Title: Walls
Chapters: oneshot
Author: x_chrizzl3_x [on livejournal] (Chrissu)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Drama, (light) Humor
Warnings: language, possible spoilers for November, possible (?) OOC
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Yosuke/Souji
Synopsis: Yosuke felt as if he was watching the deterioration of a wall--something that happened slowly, but once the pieces began to fall away, one knew what to expect.
Disclaimer: They belong to ATLUS/Persona 4. I don't own them.
Comments: Shit. I haven't written anything since what? August? Yeah. Sorry to those of you expecting Diru fanfiction. I'm on a P4 spree. Inspired by the bad blizzard going on outside. And my cabin fever. Actually. Mostly by my cabin fever.

"It just doesn't stop, does it?" Yosuke commented as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. There was a bit of bitterness in his voice, clearly showing that he was quite annoyed. And what exactly was he annoyed with? The redhead sighed, glaring at the thick flakes falling from the sky. Yes, Yosuke was annoyed with the snow. What in a teenage boy's right mind would make him hate snow, one might ponder. He wasn't annoyed at the fact it was snowing, rather, he was annoyed with how much it was snowing. It was more than enough to cancel school, but it was so much that traveling anywhere was near impossible. Sure, traveling by foot was always a possibility, but Yosuke didn't really feel like walking in snow that was up to his waist.

"It's never snowed this much before." Chie knew this for a fact, seeing as she'd live in Inaba for all of her life. "And here I thought we just had to worry about the rain!" She sighed, crestfallen. The investigation group had had plans to go to the city, thanks to the snow days they'd gotten, but there was so much snow now that even the trains had stopped running. Luckily, the group had decided to go to Yukiko's place in order to make it easier for them to get to the city together earlier that day. It was better that they were stuck together than apart. To the team, it gave them more options as to what to do. There were more ideas floating about, more people to hang out with...and what was better than being stuck together at the inn?

It was agreed that they would head to the city together once the weather improved, but for the time being, what could they really do? "Don't you think it's kinda weird?" Chie asked, glancing at her friends grouped together at the kotatsu. "It's not even the end of November yet, and it's snowing. Snowing! How does that make sense?!" She pulled at her hair in frustration.

"Calm down, Chie-senpai." Naoto replied in an attempt to assuage her irritated friend. "It's just snow. This isn't uncommon. It's perfectly normal for it to snow in November." She attempted to inject some hard reasoning into her words in order for it to sound more convincing. Kanji sputtered and smacked a hand against the tabletop.

"Oh sure, it's perfectly normal for a blizzard to come to Inaba in the middle of autumn! Yeah, that totally makes sense!" He shouted sarcastically. "The hell are you thinking, dammit?! What if this's got something to do with the other world? Sure as hell ain't normal!" Kanji's cheeks flushed in chagrin upon realizing that he was yelling at Naoto. He just couldn't help himself. The weather was getting to him, along with the fact that something just didn't seem right with the other world. It seemed as if the fog was beginning to leak out from Teddie's world into their world, and it was throwing the team into quite a tizzy.

"Ooh, Kanji-kun! This is just un-BEAR-able, huh? Get it? Get it? Un-BEAR-able?" The first-year smacked Teddie upside the head, clearly not in the mood for any of his stupid 'bear' puns.

"Shut the hell up, ya damn bear!" He snapped, his blood boiling.

"Calm down." Souji stated softly, his words soothing but stern. Kanji flinched, looking to the table guiltily.

"S-sorry, Senpai. It's just...the weather is kinda gettin' to me, y'know?" He scratched the back of his head in shame. Kanji was known for his fiery temper, and the fact that things were getting rather strange just seemed to cause it to flare up worse than it usually did.

"It's alright." Souji reassured his kohai, focusing his attention on the blanket of white that covered the rustic countryside. Despite that he was a man of few words, their leader seemed to have this arcane ability that soothed his team mates no matter what the situation was. He never failed to do so, and Kanji's gradual relaxing just proved that fact. "This is strange, after all." Even Souji noticed it, and he hadn't been living in Inaba as long as anyone else—save for Naoto.

"You noticed too?" Yosuke sighed. "Geez, if he's even noticing that, then there's definitely something wrong." A gloomy atmosphere settled amongst the teenagers, and Teddie seemed to be the only one unaffected. He'd never seen snow after all, and he hadn't been in their world long enough to know whether or not something was amiss. "I mean, it's totally creepy. Y'know, with the fog and all. Fog during snow, who ever heard of that..." The red head trailed off, mumbling to himself.

Teddie glanced at the the abject faces of his friends, frowning upon finally realizing that something was bothering them. "C'mon, baby. Don't fight over m--" Kanji held up his fist, as if daring the bear to continue what he was saying. Immediately, he clammed up, not wanting to deal with the fury of the blond.

"G-guys, don't be like this." Yukiko tried to break the tense air that dared to suffocate the team. "Hey, look at the bright side of all this! There's no school, and what better than be together during the break!" Sure, the circumstances weren't all that great, but Yukiko liked to believe that she had a point.

"She's got a point, you know." Chie pointed out, making an attempt to contribute to the creation of a brighter atmosphere. "Besides, we're stuck at the best place in town! The Amagi Inn! What better way to wait out the storm than relaxing in the hot springs?" Yukiko snorted, telling Chie that she sounded something like a television advertisement for said inn. "Wh-what? It's true!" She stammered defensively.

"I guess you're right, Chie—not to boast or anything." Yukiko pondered. "I guess it's a good thing the hot springs are indoors, huh?" She tilted her head in thought.

"Are you suggesting we take turns in the hot springs?" Naoto questioned, immediately picking up on the girls' implied suggestion. "How should we decide who goes first?" There was a momentary silence as the group pondered how to pick whether the boys or girls went first; Kanji was the first to speak.

"How 'bout Rock Paper Scissors?" It was a silly, almost childish way to decide things, but it was the most effective. That, and it seemed to be the simplest way to decide. "That sound fair?" No words of protest were spoken. "'lright. Guess that's how we're gonna do it."

"Should we pick representatives? You know, someone for the girls and someone for the boys? It seems kind of silly if we all play." The team agreed to Yukiko's suggestion, and made no hesitation into deciding who would represent the girls, and who would represent the guys.

"I'll play for the girls." Chie rose her hand before any of the other girls had a chance to even open their mouths. However, there didn't seem to be any objections. Chie was pretty quick-witted when it came to Rock Paper Scissors. In anticipation, the girls looked over to the guys. "Is he gonna be representing you guys?" Chie pointed towards their leader, who seemed even more distanced than usual. His attention was completely elsewhere; he was in his own little world as he stared out the window. Sure, it was kind of odd for him, but no one dared to say anything. After all, Souji seemed to be an entity of his own. No one could really figure him out, and no one really seemed to try. He was just that confusing of a person.

"Er, I will." Yosuke broke the awkward silence, moving to sit in front of his competitor. Even though things seemed to be picking up, something still didn't feel quite right. They tried to brush away the uncomfortable feeling as they prepped themselves for the game. The two shook hands, proceeding to put on their 'game faces'. Determination coursing through their veins, they chanted those familiar three words—Rock, Paper, Scissors—before holding their hands out yet again. Yosuke slouched over in defeat. He had chosen good ol' scissors. Chie had chosen rock.

"Alriiiiiight!" Chie pumped her arms in victory, quickly rising to her feet. "C'mon! The hot springs await!" She then proceeded to march out of the room, the other girls in tow.

"W-w-woah! Wait wait wait!" The girls froze in their tracks, glancing back at the dumbfounded boys. "What're we supposed t' do?!" Yosuke shouted, waving his hands around.

"There are plenty of things for you guys to do!" Rise grinned in her usual chipper manner. She'd already been headed towards the hot springs before the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors—she was planning on going there in the first place. "It's an inn—niiiice and big! You guys'll find something to do! Laters!" With a giggle, she took the lead and pranced down the hall with the others following behind her quickly.

"R-rise-chan! Slow down!" Naoto's voice echoed down the long hallway. The sounds of their excited footsteps resonated through the air, and then became lost as the girls ran further and further away from the room. Yosuke sighed, flopping against the table out of boredom.

"What're we supposed to do now?" He said in what could be interpreted as a whiny tone. "'There's plenty of things for you guys to do!'" He mocked in his best 'girl' voice. "There's nothing to do, dammit! It's an old inn, what is there to do?!" Yosuke drummed his fingers against the table irritably, earning him a chuckle from Teddie.

"Kanji-kun! Why don't you teach me how to sew, like you said you would?" Kanji's cheeks coloured a brilliant shade of red, and he smacked Teddie without thinking.

"Shaddup, I thought I told you to keep quiet about that!" Kanji fell silent for a moment, groaning softly. "Ah, what the hell. There's nothing else to do here anyway..." He mumbled under his breath. "C'mon, let's go." He grunted, his face still flushed red. Teddie clapped his hands in child-like delight, trailing after the taller male. It seemed like they were heading back to the room Yukiko had reserved for the boys. That's probably where his sewing stuff is. Yosuke thought with a snicker. He looked around the room. It was just him now. Well, him and Souji, but it didn't really count for anything if Souji was totally spaced out, did it? Yosuke shrugged, continuing to relax beneath the familiar warmth of the kotatsu. It didn't get much better than that. Sure, the room was already heated well, but nothing beat the comforting heat of the kotatsu.

Maybe that'll help him. "Hey, partner," Yosuke began, not sure if he'd caught the other teen's attention. "Why don't you come sit over here? It's a lot warmer than sitting by the window." He grinned a friendly grin, motioning to the cushion across from him. This would give him some time alone with Souji. That sounds so gay. Yosuke pushed that thought to the back of his mind—he knew that he didn't swing that way. Besides, wasn't this what best friends did? Hang out and just talk, warmed by the heat of a kotatsu? That sounded normal, right? It totally wasn't gay, no, not at all. Ugh, why does that just sound so gay?! Yosuke bit his lip, tapping his forefinger against the wooden tabletop. The more he thought about it, the weirder he felt.

While Yosuke was fretting over the supposedly weird thoughts racing through his head, Souji had scooted over to the table. It took him a moment to realize it, but once he did, he grinned awkwardly. Souji was quiet, far quieter than he usually was. Yosuke, however, was a bit too dense to notice this. Sure, he noticed that something was off, but he really didn't pay too much heed to it. "The weather kinda sucks out there, huh?" Yosuke laughed, a nervous tone to his words. He looked passed Souji to the ever-growing mound of snow outside. Apparently, it was something like twelve inches and counting. Yosuke only hoped that the inn wasn't so old that it would begin to fall apart due to the aggressive blizzard.

"Sure does." Souji, replied quietly, picking at his nails. It took Yosuke a few moments to realize that Souji wasn't going to say anymore, which caused him to clear his throat. Talk about awkward. He laughed it off a little, hoping that he didn't sound like a lunatic to his friend. The other teen fingered the cord of his headphones, grateful that he'd brought his MP3 charger with him. He didn't know what he'd do if his player died on him during the storm without his charger on him. Before he got too side-tracked, the redhead decided to strike up some small talk to get a conversation going.

"I..." Yosuke paused, quickly reconsidering his words. "How's it at your house?" I'm glad that I could get some time alone with you. "Must be kind of lonely, with Nanako-chan and Dojima-san recovering." I wouldn't mind keeping you company. "It's too bad that the weather's like this. Guess we aren't going to be able to check up on them, huh?" Don't worry, partner. I'll be your shoulder to cry on if you need one. That's what Yosuke had really wanted to say. But then again, that just sounded way too weird. He didn't want to sound like a queer in front of his friend. Besides, if Kanji came around for some reason or the other, he wouldn't hear the end of it—especially with how much he teased the younger male.

Yosuke didn't notice the uncomfortable shift, nor did he see the small shakes that began to rack his friend's frame. "They're strong." He didn't seem to notice that Souji was trying to reassure himself more than Yosuke. "..." Souji opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again. It seemed as if he'd lost his train of thought. The truth, however, was that it was almost too painful for him to continue. Yosuke chuckled to himself as he gazed at the ceiling, completely missing the sadness hanging over their heads.

"They are, huh? No need to worry." He grinned. "We saved Nanako, and that's all that matters." Yosuke missed the clenching of Souji's fists, the hanging of his head. "She'll be fine, huh?" He averted his attention from the ceiling to his best friend, the goofy grin plastered on his face slowly drooping into a concerned frown. "What's wrong, partner?" Finally, he seemed to be catching on. This was totally out of character, especially for Souji. What happened to his calm demeanor? His cool exterior? Was that just a ruse? Yosuke felt as if he was watching the deterioration of a wall—something that happened slowly, but once the pieces began to fall away, one knew what to expect. Why did it seem as if he was crumbling, like that of a wall older than those of the inn? "Partner?"

"Yosuke..." There was one hole. "I..." He looked at his friend, an unreadable emotion flooding his eyes. And another. "She didn't..." And another. His fingers ran through his hair. He exhaled a deep breath. His eyes were gradually becoming wet. "That shouldn't have happened to her..." Another hole. "Or Dojima..." A shaky breath. A bigger hole. "It feels like..." He buried his face in his hands. It's growing. "Like it's my fault." Muffled words. A sob? A sniffle? Faster, faster, faster. This wasn't like Souji at all. "If only I'd stayed at home..." A shiver. Like looking at a car crash. "If only I'd stayed with her..." A clenching of fingers. Like watching an old building cave in. "Maybe this could've been avoided..." Another sniffle. Can't be stopped. "Maybe she wouldn't be fighting for her life..." Sagging shoulders. Can't be slowed. "Maybe Dojima would be alright..." A choked sob. Give in. "If only I..." The build-up. And fall apart. "I...!" And finally, the collapse.

Yosuke watched, awestruck, as his friend's arms gave out and fell against the table. His loud sobbing bounced off the walls, vibrating in Yosuke's ears louder than any of the music he blared during battle. He had no way to shield himself from his partner's sorrow. He couldn't find solace, nor could he find the answers from the protective casing that were his headphones. It was almost too much for him. Maybe he'd fall apart too. Just the sight, the sound, was tearing him up inside. He watched helplessly as his friend buried his face in his arms, his fists tightening and loosening as the emotions he kept locked up inside for so long poured out all over the table. It was heartbreaking.

And Yosuke just didn't know what to do.

Souji had been there for him every time. When he was torn apart from the death of Saki, Souji was there to hold him. When he was at his worst, Souji was there to accept him. When he was lonely, Souji was there to talk to him. When he was confused, Souji was there to offer him clarity. Maybe somewhere along the way, Yosuke began to see him as more than just a friend. They'd only met in April, they'd only known each other for less than eight months, yet Yosuke felt closer to Souji than he did to his own parents. There was just something about him, something so soothing, so comforting, that Yosuke felt, well, safe. He felt that no matter what he did, no matter how bad he looked, no matter how much he slandered the images of other, Souji would still be there to smile at him, to laugh with him.

Yosuke felt his heartbeat quicken. Was that...love? He didn't know. Sure, he had cared very deeply for Saki, in fact, he really, really liked her, but this was...different. At the moment, the thought of feeling that way for another guy didn't matter at all. Nothing mattered but the broken boy before him.

Whatever he felt towards Souji—whether it was a brotherly love, a romantic love, or even just a really close friendship—nothing mattered at the moment but fixing him. Yosuke rose from the cushion he'd been sitting on and moved to Souji's side. It felt as if his body was moving on his own.

Swallowing nervously (he didn't know what to do; he'd never really comforted someone before), Yosuke wrapped a shaky arm around his friend's shoulders and pulled him close. It was an awkward position, seeing as Souji was still slumped over on the table.

It took Souji a second to realize it, but once he noticed that Yosuke had his arm around him, he immediately clung to the other teen. Releasing his emotions onto another person seemed far more effective than doing it against a hard table. He cried, and cried, and cried until his eyes burned. He sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed until he couldn't breath right anymore. And even when he couldn't cry and sob anymore, he continued to clutch onto Yosuke so tightly that it almost seemed as if he was attached to him. All the while, Yosuke rubbed his friend's back, whispered soft words of reassurance and using his other hand to smooth his friend's hair. It didn't seem weird at all to Yosuke, rather, the proximity of their bodies just felt so natural.

Was that what it was? Did this just feel natural? Was this how it was supposed to be? The thoughts rushed through Yosuke's head so quickly that he couldn't grasp any of them. He didn't need to right now, anyway. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head. The only thing that mattered right now was cheering Souji up. "It's not your fault." He whispered. "Things...happen for a reason." Yosuke had no idea where the sudden 'maturity and understanding' came from, but he just rolled with it. "You've gotta believe in them, partner. Like you said...they're strong. They can make it." Souji's guilt was so massive, Yosuke almost felt as if he was inhaling it with every breath he took. He felt like he could touch his friend's sadness. It was just so palpable.

He felt Souji nod weakly. Yosuke almost breathed a sigh of relief. He just couldn't grasp the fact that Souji had a side like this. Beneath that cool exterior was a soft interior. Behind his calm demeanor was a frantic, fragile boy. There was still a little boy inside of him, one that was so scared of being deserted, and so frightened that it would be by his own hands. "This is...kinda not like you. I didn't know you had a side like this." Yosuke bit his tongue, not sure if it was the time and place to say such a thing. Souji didn't respond, but Yosuke knew what he was thinking. There's more than one side to every person.

Even when Souji had calmed down, he didn't let go of Yosuke. He was so warm, so comfortable. He felt safe. There was such a solid level of trust that had been built between them over the past few months. Souji's heart suddenly dropped. It had taken him months to realize just how much he cared about Yosuke, but it only took him a moment to realize that it wouldn't always be like that. He wasn't going to be living in Inaba forever, after all. He had less than half a year left here. The thought could've brought tears to his eyes—if he hadn't cried them out just minutes earlier.

"No matter what happens..." Yosuke perked up at the sound of Souji's voice, raspy from crying. "I'll always have you, right? Even...even after I leave?" It was clear that Souji didn't want to be left behind. It almost feels like I'm seeing his hidden feelings. It happened so quickly that neither of them really registered what was happening. Souji looked up at Yosuke with puffy, red eyes, a disheartened look on his face. Yosuke smiled sympathetically, leaning down without even realizing it. Somewhere in between, their lips met in a soft, awkward kiss. It was strange yet...it just felt right.

"U-uh..." A flush began to creep up Yosuke's neck after the kiss was broken. "I-I..." Souji wrapped his arms around Yosuke—which effectively cut the other teen off—burying his face in the redhead's neck (it proved to be more difficult than he thought, with those bulky headphones hanging around his neck).

"Don't worry. I know."

Of all the people he could've been stuck with during the blizzard, Yosuke was glad that it had been Souji.

No matter what happens, we'll always be connected.

Distance doesn't matter.

I'll always have you.

Yosuke was too shy to say that. But Souji—like the 'creepy mind reader' he was—got the picture.

Walls are built. Walls will crumble. Walls can be repaired.