Archive of Our Own

Yosuke had begun to think that this training excursion was cursed from the start.

Although they had finished rescuing Rise and had no other leads in the case to pursue right now, Yu insisted that they kept going to the TV world on a regular schedule to keep their skills from getting rusty. And Yosuke agreed! Even though he was not the world’s most talented fighter, he firmly believed that consistency was key when it came to their team training.

However, they had not been able to make it into the TV world at all lately. Between studying for their first semester exams and then actually having to take said exams, it had been over a week since the Investigation Team had trekked into the strange, foggy realm

Therefore, no one was surprised whenever Yu suggested that they get some training in on the Saturday afternoon right after exams ended. While they would all be tired, it was critical that Rise began to get some practical combat experience. Yu planned for them to go into the TV Saturday, and then everyone could relax and rest up on Sunday.

However, it appeared that they may have collectively underestimated the mental exhaustion that exam week would have on them. While Yosuke normally relished the thought of slicing up shadows, especially after a sedentary week, his brain felt like it was going to leak out of his ears after five days of intense concentration.

Luckily for Yosuke’s already fragile self-esteem, he was not the only member of the Investigation Team who was not performing optimally. Kanji kept missing attacks that he had executed with deadly accuracy before. Rise’s analysis of enemies came in later and later, sometimes after they had already figured out the weakness via trial and error.

Chie had even been unable to dodge a panic ailment from a shadow and had managed to kick Yukiko directly in the side at full force before they were able to get a sedative in her. Yukiko had insisted that it was okay and she was fine, but Chie had still apologized relentlessly. Yosuke was sick of hearing it, and he wasn’t even the one who had received a galactic punt to the spleen. While Yosuke tripping over air and almost impaling himself on his kunai in front of an enemy was admittedly bad, for better or for worse, that clumsiness was characteristic of Yosuke.

Yu, of course, seemed entirely unaffected by the funk that seemed to linger around the other Investigation Team members like a dark cloud. He moved with the same grace and fluidity as always, his orders clear and efficient if clumsily followed by his team members.

Yosuke didn’t know why he was surprised. Yu never seemed affected by their extracurricular activities like the rest of them. No matter how busy he was, he maintained the same cool, collected demeanor. Yosuke had caught a glimpse of Yu’s planner once during one of their study sessions and almost had a heart attack at the amount of ink covering the pages. The man had Yosuke half-convinced that Yu had some sort of time-management superpower. Not necessarily the most flashy power one could have, but Yu’s impressive grades and seemingly endless circle of friends and confidants spoke for itself.

They hadn’t been in Marakyu Striptease very long at all, but it was unsurprising to everyone when Yu called it a day. They were burning far too much health and having to use skills too often to make it worth continuing up into the final floors of the club. Not only were they exhausted, but Yukiko moved tenderly whenever they climbed a flight of stairs. Yosuke suspected that Chie’s iron leg had done a little more damage than she had initially let on. Yu had wanted to challenge the enemy that Rise detected on the top floor, but considering their present sorry state, it would have to wait until another day.

Yu glanced over his team members as they reached the landing of the eighth floor. Chie was obviously tired, and her gaze kept flicking over to Yukiko guiltily. Yukiko’s face was neutral, but she was moving with too much controlled deliberateness to be wholly natural.

Yosuke didn’t know what Yu saw when his gaze reached him. He smiled as they made eye contact, but he had seen the dark bags under his own eyes before they ever even entered the TV world. Not only had Yosuke lost a lot of sleep studying this week, the pressure of exams and the knowledge that he would probably fail anyway always took an emotional toll on Yosuke.

“Alright, Rise, we’re headed back your way,” Yu declared, after he finished his evaluation.

Yukiko and Chie sighed in relief, but Yosuke’s gaze fell to the floor. While he didn’t think that Yu held it against them, the gap between his skills and the rest of the Investigation Team was considerable. While the others had taken to the TV world quickly, Yu almost seemed to be a native of it. He thrived in the chaos and mystery of the strange realm.

While Yosuke always felt as if the air of the TV world pressed down on him, Yu seemed more vibrant and intense here in a way that almost hurt Yosuke to look at. Yosuke worried that the team held Yu back. He was worried that he held Yu back. How fast could Yu reach the top floor if he didn’t have to wait on and patch up his friends?

Yu was so concentrated on evaluating the condition of his team members that he didn’t notice the gelatinous, red blob that had shambled its way towards them. While he was talking to Rise and Yosuke was lost in his deprecating spiral, the shadow burst open and two giant, black snakes pounced on the Investigation Team.

Yu swore and jumped back, instinctually dodging the Virus Wave that the first one shot at the group. While Yosuke’s speed allowed him to dodge it easily as well, Chie had been distracted checking up on Yukiko and went down like a stone.

“Chie!” Yosuke shouted, sprinting over to her. He gave her his hand and dragged her to her feet, but noted with unease that she had the sickly pallor they all associated with the poison ailment. They needed to end this quickly, before it sapped all of Chie’s strength.

“I’m okay,” Chie reassured him, even though she looked rather green. “Stupid snake. Let’s kick its ass!”

“Into formation!” Yu shouted, brandishing his katana at the enemy closest to him.

Yosuke ran for his normal spot at Yu’s side, as Rise’s voice crinkled in his ear. “There’s two of them! They’re not very strong, but they’ve got a few skills I haven’t seen before. Try to take them out quickly!”

Yu nodded with focused determination. “Noted.”

Despite the situation being less than ideal, a small part of Yosuke was relieved that he would have a chance to redeem himself after his subpar performance earlier. While he couldn’t erase his earlier blunders, at least he could finish out strong. He could assure the others that he was a competent fighter. That he wasn’t going to drag them down.

He pulled his headphones down over his ears and forced himself to focus. His foot tapped along to the driving drums pulsing in his ears. He raised his kunai at the snake that had knocked down Chie. Before the snake could finish charging up an Agidyne that would have knocked anyone on their ass (especially weak-to-fire Chie), Yosuke darted over, his kunai slicing through tough scales like a hot knife through butter. He hit the enemy twice before flipping through the air in a smooth (albeit, unnecessary) motion before downing the shadow with a final, devastating, third blow.

Yosuke was grinning like a madman, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He instinctually whipped his head towards his Partner, to see if he had witnessed Yosuke’s spirited onslaught. Fortunately, it seemed that Yu had. He was frozen in place, staring at Yosuke with a slightly slack jaw. He thought that it looked like Yu had turned a bit red, and Yosuke hoped that the snake hadn’t hit him with a fire attack while he was distracted with Chie.

Unfortunately, Yu paying attention to Yosuke meant that he wasn’t paying attention to the other shadow that was charging an attack aimed directly at him.

“Partner!” Yosuke shouted. He dashed towards Yu, feet pounding the tacky pink carpet faster than he thought possible.

Yosuke’s voice seemed to snap Yu from whatever trance he was stuck in just in time to see Yosuke dart in front of him and be struck by a strange, blue beam of light directly in the sternum.

Yosuke was filled with a mix of pain and relief when he was hit. Pain, because whatever this attack was fucking hurt. Relief, because if he was hit, it meant Yu wasn’t.

An agonizing mix of burning and electricity spread over his skin, and all of his muscles contracted painfully. Yosuke had never been electrocuted, but he had to imagine this felt similar.

However, even as he heard himself screaming in pain (should his voice sound that far away?), he felt warmth in his chest as he caught a glimpse of Yu as he fell to the floor. He looked shocked to be sure, eyes wide and panicked. But he was safe.

Yosuke felt his muscles continue to twitch and contract as he hit the ground, but as darkness enveloped him, he decided that that was a problem for future Yosuke. Present Yosuke could really use the nap that the situation was so gracefully providing him.

***

Unfortunately, said nap did not seem to last very long, as when he woke up he was still in the same room he remembered falling in with the same gaudy pink decor surrounding him.

He came to slowly, voices breaking through the fog before his eyes had even opened.

“...can’t go! It’s too risky! All they would do is ask questions that we can’t answer!”

“But… we’ve never had one of us be out this long. What if there’s internal bleeding?”

Yosuke did not like the sound of that. Surely if the damage was that bad he wouldn't be awake, right?

“Internal bleeding? If the blood’s inside, that’s good, right?”

Yosuke opened his eyes to see Yukiko pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “No, Chie, that is not good. Internal bleeding kills people. Like, quickly”

“Don’t think m’bleeding,” Yosuke slurred out, eyes struggling to focus.

A chorus of relieved shouts erupted around him, and he screwed his eyes shut again. He didn’t know what that stupid fucking snake had hit him with, but he felt like he had been hit by a semi-truck made of rusty nails and hate. Every part of him ached, even parts that he didn’t even know could be sore. There was also this weird, almost buzzing underneath his skin. Like the feeling when his leg would fall asleep in class, but more prickly and electric.

When he finally gave opening his eyes another shot, he was met with grey eyes staring down at him. Yu had never had a particularly expressive face, but Yosuke had seen many emotions cross his Partner’s face during their adventures. He had never seen this particular mix of panic and dread before, but he didn’t like it. He tried to raise his hand to wipe to look from his face, but it proved to be too herculean of a task when he discovered that his arm was actually made of lead.

Yosuke tried to tune out the barrage of noise around him, as his head was pounding. A cool hand suddenly rested on his forehead, and Yosuke let out a small sigh, relaxing into the lap he was propped up on.

Wait, hold on, lap?

Faster than could be considered advisable by anyone under any circumstances, Yosuke shot to his feet. Well, as much as a battered teenager can shoot, anyway. He almost immediately ate shit as the floor seemed to sway beneath him, threatening him with yet another collision. He narrowed his eyes and stared down as he tried to steady himself. He had spent way too much time up close and personal with the damn floor today to suffer another collapse.

“Easy, easy, don’t try to push yourself,” a deep voice came from behind him. Yu placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, trying to support him after his sudden launch from the floor.

Yosuke ignored the voices and focused on balancing himself. Finally, when the room stopped spinning, he looked at the scene around him. Yu was standing close to him, ready to catch him if he fell. Chie and Yukiko stared at him with relief in their eyes.

Rise was the one who broke the silence. “Yosuke-senpai, how are you feeling? Better, if you can stand up?”

“I feel terrible. Everything hurts so bad. I got up because being so close to Partner freaked me out,” Yosuke said without thinking. As soon as he realized what he had said, there was an audible slap as his hand shot to cover his mouth. His eyes were dinner plates as he whispered “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Well, if Yosuke is putting his foot in his mouth, then we know there can’t be too much wrong with him,” Chie grinned, giving Yosuke an affectionate slap on the shoulder.

Yu did not look convinced. He gently took Yosuke’s wrist in hand and guided his hand down away from his mouth. “Yosuke,” he asked, “What specifically are you feeling right now?”

Yosuke felt his mouth move without his input. “All of my muscles ache and my head is pounding. I’m dizzy and having a hard time focusing on anything. Also my skin feels weird? Like, buzzy? Vibrate-y? And now I’m panicking because I don’t know why I am saying all these things. I shouldn’t be saying this because I don’t want to worry anyone and hold you all ba-”

With that, Yu placed his own hand over Yosuke’s mouth, effectively shutting him up. Half of him was grateful that Yu had put an end to his motor-mouth-induced misery, and the other half was too busy being flustered at the feel of Yu’s callused palm covering the lower half of his face. It was a little bit sweaty. Yosuke did not find that as gross as he probably should.

“Rise,” Yu began, not taking his hand away from Yosuke’s mouth, “Will you please do a scan on Yosuke?”

“On it, Senpai,” Rise said. There was a beat of silence. Rise made a confused sound.

“I… I’ve never seen an ailment like this before, Senpai. It must have been from one of the new attacks.” Yosuke did not like the concern evident in her tone.

“Can you tell what it does, Rise-chan?” Teddie asked. “I’m beary worried about Yosuke!”

Yosuke rolled his eyes. Teddie couldn’t even see him right now, nor was he worried enough to give up on the stupid bear puns, apparently.

“It’s just called ‘Truth’,” Rise informed the group. “I can’t sense anything else about it.”

“A truth spell!” Yukiko exclaimed. “It’s like a fantasy story! Maybe we could figure out how to use this to catch the killer!”

“While that’s a good thought, Yukiko, I’m more concerned right now about why Yosuke is still affected by it. We’ve never had an ailment last after the shadow was defeated,” Yu stated, scanning over Yosuke once more.

Yosuke flushed a bit under his analytical stare. Finally, he pulled away from Yu, and Yu let his hand drop from Yosuke’s shoulder with no argument. His thoughts began to run wild. Of course, it was his rotten luck to get stuck with a stupid new ailment that they knew nothing about. It was bad enough that he couldn’t keep his mouth shut on a normal day, and now this dumb fairy tale curse was going to come along and spill all his secrets to anyone who happened to be nearby.

“We’re not going to let that happen, Yosuke,” Yu said, placing his hand gently on Yosuke’s shoulder. “We will figure it out; we always do.”

Yosuke’s eyes widened. Goddamnit, he had said all of that out loud? This was the actual worst.

“Yes, you did. You might want to cover your mouth again,” Yu informed him with a kind smile.

“Wait, shouldn’t we figure out how this ailment works while he’s like this?” Chie interjected. “Like, is it just if he’s asked a direct question, or is it any question he hears?”

“That’s a good question!” Yukiko exclaims. “Hey, Yosuke, do you mind living with Teddie?”

“No. He annoys me sometimes and has too much energy, but it’s cute watching him interact with things for the first time and he reminds me of a little brother.” Yosuke groaned and dragged his hand down his face.

“Y-Yosuke!” Teddie cried, making Yosuke clasp his head in his hands as the sound sent pain stabbing through his head. "Do you really mean it?

Yosuke grunted as Teddie squealed. “Of course, you stupid bear. I literally can’t lie right now."

“Hmmm…” Yukiko ruminated while tapping her chin with her pointer finger. “ Do we think that this is going to be actually useful?”

“It could be. It’s like the words just bubble out of me. I can’t even really think about what I’m saying before it comes out.” Yosuke said, barely registering the question.

“Well, I guess the question doesn’t need to be directed at him,” Yu said with a grimace.

Chie’s eyes opened wide and she got a devilish look on her face. Yosuke’s stomach tightened with preemptive dread. “Does that mean you’ll finally answer my question about who you have a crush on, Yosuke?”

Yosuke felt panic bubble up as his mouth opened without his consent. “It’s Y-.” He was cut off from answering by the slap of Yu’s palm against his mouth again. This time, he slumped against his Partner, too tired emotionally and physically to keep up with the situation.

“Chie,” Yu chided. “Think of how this must be for him.”

To Chie’s credit, a sheepish look crossed her face. “I’m sorry, Yosuke. That wasn’t cool.”

Yu only removed his hand after he made eye contact with Yosuke and got a slight nod. “It’s okay,” Yosuke responded. “I would be tempted too.”

And he would be. He didn't think that his insecurities would be able to resist the opportunity to confirm his worst suspicions. To see if everyone secretly resented him as he feared. To see if he was viewed as a liability, an annoyance. Even though it really wasn’t okay for Chie to pry in personal matters when he couldn’t control himself, he wasn’t lying. He understood.

Yet another spike of fear shot through Yosuke’s heart. At this point, he was worried he might actually have a heart attack from these sudden adrenaline bursts. “What am I going to do? I can’t go home like this. If my mom asks me stuff, who knows what I might blurt out about the TV world?”

The knot in his gut tightened. Oh god, he really is a liability. If not due to his own combat abilities, then because of his inability to keep his mouth shut. Well, more than usual.

“Don’t worry, Yosuke!” Rise’s chipper voice cut through his self-deprecation. “It will probably wear off when we go back to the real world!”

God, Yosuke hoped so. He had way too many repressed feelings right now to completely remove the filter between his mouth and brain.

“If it doesn’t, you can come stay at my place tonight,” Yu reassured him. “Nanako is staying at a friend’s house and Dojima will get back late.”

Yosuke gave a weak smile in response and nodded. While normally a cozy evening at the Dojima’s would sound wonderful, the idea of being around Yu when he physically could not control what he said was a terrifying one. Yosuke dug his nails into his palm to stop that train of thought. The last thing he needed is his stream of consciousness voiced aloud right now. Again.

With that, Yosuke dusted himself off and prepared to head back. While his muscles still ached like nothing else, moving around seems to have gotten rid of some of the initial stiffness. He was moving less like a low-budget zombie and more like the loser of a cage match now, which he would take given the circumstances.

One Goho-M later, and the group began their walk back to the Backlot. Yosuke hung near the back of the group, not wanting to hear their chatter and accidentally answer something he wasn’t even directly asked. Yu hung back with him, hands in his pockets. He alternated between looking at the ground and sneaking glances at Yosuke when he thought he wasn’t looking.

“Are you feeling any better?” Yu asked softly, turning his head slightly to look at Yosuke as they walked.

“Yes.” Yosuke tried to leave it there, just to see what would happen. The buzzing underneath his skin grew, turning from vibrations to prickling, to piercing, to feeling like there are a million electric bees under his skin that are trying to kill him.

It became unbearable as he blurted out “I’m still sore. Felt like I was getting electrocuted so I think my muscles are sore from contracting.” He winced as the words tumbled out. “I think it gets worse when I try to hold it back,” he confessed, voice lowering.

Yu’s jaw clenched and a look Yosuke couldn’t decipher crossed his face. “Then don’t try and hold it back. It’s not worth it.”

“Says you!” Yosuke exclaimed, far louder than he intended. Yukiko turned over her shoulder at the sudden outburst with a concerned look on her face. Upon seeing this, Yosuke brought his voice down to a near whisper.

“You’re an open book. You didn’t even have a shadow! I can’t imagine you having anything you need to hide.” Yosuke turned his face to the side, refusing to make eye contact. Without thinking, his nails began to dig into his palm again. “Even you can’t know everything about me,” he whispered.

He felt a cool hand on his own as Yu pried Yosuke’s fingers away from his abused palm. He stopped walking for a moment, intertwined Yosuke’s fingers with his own, and turned Yosuke’s cheek slightly so he was looking at him.

“There’s nothing you could tell me that would make me think differently of you,” Yu told him. Yu’s eyes are normally intense, something about the unnatural grey had always drawn Yosuke in, but this was far too much for him. He felt his face flush.

“If it worries you that much, I promise you I’ll never mention anything you say while under this effect. Ever.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “It’ll be like it never happened.”

Yosuke broke eye contact, sure that his face was a burning crimson. “I don’t deserve you, Partner,” he said in a small voice. “Thank you.”

Yu smiled and started walking again, not dropping Yosuke’s hand. “Agree to disagree. I think we deserve each other just fine.”

***
The two walked in companionable silence the rest of the way to the Backlot. Yosuke was tired before the ambush, but after being hit with that ailment and walking all the way back, he felt dead on his feet. Yu, as if sensing his thoughts, gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Almost back,” he promised.

Yu skipped his normal tradition of standing in the Backlot and staring into space for ten to fifteen minutes after a training session. He insisted that it had something to do with his ability to wield multiple personas, but Yosuke had not yet figured out the connection there. Instead, Yu urged them directly through the portal to the real world.

Upon stepping back into the electronic department at Junes, Yosuke knew immediately that the ailment was still affecting him. He wasn't expecting the exhaustion to go away, but he could still feel the tingling under this skin. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Not for Yosuke.

The Investigation Team looked at him expectantly, but before they could even ask, Yosuke answered. “No. It’s still there. I can still feel it.” Panic and despair began to grow in his chest. What if he was stuck like this forever? He wouldn’t be able to function with everyone knowing his thoughts at all times. Dear Lord, trying to talk to customers at work without any mental filter? He would call someone a dumbass within two minutes! He’s not going to make it, he’s gonna-

“Yosuke, breathe,” Yu ordered.

Oh, he had been talking aloud again, hadn’t he? He clicked his jaw shut, closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, which had become far too fast and hard during his panic. He heard Yu address the other team members, but whatever he said passed through his ears without Yosuke absorbing a word of it.

When he had finally got his breathing down to a normal rate, he opened his eyes to see his Partner there, patiently waiting for him.

“You can give me a thumbs up when you’re ready to go, thumbs down if you need more time,” Yu suggested.

Gratitude flooded Yosuke. Of course his Partner was considerate enough to avoid phrasing anything as a question. Chie should take some notes, he thought, only slightly bitterly.

After a few more moments, he gave Yu the thumbs up. Yu nodded, and the two headed out of Junes. Yosuke thought he did a pretty good job of acting casual while passing by his coworkers, even though every step was misery-inducing with his aching body.

As soon as they were a respectable distance away from Junes, Yu stopped walking abruptly. Yosuke looked at him quizzically, but of course Yu’s face gave nothing away.

“Let me carry you,” Yu intoned.

Yosuke would have been less shocked if Kanji emerged from the bush next to them in a coconut bra and a hula skirt. “Let you- what- I-I don’t need you to-”

“Please?”

Yosuke had seen a lot of emotions cross Yu’s face today, but he had never seen his Partner look pleading before. “Just- w-why?” he stammered out.

Yu looked away from him, uncharacteristically shy. “I can tell that you’re still hurt. It’s a long way home. I’m strong enough, you’re not that heavy.” Grey eyes looked at him again, big, open, and desperate.

Yosuke was sure that his face was on fire again. Maybe he could claim it was a symptom of the status ailment. He sighed. “Fine, Partner. But you better put me down if I get too heavy. It’s fine if I’m out, but we can’t have our leader getting injured lugging me around.”

It was bad enough that Yu was metaphorically dragging Yosuke’s weight around.

Yu mumbled something that Yosuke couldn’t make out and crouched slightly in front of him. Yosuke wrapped his arms around Yu’s neck and did his best to seem like a normal dude who was just getting carried around by his homie who he did not think was pretty- He bit his lip and promptly cut off that train of thought before it ended up escaping out his mouth.

Yu stood up straight, hoisting Yosuke up on his back. As much as Yosuke didn’t want to admit it, the relief that came from not having to support his own weight was immediate. He held onto Yu, resisting the urge to just slump against his Partner.

He compromised by tucking his head into the crook of Yu’s neck. In this position, he could hear Yu’s pulse in his neck, warm and comforting. His Partner really was strong. Yosuke could feel how muscular his back and arms were from where he was pressed against Yu, and his breathing had not picked up in the slightest from carrying Yosuke’s weight.

He didn’t fall asleep, but he couldn't confidently claim to be fully cognizant during the journey to the Dojima’s. He was barely conscious of his surroundings when he felt the vibration of Yu’s voice against his cheek.

“Yosuke,” he said, voice low. “I need to set you down so I can unlock the door.”

Yosuke made a noise that he hoped sounded vaguely agreeable and removed his arms from Yu as he was gently set to the ground. He rubbed the palm of his hands against his eyes as Yu unlocked the door. The door swung open and Yu ushered Yosuke in with a hand on the small of his back. Yosuke chose to not think about how he could feel the imprint of Yu’s hand long after it was removed.

Yosuke stumbled into the entryway, removing his shoes clumsily. Yu followed closely behind.

“Would you like medicine, a shower, or food first?” Yu asked.

Yosuke yawned and blinked blearily. “A shower, I think. I feel grimy and I swear there’s shadow muck in my hair.”

Yu nodded. “Alright. Sit down, I’ll be right back.”

Yu disappeared upstairs and Yosuke collapsed onto the couch. After sitting there for a few moments, he began to worry that sitting may have been a mistake. The couch was comfortable in a way that only well-worn couches are, and it smelled vaguely like Yu. And take-out, a little bit, if he was being honest.

Still, he managed to drag himself upright when he heard Yu’s footsteps descend down the stairs. Yu pressed a bundle of fabric into his hands.

“Towels and some spare clothes. You can leave your dirty ones on the bathroom floor. I’ll take care of them later.”

Yosuke gave Yu a tired yet grateful smile. “Thanks, Partner.”

***
The hot water felt so good against Yosuke’s sore muscles that he could have cried. He could still feel the buzzing under his skin, but the water made him feel a little more like a person.

As he washed the sweat and grime off his body, he let himself relax for a moment. His thoughts were moving much more logically. The odds of this ailment lasting forever were low. He was safe and out of the TV world. He had his Partner by his side taking care of him. Even if it made him feel like a burden deep down, it still felt nice to be taken care of. Especially by someone he cared for so much.

Too much, really. He elected to not dwell on how nice it was to smell Yu’s soap, lest he feel more weird and creepy than he normally did when mulling over his admittedly not-platonic feelings for his Partner.

His attempts to not think about Yu were hindered somewhat by the fact that he was about to change into his clothes. Yu had handed him a pair of sweatpants and a henley, both criminally soft. And both, of course, grey. He had also given Yosuke a clean pair of boxers, and Yosuke did not blush when he thought about the fact that he was wearing Yu’s underwear.

By the time he was showered and changed, Yosuke almost felt normal. Yes, his skin was still buzzing, and yes, his muscles were still sore, but at least the latter was not uncommon after a visit to the TV world. When he left the bathroom, he was greeted by the smell of garlic and simmering meat.

He padded into the kitchen to see Yu in his goofy apron. Yosuke would never admit how much he liked the way Yu looked in that apron. He was standing at the stove and stirring something with a wooden spoon. The delicious aroma was much stronger here, and Yosuke’s mouth began to water.

Yu was seemingly lost in thought, not noticing Yosuke’s entrance. “Whatcha makin’, Partner?” Yosuke asked, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible.

Yu jumped a foot in the air, splashing liquid across the counter that sizzled as it made contact with the hot stove. “Y-Yosuke! How are you doing?”

“I feel better than I did, but I’m still sore and my skin feeling buzzy is really starting to drive me nuts. Plus, I’m hungry as hell now that I can smell whatever you’re making,” Yosuke responded, unable to stop the words from coming out.

Yu winced slightly. "I’m sorry, Yosuke, I wasn’t thinking.”

Yosuke smiled. “Dude, it’s okay. It’s a little weird not being able to control it, but it’s not like ‘how are you doing’ is a personal question.”

“I guess.” Yu frowned. “I don’t like you not having a choice.”

Yosuke’s chest ached. His Partner was kinder than he ever deserved. It was hard to believe that beneath that stoic exterior was someone who cared so much, all the time.

“It’s alright, really. I literally could not say that if it wasn’t. But you didn’t answer me.” Yosuke wrapped an arm around Yu’s shoulder and peered down at what he was stirring. “Whatcha makin’?”

“Beef Stew,” Yu responded. “I thought you might want something comforting.”

“Anything you cook is comforting to me,” Yosuke said, and immediately blushed. He was going to blame that one on the ailment, despite the fact that there was no question involved.

Thankfully, Yu didn't react to his blunder. He just smiled and returned to stirring the pot. "It'll be done simmering in about ten minutes. There's medicine and water on the table in the living room. You can put whatever you want on the TV. You should go rest, I'll bring you a bowl when it's done."

“Sir, yessir.” Yosuke mock-saluted and walked to the other room. After taking the medicine, he elected to simply curl up on the couch and listen to the sounds of Yu in the kitchen. He heard stirring and the grinding of the salt shaker. Occasionally, Yu hummed snatches of a melody that Yosuke didn’t recognize.

After about ten minutes, Yu returned to the living room carrying two steaming bowls of stew. Yosuke gratefully took his and dug in.

“God, Partner,” Yosuke moaned. “You are such a good cook. I’m going to kidnap you and force you to cook for me everyday.”

Yu flushed slightly, but smiled. “You wouldn’t have to kidnap me, you know. I like cooking for you.”

“Yes, but every day? Would definitely require some insurance involving handcuffing you to an oven.”

“Fire hazard,” Yu pointed out.

“Flame-retardant apron?” Yosuke countered.

Yu burst out laughing with one of his real laughs, the kind where he threw his head back, and Yosuke was glowing. He would give anything to see Yu like that every day.

The issue was that Yu’s laugh was contagious, and he was still way too sore to be laughing hysterically, leading to him alternating between giggles and hisses of pain.

As soon as Yu noticed this, his smile dropped a bit. He lightly bumped Yosuke’s arm. “Alright, this is officially a no-fun allowed zone. Fun is no longer conducive to healing.”

Yosuke pouted. He didn’t know what Yu’s sudden bouts of gloom were about, but he didn’t care for them. “What about stationary fun? Movie night?” They didn’t have class tomorrow and exams had just ended, making this the perfect time to monopolize Yu’s time with a movie marathon.

“I suppose that can be arranged.”

***
Considering the day that he’d had, Yosuke was proud of himself for making it all the way through the first Dumminator movie without dozing off, but by the time they made it to Dumminator II, his exhaustion was catching up to him. After the third time Yosuke yawned, Yu excused himself to go get the futons set up.

Yosuke’s mind drifted as he waited for Yu to return. Yu had been so kind to him. To be fair, Yu was always kind to Yosuke. Helping him at Junes, encouraging him to study, making lunch for him basically every week. Kind didn’t even begin to describe everything his Partner had done for him.

Still, it had been a while since Yosuke had Yu’s undivided attention like this. He was a busy man. He worked a ton of jobs, studied constantly, and somehow managed to maintain his impressive social network. The fact that Yosuke was able to slot into his schedule at all was a miracle. He cherished any time that the two got to have alone together, and it was selfish to wish for more.

Speaking of miracles, it was honestly a miracle that Yosuke hadn’t spilled his guts by now. After all, the object of all of his repressed feelings had been sitting a foot away from him for hours, and even while under a truth spell everything had been kept under wraps.

Yosuke supposed it was because Yu had been avoiding asking him anything. Besides the slip-up in the kitchen, Yu had managed to phrase everything as a statement or suggestion. So, besides Yosuke rambling a bit more than usual in his responses, it almost felt like a normal sleepover.

It almost… bothered Yosuke. Was there really nothing that his partner wanted to know? Was he that perfect that he would refuse to take advantage of the situation even for a silly question? Not even to ask if he had stolen Chie’s snack that one time? It seemed too suspicious, too perfect.

When they were laying side by side in the dark on their futons, Yosuke finally asked him. “Partner?”

Yosuke knew that he wasn’t asleep yet. His breathing hadn’t changed from when they settled down, yet Yu still took a moment to respond. “Yes, Yosuke?”

“Why haven’t you asked me anything?”

Yosuke could almost hear the frown in Yu’s voice. “I told you. I don’t like that you don’t have a choice.”

Normally, Yosuke would have left it there. Maybe it was the truth ailment making him more willing to talk. Maybe it was the fact that they were laying down and he didn’t have to look Yu in the eye. Maybe he was just being brave for once. Regardless of the reason, Yosuke pressed the issue.

“I would have. If it was reversed. I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself from asking you things.” Yosuke’s voice sounded a little strange. He hoped that Yu didn’t notice.

Yu was silent for a moment. “You can do it now.”

Yosuke’s head snapped to the side to face Yu, whose gaze remained stubbornly fixed on the ceiling. “What?”

“You can ask me whatever you want now. I won’t lie to you. I wouldn’t in the first place, and it definitely wouldn’t be fair to now.”

“Partner, I…” Yosuke trailed off. Yu left him at a loss for words far more often than he was used to.

Yu finally turned his head to face the other boy. “You don’t have to, obviously. But there must be something on your mind if you were thinking about it this much.”

Yu had this uncanny knack for pulling things out of Yosuke. He made Yosuke realize things about himself that he had never even considered. He made him feel things that he never thought he was capable of feeling. He supposed this was just an extension of that ability, as he asked Yu something he would have never dared at any other time.

“Am I a burden?”

Yu sat up on his forearms so quickly that Yosuke flinched from the sudden motion. His head turned to face Yosuke. “Do you really think that?” Yu blurted out without thinking, astonishment in his voice.

Yosuke stayed silent for a moment, biting his tongue. Before long, the burning underneath his skin became unbearable. “Yes. All the time. I worry that you’re going to realize how useless I am one day and leave me and I’ll be alone again.” The words spilled out of him, and he wished he could grab them and shove them back down his throat as they left.

As close as they were, even in the dark Yosuke could make out the look of horror on Yu’s face. He felt his throat tighten and he clenched his jaw, not trusting a sob not to wrench its way out if he used his throat. In a series of motions so quick they almost blurred together, he sat up, put his pillow in his lap, and buried his face in it.

“Yosuke…” Yu whispered, his voice sounding fragile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you say that.”

Yu paused, gathering his thoughts. Yosuke kept his head buried in the pillow. He could feel himself shaking, but wasn’t able to get himself to stop.

“I have never, once in the entire time I have known you, considered you a burden, Yosuke.” Yu started. He lightly placed a hand on Yosuke’s shoulderblade.

“I’ve met a lot of people during my time at Inaba, but none of them have been like you, Yosuke. You’re special to me. You’re so… bright. It feels like I can’t look directly at you sometimes because you’re just so vibrant and sunny.”

Yosuke didn’t think that he had ever heard his Partner say this many words at once, but Yu isn’t done. Yosuke turned his head to the side, cheek pressed against the pillow but now able to see Yu. Tears had created a small damp spot on the pillow.

“I was so scared today. It was my fault you were hit, I was distracted because I couldn’t control myself and I should have easily been able to dodge that attack, but I didn’t.” He was talking faster, not yelling, but slowly growing more agitated. “And you took it instead and you went down so hard, Yosuke, I didn’t think you would get up. And even though you did, you’re stuck with this stupid ailment and it’s all my fault-”

“Stop. I wanted to.” Yosuke cut off Yu with a stern voice.

Yu broke off and stared at Yosuke. His mouth opened, and then closed again.

“I wanted to take that hit for you and I would do it again. I need you, Partner. It may be selfish, but I’m not going to stop taking hits for you because I don’t want to see you hurt. You don’t need to feel guilty about something that’s my decision. Please don’t actually, it’d be a little patronizing.”

Yu took a shaky breath. “Yosuke, I… I understand. But, please be careful. I couldn’t… seeing you get hurt was… scary.” He turned to the side. “I don’t want to have to see it again, even if it means I take a few more hits.”

“I will be. And you will be careful, too.”Yosuke smiled, placed his pillow back behind him, put his arms behind his head, and laid back down on the futon. He still felt vulnerable, but at least he wasn’t about to have a breakdown again.

“Yosuke,” Yu started again. Well. Perhaps Yosuke spoke a little bit soon there.

“Yes, Partner?”

“Was there- No. I mean, if there was something you wanted me to ask you, I would.” He looked at Yosuke, grey eyes intense again.

“I- What do you mean?”

“Well,” he said, a thoughtful look on his face. “Sometimes, I have problems talking about how I feel. If I wanted someone to know something, but was too scared to tell them, a truth ailment would be a great way to, you know… jump into the deep end.”

He leaned a little closer to Yosuke. “If there was something you wanted me to know,” he whispered.

Yosuke’s eyes were saucers, and he couldn’t get his brain to connect to his mouth to form words. After a beat passed without Yosuke replying, Yu leaned away. A look of disappointment so brief Yosuke might have imagined it flashed across his face.

Yu forced a small laugh. “It’s okay, Yosuke, I was kidding, you don’t need to tell-”

“Ask me who my crush is.” Yosuke blurted out.

Yu blinked in surprise, and then a smile spread across his face.

“Chie was going to ask me who my crush is. She knows I’ve had one for months but I’ve been refusing to tell her. Ask me who it is.” Yosuke’s face burned, and combined with the tingling of the truth ailment under his skin, he felt a little bit like he was going to explode.

Yu’s grin only grew bigger. “Are you sure?”

Yosuke swallowed hard. “Yes.”

Yu leaned in close, their legs touching and their faces so close that Yosuke could see flecks of light blue in Yu’s grey eyes.

“Partner,” he started, and Yosuke’s stomach swooped at the use of the nickname. “Who do you have a crush on?”

Yosuke didn’t wait for the ailment to start burning underneath his skin.

“You. I have a crush on you. I was nervous to tell you because I was such an ass about Kanji and then Rise got here and how could I compete with an idol and-”

Yu had cut off Yosuke a lot during the past five or so hours, entirely for his own good, mind you. But, the feeling of Yu cutting him off by pressing his lips against his own was enough to make Yosuke feel like he might pass out.

Yu’s lips were slightly chapped but so warm, and his hand moved up to weave into the hair at the base of Yosuke’s neck. Oh shit, he should probably do something, huh.

By the time Yosuke’s brain finally started back up, Yu had already begun to pull away. “Wait!” Yosuke blurted. “That wasn’t fair, I wasn’t ready.”

Yu laughed brightly. For once, his face was as red as Yosuke’s, though of course it looked cute on him and not like he had a horrible sunburn. Yosuke was mesmerized by the sight of him as he threw his head back in laughter. For once, he caught his Partner off guard by lunging in for another kiss before Yu was done laughing, which led to them bumping noses.

Yosuke recoiled slightly, but he was never one to be discouraged. He got it right his second time, and pressed his lips against Yu’s with a sense of urgency. He placed his hand on Yu’s jaw and felt the soft ends of his silvery hair against his fingertips. He also felt the thrum of Yu’s pulse for the second time this evening. It was much faster this time.

Yu was the one to pull away again, and Yosuke made a soft whining noise as he did, although he would deny producing it until the day he died. Yu kept a hand in his hair and ran his fingers through the caramel strands over and over. Yosuke leaned his head against his palm, closing his eyes contentedly.

“You really do need to rest,” Yu pointed out. Yosuke sighed, knowing that Yu was right but not happy about it.

“Here,” Yu said, getting up. He dragged his futon until it was touching Yosuke’s, effectively turning them into one large bed. Yu moved his pillow close, tossed his blanket so it covered Yosuke as well, and snuggled into Yosuke’s side, throwing an arm over his waist.

After he had moved close, he froze for a moment. “Is this okay?” Yu asked, hesitation evident in his voice.

“Yes, it’s so okay, you have no idea.” The words tumbled out of Yosuke, but he didn’t mind as much anymore.

They had laid there for a few minutes when Yosuke spoke up one more time. “Um, Partner?”

Yu was so close that he could feel him say the words against his chest when he replied. “Yeah, Partner?”

Yosuke took a moment, suddenly nervous again. “Um, do you- do you also-”

“Yes, Yosuke, I have a crush on you as well. Sorry, I’m not also under a truth ailment, you’ll just have to believe me.” With that, he pressed a kiss to Yosuke’s side where his head rested.

Even through the henley, the spot Yu kissed feels like it burns. In a good way, not in a murderous bee way. Yosuke is so lucky that he is way too sore and tired to get horny right now. Or unlucky, depending on how you thought about it, he supposed.

“Oh. Good. Nice.” Yosuke stammered out, trying and failing to not sound awkward for once in his life.

“Hey,” Yu said, looking up at Yosuke one last time with a wry smile. “I know I said I’d never mention anything you said while under the ailment, but does that mean I have to pretend I don’t li-”

Yosuke cut him off, pulling Yu tightly into his side and turning his chin so it rested on top of his head. “Don’t you even dare.”

***
Yosuke woke up feeling warmer and more relaxed than he could remember feeling in a long time. He breathed deeply and stretched his legs out. When he did so, he felt that they were intertwined with someone else's. And when he opened his eyes, he was greeted with an eyeful of silver hair.

For once, Yosuke had woken up before Yu. Yosuke cherished the moment, knowing that it would be a rarity with his night owl tendencies. Yu was using Yosuke’s arm as a pillow, curled up and letting out soft, even breaths. He looked so much younger while asleep. All of the tension lifted away, and he looked like an average boy.

Yosuke studies his face, taking in his soft, pink lips and long, pale eyelashes that cast the smallest shadow over his cheekbones. Yosuke never thought that he would describe a boy as pretty before, but there is simply no better word for his Partner.

The buzzing under his skin that tormented him yesterday was gone, but he tested it just to be sure.

“I don’t love Yu,” he whispered, so quietly that he could barely hear it himself.

He smiled softly as the words come out easily and painlessly, and promised to never tell that particular lie ever again.