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Today is making out to be the worst day of Yosuke’s life.
Or at least, that’s what it feels like as he tugs the skirt down between his legs, trying to ignore the cakey, uncomfortable feeling of makeup on his face.
He hates this. He hates everything about this stupid culture festival and their stupid “Miss” Yasogami High Pageant. Someone else signed him up, and now he can’t even opt out? How is that fair?
Simply put, it’s not. It’s not and no one cares. What else is new? There’s no use complaining about it when all it gets him is told to shut up.
Kanji doesn’t look thrilled to be here either, but not enough to complain like Yosuke is doing. And Yu is clearly having the time of his life being fussed over. No surprise, coming from the babiest of the group, but still. Yu’s practically purring, leaning heavy into every touch as Yukiko brushes out his hair.
Yosuke frowns. He has his suspicions, but…
“Yu?”
Yu cracks open an eye. That’s never a good sign. Yukiko stops applying foundation, looking curiously between them. In the back of his mind, Yosuke wonders if she’s going small too. After all, she always wants to play dress-up when regressed. So this must feel like a dream come true.
But Yosuke has priorities. Between her and Yu, one of them is going to be fawned over and reminded how beautiful they are, and the other is going to be laughed at. It isn’t hard to choose.
“How old are you, lil buddy?”
Yu frowns, as if considering the question, and finally holds up two fingers. Not just bad, but very, very bad.
“Oh no.” Yukiko stops cold with what she’s doing. Then she turns to Yosuke, as if he’s supposed to know what to do! “Should I stop?”
“Well, we can’t just let him stay regressed!” Yosuke says. His voice pitches a little higher than he should, but in his defense, it’s the stress!
However, the tone of his voice makes the others stop cold.
Rise spins on them, her hair whipping around her. “Senpai’s regressed? What did you do?”
“And are you able to undo it?” Naoto asks.
Yukiko shrinks under the sudden scrutiny, her cheeks flushing pink, and Yosuke feels the urge to jump to her defense. It’s not her fault either, so they shouldn’t be acting like it is!
“It must have reminded him of dress-up,” Yukiko says weakly.
Kanji sighs. He must be picking up on Yukiko’s tone too, because he says in a much softer voice than usual, “Look, it’s nobody’s fault, okay? We just gotta make sure he’s okay.”
Yukiko nods, taking a short breath to steady herself. Having one kiddo is bad enough, but having two is pushing them into disaster territory.
Yu swishes his skirt, turning his hips and batting at the pleats just to watch how it moves. Well, at least he’s distracted. And seeing that innocent joy on his face, the slight pull of his lips, only serves to drive in how much he’s going to be laughed at. Right after finding out he likes skirts, he’s going to be sent out on stage in one just so other people can laugh at him.
“Nope,” Chie says, having come to the same conclusion. “Nope, nope, nope. Mission aborted. I can’t do this.”
“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” Naoto replies, but they look as nervous as Chie does.
“We can’t send him out there to be laughed at by everyone!”
“But if he doesn’t participate, who knows what Ms. Kashiwagi will do!” In Yosuke’s opinion, there’s no worst-case scenario to top all the worst-case scenarios, but leaving Yu to the fate of Kashiwagi is about as close as they can get.
“What’s the worst she can do?” Chie challenges.
“We could just say Yu-kun came down with a fever,” Yukiko suggests.
“Kashiwagi’s entered in the actual pageant, ain’t she?” Kanji asks. “Maybe if we rig it for her, she’ll forget about Yu ditchin’.”
“Um, guys?” Rise interjects, only to be ignored.
“Oh, please! Then she’ll know something’s up!” Yosuke replies. If he thought something like that would work, he would’ve already had Yu safe at home!
“Better to have her suspicious than to put Yu in the line of fire,” Naoto argues. “If there’s a way to avoid this, I think we should take the risk.”
“Guys!” Rise snaps her fingers, commanding the attention of the room. “Where’s Yu-senpai?”
Yosuke hesitates, only for his answer to come in the form of laughter and whistles. How could he have been so caught up in this argument that he hadn’t noticed Yu wandering off? Well, because he’s a bad big brother, that’s why, but that’s not important right now!
Yosuke’s on his feet in seconds, tearing his way toward the gym with everyone else on his heels.
It’s a nightmare scenario. A baby—very, very baby—Yu putting himself front and center. The most reserved person Yosuke knows, just a breath away from accidentally blowing his biggest secret wide open. All because Yosuke wasn’t a good enough big brother to notice.
Yosuke rushes forward, overwhelmed with the image of Yu realizing that he’s the joke and crumbling. Reputation be damned, he can’t have his partner face that kind of heat alone.
But before he can step foot on stage, a prim, calm hand pinches the back of his sweater, holding him firm. Rise briskly clears the space between her and Yu, grinning like this was all part of the show.
“Hey, everyone! Give it up for our early bird!” Rise claps her hands together, hoping to stir up some applause. “She was so excited to make her debut that she couldn’t even wait for the official competition to start!”
She wraps a casual arm around Yu’s shoulders, and it’s hard to miss how wide he’s grinning. He wiggles his shoulders, a happy stim that reverberates all the way down to his feet, sending his skirt swishing around his ankles.
Rise winks. “Just pretend like you didn’t see that, okay? And make sure to give Yu-chan a big round of applause when we can introduce her properly!”
Rise nudges Yu, artfully steering him away from the stage. He offers a charming little goodbye wave, which has some of the girls in the front row cooing.
Once he’s safely outside the gymnasium, the others swarm.
“Honey, you were supposed to wait until we announced you,” Yukiko reminds him. To fill the empty air, she fusses with his collar.
“’s pretty,” Yu says, as if that explains everything.
Chie snickers. “Jeez, it’s like we need a baby leash for you or something!” She takes his hand in her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“I doubt he’ll be aging up anytime soon,” Naoto muses. A soft smile comes to their face, and on a whim, they brush the bangs out of Yu’s eyes. “Sweet little one.”
The wait until the beginning of the pageant feels like a countdown to doomsday. Yosuke’s attempt to help Yu age up have long since gone past the point of pestering, so all he can do is sit with his hands knotted in his lap and wait for the inevitable. At least Yu doesn’t have to go out first.
The whole time, Yosuke’s watching Yu from the corner of his eye. Yu isn’t one for big displays of emotion—until he’s at the breaking point. So Yosuke’s biggest fear is that it will slowly sink in that he’s being mocked and he’ll burst into tears right on stage.
Admittedly, Yosuke might be close to his own boiling point. He hates being cooed over like this, with everyone saying he’s so cute. Ugh. The only thing the girls are finding cute is seeing him get knocked down a couple pegs.
Thankfully, it’s over quick. Teddie comes in like a crossdressing tornado, stealing the spotlight away from the others. Yosuke’s never been more grateful that Teddie’s a showoff. He doesn’t even care about losing by a landslide. All that matters is it’s over.
They hang in the back room for the actual Ms. Yasogami High pageant. Yu barely likes crowds while big, so the constant noise and chatter might just be too much. Besides, hiding back here means he gets to keep his pretty outfit.
Yosuke and Kanji take turns entertaining Yu while the other gets changed. Finally, the knot in Yosuke’s chest is unraveling, even if he’ll be stuck with the consequences for quite some time. He can practically hear the snickers and jokes that people will make on Monday, but he forces himself not to worry about it. Yu is okay. Yu is okay and that’s all that matters.
They’re halfway through a game of Go Fish when the door flies open, and Naoto comes running in. Their cheeks are flushed and they’re noticeably out of breath.
“I could kill that bear,” they huff out. On shaky legs, they join the boys. “Deal me in?”
Yu nods, setting down his cards face-up, which Kanji immediately turns over for him.
“What did Teddie do?” Kanji asks.
“As the winner of the drag contest, he got to choose a bonus category.” With a groan, Naoto adds, “And of course, he opted for a swimsuit competition.”
Yosuke’s eyes go wide. “And I missed it?”
Naoto glares, stopping him cold.
Right. Looking after the baby is more important, as they’ve recently learned. Priorities.
“It was bad enough having everyone stare at me,” Naoto says. A blush covers their cheeks. “I was not about to go out there in a swimsuit.”
Yu frowns, completely abandoning dealing Naoto’s cards in favor of holding his arms out for a hug.
“You want a hug, little one?” Naoto asks. They’ve barely opened their arms before Yu has pulled them in.
Yosuke stamps down the spark of jealousy that results. It’s only because Yu gives the best hugs ever. He’s really strong. Besides, Naoto needs it more than he does, if the way they melt into the embrace is any indication.
“Well, aren’t you kind?” Naoto coos. “And so pretty! If you were to ask me, you should’ve won by a landslide.”
Yu thinks about that, the slightest wiggle running through his shoulders. “Sing.”
Naoto chuckles. “You would’ve made the final category a karaoke competition? I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been very good at that either. I might have run off stage for that too!”
Yu shakes his head, simply saying, “Like your lullabies.” With that, he finally remembers the cards he was dealing them, and hands Naoto five cards.
The group plays until they finally hear the sound of students in the hallways, most leaving after the conclusion of the pageants. Yosuke pretends not to hear the passing comments about how ridiculous he and the other boys looked, but thankfully, it’s not too long before the girls return to the classroom.
“Congratulations, Naoto-kun!” Rise chirps. “You won!”
Naoto turns red all over again, only made worse when Yu claps for them. “I did?”
“Such a shame you ducked out for the swimsuit portion, though,” Teddie pouts.
“You could’ve stayed and helped us look out for the baby, you know,” Yosuke points out.
Teddie gasps, feigning offense. “Someone had to act as moral support for the ladies and be there for them! I was just doing my gentlemanly duty!”
Chie rolls her eyes. “Sure it is. And it totally wasn’t you whistling at us either.”
But Yukiko cuts through the bickering before it can even start. “We have a couple rooms open at the inn. We were wondering if you guys wanted to come with us as a way to relax? Nanako-chan is coming too.”
Yu perks up at the mention of her name. “Big Sis?”
Rise grins. “That’s right! You’ll even get to show her your pretty outfit!”
Yu’s eyes go big. “Can wear it home?”
Naoto’s lips curl into a smile. “Well, I don’t see why not. It rather suits you, doesn’t it?”
Yu swings his feet, smiling softly at how it makes his skirt swish.
“We should probably get him out of that makeup, though,” Rise says. “Stuff is a sensory nightmare after a while.”
It doesn’t take long for Yu to prove Rise right. Finally, Yu is showing signs of wear. He sniffles once, then twice, and that would be all the warning they get before he utterly melts down.
Yukiko hadn’t applied that much makeup, but that didn’t stop the texture from being any less uncomfortable for him. Teddie and Chie have to initiate a funny face competition to keep him distracted while Rise wipes off the last of his foundation.
Crisis averted, Yu wipes at his eyes and nibbles on his bottom lip. He either needs a bottle or his chew necklace. Why isn’t someone getting him those things?
Yosuke nearly jumps out of his skin when the classroom door opens. He should probably be relieved that it’s only Nanako and her dad, but again, that ugly spark of jealousy bubbles to the surface.
“Baby bro!” Nanako zips in, beaming. She takes his hands in hers. “You look so pretty!”
“Thanks for spending time with her,” Dojima says, sure to close the door behind him. His eyes flicker briefly to Yu, but he doesn’t say anything.
He knows what’s going on with Yu, but that doesn’t stop Yosuke from being antsy. People can go back on their word easily after all…
“Daddy, isn’t he pretty?” Nanako asks.
“Very pretty.” Dojima takes a moment to tousle Yu’s hair. “Don’t cause too much trouble, alright?”
Yu nods.
“Thanks for looking out for him as well,” Dojima says.
Chie scoffs. “Of course! He’s our little guy!”
Not to mention the favorite, Yosuke thinks, but that’s a mean thought to have, especially when Yu is the only one regressed.
Dojima sees himself out, giving both his kids one last warning to be on their best behavior.
“We should get going,” Yukiko says. “Before it gets too busy.”
“On it.” Kanji crouches in front of Yu’s desk, allowing Yu to climb onto his back. “C’mere, kid.”
“Hey, don’t hurt yourself!” Rise says. “Besides, isn’t that gonna draw attention?”
Even if it does, which is most certainly will, Kanji can’t put Yu down now, when he already looks so happy. He’s already latched on like a baby koala.
“If anyone asks, we’ll just go with the fever story,” Yukiko decides. She’s already folding up Yu’s uniform and tucking it into her bag, so it’s not like any of them can argue.
The inn is almost to capacity when they arrive, leaving one room for the boys and another for the girls. Yosuke wrinkles his nose at the noise, but he doesn’t say anything. If Yu isn’t bothered by it, then it’s not a big deal.
While everyone else changes into the robes the inn provides, Yu sticks with his skirt. Yosuke gets the feeling that this will be what Yu wears to bed, no matter what the rest of them say.
And it’s fine. It’s really, really fine. It doesn’t bother him at all that Kanji and Teddie keep telling Yu how cute he is, or even that the girls come by to give their goodnights in person.
“Sweet dreams!” Nanako throws her arms around Yu’s shoulders, beaming at no one in particular. “Now I get a baby sis too!”
Really, really fine.
Yosuke jolts when something pokes against his cheek, though his fear morphs into anger when he sees it’s Teddie grinning down at him. “What’d ya do that for?” A hint of a whine seeps into his voice, and try as he might to staunch it, it prevails.
“You were zoning out so much you didn’t even say goodnight to Nana-chan!” Teddie accuses.
Teddie always has a way of getting under his skin, and the accusations only make him want to stamp his foot and complain that much more. But Kanji stops them before they can start.
“Come on, Ted. No need to get ’em riled right before bed.” Kanji’s gaze softens, and for a second, Yosuke feels like Kanji can see right through him. “Now, am I mistaken to think a certain little one needs time too?”
Yosuke fights it. It’s in his nature to do that, when people already find him annoying. Besides, he’s not as little as Yu, and people like babies better. “You don’t mind?”
Kanji smiles softly. “Couldn’t’a been any fun for you to get laughed at either. ’Sides, it’s still two-on-two.”
Teddie nods, throwing his arms up. “Give us the kiddo at once!”
Yosuke takes a shallow breath, clinging to what bigness he still has, but it’s like trying to stay standing after getting zapped by a Shadow.
He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling similar to Yu. That maybe the roiling fear and defensiveness had come from not wanting to be another punchline. Maybe he wasn’t so worried about Yu bursting into tears as he was himself.
“’m not that ugly,” Yosuke pouts, the tears he’d been fighting back finally building up and spilling over.
Kanji clears the space between them, wrapping an arm around Yosuke’s shoulders. “’Course not. Those guys just don’t know pretty when they see it.”
Teddie nods. “You were utterly adora-bear!”
Yosuke sniffles. “You didn’t even try that time.”
Yu attaches himself to Yosuke’s side. He doesn’t have many words left in him, but he always has a few to spare for Yosuke. “Yo-Yo did good.”
And that’s what nearly gets him.
He’s so used to being the sidekick, to following Yu around, following Yu’s orders, that he laps up the fact that he’s the big brother like a parched man finding fresh water.
He tucks his face into Yu’s shoulder, resigned to the fact that he’s going to get Yu’s pretty outfit all wet with tears and snot, but Yu doesn’t seem to mind.
“You’re really pretty, Yu,” Yosuke mumbles. Why hadn’t he noticed how he was acting earlier? What if he hurt Yu’s feelings and Yu doesn’t want to play with him anymore? “Sorry I didn’t say it enough.”
But Yu only shakes his head, tightening his hug. He doesn’t even have to say anything for Yosuke to get his meaning.
He said it plenty. His jealousy didn’t get in the way of anything. And most importantly, Yu isn’t mad at him.
Sometimes Yosuke doesn’t know why Yu puts up with his regressed side. He’s bossy and clingy and extremely prone to jealousy, which leaks into his adult side since he can never clock when he’s feeling regressed.
But it’s like Yu squeezes all the bad thoughts out. His hugs are magic like that, Yosuke thinks, because none of those bad things matter anymore.
Yosuke hugs back, hoping that his hugs do the same thing for Yu.