#something that makes me so soft is how yosuke tries to look out for their kouhai especially with naoto | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kamyru · 3 years

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I have a request for all characters of Kings of Paradise please. The guys trying to figure out if they should play the role of step father for MC's kid from her previous marriage, but are scared to overstep.

You know what, anon? I love you. I have a soft spot for family fics and headcanons. Give me all kind of requests about kids, family, marriage. Especially about kids from another marriage. Thank you. Hope you'll enjoy it. ❤️

King of Paradise boys as step-dads (Headcanons)

Taki Kozaki

When he found out that MC had a child, he was reluctant to try to get her back.

No, not because he didn't like kids or didn't want to assume the responsibility. The reason was that he hadn't enough confidence in himself that he could be a good example for a little human who is still developing.

He didn't have the best relationship with his father. So how could he know what was wrong and what was right?

Though, in the end, he understood that he loved MC too much to lose her again.

So, he started to read all the books he could find about parenting.

His problem was that he didn't know how to bring this question in front of MC and ask her how to act.

It was MC who started to talk to him about the kid and take his opinions and advice into consideration.

It blew his mind that he was seen as a parental figure.

Though, out of all the boys, he was the slowest in winning the child over.

The kid was afraid of him for a while. They couldn't trust him or go to him for advice, not knowing how Taki would react.

Also, the fact that their biological dad was always absent from their life didn't help them.

The first and most important step was taken when MC had to go somewhere and asked Taki to take care of the kid.

He brought them to his work, showed how everything worked, played with them, went to eat something they wanted to.

That day their relationship started to go stronger and stronger.

Though, he was still afraid to have important discussions or tell the kid when they made a mistake.

MC was always trying to reassure Taki that everything was alright and the kid wouldn't love him less if he was a little bit stricter.

Once, he was called from school to come and talk with the teacher.

Inside of his head and heart were hurricanes. He hoped that the kid wasn't injured. And he was touched by the fact that he was seen as a dad by people around him.

When the teacher started to tell him what bad behavior his kid had that day, he stopped them and told them that he wanted to listen to the child's version.

It's needless to say that the kid was pleased that their opinion mattered.

A discussion that he had with the child without previously telling MC about it, was the kid's relationship with their biological dad.

Taki wanted them to have the choice to continue to interact if that was what the kid wanted. He even offered to bring them himself to their dad's place.

When the kid called Taki 'dad' for the first time, Taki was shining with happiness for an entire month. He couldn't get enough of this.

One thing that he adored too was seeing Sidney playing with the kid. He was jealous that it was easier for her to become their friend than it was for him.

Yosuke Sagara

Yosuke is a kid himself, so he hadn't ever thought about having children.

At first, he was thinking a lot about how to convince his clients to date someone who had a kid from a previous marriage.

He was spending his time with them, while MC had to go on dates with his clients.

Unexpectedly, he liked it.

The bond that formed between them helped him find the answer to the problem he was thinking about.

The kid was such a wonderful little human that it was impossible to not fall in love with them.

He insisted on spending time together even if MC apologized for the discomfort the kid could create for him.

They were always messing around when he had some spare time.

When Yosuke and MC started to date, the kid was teasing them for being so cheesy with each other.

Though, they once thanked Yosuke for being near them so often.

It touched Yosuke's soft heart. He then understood that he would be ready to do everything for the little one.

He was always ready to explain everything to the kid. If he didn't know anything, they were looking up the answer on the internet.

Also, Yosuke was the one who gave the kid sexual education.

Though, he couldn't talk about something more important. He couldn't scold them. He couldn't tell their mom if anything bad happened at school when he was the first to know.

He was buying all kinds of gifts for them till the moment MC had to ask him to stop this.

MC and Yosuke had a long talk about the bad part of winning the kid over by spoiling them.

So, instead of buying everything he thought the kid would like, he invested money in the kid's hobby.

He would pay for any courses, sports, and extracurricular activities the child would be interested in.

Yosuke didn't ever think that the kid would call him dad. But when this happened, tears of happiness appeared in his eyes.

Shun Randoh

From the first day the kid appeared in his house, he started to talk to them and won them over.

When MC started to go with him to work, he was the one to suggest bringing the kid too.

He was as strict with the staff as ever. Though, he was soft and caring towards the kid, asking them what they needed, what they wanted to know, and so on.

Even before they started dating, the kid wanted him to be their dad.

So, when they told the kid the big news, the kid started to call him dad.

Shun was the one who insisted on going to school regularly and found out how the child was.

At first, it was hard for him to accept the slightest thought about letting the kid meet with their biological father.

Though, if the little one wanted this, he couldn't stop them.

Because of the annoying tabloids, the public found out pretty fast that Shun had a child.

That was the first serious conversation he had with them. He explained why people were doing something like this, what popularity was, the importance of mental health, and how the stress could mess with their heads.

After this conversation, the kid understood that they would always go to Shun for advice.

Though, Shun couldn't bring himself to tell them if they were doing something wrong.

It was the kid who told him that they wouldn't hate him if he scolded them. They wanted to hear his honest opinion.

It took Shun a lot of time till he learned to say 'No' to them.

He just loved too much to see a happy smile on the child's face and feel their arms hugging him.

Kiyohito Shirakami

Out of all the Paradise boys, he would be the fastest to form a bond with the kid.

Somehow, even if he wasn't smiling more than usual or trying to win them over, the child adored him.

He didn't have anything against spending some time with them.

Kiyohito even suggested bringing them with him while he went abroad.

Because he is younger than MC, the kid saw him more like an older brother than a father.

So, MC and Kiyohito had to explain to them the kind of relationship they had.

The one who was letting out teasing remarks about this was Kiyohito's sister.

He tried a few times to tell the kid if they were making a mistake, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He felt that it was out of his jurisdiction to say anything like this to them.

Though, one thing that he wasn't afraid to say were compliments. He tried everything to boost the kid's confidence.

He thought that the child already saw too much filth in their short life.

It was MC who taught him how to set boundaries and not damage the kid.

Understanding how it worked, he tried to do it from time to time.

But it was impossible to foresee every possible situation when Kiyohito had to tell 'No' to the child and teach him a better alternative.

Every time he was called from school, or when the child did something wrong while his mom was away, he tried to find first what the kid themself thought about the situation and what solution they could come with.

That was when the kid started to see in him a parental figure rather than a sibling.

From time to time, they were asking Kiyohito to continue to take such good care of their mother and to be pampered by him.

Kiyohito was the first one to tell the kid that he loved them.

Though, the kid broke the record and told him about their feelings as often as they could.

#kings of paradise #taki kozaki #yosuke sagara #shun randoh #kiyohito shirakami #voltage inc #asks

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klvbxlove · 3 years

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yu & yosuke cuddling with their male s/o

@xandersfrogs asks

Eeee!!!! Yay! I love Persona 4! Also can you do a Yu x Yosuke x Male Reader as they cuddle or hiding from the team while doing some love (ya know, kisses?). Thank you so much! I LOVE your content. Keep doing a good a good job!

a/n: originally this was gonna be a drabble, but after a while, i was having some slight difficulty, and i didn’t wanna give you some half-assed piece of writing so i thought made turning it into headcanons would be much better! also, this is my first time writing for a male reader! ngl, i’m a little worried about how it’ll turn out since i’m usually more comfortable writing for gn readers (and female readers if i’m up for it). but you know what? i’d figured i’d give this a try! just forgive me if it’s not too great 😔 and one last thing, i know i already thanked you already for the compliment, but i just gotta do it again: thank you! it honesty means a lot when someone says they love my content, ya know?

(i swear, this GIF is so powerful to me for some reason. I LOVE IT)

reader type: male

reader specification(s): none

pairing(s): yu x reader x yosuke

trigger warning(s): none

word count: 608 words

If there was one great thing about being in a relationship with Yu and Yosuke, it was the cuddles! In almost every cuddling session, you could feel nothing but love and passion. And it was something you always loved.

Usually, the reasons for initiating cuddle sessions are the same. Either someone has had a bad day, they need affection, etc. But either way, they are still great!

Out of Yu and Yosuke, it was mainly Yosuke who brings up cuddle sessions. It is because he can be the more clingy one of the relationship.

Yosuke will walk up behind you and wrap his arms around your waist to see if he can get a reaction out of you. If you don’t react, though, he will start whining about how he wants to cuddle you. Eventually, you would have to give in because you cannot resist Yosuke.

When it comes to Yu, he can be clingy on a few occasions (not as often as Yosuke, though). Whenever that happens, he does not try to give you signs that he wants you to cuddle him. Instead, this man will (somehow) be able to pull you into his lap (with you straddling him, by the way!).

In the cuddle pile, Yosuke and Yu will always insist on having you be in the middle of them. Even if you say that they do not have to do that, they won’t back down.

If you are shorter than Yu and Yosuke, then you will bury your face in either one of their chests. If you’re taller than both of them, they won’t mind burying their face in your chest (and one of them will bury their face in your back if you’re facing away from them).

I’m telling you, YU AND YOSUKE WILL TREAT YOU LIKE ABSOLUTE ROYALTY DURING CUDDLE SESSIONS! The boys will run their fingers through your hair and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. It always makes you feel better, especially whenever you’ve had a bad day and just needed something nice to hear. If Yu’s facing your back, he will give you soft kisses on your neck.

In the case you end up falling asleep during a cuddle session, Yu and Yosuke will look at you with just the SOFTEST looks on their faces. When they look up at each other, they both mentally agree that they are lucky to have met such a wonderful guy like you. And eventually, Yu and Yosuke end up falling asleep alongside you, their arms wrapped around you.

All three of you will back down on hangout situations with the Investigation Team, so you can spend the day cuddling. At first, no one else on the team questions you. Although Chie, Rise, and Teddie have been suspicious lately. You can’t ever forget them giving you a raised-eyebrow look whenever either you, Yosuke, or Yu say that you’re busy and wouldn’t be able to make it.

There was the (unfortunate) time where Teddie somehow found all three of you cuddling. And oh boy, when Yosuke caught him, he was not a happy camper. You could never forget him chasing Teddie around, even though you tried to pull him back (unless you got mad like Yosuke, then the both of you would be chasing Teddie together). Meanwhile, Yu just watched the scene, although there was a look of annoyance on his face.

But overall, cuddling with Yu and Yosuke is a great experience. Like I mentioned before, it’s one of the best things that you could ever get out of the relationship, and you trade anything in the world to get cuddles from your men.

#persona 4 #persona #persona 4 x reader #persona 4 imagines #persona imagines #yu narukami #yosuke hanamura #fanfiction #persona 4 golden #p4g #yu narukami x reader #yosuke hanamura x reader #male reader #x reader #headcanons #kristin's writings

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obeysword · 3 years

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i’ve been trying to find this all day. but this scene in the anime with mitsuo’s shadow, really speaks a lot of yu’s character. i really don’t like to hc muses who have feelings / could fall in love with other characters in the series unless it’s deliberately shown to be canon? & has canonical weight behind it. but i think souyo kind of does. (everyone in p4 is gay)

‘i have nothing. everything is nothing. friendship’s an illusion. you’re on your own, and you’re empty.’

yu then realizes he can’t summon his persona, no matter how many arcana he calls forth. none of them appear. he’s defenseless. he’s been broken down by words & is desperate to maintain something.

‘you have no bonds - you have nothing at all! empty. you are just like ME.’

mitsuo’s shadow then proceeds to grab yu’s throat & attempts to choke him.

the discussion is interestingly reminiscent of how the gang go about rejecting their shadow-selves. yu straight up denies mitsuo’s shadow, even though he & mistuo are pretty alike. they’re both lonely. both desperate to have someone understand them. both want friends & are scared to be alone. inwardly, they’re both fragile people; naive & immature in their understanding of the world. yu acts mature, & he is! he had to basically raise himself from an extremely young age bc his parents were never around. but when it comes to people, they are both a little weird in commincation & the things they do & say. yu is by far healthier than mitsuo who: stalks, preys on women & children, acts rude & illmannered, & doesn’t respect boundries. but you get my meaning. mitsuo plays videogames to escape reality where he has no one; he has no friends & he longs for attention, even to the point he was willing to commit homicide & claim he was the one who killed the other two victims. narukami studies, reads, & again, would act very mechanical. i wouldn’t be too shocked if he used reading as an escapism. a lot of people make up their own worlds, stories, & find semblance in forms of media bc their daily lives are filled with loneliness & rejection. bc of narukami’s mechanical nature, i think it can be easily established he is a perfectionist. he has to do everything right, exact, & a lot of that was likely enforced by his parents. my own parents used to do that often to me, so i can really see how this carries over into his character. persona does a really good job of making their cast feel human & relatable to the audience.

‘no it just goes to show, the only people who thought we were actually friends, was us.’ - yosuke. & while these words are said callous & casually, narukami takes them deeply to heart. it’s like he was just stabbed with the realization: were we ever really friends...?

narukami begins to slip into some of his old bad habits. for example, when he’s asked a question to hang out with someone, he decides not to & gets all quiet & even more soft-spoken than he usually is. they keep reminding & bringing up that narukami won’t be here next year, he’ll be back attending school in the city or somewhere else that’s far away from the gang in inaba. he tries for awhile to maintain connections, but slowly the group goes about their lives & he feels left behind.

‘we keep meeting up to go over those murders but there’s nothing to talk about anymore.’ - kanji. ‘i gotta say, talkin’ things out and havin’ to be all nice about it, is really exhausting.’

‘you sound like an old married couple who’s bored of each other,’ - konishi

wanting to get notes from yukiko, he just decides against it. yosuke asks if something’s wrong & yu just denies it. yosuke goes to sit with chie, yukiko, kou, & daisuke. he’s on the outside looking in. he thinks people don’t want to be around him. he thinks they’re just tolerating his presence in their lives. he thinks if he pushes, he’s unwelcome & just forcing himself into their day when they really don’t want him to be there. his anxieties & fears escalate. he tries to keep his expression neutral when nanako asks him why no one wants to come around & play anymore, & that yu should invite them all over again. he’s going out of his way to be alone like how he used to. his fears of abandonment are very raw & tangible. he had something he never let himself have before, knowing that he can’t make connections to others bc of his parents always moving them about from place to place. he isolated himself so he would never have to feel abanonded again, all the while feeling awful inside bc he was all alone. i think he’s lost count of how many school’s he’s been to by the time he’s in inaba. he doesn’t even know where he’s finishing his final year of high school yet.

just as he’s losing consciousness, yosuke’s voice is the one he hears calling out to him. yosuke’s voice is projected as a light through the darkness he’s trapped in. i think that’s very reminiscent of how their whole relationship formed. yosuke is very much a sun to yu’s moon. they’re two people who aren’t supposed to touch or connect, but they have & have had each other’s backs since the second day of school. they’re complete oppisites & their elements are each other’s weaknesses. they have smiliarties, but they’re really different people.

yosuke physically pulls yu out of the darkness he’s suffering & trapped inside of. & yu’s expression, so open & unguarded, a face we’ve pretty much never seen him make before, & makes this whole scene really fucking gay tbh lmfao. yu’s heart is open. it’s through an act of kindness & being able to remember that he DOES have people who love & care for him, that he finds strength to be able to defeat mitsuo’s shadow. & boy does yu go HAM on that thing. he’s far from empty & alone. bc of this act of compassion, yosuke is, once again, able to free his heart from darkness & fear. i wouldn’t be surprised if he felt something more for him than just platonic friendship for yosuke after this moment, & if there’s a scene that really displays it, it’s really this one.

#▼ OOC △#like if i have an opt for narukami? it's deffo him & yosuke #but overall i like the ships in the series but the ones i have in my rules lol #& i would never ever ever EVER force anyone to write this ship romantically with me #we would have to be close ooc & discuss that anyway #& this post isnt me even asking it's just a hc analysis #i finally finished the palace too worst in the whole freaking game #i really didnt mean to make this a whole souyo post but lmfao #the whole scene is just fabulous honestly #▼ HEADCANON △#long post tw

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chroniccombustion · 4 years

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Things I’ll Never Say

From “And a Week is All I Need (To Fall in Love With You)“, part of @souyoweek2020

Genre: romance, mutual pining, dorks in love, M/M Rated: K+ Characters: Souji Seta (Yu Narukami), Hanamura Yosuke, Tatsumi Kanji, brief Dojima Nanako cameo Warnings: mild language Status: drabble collection, incomplete

<- previous chapter | next chapter ->

(song the title is from)

Day 2: Yosuke’s Birthday or Sunny

“Kanji...” he whispers, voice hoarse and cracking slightly at the end. “The other day, when you came over... was there a stack of colored envelopes on my desk?”

Confused silence greets him for a moment. Then, “Uh.... I think so? Pretty sure I remember seein' it.” He paused. “Why? Did I leave it there or somethin'? I swear I thought I grabbed it with the rest of the gifts...”

Souji's heart goes plummeting through his feet. “You... grabbed that one, too...?”

“This everything, Senpai?”

Souji looks up from where he's busy tucking a birthday card into a burnt-orange envelope – one that he folded extra-special just for this purpose. Grey eyes scan over the pile of other cards and small packages resting on his desk, taking stock of everything to make sure it's all there. After a moment he nods. “It should be, yeah.”

He stands from his spot behind the low work table and takes a moment to smile quietly down at the envelope in his hands before turning a wider smile towards the person standing across the room. “Thanks again, Kanji,” he says warmly, and the way the taller boy blushes faintly isn't lost on him. It's cute, Souji thinks, and maybe in another timeline where he wasn't already hopelessly in love with someone else, he might very well have been able to return the crush he knows his friend has on him. But that's neither here nor there, and as it stands Souji knows all too well how it feels to have his affections go unreturned. Even if he's much better at hiding them than Kanji is.

The punk mumbles something Souji can't quite make out but thinks might be a, “don't gotta thank me.”

He laughs quietly, gently. “I mean it,” he says, “there's no way I'd be able to hide all this where Yosuke wouldn't find it somehow; my room, ah...” He glances around with a soft chuckle, waving a hand at the open space. “I don't really have a lot of extra storage.”

Kanji looks like he's about to reply – probably to wave off Souji's thanks again – but anything he might have said is interrupted by a sweet voice calling from downstairs. “Onii-chan!” The sound of small footsteps padding down the hallway precedes a gentle knock at the door. “Onii-chan? Are you home?”

Souji chuckles, affectionate and soft, and calls, “I'm home. Come on in.”

Nanako needs no further invitation. The door swings open and a pigtailed head peeks in, brown eyes bright. “Onii-chan, Daddy says he's coming home tonight! Will you help me make dinner? Oh!” she gasps, pure delight spreading over her face as she spots kanji near the desk. “Hello!” She looks over at a still-smiling Souji, then back to Kanji, and practically beams. “Are you staying for dinner, too?”

“Would you like to?” Souji asks, quieter than his exuberant little sister but no less genuine. It's been a while since anyone other than Yosuke has been over in the evenings, and Souji finds he wouldn't mind at all if his rough-around-the-edges underclassman stayed and let Souji feed him. After all, Kanji agreed to hiding the pile of birthday gifts so Yosuke doesn't go snooping through his partner's room for them (though Souji is still a little irritated as to just why he knows Yosuke won't be poking around at Kanji's house to look for gifts). At the very least, he'd like to do something to show Kanji his thanks, since the blond doesn't seem inclined to let him say it.

But Kanji has gone from blushing to an odd shade of purple, fingers scratching as the back of his own hair as he ducks his head to the side and down. Souji at first interprets this as 'cuteness overload', because honestly, who does Nanako not have that effect on? But no. Rather than mutter about how adorable Nanako is like he usually does, Souji hears Kanji instead mutter something unintelligible – with the only discernible words being “Dojima” and “staring at me.” And oh. Well. Souji is disappointed, yes, but he does understand; if his uncle weren't coming home then Kanji likely would have agreed, but there is still an awkwardness between the pair of them, mostly out of yet-unbroken habit. So Souji just gives his friend a knowing smile and says, “You need to get home, don't you?” When Kanji looks up at him, Souji nods in gentle understanding. “Your mom?” he adds, giving the other boy an out that won't alert Nanako.

Kanji's eyes widen for a moment as he catches on, then straightens. “Y-yeah!” he says a bit too loud and a bit too quick. “I mean! My ma's probably waitin' on me.”

Nanako visibly deflates and Kanji looks like he's ready to combust, so once again, Souji steps in. “It's alright,” he says at them both as he reaches down to ruffle Nanako's hair. “Another night this week, maybe?” He quirks a stormy-grey brow, lips twitching upwards in a tiny smirk. “I'll bring leftovers for lunch tomorrow, too; you should come sit with me.”

And oh, if Kanji's face doesn't simultaneously light up and flush a bright, dusty red at that. “Ah heck yeah!” he manages to crow past his blush, and it's absolutely great. Souji has to bite back a triumphant smile because he will feed his friend in thanks for his help whether it be tonight or tomorrow. He'll make extra food later on if he has to, just to have enough to bring to school.

In the end, without really looking, Kanji hurriedly shovels the stack of gifts and cards into the paper sack Souji had brought out for him to use, and Souji and Nanako walk him to the front door to see him out. Kanji loiters for an extra five minutes while Nanako hugs him tightly, and Souji thanks Kanji again where he knows his friend can't really dispute the sentiment with Nanako there to back her brother up. Kanji is a good friend, and Souji almost feels bad about the taller boy's crush, what with Souji's constant need to make sure everyone around him is happy, but even if Souji can't return his kohai's affections he sure as hell can let him know he's appreciated. So with Kanji still sporting a blush and Nanako finally letting him go so he can escape, Souji says a last goodbye to the soft-hearted punk, watching him head up the road for a few moments to make sure he'll be alright heading home.

It's not until several days later that he realizes something is horribly amiss.

---

Souji's crush on his best friend started early. If asked, he wouldn't be able to put his finger on an exact date or pick out an exact event that sparked it. It just... happened. Yosuke was his partner, a new friend that Souji had hoped he'd be able to keep, but it was nothing deeper than platonic affection - until it was.

Without warning it had crept up on him, until Souji found he couldn't remember a time when he wasn't in love with the friendly brunette. Yosuke was charming, funny, kind, and despite his flaws (the least of which being the boy's uncanny ability to lodge his own foot in his mouth at the worst of times), Souji had never met another person besides Nanako that he'd clicked with so well.

Which was why it had been getting harder and harder for him to keep his feelings to himself. Back when he'd been living in the city, well before his parents had sent him to Inaba and then given in to his begging to let him stay for his final year of high school, Souji had kept a journal. Every time he'd had an emotion, a thought, a welling-up of something inside him that screamed to be let out but had no safe outlet for him to do so, Souji would sit down at his desk and pour out everything he couldn't say onto the paper. He'd filled up the entire journal within the span of a year.

So he'd started another. And then another. And then he'd moved to Inaba and quickly filled up the last half of that third journal with his secret worry over the murder cases. He'd filled another, thinner journal after that one, too, until he'd run out of both paper and fear and anger and stress to fill it with. He'd thought he was done.

But then he'd fallen in love with Yosuke.

He'd tried starting yet another journal, just to dedicate to how much he was pining (yes, pining, he could admit it to himself, at least) over the best friend he'd ever had. But after he'd finally found the perfect one, cover bright with colors like summer, he'd sat down to touch his pen to the first page and... nothing. For the first time in his life, Souji hadn't been able to put his emotions into words.

For several weeks he would try and start all over again, thinking maybe if he gave himself enough time to think more about what he wanted to say then the words would come easier. He'd get maybe a sentence or two in, reread it, and then grow frustrated with himself for yet another failed attempt. His breakthrough finally came while working on some translations for one of his part time jobs – a letter, written from a high school student to a foreign girl her family had hosted as part of an exchange program. In her letter she'd anxiously confessed her feelings, hopeful they could meet again someday. By the time he went to bed Souji had every word of the letter burned permanently into his brain, and the moment he was free from school the next day he had gone straight to the shopping district and bought himself a pretty, pastel orange stack of stationary, sunflowers drawn in delicate lines across the bottom of each page.

Writing had suddenly become much easier after that. In the form of a letter, where Souji could pretend he was talking directly to the object of his affections rather than just about, he found that he could burn through nearly a dozen pages front and back in a little under a weekend. He'd had to make two more trips to the shop to get more packs of stationary because, while pretty and perfect for inspiring words of love and hopeless devotion, the flowers on the paper were hand-drawn and so there just weren't that many sheets in the package. At some point, Souji had just given in and bought three packs at once to save himself another venture into town.

The stack of letters grew; some were short, filled with simple things like, “you smiled at me today during lunch and I nearly forgot how to breathe,” and some where longer, detailing the way the setting sun had shone behind them at the riverbank and“made you look ethereal.” As he finished them, one by one, Souji would tuck them safely away in one of his homemade envelopes – all in sunset colors and tied together in a bundle with red string. The bundle stayed on his desk, off to the side where it wouldn't be in the way but still close enough that he could reach for it to add another record of his secret love.

Which is why, three days after Kanji had left with the pile of gifts, on the evening of Yosuke's birthday, when Souji goes to write out an entire day's worth of ache and longing and reaches for the bundle of letters so he can add the newly finished one to the rest only to find it missing, he abruptly has a heart attack.

He has a second one twenty minutes later as he stands in the middle of his now gutted bedroom with absolutely no sign of them anywhere. Books and folders lay scattered from where they'd been yanked from his desk and tossed out of the way onto the futon, only for the futon to also be pulled aside and dumped haphazardly across the work table. He'd gone so far as to (quietly) pull both the couch and the desk away from the walls to see if somehow his heart on paper had been lodged between them and the furniture – all to no avail.

He stares at his ransacked surroundings, wracking his brain to try and think of any other place they could be. They wouldn't be downstairs anywhere; neither Nanako nor Dojima have any reason or desire to go through his things. They wouldn't be in his school bag, either, because Souji would sooner walk straight into the Samegawa and let it drown him than take something so dangerous and valuable anywhere near where Yosuke could happen upon it. In fact, Souji had made it a point in times past to hide the letters behind his textbooks on the desk whenever Yosuke came over, and even though Yosuke had spent plenty of time digging around for Souji's “stash,” he'd steered well clear of the study materials. No, there's no place else in the house or out of it that the bundle could be.

No place else except one.

Souji's hands are shaking so badly that he's already almost dropped the phone twice before he manages to scroll through his contacts and successfully locate the name that he prays to every single god imaginable will tell him he's wrong.

“Yo, Senpai, what's up?”

“Kanji...” he whispers, voice hoarse and cracking slightly at the end. “The other day, when you came over... was there a stack of colored envelopes on my desk?”

Confused silence greets him for a moment. Then, “Uh.... I think so? Pretty sure I remember seein' it.” He pauses. “Why? Did I leave it there or somethin'? I swear I thought I grabbed it with the rest of the gifts...”

Souji's heart goes plummeting through his feet. “You... grabbed that one, too...?”

(Nonononono, this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening!)

Kanji hums on the other end of the speaker. “I mean, I thought I did. I didn't check the bag after I got it home, though... Is somethin' wrong, Senpai?”

Souji hears his own voice, hears himself saying, “N... no. No, nothing's wrong. Thanks, Kanji,” but he can't actually feel the words leaving his mouth. His arm falls limp against his side then, and his fingers act on muscle memory, flipping the phone closed and hanging up the call.

Okay. Okay okay okay, he thinks, trying to keep himself grounded long enough to sort through his own head. The situation is grim, yes, but not hopeless. Yosuke's birthday celebration had been earlier that evening; school had eaten up the first half of the day and both Teddie and Yukiko were on a limited time frame due to work at Junes and the inn, respectively, so there hadn't been much time to do anything other than grab an early dinner together at Aiya's. It had given Kanji and Rise time to run back home and retrieve the bag of gifts and the batch of artisan cupcakes the pop idle had special-ordered in from a shop in Okina and picked up the day before.

The Team had piled into a little corner in the restaurant, laughing and eating and wishing their friend a happy birthday until it was time for Yukiko and Teddie to leave, with Chie offering to escort her girlfriend home. Up until that point, though, they'd all been so busy that Yosuke had forgotten to open any of his presents. And so, not wanting to open anything without the whole group there for him to thank, he'd decided to just take the sack home with him for the time being, with everyone agreeing to meet up at Souji's place the next day after school for Birthday Dinner Round 2.

So. The bad news: Yosuke more than likely has Souji's stack of love letters that were never meant to see the light of day. Alright. Yes. That is utterly goddamn terrifying.

The good news, however, is that he hadn't opened them before, and probably won't open them until they all get together tomorrow. There is still a chance that Souji could get them back without incident – either by waiting until Yosuke is distracted and sneaking the letters back out of the sack of presents, or by telling Yosuke the partial truth, that Kanji had grabbed something by mistake and could I have those back, please, Partner? Yosuke didn't have to know what they were; Souji could simply say that they were letters from his parents from over the years of them being away while Souji stayed either alone or with other people.

Only... Shit. Yosuke already knows that Souji's parents don't actually write to him. Maybe he could say they were from years ago and he was keeping them for sentimentality's sake and putting them in pretty new envelopes. Or! He could say it's stuff he wrote to them but never sent, because that was marginally closer to the truth, wasn't it? But all of that could be a last resort if he isn't able to just steal the letters back and---!

Someone is calling him.

Souji's careening train of thought comes to a screeching halt as his phone begins to vibrate in his hand, the quiet chirping of his ringtone now like a shout into his ears.

He winches, both from the noise and from the whiplash of being sucked back out of his own head, and, on reflex, he brings the offending piece of technology up to his face to look at the screen.

And then immediately jerks back in panic and chucks his phone across the room where it lands on the futon now decorating his work table.

“Oh god no...”

Yosuke is calling him.

Yosuke is calling him and Souji has no plan of action and no way of knowing if he's already too late to stop the tidal wave of destruction that may or may not be headed his way, and ohhhhh he's hyperventilating now, isn't he? Yes. Yes, he most certainly is.

The chirping finally stops just as Souji's vision starts to haze over with white, leaving his ears ringing with its echos for a good few seconds in the sudden quiet of the room. He can hear his own breathing, the thumping of his pulse through his temples and his neck, but with the silence now hanging heavy over his shoulders he finds himself more grounded than he'd been just moments ago. He sighs, shaking out his arms to try and release some of the tension that's been curling tightly in his limbs, and as the quiet stretches on, he feels his hammering heartbeat begin to slow once more.

It takes him ten minutes to feel like a human again. Still jittery but no longer feeling as if he's going to go blind from lack of oxygen, Souji sighs and starts over towards where his phone rests halfway off his displaced futon, leaning down to check and see if it's intact. It's a mistake; no sooner than he's bent over enough to pick up the phone, there comes a muffled scraping sound, like something moving out on the roof. It's followed by a quiet 'thump' and then the sharp, 'tap-tap-tap!' of knuckles against a pane of glass.

Souji lets out a yelp of surprise – the single most undignified, ungraceful sound he's ever made in his life – and whirls around to stare at the closed curtain like he thinks it might somehow come alive. Without even having to see, Souji already knows exactly who has just climbed up the side of the house.

He bites his lip, tasting the barest hint of salt and blood. Please just go away...

Sadly, it seems that whatever deities might have once been on his side are now ignoring him, because in that beat and a half of silent fear there comes another knock at his window. “Souji!” calls a voice from outside. Right outside, as if the speaker is perched just beyond the window, with only the glass and the curtain to separate them both.

The voice – the all-too-familiar voice – comes again, a little louder and less patient this time. “Hey! Partner, I know you're in there, I can see your lights on. I just heard you!” There is a muffled grunt and a sound like something shifting and Souji still can't seem to move. Three more knocks against the glass.

“Bro, I am stupid and reckless as hell, you know I'll just keep getting louder until Dojima wakes up if I have to.”

And both from his tone and the way the knocking and the whispers seem to get steadily louder, Souji doesn't doubt him for a moment. To be frank, Souji isn't entirely sure his uncle and cousin haven't heard all the commotion already – and he knows that the longer he continues to avoid the other boy, the more suspicious he's making himself look. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

So he gives in. Best to get it over with and accept his fate. Maybe there will still be a way to salvage the situation – or at the very least keep it from escalating. He isn't confident in either choice.

It's just as Yosuke makes one last whisper-shout of, “Dude, let me in!” that Souji finally unsticks himself from the floor and yanks the curtain aside to reveal – yep, just like he'd thought – a rather irritated-looking Yosuke kneeling unsteadily on the slanted overhang covering the front door. With a solemn kind of dread, Souji unlocks the window and slides it open, reaching out to grab his friend by the arm and yank him inside before he can make any more noise.

“Finally!” Yosuke says, once he's landed, still in a harsh pseudo-whisper as he's standing up from his hunch. He glares up at Souji, mouth turned down in a pout, but oddly, there doesn't seem to be any heat behind it all. In fact, as Souji stares, tense and frozen and trying impossibly hard to not give in to his fight-or-flight instincts, he could almost say that Yosuke looks... nervous?

Well of course, he argues to himself, he's probably afraid of you now.

Maybe Souji can play dumb and claim he doesn't know what's going on – or maybe he can dive out the window himself and make a break for the train station. If he's quick enough he might be able to catch the last train of the night.

“The hell happened to your room?” Yosuke mumbles, looking around, and Souji fakes a smile as best he can, though even through his numbing anxiety he can feel how strained it is. “Yosuke,” he tries, nearly tripping over his best friend's name. The smile twitches as he tries to keep it in place. “What're you do--”

He grinds to a halt as the boy he's been in love with for the better part of a year pins him with another sharp amber glare and reaches into his hoodie pocket to pull out the very thing Souji was hoping his partner would never see. He swallows, mouth and throat and tongue all suddenly very dry.

“...I can explain...”

Yosuke fixes him with an unreadable look. He stares at Souji for a moment that stretches painfully on, eyes searching Souji's no doubt devastated face. Eventually he lets out a long exhale though his nose.

“I'm guessing I wasn't supposed to see these?” he says, holding up the stack of yellow-orange-pink envelopes, loosely tied back together with their red string – though it isn't really a question. When Souji doesn't answer, Yosuke nods to himself as if deciding something. He pulls the letters back towards his chest and holds them... almost reverently, looking down at them with a soft sort of expression that Souji has never seen him wear before.

Yosuke turns the letters over in his hands. “I didn't know what they were at first; there wasn't a name or note or anything, so I didn't know who they were from and I thought maybe they'd wound up in the bag by mistake cuz, ya know...” Amber eyes glance back up and for a moment the bridge of his nose is dusted a faint pink. He rolls his wrist, waving his hand in lieu of words. The gesture is entirely unhelpful. “They just...” he starts again, huffing. “They didn't look like the rest of the stuff in the bag? So I thought, this should be okay to open, right? Just the top one? And I was just gonna check and see what these were in case someone was missing something and I figured if they were a gift then I could save the rest for tomorrow, but, uhm...”

And here Yosuke trails off, looking back up at Souji with such a searching look, and Souji has no idea how to read him right now. He just stands there, chest aching as his heart batters the inside of his sternum and the edges of his vision tint grey from where he's neglected proper breathing. This is it, this is where he loses his partner, the best friend he's ever had. Souji could have been content loving Yosuke from afar; maybe not happy, exactly, but content. It wouldn't have destroyed their friendship that way, and Souji could have let himself pretend, every so often when he was alone in the dead of night, that Yosuke loved him back. But now all of that is gone.

And Souji feels his heart beginning to crack.

“I'm sorry...” he whispers, voice thin and brittle. He doesn't know what else to say.

There is another long moment of silence. Souji is expecting a rebuke, something biting and defensive or disgusted, perhaps, but it never comes. Instead, Yosuke's expression seems to twist into something confused and almost hurt.

Yosuke clears his throat awkwardly.“Sorry for...?” he asks, stretching it out as like he's trying to prompt Souji to elaborate. He doesn't say anything for a bit, just waiting, watching his partner's face as if trying to read him.

“I read all of them, you know,” he says at length. His grip on the letters tightens. “Twice.” He glances back down at the sunset-colored envelopes and brushes a thumb across the edge of the topmost one. “And I thought, if this was a joke then it was a shitty one.” An anxious fingernail picks at the red string. He huffs. “But if it wasn't and you meant it, then...” A swallow. “It was probably the best birthday present I've ever gotten...” He looks up then, and the glimmering, guarded hope hidden in the lines of his face is enough to shove all the remaining air from Souji's lungs.

Because there is no way he could possibly be this lucky.

Taking a deep, deep breath in, Yosuke squares his shoulders, lifts his chin, and steps forwards until he's less than half a foot away from Souji's face, close enough that Souji can feel the other boy's rapid breathing in faint bursts against his own skin – and suddenly his heart is fluttering for an entirely different reason.

Face red, Yosuke stares directly into Souji's eyes and quietly says, “Did you mean it?”

And Souji breathes a quiet, honest, “Yes.”

Yosuke's eyes widen. “...Yes?” he repeats, like he can't quite believe it.

Souji nods. “Every word.”

And then Yosuke's fingers are fisted into the collar of Souji's shirt, pulling him down to crash their mouths together in a messy, awkward kiss. The angle is a little off, their lips not quite meeting they way that they should, and Souji has no idea what he's doing with his hands as he hesitantly brings them up to rest one on Yosuke's arm and the other on his hip.

It's perfect.

They part a few seconds later, Souji's face and neck and ears burning just as hot as Yosuke's look, but neither make any move to step away.

Yosuke's mouth twitches up at one corner in a sheepish smile. “Sorry,” he mumbles, “I wanted to do that before I lost my nerve.”

Souji laughs – not a real one, just a puff of disbelieving breath – and returns the almost-smile as something warm blooms inside his chest. “I love you,” he whispers, and never in his life could he have imagined just how good it feels to finally say it aloud, free of the fear of hatred and rejection.

Yosuke ducks his head as the blush burns further up his ears. The shy, bright grin spreading across his face, however, is beautiful.

“...Love you, too, Partner.”

Beaming, Souji can't help but wrap his arms around his friend and pull him into a hug, burying his face in the soft brown hair at Yosuke's temple. He doesn't cry, but he can feel his shoulders shaking; he doesn't have the focus to tell if it's from relief or something else. “Never thought I'd hear you say that,” he admits quietly, feeling safer with his face hidden from Yosuke's view.

The other boy brings his own arms up to encircle Souji's ribs, giving his back a gentle pat with the hand not still holding the stack of letters. “Yeah, well,” he says, and there is a bewildered chuckle in his voice. “I never thought you were secretly writing me love letters, but here we are.”

Oh!

Souji pulls back from the hug as a thought hits him. He tries not to give in to the little noise of unhappiness Yosuke makes as Souji steps away, having to actively will his feet to take him over to the desk instead of back into his friend's arms. Luckily it's not far, nor does his purpose for being there last more than a moment or two as he snatches up the letter he'd written earlier, now the only one left that Yosuke hasn't yet read. He pivots on the ball of his foot, turning his final step towards the desk into a single fluid motion that carries him back to Yosuke, and holds the creamsicle-orange envelope out for the other boy to take. He smiles, giddy and shy. “Happy birthday, Yosuke.”

Yosuke smiles to match his own, honey-brown eyes warm as he gently takes the letter from Souji's hand and places it on top of the bundle still in his grip, tucking a thumb into the envelope's unsealed flap. “It is, yeah.” He leans in to close the distance between them once again and stretches up until he can touch his lips to Souji's in a chaste, sweet kiss. “Got everything I wanted.”

(Souji brings Kanji a homemade lunch every day for a month.)

#fanfic #persona 4 #souyoweek2020 #fanfiction #souyo #souji seta #yu narukami #yosuke hanamura #Kanji Tatsumi

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the-voltage-diaries · 4 years

Text

BirTAKIDAY Countdown Day 2: “You’ve always been able to make me smile.” - Taki Kozaki [Request]

Special thanks to @akaiiro-yume for being the beta/proof reader. Your reactions are the absolute best, after your typos of course. THANK YOU!

“What are you doing?” Taki asked, peeking over (Y/N)’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of what she held in her delicate hands. His arms placed themselves on the backrest of the couch and he rested his weight against them, relaxing at once when (Y/N)’s familiar scent reached him. She smelled like roasted chestnuts, mixed with a bit of some welcoming cocoa.

“Hmm?” (Y/N) turned to look at him, settling back into the soft cushions and wrapping her quilt a little tighter around herself. “Oh,” she continued, processing his question, “I was just looking through some of our photo-books.”

Taki raised a questioning brow and glanced at the matte pages smoothening under (Y/N)’s warm palm. On the table beside her lay some more thick books, the corners of pictures peeking out of them. His eyes briefly scanned the spine of what appeared to be a year book, but before he could investigate any more, his wife intertwined their fingers, stealing his attention.

“Want to join me?” Her big, beautiful eyes bore into his inquisitively, and he couldn’t deny that the idea of cuddling under the quilt on a cold day with his beloved did sound pretty darn tempting. “Looking back on the memories will be fun, I promise!”

Little did she know, she didn’t need to even try to convince the man. He was already whipped enough for her to grab on to any opportunity to have her close and never let go.

“Ow!” she cried out when Taki pinched her cheeks adoringly, a chuckle spilling past his lips. “That hurts, you know!”

His fingers let go of the soft skin of her cheek and he walked around the couch to stand in front of her. “Not my fault you’re adorable. Now scoot.”

(Y/N) turned to the side to allow Taki to drop into the space between her and the back of the couch, and once he was settled, she let him slip his arm behind her head and nuzzled into his shoulder. Taki quietly kissed the top of her head while his other arm slipped around her waist, pulling her close.

“Mm, you’re warm,” he whispered, inhaling the calm scent of cocoa coming off of her as he buried his head deeper into the crook of her neck. “Now, what were you looking at?”

“Our pictures. It’s nice taking a walk down the memory lane once in a while, you know?”

“Mm-hmm, it does,” he murmured, his voice taking on a deeper rumble. It was surprising how only being in (Y/N) close proximity relaxed him immediately, no questions asked. It was so easy for him to lose himself in her warmth, her love. He enjoyed every living second of it.

A comfortable silence descended between the two as (Y/N) flipped the pages, pointing at something or the other every now and then. Taki only hummed in acknowledgement, too focused on any and every shot of his wife to bother looking at anything else.

‘She’s beautiful. She always has been,’ he thought to himself, stealing a quick glance at his smiling partner, noticing the way her eyes lit up every time a new memory flashed at the front of her mind. ‘I’m so damn lucky to have her in my life again...’

“Oh! These are from our wedding,” she suddenly exclaimed, stopping his train of thought. He looked back at the pages to see the picture of his then-fianceé, dressed up in white from head to toe, with occasional splashes of blue and red. She had looked like the most gorgeous woman on the planet that day, the epitome of elegance and beauty as she walked down the aisle and into his waiting arms.

“You look beautiful,” he said, tracing his fingers over the picture, and (Y/N) couldn’t stop the blood that shot to her cheeks at the way he used present tense, backhandedly complimenting her beauty even to the present day. “We really did get married, didn’t we?”

“Such a flirt,” she whispered to herself, but she knew he heard it - if the way he scoffed in amusement was any indication. “And what do you mean, ‘didn’t we’? If you have any regrets, I’ll have you know it’s too late. You’re stuck with me till you go bald and have a wrinkly little face with drooping eyes.” She paused, and before he could utter a word, she added, “Actually, you know what? You’re stuck with me not only till then but even after then. Deal with it.”

She watched on with adoring eyes as he erupted into a fit of laughter, kissing the top of her head again as his shoulders shook. “Ah, gosh,” he breathed as he finally calmed down, “You’re hilarious.”

He gave her eyes a meaningful look before he lifted up her left hand, placing his gentle lips on the ring shining on its designated finger.

“I could never regret that day, even if I tried. It’s just that... I still can’t believe you actually married me. It still seems as magical as it did then, believe me.” He dipped his head, giving her a light peck before pulling back to gaze into her orbs. His eyes flickered down to look at her lips for a second before her hand came to rest at the back of his neck, pulling him in for another kiss.

It wasn’t deep still, but the way their mouths moved in harmony seemed too addictive to let go of, making this one last a bit longer.

“And for the record,” Taki whispered as he pulled back to smile at her, connecting their foreheads, “I’d be glad to have you sticking by side till we grow old. I’d welcome it, even.”

“What an absolute flirt,” she said, louder this time, and bopped his nose before turning back to the picture book. “Let’s get back to this, yeah?”

“We can look at it later...”

Taki was about to grab her by her jaw and pull her to him, when (Y/N) said, “No can do. I’m not about to miss this precious smile, got it?”

It was then that Taki’s eyes turned to the page, giving it a once over, and he saw a four years younger version of himself, dressed up in a smart three-piece suit. It was a shot of him looking at the aisle as (Y/N) walked towards him, and on his face was a look of pure love and adoration.

In the picture, his eyes lit up like the brightest of stars and his lips tugged up into the most mesmerizing of smiles at the sight of the woman who would soon be his wife.

“There’s nothing special about it. It’s just a smile,” he muttered, rolling his eyes playfully.

“Oh boy, you have NO idea how precious you look when you smile, do you?”

“I do not look precious.”

“Damn straight you do.”

“Do not.”

“Yes you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

“If you disagree one more time, I’ll make Yosuke Chinese food. Exclusively for him.”

That successfully shut Taki up, and (Y/N) grinned at her victory before jumping up to press a kiss to his cheeks when she saw him pout. This man was downright adorable to the extent of being illegal. Goddamnit, him and his dorky self.

“Oh wait,” (Y/N) paused, suddenly getting up to grab another book from the table. “Let me show you something.”

She nuzzled back into his side with a yearbook in her hands, and quickly opened up a page with another shot of Taki - albeit a teenage one - sweating with soccer ball in his hands, a proud, victorious smile gracing his features.

“Look at that. Such a precious smile,” she muttered, and Taki didn’t miss the way she seemed absolutely smitten. They were both whipped for each other, alright. “And look at this, and this, and this!”

(Y/N) kept pulling out more and more pictures of Taki from the books, some of them being from his teenage years, some from his older years, and some from their married life. All of them were from different time periods, but they had one thing in common; Taki was smiling in every single one of them.

“Who knew you could smile so much?” (Y/N) looked at him, a mischievous chuckle escaping her. “If someone had told me this was you when I first met you after 10 years, I would have smacked them in the head.”

“... Is it really that rare...” Taki scratched at the back of his neck, a sheepish blush making it’s way to his face. When (Y/N) sent an affirmative nod his way, it was all he could do to not feel any more embarrassed. “Well, you shouldn’t really be that surprised, I suppose.”

“Hm? Why so?”

“I mean...” Taki bit his lip, willing himself to go on and complete his statement instead of letting his awkwardness get to him, “It’s because of you, after all.”

(Y/N) looked at him, her inquisitive eyes asking him to elaborate on it, and he did just that.

“It’s not my fault, you know, that...” he whispered, looking away in defeat as the red in his cheeks deepened, and (Y/N) had to forcefully stop herself from cooing at her precious little ball of fluff, “You’ve always been able to make me smile.”

“Oh my god, I love you,” (Y/N) muttered to herself, at a complete loss for words. Her awe at how cute her husband could possibly get gave way to a wide smile and she burst into a fit of giggles, wrapping her arms around Taki and pulling him close, the album forgotten.

“Enough, shut it already,” Taki murmured, hiding his face in the crook of her neck as he pulled her closer. He didn’t have a lot of time, though, because (Y/N) pulled his face back to look at him before stooping in for a quick kiss.

“I mean it. I love you, Taki.” She looked into his eyes, and all he saw the traces of humor vanishing from her own, a genuine care replacing them. “I love you,” she repeated.

One of his hands shut the book close and he bent forward to place it back on the table, before settling back into the warmth of the couch. His palm cupped her jaw, fingers gingerly grazing her cheek. He looked at her with so much love in that moment as he dived in, stopping just short of her lips. “I love you too, (Y/N),” he breathed, capturing her mouth with his own in the sweetest, slowest, gentlest of kisses.

And she heard it loud and clear. Both, the message he sent her directly, and message swimming behind those words, just hiding under the surface.

Thank you for being the reason I smile.

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ya-like-space · 4 years

Text

Snowstorms and Cocoa

Snow is cold. Snow is really freaking cold, which is something that Souji finds out after moving to Inaba. In the city, he never really had to deal with it. But now that he's in the country, it’s now so much bigger of a problem. He’s had to shovel snow three separate times this week alone. That’s too many times! Also, did he mention how cold it is? Because it's so cold .

The bright side was that he got to see Yosuke in winter clothes. Which is how he ended up here, walking aimlessly around town with Yosuke in a goddamn snowstorm. Normally, he’d be holed up in his bedroom, or underneath the new kotatsu he and Nanako had picked out. Nevertheless, when Yosuke had shown up at his door, asking if he wanted to go on a walk, he didn’t have in his heart to turn him down.

They only been out for 15 minutes, and Souji was freezing, and he was sure everyone within a 15 mile radius would be able to hear his teeth chattering. He was just so cold. But when he looked at Yosuke, it didn’t even seem like he was bothered at all.

“Yosuke? Aren’t you cold?”

Yosuke turned to look back at him. Shaking his head, he continued on.

“Of course not partner! Are you?”

“Yes! I’m freezing!”

Suddenly, Yosuke stops in his tracks. He moves back to stand near Souji, and grabs his hand, intertwining their fingers. Souji and him’s relationship was still pretty new, and Yosuke doesn’t really know how to do the whole “PDA” thing. So whenever he tries to do things like these, he always ends up chickening out. But not this time. Blush spreading across his face, Yosuke looks away from him. Even so, he can sense the smile on Souji’s face.

“Better?”

Souji grips his hand tighter, shifting even closer to him.

“Mm. Definitely.”

The snow continues to fall around them, covering the streets and sidewalks in a soft white blanket. They were the only ones outside, the world calm and motionless around them. It felt like walking around in a dream. There was something about it that made them feel serene. Souji no longer felt cold. The warmth surrounding his hand was making him feel content. Being close to Yosuke like this, in such a peaceful state, was wonderful.

They slowly start making their way back to the Dojima household, as the snow starts falling harder and harder, till they’re walking in a full on snowstorm. By the time they reach the house, it’s reached blinding levels of snowfall.

It wouldn’t be safe for Yosuke to walk home in this, so Souji insists on him staying over. He calls his parents to let them know what happened, and console a crying Teddie, who’s upset that he doesn’t get to see Sensei. It takes 5 minutes to convince Ted that he can’t come over right now, only managing to persuade him after promising to buy him a box of topsicles.

When Yosuke finally hangs up, Souji’s moving around in the kitchen, and that’s when he gets an idea.

He waits until Souji turns around before quietly making his way inside, his face softening as he watches Souji moving around the kitchen with a happy little smile as he hummed quietly to himself, stirring a small pot on the stove.

Seeing Souji like that wasn’t going to stop Yosuke from being a massive shit and messing with him.

Taking advantage of the fact that Souji’s guard was down, Yosuke snuck up behind him, making sure that he wasn’t holding anything dangerous that would accidentally hurt either of them before leaning forward and putting his hands on Souji’s shoulders.

Souji let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a squeal, and Yosuke was almost entirely convinced that Souji was in some part a cat, from how he practically hit the ceiling when he jumped.

Yosuke was laughing so hard he could barely breathe, and it was so unbelievably worth it.

“Yosuke!”

Souji turns around and Yosuke traps him in his arms, preventing him from moving.

“Hey partner.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to trap Souji’s arms, and ended up getting bopped on the head.

“What did you scare me for?”

“You were an easy target! It was the only logical thing to do.”

Souji smirked.

“Of course of course. And I assume you don’t want any of the hot chocolate I’m making?”

Yosuke would never turn down anything made by Souji, least of all his fantastic hot chocolate. One of the best things Yosuke’s ever had. He lets Souji go back to what he was doing, leaving the room to go and sit under the kotatsu.

He watches Souji in the kitchen, standing over the stove, making the hot chocolate from scratch because he doesn’t use hot chocolate mix. Of course he doesn’t. That would be blasphemy. Subconsciously, Yosuke walks back into the kitchen and wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, resting his head on Souji’s shoulder. He cranes his neck to sniff at the pot on the stove.

“Mmmm. Smells delicious.”

Souji turns to nuzzle his cheek, setting down the wooden spoon he was holding. “Good. Could you get some mugs?”

They walk into the living room hand in hand, carrying their cocoa, and cuddle up on the couch under a blanket. Yosuke takes a long sip of his drink, leaning back into Souji’s chest. It really is delicious. He never understood how Souji can be so good at cooking, even with simple things like this. Honestly, it only makes Yosuke love him more.

After they’d finished their drinks, Souji had flicked on the TV, putting on old Featherman R reruns. Yosuke flipped over to lie on Souji’s chest.

"I like this."

Souji chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that Yosuke felt resonate against his chest.

"I'm glad you do, Partner ," he said, moving his hands up to tangle themselves in Yosuke’s hair

Yosuke felt himself heat up at the rare use of his own nickname back at him.

"You ass," his words muffled against Souji’s shirt. "Quit making me feel all embarrassed."

"Payback for scaring me in the kitchen"

Yosuke groaned, burying his face further into Souji’s chest. "I hate you."

"Nahhhh, you love me."

Now even more embarrassed, Yosuke pulls himself closer to Souji, intertwining their bodies completely, nudging his head into Souji’s neck.

“Mm. Yeah. Yeah I do.”

“I love you too, partner,” Souji replied softly, drifting closer and closer to sleep.

Moments later, Yosuke felt Souji move against him, and he shifted to look up at him. He had fallen asleep entirely now, and was breathing softly, with a gentle smile on his face. He looked so peaceful, lying there, and Yosuke couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he curled himself around Souji. Yosuke fell asleep soon after, to the beat of Souji's heart, his breathing, and the sounds of gentle snowfall outside the window.

@souyoweek2020 Day 5 | snowstorm

Day 5!! For this one i had like, 2 other ideas for this, but i ended up picking this one. This one combined the other two ideas i had, one was gonna just be the snowstorm, the other was the hot chocolate. I did kinda give Souji my views on snow. it really cold. I also looked up a goddamn snow calendar for this thing. which is something that exists. in 2011 in japan it snowed for like 2-3 months straight apparently. which is neat. i imagine this takes place like late december early january.

#souyoweek2020 #souyo #souji x yosuke #yu x yosuke #souji seta #yu narukami #persona 4 protagonist #yosuke hanamura #persona 4 #p4 #i really dont like snow #tho it is pretty

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otomefoxystar · 4 years

Text

Morning Delight

Fandom: Kings of Paradise

Pairing: Yosuke X M

Warning: NSFW

Genre: Smut

Word Count: 1,475

Written by: @otomefoxystar

Yosuke had _ _ _ wrapped tightly in his arms. the morning light was streaming through the curtains beating onto her shoulders. “mmm,” she was starting to stir. Yosuke squeezed her tighter, and she blinked open her eyes. Seeing Yosuke first thing in the morning never got old. She kissed his forehead and ran her hand through his hair. He always looked so sexy when he first woke up. She ran a finger along the contours of his face, watching him sleep but secretly hoping it would wake him up. She ran her fingers over his lips, and he knitted his eyebrows together. She started poking his nose, and he batted her hand away. She giggled and started drawing circles on his bare shoulder, making goosebumps rise up. Then she started kissing his shoulder. “What are you doing?” he was still groggy. “ Waking you up” she grinned “ open your eyes Yosuke.” He slowly opened his amber eyes. looking her over. He put his hand on the back of her neck. “ Morning beautiful”

She smiled, and he gave her a chaste kiss. He stroked her hair and looked at her tenderly. He put her hair behind her ear. She leaned forward and kissed him, but immediately pulled away and looked into his eyes and kissed him again. He smiled into the kiss, and put her hands under the covers and ran her hands along the hard planes of his chest. “ Are you trying to turn me on?” he said as he pulled away from the kiss. “ I just want to touch you, and kiss you. Sometimes it feels like a dream that I’m here with you, but then I wake up and you’re lying right next to me.” Yosuke caressed her face “ I’ll always be right here next to you.” He put his hand on the back of her neck and leaned in close pressing their foreheads together and rubbing his nose against hers. He caught her lips in a gentle kiss and forced his tongue into her mouth. He started exploring her mouth, fighting her tongue for dominance. She pushed her pelvis against his, and he pulled her tighter against him. He ran his hands along her hips to her rear end and squeezed. She moaned into the kiss, and she tugged at his hair. Yosuke moved his hands from her butt up and under her shirt and ran his hand over her bare back. He ghosted his fingers from her back to over her hips to her abdomen. “ I love how soft your skin is, especially here,” he moved his hand to her breast and began massaging. “mmm...” She closed her eyes and moaned as his thumb grazed over her nipple. “ You’re more sensitive than usual.” He smirked and cupped her other breast. He pinched both of her nipples drawing another moan out of her. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him taking her shirt off and throwing it to the side of the room. Yosuke looked up at her, and rolled her nipples between his fingers and sat up with her still sitting on his pelvis. He brushed her hair out of her face and cupped either side on her face and kissed her...deeply. He kissed down her jaw and nibbled at her earlobe. She was burning with desire she didn’t know how long she could hold on and let him ravage her. He kissed down her neck and gently bit her shoulder leaving a blooming love bite. She kissed him behind the ear and earned a nice moan from him. He leaned down and took a nipple in his mouth suckling while pulling the flexible flesh. “ Ahn... Yosuke” He smiled after hearing her moan. She leaned her head back and ran her hands through his hair. Yosuke released her nipple and kept ran his hands down her sides to across her abdomen. He ghosted his fingers down and lightly lifted the waistband of her panties and slowly, very slowly moved his hand lower till his fingers hit her folds. His forefinger circled her clit over and over. “ Oh, God!” She leaned back and put her hands behind her on his knees to balance herself. He smirked as he kept circling her clit. He drew his fingers away and out of her panties, and she whined at the loss of contact. “Don’t worry, you’ll get what you want.” He switched their positions so that she was lying on the mattress. He slid her panties off slowly, and ran two fingers down her folds, and put two fingers into her entrance. He began pumping in and out of her entrance. Her legs started quivering, and she grabbed her breasts and moaned loudly. “ Don’t touch yourself without my permission. I can tell you’re about to come, but maybe I should make your orgasm better.” All she could do was look at him with anticipation of what he was going to go to her. She sat up before he had a chance to touch her and ran her nails down his toned chest. He closed his eyes feeling something between pain and pleasure. He kissed her swollen lips and pushed her down gently, laying her head on the pillow. He spread her legs and situated himself there. He kissed the inner side of each of her knees then slowly kissed down her inner thigh. Repeating the same action to the other side he placed his hands on either side of her hips and put his face into her heat. He ran his tongue down her clit to her entrance, teasing her slit. “ Yo-Yosuke” “ Yeah? That good huh? What if I do this?” He ran his tongue back up to her aching clit and entered a finger into her slick heat, pumping in and out. “ Mmmmm” Yosuke brought his other hand up to roll her nipples in between his fingers. He wanted to give her as much stimulation as possible. He wanted to see her lose herself in the pleasure he was giving her. He licked at her clit in circles and up and down to figure out what felt best to her. He alternated between breasts as he massaged and pinched and rolled. She threaded her hands through his hair and grabbed onto his scalp. “ Ohhh...Yosuke I can’t ... I can’t take it” He brought her clit in his mouth and sucked on it. She tried to buck her hips and he had them held down firmly. He didn’t talk, he wanted her to finish, and he wanted her to finish hard! He inserted another finger curling them into the rough patch that made her scream his name. Her eyes rolled back, and her legs were shaking uncontrollably. “ I want your hardness inside of me NOW!” Yosuke looked up at her flushed face. “ But you’re so close” she shook her head “ I’m about to finish all by myself, that leaves no room for you to have fun.” He chuckled “ You’re a woman babe, you can have multiple organisms.” “ What if I’m too tired?” “ I’ll have my way with you anyway” he smirked and went back to his ministrations. He pumped his fingers inside of her faster and licked and sucked at her making her moan until she stilled and all the energy drained from her. Before she even had time to come down from her high he had pulled off his flannel pajama pants and black boxer briefs and was inside of her in one stroke. “ I’ll never get over how good you feel.” She hadn’t even come down from her high yet, and he was pounding inside of her. What he didn’t know is he felt equally as good to her as she did to him. Once she finally started coming down the momentum started building up again and she moved her hips in sync with his thrusts. She raked her nails up his back leaving red marks in their wake. He took her legs and wrapped them around his hips giving him a better angle. As he pounded into her the sound of skin slapping against skin could be heard along with his sighs and her moans. He felt incredibly sensitive and started speeding up his pace chasing his orgasm. He changed his angle so his pelvis was rubbing against her clit. Her moans started getting louder and he started grunting. “ let’s come together,” Yosuke said as he went in for a sloppy kiss. Soon they were both panting and her convulsed as he shot his essence inside of her satisfied core. He pulled out of her and kissed her on the forehead. “ We need to do that first thing in the morning more often, I feel recharged.” She hit Yosuke on the shoulder. “ You would!” they both laughed. “ I love you though Yosuke, I’ll recharge you anytime.” She said raising an eyebrow

#voltage games #voltage smut #voltage inc #love 365 #kings of paradise #kop #kings of paradise smut #kop smut #yosuke sagara #kop yosuke #yosuke smut #yosuke sagara smut

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lesbian-empress-nero · 3 months

Note

“Hanamura.”

Dojima’s voice cut through the heavy silence, the loudness of Yosuke’s thoughts.

He looked up from the table, from his food. “Yes?”

Dojima picked up the breakfast dishes, meagre though it had been. Breakfast was breakfast, and it was surprisingly easy to find resources for it. The Shadows didn’t need them, so they were left well alone. Half the people in town had left during the initial wave, which meant more resources as well.

All in all, not the worst apocalypse Yosuke could have found himself in.

“Mind trading with Nanako as a healer for a bit? She’s starting to come down with something, and I don’t want it to get worse from overworking.”

Dojima stood at the sink, the tap water running. Yu got up and gently nudged him aside, taking his place. Dojima frowned, but allowed it.

“Yeah, I can do that. Nanako, make sure to tell us if you ever feel bad, okay? We don’t want you hurting yourself,” Yosuke replied. Nanako looked up from her notebook and nodded, before continuing to scrawl in her little six-year-old handwriting.

Dojima approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Warm, comforting. Well-meaning, not to strangle him in his sleep like the icy one of Yu-

“Are you okay, Hanamura? You seem out of it,” Dojima asked, brows furrowed in worry. Yosuke looked away, fidgeting with his long-broken headphones.

“Had a nightmare. Kinda- No, really messed me up,” Yosuke muttered, trying to keep his gaze anywhere besides Dojima.

Dojima sat down next to him, attentive and listening. Chie, who had been sitting in the living room, somehow managed to subtly usher Nanako away, into a different room that they had built onto the house.

“What was it about?” Dojima asked. Yu, who was still washing dishes, stilled, listening.

“...Everyone had died. I couldn’t- I couldn’t save any of you. I tried to save you and Nanako, but-”

He drew a deep breath, trembling. “When I came back to the southern shopping district- The rest of the team had died together. Naoto and Rise, Kanji and Teddie, Chie and Yukiko. But- Yu hadn’t. He was alone. God, I- It was a nightmare but it felt so real. I feel like I should have done more, even though there was nothing I could do.”

Dojima silently wrapped his arms around Yosuke’s shoulders, warm and safe. Comforting. Warm. Safe. No threat of danger.

“It’ll be okay. I know how much that kind of nightmare messes with you. We’ll keep each other safe, alright? That won’t happen. We’ll make sure of it.”

Yosuke nodded, burying his face into the soft fabric of Dojima’s shirt. Everything would be okay. They would be okay.

SCREAMING GOING INSANE ALSKNDFBDNDDJDBBDDJJ YOSUKE AND DOJIMA DYNAMIC AAAHHHHH its perfect mav i dont know what else to say.

#nero answers #shackle-foes #persona 4 apocalypse au

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forkanna · 3 years

Link

WARNING: I did tell you that Rise and Ai will have some views on gender and sexuality that I don't agree with. Well here they come in the next few chapters. Please take everything my characters say with a grain of salt; these are simply very realistic reactions and opinions, even if less than ideal.

[AO3] [WATTPAD]

-----------------------------------------------------

Why could she suddenly hear "Purity" playing in the background again?

"You… huh?" Rise finally managed. She had no idea how long it had taken her to say that much, even though it was practically nothing and she had already said that.

"Maybe… ugh. Now I'm embarrassed."

"What- now you're embarrassed?"

"Yes! Because clearly, it did something for me and it didn't do anything for you, so I'm all alone in caring about this, and I feel so stupid!"

Frantically waving her hands, Rise scooted a little closer as she hissed, "Wait, wait, slow down for a sec! I never said it didn't mean anything to me!"

"You did!" she sniffled, trying to recover from her emotional outburst.

"No, I said it wasn't the end of the world, and it's not that big a deal! But I… I'm not going to pretend I didn't feel anything at all. I did. You just seemed really upset about it, so I was… trying to let you know everything's okay."

Ai was glancing over at her occasionally now, clearly unsure of what she should do. Her mouth opened and closed a few times indecisively. "Ugh. I'm ridiculous. This is ridiculous, I don't know why we can't just be normal friends. What is wrong with me?"

"Um… can I ask you a question?"

"Might as well."

"Is this… Class S yuri, or… did you really…?"

They both looked at each other in shock for a moment. Rise was positive that they both were feeling the same thing, as well: the same sensation one gets standing at the edge of a deep precipice, fighting down vertigo and the unhealthy urge to throw oneself down. She couldn't help tracing the contours of Ai's stunningly beautiful face with her eyes, her proud chin and soft lips…

"O-of course it's just a Class S phase. I've never had a close friend, and everything got mixed up. It's probably similar for you, so we just… we have to work on not getting carried away. Right?"

"R-right! Yes, I…" Rise tried to get ahold of herself. This was too silly; they barely knew each other, all things considered. Brand new friends, fresh out of the shrinkwrap. So what was the use in going so crazy about them misreading signals and sending the wrong ones? They could sort this out.

"Great! Glad we settled that." Ai cleared her throat. "And I'm sorry for trying to blame you for everything."

"Oh, it's okay, we were both a little… y-yeah." Rise chanced a nervous giggle. "Sorry I smacked you."

"Hey, it's not like I didn't deserve it. You were right. Do… you want to…?"

When she didn't finish the thought, Rise prompted, "What?"

"Aiya? We, um, could stop by Aiya for a couple of beef bowls. O-or something." She grimaced. "I already feel like we wasted enough time fighting because I'm an oversensitive asshole."

Rise smiled and moved close enough to put her arm around her. "You're fine. And look; we're fine, too. Nobody's dying!"

"Yeah," Ai laughed very quietly. Rise could swear her cheeks were rosier, but that could easily have been from all the crying.

"I would love to go with you to Aiya. Like, we're friends! We should totally start hanging out like normal friends and stuff. Like, you could even come with me if I'm meeting up with Yuki-chan or Naoto-kun sometime."

For whatever reason, that made Ai stop smiling. But she cleared her throat and shook her head hard. "No. It's fine."

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to… offend, I ju-"

"Wait, wait. I meant… it's fine for you to ask me. I should hang out with other friends besides just you. This is normal. I was… kind of…"

Why did she look so embarrassed? "Go ahead."

"I was talking to myself. Stupid. Trying to reassure myself that normal people hang out in large groups, and it's not you trying to ditch me. I'm sorry."

"Awwww, no need to be sorry." She cuddled her closer, and felt Ai stiffen briefly before letting out a sigh. She could hear it, her ear was so close… "We'll figure this crap out, buddy!"

"Buddy," she snorted. "Don't go too crazy, Risette."

"And you're not a fan." They both laughed and they embraced — really, truly embraced this time, no holding back, no letting the awkwardness hold them back. And it was good. Rise still felt her heart beating a little faster, but that was definitely the kind of thing that could be ignored. And she would — until such time as it went away. Even if it didn't, she could take it; she was tougher than she looked.

"Okay, let's go before I get grosser," Ai half-laughed, half-hiccuped as she drew back. Rise could see she had been crying again — and was already trying to wipe the tears away before she realised what she was doing. "Wh-what?"

"Just… trying to help." She pulled back and got a handkerchief out of her bag instead, handing it to her. "Sorry. Here, this is probably better."

Nodding, she started dabbing at her eyes with one hand while the other fished out her compact. The sound of lamentation as she saw her mascara was loud, but she still just nodded and put the compact away. "Well, I did promise myself I'm going to be less vain. Let's go to Aiya."

"You got it! And it's on me!"

"Wha- no way, I will fight you for that check!"

"BRING IT!"

~ o ~

Everything was fine. Rise had been a little worried about how the evening would turn out, given how anxious they both were after their odd brush with lesbianism. No such issues. They were still just getting to know each other, and what better way to do that than over a steaming bowl of rice and beef?

Ai was a pretty interesting girl. She really didn't seem the type to like daifuku — Rise liked them, too, the sticky red bean paste and rice dough was so much fun to chew. But they were so very traditional, and Ai was a thoroughly modern girl who revelled in trends. Between that, her love of Korean dramas and old city pop, retro games, and hatred of aromatherapy, it was interesting how much they had in common even though a few things they definitely didn't. She loved uncovering this more well-rounded picture of the girl she wanted in her life more and more.

The week wore on, and Rise tried to track Ai down whenever she could to help cement their growing bond. They even hung out with the others a few times, and though Kanji and Yosuke kept getting nervous when she would snap at them for making some off-colour comment, generally everything went well. And by much the same token, Rise hung out with Ai's friends — or what passed for them. Kou and Daisuke had seemingly decided to give her another chance as manager. Yu had told her before that she basically just sat in the corner doing her nails, but she was doing much better at actually engaging with the team, by all accounts.

Thursday was different. Ai was gone again, and didn't respond to texts. Eventually, she did get a message back in the evening…

EBI: Sorry I just needed a day

RISE: What's wrong? RISE: Anything I can do? ;-;

EBI: No I'm…

RISE: Ai-chan?

EBI: Listen it's really dumb but my mom called. EBI: And I just needed a little time to get out of my head

RISE: Oh you ditched again? RISE: You're going to get in trouble you know…

EBI: Listen I know you're going to lecture me but just save it EBI: Oh too late you sent yours before I could send mine

RISE: I'm sorry, I just don't want you to fail and get held back

EBI: Yeah I know. EBI: Thanks. :heart:

RISE: You could have told me and I'd ditch with you

EBI: What? No. I wouldn't want you to miss class because of me

RISE: Are you ditching tomorrow?

EBI: …probably

RISE: Where are we going?

EBI: Come on I told you that's not necessary. This is my damage and my weird thing and I have to face it EBI: And sometimes I need to be alone.

RISE: OKAYYYY okay

EBI: Fine. I'm probably going into Shinjuku this time

RISE: I'm really sorry for pushing RISE: Wait what? RISE: ALL THE WAY TO SHINJUKU?!

EBI: Hey I said I needed space and Okina isn't cutting it EBI: And I promise I'll be fine

RISE: ...when and where? Straight to Yasoinaba Station?

EBI: Rise… EBI: Alright I guess I can't stop you

RISE: Really?

EBI: Pain in the ass EBI: Yeah fine… 8AM don't be late or I'll leave without you.

RISE: YAAAAAAAAAAY~ RISE: We're gonna have the best time just you wait!

EBI: Uh huh EBI: Lol you're amazing.

RISE: Huh? Why?

EBI: Nevermind EBI: See you tomorrow.

RISE: Can't wait Ebi-chaaaaaaaaaaan~

EBI: UGH

And that was that. The pop star curled up in her bed with her big plush Jack Frost, grinning into the stuffing as she contemplated what the next day could bring.

~ o ~

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"SHH!" Rise hissed at her as she strolled up to Ai on the train platform. "I'm incognito!"

"Uh huh. Can you take those big sunglasses off? It makes you look like a cartoon character."

Rise pouted as she pulled her shades off. At least most of her hair was still stuffed up into an oversized cap; no trademark pigtails to tip off Shinjuku residents that a famous idol had gone truant for the day. "Don't make fun of me. I'm not used to skipping."

"Weak. But I guess it still looks okay, it's just very… Parisian?"

"Whatever. You look cute, though."

"Oh, this?" Ai said airily, swishing out her long bohemian skirt around her heeled boots. Also seemingly suited to colder weather, but her top was a light blue babydoll tee; somehow she pulled it off, even though it was so much less ornate. Her bag was also a little simpler than usual. "I just rolled out of bed and was this fabulous."

"Right," she giggled, bumping her with her hip. The formerly-grumpy girl finally cracked a smile. "This is cute, but you usually have super pricey Prada or Anello or whatever."

"Hm? Yeah, I like this kind of bag. It is Anello — well, Legato Largo. It's more functional."

"Totally." The train pulled in just then, and Rise stepped forward to board once the doors opened, following Ai's lead. "Where are we off to?"

"Shinjuku."

"Well, I know that," she laughed. "But I mean, did you have anything in particular in mind? I mean, it's kind of… a rough neighbourhood, a little."

"Not if you stay out of Kabukicho. And we will," she reassured Rise with a raised hand. "Believe me, I'm even less interested in being jumped than you are."

"Why do you think I'm 'interested' in being jumped?!"

Ai snorted as she held onto a strap and the train took off. "I didn't say you were! Just… because I'm- nevermind, I just meant I don't have a death wish."

It didn't take them long to get to the bustling streets of Tokyo, and switch train lines to run up to Shinjuku. The same way Rise had been relieved to get to Okina, she was even more full of life now that they were really in a thriving metropolis again. So many sights and sounds! Grinning, she turned and grabbed Ai's hands, dragging her forward.

"H-hey, slow down!"

"You're the one that wanted to come here!" she giggled. "So why so slow?"

"Okay, okay, GOD." Taking a deep breath, she brushed down the front of her clothes needlessly, even though they had barely been rumpled, if at all. "Wherever you want. But I do want to stop in somewhere eventually."

"Where?" No response. So instead of dwelling, Rise just sang out, "Okaaay, then let's goooo!"

~ o ~

The day was everything she had secretly been hoping for. They dipped in and out of lots of shops, buying one or two things but mostly browsing. Took advantage of the big city to grab foods that weren't readily available in a small town like Inaba. Stopped to speak to some of the more colourful inhabitants. Rise knew vaguely that a lot of gay men hung out there, but she didn't expect to see so many in flamboyant colours, openly acting so, so… feminine. It was both bizarre and exciting. Were there really this many people in the world who bucked societal norms so openly?

All along the way, Ai was becoming more and more comfortable with her. She still sniped and snarked but there was a playfulness to it that surpassed her previous efforts. They further eroded their anxieties about the accidental lip-lock and started to hold hands and pull each other over to see something instead of being horribly shy all the while. Progress was progress.

Finally, a little after they had enjoyed steaming bowls of udon for lunch, Ai dragged her down an alley unexpectedly. Rise asked if this was where she was finally going to get them "jumped", but Ai only laughed that off.

"No, but seriously, where are we going?"

"You'll see… okay… here."

"'Crossroads'? Okay, cool. Is it a karaoke bar?"

"Not… quite. But I promise we won't be long."

The interior was dimly lit, and everything seemed tinted red. There was a sort of warm atmosphere, combined with a raciness because of the low mood lighting. Rise was fascinated; she had been to a few more upscale places because of her work, and some of the venues she had performed at had bars inside, but this was the first standalone public house she had entered. Mostly because she was a couple of years too young to really be doing that…

"Hey, sugar. You lose your way?"

While Rise was still goggling at how deep the voice was that had come out of the kimono-clad woman behind the bar, Ai was smiling and turning fully in her direction, hands clasped so politely in front of her. "Not yet. But you did help me find it once."

The woman squinted for a moment, then gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. "Little Ebi-chan? Is that you?!"

Rise half-expected them to run together like in a movie and embrace, but they didn't; Ai just smiled wider and plopped herself down on one of the bar stools. "It's me, Ai. In the flesh."

"Whooo! I see that, wow. Well heck, you got no business in here; you're no performer."

"No, definitely not," she admitted with a laugh. "And you helped me see that, Escargot-san."

"PFFFFF," she scoffed very loudly, waving one of those meaty hands. Rise couldn't help thinking that this bar definitely didn't need a bouncer because the hostess herself was so strong-looking! "You'll call me Lala or you'll get outta here. Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna serve you two a drop, since your little friend there doesn't look any older than you. Want a lime-and-tonic?"

"Sure. One for both of us."

"Oh! I…" Rise cleared her throat. "Can I have a cherry, if you don't mind?"

"Sweetie, for you? Two cherries." Rise giggled a little, pleased at the concession. While she made the drinks, she asked, "What brings you back to the neighbourhood? Haven't seen you for a couple of years."

"Oh, I heard from Mother again." Even while Lala was sighing, she passed over Ai's drink, and she stared down into its sparkling depths. "Had to get out of my head. I tried bumming around Okina yesterday, but it's just too…"

"It's the sticks, honey. Of course that's not gonna be enough of a distraction. You need flashing lights, dancing, drinking- well… not drinking," she said firmly, pointing at her. "And I'd better not hear you started trying to sneak booze at any of the other places around here, neither. Everybody knows everybody in this neighb-"

"Okay, okay, wow," Ai cackled before taking a sip. "Mm. I promise not to try to scam drinks from other bartenders."

Lana nodded firmly, satisfied for the time being. Then she turned to Rise. "What's your story, sugar? In the same club as your gal pal?"

"Huh? Oh, I… no, I haven't joined her club; they already have a manager."

For some reason, Ai looked worried about this. Why? They both knew for certain that she had no interest in the basketball club — even just being their manager like Ai was. But her answer seemed to satisfy. "Really? Well hell, that's quite a performance you're putting on, queen! All that contouring, and those are fabulous!"

She had gestured to her chest. While Rise was blushing and looking down, Ai cleared her throat and hastily said, "N-no, Lala, she… don't you know her? This is Risette! You've probably, um, probably seen her v-videos, or heard her songs?"

"Oh, it's Risette, is it?" Lala chuckled, waggling her fingers like she were casting a magic spell or sprinkling glitter. "I used to have a thing for Cher — don't even say it, I know, I know. Walking cliché. But I'm sure you can guess how well that went over; I gave that up eventually, settled on this." She fluffed her violet-hued hair… which shifted. A wig?

"No, I mean she's really Risette. Rise Kujikawa? Like, we're going to school together." Nothing. "The Quelorie Magic ads?"

Now Lala was blinking and looking at her again. "Hmm, really? The hair's not right." Hoping to help clear this up and move things along, Rise took her cap off, letting her pigtails fall. They were messier, but she was still more comfortable with them that way than with her hair down. "Ahhh, there it is! Well I'll be- you two ain't kidding, are ya? This would be a pretty weird prank if you were."

"Nope, it's me," Rise laughed awkwardly. Still a little thrown off by some of their word choices — what contouring? What performance, and why were her boobs being complimented?!

"And no, we're not in the same clubs. In fact, I don't think she knows much about my club at all."

The way those words were emphasised threw Rise off even more. Conversely, Lala's eyebrows shot up, and she looked between them for a moment… before gasping. "OH! Ohhhh, well then, that's fine. Just found a famous friend when you moved to the boonies!"

"Y-yeah," she finally sighed in relief. If Rise didn't know any better, she would swear her friend was sweating now; maybe that shine on her temples was just a trick of the light. "It's pretty wild; I mean, she grew up there, but I don't think anybody expected her to go back after she made it big."

"Nope," Rise said distantly.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I, um… I probably shouldn't tell your whole life story."

"It's fine! So, um, Lala, you have a wonderful bar here. Crazy good atmosphere!"

The bartender was still smiling at her and chuckling as one of the curtains rustled that led to the restrooms, Rise assumed. She barely glanced over. "Well, thank you much. Real lovely soul for an idol; they usually end up kinda bitter." Then she did turn to the side properly. "Hey, you'd better stop stinking up my back room, gaijin."

"Whaaaaat?" called out the lively redhead in the yellow dress. Not that her bobbed hair could possibly have been that vivid shade of crimson naturally — though she was an American, so it was entirely possible. Rise had a hard time telling Westerners apart, but there was no way someone that gaudy couldn't be from the States. "Come on, Lala-san! I have to get on my perfume, where else will I?"

Her Japanese was just quirky enough, both in terms of word usage and her bizarre accent, that the others laughed. "You're a riot, sweetie. But congrats, I guess you're part of Ai's club for real now."

"YES!" The woman saluted, other hand on her hip. Then she laughed. "What club is that? The Love Club?"

"Close enough. Erica, this is… Ai-chan?" Ai nodded. That was funny; Rise could have sworn they were old friends of some kind, and she forgot her name? "Ai, this is Erica… An… Andeshi…"

"Anderson," she provided in her normal accent. "Boy, it's weird using English again after all that time Nihongo-ing!"

"Uhhhh, right," Ai laughed, clearly having no idea what she was hearing.

"Hey! I'm Risette, and I want to be the star of your heart!"

That single line made the woman's huge brown eyes shoot even wider. "Whoooaaaa! Holy Schnikes, your English is really good, like you sound like a Yankee and shit!"

Stammering, she managed, "Sorry! I do not… understand…" Then she switched back to her native tongue and hissed, "I just learned that part for a show and like, a handful of other phrases; I'm really sorry."

"Ohhhh, it's okay," she laughed with a huge grin. Something about this woman instantly set Rise at ease; like she was almost as used to doing that as Rise herself. "Why did you learn that?"

"You missed it, honey," Lala laughed. "Risette here's a big idol. And yes, I have seen you strutting your stuff on the news; you're killing it, girl."

"Oh, thanks," she laughed, having already forgotten about that thread of conversation. "But yeah, that was one of the phrases I had to learn for my New York City concert — even though that's the only one I performed overseas. I also learned, 'Everybody having fun tonight?' and 'I love you all!' and a few more."

Erica laughed and applauded, as if she were performing a particularly impressive trick. "Amazing! You might know only a small English but you sound very good!" As the others chuckled again, she turned back to Ai. "So what did she mean? Lala-chan. You and me in the Love Club."

"O-oh, um…" She glanced at Rise, who arched her eyebrows at her. "Ugh. Come on, I'll tell you back here."

While Rise blinked, Ai led the redhead over to a booth in the corner. They were both roughly the same height, though Erica was taller by a hair. Figuring there wasn't much point in watching them whisper to each other, she turned back to smile at the host of the bar.

"Ai-chan didn't tell you why she brought you here, did she?"

"Nope," Rise offered lightly as she tugged one of the cherries out of her glass. "Just that she wanted me to see this place. Maybe you were some kind of tutor? Helped her pass some class? I don't know."

Lala laughed heartily as she wiped down the bar. "Close enough. You know, I'm honestly kind of relieved."

"Huh?"

"Back when I knew this little squirt, she didn't know which way was up. And I could tell she was heading for a fall; she lucked out with her parents, but she was going to throw herself so hard into her new life that she would forget who she was. But it looks like that straightened out eventually."

"Uh… huh," she said dubiously, turning to look at Ebihara again. Now those two were hugging tightly. She would hug some complete stranger and not her? Though the longer she looked…

Erica's expression was taut and pained. It looked like a couple of things they had talked about were less than fun.

"You've got a pretty special friend, Risette. Just go easy on her."

"I will, Escargot-san," she said right away, turning back so she could bow properly.

"Woweeee, everybody's so formal today," she chuckled as she turned to head into the back. But just then, footsteps approached, so she paused in her action to wait and see what happened.

"…and don't you be worried," Erica was saying, her arm around Ai's shoulders. "I wish I could stay and help but I have to go back to Chicago. And I promise, it will get better. Look at me, over thirty years, and I am very happy! And strong, like a wrestler! And beautiful!"

"And humble," Ai laughed, and the others laughed with her. Then she reached up to rest a hand on Erica's upper arm. "But seriously, I could never thank you enough. It's so… nice knowing I'm not alone. Even if I would have to move to the USA to be less alone in a literal sense."

"Oh, you're alone. I'm in a class all by myself — Boss always says this. He even loves my feet because I am so special." When the others exchanged curious glances, she cleared her throat and said, "No! I mean, he takes care of them, with nice shoes! Sneakers?"

"Ohhhhh," Rise said, laughing a little too much to try to hide her confusion and discomfort. She felt like Yukiko. "I was about to say, that seems a little over the line if he's your boss!"

"Yes! Though I am sure he would love them if I gave him a chance. Look!" She slammed her leg up on the bar, and Lala was already rolling her eyes in mild exasperation. "See? Beautiful!"

While Rise was politely examining the pedicure shown off by Erica's strappy sandals, she caught sight of Ai out of the corner of her eye — and noticed she was blushing hard. So either she was a candidate to love Erica's feet instead of this Boss character, or she was being powerfully reminded of something embarrassing. Rise tried to recall a hazy memory, some story about Yukiko and Chie… she only wished she could remember what it was.

To Be Continued…

#We'll Face Ourselves #saphir de lune #rise x ai #rise kujikawa #ai ebihara #persona 4 fanfiction #forkanna writes #p4 fanfic #jess the writer

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kamyru · 3 years

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Hello❤️ I really wanna see a fluffy or smutty fanfic where the short MC is wearing one of Yosuke’s things like from your headcanons, they’re amazing.

Hi! Finally, I start to write this too. That's my first answer to a request in a while. Hope you'll like it, even after so much time passed. I decided to make it fluff, since I’m not at all good at writing smut. Enjoy! ❤️

Short MC wearing Yosuke's clothes (Scenario)

Word counting: 831

While Yosuke was away, MC usually was spending her time with other Pandora residents. So, it is not surprising that some of Kiyohito's fashion sense rubbed on her too. From time to time, he took her with him on fashion presentations and advised her about what to wear and how to do it.

After spending so much time with someone as good as Kiyohito, it is no wonder that MC's sense of fashion changed. Also, when she knew that she wouldn't be bothered any time soon by anyone, she was trying to make as many looks with her clothes as possible. The only problem was that she still didn't have enough confidence to wear everything.

Once in a while, she was going out in a splendid combination invented by her, that advantaged her in every way. Yosuke was more than pleased to watch this.

Firstly, because he could see how the woman he loved the most was starting to understand how gorgeous she was. Secondly, because everyone was admiring her and he could make sure that this wonderful woman was his date. He liked to know that the people who were walking past them were jealous of him.

Though, he had no idea that MC, from time to time, was exchanging glances with his clothes too. It was MC's little secret. She loved how men's clothes looked on women. And she loved how Yosuke's large shirts sat on her small frame. It was cute, sexy, and alluring at the same time. She made a promise to herself that sooner or later, she'd have enough confidence to wear Yosuke's clothes at one of their dates.

Once, while doing the laundry, she discovered some of Yosuke's clothes somewhere in the darkness of his closet. She didn't remember a part of them, and they didn't look like they were worn recently. But they still looked wonderful and were too good to be thrown away. So, without thinking twice, MC made them her clothes.

They stayed in her closet for a very long time till she gained enough confidence to appear in front of anyone while wearing them.

Though, after a long period without having a date with Yosuke, MC thought about surprising him in a good way. He was coming home exhausted late at night and didn't want to wake MC up. So, making him smile and relax a little was what she wanted the most.

While planning a perfect date for him, she started to think about how to make it as memorable and unique as possible. Calling him in the middle of the workday, she asked him if he was free in the evening. He thought for a while but gave her a cheerful 'yes'. So, MC started the preparations.

She had only a few hours to cook everything for a picnic. While the meals were in the oven, MC started to choose songs for a perfect playlist. Also, she stayed for a while in front of the shelves to see what book would be perfect to be read to Yosuke aloud, to help him get his thoughts away from work.

She had everything prepared half an hour earlier. Looking in the mirror, she understood that something was wrong. And it was her outfit. MC didn't even think about what would be appropriate to wear. It took her some time to find something. Though, she already knew what would make a perfect combination. She didn't want this thought to get lauder because she was still afraid to appear like this in public. But it was Yosuke's perfect relaxing date, wasn't it? So why not try to surprise him even more.

MC took one of his white shirts from her closet and put it on. It looked perfect with her black cycling shorts and the leather belt he bought for her. She looked fantastic. Though, a tilt of red appeared on her cheeks. Before starting to regret that she chose this outfit, she made sure to leave the house.

She was the first one to come to the meeting place. In her mind, she regretted already a few times that she chose to wear that outfit. MC sensed some eyes on her and tried to find a place where others' eyes wouldn't find her. Though, before she could do it, a hand felt on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Yosuke with a big smile on his face. In less than a second, MC was wrapped in his arms.

"Is this shirt from where I think it is?" he whispered directly in MC's ear, not being able to let her go and see his red cheeks.

MC murmured a 'Yes' and hugged Yosuke tightly.

"You're so cute that I can't let you go. Let me stay like this for a little bit more."

On MC's face appeared a soft smile. Now, she wasn't thinking anymore about what others could say. The only thing that mattered for her was that her boyfriend was happy.

#kings of paradise #yosuke sagara #voltage inc #ask

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healingwords · 3 years

Text

Valentine’s Day Application for Rise

@kaeruninja submitted…

Name: Hanamura Yosuke

Age: 17

Do you like to cuddle?: Yeah! As long as it’s not like too uncomfortable, but cuddling is supposed to be comfortable. It’s not like you’re going to squeeze me like a boa constrictor or anything.

Can we make-out?: If you want ;)

A night in or a night out?: I like both. We could eat in and then spend the night out, since Inaba doesn’t offer a lot of… fancy places to eat, but whatever you want! I’m pretty easy going.

Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: This question is silly. Why not both? Ice cream with chocolate covered strawberries.

What makes you a good Valentine?: I do have foot-in-mouth disease, but I’m working past that. My good qualities? Uh I’m funny, kinda good looking (but I’m not vain), have stylish clothes and I’m incredibly loyal, like a dog. I have a lot of love stored in my heart and I would love it if we could spend the day together… this is actually harder than it looks… I just think you’re really neat and cute :)

Would you cook for me?: Yes, but something simple. I may not be an excellent cook, but I can make something that’s better than what we have at the Junes food court. oh wait this makes it sound like my cooking is shit i swear it isn’t this is just oh god oh fc

Would you let me cook for you?: We can cook. Together. Because that’s more romantic than cooking alone, right? If love is a secret ingredient to making food taste good, then we should cook together so the food tastes extra good, you know?

It was a good thing that Yosuke hadn’t tried to stick his application in with the literal mound of them from their other classmates… otherwise, there was no way those famous eyes would’ve ever seen it. Even if she felt a little guilty for doing so, Rise had waited until everyone else left school before just–shoveling the unsolicited love notes into a nearby garbage can. There was no Earthly way she could go through them one by one, and besides–if she was being honest? Something about the expectation of a response from virtual strangers had always rubbed her the wrong way, and she wasn’t about to cater to that when she had stepped away from the spotlight for her own well-being. That mindset–not to mention the emptying of her locker–led to confusion, though, when one fluttered from her notebook later that evening.

Huh. How did--wait. Is that Yosuke’s name?!

Leaning back against the headboard, the Lovers tilted her head faintly to one side as she read over the application--and the more she saw? The wider that soft smile that graced her lips became. She could just imagine the Magician rambling out every answer, the way he’d gesticulate and blush--and the thought of him winking in response to the question about making out brought a flush to her own cheeks, the mental images of him atop her in such a compromising position making it a little bit harder to read the rest of what he had written.

“Yosuke-Senpai...”

Eyes closed as her head tilted back, a long sigh leaving her lips as she contemplated how to respond. Would it make the group dynamic weird? How would he react if she said yes? Saying no was out of the question, really--and with that, she opened her eyes and put the application aside in favor of retrieving her phone.

[sms to: Yosuke] --- hey, u busy tomorrow? we need to talk about ur application. (^___^)

#; post : rise #; answered #; yorise #kaeruninja #submission #SGKGGSKGRBUNH

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Pandora - Understand

"Any fool can know. The point is to understand"

-Albert Einstein

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Waiting for Yosuke to speak, Haruka was almost falling asleep. The combination of late night and alcohol was slowly draining her energy, and she was getting tired of waiting for him. On the other hand, Yosuke seemed to be nervous; a feat that would never be associated with him. In the time she had known him for, he had always been the most confident person. He never hesitated, at least not when it came to annoying her. Though now, he was downing his fifth drink in a row and still had not uttered a single word.

As he poured himself yet another drink, Haruka stopped him. He knew he would not be able to escape forever, though he had been hoping that she would have knocked out before he had to talk. His plan fell through, obviously.

Yosuke let out a sigh, knowing he was unable to escape any longer. Knocking back one last shot, he was finally prepared to speak. "When I was in high school, I met someone. They were a freshman, and I was a junior. They were having a hard time making friends, so I became their friend. She's from a prestigious family, she'd be a great connection to have. And at that time, I was already developing the idea for my matchmaking business and she was the perfect test candidate. Everything was going well, and the data I collected was really useful.

"Life improved for her too. She comes from a difficult family but during the time we spent together, she became happier. Honestly, my life changed too. It really felt like we were a couple...actually, I think at some point, it became real for me too. But you know how the dramas flow, tragedy strikes when you're at your happiest. She found out my intentions and got mad, rightfully so. She transferred overseas and I've never seen her again."

"Until recently," Haruka stated. "So that's the story between you and the pianist?"

"What pianist? I didn't say a name."

"But you said 'she'," she pointed out. "The only woman you act weird around is that pianist so it has to be her."

Even when intoxicated, Haruka was sharp. Seeing her again stirred up a lot of feelings inside Yosuke. He thought he would be okay, treating her like anyone else he would in his life. If he was being honest, he would not be upset at all if Haruka was to cut all ties with him. He would be bored, sure, but only for a little while before he found another toy. To have all these emotions in him was a new experience for Yosuke. All his life, he tried so hard compartmentalising everything that sometimes, those around him wondered if he truly had emotions.

Although their stories were completely different, Haruka understood how Yosuke felt.

She only wanted the best life for her sisters, and she did everything she could to make sure she did. When their mother passed away, Haruka was only sixteen. She knew her mother's wish was for the three sisters to stay together so to avoid being separated, Haruka took up the maternal role. She started a part time job at a maid café; flexible hours around her classes with a high pay, it was more than she could ask for. But Haruko was displeased. She became vile in the eyes of her sister's, a teenage girl who was willing to sell her body to please weird men for money.

When the opportunity for a better job arose, Haruka grabbed it and landed a job as Eisuke's secretary. She thought it would improve her relationship with Haruko but it only worsened. She was called a gold digger who abandoned her family. No matter what Haruka did, her sister would find fault in it. Still, she felt as if she owed it to Haruko. The life they lived had not been easy, and Haruka understood that there was always something better that her sisters longer for out there.

"Do you still love her?" Haruka asked. "You said it became real for you too. Did you ever tell her?"

"No, I did not," Yosuke said, taking yet another drink. "And I wouldn't call what I feel for her love. Just...that I care for her more than others."

"Do you think about her all the time?" Haruka asked. "Like...you had a sandwich and you wish she was there to share with you? Or you heard a piano playing and you thought it might be her?" Yosuke nodded. "Okay, does it hurt when you see her hurting? Do you smile when she's happy? Do you look her in the eyes and know immediately that she's lying about how she's feeling at the moment?" Again, Yosuke nodded. "That's love, you fool."

Moving closer to Yosuke, Haruka placed her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. Her answers to her own questions would be all yes, if asked about Eisuke. She had been trying to deny her feelings but now that she was confronting Yosuke, it was as if she was confronting herself too. She wanted to see Eisuke again. She wanted to be so close that she could smell his cologne that had become comforting over the years. She wanted to be held in his arms and told that he loved her like she did him. However, reality was often disappointing as she was nowhere near Eisuke. She was simply drinking with Yosuke, depressed about a different issue from when she began.

Taking in a deep breath, Haruka frowned a little. She turned her head and buried her nose in Yosuke's suit, taking in another deep breath. Since when did he start using the same cologne as Eisuke? She looked up to meet his eyes and for a good minute, they were just staring at each other when they both started to move in instinctively.

"Eisuke..."

Their lips were inches away from touching when Haruka blurted out her boss' name. It hit Yosuke and woke him up instantly. He pulled away and covered Haruka's lips with his hand. They both had way too much to drink, and if they were to continue, Haruka would be doing something she would seriously regret. The Yosuke before meeting Haruka would not have cared whether she would regret, as long as they were both consenting. After all, he never said no to a night of good fun. Knowing how deep her feelings for Eisuke were now, however, Yosuke could never bring himself to do anything to her. Not when he had feelings he never knew about for someone else too.

"It was a mistake bringing you into my life," Yosuke sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "I was supposed to be doing the meddling, not the other way round."

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"What the hell is this garbage?!"

Yumi flinched as Eisuke threw the file she handed him across the room. All eyes in the lounge were on them, though this was not the first occurrence. Just this morning alone, Eisuke had lost his temper with her more times than she could count. He disliked her coffee, complained that her shoes were too loud, and her clothes were too colourful. The document he threw across the room apparently was riddled with mistakes; mistakes that she was ordered to correct to by Eisuke himself.

"That was what you told me to type up."

"A dog could do your job better than you. At least the dog can be trained."

"I understand why Haruka-san quit."

"What did you just say?"

She stepped over the line with her last comment, Yumi knew. She had enough, however, of taking his temper. She would never understand how Haruka managed to stand this for eight long years. No matter how much you loved someone, if they were to yell at you over the smallest things every day, that love would be shaved down to nothing eventually. Perhaps that was exactly why Haruka left, because her love for him no longer existed. If she wanted to lose her job and hurt Eisuke, Yumi would have said that thought out loud.

Right now, however, she was fearing for her own life.

The look in Eisuke's eyes was one that she had never seen before. She had seen him angry, frustrated, irritated, though his only reaction during those times would be to scowl at her and move on. He was furious this time. Despite fearing for her career and life, Yumi somehow found the courage to open her mouth again.

"I said-"

"Okay! Let's stop right there," Baba said, stepping into the conversation. "Whatever you were going to say, please don't," he whispered, pulling Yumi away from Eisuke and kept her behind his back. "I think Yumi-chan needs a day off. Right, Boss?" Without giving an answer, Eisuke headed up the stairs to his suite. Baba let out a soft sigh before looking to Yumi. "Are you out of your mind?"

"He was being unreasonable."

"Go home," Baba smiled, giving her a gentle pat on her shoulder. "I'll fix this for you."

Looking up the stairs, Baba could not help but let out another heavier sigh, closing his eyes. There were days when he wished Soryu was not around; today was not one of those days. With heavy steps, Baba headed up the stairs to Eisuke's suite. As he stood outside his office, Baba was really praying for Soryu's return although he knew it was impossible, not unless the mobster learnt how to teleport from Hong Kong. He raised his hand to knock on the door but stopped himself the last second, hesitating. This was not what he wanted to be doing on a weekend.

"Either you come in or leave. Don't loiter around outside my office."

"I wasn't loitering," Baba smiled, opening the door. "I was just...surveying."

"If you are here on behalf of Yumi, save your breath. She is clearly not competent enough for the job, lacking in both IQ and EQ."

"To be honest, no one will ever have enough EQ to work for you," Baba pointed out.

Eisuke shot him a glare from across the desk, though Baba still took a seat. Although he only met Eisuke a few years ago, he had heard rumours about how many secretaries he went through in his short term as an executive before the existence of Tres Spades. Everyone in the company was surprised when Haruka survived past her first month. Baba was surprised too, when he met them for the first time. Sometimes, Eisuke could be a little too much to handle for the gang but Haruka never complained.

"What are you trying to say?" Eisuke asked, with a deep frown.

"I'm just saying what you're thinking out loud. Besides Haruka, no one will ever be good enough to work for you." Eisuke's frown deepened, if possible, at Baba's statement. Even if that was the truth, he would never admit it out loud. "I know you're frustrated that Haruka left. We all miss her too. And if I'm being honest, I'm not used to not having her around either. I miss the coffee she makes."

"Get to the point."

"The point is, don't take your frustration out on Yumi. Nobody can be Haruka, and you can't force someone to be her either. If you miss her, go and see her. I don't know much about Haruka but she's a very simple person. She wants a simple life, someone she can rely on. Someone who will love her unconditionally forever."

Eisuke's expression relaxed a little, though he kept quiet while thinking about what Baba said. Yumi was not a bad secretary. She was young and inexperienced, but she was willing to learn. When Haruka was still around, Yumi always took the initiative to draft documents, ask her questions, and all other operations of the hotel. She knew Haruka's way worked with him and did her best to imitate. Yet, Eisuke kept finding flaws in her and magnified them.

With Haruka, Eisuke had been equally unfair to her. He never thought of the reasons why she wanted time away from work, nor did he try to understand the reason behind her resignation. He was angry at her, for abandoning her job and him after years of cooperation. How could she be so selfish when he still needed her? Baba made him understand, however, that Haruka needed him by her side too.

~.~

If there was anything Eisuke would praise Baba on, that would be his efficiency. It was not a word most people would associate with Baba but there was no denying how fast he could produce information Eisuke needed, and the quality. With just a morning's notice, Baba was able to produce a full report on Haruka's family by the afternoon. Holding the file in his hand, Eisuke was contemplating whether or not he should read it. He never asked Haruka about her family, nor did she tell him much. With this file in hand, it felt like he was violating her privacy.

In the end, he gave in.

Her mother was Matsuoka Hanae, a woman born into poverty. She never went to high school but instead, started working at a young age. Every single job she had worked was listed but there was a period of four years completely blanked out with no information: no job, no address, no medical records. Then Haruka was born, but no father was named. Instead, they moved to an apartment just outside of Tokyo and her mother resumed working several jobs to support her. Eight years later, her sister Haruko was born, and two years after that, Haruna.

There was nothing of interest from her file; while they lived a difficult life, it was simple. Her mother worked hard to support the family but passed away at a young age. Haruka took over and became the pillar of her family. There were two things that stood out, however: her anonymous father, and the fact that her sisters live at a different address to her.

After reading, Eisuke felt closer to Haruka. He was starting to understand her better, and missing her even more.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eisuke was very much a man of action. Whenever he had a plan in mind, he was quick to put it into action. Much like his hotel. As soon as the thought of seeing Haruka entered his mind, he was already on his way. By the time he realised what he was doing, he was parked on the road opposite her apartment. It was already late afternoon, and peering into her window from his car was a bit of hard work though he could not see any movement inside indicating her presence. Was she napping? Was she out? If so, how long before she came home?

The answer did not matter to Eisuke; he was not leaving until he saw her.

He got out of his car, locking the doors and leaned on the hood. He wanted to be able to see Haruka as she was coming home, and for her to see him as soon as she came into sight. What would her reaction be when she saw him? Surprised? Disappointed? Irritated? Eisuke was trying hard not to let negative thoughts affect him but just today he realised that he did not know Haruka very well; he could be wrong about her feelings this whole time.

It did not take long before the person he had been longing to see finally appeared. She rounded the corner on the right, dressed in just a jumper with sweatpants, holding a bag of groceries in one hand. Eisuke straightened himself as soon as he saw her, holding his breath as he waited to notice her. A couple of metres away, she finally did.

"Mr. Ichinomiya..."

Her voice was soft but it was still the same warm, kind, and sweet voice he was so used to. All his frustrations, all his troubles, they melted away at just her uttering his name. This was a dangerous power she had over him.

"Haruka-"

"Don't," she interrupted. "Don't come near me. And whatever you were going to say, don't say it."

Since that night with Yosuke, Haruka could not stop thinking about Eisuke. There was no denying what she felt for him was love, but her struggles were whether or not she should go through with it like everyone around her was telling her to. Every woman dreamt of a man like Eisuke: handsome, wealthy, and in power. What she wanted was much simpler, a man who loved her. She had no confidence in herself to know that Eisuke would keep loving her as he did today. She did not want to find out five, ten years down the road that he no longer needed her in his life.

"I...Being away from you made me realise how much I love you," Haruka said. "I wake up thinking about you, go to sleep thinking you. Everything is about you. And it hurts. It hurts so much knowing that I love you but we can never be. I'd rather hurt now than hurt for ten years later on, wondering if you still love me. I don't ask you for much, Mr. Ichinomiya, but I'll ask this of you. Please, just let me go. Turn around, go home, and forget me. Let me go."

Despite her initial plea for him to keep away, Eisuke moved closer as she spoke. He could not help himself, especially when tears were starting to roll down her cheeks. He would never understand why she was so afraid of a relationship, especially one with him. She did not understand, either, that never had Eisuke ever wanted anything so badly. Or the fact that he would never love anyone as much as he did her.

He reached out with one hand to wipe her tears, expecting her to move away but to his surprise, she leaned her cheek into his hand. Eisuke held her face in both hands, leaning in closer to her. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips on hers. Just a moment ago, she was telling Eisuke to let her go yet, Haruka did not resist and kissed back just as passionately as he did. No words were needed as they both knew what the other was thinking. It was a cliché to say but it felt like they were the only ones in the world. The only ones who mattered to each other.

Pulling away from the kiss, they were both breathing heavily as they stared into each other's eyes. Eisuke caressed her cheek gently and wrapped his arms around her tightly, putting one hand on her head. He was not a person to make promises lightly, nor did he take them lightly, but he was going to make a promise to Haruka. He promised to love her now and forever.

"I'm sorry, I cannot do as you asked," he whispered. "Because I can never let you go."

#pdr ch17 #kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb #kings of paradise #kop #eisuke ichinomiya #yosuke sagara #voltage inc #after 5 million years I have updated #i kept changing this chapter but i feel like it's time #finally getting some fluff y'all

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