[Author's notes: This was written for livefreeordie13 on tumblr. It came from a prompt meme there. The prompt was "Be more careful next time. I don't want to bandage you up again."

A Yu Narukami version is available at Dreamwidth at the following address
angevon dot dreamwidth dot org/49804 dot html
Every 'dot' should be a '.']


Souji was outside the Dojima residence. It was a beautiful day, that twilight of the season where it wasn't quite spring and wasn't quite summer but a happy medium of the two. Inaba, he supposed, wasn't half bad. Would be better without the murders, of course, but he couldn't let the investigation worry him every day. Sometimes you just had to take a break and smell the roses pet a cat.

"Hey partner!" called a familiar voice. Souji looked up from where he was crouched and blinked in surprise.

Yosuke was riding his bike, feet off the pedals, letting it coast down the street towards Souji and grinning in that cheeky way of his. "Check this out!" he said.

All of a sudden Yosuke pulled up on the handlebars. The bike's front tire lifted from the ground. The wheelie attempt ended in failure as the bike suddenly toppled over. Yosuke was ejected violently from his seat, sliding painfully against the asphalt several feet before grinding to a halt.

Souji reacted quickly, rising to his feet, ignoring the cat's yowl of protest at him for not petting it anymore, and rushed to Yosuke's side. "Are you all right?"

A stream of curses was Yosuke's reply. If he could swear that much, he was probably okay?

"Yeah," Yosuke confirmed when he got it all out of his system. "Glad I didn't hit my head."

While he was bringing his hand up to his head, Souji caught a flash of blood on his wrist. He grabbed Yosuke's arm and turned it over to inspect it. Sure enough, the skin on the side of his hand was torn where it had scraped against the ground and it was seeping blood.

"Come inside," Souji ordered, and Yosuke didn't protest when he was pulled into the Dojima residence.

In fact, he was quiet the whole time when Souji began treating the wound with a first aid kit. He'd mostly skinned his hand, but a sharp rock had pierced his palm too. After rinsing it with water at the kitchen sink, Souji applied alcohol to disinfect it. Yosuke hissed at the sting, but bit his tongue and endured it.

After drying it gently with a cloth, Souji bandaged up Yosuke's hand. When he was done, he applied pressure here and there, making sure it wasn't too tight or too loose. Still holding the injured hand, Souji said softly, "Be more careful next time. I don't want to bandage you up again."

Yosuke looked sullen, more disappointed than resentful. He didn't say anything.

"You could've broken something," Souji went on. "I don't want to see you hurt." He began to stroke the back of Yosuke's hand with his thumb. Yosuke's fingers curled a little.

A moment later, Yosuke finally spoke. "I was just..." he began. He stopped with a sigh. "Nevermind."

Souji squeezed his fingers lightly. "What is it?"

"Just wanted to..." Yosuke mumbled, bowing his head. "Impress you."

"With a totally sick wheelie?"

"...yeah."

There was a contemplative moment of silence after that. Then Yosuke lifted his head, eyes glinting. "It would've been cool if I'd been able to pull it off, though, right?"

"Yosuke," Souji chided, but he wore a lopsided grin.

"Right? Right?"

"I'd be more impressed," Souji said, "if you took better care of yourself." He lifted the injured hand pointedly.

Yosuke tugged his hand free of Souji's grasp and looked at it sheepishly. "Yeah, I get it. Thanks partner."