how about ryuji/akira checkin up on each other after a battle? :0
scrapes and bruises are nothing new to ryuji. his mom was practically required to keep the first aid supplies stocked when he was a kid, as his energetic self had a tendency to trip on shoelaces (and anything in general, really) in his haste to run after his friends. tying shoes? pfft, who had the time? not ryuji sakamato, that’s for sure. this acquaintance with minor injuries did not abate any as he grew older: he swaps tripping on shoelaces for uncoordinated accidents when he’s on the track team and, on occasion, in fights.
he’s no stranger to being hurt, in short. he’s no stranger to seeing teammates hurt either (and that still gets him going, the thought of that bastard’s influence on the track team, the ruin he caused), and it’s fucked up but ryuji can tell what can be safely ignored, what needs to be patched up, and- well, anyone can tell a serious injury, but that’s not the point. ryuji can tell.
the metaverse is nice in the sense that half the team knows some kind of healing. despite the intensity of the battle, they’re never in any real danger, because someone is always capable of fixing them up. except this fight, for whatever reason (maybe they should’ve stopped at the last safe room. maybe they should have gone back to the entrance to heal. maybe makoto should have stayed behind and let haru step in, to conserve her magic energy. maybe, maybe), they struggle. it’s a hard battle and every other turn they need to use me patra or smack sense into each other because of someone being brainwashed.
the warm burst of magic indicates makoto had cast mediarama, and those familiar scrapes and bruises disappear. but his weariness remains, and a look over at the leader forces ryuji to do a double-take. akira looks like ryuji feels -- exhausted but determined, like he could still go on but would prefer not to this once -- and it’s a look ryuji has never seen before.
“you alright, dude?” he asks. makoto is crouched down to check on morgana so the two have this private moment together. akira glances their way and then back to ryuji.
“yeah, you?” he asks. he’s lying, of course. ryuji may be called an idiot (and maybe he is a bit of one, truthfully) but he knows akira is lying.
“i’ll live but- you really don’t look that hot,” ryuji says. akira smirks at that and ryuji realizes what he said. he raises his hands up in defense. “uh, not like that!”
“sure, ryuji,” akira teases. but the smirk drops as he admits, “that battle was tougher than i anticipated.”
ryuji scoffs, giving him a shove. “c’mon. let’s stop for the day. we’ve made good progress and you look like you’re about to keel over.”
“guess i must not be looking good if you’re telling me we should stop,” akira says. but he looks a bit relieved, too. to makoto and morgana, he says, “let’s go back to the safe room. we’ll get to the treasure tomorrow.”
“oh, but we’re so close! i can practically taste the treasure!” morgana exclaims. ryuji half-heartedly kicks at him and morgana easily dodges, hissing irritably.
“stupid cat-!”
“it’s fine,” akira says. “we’ll take it easy here tomorrow then. and we can go back for all those locked chests.”
placated, morgana nods and starts leading the way. makoto gives akira a lingering gaze and then follows after. left alone, ryuji throws an arm around akira’s shoulder.
“dude, we’re gunna sleep like freakin’ rocks tonight,” he jokes.
“does that mean you’re sleeping over?” and that gets ryuji sputtering again, allowing the joker to slip away with another smirk.