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Yosuke
Yosuke hated how his body seemed to buzz at all of the worst moments. He wanted to concentrate. He wanted to look cool . One minute, he was finally acting as a proper second in command, kicking ass and getting closer to solving the case. The next, his body became painfully aware of how close he was to Souji, his leader, his partner, his best friend, and, as much as he hated to listen to the throbbing in his chest, his soulmate . Fuck. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Call him an idealist, but when he was younger, he had wished to connect with a cute girl that felt like the rainfall in the spring. Instead, Yosuke got the rumblings of Souji’s thunder and the charges that came with it, as if a zio spell had struck him, making his very core vibrate.
Was it this distracting for Partner? Sure, the guy claimed he experienced something similar, but if Souji honestly felt like some windchime being jostled on a windy day, he sure as hell didn’t look it. Yosuke knew what Souji looked like. He was calm. Put together. Nothing like Livewire Hanamura, powered by the always faithful batteries of foot-in-mouth causing anxiety.
...And then Souji went and proved his point, picking up wherever Yosuke left off while answering one of Chie’s questions. He should’ve been thankful for the save, but instead it made him internally chide himself. Focus you idiot! Don’t give people more reasons to give you hell. Thus, he did what he was good at, talking out of his ass and pretending nothing was wrong.
“Yeah. Come on, Chie. Even I could’ve figured that one out.”
Chie, in rebuttal, kicked him hard under the table, and through the pain he felt minor relief. Good. Things were going back to the way they should be.
(If he kept telling himself that, maybe this whole distracting, gay soulmate thing would go away… even if the pit of his stomach said otherwise.)
Souji
Sometimes, Souji had to remember how to breathe around Yosuke. Did that sound like a cliche? Perhaps, but he was quickly learning how that overused trope of romance novels had bearings in the real world. Souji Seta had met his soulmate, and it had shaken his very core. Souji doubted Yosuke realized how full of life and motion his soul could be, so he began taking mental notes of how amazing the feeling was. The way Yosuke’s winds tousled his hair in the depths of the TV World. The way it swirled about around his heart in time to Yosuke’s music. The way it lifted him up, making him feel weightless and on top of the world. Even the windstorm of rage he released during a fight was an experience to behold; Though, Souji would admit, even he would become nervous if that wind took a turn against him. Either way, all of those things were irreplaceable to Souji, and he truly did want Yosuke to realize that.
...When Yosuke’s ready. Souji knew not to push things too far. It was a promise they made to each other, after all. Yosuke needed time to sort out his thoughts and feelings. He needed time to make things right. Yes, it was something Souji unfortunately knew all too well. One day, they hopefully could approach the topic of what they could be to each other without distraction. One day, Souji hoped— he rarely ever hoped, he hardly had the strength to — they’d be able to talk about a potential future together.
Until that fateful day, he’d have to settle on being Yosuke’s leader and partner, pretending he didn’t want more.
Yosuke
It was in the cold chill of November when Yosuke came to the realization that he couldn’t avoid it anymore. He wasn’t heartless . Souji was suffering alone in that house, and it was his job to pick up the slack and make sure he actually took care of himself because Souji sure as hell wasn’t now. Nanako-chan’s kidnapping had broken him, and, despite them saving her in a matter of days, with no sign of her getting better, the rescue hadn’t given any of them relief. Yosuke was pretty sure Partner hadn’t slept in weeks. He couldn’t hide that even with his poker face, and, in a way, that hurt Yosuke more than anything. Souji was still trying to pretend that he could handle things on his own.
...But that pretending was killing him. Hell, it was killing the both of them . Yosuke was used to Souji’s soul shaking him with power and awe. Now though? It was hardly a static discharge, quiet and lacking force, nothing like how Souji SHOULD be.
That’s why he needed to step up. Screw waiting for Souji to text him back or the fact it was a school night. He was going over there and making sure his partner didn’t kill himself. Luckily, his dad was still slaving over Junes, and his mom wasn’t going to argue. Yosuke knew she wouldn’t. She had to stop his dad from going overboard all the time, after all.
With a look of understanding, she handed him a dinner for two in tupperware and told him to go.
He didn’t need her to tell him twice.
Souji
There was a knocking at his doorstep, starting softly and then growing more and more pronounced at each pound. He hadn’t expected anyone to come over at this hour. ...Wait. What time even was it? Souji’s bleary eyes glanced at the digital clock. 7:32? Interesting, he had thought it was earlier than that. He must’ve spaced out for a long, long while. Had he even eaten dinner yet?—
The banging persists, more wild than before.
“Partner? Come on man; You’re starting to really freak me out!” That was Yosuke’s voice. More importantly, that was Yosuke’s soul barging in and making Souji shiver like a windchime clashing in the winter winds. It was then, only then, he managed to stand up, patting his stray hairs down in a ditch effort to look more presentable.
“O-one second.” Souji felt his vocal cords crack as he spoke up, no doubt raw from his earlier crying fit. He hoped Yosuke hadn’t noticed, in the same vein he hoped Yosuke wouldn’t notice how tear-streaked his face had gotten. Though, with how perceptive his friend was, it was clear that Yosuke had caught on. It was written in the way his brows furrowed.
“Hey…” He’s nervous , Souji noted. “Sorry for dropping by so suddenly, but you weren’t answering your phone, and—”
“You’re fine.” Souji interjected, trying to settle Yosuke’s anxieties.
“O-oh. Okaaay, good! Mind if I come in then? I brought you some curry and rice. My mom just made it, so it’s still pretty warm.”
“Of course. Make yourself comfortable.” Souji moved aside. That was the only signal Yosuke needed to bolt right in, making a beeline straight to the kitchen area. Souji closed the door for him.
“So, you’re hungry right? I can practically feel your stomach rumbling over there.” The question made Souji pause. Had it been? Sure, he hadn’t eaten, but he hadn’t noticed it making any sort of noise— Oh . Yosuke must have meant his soul. Yosuke had mentioned how his own soul resonated inside the other like a thunderstorm, in between side comments and jests of ‘Partner, how can you expect me to calm down when you’re the one turning me into a live wire over here?’ It made him wonder. Was there a way to be more subtle through his soul? It must’ve been exhausting for Yosuke to go through all of that whenever they were nearby. ...He’d have to look into it later.
“I suppose I do have a bit of an appetite. Give me a moment, and I’ll have that set up—”
“No,” now Yosuke was the one interrupting him, “I’m the one who’s taking care of you today, so go ahead and sit down. I’ve got this, Partner.”
Souji would voice a complaint, something along the lines of ‘but you’re the guest’; However, his common sense forced him to say “Okay,” and walk to the living room, peering at the blank TV screen. If he turned it on, he had a feeling he’d see Nanako’s quiz show flash on.
He took a deep breath.
Somehow, that thought made the idea of staring off into space infinitely more appealing. Helping would’ve been easier than yet another reminder of how wrong everything was. If only this could be fixed with him simply facing his shadow and ending this nightmare. It wouldn’t. Souji hadn’t a clue what it would even look like or talk about. Would his reflection berate him for his many failings? Tell him that he didn’t push himself hard enough? All of that was true, but it wasn’t anything he’d outright deny. Maybe he’d have to go through another bout of self reflection once Yosuke wasn’t standing meters away, humming a song from one of Rise’s albums as he finished putting things together.
...Scratch that. Yosuke had just finished and was now approaching the table. He lacked the deftness of a waiter but added the sincerity of a worried friend on his beck and call. It wasn’t a look Souji wanted to see on his partner. He was more comfortable with being the helper, having little experience ‘being helped’. Still, he took the plate of steaming rice and curry without fanfare.
“Dig in, Partner. Wouldn’t want you to get sick on us.” Souji made some sort of grunt in response, indecipherable to anyone other than his soulmate leaning over him. Yosuke sighed in return. “...Please man? Just do it for me. When you’re feeling like shit, I’m feeling like shit.”
Souji stared down at the plate, guilt gnawing at his empty stomach. “I’m sorry you have to deal with things on my behalf. I’ll work on keeping my soul to myself.” Yosuke gave him an incredulous look.
“You know damn well that’s not what I meant.”
“But that doesn’t change how sorry I am for this. I know how much you didn’t want me as your soulmate. You deserve someone better than me. Someone who’s more put together and—”
“ Souji . Don’t you dare finish that. I didn’t come over here in the dark to listen to you talk yourself down.” The use of his name snapped Souji to attention, as did the way the wind howled in his eardrums, dangerous and threatening. He shut up. He knew better than to talk over it. “ And stop putting words into my mouth! I never told you I didn’t want you to be my soulmate, whatever that’s supposed to mean. It’s more like…” Yosuke paused, taking a second to gather his words. “...You weren’t what I expected, and you seriously came into my life at the worst time. Between Saki-senpai’s murder and your soul charging me up like the Energizer Bunny, I needed time.”
“ ...Needed? ” Souji couldn’t help but question the chosen tense with a dash of hope. Yosuke let out a nervous laugh.
“Figured you’d catch that…” Yosuke muttered mostly to himself before he spoke back up. “I… I think I’ve finally worked out what I want now.”
“And that is?...” Yosuke rolled his eyes as he pulled Souji up and into a kiss. If Souji had thought Yosuke had made him breathless before, that was nothing compared to now. It wasn’t just their lips and tongues that mingled. Their very souls also seemed to twist and turn, dancing back and forth between one another. He would’ve kept it going forever if Yosuke hadn’t pulled away, gasping for air while also somehow looking all too pleased with himself.
“Haah… you ? If you’ll have me.” Souji felt his face warm up.
“Of course. I’ve been yours for a long while, Partner.” And that flustered Yosuke, including the wind inside his chest.
“A-awesome. So now that that’s decided, we might want to eat before all of this gets cold…” That might’ve been the least romantic words Yosuke could have used in his post-confessional state; Yet, they were so Yosuke to the point of Souji being unable to contain a hearty chuckle, the first he’d had in a long, long while.
“We can’t have that happen, can we?” With all the dramatics of a drama student, Souji made a showing of taking his first bite of curry, adding a please hum for good measure. Maybe everything would work out after all, as long as Yosuke and his friends were by his side.
Later on when they turned in for the evening, Souji whispered a ‘thanks’ into the ear of a shirtless, half asleep Yosuke.
“‘Course… Anytime, Partner. I’ll be around whenever—” Yosuke yawned, breaking up his words, “W-whenever you need me.”
Souji hummed in appreciation at that and proceeded to drift off to the gentle breeze of Yosuke’s soul.