Chapter Text
The weather was still warm when Naoto announced she was joining the team. She was a welcome addition, as far as Yosuke was concerned - a bit smug and definitely sporting a height complex - but smart, level headed, and sharp. There was a tiny bruising to his ego, knowing that he'd been the brains of the operation before she came around, but he squashed the petty jealousy down. Naoto was good for them, all of them. He couldn't let childish envy get the best of him now.
On the roof of Junes, they'd agreed to gather at the food court once again. There was no one to save just yet, but it was good to meet sometimes, maybe dive into the TV world to keep their skills sharp. Yosuke had plopped down on the bench of the picnic table with a cold drink. It wasn't raining, but the sun was hot and the shade of the overhang was welcome. Yu sat across from him, as he normally did, drinking a bottle of that fancy sparkling water he liked.
Conversation was the usual: school, murders, the Midnight Channel. Yosuke was only half listening when Rise caught his attention.
"So, Yosuke-senpai," she said, leaning her chin on her hand. "I heard you turned down a girl in my class today."
He lifted his head at her, frowning. "Oh. Yeah."
"You did?" Yu looked genuinely surprised. "Why?"
Yosuke rubbed a sore spot where his neck met his shoulder. "Because I don't even know her, dude." He thought of the girl, a tiny thing with wire frame glasses and hair in a sideways ponytail. She'd looked terrified, approaching him at his shoe locker after school. He couldn't even remember her name now. "Sure, she was cute, but what if I said yes and then we didn't get along? That'd be mean, don't you think?"
Yu nodded solemnly and took a swig of his water. "Yeah," he agreed after finishing his drink. "It would be hard to say yes to that."
Yosuke nodded, rubbing the condensation from the can between his fingers. "Still. She was really cute."
"Don't worry," Yu laughed. "I'm sure you'll find someone."
"If you know anyone, I'm all ears."
Taking a long gulp from his soda, Yosuke almost didn't notice how silent the table had gone. It was only when he glanced over to Rise that he noticed her staring. Gawking was probably a more apt description, her jaw hanging loose and wide eyed. Yosuke's gaze went to the rest of their team to find each of them in a similar state of confusion and shock.
"What?" he prompted.
They all took their time glancing at each other, silently communicating. It was Chie who spoke up first.
"So wait, you're single?"
Yosuke blinked at her, then frowned. "Yeah?"
She didn't seem to believe him. "...Are you sure?"
Annoyed, Yosuke pushed his soda away. "Am I - yes, I'm sure, jeez. Do you honestly think I'd keep it a secret if I had a girlfriend?"
Across the table, Yu huffed a tiny laugh at that, capping his water bottle. The rest of their friends were starting to redden at the cheeks, shooting each other glances that bordered on panic.
"What?" Yosuke almost snapped.
"Uh." Chie looked like she'd swallowed something sour. "We. Uh."
"We thought you were dating," Yukiko finished for her, her eyes flicking between Yosuke and his partner, who raised an eyebrow.
"I just clarified that I'm not, didn't I? Don't rub it in."
They way his friends began covering their mouths made Yosuke flash hot, like they knew some secret that he didn't. He sat up straight and looked at Yu, who only shrugged in a way that said I have no idea. Naoto cleared her throat and adjusted her hat.
"I believe what Yukiko means is... We all thought the two of you were dating each other," she said, gesturing to Yosuke, then across the table to Yu.
Yosuke made a face and stared at Yu, who looked like he didn't believe it either. "Ha ha," Yosuke mocked laughed. "Very funny."
But the rest of the team still looked like they'd witnessed a murder. Yosuke's stomach bottomed out.
"You're serious." His throat felt dry. "You seriously thought we -" His eyes went to his partner, equally in shock. Yosuke couldn't finish the sentence.
"It's just!" Chie barked. "You're always together, and you always sit super close, and..."
"Senpai always picks you to hang out with before the rest of us!" Rise had her little fists balled up near her face.
"You guys are real..." Kanji's face was a painful shade of red. "Touchy-feely, y'know?"
"You never eat lunch with anyone else," Yukiko supplied.
Yosuke sputtered, his face going hot enough to melt. "That doesn't mean...! He's my best friend, for God's sake -"
"The background of Sensei's cell phone is a photo of him and Yosuke," Teddie chimed in.
Yosuke dared to glance at Yu. His partner's face was quickly gaining color, blushing harder than Yosuke had ever seen. Had he ever actually blushed before?
"Really?" The word tumbled out of Yosuke's mouth before he could stop it. Yu's eyes were wide, his eyebrows probably somewhere near his hairline.
"I..." Yu croaked.
Silence stretched out, so tight Yosuke felt like he might shatter. Yu was staring at him, almost unblinking. It was too much, his stomach flipping and churning.
"Gotta go," he said, or at least tried to say, as he bolted up from the table and turned away. Yosuke made a mad dash for the elevator, ignoring how Yu called his name and how his friends gasped. He ran all the way home, went straight to his room, and slammed the door.
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At the picnic table at Junes' roof, Yu slumped back into his seat. He'd gotten up so fast that he'd shoved the table away a few inches. His head was still spinning.
"This could be a problem," Naoto said from somewhere far away. Yu barely heard her, resisting the urge to open his phone and look at the background photo.