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“It’s flu season,” Yu observes. Ren lies draped over the couch, legs across Yu’s lap as one hand scrolls through his phone, the other buried in Morgana’s fur. “The hospital’s holding a flu clinic all next week if you want to get your shot. I can drive you there on the way to work and you can take the bus from there to work.”
Ren’s quiet for a moment. Yu has grown used to this – conversations with him are often slow and thoughtful, even when it’s just simple small talk. Unless he gets Ren when Ren’s fully on, whether it be during game nights or the occasional Phantom Thief-Investigation Team party when he’s five shots in, Ren takes his time with everything he says.
“Do they have the nasal spray version?”
“No, we typically just have the shots available. Easier to just store one thing that’s applicable to more people. Also, the flu strains we’re anticipating this year don’t have good nasal spray options.” Yu’s thumb gently rubs against Ren’s calf. His sweatpants had hiked up some since he first flopped onto the couch, and Yu was, as always, glad for it. “Why?”
Morgana meows something. Yu considers reaching for the cat-keyboard sitting on the coffee table, but that’d require shifting Ren’s legs and then rearranging themselves to give Morgana room to type, so Yu instead just waits for Ren to translate.
Ren doesn’t, though.
“The shot always gives me a headache for a couple days.”
Ren’s usually not big on lying, either. Especially since Yu can always tell when he does it, and Morgana always gives him away with a barrage of meows.
“Do you not like needles?” Yu asks as Morgana hops off him to get the keyboard himself. Ren kicks the keyboard off the table and gets up, slinging an arm under Morgana before wandering over to the bedroom.
“Needles are fine. I’ll just see Takemi.”
“Why?” Yu asks.
“I’m going to LeBlanc this weekend anyways. I’ll stop by then.”
“The nasal spray doesn’t work for the strain they’re predicting, if that’s what she’s using.”
“She uses needles. More convenient than you driving me.”
“Ren, it’s not a problem at all for me to drive you.”
“I’d have to take the train after.”
“I didn’t know you were even going to LeBlanc this weekend. Did you just make that up?”
“Probably forgot to mention it.”
“Ren.”
“I don’t owe you my life’s plans.”
He closes the door to his old room, and Yu can hear the lock click. Morgana’s yowling something, and Yu stares dejectedly at the keyboard on the floor. They… almost never fought, really. But Ren could be dodgy and evasive at times, and maybe Yu should know to just let things drop.
Morgana’s claws scratch at the door, and Yu tiredly wonders if their furniture stain marker still worked or if that kind of thing expired. Maybe he should cook dinner?
How long would Ren stay in there? Did he even want food?
Did Yu need to apologize? He didn’t want to. He didn’t even know what happened. But maybe he should?
Dinner was probably a good idea, and the stain marker would probably be in the drawer under the pantry.
Yu wills himself to get up, but ends up sinking further into the couch.
Just five minutes, he thinks.
But the five minutes turns into an hour, and he can no longer hear Morgana. The door unlocked about fifteen minutes ago, but Yu’s got nothing to say.
He’s hungry, but it’s too late to start cooking, so he goes and digs up some frozen pre-prepared meals and sticks one in the microwave.
Going to bed without talking to Ren first is probably a bad idea, but Yu still has no idea what to even say.
Thankfully, the door creaks open, and Morgana struts over to the kitchen and saves Yu from his loneliness.
“Could you tell Ren I’m heating him one up too?” Yu asks, crouching to scratch between Morgana’s ears. Morgana meows a word that Yu’s learned to be “yes” before darting back.
Ren emerges moments later, glasses on, and wraps his arms around Yu’s waste. His cheek pushes against the blade of Yu’s shoulder, and Yu smiles a bit as he double-checks the instructions on the meal’s box.
“I’m going to Takemi’s clinic,” Ren says after a while. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I don’t really understand what just happened or why you left the room,” Yu says.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I just want to know what happened.”
Ren’s quiet. “Don’t worry about it. It won’t happen again.”
Yu bites back the “why” waiting on the tip of his tongue. “Okay. I’m here if you want to talk.”
“…Thanks.”
---line break---
“Did you ever get your flu shot?” Yu asks. It’s been a week, and the number of cases has gone up. “I thought you were going to LeBlanc today.”
Ren looks up from his book. “…Oh. I forgot.”
“Could I join you?”
Morgana meows an agreement, and Ren drops his gaze back to his book.
“I don’t really feel like going out today.”
“…Oh.” He doesn’t want to start another argument, but… “Ren, are you going to get your flu shot?”
“Is it that big of a deal?”
“I don’t think it is, but…” Yu fishes for the right words. “The fact that it’s becoming a big deal whenever it’s brought up worries me, and I feel like you’re trying to avoid something.”
Morgana hops off the table, and Ren glares at him as he walks over to his keyboard.
“Don’t,” Ren snaps.
Morgana meows before slowly clacking out his message. “ren has a bad history with needles”
“Oh. Well, Ren, plenty of people do. You could’ve just told me.”
Ren shrinks.
“If you’re really against it, it’s okay. But I’m fine going with you if you want to get it. I’m… used to scared patients.”
“I’m not one of your patients.”
Yu frowns. “I’m just trying to support you.”
Ren’s knuckles are white around the pen he’s been twirling, and his eyes are practically burning holes into his book. The air feels tense, but Yu is determined to stand his ground.
“I’m sorry,” Ren finally mutters.
“I’m not looking for an apology.”
Morgana meows something, and Ren’s shoulders slump. “We can go to Takemi’s clinic tomorrow.”
“Ren, I’m not even asking you to get your flu shot. I’m asking why this is a touchy subject.”
“Like Mona said. I don’t like needles.”
“You don’t like cops or American cartoons either, but they never turn into these weird arguments.”
“Please drop it.”
“Okay. Are you sure you want to go to Takemi’s clinic tomorrow?”
“If it means we’ll stop talking about this.”
“We can stop talking about this without going, if that’s what you really want.”
“I thought it was already pretty clear I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“i want sushi for dinner” Morgana interrupts.
Yu frowns at Ren. Ren scowls at his book.
“I’ll order it. Give me five minutes.”
They still cuddle at night, but Yu feels a little off.
---line break---
“Hey, guinea pig. This the boyfriend I’ve been hearing about from Boss?”
Yu likes Takemi immediately. She has a smile almost as wicked as Ren’s, and far more straightforward punk attire. They seem to fit together well, and Yu’s grateful for that.
“He’s still got nothing better to talk about?” Ren asks.
“It’s that or how Futaba’s looking more and more like her mother and how impressed her advisor is with her PhD work. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you for a flu shot before. Don’t you normally go to one of those clinics? They’ll do it free.”
Ren shrugs.
Takemi blinks. “Oh. Not sure how I forgot. He here for moral support, then? I can just knock you out for it, if you want.”
“I can stay awake.”
“Are you sure? That one time in college when you needed an IV-”
“I’ll stay awake.”
“Sure, guinea pig. Come on back, let’s get you situated. You want the boyfriend for restraints or should I get some?” She opens the door to the back, and Yu’s nose twitches at familiar-yet-different scents of antiseptics and nitrile.
“Restraints?” Yu asks.
“He doesn’t like needles. You didn’t tell him?”
“I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“It’s not that bad and I don’t need them.”
Takemi snorts. “If you kick me, I’m not seeing your cat anymore.”
Morgana yowls his displeasure, and Ren drops to the patient bench with a silent huff. Yu sits next to him, close enough that their knees touch, and gently leans towards him. Ren doesn’t react, and Yu tries not to think too hard about how Ren’s legs shake.
“I’m here,” he says.
Ren’s fists clench.
“Okay, got it ready. How do you want to do this? One, two, three, shoot?”
“Sure,” Ren says.
Yu reaches for his hand.
Ren’s eyes screw shut.
Takemi settles herself in the chair on Ren’s other side and coaxes off his jacket before shoving his sleeve up. She pulls on a pair of gloves and holds his arm firm as she swabs it.
“Take a deep breath,” she orders. “One, two-”
Ren violently jerks, yanking his arm free of her grip. A tear forces its way out of his closed eyes.
Yu pulls him gently into his lap and tightly wraps his arms around him while Takemi leans back, patiently waiting for them to sort themselves out.
“Ren, breathe. In, two, three. Out, two, three.”
The clock ticks as Ren’s breathing steadies, and Takemi slides closer. Her grip is firm on Ren’s arm, and Yu rests his chin on Ren’s shoulder, whispering to him as she counts down again.
The jab goes in, and Ren’s body all but seizes. She pulls it out quickly and sticks a band-aid with cat faces over the wound.
“Not as bad as the IV!” she chirps. “Boyfriend’s magic.”
Ren doesn’t acknowledge her or Yu, instead numbly stumbling to his feet and out the door.
“What happened with the IV?”
Takemi hums. “Gotta maintain patient confidentiality, aren’t you a doctor? Maybe his cat will tell you later.”
---line break---
The moonlight reflects against the mirror sitting on Yu’s bedroom desk, speckling light spots on the ceiling among Ren’s collection of glow-in-the-dark stars. Ren’s the little spoon tonight, and Yu wishes he asked to brush Ren’s head before bed because it keeps tickling his nose as he breathes.
“Remember the thing about the interrogation room?” Ren whispers. They should both be asleep by now. Yu doesn’t know why they’re not.
“The fake suicide?” Yu whispers back.
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.”
Quiet. Yu’s still used to this. Still used to the slow conversations, even if they sometimes become arguments.
But in the dark, his back exposed to Yu, face hidden in the pillow, Yu knows this will be okay.
“I don’t like the police.”
“I know.”
“I was okay with needles before then. But now they just make me think of the interrogation room.”
And a cold sensation settles among their shared warmth, and Yu’s arms tighten around Ren. “Oh.”
“I don’t know what they drugged me with. I don’t remember anything except the pain and Sae’s face.”
“I didn’t know. Ren, that’s terrible.”
“They threatened to break my wrists. My legs. I had to sign a confession and I couldn’t remember my name. Sae had to carry me out, and Takemi spent the night in LeBlanc checking my vitals. She gave me pain meds, but I couldn’t take them because I was scared of not thinking clearly again.”
Yu presses a kiss into the back of Ren’s neck.
“The feeling of getting a shot isn’t bad. Seeing and thinking about them just makes me think about that room and the drugs. I didn’t know my name. I was telling Sae everything, not knowing if any of it was real, and I couldn’t even remember that Akechi was the one who did it all. I couldn’t even remember he was going to kill me until she picked up the phone. I almost wanted him to, everything hurt so much.”
“I’m sorry, Ren. We don’t need to go again.”
“It’s fine. It didn’t go that badly.”
“Your reactions make sense. I’m sorry for making an argument.”
“I’m sorry. I should have communicated better.”
“I should have listened better. To more than just your words.”
“It’s over.”
“It is. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”