Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Persona series.

I hope that you are in the mood for more Yusuke!

Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!


P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Sketch:

Yusuke x Makoto

-Yusuke-

Everyone knew that drawing was a pastime that Yusuke enjoyed. Even though his main work was with paintings, he was known to sketch from time to time. Usually, they were basic images, or ideas that he would ultimately complete on his canvas.

But sometimes, there would be more fleshed-out creations as well.

He kept a small journal of these depictions, and it was almost a diary of sorts. These sketches were meant for his eyes only, and they represented deep parts of himself that he never wanted to reveal to others, for they were the very essence of his soul. Were they criticized, Yusuke knew that he would never be able to recover.

Some drawings were of his mother, at least, what he could remember of her. He knew that the Sayuri was a self-portrait of sorts, but he was determined to sketch what he could personally remember of her. It was similar to the world-famous image, but not exact.

Other drawings were representations of his thoughts while traveling through palaces and Mementos. These were more chaotic, and he was never able to quite pin down what they should look like.

There was one, however, that had become a master project of sorts, as he gave more attention to it than almost any other piece he had created.

It was almost a cliché… an artist drawing the girl he loved. It happened all the time in books and in films, but Yusuke appreciated these moments in all honesty. It gave him a way to express his desires, while at the same time keep them a secret. He wasn't quite ready for the girl of his dreams to know of his feelings towards her.

Makoto Niijima was beautiful – not many could deny that. Which made her the perfect person to sketch. This had all started mostly as a way to practice drawing people, as most of his art was more abstract. It was also very easy to do, since they spent so much time together.

When the Phantom Thieves met up to discuss when to explore Mementos, or when to send a calling card, Yusuke would diligently scribble in his journal. The team assumed that he was merely sketching out ideas, as he frequently did. And he was only so focused on Makoto because she was the strategic advisor of the team, and everyone always had to listen to what she had to say.

As Yusuke sketched, he noticed little things about Makoto that he hadn't before. She would tuck her hair behind her ear when she was nervous or stressed, and she would put a hand to her chin when she was deep in thought.

Her deep red eyes would always scan the room, as if she were observing and taking note of everything. Her gaze was intense, and Yusuke found himself somewhat entranced.

As everyone who had been there at the time of Makoto's awakening knew, the student council president was an extremely passionate person. But she hid this passion beneath the surface, and let it out in small bursts when necessary. However, when Yusuke looked close enough, he could see the happiness, or the anger, or the sadness swirling around in her eyes. He almost felt as if he were seeing directly into her soul.

It was this subtle passion that caused Yusuke to become more invested in his muse. He wanted to be able to express these strong emotions without being overly dramatic, and this was a challenge. Before long, he realized that he was no longer interested in Makoto as a subject of a drawing, but rather, as a person whom he would dearly like to get to know.

Eventually, Yusuke knew that he would have to show his sketch to its inspiration. He felt waves of sadness wash over him at the thought of not showing Makoto his drawing, but he felt equal parts terror in revealing it to her.

But he knew that he had to. One way or another, he had to see if she felt the same.

So, one day after school, when there were no plans for Phantom Thieves business, Yusuke invited Makoto to the local park, saying that he had something that he wanted to show her. He could tell even through text that her curiosity was piqued as she agreed to meet him there.

Yusuke arrived shortly thereafter at the park, noticing that Makoto had beaten him there. The girl was always punctual, which was something that Yusuke needed to work on himself. She noticed the boy and waved him over to the bench that she was currently sitting on. He walked over and gave a polite greeting, which she returned.

"Alright, Yusuke, I have to know." Makoto leaned closer to the boy, her eyes gleaming. "What did you want to show me?"

Yusuke smiled gently. "One of my latest pieces." He lowered his voice. "Now, I must inform you that this is a work of art for your eyes only. I have never shared the sketches in my journal before, but I would like for you to see this one in particular because of its importance."

Makoto nodded. "I see. Thank you for trusting me so much, Yusuke."

Yusuke chuckled. "Indeed. You are a very easy person to trust, Makoto."

After a moment of silence, with a pounding heart, Yusuke opened up his journal to the sketch of the girl, awaiting her reaction. "Please, give me your honest opinion."

He watched as her scarlet eyes perused the page, saw them widen in shock as their owner realized what this was. "Yusuke! Is this… me?"

Yusuke nodded. "It is indeed. I am glad that you were able to tell."

"Of course, Yusuke. This looks… incredible." Makoto went on to list several more properties of the work, and there was no criticism to be found. Yusuke's heart continued to beat quickly, but it was now because of extreme happiness rather than nervousness.

"Now that you have seen my art, I must let you know the reason behind this." Yusuke closed the journal and placed it at his side, giving his full attention to the girl. Her eyes flicked up to meet his. He gulped.

"You… are a very beautiful girl, Makoto. In more ways than one. Within your eyes, I see a range of emotions too powerful to describe. You have anger at the world, but you channel this rage into a noble cause. Every action is with a purpose, and you never waste a single motion." He moved a hand on top of hers, relieved when she didn't pull away. "I know this all seems sudden, but I would love for you to not only be my muse, but to be my partner. Together, I know that we can make this world that much more beautiful." Finished with his confession, he smiled, willing his hand to not tremble as he awaited her response.

The look on Makoto's face was one of surprise. It seemed that she had had no idea of his feelings towards her. Whether or not that was good or bad was up to interpretation. After a few moments, Makoto turned her hand so that she could hold his, and gave it a slight squeeze. "Yusuke," she murmured, "thank you for telling me of your feelings. I can tell that it took a fair amount of effort on your part."

He nodded.

"I don't want to keep you waiting, as I know you like honesty. So know that I am being honest when I say that I like you as well."

Yusuke couldn't help it. He gasped. It was too good to be true.

Makoto smiled at his reaction. "I know that I'm not always the best at showing more… delicate emotions. For the longest time, I had problems expressing any emotion at all. It wasn't until the Phantom Thieves that I… well, you already know all about that." She giggled. Yusuke chuckled as well.

"But I feel strongly for you, for a slightly different reason." She squeezed his hand again. "I admire… how honest you are with how you really feel. Even if it's somewhat brutal. And you had this ability even before you became a Phantom Thief, from what Akira, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana have told me."

"I see," murmured thoughtfully. "I do always try to be true to myself. To do anything less would destroy my image of being an artist."

"I think that's very noble of you." Makoto hummed softly. "You know, back when you told me that I was useless during the Kaneshiro episode, I realized that you were able to cut down to the bone. It was honestly one of the deepest insults I had ever heard about myself."

Yusuke sighed. He remembered how harsh he had been towards the older girl, and he figured that that alone would have disqualified him from being a potential romantic partner for her. Yet, she said that she did like him. He admitted to her that he was confused about that.

Makoto smiled. "I realized that the reason it hurt so deeply was because it was true. Of course, I behaved myself and didn't cause trouble, but I didn't really help anyone. And when I tried to prove how helpful I was… well… you know how that ended too."

"Yes. That was… a particularly frightening series of events." Yusuke shuddered to remember what had almost become of the girl.

"And you called me out on those actions as well. When I said I was being reckless, you agreed. It honestly shocked me how honest you were… but it was refreshing. So many people hide behind a mask, only showing the parts of themselves that are desirable to our society. I was guilty of that for so long. But you, Yusuke… you disregard all of that, even if that attitude comes back to bite you."

Yusuke chuckled. "Now look who's being brutally honest. I must admit, I appreciate seeing that from you."

Makoto grinned. "I see. But the reason that I grew to like you was that, even when you are being this way, it's always to help the other person better themselves." She looked into his eyes. "Akira and the others told me that you were the one who was able to sketch the numbers of the license plate of the car that I was being taken away in. If it hadn't been for you… I would be… not in a good situation."

Yusuke squeezed her hand.

Makoto smiled at him, her eyes glistening slightly. "So, Yusuke… thank you, with all of my heart. Even though you barely knew me, you saved my life. And after that, you helped me to stay on the right path to be able to help and advise others. I hope… that I can help you in a similar way."

"Makoto… I will be brutally honest, as you would like me to be." Yusuke returned her gaze. "You are such a strong and courageous person. It takes bravery to be able to do what you did. Yes, it was reckless, but you ultimately helped out our cause. You were able to obtain information that we could never have hoped to gain by putting yourself directly in harm's way. So know that I appreciate everything about you, and that you help me in ways that I may never be able to express."

The two smiled at each other. Their feelings, whether they were out in the open or concealed, would always be a part of their lives.

And now, they would be a part of their relationship.


Phew! That turned out longer than I thought it would. Makoto is my favorite character in the game, but even I have to admit, what she did to obtain information about Kaneshiro was DUMB. I'm not quite sure what she thought would happen, but thank god the Phantom Thieves were there to rescue her, am I right?

This was very hard to write, because other than the moments I described in this one-shot, the two barely interact AT ALL. Hopefully, it was easier to read than to write. See you tomorrow!