[Persona 4] Cloudy World
Title: Cloudy World
Fandom: Persona 4
Author: inksmears
Characters/Pairings: Yosuke, Naoto
Genre: Friendship
Rating: PG
Prompt: In which Souji was going out with both Rise and Naoto, and Naoto finds out. Also in which Yosuke realizes he's great at comforting people.
Author's Notes: N/A
Yosuke had no particular reason why he decided to take a different way home that day. He generally went the same way on his bike and always the same way because he was familiar with the road. Going a new way always meant risking his bike and he really couldn't afford that. But today he felt like it was time for a change and so it was by sheer chance that he took the same particular path that Naoto often used to walk home. Yosuke didn't know this originally and so as he glided along he was surprised to find the detective sitting by the river.
His surprise was initially because it was so cold out today. It was, Yosuke had thought this morning, the last day he'd be able to use his bike before all the snow and the bitter cold set in. He slowed when he saw her and stopped. He wasn't sure what made him stop or even approach her. It was awkward to even think about because out of all of his friends he spoke with Naoto the least. This made him a little sad for he greatly admired her for her detective skills, something he had tried desperately to gain over night when he and Souji had begun their search for the killer.
Parking and locking his bike near by, Yosuke made his way down the embankment and approached Naoto cautiously. He didn't want to startle or disturb her or anything. She did not seem to notice him even when he stood right beside her, hands in his pockets and breath clouding in front of his face with each exhale.
"Hey," He said at last, unable to stand the silence.
Naoto jumped and glanced up at him. Despite his effort he had startled her anyway which struck him as odd. However he was alarmed when he noticed how red her eyes were. Had she been crying? The idea that Naoto cried like a normal human being momentarily stunned him into silence.
"H-Hey..." He finally managed to stammer out. "You're... Are you okay?"
He was immediately at a loss. Anything that was enough to make Naoto look so broken and upset was probably not something he could tackle. But for her he would damn well try.
"It is nothing," Naoto replied softly.
A predictable response. Yosuke frowned, arms crossed over his chest. "Dude, if everything was fine why do you look like your grandpa just died?"
The corners of Naoto's mouth twitched up into a weary smile. "As tactful as ever, Yosuke-senpai."
Yosuke started and felt his stomach drop. "W-What? W-Wait, you... I-I mean, that's not really what happened, right?" Dammit, that would be the second time he'd made that mistake. Suffering from foot-in-mouth syndrome was truly a curse.
"No," She replied and looked away, face hidden from his gaze. "Nothing like that."
"O-Oh." Phew... "Then what? C'mon, you can tell me."
Naoto was silent for a long time. Yosuke waited with surprising patience, occasionally rubbing his chilly hands together for warmth. He opted to keep standing for most of the time but then eventually he sat beside her. Out of the corner of his eye he noted how she sat, legs drawn to her chest and head bowed. Her hat hid her expression but judging by her posture alone Yosuke could only imagine it was expressing great sadness. Seeing her like that made him want to gather her in his arms and protect her from whatever was causing her harm. It was a strange feeling to get about someone like Naoto.
"I..." Naoto suddenly said. "Souji-san and I, we... got rather close lately and he... told me he wanted to be with me. Romantically."
Yosuke's eyebrows shot up in surprise and his eyes widened. For some reason he had always thought someone like Yukiko would be more his type.
"And so I thought... he made it seem like we were together henceforth and I was happy but apparently he was already with Rise-san."
Yosuke's eyes widened more. Two timing? Souji? Somehow he wasn't surprised and yet he was at the same time. Souji was such a nice guy that for him to do something as mean as two time a girl seemed impossible. Yet Souji was so insanely popular with all the girl's that maybe it was bond to happen sooner or later.
"I do not know what I expected," Naoto said bitterly. "Of course he would prefer someone like Rise-san. I am inadequate as a girl."
"Hey, don't say that," Yosuke said quickly, frowning deeply. "Don't even think that. That's stupid. This has nothing to do with you."
Naoto turned her head to stare at him quizzically. Yosuke's face was stern and serious, a rare expression. He held her gaze firmly. "Okay?"
"What do you..."
"I mean that this is totally Souji's fault. He's the one who made this mess, right? Going out with both of you at the same time... That's pretty stupid."
Yosuke suddenly felt angry for some reason but he wasn't sure why. He was angry that Souji would do something as low as two time because he respected him so much. Maybe he was angry that Souji had scored with Risette of all people. But maybe even more so... was that he'd had someone like Naoto willing to be with him intimately and had completely taken it for granted. Being able to date someone like Naoto was a feat Yosuke could only dream about achieving. (Not that he did. He totally didn't think of Naoto like that. Honest!)
Coming back from his thoughts Yosuke noticed he had, at least, successfully erased Naoto's sorrowful expression. It had been replaced by shock.
"I'm surprised," Naoto stated. "To hear you talk about Senpai like that seems strange."
Yosuke snorted. "Yeah, well. He's my best friend but even I can still think he's a moron. I know everyone thinks he's perfect and I guess he nearly is but in the end? He's still a normal teenager. This fuck up of his just proves it."
Now Naoto looked stunned silly. "How surprisingly mature of you, Yosuke-senpai."
"H-Hey... Don't say it like I'm never mature. I have my moments."
"I believe they are about as common as a blue moon."
Yosuke gave her a purposefully exaggerated exasperated look. "Your words are colder than the air right now, you know..."
Naoto smiled, something significantly more genuine than previously, and Yosuke silently congratulated himself.
"But seriously," He said abruptly. "It's not you so don't think that. Okay? Promise?"
"I cannot promise but I will try to believe this."
"I'm serious. Souji's nuts to think any other girl is better than you--er." Yosuke waved his hands at her with a nervous laugh. "O-Or, I mean... that's what I think he thinks. Who knows but either way what he did was dumb."
Yosuke watched a slight tinge of red rise to her cheeks. She abruptly looked away and hide it behind her hat.
"Thank you, Senpai."
"Huh?"
"You are surprisingly good at comforting people."
"You keep saying 'surprisingly' like you expect so little from me..." Yosuke grumbled, sulking somewhat.
Naoto tossed her head back and laughed. Yosuke grinned. Ah, well. He didn't mind the jokes at his own expense so long as it made her smile.
Fandom: Persona 4
Author: inksmears
Characters/Pairings: Yosuke, Naoto
Genre: Friendship
Rating: PG
Prompt: In which Souji was going out with both Rise and Naoto, and Naoto finds out. Also in which Yosuke realizes he's great at comforting people.
Author's Notes: N/A
Yosuke had no particular reason why he decided to take a different way home that day. He generally went the same way on his bike and always the same way because he was familiar with the road. Going a new way always meant risking his bike and he really couldn't afford that. But today he felt like it was time for a change and so it was by sheer chance that he took the same particular path that Naoto often used to walk home. Yosuke didn't know this originally and so as he glided along he was surprised to find the detective sitting by the river.
His surprise was initially because it was so cold out today. It was, Yosuke had thought this morning, the last day he'd be able to use his bike before all the snow and the bitter cold set in. He slowed when he saw her and stopped. He wasn't sure what made him stop or even approach her. It was awkward to even think about because out of all of his friends he spoke with Naoto the least. This made him a little sad for he greatly admired her for her detective skills, something he had tried desperately to gain over night when he and Souji had begun their search for the killer.
Parking and locking his bike near by, Yosuke made his way down the embankment and approached Naoto cautiously. He didn't want to startle or disturb her or anything. She did not seem to notice him even when he stood right beside her, hands in his pockets and breath clouding in front of his face with each exhale.
"Hey," He said at last, unable to stand the silence.
Naoto jumped and glanced up at him. Despite his effort he had startled her anyway which struck him as odd. However he was alarmed when he noticed how red her eyes were. Had she been crying? The idea that Naoto cried like a normal human being momentarily stunned him into silence.
"H-Hey..." He finally managed to stammer out. "You're... Are you okay?"
He was immediately at a loss. Anything that was enough to make Naoto look so broken and upset was probably not something he could tackle. But for her he would damn well try.
"It is nothing," Naoto replied softly.
A predictable response. Yosuke frowned, arms crossed over his chest. "Dude, if everything was fine why do you look like your grandpa just died?"
The corners of Naoto's mouth twitched up into a weary smile. "As tactful as ever, Yosuke-senpai."
Yosuke started and felt his stomach drop. "W-What? W-Wait, you... I-I mean, that's not really what happened, right?" Dammit, that would be the second time he'd made that mistake. Suffering from foot-in-mouth syndrome was truly a curse.
"No," She replied and looked away, face hidden from his gaze. "Nothing like that."
"O-Oh." Phew... "Then what? C'mon, you can tell me."
Naoto was silent for a long time. Yosuke waited with surprising patience, occasionally rubbing his chilly hands together for warmth. He opted to keep standing for most of the time but then eventually he sat beside her. Out of the corner of his eye he noted how she sat, legs drawn to her chest and head bowed. Her hat hid her expression but judging by her posture alone Yosuke could only imagine it was expressing great sadness. Seeing her like that made him want to gather her in his arms and protect her from whatever was causing her harm. It was a strange feeling to get about someone like Naoto.
"I..." Naoto suddenly said. "Souji-san and I, we... got rather close lately and he... told me he wanted to be with me. Romantically."
Yosuke's eyebrows shot up in surprise and his eyes widened. For some reason he had always thought someone like Yukiko would be more his type.
"And so I thought... he made it seem like we were together henceforth and I was happy but apparently he was already with Rise-san."
Yosuke's eyes widened more. Two timing? Souji? Somehow he wasn't surprised and yet he was at the same time. Souji was such a nice guy that for him to do something as mean as two time a girl seemed impossible. Yet Souji was so insanely popular with all the girl's that maybe it was bond to happen sooner or later.
"I do not know what I expected," Naoto said bitterly. "Of course he would prefer someone like Rise-san. I am inadequate as a girl."
"Hey, don't say that," Yosuke said quickly, frowning deeply. "Don't even think that. That's stupid. This has nothing to do with you."
Naoto turned her head to stare at him quizzically. Yosuke's face was stern and serious, a rare expression. He held her gaze firmly. "Okay?"
"What do you..."
"I mean that this is totally Souji's fault. He's the one who made this mess, right? Going out with both of you at the same time... That's pretty stupid."
Yosuke suddenly felt angry for some reason but he wasn't sure why. He was angry that Souji would do something as low as two time because he respected him so much. Maybe he was angry that Souji had scored with Risette of all people. But maybe even more so... was that he'd had someone like Naoto willing to be with him intimately and had completely taken it for granted. Being able to date someone like Naoto was a feat Yosuke could only dream about achieving. (Not that he did. He totally didn't think of Naoto like that. Honest!)
Coming back from his thoughts Yosuke noticed he had, at least, successfully erased Naoto's sorrowful expression. It had been replaced by shock.
"I'm surprised," Naoto stated. "To hear you talk about Senpai like that seems strange."
Yosuke snorted. "Yeah, well. He's my best friend but even I can still think he's a moron. I know everyone thinks he's perfect and I guess he nearly is but in the end? He's still a normal teenager. This fuck up of his just proves it."
Now Naoto looked stunned silly. "How surprisingly mature of you, Yosuke-senpai."
"H-Hey... Don't say it like I'm never mature. I have my moments."
"I believe they are about as common as a blue moon."
Yosuke gave her a purposefully exaggerated exasperated look. "Your words are colder than the air right now, you know..."
Naoto smiled, something significantly more genuine than previously, and Yosuke silently congratulated himself.
"But seriously," He said abruptly. "It's not you so don't think that. Okay? Promise?"
"I cannot promise but I will try to believe this."
"I'm serious. Souji's nuts to think any other girl is better than you--er." Yosuke waved his hands at her with a nervous laugh. "O-Or, I mean... that's what I think he thinks. Who knows but either way what he did was dumb."
Yosuke watched a slight tinge of red rise to her cheeks. She abruptly looked away and hide it behind her hat.
"Thank you, Senpai."
"Huh?"
"You are surprisingly good at comforting people."
"You keep saying 'surprisingly' like you expect so little from me..." Yosuke grumbled, sulking somewhat.
Naoto tossed her head back and laughed. Yosuke grinned. Ah, well. He didn't mind the jokes at his own expense so long as it made her smile.