Casual Fail

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Persona 4 Average AU
Chapter Summary: Yosuke's insecure, but Souji helps out where he can.
Word Count: 1708
Rating: teen for yosuke's swearing

         Souji doesn’t mind backing Yosuke up with a shift at Junes, especially when he hears that technically, Yosuke hadn’t even been signed up and it had been those two lazy part-timers that were supposed to be working.  Not that Yosuke mentioned that.  For all he likes to complain, it’s always about trivial stuff.  He doesn’t speak about all the extra shifts he has to take on to make room for heading into the TV World at a moment’s notice, or about how he covers for the part-timers when they refuse to work their shifts as they agreed when they got interviewed for the position, or how he goes out of his way to make the housewives happy and give them good customer service even as most of them continue to snob him in pretty voices and happy laughs, or how the bullies in their class have intimidated him enough he changes in one of the stalls and pretends he doesn’t hear them badmouthing him in the next room.  The closest he’s come to mentioning anything serious is when he’d been talking about how none of his so-called friends from the big city came in contact anymore, but just like with the housewives when they were at Sozai Dogaku, he’d just told Souji to ignore it.
         Honestly, it doesn’t seem right.  The more Souji gets to know him, the more he realizes that, most of the time, Yosuke’s indeed faking his smiles and cheerful attitude.  It’s rare that Souji can get him to forget whatever fronts he’s putting up, but he’s getting better at it, and, overall, Yosuke’s a good person.  A bit immature, and half the time the stuff that comes out of his mouth is really just stuff that should’ve stayed in his head, but he truly, honestly means well.  He really is good at thinking about the investigation, even if it seems like a natural talent, and when he actually gets serious and tries to be leader-like, that mature, thoughtful guy is definitely one Souji’s glad to have on his side.
         He’s happy to see more of the real Yosuke, to see the true, genuine smile after he’d said yes to Yosuke’s uncharacteristically shy invitation to come over.  To see how focused and determined he becomes in battle, foot tapping to the beat he fights to.  To participate in the good-natured squabbling as Yosuke roughhouses a little when they play videogames.  (It surprises him a little to see Chie’s name in the top scores of whatever fighting game they play, and Yosuke blushes and laughs as he babbles the story of how hard it’d been to get Chie to actually come here and try and how hard he had to try to pry the controller out of her hands once she’d gotten started.  Yosuke’s either blurting out inappropriate thoughts or not saying anything important to him, and he needs to just talk like this more often.  Hopefully, Souji can be the person to cause this to happen.)  He’s slightly confused by the warning to take care of her son by Mrs. Hanamura, since he’d hardly planned anything different, but perhaps she’s just overprotective.
         It seems like the perfect time to fulfill his promise to Yukiko.  “So, are you and Chie dating?”
         He doesn’t expect the large crash that follows the question.  He goes around the end of the aisle to find Yosuke has crashed into a large can display and is blinking up at him groggily.  “Do you have a concussion?”
         “What?  Oh, nah, dude, literally the only thing nothing hit was my head,” Yosuke protests, but holds still long enough for Souji to shine the pen-light in his eyes anyway.  He tries to scramble out of the sea of cans, but his hand is having trouble finding purchase on rotating cans.
         Souji holds out a hand patiently, and Yosuke ignores it for nearly a full minute until he admits defeat.  He’s definitely got his own pride, for which there’s its own time and place.
         He starts setting up the display when an older woman also in Junes uniform comes running.  “What have you done this time, Hanamura?”
         Souji takes an instant dislike to her tone.
         “I’ll pick it up, don’t wor—”
         He dislikes the way Yosuke’s just letting her be rude, too.  It’s very unprofessional, because yelling at another co-worker for a mistake in front of customers is a problem.
         “I stumbled into it,” Souji insists, ignoring the way Yosuke turns to stare at him, wide-eyed.  “It’s my first time working at a department store.  My apologies.”  He bows deeply, and only internally smirks at the look of hate she directs at him.
         “Have you even been hired or had training?  I don’t recognize you,” she sneers.
         “We’re running short-handed today, so Dad drafted this guy.  If you want to talk to him about it, he’s got a meeting at three so you’ll either have to hurry or wait until he’s done.”  Yosuke just sounds bone-deep tired.
         “I recommend you count every broken can and take it out of his paycheck,” she snarls, pointing one bony finger at Souji, and stalks off.
         “You didn’t have to do that,” Yosuke whispers and starts picking up the display, expertly eyeing every can before putting it together for the base of the pyramid.
         “Who was she?” Souji asks in a tone that indicates he’s not about to let this go.  His friend’s hand shakes a little as he picks up the next can, and his shoulders are actually shaking a little, too.
         Eventually, Yosuke sighs.  “Go get a handbasket.  I think we’ll need to put the broken or dented ones in there.  I’ll bring up the possibility of a discount to Dad, so this didn’t just lose us money, and don’t worry, I’ll tell you.  It’s just probably better if we work while we talk so it’s not like this for too long.”
         He hesitates for a second, watching the misery etched into the face before giving in and practically running to collect a basket.  When he returns, Yosuke’s wiping at his face with an arm, but the alarm disappears a little when he sees that while the brown eyes are bright, there’s no sign of tears on the face.
         “That was Takahashi-san, and yes, she probably totally knew you were covering for me.  Which you didn’t have to do.  Thanks, man.”  The gratitude is a little flat and scared, but then, he’s not used to people sticking up for him, is he?  “She used to run the tiny grocery store in the shopping district.  You know, before Junes came.  She hates working here, but doesn’t know what to do with herself if she’s not working in a grocery store, so she’s here.  I didn’t bring up the part-timers, because her niece is one of those part-timers and she’s equally mad at her for blowing work off and us for punishing her, even though I’ve been giving them all the chances I can and hoping they’ll actually figure it out before I actually have to report them or get them fired…” Yosuke breathes out quietly, taking a few uneven breaths in.
         “You don’t have to accept her verbally abusing you, though…” Souji states firmly, because after everything Yosuke deserves better.
         Yosuke smiles sadly.  “So, what, I’m just supposed to tell her to piss off?” he asks quietly.  “Believe me, I’ve been tempted, but I really can’t.  I told you, I can’t act out.  Maybe it didn’t matter as much in the big city, but a small town like this?  Everyone would know, and it’d really hurt Junes.  We already have a bad enough rep just being Junes here.  I can’t add to that.”
         They sort cans in silence for a while before Yosuke chuckles.  “Oh, yeah, right.  I totally forgot about your question earlier.  No, Chie and I aren’t dating, at all.  She’s just a really good friend.”
         The brunet seems a little nervous when he speaks, though.
         Souji shrugs, like it’s not really a big deal, because it’s the only way he’s likely to get any answers.  “It’s just a rumor going around, plus Yukiko believed it.  I figured you’d tell me if I asked you.  After all, we’re best friends.  Right?”  He’s a little hesitant at the last part.
         “Yeah, definitely best friends,” Yosuke responds, stronger and with more enthusiasm.  Luckily, it’s not the fake enthusiasm he likes to use so often.  “That’s kind of dumb, honestly, but then, I guess people are just weirded out at Chie having friends that aren’t Yukiko, and, well, it’s me.”  By the sound of that chuckle, it’s another self-pitying dig.  He almost leaves it at that but apparently thinks better of it.  “I—okay, this isn’t easy.  Let’s finish this up and then we’ll hit the break room and grab a soda or something.”
         They finish in silence, and Yosuke gets halfway through the Natural Soda before he speaks up again.  “I, ugh.  We kind of bonded over the fact that we dye our hair the same color, and she managed to recommend a brand that didn’t make my head itch.  Plus, both of us.  Damn.”  He’s staring at the table and looks so upset that Souji feels compelled to stop him.
         “You know, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
         Yosuke violently shakes his head.  “Don’t give me that option, dude.  I’m weak enough I’ll take it, and I probably really need to get this out.”  He sighs again.  “Look, neither of us…l-like our bodies, okay?”  He almost bites the words out, and Souji actually takes a step backwards from the force of the sentiment.  That’s not something he’d expected, at all.  “Chie wants to look more like Yukiko, with the whole sophisticated feminine thing, and I…” he sighs.  “At least we’re getting a lot of exercise in the TV World and everything.  Pretty soon I’ll stop looking like a complete noodle.  That’s something, right?”
         Souji looks over Yosuke carefully.  “I don’t know, I think you look just fine.”
         “U-ugh, don’t say things like that, you weirdo.”  Yosuke shoves Souji a little, but he’s still smiling a little.  So that’s something else to help the two out with.  Good to know, honestly.