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The only time Yu ever saw Yosuke without his headphones was when the brunette was sleeping over at his house. This realization only came to him very recently when he’d brought Nanako along to Junes to do some groceries and she pointed it out to him.
“Hey, big bro, isn’t that Yosuke over there?” She asked him with a tug of his sleeve.
“Yeah, that’s him.” He answered her and as much as he’d like to go over to his best friend to greet him and chat up with him, he couldn’t because Yosuke got in trouble the last time they talked for too long. Yu didn’t want to take any chances and he really didn’t like seeing Yosuke getting reprimanded because of him. “But we can’t talk to him just yet, he’s busy with work.”
“Oh, okay.” Nanako obeyed with a shrug before she commented, “He’s always wearing his headphones, even when he’s at work. Does he wear it at school too, big bro?”
The innocent observation had intrigued him and had him thinking about it until they reached home. Yosuke was never without his headphones. It shouldn’t have been strange because there were just some people who loved their music that much but Yosuke never really talked much about music, which Yu now realized was also strange. It really got him thinking and curious that for the next few days, he’d began taking note of Yosuke and his headphones.
After the first week of observation, Yu noted that Yosuke barely listened to music unless they were fighting shadows or when he was working at Junes. He figured Yosuke might love to work with background music but the thought didn’t feel completely true. He knew he could just ask Yosuke about it but there was this nagging feeling that told him not to.
With more pressing matters at hand, Yu’s hunt for the truth behind Yosuke’s headphones had been put on a hold. They had to spend more time at the TV world levelling up and racking in money for new weapons and for the fox. They had lost the track of time and had returned back to Junes pretty late that they didn’t even bother to say their goodbyes since Yukiko had to rush to the inn, Kanji to have dinner with his mother, Rise to her grandmother and Chie was getting too hungry. Naoto had left with Kanji and Teddie was dragged along by Rise, leaving only Yu and Yosuke.
Both friends were just talking about their last adventure in the TV world, discussing about tactics and funds as they were heading towards the exit when they met a bunch of Junes employees now in their civilian clothes. It was then that Yu found out.
“—O-oh, I just can’t get this song out of my head and I need to—” The brunette stuttered and hastily placed on his headphones over his ears and takes his music player out to turn it on only to curse under his breath a second later for running out of batteries.
His friend looked strangely uncomfortable all of a sudden and Yu was about to ask him about it when he heard the unsubtle whispers of the crowd of employees.
“Ah, it’s that kid again.”
“Urgh. Don’t even mention him to me. He’s useless around here. Can’t even talk to the boss for us.”
“I know, right? Man, Saki might have offed herself because he kept bugging her!”
“Don’t even say that!”
“There is truth to it, you know—he was only making things worse for her. It’s bad enough she works here, he keeps pestering her, too. He doesn’t have a sense of shame!”
Yu’s brows furrowed in sudden anger and the need to protect his friend. How could they badmouth Yosuke when he was just right there? He was ready to speak up to the crowd when he saw the look on his friend’s face from the corner of his eye. Yosuke looked broken and blank, it was an expression Yu was quite familiar with because he used to wear the same look back in the city when he was a no body and everyone else mocked him for it.
He stopped on his tracks and grabbed the other’s wrist tightly, forcing him to stop as well. Yosuke looked up startled at his friend’s sudden actions.
“Yu, what are—”
“I need help with homework, you should stay over. Call your parents.” Yu insisted at the same time as pulling themselves far away from the crowd.
“What? We had homework? But tomorrow’s Sat—”
“Yeah, we do, remember? Just call your dad. Besides, I’m cooking dinner.”
Yu felt his heart unclench the moment Yosuke’s face beamed with excitement and his lips broke into a wide grin.
“Why didn’t you say so any sooner, bro?”
Later that night as both of them prepared to get to bed, Yosuke having forgotten about the homework and Yu not bothering to remind him of his lie, the grey-eyed teen watched as Yosuke plugged his music player to charge. It brought a slight frown on his lips as he remembered the true reason why his friend wore them.
After making themselves comfortable on the bed with Yosuke’s back facing Yu, the grey-eyed teen let his arms circle around the other and pulled him into a gentle but firm hug.
“Wh-what that the hell, man?!” Yosuke hissed out a whisper, not wanting to wake Dojima or Nanako up.
“I felt cold.” Yu lied.
“No shit, your hands are freakin’ cold!” Yosuke huffed and placed his hands over the other’s in a failed attempt to warm them up faster. “Next time warn me when you pull something like that!”
Yu rested his chin on the other’s shoulder and muttered a quiet, “Yeah, all right.”
There was silence but it wasn’t uncomfortable, it was relaxing and in the dark room, it really felt like nothing else mattered. Yu let out a small sigh which tickled Yosuke’s skin and had him lightly slapping Yu’s hands over his abdomen.
“You should live with me.” He says out of the blue moments later and Yosuke stiffens. “In college. Not now, but we could get our own place or something.”
“You don’t like the idea?” He adds with a teasing tone but felt slightly worried inside.
“N-no…I mean, that was sudden and it came out of no where, man.” Yosuke muttered, his cheeks flushing red and thankful that his partner couldn’t see his face right now.
“Hmm…so?”
Yosuke let out a small whine and pressed his back against the other’s chest. Closing his eyes with heated cheeks, he muttered, “You are one weird guy, partner.”
“Does that mean you’ll live with me?”
“No shit, man.”
“Good.” Yu smiled and tightened his embrace, burying his face into the fabric of Yosuke’s shirt. “And then you won’t have to keep wearing your headphones for the wrong reasons anymore.”
Yosuke was momentarily caught aback by the other’s words but quickly recovered, knowing that Yu would eventually realize it given how meticulous he was when it concerned his friends and especially him. The brunette let out a small contented sigh, feeling his heart swell just a little bit at the attention and care.
“I love you, too.” Yu whispered after and pressed a small kiss on his neck before closing his eyes.