During the train ride to Inaba, Souji opened up a map of Japan he'd taken from a kiosk at the station and spent the time pointing out different places he'd been to and describing them to Kichirou. "I saw a Risette concert here!" "They put wasabi in their ramen, it's so weird!" "There's a hot springs there that's really nice. We should go there sometime."
Yosuke blinked, wondering if Souji had actually said that last sentence or he'd imagined it. Lost in thought, he hadn't quite been listening to their conversation.
"Have you been to a hot springs before, Kicchan?" Souji asked.
"Yeah, we went to one!" the boy answered.
"Y-yeah, back in January," Yosuke contributed, waking from his daydreams. A day at the hot springs had been a birthday gift to Michiko. She'd seemed like she was happy about it at the time... but, well, who knew now?
"It was fun," Kichirou said, "but you wouldn't like it, Uncle Seta."
Souji raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Why's that?"
"You can't go fishing there."
Yosuke snorted, and Souji patted the boy on the shoulder. "Yeah, the water might be a little too hot for fish, heh."
The train slowed, braking into a station. It wasn't their stop, but conversation was killed while passengers departed and a new wave boarded the train. Yosuke kept his arm around his son, not because he expected anyone to try and snatch him or anything, but he did feel maybe overprotective of him. He realized, though, that Souji also had his hand over Kichirou's hand, so he definitely wasn't alone in that sentiment.
He pulled away just a little when the train doors closed. Souji gave him a warm smile over Kichirou's head, and Yosuke found himself sending a goofy smile of his own back at him. Then he frowned, because he'd felt silly for doing that.
"Are you all right, Yosuke?" Souji asked. "Motion sickness?" The train had just started to move again.
"Oh, ah..." Yosuke shook his head. "I was just wondering where you're going to stay, partner. With your uncle?"
"Uncle Seta has an uncle?" Kichirou asked. He looked up at his dad first and then turned his eyes on his 'uncle.'
Yosuke laughed. "It might surprise you, Ki-kun, but your grandparents also had grandparents."
"Oh..." Kichirou seemed a little flustered. "Y-yeah..."
"Anyway, partner," Yosuke continued, "I know my parents would be happy to put me and Ki-kun up, and you'll be happy to see Nanako-chan again, so I guess this works out." Now that they were almost there, he was getting a little excited about the trip. Souji was right, they needed to take a little vacation.
"Hmm, I was thinking we could stay at the Amagi Inn for a night," Souji said. "That's why I was asking about the hot springs, actually."
The boy's eyes became alight with excitement. "We can stay at the hot springs?"
"Sure, why not?" Yosuke agreed. They deserved a little luxury, didn't they?
The Amagi Inn hadn't changed much over the years. Yukiko was now co-owner with her husband, but she'd kept the traditional Japanese theme—including the name—that her parents so loved. Guests were provided yukata and expected to wear them on the premises. Most of the decorations were traditional; the reception counter sported a jade Japanese dragon and a golden Buddha statue, and well-tended bamboo plants were growing in pots throughout the inn. Every room had tatami mats and the rooms were walled by fusuma painted with nature motifs.
Usually guests would be greeted by an underling, not the inn's owner herself, but there was Yukiko at the reception counter in a pink and white flower-patterned yukata, her long black hair styled into a bun. "Oh! Souji-kun! And Yosuke-kun! And Kichirou-kun, too!"
Souji nodded at her, and Yosuke said, "Hello, Yukiko-san..." He didn't really need to use the honorific, but he felt like he should be more respectful. Especially considering...
"Kanji should be down in just a moment." Yukiko rang a bell at the counter.
...she was married to Kanji Tatsumi.
The two were the only ones on the Investigation Team to become a married couple. It made a strange sort of sense—the Amagi Inn had been one of Tatsumi Textiles' biggest customers, and Yukiko and Kanji had been childhood friends. They seemed to be happy together. They had a child, too, a little girl named Atsuko.
"What's up, hun? Oh. Oh! You two! How's it goin'? Haven't seen you in ages, Yosuke." Kanji strolled into the lobby wearing a baby-blue yukata. His hair was bleached, but not as heavily as it had been in his high school years—just a few streaks of sandy yellow in his otherwise natural black. He wore glasses, too, of the rimless variety. They looked somewhat out of place on his stern but friendly face.
"Yeah," Yosuke muttered. "It was Souji's idea. We, that is, my son and I, needed a vacation, and what better place than here, huh?" He laughed a little nervously.
"We're glad to have you!" Yukiko declared, but Yosuke suspected it might be primarily because they were paying customers.
"He's so tall," Kichirou whispered, looking up at Kanji towering over them.
"Oh! You don't know Kanji?" Souji asked the boy.
Kichirou frowned like he was trying to remember. "No, sir."
"I don't remember meetin' you, either," Kanji said. "Must've been out the last time you visited."
"Well," said Souji. "Kanji, meet Kichirou-kun, Yosuke's son, and Kicchan, meet... Uncle Kanji."
"Uncle?" Yosuke and Kanji exclaimed at the same time.
Souji grinned. "Why not? He calls me uncle!"
"How did that even start, anyway?" Yosuke wondered aloud. "And shouldn't it be Uncle Tatsumi? I mean, going by the pattern, since you're 'Uncle Seta' and all..."
Kanji squared his shoulders. "Just call me 'Kanji,' kid. No need to bother with that crap."
Souji made a disappointed sound. "Anyway, is your daughter around?"
"I'm sorry—Atsuko-chan is out with some friends. Kichirou-kun will have to stay with us adults for a little longer... Unless..." Yukiko smiled brightly as an idea came to her. "Kanji! Why don't you show Kichirou-kun around the inn?"
"Me?" said Kanji, scratching his head. "You're better at the touristy stuff than I am."
"Think of it as practice," Souji said. He gently pushed the boy toward Kanji.
"Tch. Alright. C'mon, kid." Kanji waved the boy over and they disappeared down a hall.
"What have you been up to, Souji-kun?" Yukiko asked. They had relocated to a private room with a small conference table and comfortable chairs. It was surprisingly modern and didn't fit the inn's theme. According to Yukiko, it was mostly for business groups. "It's been several months since you were last here."
"I've been Kicchan's big bro and uncle for most of it!" Souji announced. "Right, Yosuke?"
"Umm, yeah," Yosuke said, feeling awkward once again in response to the warm smile his friend was giving him. "Souji's been helping me out, big time, while I work things out."
Yukiko's face shone with sympathy. "Yes, Souji-kun told me when he made the reservations."
"I figured," Yosuke muttered.
"I'm sorry that you have to go through this. If only Souji-kun could talk to your wife and help her solve her problems, maybe she would see... that walking away might not be the best answer." Yukiko sounded so sorrowful that Yosuke wondered if she wasn't speaking from personal experience.
"My charms only work on people 18 and under," Souji joked.
"Dude, that makes you sound like a creep." Yosuke commented. "And it's totally not true, either."
Souji ignored his jibe. "I actually did try talking with her, but she wasn't interested in telling me anything."
Yosuke blinked at him and then lowered his gaze.
"Well, Yosuke-kun, you know you can count on us," Yukiko said with a kind smile. "We wouldn't mind watching Kichirou-kun for a while, if you ever need a break. He's a couple of years older than Atsuko-chan, isn't he? But I'm sure they'll get along."
"He's a good kid," Souji confirmed.
They spoke more, mostly reminiscing, until Kanji entered the room with Kichirou at his heels. The two were both smiling; obviously they had connected somehow. Yosuke noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Souji was hiding a grin of his own behind his hand. He could be so manipulative sometimes...
"And here we are, the meetin' room. Where..." Kanji trailed off, waiting for Kichirou to finish.
"Where people meet!" the boy declared. He broke out into giggles.
"Seems you two had fun," Yosuke said mildly.
"What? You think I don't get along with kids?" Kanji growled and made a fist with his hand, but he unclenched it soon and chuckled afterward. He was only joking. "Tch, man..."
"A reputation is something you never live down," Yosuke said, trying to sound sagely.
"Yes, you'll always be 'Junes Boy' to me, Yosuke," Souji teased.
Yosuke glared at him and opened his mouth to protest, but Yukiko interrupted. "Why don't you get settled in your rooms and then go use the hot springs?" she suggested.
Kanji led them to their room for the night, and they made arrangements before hitting up the hot springs. They decided to put Kichirou in the middle futon, between Souji and Yosuke. It was a decision made mostly to protect the boy in case he decided to go wandering at night. It wasn't too uncommon for him to get restless; Souji'd confided in him that he'd observed the boy go to the kitchen well-past his bed time to get a drink.
Kanji showed them that yukata were available in the closet. "And the hot springs are on the ground floor. When you face the reception desk, the changing rooms are down the hallway to the left and through the double doors against the wall," he recited. "Oh, uh... I guess you all already know where they are, anyway..." He scratched his head.
"Can you join us in the hot springs?" Souji asked.
"What, me?" Kanji seemed surprised at the invitation.
"Yeah, why not? Let's make it a guy's night out," Yosuke said. "Wait, is it open to guys or girls right now?"
"Guys," Kanji confirmed. "For about another hour. Should probably get going, huh?"
After shedding their yukata and underclothing in the changing room, they stepped outside to the washing area. Yosuke took over the job of ensuring his son washed up. The hot springs were like an oversized bath, after all!
When that was done, he began to wash himself. He overheard Souji helping Kichirou into the hot springs behind him. "If you feel too hot," the man was saying, "the other side is cooler, so head over there, okay? And watch out, it's a little deeper in the middle."
"Okay, Uncle Seta!"
Yosuke soon followed them in and took a place next to Kanji. They soaked in the hot water in companionable silence for some time. Kichirou played in the water a short distance away, just out of the corner of their eyes.
"You know," Kanji mused, "since I own the place, well halfway at least, I haven't been in here much."
"Dude, I'd be in here every day," Yosuke replied, closing his eyes and leaning back against the spring's edge with a happy sigh. "Man, Souji, we should stay here a week. No, two weeks."
"We could arrange that," Kanji informed him. "Your room is available for another few days, at least, unless Yuki-chan picked up some new reservations today."
"Yukiko-san really taught you to be a businessman, huh?" Yosuke lazily blinked his eyes open and gave him a smile. "She must be very proud."
Kanji blushed. "Y-yeah... We're doing alright."
Yosuke felt a slight sting of jealousy. Kanji and Yukiko were happily married... Why was he the unlucky one? He should be happy for them, but...
Jealous of Kanji? What was the world coming to?
"Kicchan!" Souji suddenly exclaimed. "Keep your head above the water!"
Yosuke turned to look at his son. His hair was soaked and he was wiping water from his eyes; he'd just come up from a dive.
"It's not a pool!" Souji lectured. "You aren't even wearing your swim trunks."
"'Uncle Seta.'" Yosuke snickered. He was acting like Kichirou's second dad!
"B-but I lost my towel!" the boy protested.
Souji strode through the water over to the boy, and Yosuke was splashed a little from his wake.
"It happens all the time, kid," Kanji said. "Towels are optional, anyway."
"Th-they are?" Yosuke squawked without thinking, because now Souji was facing away from them, trying to help Kichirou find the lost towel. With his bare back visible, Yosuke couldn't help but notice how he was fit and muscular, ready to be called at any moment to his job hunting Shadows.
Yosuke frowned down at the water, because it suddenly felt too hot.
"Most hot springs don't allow them in the water," Kanji pointed out. "We do only 'cuz that's how it always was."
That... was true, actually. Why did the Amagi Inn allow guests to bring towels in the water? That was considered unclean...
Souji shifted from his left foot to his right and flailed his arms as he almost lost his balance. With a splash, he pulled up a towel from the bottom. "Here you go, Kicchan!" He held the sopping thing out to the boy.
"Thanks, Uncle Seta!"
"There's just one problem..." the gray-haired man murmured.
Kichirou looked up at him from his inspection of the towel. "Y-yeah?"
"I lost my towel now!"
Yosuke coughed, and kept coughing until Kanji pounded his back with a fist to help him recover.
"No you didn't!" Kichirou exclaimed.
"I was~ kidding~" Souji sang. "Anyway, I think it's time I got out. Too hot!"
It seemed like Souji didn't have a high tolerance for the heat. His skin was all pink from his short time in the water. It made him look a little sunburned. Yosuke tried not to watch him too closely as he got out of the water. Then he realized Kanji was definitely watching, and that annoyed him somehow.
"How much longer you wanna stay in?" Kanji asked him when they were alone in the water. "We can head out, too. You aren't supposed to stay in too long, anyway." He began to recite the recommended times based on age, something he obviously had memorized for the inn's customers.
"Yeah, whatever," said Yosuke, and he made for the hot spring's exit. He washed himself at the washing station and headed into the changing room to pick up his yukata.
Souji and his son were there and already dressed. In fact, Souji was combing Kichirou's hair. "Or maybe we can spike it," he was saying.
"J-just normal, please, Uncle Seta!"
Souji clicked his tongue. "A hairstyle makes you you. You should consider it!"
"You can do whatever you want to Ki-kun's hair," Yosuke interceded, "as long as it isn't a bowl cut."
Souji huffed in mock annoyance. "Let's go get some water, Kicchan. Then we'll go back to the room." He opened the sliding door and headed into the hall, Kichirou following him.
"See you there in a bit, partner," Yosuke called after them.
Alone with Kanji in the changing room, Yosuke shook his head. Maybe he should be worried about what silly things his friend was telling his son, but they were both having fun, so...
His thoughts were interrupted by Kanji, who had just finished putting on his yukata. "You still call him 'partner'?"
Yosuke blinked at him. "Wh-what of it?"
Kanji shrugged while he was still tying the sash. "It feels like... you've changed a lot. But it's good to see some things stay the same, y'know?"
Yosuke's eyes softened. Yeah, Kanji had changed a lot, too—he spoke more gently and was definitely a businessman—but you could tell he was still Kanji. He still had his piercings, after all, and that was reassuring, somehow.
But... Yosuke thought about it after they retired for the evening.
Of course he still called Souji 'partner' – that's what the guy was to him. More than a best friend. And Yosuke was aware of the double entendre of its meaning, though he hadn't when he'd first used the word (he had been, admittedly, a very ignorant teen back then). It was too late to change it after; it had become second-nature to call him that. And Souji seemed to like it, or at least he didn't mind it. Never told him not to call him that...
Yosuke rolled over. Looking out, he saw Souji across from him, just a futon away since Kichirou was between them. He seemed to be asleep already. It was hard to tell in the dark, but he looked rather peaceful. His arms were folded in front of him, and one hand had its fingers curled against his collarbone.
Souji stirred, but then snuggled back down, the moonlight beaming across his face. His lips parted as he began to breathe through his mouth. Yosuke licked his own lips, and then felt his face heat up.
Oh.
Oh.
He was definitely old enough to recognize this feeling. He bit the inside of his cheek hard and told himself to get it together. This was Souji he was thinking about!
That he was thinking about... k-kissing...
[AN: I suppose this chapter needs some notes. Uh, basically, I read a comment a while ago on the kink meme from someone lamenting the lack of Kanji/Yukiko in the world, and somehow that idea got in my head when I wrote this scene. Random rare-pair, go! I do love Chie/Yukiko, but I thought I'd do something different this time.
I don't know why I gave them a kid when she's never seen, though...
And I am aware that censorship is the reason behind the Amagi Inn having towels in the game.
We'll have a Kicchan & Kanji chapter on Friday! It'll be a cute little thing on what they were talking about during that 'tour.']