them into Ritsu’s arms without a second glance before diving back in for more.

Before they went to the counter to purchase the heaping pile of fabric that Ritsu struggled to carry, Momozou suggested that he try a few things on first to make sure it was all the right size. It was a bit of a hassle, but he managed to grab a few things that looked easy enough to slip on and found an available changing room to get dressed in.

Something had been nagging at the back of his mind for a while, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. Something about the clothes and being with other people was putting him on edge, making him feel... bad. That was the only way he could describe it. He hoped he wasn’t getting sick again...

After changing into another shirt and a pair of jeans, he turned to look at himself in a mirror before realizing that he couldn’t. He would have to step out and ask Teru and Momozou what they thought. He sighed, mentally preparing himself for Teru’s critical eye as he exited the little room, finding the two boys sitting on a bench waiting for him. As he came into view, their eyes landed on him, and that sour feeling returned in full force.

Teru, as he’d expected, immediately approached him, inspecting him closer. “Hmm... it looks like it fits. How does it feel? Anything too tight? Too baggy?”

Ritsu shrugged, flapping his arms a bit and feeling the sleeves move around his arms. “It’s better than wearing your old clothes.”

”What? Why were you wearing his clothes?” Momozou questioned, but Teru shoved a finger in his face and shushed him.

”I was worried that the size would be too small for you... I never noticed before, but you’re so thin! I’m glad we could find things that fit.”

There it is, stronger than ever. Hearing Teru scrutinize his appearance made him feel small, only to be confirmed by the comment on his body. He was thin, wasn’t he? He didn’t keep up with healthy eating habits, that was sure. But was it that obvious? Was it bad? Why did he suddenly care so much?

...God, when had he stopped caring?

“Hey, Teru... take it easy,” Momozou said quietly, pulling Teru away from Ritsu.

Teru looked between them in confusion. Momozou just stared at him in silence, possibly conveying something through expression alone, or even speaking telepathically. Whatever the case, Teru’s eyes were blown wide as it dawned on him what the issue was. He looked back at Ritsu, mouth opening to say something, but closed it again after nothing came out.

After a few more failed attempts at human speech, Teru cleared his throat. “Well! We’ve finally got you some new clothes! How about that!” he clapped his hands together, then rushed into the dressing room to gather the rest of Ritsu’s clothing, as well as what he had changed out of. “You can probably just leave like this! It’s fine! I think they do that! Let’s go!” he squeaked, marching up to the front of the store.

Ritsu and Momozou watched him go. “Sorry about that,” Momozou said. “He forgets to use a filter sometimes. At least this time around, I don’t think he was actually trying to be rude.”

”No, it’s okay. It’s not a big deal,” Ritsu said honestly. “I didn’t mean to make things so tense.”

Momozou watched him a while before nodding. “Okay. I’ll just pretend it never happened, if you want,” he said, then smirked, leaning in closer to him. “Can we still pretend to be offended around Teru? He rarely gets embarrassed like this and it’s always hilarious. Just look at him,” he pointed over to Teru, who was currently attempting to chat up the cashier with a grin so wide it threatened to split his face in half.

Ritsu was admittedly amused. “I can see how he’s related to Reigen,” he said through a chuckle. “All right. Deal.”

Momozou smiled at him as they joined Teru at the front counter, and instantly they assumed body language conveying the imagined negativity that they’d felt earlier.

Teru was stiff as a board for the rest of the day.

All in all, a successful shopping trip. He did really like the jacket Teru had picked out after all.

When they finally returned home, Reigen greeted them from his position on the couch. Upon entering the living area, Reigen noticed Ritsu's new attire and grinned. "Well, look at you! How do you feel? That's gotta be better than wearing something three sizes too big."

Ritsu nodded, reaching for the bag that held his new jacket only to find Teru had beaten him to it. Teru held it up for Reigen to see, clearly proud of himself. "Check it out! Doesn't this look nice? He likes it, too!"

Reigen stood up and made his way over to them, taking up the jacket in his hand to feel the material. "Not bad at all!" he said approvingly. Teru was practically glowing with pride. "You like it, huh? Finding something you like that's in your size is always a blessing. Doubly so if it was on sale! Was it on sale?"

Teru rolled his eyes, handing the jacket back to Ritsu. "No, I didn't go over the amount you told me. Yes, including tax. Yes, I double checked.”

”Good boy,” Reigen said, reaching out to ruffle Teru’s hair again, but he nimbly dodged out of the way, keeping what was left of his hairdo intact. Reigen looked at his outstretched hand, shrugged, and ruffled Ritsu’s hair instead. “Hope you had fun today!”

Ritsu was so stunned by the contact that his mind went blank. It was a quick little tussle, not rough or forceful by any means, just a friendly gesture, but it lifted his spirits immensely. He hid a smile behind his hand, playing it off as brushing hair out of his face. “Yeah. I’d say it was fun.”

So much fun, in fact, that he wouldn’t mind spending more time with Teru - or Momozou - in the future.

He... wanted to spend time with people. He had people to spend time with.

He never thought it would happen, but he was so, so thankful it was.

Chapter Text

In his dreams, he was sometimes lucky enough to see color.

It wasn't exactly color, more like the warped, fragmented memory of what color should be, but in Ritsu’s dream world it was very much real, and very wonderful.

He was walking through a forest somewhere, he wasn’t sure of his location and he didn’t much care to find out. He was perfectly content to keep a leisurely pace along the overgrown trail, sunlight filtered through an overcast sky, dim shadows of lush green leaves cast on the brown dirt at his feet. He smiled, and breathed in deep the fresh air of nature, calm and at peace with his existence.

There was a faint tint in the air, a humidity that promised of rain, and the erratic billowing of the wind through the foliage of the woods suggested there might even be a storm brewing. In his waking life, he hated storms, just as he hated most events that produced loud, sudden sounds, like fireworks, all color and no substance to See. Here, however, he was reminded of his childhood fascination with the weather, the forms of clouds (cumulonimbus, those were storm clouds, and stratus, the low-hanging sheets) and the phenomenon they produced. Not to mention the surreal beauty to be found in the stillness of nature before a storm.

He kept walking, even as the first raindrops touched his shoulders, unbothered by the ghostly sensations of imaginary rain. This was his world, and in his world he was in control.

Still, his world was kind to him, and conjured a little cabin in the woods up ahead, a warm, dry place for him to take shelter and watch the storm roll past outside. How thoughtful of himself!

As he stepped into the small clearing however, he sensed a shift in the atmosphere. A tightening of his control. Something was amiss in his world, with this cabin. Perhaps it wasn’t himself that placed it there after all.

Winds were swirling, churning, rain hitting his face, like a slap to the face, and as he raised a hand to shield his eyes, he watched in horror as the color of his world was washed away, soaking into the damp earth, mixing together into a murky black puddle. He tried to back away only to find his feet firmly planted in the mud, refusing to budge no matter how hard he struggled. In desperation, he cried out, hands clawing at his legs, trying with all his strength to tear his limbs free.

Movement caught his eye, and he fell silent. Looking up, he noticed that the door to the cabin had been opened, and there was... someone, or something, standing there, watching him with big, burning eyes.

The shadows that coated their form were the same shade as those that took his vision all those years ago.

Without warning, he was quickly sucked down into the mud, disappearing beneath the earth.

Ritsu awoke with a strangled gasp, reaching for his throat as he strained o breathe in oxygen. Only after a few minutes did he realize the ground beneath him felt soft and warm, and the air around him still. A tentative reach of his Sight confirmed that he was not, in fact, deep underground, but in a bedroom, resting on a futon on the floor.

He was thankful that neither Teru or Reigen were in the room at the time to see what had happened. Groaning, he threw himself back onto the futon, smothering his face in his hands. How embarrassing, to get so worked up over some stupid dream... it wasn’t even that scary!

He laid in that position for a few minutes more before letting his arms relax and flop onto the floor before using them to slowly push himself up, rush of blood causing the objects in his Sight to momentarily shake and glow, just for a second. He had to be careful to sit up slowly or risk giving himself a headache.

Getting up from his futon, he remembered his position had been moved from Reigen’s bed to Teru’s bedroom so the man could get some much-needed support for his back. He had been thoughtful enough to pick up a new futon for him on the way home from work the night before, promising to get him a proper mattress sometime in the future if he wasn’t comfortable on the floor. Ritsu accepted, knowing enough of their finances to know that there was no way they could afford to buy him a brand new mattress. He wouldn’t want to be such a burden anyways, and he was just fine with the futon. Predictably, Teru had protested having to share his room, but surprisingly gave into it without too much of an argument, so long as Ritsu promised not to mess with his belongings. He was allowed to listen to the CDs in Teru’s collection, so long as he cleaned them properly afterwards (Teru had said with a heavy air, suggesting that such an offer was a high honor).

As tempting as it was to snoop around Teru’s room, he was feeling pretty hungry. He hadn’t been up in time to have breakfast with Reigen and Teru like he usually was; he could only hope that there were leftovers that Teru’s bottomless pit of a stomach hadn’t gotten into yet.

Walking out into the living room, he was unprepared for an actual tree to be waiting for him around the corner, on which he jammed his toes into and subsequently tripped over.

Aaaaand fell right into Teru, knocking him and the plate of pastries he’d been holding right over. Teru chose to save the baked goods, sacrificing himself to the cold, hard ground with an undignified squeak. “Wh- can’t you watch where you’re go-“ he caught himself as Ritsu glared in his general direction, “I mean, can’t you use your powers to watch where you’re going?!”

Ritsu’s face was bright red in humiliation at his clumsiness. He scrambled to untangle himself from Teru, bowing his head. “I’m sorry! I just- I wasn’t expecting it to be there!” he stammered, gesturing to the big ass tree leaning against the corner. “Why is there a tree in here anyways?”

Teru squinted. “Umm... because it’s almost Christmas?”

”So?”

”So... this is the Christmas tree.”

”What?”

Teru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You know, the Christmas tree! You put ornaments and shit on it! Do you not do that?”

Ritsu dumbly shook his head. “I know what a Christmas tree is - but we didn’t... put them in our house. I thought they were only put up in city squares or department stores. Besides, isn’t Christmas a holiday for kids and couples?”

”Boo, you’re no fun,” Teru pouted. “Christmas is for everyone! Who doesn’t like getting free stuff?”

”Does Reigen celebrate Christmas, too?”

”Of course! We even have Momo and his mom over, since there’s not enough room in their apartment for a tree,” Teru said, standing and brushing himself off. He offered a hand to Ritsu, which he took begrudgingly. “Now that you’re finally awake, you should help me set the tree up! We have to wait until Reigen gets home to decorate it, though. He’ll get sad if we do it without him.”

Ritsu chuckled, but his smile fell as he observed the towering evergreen. “I’ve never done this before. What am I supposed to do?”

Teru rolled his eyes, stepping past him to grab the tree. “It’s not that hard. You just stick the trunk in the stand and fluff up the branches and try not to impale yourself on the pine needles,” he waved a hand, motioning for him to come closer. “Get over here and help me carry this thing.”

”Can’t you just... float it over? With your powers?”

Teru flinched as Ritsu joined him, but quickly recovered with only a mildly annoyed glance at him. “Not for Christmas trees. Anyways, just grab onto the other side and follow my lead, we’re bringing this over to the sliding doors.”

Ritsu decided to ignore the fact that Teru glossed over his question, carefully wedging his fingers between the needles to grasp at the bark underneath. Once he had a firm grip on the tree, he nodded to Teru.

”Okay, here goes nothing. Lift in three, two... one!” Teru abruptly lifted the tree, causing Ritsu to yelp as the plant came mere inches from whacking Teru in the face. “Well are you ready or not?!”

”Who- who just goes on one?!” Ritsu screamed back, miffed that Teru was putting the blame on him. “Whatever, I’m ready now, just lift it again.”

With a huff, Teru complied, this time supported on the opposite side by Ritsu. Together, they were able to carry the tree with relative ease, maneuvering between the television and the coffee table to the empty space in front of the sliding doors that led out to a small balcony. Ritsu noticed the small, plastic object in the center of the area and figured that must be the base that Teru was talking about. Being extra careful not to graze the wall as they turned, he helped to support Teru as they straightened the tree and centered the trunk over the hole at the top of the base. It took a bit of effort to get it to fit, but in the end they could step away without the whole thing immediately toppling over.

Teru clapped his hands together in triumph. “Great, the hard part’s over! Now we just gotta make it pretty!” he stepped up to the tree, eyeing it over for areas where branches were sparse. Before Ritsu could say anything, Teru absentmindedly reached out and grabbed a branch, immediately reeling back. “Ow- fuck! God, I’m an idiot!” he cradled his hand to his chest, perhaps a bit overdramatically.

Ritsu couldn’t help but snicker at his misfortune. “You were telling me to be careful?” he teased. Teru glared daggers at him, but the effect was dampened by the fact that he was still cradling his lightly-poked hand close to him like a child with a papercut. “How about we take a break before doing anything else? I haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“Fine. Stupid tree. This is why I hate getting real ones,” he complained under his breath, leaving the tree behind to flop face first into the couch. “Mmmmyou go get s’me food... ‘m jus’ gonna... lay here,” his voice was muffled by the couch cushions, but Ritsu could put the sounds together.

Luckily for him, there were three pancakes left from that morning’s breakfast, though not as much maple syrup as his sweet tooth craved. As he sat himself at the dining table, he peered into the living room in which Teru was still slowly smothering himself in the couch. Such a drama queen...

Several minutes after he was seated, Teru strolled into the room as if nothing had happened, though his hair was sticking out at a few ends with static. He sat at the other end, trying to give off a casual vibe as he looked over at Ritsu. “So, you said you’re looking for someone. What’s up with that? An old friend? Maybe... an ex-girlfriend?”

Ritsu nearly choked on his pancakes, lurching forward and slamming his hand against his chest a few times. “G-girl- no! Just- just someone, it’s not important!”

”Mmhmm, not important, right. That’s why you left home for the sole purpose of looking for them. Not a big deal.”

”That’s... not the only reason I had to leave,” he mumbled, shoving another fork-full of pancake into his mouth.

Teru didn’t reply, merely watched him with a passive curiosity, and Ritsu had to resist curling into himself to hide from that judgmental gaze. “Okay... what do they look like, then? Can I at least get that much?”

Ritsu hummed, leaning back in his seat as he attempted to conjure up his old memories. “Well... from what I remember of them... they should be slightly shorter than me, same hair color, dark brown eyes and pale skin. Umm... maybe a bowl cut? I don’t know if he’d keep the same hairstyle... he has a bored look on his face most of the time. Doesn’t show a lot of emotion.”

Teru crossed his arms. “Hmm, so it’s a boy... I see... can’t say I’ve seen someone like that, but if I see a slightly shorter, pale, black-haired bored guy with a maybe-bowlcut I’ll let you know.”

”Heh. Thanks,” he said, then paused, setting his fork down. “Wait. Ever since I got here, you’ve been asking me questions nonstop. I think it’s about time that I get to ask you some questions, too.”

Teru perked up. “You have questions for me? Go ahead, fire away.”

Ritsu was pleasantly surprised by Teru’s willingness to answer him. It took a few moments to think of a proper question, but a few popped up right off the bat. “Okay. To start - why can’t you use your powers on Christmas trees, specifically?”

Again, Teru flinched. It was nearly imperceptible, but his Sight was sensitive enough to pick up on the subtle movement. “That- was just a joke. I meant- I can’t use powers at all. In the house.”

Ritsu quirked a brow. “But you used your powers to catch that falling tray.”

”That was different! It was better to risk using them than having to clean up a mess.”

”Why would using your powers be a risk?”

Teru was starting to fidget, biting his bottom lip. “It’s not- it’s a rule- well, Reigen doesn’t mind, but- does it matter?!” he suddenly snapped, the shift in behavior so unexpected that Ritsu jumped back, nearly falling off of the chair. As Ritsu recovered, Teru already looked guilty, shoulders hunched forward as he wrapped his arms around his torso. “Sorry! I’m sorry! That was- stupid, wow, haha, I’m so overdramatic, huh?” he tried to laugh it off, but he still looked shaken, the sound coming out hollow.

Ritsu knew he had tread into dangerous territory somehow, though he hadn’t intended to. Still, he knew what it felt like to feel cornered like that, lashing out in defense when you start to feel threatened. Instead of responding to Teru’s apology, he decided it’d be best to change the subject altogether. “What about- um. Any... girlfriends? Ex-girlfriends?”

”Huh?” Teru blinked at him a few times, trying to figure out what he had said. After a moment, he visibly relaxed, a crooked grin blooming across his face. “Well, of course! I can’t help being this irresistible. It’d be a crime not to share with a few lucky guys and gals-“ he gasped loudly, slapping both hands over his mouth. “Gals! Just gals!” he squeaked, barely audible past the sound of Ritsu’s heart racing in his chest.

”I- I don’t- Teru, it’s fine- I don’t mind!” he managed to piece together a mostly-coherent sentence from the jumbled mess of words whizzing around in his head.

Teru looked absolutely mortified, burying his head into his arms. “Yes you do, I totally made you uncomfortable, didn’t I? I’m such an asshole, God, why can’t I keep my damn mouth shut?”

Wow, Teru was really beating himself up about letting such a personal secret slip like that. Teru lacking a mental filter wasn’t anything new, but he was usually unapologetic about it, loudly and clearly voicing his thoughts about everyone and everything, no matter who was listening. Now, he looked like he wanted to curl up and die in a hole by the side of the road. Ritsu strained to think of a solution, a way to reassure Teru that he really didn’t mind, in fact, he had been beginning to think that-

Maybe... he wasn’t interested in girls at all.

As the seconds ticked by and Ritsu failed to respond, Teru withdrew further and further into himself, until he couldn’t take the exposure any longer. He stood up from the table, hiding his face as he made to leave the room. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. I can move your futon back into Reigen’s room, if you want,” he said blankly, making an effort to keep all emotion out of his voice, though it was obvious that he was hurting.

Before Ritsu could think about it, he was standing as well, grabbing Teru’s hand before he could walk away, pulling him closer, and-

Just for a brief second, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

Admittedly, he didn’t think that one through as much as he probably should have. That probably wasn’t the way most friends comforted each other. Especially judging by the flabbergasted expression on Teru’s face. He pulled away, releasing Teru’s hand to hide his own behind his back, tempted to just up and leave in Teru’s place. “You- you are overdramatic. It doesn’t bother me at all, so... don’t leave me to fluff up the stupid Christmas tree all by myself.”

Teru slowly raised a hand to his cheek, touching it lightly where Ritsu had kissed him. He couldn’t tell if Teru was angry or just stunned into silence, but Ritsu didn’t want to stick around to find out. Leaving his uneaten pancakes on the table, he retreated back into the living room, face burning, emotions swirling around in his chest.

From the dining room, he heard a faint “O-okay,” before Teru walked in behind him.

They fluffed the Christmas tree quietly and carefully, muttering apologies every time their fingers brushed together.

”I’m hooome!” Reigen announced, stepping clumsily out of his shoes as he all but fell into the apartment. “You didn’t decorate without me, did you?! You know I like things a certain way!”

”Yeah, yeah, I know, we didn’t hang up a single ornament without you,” Teru called back from the couch, flashing an amused smile at Ritsu.

Teru’s aura wasn’t quite a color, wasn’t really yellow, but it was brighter than anything Ritsu had seen in years. He watched as it danced around him, shimmering and bright and happy, and while Teru was absolutely an overdramatic asshole, he was undeniably pretty.

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.