[ To be fair, he hadn't had much time to gather impressions. Most of the impressions he had gotten were of Yosuke's fellow merpeople judging him heavily not just for being invited to be among them, but being invited to speak with her. But if he thought about it, he hadn't seen any of them together like that - no hands on shoulders, no one even particularly close side by side, no casual touches or brushes. They tended to hold themselves apart.
And then there was Yosuke, who nearly always reached for him first.
It must have felt a little stifling, keeping that natural tendency in.
Yu's smile flickers briefly into something a little wider, but he doesn't reply. He can imagine why Yosuke's mother isn't exactly someone you seek out for a casual afternoon.
His hand returns to rubbing idle circles into Yosuke's skin as he listens. He's quiet for a moment after Yosuke trails off, thinking, and then admits: ]
I'll be glad to have you, too. [ Not the team, not we. "I." Yu briefly cuts his gaze to Yosuke's face before looking out over the water again. ] I'll show you around. We can go to Aiya, and sit in the gazebo. You'll meet the team for real, of course, and we'll discuss the investigation. But, [ he murmurs, a bit shy, ] there'll be plenty of time for that, plus other things, too.
[ It's not too much to be excited, is it? Yosuke has totally spent time imagining what it might be like to spend time with Yu on land, what his home looks like, what his friends are like. He can only imagine everyone thinks Yu is as wonderful as Yosuke does. That just makes sense. Of course he also imagined time just for them, but there's so much to entertain...
The motion of Yu's hand brings a smile to his lips. Listening to the different things they could do--said plainly and implied--only makes that smile widen. Not that he was...worried Yu would want him around--of course he would...right?--okay. He'd been a little worried. Their interactions have thus far been in increments, planned meetings. So it's nice to have that affirmation. ]
Man, I can't wait!
[ He figures he's allowed to be excited now, isn't he? He flops his tail back down onto the ground and scratches at his own hip. He can feel the scales drying out and it's actually fairly uncomfortable. But he'll power through it. ]
What's the first thing you wanna do? Do I, uh, get to see your place?
[ There's so much they'll be able to do together, now. If being excited is wrong, then, well, Yu is in the wrong, too. He's glad for many things. Glad that Yosuke is alive. Glad that Yosuke now has a Persona. (And a social link, incidentally, which he's still kind of vaguely pondering. He's not surprised, but at the same time... there's just something a little funny about only now forming a social link with someone he's been dating for some time.) Glad that... they'll be able to share in each other's worlds and lives in a way they never could have before.
He's grateful. He's grateful for so much. With that thought in mind, Yu smiles and twists, leaning down just enough to press a kiss to the shell of Yosuke's ear. ]
Actually, I've been thinking about that. If you're going to work on the investigation with us, you'll need a place to stay. I... was thinking of asking my uncle if you could stay with us. [ He goes a bit pink in the ears, glancing away. ] I'll think of something to tell him.
[ The kiss is sweet, and a little ticklish. Yosuke raises his shoulders instinctively, but he still leans in a little as Yu pulls away. It's what Yu says afterwards that really gets to him, though. When he catches Yu's gaze again, Yosuke's eyes are wide and hopeful. He blinks, brows raising tentatively, as if he doesn't want to get too excited at the prospect. ]
Stay with you...?
[ He hadn't had much time to think about what he'd be doing as far as an abode goes, never having to worry about it before. He figured if he had to, he could just come back to the river and rest. The idea of staying with, Yu, though...
...is infinitely better. ]
I mean...if...that wouldn't be a lot of trouble for you or your uncle, then...yeah. Yeah, that'd be awesome.
Yu feels his nerves calm as Yosuke looks as hopeful as he feels, and he nods just once. ]
I ... I'd like it, if you did. [ He pauses, then goes a bit more noticeably pink before ducking his chin. ] Uncle will probably be concerned, but... I think once he meets you, it'll be alright.
[ Who wouldn't like Yosuke, really? That's his thought, at least. Once Dojima gets to know him, it'll probably be okay. .... right?
In the meantime, his hand keeps tracing Yosuke's skin, brushing off dirt and smoothing across the planes of his shoulders. ]
[ He's not at all sure what to expect from Yu's home or Yu's uncle. He's met his friends through some...extenuating circumstances, but they were all nice. Yu is nice. So his uncle has to be nice too, right? ]
You think so? [ Yosuke fidgets, but he's now brimming with the possibilities. Staying with Yu...getting to sleep next to Yu? He can spend as much time with Yu as humanly possible. He does remember what Yu has told him about his extended family. There's a little girl there too, right? ] Doesn't your cousin al--
[ Yosuke suddenly stops, choking on his words mid-sentence. His scales have been itching, yes, but now there is an unyielding heat running along his tail. He hisses, gritting his teeth as he looks down. It almost feels like the scales themselves are peeling like a scab--uncomfortable, tinging with pain, but not unbearable. It's not a magical ball of light like he might have hoped, but his scales slowly begin to smooth out, the shimmering orange and gold giving away to something a little tanned, a little pinker in places. ]
(Well, to be fair, he is perfectly nice. Just a little Intense, and also Constantly Stressed Out.
Yu's about to answer that question when Yosuke shuts up. Yosuke shutting up, especially that abruptly, is not a common occurrence, so Yu stays his tongue and watches with some concern. When it becomes apparent what's happening, Yu pulls in a breath of amazement.
And then something occurs to him.
... Yosuke hasn't seem to have really any sense of modesty, so .. should he .. ?
For now, he stays where he is, keeping a hand still on Yosuke's back as a warm comfort as he goes through this transformation. ]
[ He really isn't sure what to expect. His mother hadn't really given him details when she pressed her nose to his tail. He just knew it would work because she's his mother, she's the Samegawa, it's in her power to do so. The fact that these sorts of transformations are even rarer than bestowing the gift to humans to breathe underwater had entered his mind, but there wasn't really any time to think it over. "Yes" or "no". The answer was obvious.
Still, it's...awkward.
And uncomfortable.
Yu's presence is welcome, calming as one would expect. Yosuke's fingers dig into the sand and dirt as his once long fins begin to shrink, pulling towards his body and curling into themselves like a butterfly going back into its cocoon. The finds on the side of his face do the same, making him twitch and shiver with the sensation. ]
Shit--
[ But where there were fins are the ears that they have always been hiding, framed by tuffs of hair. He opens his eyes blearily just in time to the see the last of his scales disappear and his fins split into fives, forming something new at the end of his feet.
Oh shit, he has feet!
Yosuke's eyes widen as what used to be one long tail finally finishes splitting in two, ending--yep, you guessed it--in the crack of his new ass. That certainly is a thing.
And Yu is correct, Yosuke is pretty much always naked. How is this any different? ]
...Whoa! It--
[ Excuse him as he kind of awkwardly...flops--yeah, sitting up isn't how he thought it would be. In fact he basically faceplants into the dirt, recovers quickly, and tries again. ]
[ Yu stays calm and steady beside him, because that's what Yosuke needs, but it's really something to watch this transformation. It seems like it might be painful, though Yosuke doesn't... seem too bothered... more like surprised. And excited.
He finally removes his hand when Yosuke starts quite literally flopping around. It's more out of surprise, but also because he isn't sure what Yosuke wants.
Seeing Yosuke this visibly delighted, though, trying so hard to walk and failing at it...
Yu ends up smiling himself, even if seeing his boyfriend tail-less is completely surreal. Yu gets to his feet, and holds his hands out to Yosuke. ]
Here. Why don't I help you balance?
[ He'll lean over a little if Yosuke wants to just focus on sitting up with legs, first, but here's here if Yosuke wants to try standing, too. ]
[ Yosuke could really keep rolling around like an idiot, but he's got an expert here with him, doesn't he? When Yu offers, Yosuke blinks and looks up, before smiling a little sheepishly. Had he gotten a little ahead of himself? Probably. Regardless, he takes the other boy up on his offer, reaching out for Yu's hands as he tries to pull himself to his feet.
Standing, he realizes, is a lot more complicated than it looks.
First of all he's used to having one tail to move around, not two legs. And they can both move independently. Yosuke has to think about moving one, then the other--carefully and more than a little shaky. ]
You make it look so easy...
[ It doesn't take long for Yosuke to find positions to kneel in that are most definitely NOT comfortable. Standing is another issue entirely.
That sure is his boyfriend, sporting Real Human Legs™.
That also sure is his boyfriend buck fucking naked. Yu does a very good job of not letting his eyes stray below Yosuke's face, but he can't help but be real, real aware of that nudity.
At least they have this whole "learning to use your brand new legs" thing to keep them focused on the important things. Yu holds Yosuke's hands tight, not seeming to mind at all that Yosuke's gripping him pretty hard. He just smiles and waits patiently. ]
I've got a whole lifetime of practice, after all. And of course, you're more graceful in the water than I could ever dream of being. So, really, I think we're pretty even.
[ A brief squeeze of his boyfriend's hands. ]
Take it slow. ... and when we get a chance, we should get you into a change of clothes ...
[ Like, he can deal with Yosuke being naked, but
they are theoretically in public and they
would probably look real suspicious to anyone who happened across this bizarre scene. ]
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no subject
And then there was Yosuke, who nearly always reached for him first.
It must have felt a little stifling, keeping that natural tendency in.
Yu's smile flickers briefly into something a little wider, but he doesn't reply. He can imagine why Yosuke's mother isn't exactly someone you seek out for a casual afternoon.
His hand returns to rubbing idle circles into Yosuke's skin as he listens. He's quiet for a moment after Yosuke trails off, thinking, and then admits: ]
I'll be glad to have you, too. [ Not the team, not we. "I." Yu briefly cuts his gaze to Yosuke's face before looking out over the water again. ] I'll show you around. We can go to Aiya, and sit in the gazebo. You'll meet the team for real, of course, and we'll discuss the investigation. But, [ he murmurs, a bit shy, ] there'll be plenty of time for that, plus other things, too.
no subject
The motion of Yu's hand brings a smile to his lips. Listening to the different things they could do--said plainly and implied--only makes that smile widen. Not that he was...worried Yu would want him around--of course he would...right?--okay. He'd been a little worried. Their interactions have thus far been in increments, planned meetings. So it's nice to have that affirmation. ]
Man, I can't wait!
[ He figures he's allowed to be excited now, isn't he? He flops his tail back down onto the ground and scratches at his own hip. He can feel the scales drying out and it's actually fairly uncomfortable. But he'll power through it. ]
What's the first thing you wanna do? Do I, uh, get to see your place?
no subject
He's grateful. He's grateful for so much. With that thought in mind, Yu smiles and twists, leaning down just enough to press a kiss to the shell of Yosuke's ear. ]
Actually, I've been thinking about that. If you're going to work on the investigation with us, you'll need a place to stay. I... was thinking of asking my uncle if you could stay with us. [ He goes a bit pink in the ears, glancing away. ] I'll think of something to tell him.
no subject
Stay with you...?
[ He hadn't had much time to think about what he'd be doing as far as an abode goes, never having to worry about it before. He figured if he had to, he could just come back to the river and rest. The idea of staying with, Yu, though...
...is infinitely better. ]
I mean...if...that wouldn't be a lot of trouble for you or your uncle, then...yeah. Yeah, that'd be awesome.
no subject
At least he likes the idea.
Yu feels his nerves calm as Yosuke looks as hopeful as he feels, and he nods just once. ]
I ... I'd like it, if you did. [ He pauses, then goes a bit more noticeably pink before ducking his chin. ] Uncle will probably be concerned, but... I think once he meets you, it'll be alright.
[ Who wouldn't like Yosuke, really? That's his thought, at least. Once Dojima gets to know him, it'll probably be okay. .... right?
In the meantime, his hand keeps tracing Yosuke's skin, brushing off dirt and smoothing across the planes of his shoulders. ]
no subject
You think so? [ Yosuke fidgets, but he's now brimming with the possibilities. Staying with Yu...getting to sleep next to Yu? He can spend as much time with Yu as humanly possible. He does remember what Yu has told him about his extended family. There's a little girl there too, right? ] Doesn't your cousin al--
[ Yosuke suddenly stops, choking on his words mid-sentence. His scales have been itching, yes, but now there is an unyielding heat running along his tail. He hisses, gritting his teeth as he looks down. It almost feels like the scales themselves are peeling like a scab--uncomfortable, tinging with pain, but not unbearable. It's not a magical ball of light like he might have hoped, but his scales slowly begin to smooth out, the shimmering orange and gold giving away to something a little tanned, a little pinker in places. ]
no subject
(Well, to be fair, he is perfectly nice. Just a little Intense, and also Constantly Stressed Out.
Yu's about to answer that question when Yosuke shuts up. Yosuke shutting up, especially that abruptly, is not a common occurrence, so Yu stays his tongue and watches with some concern. When it becomes apparent what's happening, Yu pulls in a breath of amazement.
And then something occurs to him.
... Yosuke hasn't seem to have really any sense of modesty, so .. should he .. ?
For now, he stays where he is, keeping a hand still on Yosuke's back as a warm comfort as he goes through this transformation. ]
no subject
Still, it's...awkward.
And uncomfortable.
Yu's presence is welcome, calming as one would expect. Yosuke's fingers dig into the sand and dirt as his once long fins begin to shrink, pulling towards his body and curling into themselves like a butterfly going back into its cocoon. The finds on the side of his face do the same, making him twitch and shiver with the sensation. ]
Shit--
[ But where there were fins are the ears that they have always been hiding, framed by tuffs of hair. He opens his eyes blearily just in time to the see the last of his scales disappear and his fins split into fives, forming something new at the end of his feet.
Oh shit, he has feet!
Yosuke's eyes widen as what used to be one long tail finally finishes splitting in two, ending--yep, you guessed it--in the crack of his new ass. That certainly is a thing.
And Yu is correct, Yosuke is pretty much always naked. How is this any different? ]
...Whoa! It--
[ Excuse him as he kind of awkwardly...flops--yeah, sitting up isn't how he thought it would be. In fact he basically faceplants into the dirt, recovers quickly, and tries again. ]
Hahaha!
no subject
He finally removes his hand when Yosuke starts quite literally flopping around. It's more out of surprise, but also because he isn't sure what Yosuke wants.
Seeing Yosuke this visibly delighted, though, trying so hard to walk and failing at it...
Yu ends up smiling himself, even if seeing his boyfriend tail-less is completely surreal. Yu gets to his feet, and holds his hands out to Yosuke. ]
Here. Why don't I help you balance?
[ He'll lean over a little if Yosuke wants to just focus on sitting up with legs, first, but here's here if Yosuke wants to try standing, too. ]
no subject
Standing, he realizes, is a lot more complicated than it looks.
First of all he's used to having one tail to move around, not two legs. And they can both move independently. Yosuke has to think about moving one, then the other--carefully and more than a little shaky. ]
You make it look so easy...
[ It doesn't take long for Yosuke to find positions to kneel in that are most definitely NOT comfortable. Standing is another issue entirely.
Don't mind him gripping a little tightly. ]
picks this up too while i'm at it
That sure is his boyfriend, sporting Real Human Legs™.
That also sure is his boyfriend buck fucking naked. Yu does a very good job of not letting his eyes stray below Yosuke's face, but he can't help but be real, real aware of that nudity.
At least they have this whole "learning to use your brand new legs" thing to keep them focused on the important things. Yu holds Yosuke's hands tight, not seeming to mind at all that Yosuke's gripping him pretty hard. He just smiles and waits patiently. ]
I've got a whole lifetime of practice, after all. And of course, you're more graceful in the water than I could ever dream of being. So, really, I think we're pretty even.
[ A brief squeeze of his boyfriend's hands. ]
Take it slow. ... and when we get a chance, we should get you into a change of clothes ...
[ Like, he can deal with Yosuke being naked, but
they are theoretically in public and they
would probably look real suspicious to anyone who happened across this bizarre scene. ]