[if he knew how deep that understanding went, he'd more than appreciate it — because Ryuji is right, the absolute last thing Dave wants right now is to be a burden. he knows everyone's been in a shitty state, but he's been too out of it to really venture far past his barely serviceable pillow and blanket to be of much help. so hole up and pretend to not exist for a few days, at least until he isn't a completely useless blob, it is.]
[so it's that, but it's also ... not really having the experience of leaning on someone else, or asking for help when he's sick, to begin with. and it certainly isn't that he's been lacking in friends who cared about him. you just doesn't really get experience being a patient when your friends are so far away physically, and when your guardian probably didn't do anything more substantial than occasionally checking to make sure you were still alive. so it's both not wanting to be a burden, and genuinely not understanding that sometimes he has permission to be a burden. if Dave ever got sick on that three-year meteor trip, he likely did the exact same thing he's doing now.]
[wait, hang on. someone's banging on the door. he should. probably answer that, huh. Dave can do that. yup. no problem.]
[Ryuji might not get an answer immediately, but he will get confirmation that there is somebody in the room by way of a loud thud. and then, about ten seconds later, the door finally opens. he is disheveled, highly feverish, overtired and sans the shades — but those are folded and set down carefully on the desk across from his bed. because of course, out of all the things he could have thought to do, Dave thought to make sure his sunglasses were safe. he loves those things.]
Hey. [he's cool. he can keep playing it cool, even! the gears are still turning. they are going kind of slow, and they are a little bit off-kilter, but they are still turning.]
[..........]
You look like shit.
[welp. doesn't get anymore romantic than that. but he did say it out of concern.]
no subject
[so it's that, but it's also ... not really having the experience of leaning on someone else, or asking for help when he's sick, to begin with. and it certainly isn't that he's been lacking in friends who cared about him. you just doesn't really get experience being a patient when your friends are so far away physically, and when your guardian probably didn't do anything more substantial than occasionally checking to make sure you were still alive. so it's both not wanting to be a burden, and genuinely not understanding that sometimes he has permission to be a burden. if Dave ever got sick on that three-year meteor trip, he likely did the exact same thing he's doing now.]
[wait, hang on. someone's banging on the door. he should. probably answer that, huh. Dave can do that. yup. no problem.]
[Ryuji might not get an answer immediately, but he will get confirmation that there is somebody in the room by way of a loud thud. and then, about ten seconds later, the door finally opens. he is disheveled, highly feverish, overtired and sans the shades — but those are folded and set down carefully on the desk across from his bed. because of course, out of all the things he could have thought to do, Dave thought to make sure his sunglasses were safe. he loves those things.]
Hey. [he's cool. he can keep playing it cool, even! the gears are still turning. they are going kind of slow, and they are a little bit off-kilter, but they are still turning.]
[..........]
You look like shit.
[welp. doesn't get anymore romantic than that. but he did say it out of concern.]