Looking In

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Persona 4 Average AU
Chapter Summary: A look at Chie and Yosuke's friendship from the outside.
Word Count: 425
Rating: gen

         “Chie, you’re coming with me,” Yosuke insists the instant it’s lunch, grabs her arm, and physically begins dragging her out of the classroom.
         “Don’t say it like that.  It sounds wrong,” Chie insists, but otherwise doesn’t argue.
         Souji watches bemused.  “Do they do that often?”
         “Yes,” Yukiko answers shortly, and then looks embarrassed.  “They like to hang out a lot on their own and they’re very secretive about it.  Chie won’t tell me anything except that they’re not dating.  I’m not sure that I believe her.”
         “I’m pretty sure they keep sneaking off to make out,” one of their desk neighbors insists matter-of-factly, and Yukiko makes another face.
         “Well, I can always ask him,” Souji suggests.  He feels a pang of uncertainty—despite Yosuke’s melodramatic displays of friendship, including declaring him his Partner, he’s really not certain that they’re close enough for Best Friend status, which according to the face Yukiko’s making involves disclosure of secrets.  It doesn’t show on his face.  He’s developed remarkable self control over the years.
         “I wouldn’t mind.  I just want to know the truth!” Yukiko insists.
         Souji nods.  “It’s not like they need to keep anything from us.”  Silently, he adds, I’ve seen their Shadows, the worst parts of themselves.  After that, no petty secrets could really be that bad.  He’d really like to get to know the brunet better.  He’s never had anything approaching a true best friend before.
         He’s noticed, though, that even when Yosuke accepted his Shadow, made an effort to change, he’s still surrounding himself with people and yet keeping them at arm’s length.  He’s still plastering on that smile and covering up his real feelings inside.  Still trying to be cool at any cost.  Still trying to impress the cool transfer student.  Still using self-depreciating humor that Souji’s fairly certain he actually means, which means that, yeah, his Shadow hadn’t been acting.  It really and truly had hated him.
         And he needs to trust that Chie isn’t being controlling, isn’t using Yosuke’s lack of self-confidence no matter how he acts against him.  Needs to trust that they’ve accepted their Shadows, that they’re willing to change.
         And Yukiko, being slightly vicious in what she says, being jealous of Yosuke for taking away Chie and Chie for having grabbed the attention of a transfer student who could take Satonaka away from everything…
         He hates this.  He wants to be able to fix it.  Fix it all, really.
         Some things they need to fix on their own.