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Twentieth birthdays were meant to be awesome. You’re finally legally allowed to drink and Yosuke had been excited to celebrate it with his friends. That was until they started saying they couldn’t come out and party. First Yukiko said there was a massive reservation and she had to stay and manage the Inn. Then Chie said she had work early the next day and she’d rather not be hungover. A few days earlier Kanji mentioned the shop had received a large order that was too big for his mother to handle alone.
So that ruled out most of them. Naoto and Rise were always busy and despite how many times Rise said she’d be there he knew better than to count her in. The only person that hadn’t cancelled was Yu. That didn’t bother him at all, they could have all the fun they wanted together.
So on the day of his twentieth birthday he jumps on the train to Tokyo to see Yu. They hit the club hard, Yosuke drinks till the room spins and he can’t tell if he’s a real person or a figment of his imagination. They make it back to Yu’s apartment at some point. How or when he has no idea but the next thing he knows there’s a glass of water in his hand and two Ibuprofens set out in front of him. Yu is sitting next to him with a blank expression and that scares him. In an attempt to liven up the mood Yosuke proceedes to tell him at his latest romantic failure. He’s halfway through telling Yu about how he’d spilled juice all over the girls skirt when he turns to look Yu. Yu’s got this look in his eyes that makes Yosuke's hair stand on edge. “Partner?” he asks cautiously and that seems to break the dam because Yu burts into tears.
“I wish i could hate him. I wish I could hate Adachi-san. I really wish I could hate him Yosuke.” Yu is crying now, full blown in a way that’s painfully familiar. He’d only seen Yu cry like this once, when Nanako had been pushed into the TV. This was different though, his fists were clenched so hard his knuckles were white. “I wish I could fucking hate him. That I could rip him out of my heart and forget about him.” Yosuke reaches out to put his hand on his shaking shoulder but Yu pushes him away. “But I just can’t” he cries out his voice full or hurt “I can’t because I love him Yosuke. I love him so much some days, I miss him so much I can barely stand it.” Yus face is flushed as he pushes his head into his fists. He’s rubbing them against his face so aggressively and all Yosuke can do is stare. He had no idea Yu felt this much for Adachi. He knew Yu felt something for the older man. He saw the heated glances they’d shared during the P-1. He’d seen the pain on his face as he stepped out of the TV the day he confronted Adachi alone.
Yosuke truthfully couldn’t understand how someone could love the man who’d hurt everyone he loves. But Yu was his friend, his best friend. Someone who’d listened to him when he rambled about Saki, the person who’d watched him cry like an idiot when yet another girl dumped him. He reaches out again this time he wraps his arms around Yu, feeling him tremble. “I’m sorry I’m ruining your birthday aren’t I?” Yu mumbles quietly.
“It’s okay partner, you’re not ruining anything. I’m glad you decided to share this with me.” he says as he pats Yu’s back softly. “I can’t say I understand where you’re coming from but, it hurts to see you like this. I knew you liked Adachi to some degree but I figured it was a crush.” Yu sniffles and he shakes his head, “No Yosuke I…I love him. I’ve loved him for a long time..” He finds he can only stroke his partners back unsure of what to say. “It’s okay partner.” He’s met with silence when he looks down to Yu he realizes he’s asleep. Tears tracks drying up on his face.
Yosuke detaches himself from Yu walking over to the kitchen. He grabs a cloth and damps it he makes his way back to Yu and begins cleaning his face softly. He then half carries Yu to bed and tucks him in before returning to the couch. He lies in silence, while staring at the ceiling. He lets his eyes close the image of Yu crying burned into his eyelids.
The next day he wakes to the sounds of Yu making breakfast. They eat in silence. A silence that lasts through their walk to the train station. Yosuke has no idea how to bring up the topic of Adachi up, hell he doesn’t know if he even wants to. He doesn’t want to see Yu cry like that again, ever. So he doesn’t as they wait for his train he decides to gather up his courage and just say it. “Partner-”, “Yosuke I-“ they say at the same time which breaks the tension between them.
They laugh quietly before Yosuke decides to say his piece before he can chicken out again. “Partner about Adachi..san. I wanted to tell you that while I don’t understand your feelings for him. I don’t hate you for loving him.” Yu’s expression goes from shock before melting into a warm smile that makes Yosuke shiver. Yu places his hand on Yosukes shoulder “Thank You, Yosuke. That means a lot to me.” He doesn’t trust his voice not to croak when he speaks so he nods. The announcement that his train is approaching rings through the station. Yu hugs him again before they separate and he boards the train back to inaba. Yosuke waves to him again once the train doors close and Yu returns the wave with the same warm smile. The train finally starts moving and with that he’s gone as quick as he’d arrived. He takes a seat and closes his eyes, and decides that at the end of the day his feelings towards adachi don’t matter. As long as Yu is able to smile like that, he doesn’t really care about anything else.