For Christmas - Ch. 4
Title: For Christmas
Chapter: 4; "Just One Wish"
Fandom: Persona 4
Character(s): Seta Souji/Narukami Yu
Genre: Drama, family
Rating: K
Disclaimers: Persona 4 © ATLUS
Notes: And here it is, the last chapter of the story! Part of this is because of the idea I had in the first place, connecting it with Souji's past. But part is also to satisfy my own curiosity of the time between Dojima telling you that he and Nanako were coming home, and the actual Christmas party that evening. Either way, it was kind of interesting to write. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy!
Summary: All he ever wanted was to feel like he was home.
[Chapter 3]
~*~*~*~
Souji watched the girls discussing their plans for the Christmas cake with a smile, standing back with the other guys in the Junes grocery department. As worried as he was about the thought of the girls making anything, he couldn't blame them for being excited.
He had to admit that he was pretty excited as well, after receiving the news that his uncle and cousin were finally being released from the hospital. And knowing that his friends were looking forward to seeing Nanako again, knowing that they were as happy as he was to hear that she was getting better, he realized just how fortunate his cousin was to have so many people who cared about her. And he was pretty lucky that his friends were willing to spend their Christmas welcoming her home.
Thinking of the house Nanako would be returning to, though, made Souji frown. Considering his options for a moment, he then looked to the girls. "Will you girls be all right getting the ingredients by yourself?" he wondered.
All eyes turned to him curiously. "By ourselves?" Chie repeated.
"Are you crazy?" Yosuke hissed. "You actually want to leave them alone for this?"
"Besides, who's gonna carry the stuff after we buy everything?" Rise asked.
Souji gave a small smile. "Well, I just thought that while you girls are getting the ingredients for the…cake…the guys and I would go ahead to the house and fix it up before Nanako and my uncle get back."
"Oh yeah?" Teddie asked, his eager eyes wide. "I can do that! I can help!"
"Is the place pretty messy?" Kanji asked.
"I guess there wasn't really a point to cleaning up when you're just living by yourself, huh?" Yosuke said.
Yukiko blinked curiously. "But your house didn't seem that messy when I was there last night," she said.
As several eyes looked at her in surprise, Yukiko realized exactly what she said and blushed deeply.
Souji cleared his throat, fighting off a blush of his own as the group's attention returned to him. "It's not that the house is really messy or anything. But I admit I haven't been attending to it as much as I should have lately. And if we're going to have a Christmas party for Nanako, I just thought that we should get the place ready for her…you know, make it feel warmer and more welcoming."
"I see," Naoto said with an understanding nod. "Of course. You go on ahead, and we'll meet you there when we're finished here."
Souji returned the nod. "Sounds good." With a worried glance at the other girls, he addressed the detective with a low murmur, "Just try to keep an eye on them, okay?"
"All right!" Teddie exclaimed as he followed after the other guys. "Let's get cleaning!"
"What's for dinner, Ota-san?" Souji asked, watching the woman cook from the table.
"Curry," the woman replied, her tone somewhat annoyed. "I need to remind your mother to go shopping soon." Looking back at the child, she smiled. "Are you going to eat dinner before I leave this time?"
Souji hesitated, wondering what to do. He still thought that he could stay up and wait for his parents this time if he really tried. But after a moment, he replied, "Yes, Ota-san."
Ota-san nodded approvingly and turned back to her cooking. "Good. After I left, I was really worried about you. Especially when your mother told me that you fell asleep without eating. That's not good for you, you know."
Souji frowned, remaining silent as he looked down at the table. Just as his mother said, he had caused so much trouble, not just for his parents but for Ota-san as well, that he accepted that it was better he wasn't trying to wait for his parents again. He knew better than to ever do it again.
Tapping his fingers on the table, he then looked up and watched as Ota-san continued making dinner. Seeing all the food the woman was preparing, Souji asked, "You make dinner for Mom and Dad too, right?"
Ota-san nodded. "Yes. Usually I put some away for your parents so they have something to eat when they get home."
Scratching his head, Souji then slipped off his chair and stood next to woman, looking up at her. "Ota-san?"
She looked down at the child. "Yes, Souji-kun?"
He held his hands behind his back, shuffling his foot against the floor. "Will…will you teach me how to cook?"
She blinked. "You want to learn how to cook?"
Souji nodded.
"Well…" Ota-san placed her hands on her hips. "If you really want to learn, I guess I could. You want to start by helping me with dinner?"
Souji nodded, pulling up a chair to stand on so he could reach the counter. He listened as Ota-san told him what she was doing, and did whatever she asked him to do, glad that he could help. If he couldn't wait to eat dinner with his parents, then he could at least help make the food they would eat later.
oOoOo
As he finished putting the cleaning supplies away, Souji smiled and released a satisfied sigh. He rose to his full height and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
"Are we all done, Sensei?" Teddie wondered.
"Looks like it," Souji confirmed with a small nod.
Yosuke leaned back against the wall. "Finally," he groaned. "That took forever."
"It wasn't that bad," Kanji protested. "The place was already pretty clean to begin with."
"But now it's super clean!" Teddie asserted, pointing a triumphant finger in the air.
Yosuke appeared ready to respond, but his words died as a clatter rang out, drawing the boys' attention to the kitchen where the girls were.
"Whoops…" Chie said. She snatched an overturned bowl off the floor, leaving a trail of white powder behind.
"Hey, careful!" Yosuke called to them. "We just cleaned there!"
"Well, what do you expect us to do?" Chie replied. "We're baking, and that tends to get a little messy!"
"Besides, we're doing this for Nanako-chan," Rise added. "So a little mess will be worth it for a cake this special!"
Naoto frowned. "All the same, perhaps we should refrain from making a mess, if only to keep from wasting ingredients."
"Hmm…oh, here we go," Yukiko said, having not paid attention to the conversation around her. Instead she pointed to a piece of paper. "Okay, so here's the next step…"
Yosuke grumbled a bit as the girls resumed the baking and sat at the kotatsu in the sitting room. Looking at Souji, he said, "I still think it was a bad idea letting them make the cake."
Since his normal spot was already occupied, Souji sat across from Yosuke in the spot where Nanako usually sat. He had never sat there before, not even during the time Nanako was in the hospital, and it felt strange sitting there now.
From his position, though, he could clearly see the girls working in the kitchen. And he had to admit, he was also pretty nervous about the girls making the cake, given their cooking experiences. But to Yosuke, all he said was, "That's why we cleaned the kitchen first."
Kanji and Teddie also joined them at the kotatsu, Kanji on one end and Teddie on the other. "Yeah, at least that way they won't put anything non-edible in the cake," Kanji joked. Then he frowned as the realization hit them all that something like that was entirely possible. "Hopefully…"
"But this is gonna be great!" Teddie sang, undeterred by the thought of the Christmas edition of Mystery Food X. "A party in a super-clean, happy house and Christmas cake!" He turned to Souji. "Nana-chan's gonna be really happy, right?"
With a small smile, Souji nodded. At least he hoped she would be. He'd wanted to do something really special for her, to make sure she really felt welcomed back. And if it meant taking a few hours to fix up the house or risk letting the girls cook, then it would be worth it as long as Nanako was happy. He wanted to let her know just how much they - he - cared for her.
And as long as he had a chance to do something, he didn't mind doing whatever he could to show the people he cared for just how important they were to him.
Wondering what time it was, he reached into his pocket only to find that he didn't have his cellphone. He frowned, then remembered he left it in his room. He wasn't exactly sure what time his uncle and Nanako were being released, but he figured that he should at least have his phone, just in case they called and he needed to get them. So he got up, leaving the conversation that Kanji, Teddie, and Yosuke were having to head up to his room.
But he paused as he passed the foyer, thinking he heard something outside. Of course it was difficult to tell with all the noise in the kitchen and the sitting room, but he thought…
He froze when the door slowly opened, and his breath caught in his throat as Dojima entered first, helping Nanako as she followed after him.
Nanako noticed him first, and her face lit up with a large, bright smile; one that he hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity. "Onii-chan!" she exclaimed. Despite the softness in her voice, it was clear enough to stop all the noise around them.
Dojima looked up then, and seeing Souji gave his own smile; small, embarrassed, but something warm and familiar that Souji had recently missed. "Hey," his uncle said. "We're home."
For some reason he felt his heart leap, and for no reason he could explain, the promise of tears stung his eyes. But he blinked them away, a wide smile breaking over his expression as he spoke the words he ached to say for so long; "Welcome home."
When she was close enough, Nanako hugged him as tightly as she could. "I've missed you, Onii-chan!"
His smile wavered slightly, not in a bad way, as his arms wrapped around her as well. "I've missed you, too," he murmured, the words thick with emotion.
Suddenly Teddie swept up behind him, his body radiating with excitement. "Nana-chan!"
Looking up, Nanako gasped happily. "Teddie!"
Soon everyone gathered around, eager to see the young girl. "Welcome back," Nanako-chan!" they said.
"Oh wow!" Nanako bubbled. "Everyone's here!"
"Of course," Yosuke said. "You didn't think we'd miss your homecoming, did you?"
"But man!" Rise suddenly pouted. "We were hoping to have the cake done before you got home!"
Nanako looked up at her. "There's cake?" she asked eagerly.
"Not yet," Yukiko said. "But there will be soon."
"Unless we don't finish," Naoto pointed out, "which we might not if we don't get back to it."
"Hang tight, Nanako-chan," Chie said as the girls hurried back into the kitchen.
"C'mon, Nana-chan!" Teddie said. He helped her into the sitting room as Kanji and Yosuke followed them, keeping an eye on the hyperactive blond and making sure he didn't accidentally hurt her.
Watching them with a smile, Souji then turned to his uncle as they stood in the corridor between the foyer and the main room. His uncle's eyes glanced around, a thoughtful frown on his features.
"Uncle?" Souji asked.
Dojima turned to him, the curious frown still on his lips. "Did you clean the house?"
"You can tell?"
The older man nodded. "It just seems…different somehow. I noticed it outside too."
For some reason, Souji suddenly felt nervous as he watched his uncle look around. He knew there really was no reason for it, but he couldn't help but feel worried, and his mother's words came unbeckoned to his mind.
You shouldn't have done that.
Then Dojima turned to him and granted him a smile. "You didn't have to do that," he said.
Souji blinked; the words were a far cry from the disapproving tone he imagined they would be. Then again, this was a different time in a different place, with an entirely different person. "It's okay," he managed to answer. "I just thought that you and Nanako would prefer to return to a straightened up, comfortable house."
With a soft chuckle, Dojima looked again around the house before turning to Souji. "Well…thanks."
Souji shrugged. "It's no problem. Actually, the guys helped too, so it wasn't too hard."
Dojima shook his head. "Not just for that. For everything. Seeing all this…" He motioned to the kitchen and sitting room - to the people who filled them. "Seeing Nanako so happy…it's a really nice thing to come home to."
Looking in as well, Souji's eyes took in the sight of his friends and cousin, some of the people he had grown so close to…the people who had become so important to him. He watched them talking and laughing, having fun and the smiles on their faces. A rush of emotions swelled up inside him, spreading throughout his body and widening the smile on his face.
"Yeah," he agreed. "It really is."
He turned to Dojima, who grinned and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Then the two headed into the sitting room, surrounding themselves further with the gentle and steady warmth of their home.
The End
Chapter: 4; "Just One Wish"
Fandom: Persona 4
Character(s): Seta Souji/Narukami Yu
Genre: Drama, family
Rating: K
Disclaimers: Persona 4 © ATLUS
Notes: And here it is, the last chapter of the story! Part of this is because of the idea I had in the first place, connecting it with Souji's past. But part is also to satisfy my own curiosity of the time between Dojima telling you that he and Nanako were coming home, and the actual Christmas party that evening. Either way, it was kind of interesting to write. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy!
Summary: All he ever wanted was to feel like he was home.
[Chapter 3]
~*~*~*~
Souji watched the girls discussing their plans for the Christmas cake with a smile, standing back with the other guys in the Junes grocery department. As worried as he was about the thought of the girls making anything, he couldn't blame them for being excited.
He had to admit that he was pretty excited as well, after receiving the news that his uncle and cousin were finally being released from the hospital. And knowing that his friends were looking forward to seeing Nanako again, knowing that they were as happy as he was to hear that she was getting better, he realized just how fortunate his cousin was to have so many people who cared about her. And he was pretty lucky that his friends were willing to spend their Christmas welcoming her home.
Thinking of the house Nanako would be returning to, though, made Souji frown. Considering his options for a moment, he then looked to the girls. "Will you girls be all right getting the ingredients by yourself?" he wondered.
All eyes turned to him curiously. "By ourselves?" Chie repeated.
"Are you crazy?" Yosuke hissed. "You actually want to leave them alone for this?"
"Besides, who's gonna carry the stuff after we buy everything?" Rise asked.
Souji gave a small smile. "Well, I just thought that while you girls are getting the ingredients for the…cake…the guys and I would go ahead to the house and fix it up before Nanako and my uncle get back."
"Oh yeah?" Teddie asked, his eager eyes wide. "I can do that! I can help!"
"Is the place pretty messy?" Kanji asked.
"I guess there wasn't really a point to cleaning up when you're just living by yourself, huh?" Yosuke said.
Yukiko blinked curiously. "But your house didn't seem that messy when I was there last night," she said.
As several eyes looked at her in surprise, Yukiko realized exactly what she said and blushed deeply.
Souji cleared his throat, fighting off a blush of his own as the group's attention returned to him. "It's not that the house is really messy or anything. But I admit I haven't been attending to it as much as I should have lately. And if we're going to have a Christmas party for Nanako, I just thought that we should get the place ready for her…you know, make it feel warmer and more welcoming."
"I see," Naoto said with an understanding nod. "Of course. You go on ahead, and we'll meet you there when we're finished here."
Souji returned the nod. "Sounds good." With a worried glance at the other girls, he addressed the detective with a low murmur, "Just try to keep an eye on them, okay?"
"All right!" Teddie exclaimed as he followed after the other guys. "Let's get cleaning!"
"What's for dinner, Ota-san?" Souji asked, watching the woman cook from the table.
"Curry," the woman replied, her tone somewhat annoyed. "I need to remind your mother to go shopping soon." Looking back at the child, she smiled. "Are you going to eat dinner before I leave this time?"
Souji hesitated, wondering what to do. He still thought that he could stay up and wait for his parents this time if he really tried. But after a moment, he replied, "Yes, Ota-san."
Ota-san nodded approvingly and turned back to her cooking. "Good. After I left, I was really worried about you. Especially when your mother told me that you fell asleep without eating. That's not good for you, you know."
Souji frowned, remaining silent as he looked down at the table. Just as his mother said, he had caused so much trouble, not just for his parents but for Ota-san as well, that he accepted that it was better he wasn't trying to wait for his parents again. He knew better than to ever do it again.
Tapping his fingers on the table, he then looked up and watched as Ota-san continued making dinner. Seeing all the food the woman was preparing, Souji asked, "You make dinner for Mom and Dad too, right?"
Ota-san nodded. "Yes. Usually I put some away for your parents so they have something to eat when they get home."
Scratching his head, Souji then slipped off his chair and stood next to woman, looking up at her. "Ota-san?"
She looked down at the child. "Yes, Souji-kun?"
He held his hands behind his back, shuffling his foot against the floor. "Will…will you teach me how to cook?"
She blinked. "You want to learn how to cook?"
Souji nodded.
"Well…" Ota-san placed her hands on her hips. "If you really want to learn, I guess I could. You want to start by helping me with dinner?"
Souji nodded, pulling up a chair to stand on so he could reach the counter. He listened as Ota-san told him what she was doing, and did whatever she asked him to do, glad that he could help. If he couldn't wait to eat dinner with his parents, then he could at least help make the food they would eat later.
oOoOo
As he finished putting the cleaning supplies away, Souji smiled and released a satisfied sigh. He rose to his full height and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
"Are we all done, Sensei?" Teddie wondered.
"Looks like it," Souji confirmed with a small nod.
Yosuke leaned back against the wall. "Finally," he groaned. "That took forever."
"It wasn't that bad," Kanji protested. "The place was already pretty clean to begin with."
"But now it's super clean!" Teddie asserted, pointing a triumphant finger in the air.
Yosuke appeared ready to respond, but his words died as a clatter rang out, drawing the boys' attention to the kitchen where the girls were.
"Whoops…" Chie said. She snatched an overturned bowl off the floor, leaving a trail of white powder behind.
"Hey, careful!" Yosuke called to them. "We just cleaned there!"
"Well, what do you expect us to do?" Chie replied. "We're baking, and that tends to get a little messy!"
"Besides, we're doing this for Nanako-chan," Rise added. "So a little mess will be worth it for a cake this special!"
Naoto frowned. "All the same, perhaps we should refrain from making a mess, if only to keep from wasting ingredients."
"Hmm…oh, here we go," Yukiko said, having not paid attention to the conversation around her. Instead she pointed to a piece of paper. "Okay, so here's the next step…"
Yosuke grumbled a bit as the girls resumed the baking and sat at the kotatsu in the sitting room. Looking at Souji, he said, "I still think it was a bad idea letting them make the cake."
Since his normal spot was already occupied, Souji sat across from Yosuke in the spot where Nanako usually sat. He had never sat there before, not even during the time Nanako was in the hospital, and it felt strange sitting there now.
From his position, though, he could clearly see the girls working in the kitchen. And he had to admit, he was also pretty nervous about the girls making the cake, given their cooking experiences. But to Yosuke, all he said was, "That's why we cleaned the kitchen first."
Kanji and Teddie also joined them at the kotatsu, Kanji on one end and Teddie on the other. "Yeah, at least that way they won't put anything non-edible in the cake," Kanji joked. Then he frowned as the realization hit them all that something like that was entirely possible. "Hopefully…"
"But this is gonna be great!" Teddie sang, undeterred by the thought of the Christmas edition of Mystery Food X. "A party in a super-clean, happy house and Christmas cake!" He turned to Souji. "Nana-chan's gonna be really happy, right?"
With a small smile, Souji nodded. At least he hoped she would be. He'd wanted to do something really special for her, to make sure she really felt welcomed back. And if it meant taking a few hours to fix up the house or risk letting the girls cook, then it would be worth it as long as Nanako was happy. He wanted to let her know just how much they - he - cared for her.
And as long as he had a chance to do something, he didn't mind doing whatever he could to show the people he cared for just how important they were to him.
Wondering what time it was, he reached into his pocket only to find that he didn't have his cellphone. He frowned, then remembered he left it in his room. He wasn't exactly sure what time his uncle and Nanako were being released, but he figured that he should at least have his phone, just in case they called and he needed to get them. So he got up, leaving the conversation that Kanji, Teddie, and Yosuke were having to head up to his room.
But he paused as he passed the foyer, thinking he heard something outside. Of course it was difficult to tell with all the noise in the kitchen and the sitting room, but he thought…
He froze when the door slowly opened, and his breath caught in his throat as Dojima entered first, helping Nanako as she followed after him.
Nanako noticed him first, and her face lit up with a large, bright smile; one that he hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity. "Onii-chan!" she exclaimed. Despite the softness in her voice, it was clear enough to stop all the noise around them.
Dojima looked up then, and seeing Souji gave his own smile; small, embarrassed, but something warm and familiar that Souji had recently missed. "Hey," his uncle said. "We're home."
For some reason he felt his heart leap, and for no reason he could explain, the promise of tears stung his eyes. But he blinked them away, a wide smile breaking over his expression as he spoke the words he ached to say for so long; "Welcome home."
When she was close enough, Nanako hugged him as tightly as she could. "I've missed you, Onii-chan!"
His smile wavered slightly, not in a bad way, as his arms wrapped around her as well. "I've missed you, too," he murmured, the words thick with emotion.
Suddenly Teddie swept up behind him, his body radiating with excitement. "Nana-chan!"
Looking up, Nanako gasped happily. "Teddie!"
Soon everyone gathered around, eager to see the young girl. "Welcome back," Nanako-chan!" they said.
"Oh wow!" Nanako bubbled. "Everyone's here!"
"Of course," Yosuke said. "You didn't think we'd miss your homecoming, did you?"
"But man!" Rise suddenly pouted. "We were hoping to have the cake done before you got home!"
Nanako looked up at her. "There's cake?" she asked eagerly.
"Not yet," Yukiko said. "But there will be soon."
"Unless we don't finish," Naoto pointed out, "which we might not if we don't get back to it."
"Hang tight, Nanako-chan," Chie said as the girls hurried back into the kitchen.
"C'mon, Nana-chan!" Teddie said. He helped her into the sitting room as Kanji and Yosuke followed them, keeping an eye on the hyperactive blond and making sure he didn't accidentally hurt her.
Watching them with a smile, Souji then turned to his uncle as they stood in the corridor between the foyer and the main room. His uncle's eyes glanced around, a thoughtful frown on his features.
"Uncle?" Souji asked.
Dojima turned to him, the curious frown still on his lips. "Did you clean the house?"
"You can tell?"
The older man nodded. "It just seems…different somehow. I noticed it outside too."
For some reason, Souji suddenly felt nervous as he watched his uncle look around. He knew there really was no reason for it, but he couldn't help but feel worried, and his mother's words came unbeckoned to his mind.
You shouldn't have done that.
Then Dojima turned to him and granted him a smile. "You didn't have to do that," he said.
Souji blinked; the words were a far cry from the disapproving tone he imagined they would be. Then again, this was a different time in a different place, with an entirely different person. "It's okay," he managed to answer. "I just thought that you and Nanako would prefer to return to a straightened up, comfortable house."
With a soft chuckle, Dojima looked again around the house before turning to Souji. "Well…thanks."
Souji shrugged. "It's no problem. Actually, the guys helped too, so it wasn't too hard."
Dojima shook his head. "Not just for that. For everything. Seeing all this…" He motioned to the kitchen and sitting room - to the people who filled them. "Seeing Nanako so happy…it's a really nice thing to come home to."
Looking in as well, Souji's eyes took in the sight of his friends and cousin, some of the people he had grown so close to…the people who had become so important to him. He watched them talking and laughing, having fun and the smiles on their faces. A rush of emotions swelled up inside him, spreading throughout his body and widening the smile on his face.
"Yeah," he agreed. "It really is."
He turned to Dojima, who grinned and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Then the two headed into the sitting room, surrounding themselves further with the gentle and steady warmth of their home.
The End