[ Yu doesn't say anything. Just watches Yosuke cave in still-flummoxed silence, slowly calming and regaining his normal, somewhat stoic composure. He has to make himself take deep breaths, and he does it as silently as he can.
Yosuke ... must ... really like him, huh ...
It's never once been that he's doubted his new boyfriend. He just... he didn't think...
He'd never let himself think this would ever happen to him. Now that it is, the reality of it is more overwhelming than he could have bargained for.
Once he thinks he's gathered enough, Yu carefully reaches out and presses his fingertips to Yosuke's elbow. This touch isn't teasing, or meant to rile; it's a comforting one, one that Yu hopes will get Yosuke to look up.
Since when he does, Yu will smile, warm as the rising sun. ]
[ He instinctively flinches when he feels fingertips on his elbow. The touch is encouraging and it works to get Yosuke to lift his head from off of the table and look up at Yu.
He always felt like his smiles were supposed to be bright but the one that Yu's giving him feels as if it's on a completely different level. ]
...you don't always look at me like that do you? [ "Because there's no way we're going to fool anyone if you keep looking at me like that," is how he wants to follow things up with but instead doesn't. He figures Yu could probably read that much from him.
Which kind of leads him to the subject that they should have talked about well before this point. Okay, so they were dating; Yosuke was good with that. They weren't being overt about it; again, Yosuke was fine with that. But was hiding this acceptable? Yosuke knew just how patient Yu was but was it fair? ]
Hey, are you okay with how things are? A lot has happened so...uh. [ So? So, what? How did he want to continue that...perhaps he shouldn't have brought it up. It wasn't exactly great "first date" material. ] Never mind.
[ Murmured, in a casual tone, but there's a thread of sincerity in it. Truly, he isn't sure if he has or not. He's pretty sure he's shown enough discretion not to let something like that slip before, but he's had these feelings for so long now, it's hard for him to recall all the ways he might have looked at his best friend.
What he means, though, is: this is for you. just for you.
His smile fades into a more serious look when Yosuke changes the subject. He'll sigh through his nose, bobbing his head in a single nod. ]
No, we should talk about it, you're right. We haven't, since the party, and...
[ A pause, as he gathers his thoughts. ]
I ... just want to be with you. [ His heart beats hard against his rib cage. Yosuke. His Yosuke. His best friend. His. ] As long as you're happy with that, then I'll be happy, too.
[ Yeah, Yu doesn't have to say it but Yosuke could figure that it was something meant just for him. The amount of things that were "just for him" was mounting and Yosuke couldn't complain. Trust Yu to pick up the pieces that her leaves behind, too. ]
We're kind of doing this all backwards and out of order, aren't we?
[ He muses. At least that's how it felt to him. First came the kiss, then came an awkward conversation (confession?) that ended with Yosuke not exactly coming clean about his feelings—probably because he was still sorting all of those out, and it culminating with him going out with Yu. More or less.
Wasn't the "proper" way to go about it involved feelings, confessions, dating, and then kissing? It wasn't as if he was going to sweat the semantics; it happened however it happened. What was starting to bug him was how Yu kept being happy with such the smallest of things. He gets it. He really does but at the same time— ]
But you could ask for more than that. [ He spits out without much thought. Except this time when he words hit him he doesn't take them back but continues to fumble through. ] I mean, if you're happy then I'm happy and you're stuck with me either way. Like some circle of happy.
A little, [ Yu concedes with a quiet huff that will have to pass for a laugh, given that he's not much for laughing out loud.
He can tell Yosuke is thinking hard about this, and probably feels a little guilty over things. As far as Yu is concerned, there isn't really anything to feel guilty about, but he knows how his friend-- boyfriend worries. Appearances, making others happy; these are chief concerns to Yosuke, and sometimes they go hand in hand, and sometimes they clash. He knows right now that the latter is part of the problem, what with them needing to appear to be just friends when Yosuke wants him to be happy, too.
But the answer he gets manages to surprise him yet again. Is dating Yosuke always going to surprise him this much? Yu blinks, and then flushes a little, ducking his chin. ]
It doesn't sound dumb. [ A beat. ] I...
[ He looks up without lifting his head. Yosuke will start to recognize this as how he gets when he's feeling shy. ]
... I wouldn't know what to ask you for.
[ He's open to the idea, but truly, he has no aspirations. The idea of being able to ask for more is at once enticing and terrifying, and he thinks, maybe, they should be setting those boundaries together. ]
[ The answer was expected from Yu and the shy look he gets was also kind of expected. (He didn't have to not say he didn't sound dumb because he most certainly did though.) There was a part of him that hoped that Yu could have offered him something to work with. Even if it was asinine. ]
Just think about it. [ Yosuke says with some reservations himself. He knew that was a lot to present to Yu right from the start but he meant it. Asking for things seemed logical for Yosuke; there was a lot that he wanted both materialistically and not. He was kind of shameless about it, if he wanted to be honest with himself.
And he just knew that he could ask almost anything from Yu and it would be met with both an agreement and results. He had seen the way that Yu will sometimes hold onto particular items from the TV world for people in Inaba. Yosuke wanted to do the same. ] I'm not as good as you are with granting requests but—
[ His voice is lighthearted, he sticks a thumb up, and offers Yu that bright smile he always tried to keep up whenever possible. ]
I'll try; I like being relied on.
[ And there'd be no better person to rely on him than Yu. Of course, he was already there for him as much as any person could be but he wanted to do more. He had thought of it as a pain in the past when people bothered him incessantly at Junes for one thing or another, but he had come to realize that it wasn't all that awful. It made him feel good when he could help.
Quietly, he'll add on: ] And, you know, because you're important too.
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Yosuke ... must ... really like him, huh ...
It's never once been that he's doubted his new boyfriend. He just... he didn't think...
He'd never let himself think this would ever happen to him. Now that it is, the reality of it is more overwhelming than he could have bargained for.
Once he thinks he's gathered enough, Yu carefully reaches out and presses his fingertips to Yosuke's elbow. This touch isn't teasing, or meant to rile; it's a comforting one, one that Yu hopes will get Yosuke to look up.
Since when he does, Yu will smile, warm as the rising sun. ]
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He always felt like his smiles were supposed to be bright but the one that Yu's giving him feels as if it's on a completely different level. ]
...you don't always look at me like that do you? [ "Because there's no way we're going to fool anyone if you keep looking at me like that," is how he wants to follow things up with but instead doesn't. He figures Yu could probably read that much from him.
Which kind of leads him to the subject that they should have talked about well before this point. Okay, so they were dating; Yosuke was good with that. They weren't being overt about it; again, Yosuke was fine with that. But was hiding this acceptable? Yosuke knew just how patient Yu was but was it fair? ]
Hey, are you okay with how things are? A lot has happened so...uh. [ So? So, what? How did he want to continue that...perhaps he shouldn't have brought it up. It wasn't exactly great "first date" material. ] Never mind.
no subject
[ Murmured, in a casual tone, but there's a thread of sincerity in it. Truly, he isn't sure if he has or not. He's pretty sure he's shown enough discretion not to let something like that slip before, but he's had these feelings for so long now, it's hard for him to recall all the ways he might have looked at his best friend.
What he means, though, is: this is for you. just for you.
His smile fades into a more serious look when Yosuke changes the subject. He'll sigh through his nose, bobbing his head in a single nod. ]
No, we should talk about it, you're right. We haven't, since the party, and...
[ A pause, as he gathers his thoughts. ]
I ... just want to be with you. [ His heart beats hard against his rib cage. Yosuke. His Yosuke. His best friend. His. ] As long as you're happy with that, then I'll be happy, too.
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We're kind of doing this all backwards and out of order, aren't we?
[ He muses. At least that's how it felt to him. First came the kiss, then came an awkward conversation (confession?) that ended with Yosuke not exactly coming clean about his feelings—probably because he was still sorting all of those out, and it culminating with him going out with Yu. More or less.
Wasn't the "proper" way to go about it involved feelings, confessions, dating, and then kissing? It wasn't as if he was going to sweat the semantics; it happened however it happened. What was starting to bug him was how Yu kept being happy with such the smallest of things. He gets it. He really does but at the same time— ]
But you could ask for more than that. [ He spits out without much thought. Except this time when he words hit him he doesn't take them back but continues to fumble through. ] I mean, if you're happy then I'm happy and you're stuck with me either way. Like some circle of happy.
Wait, no, that sounds dumb.
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He can tell Yosuke is thinking hard about this, and probably feels a little guilty over things. As far as Yu is concerned, there isn't really anything to feel guilty about, but he knows how his friend-- boyfriend worries. Appearances, making others happy; these are chief concerns to Yosuke, and sometimes they go hand in hand, and sometimes they clash. He knows right now that the latter is part of the problem, what with them needing to appear to be just friends when Yosuke wants him to be happy, too.
But the answer he gets manages to surprise him yet again. Is dating Yosuke always going to surprise him this much? Yu blinks, and then flushes a little, ducking his chin. ]
It doesn't sound dumb. [ A beat. ] I...
[ He looks up without lifting his head. Yosuke will start to recognize this as how he gets when he's feeling shy. ]
... I wouldn't know what to ask you for.
[ He's open to the idea, but truly, he has no aspirations. The idea of being able to ask for more is at once enticing and terrifying, and he thinks, maybe, they should be setting those boundaries together. ]
no subject
Just think about it. [ Yosuke says with some reservations himself. He knew that was a lot to present to Yu right from the start but he meant it. Asking for things seemed logical for Yosuke; there was a lot that he wanted both materialistically and not. He was kind of shameless about it, if he wanted to be honest with himself.
And he just knew that he could ask almost anything from Yu and it would be met with both an agreement and results. He had seen the way that Yu will sometimes hold onto particular items from the TV world for people in Inaba. Yosuke wanted to do the same. ] I'm not as good as you are with granting requests but—
[ His voice is lighthearted, he sticks a thumb up, and offers Yu that bright smile he always tried to keep up whenever possible. ]
I'll try; I like being relied on.
[ And there'd be no better person to rely on him than Yu. Of course, he was already there for him as much as any person could be but he wanted to do more. He had thought of it as a pain in the past when people bothered him incessantly at Junes for one thing or another, but he had come to realize that it wasn't all that awful. It made him feel good when he could help.
Quietly, he'll add on: ] And, you know, because you're important too.