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Adachi's not subtle. Junes has everything, sure, but there's no reason for him to be hanging out in it for a week straight, not unless he's one of those people who enjoys being surrounded by an excess of products, of TVs he can't afford, and discount items, and crowds that maybe make him feel more connected to the town. After all, everyone goes to Junes, no matter how much they complain about it driving out businesses or ruining lives, and it's easy to feel like a part of something big and important in the middle of them all.
But Yosuke's pretty sure that's not it. Backed up against a shelf in an abandoned corner of Junes, he's pretty sure Adachi's trying to pick him up and has been all week. Him – a high school student, a guy, the best friend of his partner's nephew.
Fuck, that's sad.
To be fair, though, Adachi's kind of a sad dude. He comes in to buy cheap vegetables and lots of cabbages and sometimes he'll loiter in the lobby and stare at the people passing by with an expression that's impossible to read, and now that Yosuke thinks about it, he probably lives alone as well. Works with Dojima-san during the day and, what, goes back to some little apartment and cooks his cabbage then sits in front of the TV to be comforted by the voices and images of other human beings?
The possibility is so lame and pitiful that part of Yosuke – the part he's trying to change, the part that's his Shadow – wants to laugh because damn, that's pathetic. Grow some balls, he's tempted to say, go to a bar and find a woman there, how desperate and sick are you that you're after a high school student?
And how desperate and sad is Yosuke for wanting him to make the offer so he can accept it?
"It's getting late," Adachi says with a look at his watch, "and it's so dark out… Unless you've got someone waiting for you, you'll have walk home alone in this, won't you?"
"It won't be too bad." Last time Yosuke checked, it was just drizzling, but that was half an hour ago. When he concentrates, there's steady background noise, and for all he knows it's pouring by now. "I've got a bike."
He's got someone he could walk home with too but he doesn't mention that, tries not to think about him because that just makes him feel worse about what he's considering, reminds him why he's considering it at all.
"Riding can't be much better." Adachi shifts his bag from one hand to the other – Yosuke catches sight of carrots and onions, both on sale – and rubs the back of his neck. He's not really attractive. Not bad, exactly, and he's got this goofy thing going on that might even be a little endearing, but he's not Yosuke's type at all, too old, too scattered-brained, too—
Part of Yosuke still wishes he could say too male, that's not what I'm into, but that's not true. He's been dreaming about hands that belong to a guy for a couple of weeks now, hands with long fingers and palms rough from too many fights, and gray eyes, and a soft smile that makes him go weak.
He's always wanted things he can't have – wanting to go back to the city, wanting Saki-senpai to like him, wanting to be a hero, to be special, and taking hit after hit to try to achieve that even for a second, wanting Souji to look at him and think about him and want him, and none of this is worth dwelling on, why does he keep thinking about it?
Adachi's not his type at all, but the way he smiles, nervous and sheepish, is nice enough, and it's nice to have it directed at him. That makes up for Adachi's flaws; when they're talking – and they've been talking all week about this and that, and Adachi stands closer each time and Yosuke lets him even though it's – fucking sad, lame – wrong, even though he knows it's an invitation he's not sure he's ready to have accepted – anyway, when they're talking he feels like Adachi's actually listening to him, even looking forward to their conversations. And, yeah, he gets that from his friends, but he's always been selfish and greedy; what Chie and Yukiko give him when they're rolling their eyes at one of his jokes, what Souji gives him when they're hanging out together, isn't enough. He wants more and even if he's not getting it from the person he wants, it's flattering that someone older would find him interesting, even someone as goofy as Adachi.
"I mean," Adachi continues, "you might slip in a puddle or something, and it's just a bad idea to be out this late now. The killer, well, you heard about the Tatsumi kid being kidnapped recently, what's to say that you won't be caught going home by yourself? Not to scare you or anything, but as a detective it's my job to make sure everyone in town is kept safe."
"Yeah." Yosuke's not worried; he hasn't appeared on the Midnight Channel and is sure the killer won't change the way he's been doing things. Not tonight, at least, but he can't say that without inviting questions he can't answer and, anyway, he doesn't want to say anything to deter Adachi. He's got an idea of what's coming up next and his stomach churns in what's either anticipation or anxiety.
Sure enough, Adachi says, "I've got my car in the parking lot. If you want, I'll wait around until you're off and – when is that, by the way?"
Yosuke checks the time on his cell phone. "Ten minutes."
"Wow, that's convenient. Tell you what, I'll wait here and when you get off, I'll load your bike in the back and give you a ride home. I'll get some company for a while and you'll stay dry. Good exchange, don't you think?" He smiles and toys with the knot on his tie, which is so close to being undone it's a question as to why he bothers to continue wearing it. Yosuke's reasonably sure he knows why he keeps doing that, and he's not sure how he feels about the possibility of being tied up, but it'd take some of the responsibility away from him, right? Maybe it'd mean less work on his part, less involvement, that he'd just have to lie back and let Adachi take charge, and he can't believe he's about to accept this.
"Are you sure?" He's stalling for time, pretending to think, trying to trick himself into believing he might say no, but it's not working. He's already got his mind made up. "It's probably out of your way."
"Oh, it's not trouble at all." Adachi gives his tie another tug and takes a hesitant step closer. He's too close but Yosuke doesn't call him on it, and he smiles. "It'll be a nice change, having a person to talk to."
Yosuke stares at his tie, at the fingers gripping it too tightly, and when he glances up Adachi catches his eye and his smile takes on an edge.
He can probably stand being tied up for one night.
He's opening his mouth to say yes, hoping he won't regret this and knowing he will no matter what answer he gives, when something catches his attention. It's half a movement on the edge of his vision, half a feeling, and he turns his head to find Souji standing at the end of the aisle.
He's too far away to have heard anything, too far away to notice anything but how close he and Adachi are and even that can be explained away, but he's got that blank look on his face, the one he wears when he's thinking something too deep for Yosuke to uncover, and Yosuke knows he knows. It doesn't matter how, it doesn't matter how long he's been standing there; all Yosuke can focus on is the fact that Souji knows and he jerks away from Adachi – away from Souji who's looking at him with unreadable eyes – so fast he upsets a few boxes on the shelf and sends them falling to the ground.
This makes Adachi notice Souji, who heads towards them, apparently undisturbed by Yosuke's reaction. Yosuke kneels to pick up the boxes, scrambling to get them together, and wishes his movements weren't so jerky.
"You're still here, Adachi-san?" Souji's voice is perfectly polite, slightly curious, and the last thing Yosuke wants to hear right now.
"Yeah, I'm still hanging around." There's a moment where Adachi starts to turn and stops, unsure of whether he should continue the conversation or help Yosuke. Yosuke keeps his eyes on the floor and stiffens – Get away, get away – and doesn't relax even when Adachi turns away. He won't be able to relax until Adachi is out of the store and he's back in his room and this is just a bad memory. "But I thought you were getting ready to leave."
"I get off the same time as Yosuke." Souji bends down to help him pick up the boxes and he chokes out a thanks without looking up.
"Well then, maybe I can give you a ride too." Hands freezing in mid-motion, Yosuke stares at him and Adachi smiles like he's just suggested something that isn't the most horrible idea Yosuke's ever heard. "Wouldn't you like that, Hanamura-kun?"
Maybe he's been reading everything wrong. Maybe he's been sadder and more pathetic than Adachi, sad enough that he's been picking up things that aren't even there, and the offer is just him being nice, the looks haven't been anything, and Adachi just stands too close because he has no respect for personal space.
But Adachi's playing with his tie again and there's something about his smile, about the way he laughs and asks, "Ah, come on, what's with that look?" that makes Yosuke want to punch him or put himself between him and Souji.
He's taken a half-step forward to do—he's not sure; one of those things—when Souji says, "I'll walk, thanks. What about you, Yosuke?"
All of the boxes are fixed and it'd be awkward not to look at him when he answers. Yosuke manages it somehow, though doing so makes him feel ashamed and the one glance he gives Adachi makes him struggle to keep his voice even. "I'll take my bike."
"Oh?" Adachi says, eyebrows rising and eyes wide. "But I thought we—"
"Thanks," Yosuke cuts in, and why the hell won't Adachi shut up? "But I'll be fine."
Adachi shrugs. "Maybe next time then. See you around."
There's an uncomfortable silence after he excuses himself where Souji stares after him, hand pressed to his mouth thoughtfully, and Yosuke frowns at the floor. Finally, Souji breaks out of his thoughts. "We should head to the break room."
Yosuke nods stiffly. "Sure."
There's no one in the room or the tiny restroom attached to it; Inaba's small and runs on small town time so this late there's only a skeleton crew needed to keep the store running. Even Souji's help wouldn't have been needed if two workers hadn't gotten sick at the same time. Still, the portable television set on the table is turned on with the volume low in case anyone comes in.
Souji hangs his apron next to Yosuke's – neatly, where Yosuke's is in danger of falling – and looks at him sideways. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something."
"What was there to interrupt?" Yosuke messes with his timecard and clocks himself out. He can hear the rain better here and hopes his coat will be enough to keep him relatively dry on the ride home.
"You looked like you were in the middle of something serious."
"What, with Adachi-san?" He manages a laugh and cuts it off short when it comes out wrong. He's lying through his teeth and he's sure Souji knows it but maybe if he keeps it up he can avoid the conversation. "No, there was nothing. Don't worry about it."
Souji searches through his apron pocket, pulling out little things he'd had stored there. "Is that your type?"
His mouth goes dry. "What?"
"Adachi-san." Done with his own pocket, Souji fixes Yosuke's apron and goes through his, getting a few yen for his trouble. "Older, dark-haired, a—"
"It's not like that," Yosuke snaps because hearing it implied aloud is a thousand times worse than just thinking it. "He was just being nice and offering me a ride."
"Oh? He offered me one too. Now that I think about it, it'll be really inconvenient to walk home in this rain." Souji heads for the break room door. "Maybe I can still catch him and—"
"Don't!" There was nothing to suggest that Adachi had any interest in Souji, nothing beyond that stupid offer and that laugh and—Wouldn't you like that, Hanamura-kun? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Little things that might have meant nothing at all and Souji's jacket is still on the coat rack so he can't be serious, but the word jumps out of his throat before he could stop it because the last thing he wants is Souji and Adachi—Adachi tying that stupid red tie around—
Fuck, fuck, no—
Souji stops without looking at him, one hand on the handle of the open door. "Why not?"
"Just…" Yosuke balls his hands up and tries to stand in silence but it's too heavy for him to bear for more than a few seconds. "Look, you're right, okay? We were probably going to do exactly what you thought we were. In fact, I was counting on it. Happy now?"
Souji closes the door and turns to face him. His expression is annoyingly unreadable again and Yosuke's frustrated at his inability to read the thoughts of his best friend when his are apparently so clear. "No. Why him?"
"Does it matter?" Yosuke goes to the restroom. "Look, I've gotta piss, can we talk about this tomorrow?"
He doesn't wait for an answer before closing the door. It's a childish bad habit, running away from problems, but he needs time to think of some excuse that won't make him sound like a loser. Maybe he can still claim Adachi is his type. Souji might buy that; liking older guys is the kind of thing that wouldn't be easy to admit.
It doesn't sound close to convincing even in his head.
He hasn't been alone for a minute before Souji's opening the door and squeezing himself into the tight space. "No respect for privacy, partner?" he mumbles. He should have actually used the bathroom. That would have given him a surprise.
"Why him?"
He doesn't want to have a heart-to-heart in a restroom at Junes, but Souji's blocking the door. He stares at the sink while he talks because the only other options are the mirror and Souji. "I don't know. Because he was willing? Because he wanted me?"
"Do you like him?"
"He's Adachi, why the hell would I…" He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "It was a bad decision. Everyone makes them."
There's a long stretch of silence.
"Turn around."
He does. Souji's closer than he thought and the restroom is smaller than he thought and he's more flustered than he should be, heart thudding—dammit, how did he get into this mess?
"What did you like about him?"
"I already told you, I didn't like—"
"You have to have liked something." Souji puts his hands on the sink, trapping him in place. "You're not the kind of person to just jump in with a stranger."
"Aren't I?" He tries a chuckle and a smile, both of which fail miserably. He stares at one of Souji's hands, so close to his. "I liked the way he looked at me," he says finally.
Souji sighs in a way that's more of a distracting hum. "I'm looking at you."
"It's not the same."
"Isn't it?" Souji leans closer until he either has to stay where he is or bend awkwardly over the sink. He starts to bend and stops. "How can you tell when you're staring at our hands?"
He makes himself look up. It's hard to make out anything, Souji's face is so damn close to his, but Souji's not blinking or looking away and for once Yosuke thinks he might actually be able to tell what he's thinking. He starts to turn away and Souji's hand – the one he wasn't looking at – closes over the back of his neck and holds him in place.
"Don't," Souji says. "I want you to look at me when I do this."
He's dizzy when Souji uses his free hand to unbutton his jeans.
"Were you hard," Souji asks, pulling on his zipper, "when he was talking to you? When you were thinking about going in his car and letting him touch you?"
He tries to swallow and it hurts. "No."
"Why not?"
"He wasn't—" His voice catches when Souji's fingers slip under his clothing and touch his skin. "—wasn't the guy I wanted."
"Will you get hard for me?" Souji's hand finds his dick and wraps around it.
Yosuke closes his eyes and grips the sink hard. "Yeah."
"Keep your eyes open," Souji says and starts to move his hand.
Yosuke tries but it's hard to meet Souji's gaze, focused and unwavering. Unable to hold it for long, his eyes dart around the room and he tries to turn his head, only to have Souji gently pull him back each time, to stroke his neck and keep their eyes locked.
"I didn't like the way you were looking at him," Souji says.
Yosuke's too hot to manage anything other than a noise to let Souji know he heard him, to twist as much as Souji will allow him and move his hips in time with his hand.
"Don't ever look at anyone besides me like that, okay?"
He manages to get out, "Ordering me around?"
"Yes." Souji's fingers lose their rhythm for a moment and he touches without pattern. "And the way you look now—"
"Stupid," he says, and moans when Souji starts back up.
"No," Souji says softly, "not stupid at all. You're not allowed to show this face to anyone else."
Replying is beyond Yosuke at this point. He tries to lean his head back, groans, "Partner," and for the first time, Souji's eyes flutter, almost closing as his hand falters and he makes a small noise in the back of his throat. They're cloudy when they open again and he breathes, "Yosuke," in a way no one's ever said his name before.
Yosuke says it again when he puts shaking hands on Souji's hips, repeats it with dissolving clarity until he comes, at which point he only manages to think it. By then, Souji's face is red and his fingers are touching without rhythm again and neither of them manages to keep their eyes open.
Something slick brushes against Yosuke's mouth. He cracks his eyes open, sees Souji lick his fingers before carrying the motion forward to lap at Yosuke's mouth. Yosuke catches his tongue and sucks on it, kisses him until a lack of breath forces him to pull away, and Souji lets him take the lead the entire time, slides his hand from his neck to his hair and grips it hard.
"You can't do this with anyone else," Souji says against his mouth. "I won't let you. If you had done with Adachi-san, I would have…" His hand tightens in Yosuke's hair, on his shirt, and Yosuke shakes his head, unable to put his reassurance into words strong enough. Souji's eyes are wide open, pupils dilated, and Yosuke's never been able to read him better. He likes what he sees there, molds his body to Souji's. "You're mine."
The way Adachi looked at him is nothing compared to the way Souji looks at him now. Yosuke can't voice his agreement enough, can't get close enough.
He never lets Adachi stand close to him again.