excellent penmanship

The Narumi Detective Agency had seen many different clients drop by over the years, from a high school girl with a family curse who became possessed by a God and a Kuzunoha from the future, to a young woman who’s brother brought Luck Locusts and different realms to their attention… well, perhaps only Raidou for that last part. No one else knew he had been talking to a masked figure that took on the looks of people he knew every time he woke up in that place.

“Gouto,” Raidou looks up from the book he is reading where he sits on the couch in the agency’s office, “I think it’s time to make coffee.”

He excuses himself into the kitchen, Gouto keeping his eyes on him all the while until he’s out of view; Raidou does not wear the Yumizuki Imperial High School uniform anymore, but instead a certain brown suit originally belonging to the one usually sat behind the desk.

It’s strange to see him in the outfit, he thinks, even after years of him looking like that, though Narumi did a good job in taking it in to fit Raidou perfectly. It was a pleasant surprise to find out the ‘lazy detective’ was pretty handy at needlework. Gouto, nor Raidou, could deny the fact that Narumi had many hidden talents.

When Raidou walks back into the room, he finds Gouto sound asleep in the spot he was previously sat. Not wishing to disturb him, he places one cup of coffee on the desk and moves to the opposite side of Gouto. His own coffee is far too hot to drink so he places it on the table in front of him, deciding to rest back where he sits and bring his hat down over his eyes.

What harm could a little nap do?

“Raidou,” Narumi’s voice catches his attention and he opens his eyes, “If you’re gonna nap out here in the open, then you should really lock the door, kid.”

“Yes, I apologise.”

Narumi chuckles, watching Raidou get up and walk over to the door to lock it, “You still move awkwardly in that suit. Relax a little.”

“You’re still letting your coffee go cold.”

“Sorry… You know it can’t be helped.”

There’s a smile on Narumi’s face but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He looks… tired.

“I think…” Raidou’s voice is quiet, strained, “I think you should rest.”

“Raidou…?” Gouto stirs, making a sound which can only be described as a yawn.

Raidou pays no mind to him, keeping his eyes on Narumi. There’s a heavy silence in the room before Narumi speaks again, his voice reaching only him.

“I’ll be fine, kid,” his words ring out like an echo inside Raidou’s head, like words he’s heard before, “Trust me.”

A knock on the door is the last thing Raidou wishes to hear. He doesn’t want to face any clients today, not when today’s date is…

“Raidou? I’m letting myself in.”

It’s Tae, he knows that voice anywhere. She had come to treat him like family, much like Narumi himself, and Raidou would always be grateful for that. In some ways, she was the older sister he never had.

“Coffee by the altar… I wonder if he would have called it a waste.”

Her laughter is bittersweet as she makes her way through the room, stopping just a few steps away from the table to allow herself to kneel down in front of the photo on display.

“I can’t quite believe it’s been a year already. It still feels like yesterday when--”

Click.

“Raidou…?”

Tae’s eyes follow the sound and land upon the door. The ‘closed’ sign has been turned around on the outer window of the door, and it should come as no surprise considering the boss and the apprentice had been the closest out of all of them.

‘You told me to trust you, and I did,’ Raidou pulls his hat down over his eyes as he climbs the stairs to the rooms above, hesitating as he passes the first one with the name plaque that reads “Narumi. S”.

Flashes of a battle, of blood, and the white of walls and a hospital bed cross his vision. A constant reminder of the limit of his abilities.

It all started with a few extra pieces of toast in the morning, more than his usual over towering pile, along with an extra few cups of coffee to boot. With his appetite seemingly going haywire, Narumi would have thought he had been starving himself with a ridiculously restrictive diet that only allowed him to eat a small plate of salad every other day.

This was getting ridiculous; was he ill?

“Narumi-san,” Raidou’s voice is static to his ears, like the irritating noise from a broken radio, “Are you well?”

“Beat it, kid, I’m trying to concentrate.”

Things have been getting to him more lately, yet today is the first time he has bitten back with his words. He sounds much angrier than he is-- … angry? Was he angry? He is not quite sure… irritated, yes, but angry, and at Raidou of all people? No, and he would not know why even if he was.

‘I need… something else to eat, huh…’

His stomach would not leave him in peace, the hunger causing him pain that only seemed to get worse as more days passed. Maybe he really was ill and had come down with something quite grave from when he joined Raidou out on a stakeout.

‘No, that couldn’t be it.’

Narumi had not joined Raidou out on a job for the longest time. Perhaps it was…

“Narumi-san…? May I check your wrist for a moment?”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair, “Sorry, Raidou, and sure. What’s the matter, you see something strange?”

Raidou does not answer his question and only reaches out to take Narumi’s right hand in his, where he turns it over and--

“Narumi-san, how long have you had this marking? It’s the same one as…”

There is a black mark on the underside of his wrist with an obscure design. The pattern is jagged, almost as if sharp teeth marks have been tattooed onto his skin, enclosed inside what looks like a poorly drawn circle. Under normal circumstances, one may believe it was the work of a child, yet the look in Raidou’s eyes tells Narumi that it is much more to be concerned about than the usual ink stain that takes a while to come off… this mark seems irremovable.

“Look, Raidou, I’m tired, and it’s not like it’s done anything bad to--”

BA-THUMP… BA-THUMP… BA-THUMP…

It is the first time he has to steady himself by leaning on the desk, one hand held against his chest where he feels the thumping that ends up vibrating in his ears. It is a nauseating experience, and for a moment he is glad it will not happen again, until the same three violent heartbeats thump in his chest.

BA-THUMP… BA-THUMP… BA-THUMP…

“Narumi-san! Quickly, we need to get you to the Nameless Shrine in order to--”

“HoW aM I SuPpOsEd To EnTeR tHe DaRk ReAlM wHeN I… aM… A mErE--”

The fingers that wrap around Raidou's neck across the table are not ones he recognises, nor fingers at all; dark grey talons dig into and pierce his skin, not enough to cause significant damage, yet deep enough to draw thin lines of blood from the small punctures.

"RaIdou... hElp..."

Narumi's voice breaks with the sound of his sobs as he fights the desperate hunger inside himself to keep hold onto his humanity; Raidou can see he is too far gone and that he needs to satiate the growing desire to devour something, anything, and it hurts that he never noticed the signs.

'I should have been able to help sooner...'

"Ugh--!" Raidou gasps for air when the talons dig in tighter, and while he doesn't wish to hurt Narumi in anyway, he will attempt to defend himself if worse comes to worse.

He is not given that chance when he is suddenly flung across the room and collides with the wall, only to be grabbed around the waste by the same talons that strangled him... the next thing Raidou sees in his vision is the floor of the Narumi Detective Agency moving further away as he is lifted up in the air and through the ceiling of the room, and into the bedroom above.

"rAi... dOu..."

Wooden splinters from the broken floorboards dig into Raidou's body, but he does not notice when all of his senses are focused on the man-- No... the monster in front of him.

It is unlike any demon he has fought beside or against, and yet... it's still Narumi inside that mutated-looking birdlike creature.

"Naru-- AHHHHHHH!"

The talons dig into his stomach and the gushing sound -- the feeling -- of his own blood is enough to make him throw up over himself and wheeze from the obstruction of air to his lungs caused by the other claw wrapping around his neck much like before.

'This... isn't... Narumi-san...'

He knows this, and yet... it's still his eyes he can see through those unmistakable locks. Of all the things not to change when he was in this form before him, it had to be his hair and eyes. It was painfully laughable.

'Ah, I... I cannot speak...'

Raidou gasps as what is the shape of Narumi's head suddenly swoops down over him, hovering right above his own face. His eyesight is blurry from the tears that have welled up from the excruciating pain his body has been put through... yet the strange thing is, he had not noticed it. Not the tears, and not the pain once his sense of feeling had become numb. Whether it's the shock or a sign that he's not going to make it out of this ordeal, he's not quite sure, but right now his worries lie with the one in front of him rather than himself.

"Rai... dou... h... ELp..."

'There's only... one way I can help you...'

Raidou shakily raises his right hand as much as he can and points to his neck, up to his head, and then back down to his neck and along his body. It takes all of his strength just do to this alone, but he hopes that the meaning of his actions are getting through to Narumi.

"... nO..."

Even with the response, Narumi bares his teeth; they are sharp and long, almost fang-like in shape. Out of the corner of Raidou's eye he can see his pistol on the floor a few inches away, but he does not reach for it. He needs to conserve his strength for... well, he's not quite sure why considering he's already decided the outcome of what needs to happen.

"Narumi-san... live."

Something inside Narumi snaps and the last of his conscious humanity slips away as the sharp teeth sink into Raidou's neck and rip away at his skin.

Bite, rip, swallow, and repeat.

THUD.

"Ngh... R-Raidou...?" Narumi gasps in pain and flings his head back, clutching his face around his eyes with his... hands?

Pulling away his hands, he looks down at the floor beneath him and--

"Ngh!? Ugh--" he pushes himself back and leans to his left, vomiting into a pool of blood. It makes him heave for a second time and shake violently in shock.

Did... did he do that?

Raidou lies before him, a disgusting mess of himself with his body covered in red and ripped apart as if he were a chew toy owned by a rather hyper dog, and his head...

Wide-eyed, Narumi reaches for the pistol to the side of Raidou's decapitated head and stares at it in his hands for what feels like eternity. He has flashes of what just happened in his head and it hurts more than words can describe.

"Why? Why didn't you...?"

There's loud footsteps growing nearer outside of the room, accompanied by a panicked high voice calling out for himself and Raidou; he knows it belongs to Tae.

Narumi looks down at the pistol in his hands one more time before bringing it up higher...

"Narumi? Raidou? What happened downstairs, are you two--"

The inner part of the waistcoat is too soft, too silky, for Raidou not to gently rub the material between his thumb and index finger. It is smooth and warm, and somehow feels like… home? A nonsense thought; it does not belong to him, so why it would cross his mind, he is not entirely sure.

In any case, perhaps when the coming year passes he may begin to wear such clothing himself. He cannot go walking around the Capital in his Yumizuki Imperial High School uniform forever, much less after he has graduated. No, maybe this sort of outfit would suit him… paired with a decent hat too.

He stands there in front of the dusty mirror, in the room he has claimed for his own above the Narumi Detective Agency, his usual black hat in his hands, looking over himself and the outfit he has tried on; it is a familiar brown and white number that he, personally, prefers over the complete white look. The contrast between the white shirt and the rest of the suit is something he is quite fond of, and it is easy on the eyes compared to the brightness of the other one.

If Narumi does not intend to wear it again, perhaps he would allow Raidou to keep it for himself.

“Ah, it seems the caper has been caught,” Raidou jolts ever so slightly where he stands, head turning towards his left where the door is, “Busted, kiddo.”

Narumi has nothing but a smile on his face, which only seems to make the situation worse. Raidou did not mean to cause any offence by his actions, and it was only due to the clothes having been mixed up with his own – due to a certain man’s carelessness – that made him curious to see what he himself would look like in such an attire.

“It suits you… excuse the pun.”

If Gouto were in the room, he knows he would have rolled his eyes.

“I apologise,” even with Narumi waving his hand at the apology and shaking his head, Raidou continues, “I will wash them again and place them back in your wardrobe.”

Narumi walks into the room and stands beside Raidou, placing a hand on his shoulder as he gazes upon him in the mirror. He looks the young summoner up and down, humming in contemplation. A few seconds later, he nods to himself, a wider smile on his face.

“Hold still there, Raidou, I’m going to give this a fix up.”

Raidou watches as Narumi leaves the room, no sooner returning with a small tin box in his hands. He opens the lid and inside are various items used for sewing and other such activities. Narumi places the tin box on the bed, retrieving a pair of scissors, a needle, and two bundles of thread.

He makes his way back over to where Raidou is standing, stopping just behind him to crouch down onto one knee so that he has better balance. Raidou watches him quizzically in the mirror and all Narumi does is laugh.

"Hold still unless you want needle marks on you."

Raidou nods and complies with his words, watching and finally understanding what the older man is doing; Narumi unthreads parts of his trouser leg, just enough to make the material looser, then bunches it up in parts to see where he needs to tighten the material.

"Narumi-san, this is your suit," Raidou states the fact clearly, "Why are you adjusting it?"

"Think of it as a hand-me-down graduation present. If you don't wear this on our first night out on the town together, I'll be hurt, you know."

Raidou doesn't speak, only focusing on what amount of Narumi's handiwork he can make out from looking at the angles in the mirror that are in view to him.

"... That is, after you graduate, and I'll sneak you a drink when Tae's not looking."

"Thank you."

"What was that, kid?"

Narumi raises himself off the ground, turning Raidou to face him so he can start on the arms of the suit jacket. The body of it is perfectly fine, there's not much between them, and the muscles Raidou has gained after all his training more than makes up for any difference there may have been in body size.

"Wait," Narumi withdraws the needle as Raidou speaks, "... Here."

Suddenly there is a black hat atop Narumi's head, specifically a black hat that belongs to Raidou. For a moment he swears he catches Raidou smiling, yet it's gone within a blink of an eye.

"How about it, Raidou? Do you think I'd have been the student to make the dolls fall for me?"

"That, I cannot say."

“Blasted Luck Locusts…” Narumi curses under his breath, looking down at his slacks; it’s the third time this week that a piece of toast has fallen into his lap butter-side down.

The head of the detective agency is slowly running out of trousers to wear, and if he’s not careful, he’ll end up just sitting around in his underwear while he waits for them to be cleaned. Worse; having to run around the Capital in his underwear along with Raidou, since today he’s decided to join him out in the field on this case.

“Hold on, Raidou, I’ll be right with you,” Narumi excuses himself from the office, heading up the stairs to the rooms above the agency.

He returns not long later, this time wearing a black suit that no one has seen him wear before.

“Been saving this for a special occasion. I guess demon hunting counts as such, right?”

There’s a small smile forming on Raidou’s lips, only noticeable if you’ve come to know Raidou like Narumi has. The kid should crack smiles more often, he thinks.

“Don’t fall too far behind and make sure to follow my lead,” Raidou says, serious tone more-than obvious in his voice as they leave the agency, “If you sense anything, let me know right away."

“You got it.”

Raidou wasn't having much luck himself these past few days, and maybe it wasn't the greatest idea to have to put up with Narumi's lack of it either, but surely it wouldn't affect the investigation that much... right? He wished that were the case, at least, hoping that Narumi being with him today meant he would be able to corner Tatsumi easier. Maybe if Narumi slipped on the banana peel instead of him, too, then...

"Raidou," Narumi coughs, grabbing his attention once they've left the tram and entered Mannen-Cho, "Something seems fishy around here, doesn't it."

He does not phrase it as a question, yet Raidou answers him with a "Yes" anyway; it's far too quiet and there's a chill in the air that doesn't feel like it's due to the weather alone. He keeps a hand on the hilt of his katana as they walk through the side streets between the buildings, and Narumi follows suit by keeping a hand on his pistol that sits carefully in the holder around his waist, mostly hidden by his suit jacket.

They are careful not to draw too much attention to themselves, even with the side streets being particularly barren this day. There are hushed whispers coming from some doors, the odd groups of people huddled around a corner, some who look to be those who have had a run-in with Tatsumi and his gambling luck if their papers being dejectedly handed to a well-dressed gentleman is anything to go by.

"Mr Tatsumi thanks you kindly, gentleman," the man chuckles, dipping his hat to them as he begins to walk away, "He'd like to play a game again sometime."

"Hey, Raidou," Narumi begins, noticing that Raidou has already changed direction to follow the man. He's the most likely candidate to lead them to Tatsumi, after all.

"Hold on."

Raidou stops abruptly and--

"Whoa! Gouto, you're getting a little close there-- ... Huh?" Narumi looks behind him, yet the feline fellow is nowhere to be found, and rightly not; Gouto would hardly be able to reach up to Narumi's backside if he wasn't jumping for it.

"Narumi-san--!" Raidou calls, noticing an all too familiar demon hanging upside down above the man; Binbou-gami.

"Ah, such unlucky fellows... this handsome one will warm me up soooooo good..."

"R-Raidou, your demons need to keep their hands to themselves, if this one is that Lilim you've talked about, then--" Narumi's words get caught in his throat as he lets out a strained yelp, blushing with embarrassment before the seriousness of the situation has his face turning completely white.

"Ohohoho...! Yes, let's warm up together...!"

"RAIDOU--!"

Unsheathing his katana and summoning his demons Sandman and Angel, Raidou takes an offensive stance as Binbou-gami changes its focus to him. As for Narumi? The poor detective fainted with the demon's wandering hands, and was out cold on the floor.

"I wouldn't mention this to Narumi ever again, Raidou," Gouto tries not to chuckle given the dangerous circumstance they are still in, "Best he doesn't join us from now on, eh?"

The Narumi Detective Agency; some could call it "home".

Cigarette smoke fills the air more than usual, a cloud of white dispersing over the office, only for another puff to cover the area around the desk again. The window is open to stop it from being suffocating for any visitors that may stop by, not that Narumi particularly cares whether they like it or not; everyone’s smoking these days, it’s the fashionable “in thing”. He contemplates closing the window for a moment, the cold air hitting the back of his neck only causes a shiver to run down his spine every now and then, but he quickly dismisses the idea due to how tired he is. He's sat on the couch rather than the seat behind the desk, and is in no hurry to return to his usual spot.

Narumi, being one who gives Raidou advice to “get some proper rest” when he can, is rather hypocritical with how late he’s been staying up over the past few weeks. The reason being that he is trying to fill out an important document, said document a list of all the useful resources he has; phone numbers, addresses, names, material of the sensitive manner that one could potentially use as blackmail or a tip-off for someone else… He keeps it in a locked box, in a locked box, in a locked draw under his desk. Dangerous data, yet proven helpful nonetheless during many of their cases.

It's a slow day in the office, quiet too with the gramophone turned off due to a certain resident fast asleep upstairs. Narumi's given Raidou the day off, and God knows he deserves it with how much more he's been running around lately. He's never seen the summoner catch a break, so was rather insistent on him resting today.

The rooms on the floor above the agency are home to the detective himself; that is, the one whose name is above the door, not Raidou, even though the latter may do more of the actual leg work. This exact fact is why the younger fellow has a space amongst the rooms to call his own, of course, as it would be rather rude for the boss to expect his apprentice to find a place elsewhere and pay extortionate prices considering he is still a student.

"Narumi-san," he looks up from where he sits, seeing Raidou half way opening the door into the office, Gouto slipping through the gap into the room between his feet, "Have you seen--"

"Your cape is in the closet and is staying there until tomorrow."

"Narumi-san, I--"

Narumi raises his hand and gives Raidou a stern look; it's not an expression he wears often, so it comes as a surprise to the young summoner. Raidou keeps his lips firmly shut, waiting for Narumi to continue. The older man chuckles with a smile.

"Now beat it, kid, and get some shut-eye. I don't want to hear about no baloney as to why you need to be out there today. Our recent caper's been caught and the Capital can go one day without you running around all weary. I'll sort the accounts out today too."

There's a moment of silence between them, the only sound in the room being their breaths and Gouto jumping up onto the couch beside Narumi. Raidou closes his eyes for a few seconds and nods his head, a hushed "thank you" leaves his lips, and he steps back to leave the room again. Narumi swears there's a smile on his face as he leaves, albeit small, it's definitely there.

Gouto stares up at Narumi, his tail swishing and head tilted with curiosity.

"... Hmm? What?" Narumi looks down at him, reaching out with his hand to scratch behind Gouto's ear, "I hate to be a flat tire, but we both know he was looking worse for wear yesterday."

Narumi takes a bundle of cash from his pocket and places it in front of Gouto.

"Make sure he gets enough to eat tomorrow. I can't keep an eye on him when he's out there, and between you and me, he's looking a little thinner..."

"You're not so bad, Narumi."

"What was that, Gouto? Are you touched by my gesture, or do you want some catnip?"

Gouto scratches at Narumi's hand, claws digging in ever so slightly. He winces and draws his hands back away from him completely. What was up with that damn cat? It was hard to make him happy.

“I love you.” Her words are sweet, soft, music to his ears… those three simple words strung together in a sentence that mean so much to him, more than she will ever know.

He sighs peacefully, a smile on his face, and in that moment, nothing else matters in the world. He has her- no, he is with her, she is one step in front of him, and he is right behind, with everyone else not even in second place. If he could put her up on a pedestal, he would, but that is something she would be heavily against. A shame, he thinks, though maybe he could have a sculpture made of her to capture her beauty forever until the end of time.

“Jumin?” her wonderful voice graces his ears again, and this time he focuses properly.

Ah, yes, now he remembers. They are abroad; enjoying their anniversary, a year together already that he cannot quite believe is real, even as she sits with her legs crossed on the bed in their hotel room right in front of him. How did he ever get so lucky? How is it that someone like her could have fallen in love with someone like him?

“Yes, my love?”

“Did you hear me?”

“Of course,” he places the book in his hands on the bedside table and leans over towards her, kissing her softly on her cheek, “I love you too.”

He is finally at peace, not having to worry about, well… it hardly matters anymore now, does it?

‘We are both here and in love.’

Falling asleep with her in his arms is something he will always treasure. The way she finds comfort in curling up and snuggling into his chest is the most adorable thing he has ever seen.

When he wakes before her to see her rub her eyes sleepily in the cute way that she does, he will tell her that she is beautiful and that he loves her so dearly and will do so forever... or so, he thinks he will.

The first time it happens, it is during their honeymoon, the second on the night of their wedding, and now for a third time on the anniversary of that special day. Somehow, it just seems all the more cruel.

Jumin wakes with tousled hair, his suit from the previous day still on. Ah. He remembers this; yesterday must have been another business trip, it seems.

He reaches for the bedside table, noticing all the light colours of the hotel room have disappeared, only to be replaced with the darker colour scheme of his apartment.

He logs into the messenger and there waiting for him is the chat he had pushed to the back of his mind, not expecting to see again so soon, or at all. The day that she stumbled upon the app, brought to them by this 'Unknown'...

... No? Something is slightly different this time, the words he sees that pop up are far too familiar for her to have just appeared in their lives, far too friendly, especially towards...

"Luciel."

Is this how it was supposed to be? Was he destined to always come back to the start, to always repeat the same short life with her, or lose her to someone else?

They are teasing him in the chat, and she is no better; she does not stick up for him at all. It breaks his heart.

Jumin adjusts his tie and brushes a hand through his hair as he sits up and gets off the bed, logging out of the messenger without giving a reason, and walks out of the bedroom.

“I’m going out for a drive.” He speaks, monotone as usual before she entered his life, and raises a hand when Driver Kim goes to collect the car keys.

“Mr. Han?”

“I do not need a chauffeur, I will be driving myself.”

He wishes to feel the wind through his hair with the open windows and the force of those higher speeds that, perhaps, are not a good idea.

It’s not a heist night, Yosuke knows that much, what with Kazuki’s outfit hung up in the wardrobe they share when he’s over. Under lock and key, of course.

He doesn’t always stay at the apartment, as he’s still living at Cafe Le Blanc for the time being, but Yosuke can dream. With the amount of wardrobe space he’s already taken up in such a short amount of time, he may as well move in at this point.

Yosuke tries not to visit the café too much, not when he’d be fighting the urge to retort against Morgana’s secret laughter every time Kazuki writes sickeningly sweet messages on one of the napkins he places down next to his drink “just in case” he wants to wipe his mouth; the truth is those thin pieces of material always have embarrassing words on them, and it’s worse if they’re suggestive. Yosuke wonders if the owner, Sojiro Sakura, has ever noticed or caught on to any conversation they’ve had. He hopes not.

‘Forgive me, Sakura-san…’ he gulps and sighs, moving from where he stands next to the kitchen table to put empty instant ramen cups into the waste bin. Once done, he walks towards the bedroom, wondering if he should at least get changed into more comfortable clothing compared to his work attire.

The only reason he keeps it on past work hours is due to the comment of “You look really good” Kazuki made the first time he saw him walk into the apartment from a very busy shift.

Yosuke wears a simple white dress shirt, buttoned up to the top with a thin black tie that hangs just above his belt line. His trousers are fitted, not too tight to be restrictive, but not loose enough to look casual. The ones he wears today have a faint white pinstripe pattern just about noticeable against the black. He’s wearing orange slippers right now, but his usual work shoes are smart too; real leather, slightly pointed dress shoes.

If you asked Yosuke, he’d admit he feels – and hopefully looks – attractive in such outfits, and Kazuki would agree in a heartbeat too.

Yosuke wonders what Kazuki’s doing right now, having said he’d be hanging out with Ryuji and Yusuke for another few hours before he joins Yosuke at the apartment. “I’m staying with a friend” is the usual excuse to Sojiro, and so far he hasn’t yet been questioned on exactly who that friend might actually be.

It’s getting dark out so he turns on the bedside table lamp that’s just bright enough to give a subdued golden glow to the room. He wonders if it’s actually supposed to be that way, or whether it’s broken, but he doesn’t care when it makes the room feel so warm and relaxing. The time on the bedside alarm clock reads 10:05pm, not late by Yosuke’s standards at all, but then again his sleeping pattern keeps seemingly spiralling into a further mess the more days pass.

He doesn’t always need to stay up and wait for Kazuki, not when they’re so careful, but he’d rather see him safe and sound before he drifts off to sleep, than wake up with a nightmare in the middle of the night to the realisation that he’s not actually coming back.

Yosuke removes his tie, shirt, and trousers, throwing the latter two into a clothes basket by the other side of the bed. He puts the tie back up on one of the railings inside the wardrobe, eyes lingering on Kazuki’s Phantom Thief outfit longer than usual.

“Joker…” he speaks the word in a hushed tone, as if he’s not the only one in the room. The outfit smells like fabric softener mixed with the scent of Kazuki himself. It smells like… home.

‘Smells like home? Geez…’ Yosuke shakes his head, picking it out of the wardrobe.

It looks like it’d be the perfect fit for himself the more he looks it over, analysing the pattern and details of the material. It’s a captivating piece of clothing, more-so when actually worn by Kazuki. He oozes confidence and intrigue, at least that’s what Yosuke would say from a clearly subjective viewpoint. Ahem.

“Huh,” Yosuke lifts it up against his body and looks at himself in the mirror, “Maybe I could…”

Maybe, just maybe, he could try it on, just to see what it looks like. The more he thinks about it, the more he’s fascinated by the idea, so how could he not?

He carefully pries it away from the hanger, starting with the top and trousers. Yosuke only thanks his lucky stars that he seems to be keeping the same weight he had back in school, otherwise he’d be struggling right now.

'Wait a second, is that really the most important thing?’ Yosuke inwardly groans at himself. Perhaps he’s been looking forward to this moment a little bit too much.

Next comes the signature coat, it’s cape-like coattails flap behind him during the swift moment he puts it on. He shivers. Yes, he’s a little too into this.

He won’t grab the mask, he’s already teasingly worn it before and thinks it doesn’t suit his face, but as for the rest of the outfit itself, it’s… wow. Yosuke can understand the reason why Kazuki becomes the confident tease that he does when he’s wearing it with Yosuke around. He can feel his confidence growing, and…

When he breathes in and smells the pleasant fragrance of the clothes that is still present, he can’t help but feel something else grow as well.

“Ah,” he audibly mouths, looking down at his crotch area, “N… Damn it.”

Yes he was very, very, very into this, embarrassingly so. He can feel the heat rise up his collar, and suddenly he sees himself flushing when he glances in the mirror. It’s mortifying to be turned on by clothes and Kazuki’s scent alone, yet here he is with a boner that’s too obvious to ignore.

He’s alone right now, the windows in the apartment are all closed, so would it really be such a bad thing for him to sort this problem out in the bedroom right now?

“I can imagine Kazuki’s face,” he mutters under his breath, “… ‘Oh, Yosuke-kun, I didn’t know you were having an affair with my clothes, this is awful’.”

He sighs heavily, turning around to move up onto the bed. He sits himself between the pillows, facing in the direction of the mirror, his knees up and legs parted. This angle in the mirror wouldn’t be so bad if it was Kazuki staring back at him with that smirk that makes Yosuke want to punch him yet melt all at the same time.

Yosuke pushes his legs down the bed a bit, parting them more now, realising the way he’s sat is rather… erotic. If Kazuki could see him like this…

He bites his lip, bringing his right hand down to his crotch where he presses against himself through his trousers. Hmm, he’s definitely hard. Yosuke pulls his arms out of Kazuki’s coat, draping it over his shoulders more like a cape and giving himself slightly more privacy.

He may be alone, but god forbid someone scales the building and ends up seeing him through the window. Perhaps he’s become too sensitised to the idea of Phantom Theives running around.

Yosuke unzips his trousers, pulling them down his hips where his erection becomes more obviously seen just inside his underwear. Pulling that down too, he sighs when the cold air hits him. Mm, all he wants to do is…

“Well, well, Yosuke-kun,” he closes his eyes, hearing Kazuki’s voice in his mind, “Go on… put on a show for me.”

Yosuke shivers, licking his fingers on both hands. Mm… If only Kazuki was here, but this would have to do. He reaches round the back of himself with his left hand, slowly pushing a finger inside himself. He wouldn’t admit it, not being the older one of them both, but he wished Kazuki would tease and finger him. The faces he makes when Yosuke does it to him are completely mesmerising, and he wonders if it really would feel that good if Kazuki were to do it for him too.

He places his right hand gently around his cock, fingers lightly brushing the tip. The smell of Kazuki’s jacket makes him dizzy, and he can’t help but-

“No, wait,”

Where were those red gloves of Kazuki’s? He rummages through the bedside drawer, finally finding them and taking out the one to match his right hand. Yosuke awkwardly gets it on while he continues a slow thrusting rhythm with his left.

“Mm, now to…” he places his right hand back around his cock, moaning at the feel of the glove.

The outer material is smooth and silky, while the palm side is of a different material that makes it easier to grip and hold things. It’s a strange mix of sensations, the light silky feather touches the tips of his fingers bring him, accompanied with the rougher friction from the palm is a really, reallynice feeling indeed.

With this, he throws his head back, imagining Kazuki behind him who is the one touching him with a gloved hand. His low chuckle, the smirk he’d feel against his skin before he blows air onto Yosuke’s neck and leaves a bite.

Yosuke thrusts up into his hand, moving faster, “Kazuki…”

He starts moaning his name, purposefully taking in deep breaths through his nose so he can trick himself into thinking Kazuki is doing this. His scent, his touch, he wants all of it and all of him.

His mind is clouded with far too many indecent thoughts; being restrained… being bent over his work desk of all places after hours, just the two of them at the back of the office and Kazuki absolutely ravishing him.

Yes, he… damn he just wants to be completely dominated by Kazuki, and if… if he leaves the gloves on, then…

“Ahh… Kazuki…!” Yosuke cries out, now thrusting two fingers inside himself while he frantically pumps his cock with his gloved hand.

He sneaks a glance at himself in the mirror; he’s a flushed, panting mess with his mouth hanging open with nothing but indecent sounds coming out and Kazuki’s name.

“Kazuki, Kazuki, god… Kazuki…!”

“Hmm, you called~?”

!!!

Yosuke quickly looks to the right, seeing Kazuki leaning against the door frame. He’s wearing his casual clothes and his hair is a dishevelled mess as always. Cute and attractive as always.

“I see someone couldn’t wait till I was home,” Kazuki saunters into the room, slowly climbing – more like crawling – his way up from the bottom of the bed to where Yosuke is, “I think I know how to help with this…”

Kazuki’s eyes wander to Yosuke’s gloved hand and he chuckles, grabbing the one on the bed. He puts it on his left hand, adjusting it before giving Yosuke a flirty wave and a wink.

“H-hey, Kazuki,” Yosuke’s breath catches in his throat as he feels Kazuki run a gloved finger against the base of his cock right up to the tip.

“Yes?” Kazuki smiles, ducking his head down closer to Yosuke’s crotch.

“You, uh,” and he’s sucking in another breath when he feels Kazuki’s tongue right on the tip, “You’re n-not gonna- god…!”

Before he can even begin to string together a coherent sentence, Kazuki’s mouth envelopes him completely and he sucks hard on Yosuke’s cock, only to release him from his mouth with a loud audible ‘pop!’ in order for him to look up at him.

“No, I won’t tease you about this. Not when it’s really,” he kisses the underside, “Really,” he kisses the tip, “Really hot. I like seeing you touch yourself in my clothes.”

Yosuke can feel his face burning again, but maybe he’s lucky when it’s left at that. If Kazuki found it hot, then that could only be a good thing, right? He doesn’t have the chance to ask himself due to the way he inadvertently throws back his head when Kazuki’s mouth takes him in once more.

Yosuke’s cock twitches and he bites his lower lip, suppressing further moans out of embarrassment. Kazuki catches onto what Yosuke is doing, teasing him with his mouth and tongue all the more. He hums, and he can feel Yosuke shiver in his mouth.

“I’m gonna…” Yosuke takes a shaky breath, hand in Kazuki’s hair and tugging at his locks, “I need to…”

Kazuki hums again, the vibrations all but pushing Yosuke over the edge. The older of the two tries to give a warning, but Kazuki doesn’t care; he gives Yosuke’s thigh a quick squeeze to say it’s okay, and the next minute he’s pulling away and swallowing.

“Mm, delicious.” he wipes his mouth with his gloved hand, smiling at Yosuke. He blinks when Yosuke’s own gloved hand is suddenly upon his face.

“You, uh, missed a bit-” Yosuke is taken aback by Kazuki sucking on his hand, moaning happily.

He removes his lips once he feels that he’s sucked enough, the sudden smirk on his face worrying Yosuke to no end. Along with giving him shivers, it was something that always spelt ‘trouble’.

“So, these,” Kazuki holds Yosuke’s hand, nudging the red material with his nose, “Are what you’re fixated on? You sure love your gloves, Yosuke-kun~”

Jaehee loves Zen, as his fan; she loves the idea of him. The way he takes on yet another varied role like a duck to water, the way he not only expresses emotion in the way he speaks, but with every part of his body when he moves in theatre or on the screen is mesmerising. From the way he holds himself and commands the stage, there is not a single thing she could fault, only considering his entire being a beautiful masterpiece…

Yet there is another kind of beauty, more subtle, that has been catching Jaehee’s eye more and more. She hardly thinks of Zen first because of it, this person captivating her foremost thoughts every time. Zen is second to them, and perhaps always will be.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Jaehee, you’re online! Did I miss much at the bakery café today~?

Jaehee’s heart leaps into her throat at the name display in the chat, sighing far too hard with relief when she catches what comes after it within the brackets. It takes her a minute to collect herself, trying to relax on the sofa where she sits at home, then she calmly begins pressing the keys on her touchscreen phone with added precision.

This person occupies her thoughts most mornings and nights, and every single timeslot in between. Her dear friend who she could not have made her small business a reality without, of whom she cares for more deeply than she should.

Jaehee Kang: It was a calm day as usual, busy, but calm. How was shooting for the film? ^^

Jaehee knows it has been a year since she took up the role of being Zen’s manager, which means she also knows how busy she can get during the times there is more of a demand for him, but the feeling of…

‘Feeling of what? Jealousy? This is absurd…’

The heavy feeling in her chest that arises when her schedule sees time in the bakery café taken away from her dear friend is not something she can completely ignore and pretend is not there.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): It was great! Zen is really doing so well, I am so proud of him~♡. You should have seen him today, Jaehee, it was an emotional scene! I cried even watching the outtakes, lol

Jaehee can imagine her face; she has seen many expressions alone from when they have spent nights together watching Zen’s DVDs and other emotional – be it sad and raw or happy and hilarious – movies and TV shows. Sleepovers with her were always fun. Emphasis on “were”, as they just do not see many days like that anymore… It is no use blaming Zen, Jaehee knows that too, yet she still cannot stop herself.

Jaehee Kang: I am glad to hear Zen’s career is heading in the direction he deserves. ^^

Her response is short, but sweet, and encouraging like it should be. She at least has the resolve to keep a brave face and a calm online demeanour. If she is happy, then Jaehee is happy too.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Speaking of directions, I have really big news!!!

The heavy feeling in Jaehee’s chest does not waver, no; it only grows the longer the chat continues.

Jaehee Kang: Do you have a role in the movie too, by any chance?

She leaves it open even with being specific with her question, hoping that the answer is “Yes!” and it’s left at that, but the longer she waits for the reply, the likelihood is that it’s something she’s all but dreading deep down inside— Dreading? Dreading… what?

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): I wish! Then we would be the on-screen power couple everyone should be talking about, pow~! ♡

Jaehee is not exactly sure where she got her typing habits from, whether it was from Zen, Yoosung, Luciel, or some sort of combination of them all mixed with the calm and innocently cute way she would message too. If it were Zen alone typing like that, then the word “narcissist” would surely be thrown around, yet whenever she typed in a different most peculiar way it was nothing but charming.

Jaehee Kang: I think we are maybe getting off topic. ^^;;

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Yes, you are right. Ahem! What I mean to say is that I have something important to tell you, and since you are important to me, I wanted you to know first.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Jaehee, I am…

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): I mean to say that Zen and I are getting married! We are engaged! ♡

‘Ah…’

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Aaaaaaand I want you to be our best man! Well, best woman... as well as maid of honour!

No, no that's like rubbing salt into the wound— Wound...? There was no wound at all, no physical nor mental one Jaehee could think of, and yet... Why did she not want her friend's kindness right now, and why did it hurt so much? To be asked for one role was a privilege enough, but to be asked to be both, especially when there were still other suitable candidates to be chosen from, well...

Jaehee Kang: Wouldn't Mr. Han...

Jahee Kang: Ahem, Jumin be a more suitable role for best man? Perhaps even Yoosung? Luciel?

She wouldn't tell her, but Jaehee really, really, doesn't want to be both if she has to be one at all. There's a pang of guilt welling up inside her about it, naturally, but what she's asking is just... it's too much too soon.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Hmm~ I guess we can have a think about it.

"We" meaning her and Zen.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): I just really want you there on our special day, Jaehee, playing an important role since that's what you've always done. You're important to me, you know? Please always remember that.

Jaehee slouches against the cushion behind her back, staring at the screen for a while, imagining what the "big day" would likely entail, both aesthetic-wise as well as the personal feel of it all. She imagines all the traditional white decorated with glistening silver threads, lightly coloured pastel pink petals adorning the tablecloths in between cutlery and beautiful ornaments.

It's not as if Jaehee hasn't had the conversation of weddings with her, considering it's always a hot topic when they work together and fans of Zen make idle chitchat with her about their relationship, asking all sorts of things.

"So, are you two going to get married? You look so perfect together!"

Jaehee should have expected it from the start, and yet the fact that it's now suddenly been confirmed to her personally by the one person she never wished to hear it from is... rather ironic.

She cannot deny the aura they give off when together, or how perfectly her hand fits into Zen's when they slip into line beside each other when they walk... maybe she is jealous, and maybe it's all because she wishes she were the one engaged to her. It was never Zen she was worried about being snatched away from her — no matter how much the others teased — as she was only loyal as a fan, and that was that.

No, it would seem it was her who Jaehee was truly scared of being taken away, and here she was, sealing the deal that she would never have her best friend in her arms as a lover instead. Why did she have to be so kind and perfect and make Jaehee feel the way she did?

Rubbing her eyes, she makes up some excuse that it's late and she's tired, and maybe she should go to bed too after the exciting announcement, even if it was an announcement to just her. The others would see the chat history soon enough, and Jaehee's not sure she wants to be logged in to see that one unfold after feeling so drained after this one.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Okay, Jaehee~ I look forward to discussing all our ideas with you the next time I'm on the same shift as you, hopefully sooner rather than later if Zen's filming schedule allows it! I'd love your opinion on music and lighting, all of you, as I want us all to enjoy the day just as much as Zen and I.

Jaehee Kang: I look forward to it. ^^ Rest well.

Mrs Ryu♥ (lol): Good night~ ♡

Jaehee stares at her phone for a while even after she exits the chat, unaware that her grip had been tightening more and more around the device that there's now a red mark of the outlined edges pressed into her palms. Regretfully, her mind wanders to what she'll look like on the day, and her heart sinks.

ZEN: You two just make the perfect duo.

He stops what he's doing on his computer, midway through hacking a group of hackers known within the type of work he does for having a notorious habit of being far too good at what they do. Not good enough, unfortunately, as their in-house firewalls and coding are like child's play to him. Luciel would be done by now if his mind wasn't elsewhere and distracted the way that it is.

His thoughts wander to her, the one who's in the chat with himself and Zen right now, the her he keeps an eye on through the surveillance feed in the apartment hallway...

The her that always smiles and waves at the cameras, mouthing "Seven~!" and sticks her tongue out with a laugh, thinking he's not actually watching during those moments, but he is, and it melts his heart in ways he knows it shouldn't; Yoosung likes her, that much is obvious, and she likes him back too even with his issues of struggling to differentiate Rika and her as two separate entities.

'She's her own person,' he stretches, then reaches for a sip of the open can of Ph D. Pepper he has on his desk, grabbing another pack of Honey Buddha Chips while he's at it too, 'She's nothing like Rika.'

He sends one of his signature happy emojis and carries on with the conversation, glad that it ends quickly compared to the one that dragged on and on – or maybe it didn't – last night with Yoosung. Luciel had played it off coolly, handling the situation better than Zen could have, but if he said it didn't make him have heart palpitations at the time he'd be lying.

707: U like her, right?

He'd started off simple, regretting it soon after with the way it made his stomach twist and chest tighten in the most uncomfortable way possible, a feeling he couldn't shrug off at the time and was still trying to banish where he sat right now.

707: Don't u want to go somewhere and have fun with her, just the two of u?

707: Do u think about her when u wake up in the morning?

707: Do u think of her before u go to bed?

He'd asked Yoosung if he thought Rika and her were similar, and it was at that moment he'd had enough and gone off on one... thankfully, unnoticed, as the great Seven-Zero-Seven was good at hiding his personal feelings behind a screen. She was smart, completely understood where he was coming from when she messaged "He can't really distinguish me from Rika?" in response to it all, and he was glad she hadn't read into the entire chat further than him just trying to help the poor boy see that it was unhealthy to project Rika onto the subject of his romantic affections. It wasn't fair on him... more-so not fair on her at all, either.

As a friend, he cared for Yoosung, but he'd be lying to himself if his worries did not lay with her stronger throughout the whole chat, or in his heart and mind right now. Absentmindedly, he clicks a shortcut on the computer, the screen changing from the millions of layers of code back to a familiar CCTV feed he only knows too well.

She's there again, making faces at the camera, thinking he can't see her; he can. He smiles, waving at the screen in silence. It's not like she can see him on the other end, but it makes him feel connected to her. He watches as she wanders off in the direction of the kitchen, whether to have a late breakfast or early lunch he doesn't know, but he's glad she's eating properly instead of being glued to her phone or the cameras too much to neglect her own health... not like him.

He shrugs the thought off, continuing to eat the unhealthy supply of Honey Buddha Chips at his disposal; it's a flavoursome distraction from the bitter taste that's on his tongue. It takes Luciel a while to realise the added mix of a somewhat sweet and salty taste is from the wetness of some other watery substance that seeps past his lips from the corners of his mouth.

Ah, it's tears... He'd been so glued to the computer screen that it had not registered at first. How pathetic.

"It's better this way," he mutters under his breath, almost regretfully, as he scrumples up the last packet for the day and tosses it into the waste-paper basket to the side of his desk, "I hope at least you're happy with him."

He's lying to himself again and he realises what a cruel person he truthfully must be to wonder what it'd be like if things didn't turn out well for the both of them.

Luciel cares, and that's his personal downfall. He's heartbroken that she's with Yoosung and not him, would be heartbroken to see her hurt, and will be heartbroken come the time of the party when he sees how deep their love will be right in front of his eyes.

“Let’s do this, Kazuki!”

“Got it–! Hmm? Yosuke, on your right!”

“I hear ya!”

Fighting beside someone important to him brings Yosuke right back to when he was with the Investigation Team; still is, as the group never formally ‘disbanded’.

If he recieved a call asking for his assistance, he’d be there no questions asked.

The Shadow they’re fighting disappears in a cloud of black smoke as they deal the final blow. It’s always more satisfying when you finish a battle from a team attack– or rather, a doubles attack this time round.

They probably shouldn’t be without the rest of Kazuki’s team – let alone Morgana – but along with Yosuke’s experience, every Shadow they’ve faced so far has been no more than a walk in the park.

“Phew, I’m beat! Man, that sure felt good.”

Kazuki admires the way Yosuke wipes the sweat away from his face with his shirt, unable to hold back a chuckle, “You definitely look tired, old man. I think we should call it quits for today.”

“Hey,” the Magician furrows his eyebrows, “You’d look the same if you hadn’t done this for… yeah, a year now! Gotta admit I look good, right?”

“You do, but I’d prefer if I was the one making you sweat, not the enemy.”

The wink the Phantom sends Yosuke’s way only has him flustered, leaving his imagination run full speed for all but five seconds before he shakes his head.

Kazuki has always been one to tease him, more-so when dressed in his thief attire. It would seem he becomes an entirely new version of himself, and one Yosuke cannot keep his cool around.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll see about that some other time.” Yosuke speaks low and quiet, slipping his arm around Kazuki’s waist, “C'mere.”

Disguarding his mask for him, Yosuke captures Kazuki’s lips with his own, smirking into the kiss when he hears a small moan once his tongue is giving his boyfriend’s own tongue the attention it so deserves.

“You play a mean game, Yosuke-kun,” Kazuki sighs, slightly out of breath once they break apart, “Let’s head home.”

“No,” Yosuke slips another arm around his waist, his hands wandering to Kazuki’s behind, “If I’m gonna play a mean game, we’re playing it here.”

“Yosuke, as much as that does turn me on, it’s not ideal for us to– Wait a second…”

One look into Yosuke’s eyes tells Kazuki all he needs to know. There’s a certain pink glow to them, not unlike what happens when eyes turn red after crying too much, but this is worse than just the affects of something like tears.

‘Should have fused a Persona with Charmdi, huh.’

Kazuki pushes against Yosuke, leaving enough of a gap for him to focus on summoning Arsène to do what he wishes he didn’t need to.

“Persona!”

Just as he thought, the Ziodyne knocks Yosuke flat out to the ground, perhaps a little too hard. Better to be safe than sorry, after all.

“Alright, old man, come on,” Kazuki laughs at the peaceful look on Yosuke’s face as he picks him up off the floor, moving him to carry him on his back, “Getting charmed on your birthday of all days?”

Why Yosuke wanted to see the Palace on such a day, Kazuki can maybe understand. He had talked previously about wanting to help them in some way, and maybe training together was his way of doing so.

‘Maybe you missed the thrill, hmm?’

Yosuke has never been one to keep still for long, he’d come to learn, almost like an exciteable child when something different was suddenly happening.

“Joker?”

Kazuki’s thoughts are interrupted by Morgana’s voice as soon as they’re out of the Palace.

“Don’t ask.” Kazuki can hear the snicker Morgana tries to hide, ignoring it and walking straight past in the direction of Yosuke’s appartment.

The journey takes longer with Yosuke resting on his back, the added weight slowing him down and making him wonder whether Yosuke’s been snacking on the side when Kazuki’s not around him.

It’s still early evening but the effects of Palace are starting to take their toll on Kazuki, especially with no sleep the night before.

“Mm…?” Yosuke shifts on Kazuki’s back as he opens the door to let them in, “Ngh…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Yosuke don’t lean to the side like that–!”

As soon as he’s locked the door, Kazuki loses his footing with the weight shifted, collapsing into a heap on the ground along with Yosuke.

The older of the two continues to groan tiredly like before, complaining under his breath about Kazuki being a “clumsy fool in more ways than one”.

“What happened?”

“You were charmed and I fixed that.”

“Why can’t I remember?”

“It was quick, simple, effective, like magic.”

Kazuki sits up where they are on the floor, looking at Yosuke and notices he’s squinting at him. Suspicious, maybe, and rightly so.

“You fried my ass with a Zio attack, didn’t you?”

“Ziodyne, actually, it was the only way,” Kazuki leans forward to run his hands through Yosuke’s hair, “And it’s your locks that smell fried.”

“You’re an ass, you know that?”

“Wow, there’s a lot of talk of ass with you, Yosuke-kun, are you trying to say something on this important day?”

“Huh?”

It’s then that it dawns on Kazuki; Yosuke completely forgot the meaning of today’s date. He never once talked about it on the days leading up to today, but he only thought it was because Yosuke didn’t want a fuss.

“Today’s your birthday.” Kazuki’s speaks softly.

“Oh? Yeah… guess it is…” Yosuke scratches his head, sitting with his legs crossed, “Thanks for remembering.”

Did no one remember today? His old friends, surely, but no one else?

“I’m taking you out tomorrow. We’ll do something to celebrate.”

“Kazuki, you don’t have to–”

“I want to.” Kazuki smiles, moving his body forward and face closer to kiss Yosuke on the lips, “Happy birthday, Yosuke.”

He smiles back, “Thank you.”

“What’s that face for?”

“Just admiring the view.”

“Geez, you’re unbelievable.”

Yosuke smiles in a way that takes Souji’s breath away; that kind of smile he wants directed his way for the rest of his life.

‘I wouldn’t tell you that, and I’m sorry.’

They sit there on the river bank, where they’ve been so many times before. It’s a place that brings an array of memories to mind, from back when they brawled it out to become even, all the way to when Yosuke confessed his feelings to Souji.

It’s things like that, Souji thinks, is what is so interesting about Yosuke; he never thought that he’d be the one to say it first, which is why Souji was a fumbling mess with his words at the time.

“A good unbelievable, right?”

“Would you shut up!?”

He’s laughing, and it’s hard for Yosuke to hold back from doing the same. The jokes and the teasing may be embarrassing at times, but he’s grown rather fond of them.

‘There you were… blushing, but composed… Far more brave than I was.’

If Souji could go back and relive that time again and again, he would.

‘Yet I can only relive so many like this, otherwise…’

Otherwise Yosuke may never remember anything at all.

Souji presses the button on his face visor, regrettably changing the scene in front of him to the harsh reality he’s living every day.

He sits at a desk in a grey rectangle shaped room, filled with Kirijo technology. The room is metal and cold, not fit for sleeping in, even though he has been for the last five months.

His phone that is turned off on the desk is the only thing in the room which is his own, save from the clothes on his back and the spare uniform in a bag that is beside his feet.

Souji rotates between the two outfits, washing himself and the clothes in a connecting room with only a toilet and a sink. It takes a while to clean them and his body using the sink, but it does the job considering he can’t use the toilet for such things, only for relieving himself.

There are three large crates underneath the desk, in the room he spends most of his time in, filled to the brim with food and water. It looks like a sufficient amount to the eye, however with one crate in fact being empty from the first week of his being here, he’s rationed everything since.

Souji does not dare look himself in the mirror for fear of forgetting the whole point of why he is here, shut off from the rest of the world.

It’s not like he can go to the others for help when they’d be so strongly against it; bringing someone back from death in any way, shape or form, is not something that should be done.

‘But it should… it should, this is my fault, and I’m correcting my mistakes…’

Souji coughs violently, the dust in the air irritating his throat, and the force of it strains his upper body. He’ll have to fix that later.

Looking to the opposite end of the room, his eyes fall upon the whole reason he is in the situation in the first place. Resting peacefully against an upright operating table is Yosuke, that smile Souji loves on his sleeping face.

Except, he’s not sleeping, nor breathing, nor really ‘Yosuke’ right now.

There are metal wires that are attached to his wrists, legs, and chest, keeping him in a state of 'standby’. The metal skeleton visible at the end of his left arm is painful to look at, which is why Souji is adamant to have the last part fixed so he can finally upload his memories.

It’s been six months since Yosuke died in the car accident– No, it wasn’t an accident, but someone out to end their lives.

The Shadow Operatives had been targeted that day by an opposing enemy of the Kirijo group, and it just so happened that in the car along with Fuuka and Mitsuru had been Yosuke and himself, only there to discuss a few things before returning back to Inaba to inform the rest of the Investigation Team that everything was okay.

Except it wasn’t that day; Mitsuru walked away with only a few fractures to her arms, while Fuuka had been in a coma for a month, and as for Yosuke?

Well, Souji thought that since he was right next to him, he’d get away with only needing parts of an Anti-Shadow weapon to fix him too… but that was not to be.

Yosuke had been impaled, by then unrecognisable car parts breaking his bones and slicing various parts of his body due to the shear force of the crash, and the blood had been overwhelming.

The apparent rush to a specialised hospital ward owned by the Kirijo group felt nothing like a rush to Souji as time seemed to slow down around him.

The further wait at the hospital had been torture, and to then be told that Yosuke hadn’t made it, well… he had not been able to deal with it at all.

Why couldn’t it have been him in his place instead? Why couldn’t they have just talked over the phone like Yosuke suggested, why did Souji have to insist on them being there in person? If it wasn’t for that, maybe Yosuke wouldn’t have had to suffer.

Souji withdrew a lot from the group, not entirely, but enough for the others to notice something wasn’t quite right with the way their leader -- more importantly, their friend -- was acting.

However, as time went on it got worse, and he stopped talking to them altogether. He stopped taking phone calls, moved away to where he is now, never to turn his phone on out of fear of someone finding out what he was doing.

It was Labrys that gave him the tip-off, about a place abandoned by the Kirijo group, known for all the equipment and research left under lock and key.

“If lookin’ back on memories will help, then do it, Souji.” She had thrown a silver key his way at the time, “Take Yosuke with ya, but don’t do anything stupid, ya hear?”

There was no way she could have known that Souji would attempt what he has been focused on for months, the most likely meaning behind her words being “don’t you go and end yourself because of this”.

Perhaps there had been a niggling thought at the back of his mind at the time, no interest in attempting such a thing, but rather thinking that… really, what was the point?

“I’ll have you back with us, Yosuke,” Souji speaks no louder than a whisper, fiddling with a soldering iron and various small pieces of technology on the desk, “I promise.”

The electronic face visor resting on his lap is what he had found when he first arrived, exactly what Labrys had meant when referring to looking back on memories. The item not only showed him his own memories, but the memories of others too… though with a price.

The more he watched the memories of someone who had passed, the more muddled they became. The first time Souji had used it, he almost wiped away all of Yosuke’s memories before watching the warning playbacks from researchers who had made the item.

It was due to these playbacks that Souji was able to figure out a way of possibly bringing Yosuke back. Using an Anti-Shadow weapon skeleton, the information on the all but now ancient computers, the visor for his memories… it all seemed too impossible, too unreal, until he began to work.

Souji was only supposed to be here for a month, yet the isolation and the smell of Yosuke’s body at the time had driven him to a point of insanity.

Leaning back in the chair, he attaches the wires he’s working on to the hand that’s missing. Yosuke’s hand feels nothing like the robotic nature it really is, not with the mix of his own and artificial skin shielding the entirety of the metal.

“Still as soft as ever,” he lightly strokes the thumb, holding the hand much like he really would if he were alone with Yosuke, “It’s still you.”

And this is why he’s doing it; it’s still Yosuke, and it will be Yosuke, not some faker that will pretend to be. With all of his memories, original salvageable body parts, his stupid hair that Souji loves to run his fingers through so much…

The only thing that’s different is the help of the Anti-Shadow weapon parts to bring everything together, to make it work. If it wasn’t for such parts, Souji himself would be without an eye and a leg.

‘And the rest of it…’

There’s a mirror on the wall, dusty, but if he really wanted to look he’d be able to see his reflection staring right back at him. He doesn’t have to look to know the truth; Souji’s much more like how Yosuke is now than he used to be.

It’s not just an eye, not just a leg, but so much more. It hurt, by God did it hurt when the technical equipment -- much like a car assembly point -- took him apart and pieced him back together all at the same time.

If Souji stopped seeing, or even living at that point, he doesn’t remember it; only the excruciating pain of all the tools ripping at each layer of his body, and then… nothing. It was over just like that, and the next thing he knew he was waking up with slightly colder skin than normal.

He steals a quick glance at himself in the mirror for the first time since he arrived, and he knows he looks more of a mess than he’d like to admit. He still has a heart, half human half Anti-Shadow weapon, his body is a mix of living cells and metal, but at least Yosuke won’t be alone.

“Guess I was worried for nothing.” he speaks quietly to himself, looking back at himself in the mirror for longer, not feeling any need to stop what he’s doing; in fact, it has the exact opposite effect and makes him feel all the more driven to finish this once and for all.

There’s still food and drink left in two of the crates underneath the desk, something that even with all of his new body parts he still needs. Souji is at least thankful that the strain on his body isn’t as bad as what it could have been -- though still a major concern -- if he was… dare he think ‘normal’. This is normality now.

“I’ll treat us to an all-you-can-eat buffet once we’re out of here.” Souji chuckles quietly, and it’s the first time in a while that he’s heard that sound from himself.

The wiring he’s working on now is almost complete and all it needs is to be attached. The final physical piece of the puzzle, and then the only thing left is to transfer over Yosuke’s memories.

Souji’s stomach feels like it does a back flip, whether due to the lack of nutrition or pressure he’s not quite sure, but it’s a nerve-racking moment as he slides in the chair towards Yosuke.

He takes his left arm, holding the hand to what is just a stump of electrical wires at that point, and begins to fix the wires up. So far so good, everything fits exactly as expected and no part of the connection fails.

Souji can barely keep his hands from shaking as he finishes what he’s doing, the tears he promised himself he wouldn’t let out start falling from his eyes, and his breathing comes in short raspy gasps. He doesn’t want to mess this up, he can’t mess this up…

“Yosuke,” his voice wobbles and his lip quivers, “Yosuke…”

There’s still one last thing to do.

He looks to the visor on the desk, sliding in his chair once again to pick it up, then slides right on back to where he was, facing Yosuke in front of him. Souji takes a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds, then lets it out rather audibly.

Souji places it over Yosuke’s face, carefully making sure that it is secure enough so that the transfer goes smoothly. Once in place, he presses the button and sits back in the chair, watching the image on the visor begin to change. It’s reversed for his view, but he can make out the numbers just fine as the percentage slowly rises with each passing moment.

Slow and steady the numbers climb, and Souji knows if he just sits there staring it will only be slower, so perhaps, maybe… he should check his phone. The one thing he banned himself from doing all the time he’s been here.

‘It may be time for that ban to be lifted…’

It’s more nervous thinking about what awaits when he turns it on, more-so than watching the visor. It means it’s not just him and Yosuke any more, it means catching up on messages he’s not sure he’s ready to face, even though he’d have to face them some day.

Much like he anticipated, as soon as the internal system has booted up, a chorus of notification sounds echo around the room. The guilt he pushed aside finally settles in the pit of his stomach, and for a moment he wonders if he’ll have to double over and angle himself towards the empty crate, yet that urge thankfully doesn’t follow.

It’s a full minute later when his phone finally stops going ‘ping’, and he draws the strength from God knows where to check the screen. He can’t bear to face the voice mails left, so all he does is read the messages.

<Kujikawa, Rise> SENPAIIIIIII~!!☆ UR A BIG MEANIE RUNNIN OFF!! ;^; Please come home!!!

<Amagi, Yukiko> Narukami-kun, it’s been more than a few weeks. We know you’re upset, but has something happened? This isn’t like you, and we’re all worried. Please get back to us as soon as you can.

<Shirogane, Naoto> SENPAI PLS RESPOND IF YOU ARE OKAY. Y/N.

<Satonaka, Chie> What are you playing at, Narukami!? This isn’t funny anymore!!! You’ve been gone for months and everyone is freaking out!!!

<Tatsumi, Kanji> Where the hell are you, senpai!?!? You’re making Nanako cry, damn it! HELL! YOU’RE MAKING ME CRY AND I AIN’T AFRAID TO ADMIT THAT.

<Teddie> Sensei it’s scary… Nanako-chan is scared… we’re all scared…

<Dojima, Ryotaro> Your friend Teddie is here, watching over Nanako while I’m out on a search and rescue for you. Family shouldn’t hurt family, you know. I expect an apology for Nanako when you return, it’s not fair for her to be kept awake at night because of her tears.

The messages go on and on, the frantic pleads for his return becoming more intense with every message. It’s all the mentions of Nanako that finally have Souji pushing himself off the chair, diving towards the empty crate to throw up. It burns his throat, all the acid from the lack of substances his body could be ridding itself of now if he were able to eat more than just rations, but at least he hasn’t really wasted all that. In some way, he counts himself lucky.

“Sou… ji…” he hears a faint voice from behind him, wondering for a moment whether the dizzy headache he now suffers is playing tricks on him.

Souji wipes his mouth with a cloth that has seen better days from his pocket, staying still for just a moment before he slowly stands upright and turns back to face Yosuke.

The transfer is complete. It stuns Souji for a while, seeing Yosuke stir as if he had just been in a deep sleep all this time and not suffered what he actually went through.

Souji removes the visor from Yosuke’s face, placing it carefully on the floor beside where he sits. Stroking his cheek with his thumb, Souji can’t hold back his tears from falling hard this time, not when Yosuke’s eyes flutter open and he’s met with such a warm expression.

“Souji…? Hey, don’t cry,” Yosuke’s voice is full of concern as Souji collapses to his knees in front of him, hiding his face in his lap, “It’s okay, partner, I’m okay.”

The way Yosuke runs his hands through Souji’s hair, calming him as if he were a child is welcoming beyond belief. He’s missed the feeling more than words can say, missed Yosuke more than anything in the world, and now he has him back and right here before him.

“Yosuke, we can’t stay here.”

“I know.”

It’s not the expected “huh?” reaction Souji thought his words would be met with, but in some way he knew this might happen all the same. The visor has transferred all of his memories back, right up to the last moments of the crash and the ordeal at the hospital there after.

“Do you… Did it hurt, when you--”

“Souji, don’t do that. I’m fine, forget the damn crash. I know I want to…”

That’s all Yosuke needs to say. There’s no use in asking about the pain, his last thoughts during his last moments, not when he’s been given the chance to continue his life thanks to Souji’s own hard work. It wouldn’t be fair.

“Okay,” he nods, looking up and is met with a kiss on the lips, “Mm, Yosuke…”

“It feels like forever since I’ve done that, even if before… you know, we had such an awesome make-out session.”

“Did you really just say that?”

It has Souji laughing, really laughing, a sound that is so carefree and relaxed compared to how tense he had been before. Perhaps Yosuke has found the confidence through this to be able to speak his mind and not fumble with his words like he used to. It’s something that Souji will likely miss, but perhaps Yosuke’s new-found confidence will be a new interesting match to Souji’s own forwardness with him. It’s hard not to smile about.

“I guess I did. Souji, you…” Yosuke pauses and Souji removes himself from his lap, “Thanks. For this and, well, not giving up on me… but dude, you really need a shower and to eat something, you look and smell like hell.”

“With nothing but a small sink, it’s hard to--”

“Narukami, this is the head of the Kirijo Group speaking. We have the building surrounded, and would appreciate your cooperation immensely.”

‘Ah…’

Souji had played it out again and again in his head, all the different scenarios that may be thrust upon him at any time during the course of the months of him being here, however he did not factor in the possibility of being found at such a touching moment. He had, of course, feared being caught right at the last second before finishing his task, but to be caught right after…

It was too much of a cruel and sick joke for it to be true.

“Souji…?”

“We have to go, I’m not… I’m not letting them get to you, no matter how much they think they’re helping me, I’m not--”

“Hey,” Yosuke holds his face between his hands, lightly stroking his cheeks, “We’re in this together, partner. Until the very end.”

“Narukami, you have twenty seconds before my team enters the building, and they will use force if need be. Your lives are not in danger, yet there is no need for this to be a difficult situation… not with your friends waiting for you.”

Souji can hear in Mitsuru’s voice that this is not the type of situation she wishes she was in, much like himself, but… even if the rest of the Investigation Team are there waiting for him, would they really accept how Yosuke is now, alive but not completely the same as before? Would they even accept Souji considering he has the same type of metal inside him too?

‘No one should be able to cheat death, huh?’

It makes him feel sick, but he can hardly guess their thoughts, their feelings, anything at all. One could say they’ve almost become strangers in his mind over the last few months; strangers that he still cares deeply for, but is scared of all the same.

“Let’s go.”

Souji takes Yosuke’s hand, leading him out of the room and down a dimly lit corridor. The floor, walls, and roof are all the same grey metal like the room they were in before, the entire building very reminiscent of a secret military base like the ones found in movies. In fact, it’s true purpose had been a research facility, only to be shut down when the Kirijo Group noticed its researchers became too enthralled with the idea of bringing back past family members that had been gone for years. The research had never been meant for such things, only to provide those with life altering injuries a faster more developed alternative to what was out there already.

If they never wanted anyone to find the building, least of all succeed with the research left behind, they should have been rid of it right from the start.

It’s not Souji’s fault that a place like this gave him the miracle he hoped for all this time. He wasn’t about to apologise for that.

“Souji, wait--!” Yosuke shouts, bringing Souji back from his wandering thoughts, “Looks like they’re heading down this way, we gotta backtrack.”

“No, I know a place we can go.”

‘The last resort…’

A room not far from where they are now, somewhere Souji wished they had no need to go near, yet with the ever growing sound of footsteps getting louder, there’s no way they’ll make it out of the building. Souji would rather they stick together than be torn apart, even if…

“Got it,” Yosuke doesn’t question their route, not when there’s no time for distractions, and continues to follow Souji down yet another corridor, “You know, this kinda reminds me of that time we had to run away from the Reaper when you just had to open that damn shiny chest.”

Souji laughs, “It does, but I promise there’s no Reaper this time.”

Further along they reach a room with the door hanging off its hinges, and Yosuke can see inside that it looks like an experiment room. Once through the door, the apparatus on the walls become more obvious, along with a large metal platform in the middle of the room surrounded by equipment Yosuke can’t quite figure out what it’s for.

“Looks like something you’d find in a car manufacturing warehouse, right?”

“Now that you mention it… This place is kinda creepy with its "nothing but metal” look going on. It could kinda do with some colour. Orange, maybe.“

Souji walks over to the far left corner of the room, where a dusty old screen hangs down from the cieling. There are two electronic face visors hanging down beside it, exactly the same as the one Souji used before. Grabbing them both, he turns the screen on and selects the right settings he wants.

"Yosuke, you know…” he clears his suddenly dry throat, “We can’t stay together. Not like this, which is why…”

Souji finishes setting up the screen, the equipment in the room begins whirring as the system boots up, and he walks back over to Yosuke.

“Not like this…” Yosuke repeats, looking at the visors, slowly piecing together what Souji might mean.

“No,” Souji speaks quieter, softer, as if he’s afraid to say anything at all, “But like… this.”

Souji hands the visors to Yosuke, then proceeds to unbutton his shirt. For a moment, it has Yosuke utterly confused, before that confusion quickly turns into panic as he watches Souji rip at his own skin before his eyes.

“Souji--!”

“Wait,” he pushes Yosuke back, continuing right where his heart is, “It doesn’t hurt. I promise.”

Yosuke still winces even with Souji’s attempt at comforting words, yet he can’t look away and stares as the left part of Souji’s chest begins to look less like human skin and more like the Anti-Shadow weapon shell that makes up the majority of his body.

He stops once he sees the tears in the corners of Yosuke’s eyes; the broken look on his face all too much to bear.

“I’m sorry,” Souji whispers, pressing his lips against Yosuke’s forehead, “I’m sorry. I wanted you to know you’re not alone.”

“You didn’t need to do it like that, you asshole.” Yosuke hisses through small hiccups as Souji presses more soft kisses against his skin.

“I did, because this is the only way out.”

Souji places his hand against his heart, right where silver and crimson intertwine and burn the skin away from his hand.

“The only way out? Souji, I don’t understand--”

“Narukami, we are locked onto your location, I’m afraid you have nowhere to hide.”

‘No, we’re running out of time.’

“I need you to trust me. Please…”

It’s the first time Yosuke has heard Souji beg, truly beg for anything from him, and with Souji’s lips suddenly upon his own, tongue invading his mouth, it’s hard to question anything at all.

“I,” Yosuke breathes heavily afterwards, clenching his fists, “I trust you, Souji. Whatever is going on inside that head of yours, I’m with you.”

“I need us to lie down on the platform. That’s all we need to do.”

With a nod, Yosuke does as Souji asks. It’s cold, even against his own skin, but with Souji lying down beside him it’s not uncomfortable at all… until the metal cuffs clamp down on his wrists, legs, and waist.

Alarmed, Yosuke struggles against them, cursing under his breath as the more he struggles the tighter they get, yet one look at Souji causes him to stop moving entirely. There’s a peaceful look on his face; a look Yosuke recognises from the times Souji would watch a smiling Nanako, or even himself when he was happy in Souji’s presence.

“Souji…? Ah--!? AHHHHHHH--”

“I’m so sorry, Yosuke,” Souji cries, watching as the electronic equipment starts to pull apart Yosuke’s body, piece by piece, “If I could take away the pain, I would, I’m sorry this is the one thing I couldn’t do.”

“SOUJI, MAKE IT STOP!”

Yosuke’s screeches are worse than seeing his tears, and the sounds of Souji’s crying are not enough to drown out the echo of pain around the room.

“MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP--”

“Narukami!?” Mitsuru’s voice is all but drowned out by the desperation of Yosuke beside him, mixed with what he knows is the sound of his friends crying out for him down the furthest end of the corridor.

‘It should be Yosuke they’re calling for, not me.’

Souji keeps his eyes closed as his own body is pulled apart, the guilt of no pain for himself resting heavy on his chest while his ears are deafened by Yosuke’s almost incoherent pleading.

“SOUJI, PLEASE, MAKE IT--”

Suddenly there is no sound, nothing but ringing in Souji’s ears, and he opens his eyes. He looks to the side of him, fearing that maybe this isn’t going to work, and Yosuke has been put through all this for nothing, when…

There’s nothing but Yosuke’s face now, and reading his lips Souji can hear the “I love you” in his head. It makes him happy.

“I love you too.” Souji speaks, not knowing whether his voice is working at all.

Souji closes his eyes for the final time, his world completely dark and soundless, and in some ways it’s the most comforting thing he’s felt in a long time. Complete silent bliss… and then everything stops.

…

On top of a platform lies a silver and crimson heart.

“What’s that face for?”

“Just admiring the view.”

“Geez, you’re unbelievable.”

Yosuke smiles in a way that takes Souji’s breath away; that kind of smile he wants directed his way for the rest of his life.

They sit there on the river bank, where they’ve been so many times before. It’s a place that brings an array of memories to mind, from back when they brawled it out to become even, all the way to when Yosuke confessed his feelings to Souji.

It’s things like that, Souji thinks, is what is so interesting about Yosuke; he never thought that he’d be the one to say it first, which is why Souji was a fumbling mess with his words at the time.

“A good unbelievable, right?”

“Would you shut up!?”

Souji stands there by the window, curtain pulled back just enough to let him peak through and see into the night. The city is still bustling with life even this late, and seems to be shining more bright as the puddles of water from the rain reflect the light.

It’s nostalgic in a way, reminding him of the city he used to live in before Inaba, but alien all the same; Inaba really will always be his favourite home.

It’s a foggy night along with the rain, and there’s a niggling feeling at the back of his mind. He walks away from the window, but not before opening it as wide as it can go; he’s expecting company any time soon, and the easier the person can get in the better.

Souji moves to the sofa, resting his head in his hands as he watches the TV screen. There’s nothing of interest on at this time of night, which is why it’s off in the first place, but…

“What if…”

“You’re still up?” A voice asks from behind him, followed by the sound of the window closing.

“Welcome back,” Souji turns to face the person, not surprised by how wet the Phantom’s clothes are upon looking at him, “Nice weather we’re having tonight, Kazuki, it looks like you enjoyed it.”

Kazuki chuckles, taking off his mask and placing it in his coat pocket which he then takes off to hang up on the coat rail by the wall.

“It made things a little more awkward tonight, slippery floor and all, but it’s not so bad. You watching for the Midnight Channel still?”

“Old habits die hard, I suppose.” He smiles, motioning for Kazuki to join him where he sits.

The Phantom does just that, shaking his hair dry right as he sits beside him. A few water droplets hit Souji in the face which only causes them both to laugh.

“I prefer cats over wet dogs.” Even with his words, Souji still runs his fingers through Kazuki’s hair.

He hums with content from the attention, “You wound me.”

On nights when Kazuki is out with the group, it always ends up like this; Souji waiting for him with the window open, and once back they sit there on the sofa for as long as Kazuki can stay awake. Souji would argue that sneaking in through the window is unnecessary, but of course the argument is that he’d compromise the both of them if he just strolled in through the front door. Such an argument is highly realistic, so it is always better to be safe than sorry.

“Word has reached Inaba, you know… specifically Chie and Naoto. I’m sure they’ll be called upon if needed, so…” Souji trails off, shifting ever so slightly where he sits.

It’s obvious to Kazuki how uncomfortable any confrontation between them would be, and he knows not to get Souji involved with something that may lead to broken ties with those who are important to him. He’s kept the police from sniffing around where they live so far, not to mention Souji himself, so handling anything further should not be a problem. At least, he hopes that will be the case.

“It’ll be fine, I promise. You don’t have to worry.” And he means that, every word of it.

Souji sighs and mutters a “maybe” under his breath, much to Kazuki’s concern. He’s not the one who should be worrying, he thinks, when God knows what will happen if he and his group make the wrong choices. He doesn’t want any misjudgements on his part to affect Souji, least of all hurt him. It’s why he always refuses the odd times Souji asks if they need help, an odd extra member to the team now and then. While he has the experience, it’s a completely different world to that of what he was used to inside the TV, and keeping Souji away from as much of the danger as possible, the better… for both their sakes.

“There’s no ‘maybe’ about it,” Kazuki pulls on Souji’s earlobe ever so slightly, receiving a playful hit in return, “There’s no need to worry about Naoto or Chie, least of all me. I’m the Phantom, and it doesn’t just mean I’m able to steal people’s hearts…”

Kazuki runs his still gloved hands down Souji’s chest, then back up again underneath his shirt. The slightly damp material is cold against the warmth of his skin, causing him to shiver when Kazuki draws circles ever so gently with his fingertips.

“It means I can also get away with what I want.”

“Is that so?”

“Mmhmm.”

Souji grabs the hands that are teasing him, holding them above Kazuki’s head with one of his own… tightly, too. He realises this is the case when the look in Kazuki’s eyes changes from calm to something akin to arousal. It’s rather amusing as he remembers the first time they were ever intimate together; every time Souji pulled on his hair, held his wrists down, or dragged his nails on his back, Kazuki always called out “more” in a voice that will forever be burned into his memory.

“Who knew a masochist could be this cute?” Souji chuckles, burying his face in the crook of Kazuki’s neck where he licks and sucks on the sensitive skin, eliciting a moan from him that only makes him smirk.

“I think you’re forgetting the word ho-- Ngh…” his words are cut off by Souji’s hand that wanders down his chest, lower further until it’s slipped down his trousers and rubbing Kazuki through his underwear, “Shit, Souji…”

“Language,” Souji chuckles, smiling as his boyfriend pushes his lower body up with his hips, craving the attention, “… More?”

“More.”

That’s all he needs to say for Souji to finally give into Kazuki’s wishes; he lets his arms go, pulling down on his trousers and underwear in one fell swoop. With both garments of clothing around his ankles, it’s now more obvious how erect he is. Souji stares for a moment, licking his lips and contemplating whether he wants to go down on Kazuki like how he was teased himself a few nights ago -- and damn was Kazuki good with his mouth -- but he decides against it.

Holding him by the waist with his left hand, he encloses his right hand around his cock, giving the tip a long stroke.

“Souji,” Kazuki breathes heavily, reaching out to run his hands through Souji’s hair, pulling slightly on his locks, “Mm…”

“You can pull harder.”

“Don’t tempt me, I’ll make you bold.”

Even at their more intimate moments like this they can still laugh with each other, and it’s a rather comforting thing.

With Kazuki feeling like the whole world is against him, it’s nice to know Souji isn’t a part of that.

“Kazuki,” Souji leans in close to him, licking and sucking the skin of his neck like before, “You’re beautiful.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

The reply comes as a strained sigh, yet Souji swears he hears a moan in there somewhere. He knows exactly how sensitive Kazuki is on his neck, which is why he’s giving it the attention it rightly deserves, along with the strokes and tugs he gives his cock.

Souji’s always been good with his hands, but who knew all that practice on paper cranes and other such crafts would make him so good at giving hand jobs?

Kazuki thrusts up into his hand, craving more friction and speed. He doesn’t like the slow tease -- only when he’s the one doing the teasing -- and wants Souji to put more into it.

As if reading his mind, Souji finally gives him a taste of what he wants when he squeezes him roughly, forcefully moving his hand up and down at the same time.

“God, Souji--!” Kazuki calls out deliciously - at least, that’s what Souji thinks - and pulls on his hair harder than before.

Judging by the stickiness of his hand, Kazuki’s not far off from reaching his end, and that’s a sight Souji can’t wait to see.

“Go on, Kazuki, you can come.”

And that’s all that needs to be said for him to do just that. Kazuki shivers and lets out one last moan of Souji’s name, before resting his forehead on his shoulder.

He feels overly sensitive, not to mention tired too, and wonders if that’s why he didn’t last as long as last time. Kazuki doesn’t say anything on the matter, and won’t if Souji doesn’t too.

“I’m beat,” he yawns, moving his head back to face Souji, “The Phantom needs his beauty sleep.”

Souji lets out a hearty chuckle at his words, and the sound of it makes Kazuki’s chest feel warm. That sound is always appreciated after a long day, even more after an intimate moment together.

He can’t quite put a finger on it, but there’s something about hearing Souji laugh that way that makes him feel safe and content.

"Let’s get cleaned up and head to bed.“

"Sounds like the perfect plan, but try not to steal the covers like a cat this time.”

“Explain to me again why a double date is a good idea.”

It’s quiet in Sumikon on this Friday afternoon. It’s too late for anyone to be in the café for lunch, and far too early for those still at work in the city to enjoy an evening coffee.

Yosuke holds a tray with four hot chocolates on it, rolling his eyes at the caramel art of a cat on one of the frothier ones. At least it wasn’t hearts like a certain other two.

‘Am I really the only one who takes their drinks normally?’

“Minako-san thought it might be a good idea for all of us to get to know each other better, plus I agree with her.” Souji takes a plate of marshmallows, adding them to the tray Yosuke holds, receiving a small glare as it only makes it heavier to carry.

“Yeah, and we were gonna ask her about the whole ‘Great Seal’ thing, but how the hell can we do that with Kazuki there?“

It’s not that Yosuke has anything against the guy – apart from picking up the nickname ‘old man’ for Yosuke thanks to a passing joke courtesy of Souji – rather he finds himself far too curious only to talk about normal day-to-day topics.

“Yosuke,” Souji gives him a knowing look and a nod, “I want to find out about that as much as you do, but I also want to enjoy a hot chocolate with the company of my boyfriend and two friends.”

The kiss Souji plants on Yosuke’s lips catches him off guard, almost making him spill everything on the tray. He doesn’t mind surprise kisses – in fact, he’s grown quite fond of them – but the way the Fool acts so casual about everything never fails to fluster the Magician.

“Sit your ass down before I force you to.”

“Yes, sir.”

The booth they sit at is a usual one for Kazuki; one where he and his friends plan their nightly heists. He can feel himself smiling internally as Minako sits beside him.

He knows everything about everyone thanks to her; from the events that unfolded on the night S.E.E.S fought Nyx, to the days that followed where she had to part from everyone.

Being the Great Seal did not mean she was oblivious to everything going on below. As if just like in a deep slumber rather than what she had become, she watched from a dream-like place at what was happening to those she had held dear, accompanied by a boy wearing a long yellow scarf.

Even with the company, she found herself hiding in the corners of her mind, denying the loneliness she felt in her heart. Leaving the other once it was finally time to return home was not easy, not when she had hoped for him to follow after her.

Minako cried that night, with only the full moon as her witness.

Growing accustomed to life again had not been the easiest of challenges, yet she had not given up; not with the fear of being too weak that she would be taken away again, this time to a place where there would be no company at all.

Meeting Kazuki whilst she wandered the halls of what she thought had been an abandoned building to clear her head, well… it had to have been fate.

She had not known he was the Phantom at the time, but in hindsight she should have realised; He had given off a certain aura, one similar to that a persona user had, and once she found he was indeed the notorious thief, all she could do was laugh with a smile.

They talked about anything and everything for the next few weeks, forming a bond different to that of just friends. Light traces of fingers atop hers, soft brushes against his cheek…

Kissing him for the first time had sent sparks running through her.

“Yosuke, Souji, nice of you to finally join us!” Minako beams as Yosuke places the tray in the middle of the table before slipping into the booth after Souji.

“Arisato-san, you’re looking brighter today. Finally over that cold, huh?”

She nods at the brunette, taking her hot chocolate and lightly blowing on it. Once happy it won’t burn her, she has a sip, humming with content.

“Mm, I am!” Minako responds, having given up on trying to change his mind about referring to her by her last name. She won’t bother Yosuke about it anymore, secretly hoping it won’t take long for him to start calling her 'Minako-san’ similar to how Souji does.

“That’s good to hear,” Souji smiles at her, taking one of the marshmallows and holding it up to Yosuke’s mouth, only to have his hand swatted away, “We were worried about you, Kazuki especially.”

“Souji-san, I thought that was supposed to be kept a secret.”

Kazuki shakes his head with a chuckle, reaching out to take Minako’s hand in his, lightly stroking her soft skin. It sends a relaxing shiver down her spine, causing her to momentarily close her eyes and sigh with content.

Being able to enjoy time with them like this, Kazuki by her side and all, is truly a blessing when she thought she’d never find anyone to connect with like she had with the members of S.E.E.S.

Yu reminds her of herself in a way, Kazuki as well, and it’s not only because of the power of the Wild Card they all share. There’s a fondness for Yosuke she feels much like she had towards Junpei too, and she only wishes to be able to see him and the rest of her friends once more.

It’d be impossible though; now that she’s a physical living entity again, all senses of where they are or what they could be doing are all but gone. The only hints come from Yu, and that was over three months ago.

“Are you okay, Minako-san?” she hears her name mentioned in conversation, realising she had been spacing out for longer than she thought.

“Being here like this reminds me of the time I spent in Chagall Cafe at Tatsumi Port Island…”

Once more Souji and Yosuke share a look, knowing how hard it must be for Minako to adjust to life without knowing anything about how her past friends are. Not even Souji would be able to say whether they were alive or not with absolute confidence, considering the types of activities they’ve all been involved in.

The Shadow Operatives are an undeniably strong group, but not even they are immune to the worst of injuries. A single gun wound is one that would spring to mind for them if you asked.

“I used to sit here like we are now,” Minako goes on, the sound of the bell on the café door jingling interrupting her, followed by the sound of footsteps, “With Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka... even Ken, Aigis, and our senpai. Each of them would have something so different to talk to me about, and being with them was the most fun I ever had. I'm thankful to have got so close to them and shared so many memories.”

“Guess you've made this place pretty nostalgic for Arisato-san, huh, Kazuki?”

“What can I say, Yosuke-san, there must be something about cafés that bring people together.”

Kazuki nods, eyes looking to the way Souji holds Yosuke's hand on the table, their fingers intertwined. He winks, and it's not the first time he's done so in regards to their hand holding, or any sort of public display of affection, which only causes Yosuke to roll his eyes. If only Souji hadn't told him about how much of a nervous mess he had been at the start of their relationship, then maybe he wouldn't have to be dealing with the teasing from the younger male.

“Minako...?”

The voice that calls to her, and nervously so, is one she never thought she'd ever hear again. It paints a familiar face in her mind, head adorned with a baseball hat and all. It's a complete shock to the system, causing her to close her eyes and clutch her chest with a shaky fist.

‘This... is it them...?’

“Minako, if that's you...” another voice speaks up, breaking into what sounds like a cry, and upon slowly opening her eyes she is faced with the unmistakeable colour of pink, “If that's really you...”

“It's me.”

It's all she needs to say, accompanied by a certain kind of smile that has those who stand in front of her unable to hold back the tears any longer. There's something different about this group, even with the strikingly obvious similarities to years gone by; an aura they give off that reminds Minako of the resolution they held in their hearts in the build up to the last battle she fought with them right behind her.

“Junpei, Yukari,” with each name she speaks it's impossible for the owner of the name not to smile, “Fuuka, Aigis, Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai... Ken, you've grown tall!”

“Woof!”

“You too, Koromaru.”

Laughter erupts amongst the group, and that sound is something Minako can't help jumping out of her seat at, opening her arms and pulling everyone into a group hug like many times she had done before. It feels so natural, as if not a day has gone by with the oh-so familiar warmth it brings her inside.

Yosuke and Souji, acquainted with the Shadow Operatives already, move to stand by Kazuki. Their attempts at an easy explanation as to why this reunion is as emotional as it is are waved aside by him, and all he does is smile.

‘I know everything.’

“Minako-chan holds people close to her, doesn't she?” Kazuki muses, all too knowingly, “It's no wonder this display is bitter sweet when it's with those dear to her.”

His words are easily accepted by the two, not a hint of suspicion on their faces; Kazuki would turn away to chuckle to himself if there weren't the amount of people that there are around to notice his inevitable smirking.

Perhaps one day he will come clean about his alter ego, but until he and his team mates have accomplished what they've set out to do, that day is not any day soon.

“Minako-san,” Ken clears his throat to gain her attention, motioning her away from the rest of the group, yet it only proves to gain the attention of non-Port Island Persona users.

Kazuki raises a brow as he slowly and quietly moves towards the two, changing his path so that he walks around and behind them, going unnoticed. It's a skill he's perfected what with his group's usual activities including sneaking around places to avoid people as well as Shadows. He can see Souji and Yosuke muttering to each other from the corner of his eye, most likely about his movement, and he can't help but smile to himself.

“I promised I'd grow up to be someone you could be proud of.” Ken smiles, cheeks a shade pinker than when he first pulled Minako away from the others.

Her kind-hearted giggle only proves to cause the young teen to flush further, “Not only have you grown taller, you're more handsome since the last time I saw you. I couldn't be prouder!”

Kazuki, finally revealing himself, joins in with Minako's laughter -- which causes a surprised and embarrassed Ken to jump where he stands -- and wraps an arm around her waist, “Maybe one day he'll be as handsome as I and steal the heart of someone like you.”

“Now, now, Kazuki-kun, there's no need to tease him. Ken is a dear friend of mine, and we all know he probable has hearts swooning for him already!”

Perhaps kissing her on the lips in front of Ken isn't the brightest idea he has, especially with the way his eyes change from containing a look of hope in them to sadness... but when that saddened look changes to one of suspicion after Kazuki embraces Minako, sending a wink and a smirk Ken's way, the thief within him can't help but get a small thrill from it.

‘Apologies, Ken, the Phantom already stole her heart.’

“Here,” Kazuki throws a card Ken's way with such accurate precision that it falls right between the index and middle fingers of his right hand, “A discount card to use here at Sumikon for you and your friends. This place is a pretty good spot to take a special someone out on a date. Take it from me, kid.”

“Whoa, Kazuki, how did you do that!? That was some phantom thief talent if I ever saw it!”

“Oh, Junpei-san, you've heard of that guy?”

“Souji, really? These guys are the Shadow-- Ow, hey, what the hell!?” the elbow in Yosuke's side promptly reminds him that Kazuki is the only non-Persona user -- that they're aware of, at least -- amongst everyone gathered in the group.

“It's just a trick.” Kazuki chuckles, eyes still on Ken, “You won't see me jumping from buildings in the night, student's honour.”

‘Somehow I doubt that...’ Ken narrows his eyes as the group's conversation changes topic, keeping his eyes on Kazuki exactly like the other is doing to him.

It's the little things he loves the most.

The way he listens so intently, how he makes you feel like your words are the only ones he needs to hear; the only things he ever wishes to know, no matter how trivial they may be.

The way he keeps his gaze fixated on you when you talk, never feigning indifference, not even for a second, that makes you grateful, so very grateful to finally have someone so important to you that actually cares.

The way he cares, the way he asks "are you okay?" in that oh-so sincere voice of his, that soft voice that kindly welcomes you to open up, dissolving that initial hesitation you forget was ever there.

That smile that so effortlessly puts you at ease and makes you feel like nothing in the world could hurt you, nothing could ever ruin that happiness you feel when that smile is directed at you, because it's that smile that could protect you alone, make you feel invincible.

Those arms that hold you close in such a tenderly way, as if you are the most fragile thing in the world he never wishes to let go, so you let yourself be immersed in that warm embrace, both completely content in that loving moment.

The "good morning" and "good night" he never fails to say each time before you fall asleep or wake up, reminding you that he is always there with a gentle kiss and touches that never fail to calm you.

It's the way he concentrates on that intricate paper folding he wishes to perfect, looking at Souji now, a look of pure concentration, that takes Yosuke's breath away.

Anything he does, all the things he says, every single look that graces his face, no matter what it is...

These last few days have been the hardest for Yosuke.

It’s one thing coming to terms with how you feel -- really feel -- about your best friend, but to then think of confessing...?

‘I don’t think I can do this...’

He paces back and forth in his bedroom, alone as his parents have taken Teddie out to see a film for the evening. He’s grateful to be alone with his thoughts, and more-so grateful for the fact that no one can hear the way he sighs and mumbles incoherently to himself.

He’s stressed, that much is obvious from the dark circles under his eyes, along with the uneven breathing he can’t quite get under control.

‘Dammit, who knew this would be so hard?’

The truth of the matter is he’s been much more aware of his attraction towards Souji than he had first denied to himself.

These last few days? No; he’s known for a few weeks now, but the panic and reality of his predicament has only now settled in alongside his feelings.

He’s always thought Souji was different, and to begin with, it was no more than pure admiration on a level of respect.

However, as time went on... that so-called "respect" blossomed into a feeling of something more, something deeper within him.

A small liking that grew into a longing, finally becoming a feeling of love.

Yosuke didn’t just “like" Souji, he didn’t just have a measly "crush’”, he was completely and utterly in love with his best friend... and that’s what scares him the most.

“Of all the people, it had to be him, huh...?” he sighs aloud, throwing himself backwards onto his bed with his phone in his hands.

[Subject: we need to talk] To: Partner hey, dude... can u come round rn?

Not a moment later his phone buzzes, the light flashing to signify a response from the one person he needs to see right now, yet also the one he’s scared of the most.

[Re: Subject: we need to talk] From: Partner Sure thing, Yosuke. I’ll be there right away.

“You’re too much.”

He does not respond, knowing there’s no need to; Souji really will be knocking on his door in next to no time, as always.

Souji’s kindness is far too much, the way he drops everything that he’s doing to see a friend who needs it, no matter what the problem -- whether specified or not -- is.

Yosuke feels guilty as he waits, staring at the clock on the wall. Tick tock, tick tock, it continues on loudly around the silent room. The only other sound is that of Yosuke’s breathing that only seems to become worse as time passes.

He feels guilty not only due to what he’s about to drop on his best friend, but the fact that even without telling him, he’s... he’s had thoughts of Souji-- Sinful thoughts he knows he shouldn’t have.

He thinks about what it’d be like to kiss his best friend, imagines what it’d be like to run his fingers through his hair whether they were making out or just enjoying the silent company of each other.

He thinks about what Souji would say if Yosuke touched him, if he’d sigh quietly or be rather vocal if he were to let his hands wander to lower parts of his body, and what it’d feel like to grind against him.

“Hah, I’m the worst...”

Yosuke groans, rolling over to get off his bed, just in time to hear the doorbell ring.

‘Time’s up...’

It’s now or never, he guesses, to say what’s been on his mind for what feels like eternity. He knows that’s not the case, he hasn’t even been alive for over twenty years yet, but he can’t think straight as he almost wobbles down the stairs in an awkward walk.

‘Deep breaths, deep breaths.’

His chest is tight, and finally seeing Souji with his own eyes as he comes to the bottom step hurts in ways he didn’t think it would.

“Hey,” he manages to cough out, scratching the back of his neck, “Thanks for coming over.”

“It’s nothing, partner,” and oh how Yosuke hates the way that word makes his heart flutter now, “What are best friends for, right?”

“I guess you’ve got a point.”

Forcing laughter hurts too, and with Souji raising a brow, he’s quick to continue talking before he begins to trip over his words.

Souji’s done enough talking, enough problem solving for everyone, and it’s about time Yosuke addressed a problem first... even if it’s a problem Souji is completely unaware of.

... Or is he? Surely he’d have a feeling, Souji Seta, the one person who seems to know what’s wrong with everyone in the world?

By the confused and curious look in his eyes as he waits patiently for Yosuke to speak, it’s evident that he does not.

Yosuke would laugh for real if he wasn’t so petrified.

“So...” taking what feels like the hundredth deep breath of the evening, Yosuke steps closer to Souji, a little too close than normal, “I have a confession...”

Souji frowns, “I thought we were fine. Equals.”

He’s misunderstood. He’s so far off that Yosuke does laugh, and hard.

“No, we are! Well...” and then he grimaces, “No. We’re not. You’re better than me.”

“Yosuke--”

No doubt there was about to be a long lecture of how Yosuke shouldn’t feel like second best, shouldn’t have to feel he needs to meet expectations, but Souji’s words are cut off by something Yosuke never thought he’d have the strength to do; kiss his best friend.

It doesn’t last long, no longer than the realisation of it happening sinking in for both of them, and especially not long due to the harsh push against Yosuke’s chest courtesy of Souji’s palms.

That push is all it takes for his heart to sink right to the ground.

“Yosuke,” his voice isn’t stern, it’s not mean, and maybe that’s what hurts the most, “I’m sorry, I really am sorry, but I can’t do this. I’m flattered, believe me, but I don’t share your feelings.”

It’s not like the words he’s hearing now aren’t ones that hadn’t already crossed his mind, not what he hadn’t already feared, but that doesn’t stop them from piercing him like a knife.

“You look tired,” Souji continues, to fill the unbearable silence, “You should get some rest.”

“Yeah,” the words escape him automatically, no louder than a whisper, “Yeah...”

Souji doesn’t wait for anything else, doesn’t wait to become more of a problem for Yosuke when he sees the expression on his face changing from one of confusion, to one of a mix of regret and pain.

He’s opening the door and making his leave.

“Souji, I--”

“I’m sorry if I ever led you on.”

Click.

Those words hurt the most. They’re the nail in the coffin, the hope of what Yosuke had ridiculously wished for shattering into millions of pieces.

How could he have ever thought it’d turn out like he had wanted? How could Souji, “Mr. Perfect”, ever like someone like Yosuke in return?

'I’m the worst...’ Yosuke rests his head against the door, looking down and noticing the shadowed mark of tears on the floor before even registering the feeling of them falling from his eyes.

“The absolute worst...” he gasps for his coming breaths, the sudden shakiness of his body far too overwhelming for him to take.

There’s no way he’ll be able to face Souji after this. He bet their entire friendship on this, and he knows it won’t ever be the same. He can’t bring himself to call him “partner” any more, knowing it’ll leave a sour taste in his mouth, and an even more guilty feeling in his chest.