Chapter Text
Alexa, how many teens are affected by heart attacks every year?
Because the longer he's around Ann in that damned swimsuit, the closer Ryuji gets to being a statistic. It’s not like he’s never seen a girl in a swimsuit before; he’s been to the beach, and he’s got his own stash of mags at home that he takes a peek at every now and again when his own imagination is running dry. But never has he been assaulted with such physical camaraderie from a swimsuit-clad model he’d had a crush on since middle school.
He thinks it has something to do with the tropical air, or maybe there’s something weird in the flowers, because she’s never touched him so much for no reason. Or for any reason, for that matter. Every time she puts her arm around him or jokingly punches him in the chest (and he feels hers resting against his arm), it’s like she’s grabbed his heart in her fist and squeezed. He doesn’t know how much more he can take of this incredible closeness. Even when she’s got a tank top covering her for the tour parts of the day, it’s like he can feel everything.
They toured some cool cultural spots that Ryuji couldn’t really pay attention to, and now, for the rest of the afternoon, they were allowed to run around Waikiki and enjoy the sunshine. He, Ann, and Ren had found a small wooden bench to relax on, with an armful of fancy-looking drinks with the teeny umbrellas.
“Ah, this hits the spot!” Ryuji exclaimed after chugging half his drink in one go.
“Dummy,” Ann scolds him, “you’re supposed to sip and appreciate it, not throat it all down at once!”
“UH, dude, not the right use of that word AT ALL, first, and second, I’m thirsty! It’s not like you have room to talk,” he gestures to her drink that she’d mostly finished while the other two stood in line for theirs.
“Okay, yeah, but take a look at how cool Ren looks enjoying his.”
They both turn their heads to the wild card; true enough, he looks like he’s out of a ‘Travel Hawaii’ ad.
“That ain’t fair, Ren looks cool no matter what he does.”
The Phantom Thief leader offers a laid-back shrug.
Something behind them catches Ann’s eye and gives her an idea. She sets her now empty cup on the ground and picks two hibiscus flowers from a bush against the back of the bench and sticks one in Ren’s hair, who makes no fuss as he continues to enjoy his beverage.
“You’re totally right Ryuji, even with a flower in his hair, cool as a cucumber.” Ann then turns to Ryuji, who was too busy placing his own finished drink on the ground to see the mischievous glint in her eye.
“Your turn!” she pounces on him, using his surprise to finagle the flower into his hair.
“What the hell- Ann!” Ryuji yells, fighting to push her off while not wanting to touch her bare skin, and as such, loses his balance when she pushes too hard, taking them both down. In a moment of instinctive defense, his hands move to catch the fall; one hand grabbing at the bench behind him, and the other reaching forward and unintentionally groping her breast.
He’s watching Ann stomp away before his brain can register the stinging pain in his cheek from where she’d hit him. He cups his cheek, and only remembers his suave companion when he hears a rather unattractive snort from his left.
“You know, it’s really like a soap opera, watching the two of you.”
“Ren. Dude. Shut up.”