Chapter Text
“And this is Yosuke, my boyfriend.”
Yosuke dropped his soda into his lap and whipped his head around to face his partner, eyes wide with terror and mouth wide with apparently not words as he stammered for a good fifteen seconds while trying to think of a response. The Tapp soaking through his pants didn’t speed up his thought process any, and he found himself looking down partially so he could soak it up with his napkin and partially because Yu looked completely calm, like he’d said something normal that actually made sense.
And the worst part about it was that no one questioned it, or even batted an eyelid, save for Rise who was blinking away her confusion.
Yosuke weakly laughed it off. “D-don’t scare me like that. Geez.”
Yu turned to Yosuke, who was putting his empty cup back on the table, and tilted his head. “Scare you?”
“Yeah. She just joined us yesterday. I don’t want an idol thinking I’m…” Yosuke glanced at Kanji. “You know.”
“Hey, why’re you lookin’ at me?”
Kanji’s question went ignored.
“My boyfriend?” Yu asked, without a trace of jest in his voice.
God, Yosuke hoped Rise would pick up on his partner’s sense of humor quick.
“Senpai’s boyfriend…” Kanji echoed to himself, lost in thought.
“S-stop that!” Yosuke stammered.
“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Rise said, shaking her head. She sighed and rested her elbows on the table. “I am kinda disappointed Senpai’s not single, though.”
Yosuke stood up and slammed his hands on the table, causing his empty cup to wobble.
“We’re not dating!” he croaked.
Yu, without missing a beat, said, “Yes, we are.”
Yosuke shot glances at Yukiko and Chie, silently begging them to help him. If they’d ever thought of him as a friend, or ever had any goodwill toward him at all, surely they’d jump in now. Defend him. Tell Rise what a kidder Yu could be. Change the subject. Talk about Chie’s dog, whatever his name was. Take Rise somewhere else. Do a distracting magic trick. Break into song. Anything.
But all he got was a confused “What?” from Chie.
They hate me, he thought, looking up into the sky as he felt his soul start to fade away. They really hate me.
The one time in his life something as great as meeting an idol happened, and now she thought he was not only gay, but taken.
Thanks, Partner.
“Yosuke?”
Yosuke turned back down to his partner sitting beside him. His partner, looking up at him with this big-eyed, innocent ‘Why are you so upset?’ face.
Yosuke grabbed Yu by the forearm and dragged him to the far end of the food court.
“What’s wrong?” Yu asked.
What’s wrong? What’s wrong? How could he even ask that?
“I’m gonna die alone because of you!” Yosuke hissed.
“You have me.”
Is he planning on cockblocking me forever?!
Yosuke could already see it now.
It’s three years later. They’re in college. He approaches a cute girl from his chemistry study group.
Yu’s there.
‘Oh, hey. What’s your name? I’m Yosuke’s boyfriend.’
In fifteen years, they’re out in the world, living in small apartments, but getting by. A friend from work finally invited him to a mixer. There’s tons of cute girls, each just as beautiful and charming as the last. Before he can say anything beyond ‘hi’ the waiter walks in.
It’s Yu.
‘Yosuke, you didn’t tell me the party was here. What a surprise, Honey.’
Thirty years have passed since high school. His hair’s starting to turn gray, but it’s handsome on someone his age. He has a stable income and a house of his own. The secretary at work is a bombshell. Yosuke gives her a flirty greeting and a wink.
Yu calls his name from a nearby cubicle. He walks over with a smile and wraps his arm around Yosuke’s waist.
‘What’s up, Babe?’
Several years in the future, they’re eighty-something-years-old and living in a nursing home. There’s a woman a few rooms over. She’s not particularly beautiful, but at this point, neither is he. She’s cute in her own way, and makes adorable little cakes for her neighbors in her free time. They’re delicious, and always brighten Yosuke’s day. He scuttles over to her with his cane, about to tell her how good the strawberry cake from a few days ago was.
Yu rolls over in his wheelchair and pulls Yosuke into his boney lap.
‘Hey.’
Yosuke dies in his sleep at age ninety-seven. His friends and family gather together for one final goodbye before placing his ashes into his grave.
Right next to Yu’s.
“How far are you gonna take this joke?!”
“Joke?”
Yosuke searched his partner’s face for some kind of sign. Some hint that this was a façade. Some clue that there was a reason behind this behavior. Just… something.
There was nothing.
“You can’t be serious.” There was a hint of desperation starting to tinge Yosuke's voice.
The people around them were starting to give them weird looks, and Yosuke wasn’t sure if it was because of the soda stain on his pants or if it was because they were both hunched over a potted tree in the corner of the Junes Food Court.
And Yu, as dead serious as ever, said, “I am.”
Yosuke couldn’t believe his ears. “You’re… you’re serious about this? You’re really serious about this?”
A small frown appeared on Yu’s face. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“And what?” Yosuke asked, throwing his hands in the air. “You just decided this without even asking me?!”
“Oh.” Yu’s gaze dropped to the floor, and he stood there rubbing his neck with a bashful smile.
“’Oh,’ what?” The irritation in Yosuke’s voice was nearly palpable.
Meeting Yosuke’s eyes again, Yu let out a nervous laugh. “I forgot.”
“Huh?”
It was only then that the true weight of the conversation hit him.
He likes me.
He like, like-likes me.
The blood rushed to Yosuke’s face fast enough to make him dizzy. He gripped the safety rail to stop himself from toppling over.
Yu glanced at the rest of the IT still at the table, then turned back to Yosuke. He scratched his cheek, pink from the realization of his blunder. “So, uh, you wanna be my boyfriend?”