[ Yu hugs Ryoji tight and starts to feel tears soak into his shirt and wonders. Wonders at the boy in his arms, wonders at the fact that anyone in this world might trust him enough to cry on his shoulder, wonders at how much he must have changed for this moment to even be possible. He wonders about many things.

What he does not wonder about is what he's doing. This is right. This feels right. Ryoji is his friend. Whatever that thing ... creature? ... was, if it's also Ryoji, then it's also his friend, menacing as hell aura or no. This is a person he cares about. A person who tries so hard to make others smile, a person who will go out of his way for anyone just because, just to make their day a little brighter. Ryoji seems to give so much of himself and never asks for anything in return. It's about time someone gave back. If he can be the one to do that, then... maybe that's something he can be proud of.

Yu sighs out and lets Ryoji cry, eventually lifting one hand to gently cup the back of his friend's head. The thanks feel strange, alien, like they should belong to someone else, but he's hardly going to protest and throw Ryoji's sentiment back in his face. Instead, eventually he'll say: ]

If I've done something worth being thanked, then ... I'm glad, that it helped you.

[ He won't let go, but he'll shift slightly, a gentle movement of his head. ]

... do you want to stay here? I can help you stand, if you want.