if you're one of the people that listens to whatever lyrics I use in those summaries for the sake of this fic just pretend Danny Brown's rap doesn't exist lmao
{it's a good rap it just doesn't fit in the context of this story}

also if you think this story is gonna be super dirty you're in the wrong place lmao

and don't lie; you all love the bed sharing trope just as much as I do ADMIT IT

(don't try to hide away)

It seemed that Futaba was full of bold acts tonight, as she was the first to break the silence. However, her eyes still to her feet revealed that there was not a whole lot left. "It's… it's pretty late, huh?" She offered a weak chortle as well, lifting her head just enough to stare at the buttons on his vest.

"Indeed," Yusuke replied, turning smartly on his heel to face the path off of the Sakura's property. "I suppose I should be going then. Have a good night—"

With just the first step forward, he heard an unusual clatter and felt something latch onto his arm, looking over his shoulder to see the hacker tug at his wrist, her heels laid abandoned on the ground behind her. "W-Where are you going? I just said that it's late…!"

"We've long established that, yes. Which is why I was taking my leave now… Is something the matter?"

"Stupid Inari! The trains aren't running anymore!" She let go of him, scoffing as she spun around to open the door, turning back to face the artist. "And don't tell me you're thinking about walking home!"

He heard a soft snort come from below before watching Morgana saunter into the house.

"Well, yes. What other method is there of getting home if the trains are down for the night? A taxi would be too costly…" He exchanged a frown for Futaba's look of what he perceived was exasperation. It certainly felt that way, what with the tired groan she vocalized.

"Just because you're a guy doesn't make you immune to Danger. The lurkers of the night don't care what you are; if you're out unequipped, they'll PVP you because they know it's an easy win!"

Yusuke assumed he looked quite lost at her speech, as she graciously rephrased it in a way he could understand. "Walking home this late isn't safe, Inari. What I'm trying to say is… you… y-you can…" The rest of her sentence tapered off into an unintelligible mumble, to which he stepped closer to better hear.

"Would you kindly repeat that?"

"Y-you can…!"

"Futaba, I cannot—"

"You can spend the night with me!"

It appeared she was not yet out of bold acts tonight after all.

In an instant, a lovely vibrant red washed over her face, concealing her complexion with her hands. "God, my phrasing…! Stupid Inari! Why can't you ever take a hint!" She ran off before he could respond.

Confounded by her actions, he stared after her until she retreated down a hallway, left to himself at the doorway. "That was… odd." He shrugged while shaking his head, picking up the tiny heels she abandoned and politely placing them on the shoe rack by the door afterward. His own followed suit, a picture of domestic life captured with his shoes next to hers. He tried not to think much of it as he closed the door behind him and padded farther into the house.

Though the humble abode was small, he still had to conduct a search for her, finding that she was not, in fact, in her room. 'Ah, that's right. She ran down one of the halls…' It was dark, however, but he managed to find the correct hall on his first try. The soft murmur of voices had aided him in his search.

"—jiro? Sojiro, wake up. I'm back." He walked into the living room, a witness to Futaba kneeling next to the figure slumped over the table in the center of the room. Morgana sat in front of him, tapping his cheek gently with a paw.

"Huh? Futaba?" With a grunt, he straightened himself out, adjusting the glasses on his face that had gone askew while he slept. With the bright incandescent of the TV, he could see the cat before him, gaze trailing to his daughter. "Oh, you're back." A yawn succeeded his statement, grunting again as a few bones cracked when he stood.

He stopped abruptly when he saw the third figure in the archway, looking back with what was presumably question on his face and none from his mouth.

"The trains've stopped for the night," she explained, fidgeting as she turned her head away. "Akira's with Haru at Leblanc, so I told him he could stay here for the night…"

Appearing far too tired to press the issue any further, he nodded before shuffling past the artist, clapping a hand to his shoulder on the way. Morgana hopped off the table, trailing after Sojiro. On his way out, he gave Yusuke a most curious grin, laughing as he ran into the dark.

'Really… what is going on with everyone tonight?'

Moving on from the anomaly, he watched as Futaba slowly got to her feet, hands tight at the hem of the skirt. "S-So, uhm…" She walked up to him, chancing a glance up at him through her bangs, but immediately averting her gaze. "J-Just follow me, please."

He was careful to step out of her way following behind her with what he felt was a respectable distance; this was fine, as he prefered to watch objects of interest from afar anyhow. Her actions at the club seemed to suggest that space was in order unless she was near her limit managing her anxiety.

"Wait there." Once they were outside of her room, he did as he was told, listening to the sounds of shuffling and creaking as he stood outside the closed door. When she reopened it, he could she had changed into sleepwear, stepping out of the way to let him inside the room. "You can take the bed. I'll be busy for the rest of the night anyway."

He stared around the cramped room, observing her sacred space closely. It had been quite some time since the group had last gathered here, remembering their mission to change Futaba's heart with a great amount of fondness. His eyes fell upon the Featherman figures, chuckling quietly as he remembered the argument they found themselves in after he had rearranged them into more aesthetically pleasing poses and colours, though she had not appreciated his fine work.

"What?" The human form hunched in her desk chair spun to look at him, tracing the path his eyes had taken, hearing her own small laugh. "Oh, those. It's like it was just yesterday that you were in here messin' 'em up." At her phrasing, he immediately frowned, no longer looking at the figures with warm nostalgia but at her with a disapproving scowl instead.

"Pardon, but I do believe you mean improving their stance. Also, what beauty is there to be found in a suit that only has two colours? While I know appreciate the uses of models, I do still believe the rearrangement of colours gave them more vibrancy. If you'd like, I would be more than happy to demonstrate this fact once more."

"Oh, no. We are not doing this again, Inari. Don't you touch my children!"

The two stared each other down with a crackling tension between them, though only seconds passed until Yusuke dissipated it. "Ah, it was in this very same room for this very same reason that you coined that… peculiar nickname, isn't it? Amusing that it's stuck all this time. I felt a bit of deja vu there." He smiled with fondness once again, but at her this time. When she chanced upon it, that prominent blush appeared on her face once again before she swiveled her chair back to her desk.

"Y-Yeah. Anyway, make yourself comfy. Hope you don't mind the clacking."

'I cannot, for the life of me, decipher this woman.'

He was utterly confused now; he was keeping his distance, but it seemed even smiling at her changed her behaviour. What was he doing to make her react this way?

'Was it… the kiss?' He had not thought back to her actions at the club until now, finally considering that perhaps it was the cause of her change. He mulled it over as he started to unbutton his vest, folding it neatly before working at his shirt now. 'Is she ashamed? Disgusted, mayhaps?' The latter guess left him with some concern, as while the woman could be a bit difficult to keep up with, he quite enjoyed her company… and that kiss, if he was honest.

Really, everything about that kiss and the events following it had breached something that had lied below the surface for too long now—'Oh. I do believe she's speaking to me.'

"—ets pretty cold in my room because I can't let my system overheat, so if you need more bl—what are you doing!?"

His head tilted with an unspoken inquiry at her outburst, placing his folded pants on top of the stack. "Undressing. I would have thought that much was apparent."

"It is! I want to know why!"

Was it not obvious? "Don't tell me you expected that I would sleep in those clothes. I don't have any sleepwear here, and the fabric of on those pants become considerably coarse after some time in them. And the sleeves of the shirt are far too restrictive for sleep."

"You can't just—why didn't you—! You could have—!" She mumbled something unintelligible under her breath again, a swift swivel taking her back to her keyboard. The clacking sounded heavier this time, fingers furious in their movements.

Yusuke merely quirked an eyebrow at this display, ultimately deciding that trying to piece together the reasons behind her abnormal actions would be fruitless. Having given up on the endeavor, he picked up his folded clothes and set them neatly on the floor beside the bed, settling himself under the sheets.

He lied on his side to watch her, no desire to fall asleep taking him despite being comfortable in a bed. He could not see much of her from behind the back of the chair, but what little he could see of her, namely her hands, he studied with an intensity he did not often feel. He admired the actions causing the sounds that would otherwise be a nuisance, were it not for the intention behind them.

There was a great number of things that he and Futaba did not share in common, but watching her like this, he found that there was one particular emotion that seemed to be the greatest force of motivation for them both: passion. To an outsider, their methodology would seem excessive, unnecessary even; if there was never a time in which one felt an overwhelming need to accomplish one thing and one thing only, no matter the cost, it would be pointless to make them understand.

He wondered then, what was the driving force behind her kiss? What was it she was trying to accomplish? Was the kiss the only thing she had tried to accomplish?

'Was she… wanting to express a different form of passion? … Ah, best not to let that thought stray too far, lest I put unnecessary ideas in my head…'

-/-

He observed her progress for the better half of an hour, having closed his eyes a few times just to focus on the noises her keyboard made. He found that there was an almost calculated, methodical rhythm to it. It was a much needed experience, as he found himself on the verge of a grand idea for his next piece.

But, as they said, all good thing must come to an end. He crawled out from under the covers, quietly padding over to her chair and touching her shoulder. He felt her flinch underneath his fingertips before he removed his hand, preventing it from getting caught in the middle of her chair turning.

"Sneaky fox! No wonder the Metaverse gave you that outfit!" Her stare was suspicious, the artist noticing that she was making a point of keeping her eyes above his shoulders. Did she find him visually unpleasant? It was true that he was still quite thin, but his eating habits had improved over the last two years, and—

"I'm certain that had more so to do with my cognition and my perception of how a thief should adorn themselves, but this is a digression. Futaba, while I admire your diligence to your craft—I, too, find myself sleepless on nights filled with inspiration—I believe it would be best for you to retire for the night."

The flustered expression returned to her face as she tried to turn her chair around once again. Yusuke was faster this time however, grabbing both arms of the chair to lock her in place. As he thought, this only worsened her struggle as she floundered for words, her query coming out in swift silent stammers. "W-where'm'Ig-gonnasleep?"

Thank goodness he was so close; any farther in proximity and he would have missed that entirely. "It will be a bit cramped, but we can very well share the bed. Or, if you prefer, I can take the fl—"

"No!" He reeled back a bit, blinking owlishly at the woman that cleared her throat, returning to a previous position of covering her face with her hands. "The floor isn't comfortable and n-neither are the cushions in the living room…" He could hear her shaky inhale and heavy exhale. "S'fine. We… w-we… share…"

He was a merciful man, letting go of her chair and taking a step back so she could have some breathing room. Causing her to fall apart within the confines of her only safe space was not a goal of his tonight, or ever, for that matter. "I will stay up until you've joined me. I want to be certain that you were able to rest tonight."

He was alone in bed for only five minutes before he saw her approach, sliding back until he felt the wall behind him to give her as much space as possible. Though it was not much, there was still a gap between them, one he hoped would be enough for her. Even in the dim lighting provided by the computer screen behind her, he could see the pensiveness in her eyes, appearing almost… afraid.

"Despite my namesake in the Metaverse, I assure you that there will be no attempts to eat you in your sleep." He tried his hand at humour, his own smirk pulling at one corner of his lips when he heard her snort. "I assume this has alleviated your fears?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Inari." He smiled wider when her hand came up to cover her mouth as she laughed, eyes closed in her mirth. "Just… you know. Most people would find a boy and a girl sharing a bed to be… questionable…"

"I assure you, nothing will happen. Not on my end, at least. Obviously I cannot speak for you." And just as with his comment at the bar, he could see disappointment fall upon her face. It was also then that he considered maybe, just maybe, he was starting to catch on to what this all meant.

But he was well-versed with that line about assumptions and what it made of both parties.

He left all of that for some other time, for some other occasion where it would not be so uncouth to ask, when they would not be sharing a bed. Instead, he closed his eyes, teetering on the precipice of sleep… until Futaba called him back.

"Uh, Y-Yusuke? Can I… move closer?" As per usual, she fumbled under the gaze of one slate eye, quickly adding, "W-well it's just that it's kinda cold like I said it would be b-but I don't want to g-get up so I thought maybe sharing body heat would—"

He let his actions speak for him this time, merely scooting across the gap and wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to answer her question. Though he had stayed relatively calm throughout this whole ordeal, he would be lying if he said he was not affected by the press of her body against his. There was no doubt she could not feel the thrum of his racing heart from where her head lied against him.

A few more minutes of silence passed until he heard Futaba's gentle voice under his chin. "Th-there's… I have… another request…" The hand that she had splayed on his chest curled, scraping lightly against his skin. He inhaled sharply with a jolt, murmuring reassurances when a flurry of apologies spilled from her lips. A charged tension fell between them like before, but it lacked irritation as its fuel source this second time around.

This time, the tension was pointedly different, and the woman beside him appeared to be playing off of the new atmosphere. "—second request—w-wondering if—maybe—… another kiss?"

Though her mumbling had gone in and out as she spoke, the message she meant to convey was as clear as day. He was more than willing to oblige, the hand that was on her waist coming up to caress her cheek, brushing stray hairs away from her face. With his fingertips gliding across her skin, he stopped when they were underneath her chin, tilting it up so her eyes locked with his.

Now that there was no need for any interruptions, Yusuke deepened their kiss, tongue prying her lips open, but movements unhurried; he wanted to show that he would go no further without expressed consent. With her eager response to his actions, and the moan she gave him in return, his arm returned to her waist hold tight as he pulled her in as close as possible.

When their kiss finally broke, she pulled away, breathing heavily; he himself was not faring any better. "This, ah, this may be outside of my boundaries to say, and perhaps a bit crass, but… if you'll allow it, I would rather this not end here, with mere kisses."

When he was met with a laugh, he only creased his brow in confusion, feeling a bit offended at this harsh response to his vulnerability. "I'm not laughing at you, Yusuke." Before her request to move closer, he could not remember the last time she used his real name to address him. "Well, I… I am, b-but not for the reason you're probably thinking. That was just such an old-fashioned way to ask a girl to have sex with you… n-not that I d-didn't like it."

Now it was his turn to laugh. But he, unlike her, did not offer an explanation; he found that too many words during an act like this interfered too much with the beauty of it all. He stopped when he came upon a realization though. "Ah, wait. You never consented…"

When his arm lifted from her waist, he found that it was almost immediately put back into place, though not for much longer. Instead, he felt a delicate hand wrap around his wrist, leading his hand to her front and laying his palm over her covered breast. "Is this consent enough for you, Yusuke? God, learn how to read the mo—"

Whatever else she meant to say was lost in the kiss he initiated this time, allowing himself to continue with what he wished to do with her. He moved his hand from her breast to her shoulder, pushing at it lightly until she was lying on her back. He followed suit, knees at either side of her hips as he sat up, peering down at her.

His look of admiration did not last, as he was not at work on her clothing, deciding she had far too many pieces on. Though it seemed that she was rather demure about the situation, there was next to no resistance when it came to removing her clothes. A bit wary over this, he stopped again after he had removed her shirt, the tugging at her pants ending. "If you wish to stop at any point…"

She shook her head no, helping him by lifting her knees up, pushing the rest of her pants off before kicking them over the foot of the bed. "'M fine. J-Just, ah… a bit nervous. Never done this before…"

He sat up again, taking his time to truly absorb the view before him. He created a frame with his fingers, looking upon the long strands that fanned out across the pillow, bright orange contrasting the dark sheets below. Deep mauve eyes flitted away from his scrutiny, a precious pink beneath them on her cheekbones that nearly matched the gloss that still remained on her lips. Porcelain skin glowed in the low light, her arms folding over her breasts to obscure them.

"So cheesy," she grumbled, though she did not appear too upset by his study of her form; if anything, she appeared shy. Chuckling, he pried the top arm away from herself, catching her hand in his and kissing the back of it.

"Forgive me for my slow pace," he murmured as he leaned in, grabbing her other arm and pinning both above her head. He brought his lips to her neck, a brush sweeping over her skin before he spoke again. "But I want to commit every part of your body to memory."

Upon waking up, he found that he had no way of estimating what time it was, due to the lack of windows in her room. With a much needed stretch, he sat up, realizing there was a body missing that should have lied next to him. There was no clack of a keyboard, or a body hunched in the chair, meaning Futaba was not in the room at all.

'Where could she have gone?'

He shuffled out of bed, looking to the floor for his clothes, but finding bare ground instead. A quick glance around the room and a turn of the desk chair revealed that they were stacked on the seat, accompanied by his cell phone, a towel, and a packaged travel toothbrush. A sniff of his clothes told him that they had just been washed.

'Did she wake early just to do this for me?'

This thought worried him all throughout his shower, hoping he would see her on his way out so he could thank her. But an exploration of the house once he was clothed came up empty. No one was home.

He sent a text to the woman in question, asking of her whereabouts. His phone sounded off two minutes later, frowning at the succinct message of "out."

'Have I done something wrong?'

There was no point in staying at the Sakura residency, so he headed out, surprise on his face when he saw Morgana lounging about outside, as if he had been waiting. "Ah, good morning, Morgana." It was already almost 13:00 now, but he was not too concerned about technicalities presently. "Have you seen Futaba at all today, perchance?"

The feline yawned before getting to his feet, peering up at the man. "I did see her leave, but I have no idea where she went. She probably didn't go too far, though. It is Futaba we're talking about here."

"Thank you." He would try his luck at Leblanc.

Walking into the cafe, he saw only two people inside, both behind the counter. He greeted them before launching into his most important question of the day: "Have either of you seen Futaba?"

The younger barista shook his head as he prepared a cup. "She hasn't come this way yet. She's not at home?"

"Nowhere to be found after I woke up… perhaps she's preoccupied at the moment. I'm certain I'll see her later today."

"I'm sure you will too. Coffee?" He placed the filled cup down on the counter in front of the artist before getting a reply, knowing the answer was going to be yes anyway.

Yusuke stayed until he finished his coffee, departing with no further commentary, not even regarding the disappearance of his person of interest. He left quietly, the bell above the door the only thing signalling his departure.

As soon as the door closed, a head of orange popped up from under the bar, groaning as her elbows fell on the counter, hands holding her face. Akira chuckled lightly at her distress, patting her head tenderly.

"Personally, I would reconsider trying to run from my problems."

author's note

you: jesus Kim are you just gonna make a fic for every song on the Humanz album that you liked?
me: don't fuckin tempt me bitch

anyway so I sat divided on whether to detail the the horizontal tango or not but ultimately decided "meh" lmao

but if someone requests it I guess I'll write a little like bonus chapter or something if any of y'all care that much ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

if you want it ya gotta go to my writing tumblr ty

stay tuned for the eventual finale of this series :v