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Yosuke put up with a lot of his friends' crap. He wasn't bitter about it or anything; that's just what you were supposed to do with friends - brush off the annoying stuff, focus on the good, and tell them to knock it the hell off already when they got on your nerves too much. He'd even gotten used to most of it, like Yukiko and her weird laugh, Chie's impulse to kick first and ask questions later, and Souji's habit of going off on tangents about how great Nanako was if no one stopped him.
He was having a harder time putting up with Teddie's nonsense.
"Sensei, you're positively amazing!"
"Look at him," Yosuke told Chie under his breath, watching Teddie as he wiped down a table. "He's hanging all over Souji."
"And? That's just how Teddie is." Yosuke wasn't surprised that Chie didn't see the problem, though he bet if it were Yukiko Teddie was clinging to then she'd have something else to say. "You know, you've been going on like this for a while and, frankly, you're starting to sound pretty jealous, Yosuke."
"I'm not jealous," he said dismissively. He gestured for Chie to stop leaning on the table so he could reach the rest of it. There was a sticky spot where someone'd knocked over their soda. "I'm annoyed. Teddie's annoying, and he should be working, not bothering Souji."
"You don't get nearly as upset when Rise does the same thing."
"That's because Rise knows when to back off. Plus, she's cute." A girl as cute as Rise could get away with a lot of things.
Chie rolled her eyes. "You're so shallow. Anyway, Souji-kun doesn't look very annoyed. Don't tell him I said this, but he's kind of vain."
Now that Chie mentioned it, Souji did look like he was enjoying the attention. Yosuke watched as he began to show Teddie a magic trick. A magic trick! Those were for Nanako. Teddie was over there stealing magic and getting paid by Junes to do it.
"I've got to go." He gave the table one last wipe before shoving the discarded trash onto a tray and making his way across the food court. When he was close enough, he pushed it into Teddie's face. "Hey, you're supposed to be working. Clean this up."
Teddie took the tray with a pout. "I was. Tell him, Sensei."
"He was, sort of." Souji had to think about it. "He refilled my drink."
"That doesn't count." Yosuke pointed to the main building of Junes. "Go on, get going. You said you wanted to make employee of the month, didn't you? You're not going to do it sitting here and talking."
That got Teddie up and moving. Hopefully after he'd taken care of the trash, he'd find a housewife to distract him. That carried its own set of trouble but at least it'd get him away from Souji.
"What are you frowning at?"
"I'm not." Yosuke fixed his expression and tried to think of something to talk about. He hadn't had much of a plan beyond getting Teddie to leave and now that he'd managed that, Souji's attention was making him nervous. Which was stupid, but telling himself that didn't get rid of his sudden urge to blush. "So what were you guys talking about?"
"Nothing really." Souji smiled and held up the coin he'd been toying with. "Want to see a new magic trick?"
"You still messing around with that kid stuff?" Souji shrugged, disappointed, and started to pocket it. Yosuke stopped him. "Hold up, partner, I didn't say no."
Souji smiled again and Yosuke took the seat next to him. Ted might have needed to get to work but no one was around to say Yosuke couldn't take a break.
-
Yosuke wasn't blind, he understood why Souji indulged Teddie. He was still new to living on this side of the TV and it was better to keep him entertained than to let him wander around confused and ask strangers suspicious questions. And he got why Teddie wanted to spend so much time with Souji: he was cool. Awesome, even. Hell, if Yosuke had less self-respect, he might have fawned over him too, but Teddie really had to learn some dignity. No one was going to respect him if he acted like that all the time.
Not that that was Yosuke's main concern, but it sounded good so he was going with it.
"So that's why you should back off a little," Yosuke told him. He'd pulled Teddie away from the group to explain everything after the third time Teddie'd called out for them to dog pile on the enemy when Yosuke'd had his mouth open to do the same. He probably wasn't doing it on purpose but that didn't change the fact that Yosuke wanted to tell to Souji now was the time to attack, dammit, and he wasn't getting the chance. No one else paid them any attention; Souji had them back in Yukiko's castle to collect a doll or something to fulfill some request he'd accepted from a person in town, and everyone was busy digging through chests and searching Shadow remains. "Hey, are you listening?"
"Yes. But I don't get it." Teddie frowned, and how he managed to make his bear suit convey his emotions, Yosuke'd never figured out. "What's wrong with spending time with Sensei?"
"There's nothing wrong, you've just got to tone it down. You're about an eight right now and you need to be a four. Or a three." A three would be good. Two would be better but Chie was right about Souji's ego - he'd get all confused and depressed if Teddie started ignoring him.
"Wait, now we're talking about numbers?"
"Yes. I mean, no." Yosuke took a deep breath. "Look, just relax, okay?"
"Okay," Teddie said doubtfully. He still didn't look like he got it but it seemed like he was going to try and that was something. "Can I go talk to him now?"
"Sure, but remember what I said and don't overdo it."
He was talking to Rise about why they were able to find the random items everyone wanted in the TV when Teddie came up to him a few minutes later. "Yosuke, great news! I asked Sensei and he said I don't have to worry about numbers after all!"
"What?" Yosuke looked at Souji, who caught his eye from further down the hallway and waved. Yosuke waved back, trying not to look too frustrated as he told Teddie, "You weren't supposed to tell him about that conversation."
Teddie frowned and folded his ears over, wiggling in distress. "But you weren't making any sense. Luckily, Sensei said everything is fine and I can be any number I want. I think I'm going to aim for an eleven!"
Yosuke started to tell him he'd missed the point entirely but stopped. It wasn't worth arguing with him right now. "That's...awesome, Ted," he said instead, and Teddie didn't notice the lack of enthusiasm in his voice.
Rise watched Teddie bounce back over to Souji. "What was that about, Yosuke-senpai?"
"Eh, it's nothing." Clearly, he wasn't going about this the right way. He needed to talk it over with someone, preferably a person who wouldn't be ridiculous and tell him he was jealous of a bear.
Luckily, Yukiko was free the next day at lunch.
"Do you think it'd help if I was more direct with Teddie and told him flat-out to back off? Or if I talked to Souji about it? But I don't want him to find out about this, he'll get the wrong idea and I'll come off all clingy, and then what am I supposed to do?"
Yukiko gazed at him blankly and Yosuke waited impatiently for her to catch up. Yeah, she'd been in the middle of eating when he sat down next to her and starting talking but she'd seen what was going on lately, it shouldn't have been that hard for her to follow him. Finally, comprehension came over her face. "I can't believe you feel threatened by Teddie."
"Threatened?" Yosuke repeated. What was with these girls? "Please, Teddie's not a threat. Has Chie been talking to you about this?"
"Chie and I talk about a lot of things." Yukiko wiped her mouth and placed her lunch aside, pushing it farther away from him when she noticed him eyeing it. "If you don't feel threatened by Teddie then why do you care so much if he spends time with Souji-kun? Unless you'd rather Teddie spent time with you?"
"No way, he's around me enough as is. It's just..." How could he explain this? "There's a way things are supposed to be. Everyone's got, like, a rank, and you're supposed to stay there, not try to take someone else's spot."
Yukiko looked like she regretted going along with the conversation. "Yosuke-kun, you don't rank friends."
It sounded awful when she said it, like he went around giving everyone checks and minuses in a notebook. "I know that, but think about it: if you did, you'd put Chie first, wouldn't you?"
Yukiko hesitated. "I suppose, yes."
"And then--what? Me, and Souji, and Kanji and Rise and Ted, right?"
"I wouldn't put you at number two, exactly," she murmured.
Yosuke heard her anyway. "What? Why not?"
"Well, there is Souji-kun to consider."
"Oh, yeah." Yosuke could forgive that. "But I'm after?"
Yukiko waved her hand, flustered. "It sort of...varies depending on how annoying you're being."
Oh, come on. "What?"
"You can be very annoying," she said.
"Well, where I am now?"
"If you keep asking, you're not going to want to find out," she snapped. Yosuke put his hands up in surrender, and she took a moment to compose herself. "What about me? Where am I on your...list?"
"You know, up there. About tied with Chie." No need to get more specific than that. "Anyway, Souji's number one on my list, I'm number two on his, and Ted needs to find another spot instead of trying to take mine."
"Number two?"
"I'm behind Nanako." Yukiko nodded; everyone was behind Nanako.
"Yosuke-kun," she said, "I really think you're overreacting. Has Souji-kun started paying less attention to you because of Teddie?"
"Well, no. But he's always there," Yosuke said quickly, before Yukiko could claimed she'd made her point. "Like, the other day we were supposed to hang out and Teddie just had to tag along even though I told him to stay home."
"And that ruined everything?"
"No, not really," he admitted. Ted had been way too excited about a walk to Junes but Souji'd bought him some ice cream and afterwards he'd played with Nanako while Souji and Yosuke chilled together outside Souji's house. "It's just the principle of the thing. He could have messed it up."
Yukiko raised an eyebrow.
"He could have," Yosuke repeated, but even he didn't believe it. He lay his head down on the desk and sighed. "I sound like an idiot, don't I?"
"You do," she said.
"Can I have some of your lunch? You know, out of pity?"
"No."
Well, he'd tried.
Maybe she and Chie were right. Maybe he was taking all of this way too seriously. No one else had a problem with Teddie's behavior and when it came down to it he wasn't a bad guy. He decided to try a new tactic: he'd just go along with it. He could manage that. Sure, it was annoying when, the next time they got together, he left the table to grab some takoyaki and came back to find that Teddie'd moved into his seat next to Souji but that was...fine. Really. It wasn't like there weren't other seats available. He grabbed Teddie's old one, which had the benefit of putting him next to Rise. Cool.
Teddie was finishing up telling everyone about his day and how he'd talked a customer into buying not one but two appliances. "And they're completely useless!"
"They are not," Yosuke said. "We don't sell useless stuff, you just don't know how to use them."
"Which makes my sale even more amazing."
Yosuke couldn't deny that.
Souji patted Teddie's head. "Good job."
"Yeah, sounds like you've really gotten used to living over here," Kanji said. "Watch out, Yosuke-senpai, or one day he'll be running the place."
Yosuke scoffed but Teddie basked under the attention, practically sparkling. That was another ability of his Yosuke hadn't figured out. "Was there any doubt?"
"Well, you did have a hard time figuring out the whole wearing clothes thing," Chie reminded him.
"A mere moment of confusion, Chie-chan. I am now as knowledgeable as any other citizen of Inaba, and I have Yosuke to thank for that." Teddie turned his smile to him. "He has been extremely helpful."
"He has?" Yukiko asked, voice high with shock. Yosuke was surprised with Teddie's sudden gratitude too but seriously? She blushed when he frowned at her. "I mean, of course he has. I wouldn't expect anything else."
"I would," Chie said. "Oh, don't look at me that way, Yosuke, we all know how you can be. Are you sure he's not being mean to you when we're not around, Teddie?"
"Hey, come on!"
"Nope, he's been great. And if there's anything I don't understand, Sensei is right there to explain it to me." Teddie beamed up at him, and Yosuke was proud of how little he cared. They were all just hanging out, Ted was just being grateful. See, he could totally handle this. "In fact, we're getting so close, I might be the one calling you partner soon!"
Oh, that was it. Yosuke was slamming his hands down on the table and standing before he even had time to think about it.
"Alright, that's enough," he said. "I'm Souji's partner, okay? He's my best friend, and my partner, and you can't just come in and--and take him away or whatever because he's already taken! So hands off!"
Everyone at the table stared at him. A couple of people scattered around the food court did as well.
"Whoa, Yosuke-senpai," Kanji said, leaned back in his chair, "where the hell did that come from?"
"Uh..." Yosuke was struck with a sudden, intense desire to hide under the table. Or at least sit down. He did that, slouching in an attempt to make himself as small as possible.
"My goodness, Yosuke." Instead of being upset about being yelled at, Teddie gave Yosuke a grin and a wink. "Such a strong declaration of your feelings! Who knew you were so passionate?"
"Passionate? Wait, it's not like that." He looked to Souji for support, but he was staring at the table, hand over his face and blushing in embarrassment. "Hey, partner..."
Souji glanced up at him. "I don't know what to say. I had no idea you felt that way."
Yosuke was at a loss for words. He was pretty sure Souji'd never looked at him like that before and he didn't know how to handle it.
"I didn't know you had it in you, Yosuke-senpai," Rise said. She smiled and poked him in the shoulder. "That took some guts."
"You think?" he asked hesitantly.
"Oh, definitely. I'm sure no one could have misunderstood that."
Actually, Yosuke was sure that was exactly what had happened and he should have set them straight but... He looked up and immediately caught Souji's eye; Souji hadn't looked away from him. He sat straighter in his seat. "Well, if everyone gets it now..."
"Loud and clear," Kanji said. "Hands off. No need to freak out."
Yosuke nodded. "Good. And I want my seat back, Teddie."
"Of course!"
There was an awkward silence after they switched places.
"So," Yukiko said too brightly, "you said you sold two blenders to the same person, Teddie? Why don't you tell us how you did that again?"
As Teddie launched into his story with an unnecessary amount of drama, Yosuke sneaked a glance at Souji. He was gazing at nothing in particular now, face still covered but visibly pink as he got his emotions back under control. As casually as he could manage, Yosuke reached over and put his hand on his knee.
Souji smothered a surprised cough and reached down to grip Yosuke's hand, fumbling with it briefly before he got a good hold. He didn't look at Yosuke but he didn't try to move his hand away either, and if his expression was anything to go by, Teddie's story was the last thing on his mind.
Yosuke didn't bother not trying to feel smug.