#lizzyg42

[tickly-trashcan]

Photobooth Findings {Akira and Ryuji}

A/N: Hello hello, thank you for the request! No need to apologize for the last request, it was totally fine! I absolutely LOVE these two soso much and I practically fell out of my chair when i got this request hehe~ Ryuji and Akira have my whole heart and I’m actually playing through Persona 5 again since we got a new console (our old one broke T_T) so i get to see all of my kiddos again! Thank you again for the request and I hope you enjoy! (im so sorry but i didn’t proofread this bc i was so tired when i finished so i apologize for any mistakes!! im going to get better about proofreading eventually i promise!!!)

Summary: Ryuji and Akira are hanging out at the arcade, which is busier than they expected.

Word Count: 1.6k (under the cut)

“Yo, Akira!”

Akira turned, barely able to process who was running up to him when an arm was thrown around his shoulder, nearly knocking him over.

“Hey, Ryuji,” Akira said, a small smile growing on his face as Ryuji beamed at him. He pulled Akira closer, laughing.

“So we’re going to the arcade, right? The one in Shibuya,” Ryuji asked, turning his head and looking around. “Isn’t Ann coming too?”

“She said she had a gig. She won’t be able to make it.”

Ryuji stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry. “Well, sucks to suck. Guess we’ll have to have twice as much fun to make up for it!”

Akira chuckled, nodding his head. Ryuji dragged him along, the two of them walking to the station nearby their school as Ryuji gabbed about the different arcade games he was dying to play.

“Oh, and can I sleep over tonight? It’s the weekend, so I figured I should ask,” Ryuji said as they stood at the station platform, waiting to board the train as it slowed in front of them. They hopped on as Akira hummed in contemplation.

“I think Sojiro should be spending time with Futaba tonight, so I think it’s probably okay,” Akira said, standing next to Ryuji as they held onto the train handles. Ryuji silently cheered as Akira chuckled.

“So we’ll play at the arcade, grab a burger at Big Bang Burger, then head back to your place! Think Sojiro has any snacks lying around the cafe?”

Akira shook his head. “Not unless you really like to snack on carrots. He has a bunch of those for his curry.”

Ryuji stuck out his tongue. “Bleh… Carrots are good when Sojiro puts them in his curry, but not straight up.”

The two of them continued to chat as the train departed to Shibuya, where they arrived shortly. The two of them hopped off and went out into Shibuya, where they immediately went for the arcade.

“Whoa! It’s busy today, huh?” Ryuji said as he looked around. Akira nodded.

“I guess it’s because it’s Friday,” Akira noted, scanning for any free game. There were people on practically every arcade game, as well as some people waiting to play as they watched, chanting and jeering at whoever was playing. Ryuji whistled as he pointed towards the back.

“Dance Dance Revolution doesn’t look too crowded.”

“Ryuji, you know I can’t dance.”

“But we’re Phantom Thieves! You’ve got the reflexes, at least!”

Akira shrugged as he was dragged towards the back of the arcade, where another pair was finishing up on the Dance Dance Revolution game. They stepped off with a groan after witnessing their score. Ryuji and Akira quickly took up their spot, put some coins in, and selected a song.

“I’ll start it on easy,” Ryuji said, shaking his hands and feet in preparation.

The two of them danced around, Akira struggling as Ryuji got into it. They finished the song, and their score leveled out at average because of Akira. He shrugged.

“I told you I can’t dance.”

“Let’s try again! We get more points on the harder difficulty, so let’s try that!”

Akira nodded hesitantly, but Ryuji was already loading up the game with more coins. The song started, and Ryuji danced around with ease once more, even adding a few extra moves as Akira struggled to keep up. Again, their score was average.

“Okay, Twinkletoes,” Akira panted. “Let’s – Let’s do a different game.”

Ryuji nodded, noting Akira’s exhaustion. “What else is available?”

The two of them walked around again, looking for any unoccupied games. They were out of luck and decided to try Dance Dance Revolution again, only to find that a group of kids had surrounded it. Ryuji groaned in frustration.

“Urgh! How are we supposed to play games when everyone is using them?”

Akira pointed towards the photobooth. “I suppose we could do a quick photo session.”

Ryuji raised his eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposed to do photobooths with a date or something?”

Akira laughed. “I guess… But it’s the only thing available right now. Might as well get a memory of the time the arcade was so crowded that we could only play two rounds of Dance Dance Revolution.”

Ryuji sighed, but agreed. They walked up to the photobooth, slipped a dollar into the machine, and entered.

Together they were a bit cramped in the small booth, but Ryuji was immediately fascinated by the filters.

“Dude, there’s so many options!”

They eventually settled on a cyberpunk-style filter and began to pose for the four photos.

They started with funny faces. Ryuji pulled his mouth open and stuck out his tongue while Akira put his thumbs by his ears and showed off his teeth. They laughed for a minute after the camera flashed, then decided for a more serious one. They went back to back and made pretend pistols out of their hands like they were secret agents. The camera flashed again, then Ryuji laughed.

“We should do a model one like Ann!”

Akira choked on a laugh as they made model faces and held their faces in their hands. They cracked up as soon as the camera flashed, though they were already snickering before. For the last one, Akira suggested one.

“Have you ever watched Lion King?”

“Duh!”

“Pretend you’re Simba for this next one,” Akira said, grinning. Ryuji scoffed.

“Why am I Simba??”

“Because you’re blonde!”

Ryuji couldn’t argue with that. He stretched his arms out a bit and Akira started the timer for the photo. He stuck his hands under Ryuji’s arms just as the timer went off, but Ryuji screeched as the camera flashed. They both jumped, and Ryuji fell backwards onto Akira. Akira burst out laughing, shoving Ryuji off of him.

“What was that?” He cackled, waiting as the photobooth printed their strip.

“You tickled me, dude!”

Akira blinked. “Wait, you’re ticklish?!”

Ryuji stared at Akira, shaking his head. “No, no I’m not–”

“But you literally just said–”

“I’m not!!”

Akira grabbed Ryuji’s hips, making him shriek and jump. “You sure?”

“Yehehes! Very sure!” Ryuji snickered nervously, watching as Akira slowly began to wiggle his fingers. He squealed, curling up as Akira pinched at his hips. He tried to push him away, but Akira was persistent, tickling him playfully as Ryuji flailed around in the tiny booth.

“AHAhahakira! Nohoho, stahahap! Not thahahat, pleheheaseee!”

The photobooth spit out the strip of photos, but the pair didn’t even notice as Ryuji cackled, Akira’s hands traveling up his sides and towards his ribs.

“GAH–! Akira, I’m seheheherious! Oh gohohod, nohOHO!”

“Are you done in there?!” Someone called from outside the booth, having to shout to be heard over Ryuji. Akira halted, realized they had been in there much longer than they meant to, and pulled his hands away. He chuckled awkwardly as Ryuji caught his breath, leaning on him.

“Dude, look at the pics,” Ryuji said after catching his breath. His laughter renewed as he looked at how ridiculous the pictures were, especially the last one.

Ryuji was blurred and Akira looked terrified behind him. It hadn’t turned out at all how they expected, but ended up being the funniest one.

They quickly scooped up the photo and left the booth, and a group of girls entered quickly after them.

The two of them got some burgers at Big Bang Burger, which they could hardly finish. They went back on the train back to Leblanc, Ryuji dozing off on the train as the two of them sat next to each other. Ryuji used his bag as a pillow on Akira’s shoulder, who was scrolling on his phone until they reached their stop.

“Man, I’m wiped!” Ryuji said, stretching as he yawned. Akira grinned and poked his stomach, making him jump and gasp as Akira laughed.

“Couldn’t help it.”

Ryuji grumbled and the two of them eventually settled down in Akira’s room. Ryuji laid on a sleeping bag on the floor while Akira laid on his bed a bit above. “Do you still have the photos?”

Akira nodded, fishing into his bag next to his bed and then handing them to Ryuji. Ryuji chuckled softly again, glancing at Akira.

“You wouldn’t happen to be ticklish too, would you?”

Akira shrugged. “Probably not as much as you.”

“Hey!”

“You asked!”

Ryuji sat up, cracking his knuckles. “Well, let’s find out!”

“Ryuji, don’t–!”

Ryuji yanked Akira out of his bed as he yelped, breaking out into laughter as Ryuji scribbled his fingers all over Akira’s stomach. “Dohohohon’t!”

“Not as much as me, huh? You seem pretty ticklish to me–HEhehe! Wahahait, thahahat’s not fahair!”

The two of them rolled around on the floor as they fought for the upperhand, tickling at each other and laughing their heads off. Ryuji shrieked whenever Akira got close to his underarms, and Akira would curl up if Ryuji grazed his hips. Akira finally managed to gain an advantage as he got both his hands stuck under Ryuji’s arms, making Ryuji holler.

“Now wahahait! Cahahan’t we tahalk ahabout this?!”

“You literally started it, Ryuji!”

“Did nohohot–! Waitwaitwait, AkirahahaHAHA!”

Akira managed to get Ryuji’s wrist held above his head, clawing at his exposed underarm as Ryuji threw his head back and wailed. Akira chuckled with him, deciding to have a bit more fun.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“YEHehes! Plehehease!”

“Say I’m the best Phantom Thief and I will,” Akira drawled, digging into Ryuji’s ribs. Ryuji squealed and kicked his legs, immediately giving in.

“Yohohou’re the behest! Now stahaHAP!”

Satisfied, Akira stopped, quickly retreating to his bed before Ryuji could retaliate. Ryuji laid there for a few moments and then rolled slowly back over to his sleeping bag, panting.

“Again, not as much as you,” Akira teased with a grin. Ryuji only grumbled, claiming to be too tired to argue. “Mhm, too tired. Tired because I just tickled you to the Metaverse and back.”

“Snore… snore…” Ryuji said, his back facing Akira. Akira laughed at Ryuji, who wasn’t even trying to make a snoring sound.

“Goodnight, Ryuji,” He said, waiting a moment for a response.

“Snore.”