Christmas Eve with Souji and Yosuke

[madimpossibledreamer]

Happy Christmas, all!  I was rummaging through the fics I have on my computer, and realized that I've got this one.  You would not believe the amount of research about Japan that went into this (and it was fun!)-all about the Christmas Cakes, which was slightly less fun because of the way women get compared to them, and about the KFC-McDonalds wars, and the difference between Christmas and New Year's...  Some parts may be more introspective than needed, but I make no apologies.  Also, unabashed fluff.  Fluffy like a kitten.  Probably a little angst, but overwhelmingly fluff.  And wherever you're from, no matter how you celebrate, have fun.

Main Points:
Persona 4 AU
Summary: Pretty much the title.
Word Count: 1208
Rating: K
Pairing: Souji/Yosuke
Author's Notes: Haven't posted the other parts of this AU, but can for the most part be read as a one-shot.  Probably the only things you really need to know (to understand this anyway) are that this Yosuke is also a fellow Fool and is a bit more shy than the version we know.  Also that Yosuke comes from an alternate universe in which the Megami Tensei and Persona series are...pretty much our universe fictional.  Apart from a different Magician for Persona 4.

         “It’s Christmas Eve,” Souji stated quietly, watching Yosuke, who had suddenly turned a bright, bright pink.
         “A-ah.  Is it, Partner?”
         Souji smiled, reaching out to stroke his boyfriend’s cheek.  “I shouldn’t have mentioned it, should I?” he asked quietly, smiling.
         “N-no, it’s okay-it’s-really-it’s…” Yosuke paused to trace the reassuring weight of the headphones around his neck, pausing to breathe.  After a bit, he grinned sheepishly, half amused, half embarrassed.  “I-I swear I don’t get like this around anyone else.”
         Souji chuckled, leaning forward, fingers poised above the headphones, eyebrow asking a wordless question.  Nervously, Yosuke nodded.  The grey-haired teen moved his hand the rest of the way, reverently stroking the flashy orange and enjoying the way his boyfriend’s breath caught, eyes closed, as if this gesture was much more intimate and less innocent than it appeared.
         Then again, for Yosuke-kun, that was probably true.  The music served to shield the brunette from the world, a handy refuge to dive into at a moment’s notice when the teen felt he could no longer cope with his environment.  To allow Souji inside this protective outer shell was quite possibly one of the bravest and most touching moves the leader had ever seen from his fellow Fool.
         After Yosuke started to shiver, Souji stopped, instead pulling the other into a close, comforting hug.  “Don’t ever think you’re worthless, or unworthy, or unloved.  You might not be perfect, but none of us are.  I’m not perfect.  And I love you and cherish you and want you anyway.”
         Something in his tone convinced Yosuke, broke through the low self esteem that shrouded his boyfriend like a fog.  The gamer had a tendency to think that he was impossibly socially awkward, that he had a tendency to bug people.  He’d secretly confided to Souji that he felt like he’d been running Social Links for years-before he’d bought Persona 2, in fact-but with one important difference.  Success rarely felt rewarding.  Any progress was doubted-there was, of course, no light and floating card or Social Link Rank Up music in real life to assure the sensitive and nervous Yosuke of a job well done.  Failure, on the other hand, was loomingly, terrifyingly obvious.
         Yet this was rarely obvious to others.  Every minute with others was spent agonizing and toiling over how best to please them, not because it made him happy to do it, but because doing otherwise terrified him.  Sure, he really did have a huge heart, and seeing others smile or making their days better would leave Yosuke oddly smiley for a few hours, but it never lasted.  And he’d never ask for something for himself, or be selfish, or anything like that.  He really was literally terrified of it.
         Others seeing behind his mask and finding a lot of it was actually constructed?  He’d (literally) had nightmares about it.  Not because of himself.  Because it would unduly burden others.  If there was anything Yosuke didn’t want to be, it was a burden, and because of that he hid himself, tried so hard to be helpful and nice and smiling just so he wouldn’t lose his friends (or even just those who pretended).
         It made Souji’s heart ache, but he could understand the feeling.
         Usually Yosuke shrugged off words like this as insincere attempts at reassurance, but his time he bit his lip and smiled and buried his face in Souji’s shoulder.
         “I love you,” came out, muffled.
         The teen smiled and turned, kissing his beloved boyfriend on the top of the head.  “I love you too.  Which was the only reason I pointed out what day it was.”
         This time, he was pushed away by a playfully scowling boyfriend.  Embarrassment and amusement warred in the brown-haired teen’s face.  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t nervous about it.  You can be such a perv sometimes, Sou-kun.”
         Souji just shrugged, not bothering to reply to that.  It was true, and there was no real point in arguing a fact.  “You’re not stuttering now,” he pointed out with the slightest hint of a smile.  “I consider that a success.”
         He got a punch in the shoulder (which would bruise later; Yosuke didn’t really hold back much did he?) and an even more adorable flustered look-but even then, the trace of panic the leader had dreaded was still absent.
         “Well, um.  What do you want to do, Souji?  Now that you’ve conspired to get me alone on a romantic holiday and everything.” Yosuke scratched the back of his head.  Still acceptable.
         Hanamura being nervous?  That was just Hanamura.  Hanamura stuttering and being too nervous to interact?  As adorable as it could be, it was also unacceptable.  Souji wanted Yosuke to feel at home, safe, not overwhelmed.
         “Whatever you want to do.  I mean, I’m okay with a lot of things.  I do have a couple suggestions…but I’m afraid you’d turn them down.”  Yosuke spluttered for a second before the grey-haired teen smiled to show he was joking and curled one hand around his boyfriend’s protectively.  Yosuke gently squeezed back.
         “The girls have no idea.  They think you’re a saint or something.”  Yosuke led Souji to the couch by the hand, making sure they both sat down carefully. 
         Souji waited a moment, with an idea but no clear proof as to what was going through his boyfriend’s head.  Yosuke didn’t continue with his thought, and the Fool’s suspicion was confirmed.  Hanamura had wanted to sit down, but had no real definite plans of what would happen when they got there.  He mentally shrugged and replied.  “They did say a few things after the incident at the hotsprings, but I’m not entirely convinced they actually meant them where I was concerned.  I get the idea that Yukiko, of all people, is beginning to suspect.”
         His partner snorted, running his free hand through his hair (was he seriously being tempting on purpose?)  “Yikes.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love Yukiko, but…honestly, she can be scarier than Chie when crossed.  Just another scary healer.”
         “I’m glad Yukiko decided she didn’t love me, after all,” Souji admitted distantly, standing and reluctantly (slowly!) letting Yosuke’s fingers slip through his own.  “Not that I would’ve given you up, but I would’ve feared for our safety.”
         The brunette snorted, not bothering to reply to that.  “Where are you going?” he asked, with just a touch of anxiousness.”
         Souji looked down with a reassuring smile.  “You’re hungry, right?  I was going to bring us something.”
         Yosuke sighed and nodded, looking away.  “O-okay, but hurry back, partner.”  It was clear he’d gotten used to Souji, since there was no question of how he’d known.
         Souji grinned and executed a twirling bow.  “Anything for you, my sweetheart.”
         Yosuke picked up a pencil to throw at Souji’s head.  Seta dodged it deftly (he had fought Shadows for a long time now), grinning, and headed downstairs.
         After a minute, he came back with a Christmas Cake.  Only the freshest of strawberries, white chocolate…
         Yosuke’s cheeks, which had begun to die down, now turned bright and rosy again.  “M-man…you didn’t have to…”
         “Yes, I did.”  He leaned forward to peck one of those glowing, warm cheeks.  “Happy Christmas Eve, baka.”
         “You’re the baka,” Yosuke retorted, but he was smiling anyway.