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Summary:

All Souji wants is to keep everyone safe and by his side, no matter what.

Notes:

Written for the Halloween Souyo Event! Though I’m not really sure if it counts since it came out a lot less horror-like than I intended since I’m horrible at writing horror alkdsfj but it does take place during mid-November and it has some slight yandere Shadow Souji and takes some influence from that one episode of Pokemon with Sabrina and the doll house so hopefully that’s enough to qualify it lmao;;;;

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Souji had been kidnapped.

They wouldn’t have even realized so quickly that he was gone if it wasn’t so uncommon for Souji--who had even somehow managed to drag himself to school when Nanako was battling to stay alive in the hospital--to not show up to school all day, without so much as giving anyone a word of warning.

Yosuke tried not to worry, but it was hard to keep his heart from sinking as he called Souji’s phone repeatedly, only for the call to go straight to voicemail each time.

It made no sense--the previous night had been completely clear, without a single drop of rain in sight, and Souji had never shown up on the Midnight Channel before (hell, he already had his Persona, so how could he have a Shadow?)--yet everyone’s worst fears were confirmed when Rise and Teddie went into the TV World before coming back, their faces grim as they declared that Souji was definitely somewhere in there.

That settled that, then. There was no choice but to go in after him.

Except… could they really rescue someone without Souji around to lead them?

Not that they had a choice, of course--it wasn’t like they could just abandon Souji--but it would be difficult without their leader to guide them.

“What about Yosuke-senpai?” Naoto suggested once they’d entered the TV and put on their glasses, catching everyone--especially Yosuke--off-guard. “Forgive me if I’m mistaken, but… wouldn’t he be the best fit, considering how he’s Senpai’s second-in-command?”

“Wh-- me? “ Yosuke stared at Naoto incredulously, before turning his gaze over to the rest of the group, who all seemed to be genuinely mulling over her suggestion. “You can’t be serious, I’m not-- there’s no way I could take over as leader, not even temporarily!”

“I mean yeah, you’re not really much of a leader,” Chie began, continuing before Yosuke could even throw an annoyed look in her direction, “but like… you and Souji are always planning everything together, and you’re the only one that always knows what to do without even needing to be told.”

“You’re Senpai’s partner, aren’t you?” Rise continued, giving Yosuke an encouraging smile. “I’m sure he would trust you to handle leading us in his place.”

Yosuke felt his face heating up lightly as everyone voiced their agreement--he was so used to everyone putting him down and poking fun at him that hearing such genuine support and encouragement was almost unsettling, yet somehow still uplifting.

They were all looking to him for guidance, and while Yosuke may have considered himself a fuckup in most aspects of his life, this was one time he couldn’t afford to let anyone--not his teammates, nor his partner--down.

He took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow, shaky sigh before hardening his expression.

“Alright. I can’t promise that I’ll be as good at this as Souji, but… I’ll do my best.” His gaze roamed the group as he continued to speak, settling first on Naoto. “Naoto, I want you on my right at all times--you have the most versatility in battle now that Souji’s gone, and I’m going to need to rely on you in case we run into any difficult Shadows.”

Naoto gave a sharp nod. “Understood.”

“Yukiko, Chie, I want you two up front with me as well,” Yosuke continued, turning his gaze over to the two girls in question. “Yukiko, try and be sparing with how much you use your Persona, since we don’t have access to a lot of the healing supplies that partner usually has on him; and Chie, I’ll be relying on you to be our hard hitter, so hopefully we can get through any fights quickly without having to drain ourselves too badly.”

“I understand.” “Got it!”

Yosuke gave a satisfied nod and looked over at the next two members of their group. “Kanji, Teddie, you two stay back with Rise to look after her, and get ready to switch in if anyone starts flagging.”

“You got it, Yosuke-senpai!” “Aye-aye, Yosuke!”

Yosuke rolled his eyes in response to Teddie’s salute--which looked more like him flailing one of his short arms than anything--before turning his gaze over to the last remaining person. “Rise, I won’t pretend I know how Souji manages to stay on top of fighting and calling out orders at the same time, so I’m going to need your help--I want you to keep a careful eye out in battle and back me up with giving orders if necessary.”

“No problem, Yosuke-senpai! Just leave it to me!” Rise replied, giving him a smile and confidently pumping her fist in the air. “We’ll get Senpai back in no time!”

Rise’s optimism quickly spread through the rest of the Investigation Team, each of their expressions lifting even as they prepared to head out into whatever unknown area Souji was trapped in.

They would find and rescue Souji, no matter what it took.

“Just hold on, partner… we’re on our way.”


It was genuinely surprising, at least for Yosuke, how smoothly things went: everyone followed Yosuke’s lead without question, and with Naoto to consult outside of battle and Rise to consult in battle, Yosuke found that he was handling this temporary leadership position better than he ever could have anticipated.

He idly wondered if Souji would be proud of them (of him) for making it through an unknown dungeon without his guidance, before pushing the thought aside. This wasn’t about making Souji proud, it was about making sure Souji was safe and alive--that was all he needed to focus on right now.

Thankfully, the dungeon was much smaller than any of the others that they’d traversed, and much more straightforward.

“It’s almost like…,” Naoto murmured, before shaking her head slightly. “No, perhaps it’s just my imagination.”

Yosuke frowned as he glanced over at the detective. “Almost like… Souji’s Shadow is guiding us to where Souji is?” he finished tentatively.

“So I’m not the only one who noticed, then.” Naoto looked the slightest bit relieved that Yosuke had voiced her thoughts aloud, as if she hadn’t wanted to be the one to say it. “I don’t know what to make of this, and I haven’t known Senpai for as long as you all, so I didn’t want to presume….”

“I didn’t realize, but now that you mention it, there haven’t been as many Shadows as there usually are when we’re going through these dungeons,” Rise added with a frown. “Could that be Senpai’s doing too? Or his Shadow’s doing, I guess.”

“This is Souji we’re talking about here,” Chie said with a small, slightly hesitant smile. “I mean, his Shadow’s a part of him, and he’s a nice guy, so… maybe he has a helpful Shadow, or something?”

“Who the hell ever heard of a helpful Shadow??” Kanji asked, shooting her a bewildered look.

“Ooh, ooh, I know, what about me!” Teddie interrupted, waving his arms enthusiastically. “I’m a helpful Shadow!”

“He’s… got a point, weirdly enough,” Yosuke replied. “But anyway, we’re wasting time. Regardless of whether or not we’re being led somewhere, and regardless of whether or not Souji’s Shadow is helping us, we still have to find Souji and get him home safely.”

Thankfully, the rest of the team agreed without a fuss, and they continued onward, following Rise’s navigation and fighting the occasional Shadow that crossed their path until they finally came to a stop in front of a large set of double doors.

“This is it. Senpai’s definitely in there,” Rise declared after doing one last scan with Kanzeon, before dismissing her Persona.

Yosuke took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before steeling himself for whatever they were about to face inside.

“Alright. Let’s go.”


Nothing could have prepared them for the sight of Souji on the ground, with his wrists bound behind his back and his ankles tied together.

He was gagged as well, preventing him from speaking even as he looked up at the group once they burst into the room, his expression both surprised and filled with fear--for their sake rather than his own, most likely--as an exact replica of Souji stepped forward with an eerie, golden gaze.

So, you made it, ” Souji’s Shadow greeted with a smile. “ I had no doubts that you would, of course.

“What’d you do to Senpai?!” Kanji exclaimed, taking a step forward threateningly. “If you hurt him--”

Of course I didn’t. Why would I do that?

The Shadow’s question threw the entire group for a loop, and they each glanced at each other in wary confusion before Yukiko spoke up.

“Because you’re his Shadow, aren’t you? Don’t you want him to deny you?”

Souji’s Shadow laughed softly, but there was an edge to his expression that caused their guards to raise warily.

How well has that worked for any of your Shadows? ” Souji’s Shadow shook his head ruefully. “ To let him deny me would only result in us having to fight, and in my inevitable loss--so no, I think I’m just fine like this. Besides, I don’t want to fight any of you. ” His smile widened as he added, “ In fact, I want just the opposite, really.

“The… opposite?” Chie repeated, her expression bewildered. “I don’t get it.”

“Does that mean Sensei’s Shadow wants to be friends?” Teddie asked with a hopeful smile.

“That don’t make no sense, though,” Kanji replied with a confused frown, rubbing the back of his head as he added, “I mean, Senpai’s Shadow is still Senpai, and Senpai’s already our friend so… I’m totally lost here.”

“Guys, I think you’re missing the point.” Yosuke stepped forward with a frown, his eyes narrowed. “He’s trying to distract us--Souji’s sitting over there bound and gagged, and we need to help him.”

To Yosuke’s surprise, Shadow Souji’s expression seemed to soften as he glanced over at him.

Sharp as always, Yosuke, though that wasn’t entirely my intention. You can rest assured, though, that I won’t harm or kill him.

Naoto was next to step up, eyeing Souji’s Shadow curiously as she replied, “Because you need him in order to remain in this form, am I correct?” Upon feeling the confused gazes of her teammates, she explained, “Senpai understands how Shadows work--and that combined with his honest nature makes it highly improbable that he would deny his own Shadow upon facing him. That puts Senpai’s Shadow in a precarious situation: unable to gain strength through denial of one’s self, yet unwilling to let Senpai accept and reclaim him as part of himself. Should you kill him without obtaining a denial from Senpai, I assume that you would merely fade away along with him, as you have no identity of your own as of yet.”

Souji’s Shadow clapped, his smile surprisingly genuine and lacking any sarcasm as he replied, “ I should have expected the Detective Prince to figure everything out so quickly. Well done. ” As he lowered his hands, he added, “ Though this puts me in a difficult position with you all, as well: as I said before, I have no intentions of fighting you, but I don’t have any intentions of letting you take him and leave here either.

Yosuke tensed and reluctantly pulled his daggers out. “Well, we’re not leaving here without partner, so… if we have to get past you with force, then we will.”

Shadow Souji frowned. “ That won’t do. I want you all to be safe, and you won’t be safe if we have to fight. ” He took a step back, his expression shifting to an unsettling smile as he added, “ So instead, how about we do this?

Before everyone could so much as blink, the room shifted around them--and to their alarm, both Souji and his Shadow disappeared along with their surroundings, leaving them stranded in a room with seven blue doors.

Consider this one last puzzle, with your leader as the prize. All you have to do is make your way through these doors--and don’t worry, there’s no Shadows inside, so it’s perfectly safe for even Rise to go on her own, I promise.

Shadow Souji’s voice rang out around them, and if there hadn’t been the unmistakable warp that tinged every Shadow’s voice, it might have been impossible to tell it apart from Souji’s usual calm, reassuring tone.

“He’s not lying,” Rise said after a moment, scanning each of the doors and the surrounding area carefully with Kanzeon. “There’s definitely… something going on with these doors, but….”

“But?” Yukiko prompted gently, once Rise trailed off into a troubled silence.

“It’s so weird,” Rise continued with a frown. “I don’t feel even a little bit of malice coming from anywhere in this whole area, but I still can’t shake the feeling that we have to be careful…. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, after all the other Shadows we’ve had to face.”

“It doesn’t hurt to be cautious,” Naoto reassured her. “Since there are no other exits, it seems we have no choice but to go along with whatever Senpai’s Shadow has planned for now--but even if this is an attempt to separate us, you can always open communications between all of us to better help us regroup, correct?”

Rise gave Naoto a smile. “Of course! I’ll summon Kanzeon as soon as we go through the doors.”

“Sounds like a plan, then,” Yosuke replied, before glancing around at everyone. “Are you guys ready?”

Everyone gave a firm nod in response before they each moved to stand in front of a door.

“Alright, on three,” Yosuke declared, figuring it would be on him as their temporary leader to make the call.

“One… two… three!

Yosuke saw everyone pull open their respective doors out of the corner of his eye as he did the same, seconds before he stepped through and his surroundings changed once more.

He was back in the previous room, with only Souji and his Shadow--the former of which had his head lowered in defeat as the latter grinned, his golden eyes shining in satisfaction as his gaze came to rest on the only other person in the room.

Yosuke paled.

As Naoto had said, he’d been aiming to separate them, but there was no sign of Rise so much as attempting to contact him as they’d agreed--which could only mean one thing.

“What did you do to them?”

Hm? Oh, you have nothing to worry about, ” Souji’s Shadow replied airily, taking a step towards Yosuke. “ They’re all perfectly safe--and I’ll continue to keep them safe, for the rest of our lives.

“Wh… what…?”

Take a look for yourself.

Souji’s Shadow gestured to a table behind Yosuke that he could have sworn wasn’t there before, and Yosuke warily approached the table, looking into the box that rested on top before recoiling in shock, feeling sick to his stomach.

Inside had been a replica of their headquarters at Junes--but that hadn’t been the unsettling part.

What had shaken him was the sight of six familiar, realistic-looking ball jointed dolls seated around the table, trembling as if alive and fighting to move limbs that weren’t meant to be shifted on their own.

See?

Yosuke jumped as Souji’s Shadow spoke right next to his ear, stumbling and hastily catching himself before he could fall against the table.

When had he gotten so close? Yosuke hadn’t even heard him move.

Like this, they’re perfectly safe. No more fighting Shadows, no more putting their lives in danger, no more chasing after dangerous murderers--even the fog is no danger to them like this. They can stay here with me forever.

“You-- you can’t be serious…!! Souji wouldn’t… partner wouldn’t want something like this!”

Souji’s Shadow smiled sadly. “ I thought you would have understood, Yosuke. You always understood me better than anyone, didn’t you?

Yosuke faltered, guilt briefly seizing him--he was Souji’s partner, yet… somehow he’d failed Souji, if he hadn’t even noticed something was wrong until Souji got a Shadow of his own.

“Partner…,” Yosuke addressed the Shadow hesitantly, “I just… even if I don’t understand, I want to. Talk to me, please.”

This Shadow was still Souji, after all--so if Yosuke could just get him to open up a bit, maybe he could reason with the Shadow and convince him to let everyone go.

It was the only option he had left.

I don’t want to lose anyone. Already, I almost…. ” To Yosuke’s surprise, the Shadow seemed to grow genuinely choked up for a moment before continuing. “ I almost lost Nanako. I won’t let anything like that happen ever again. I won’t let anything take you all from me--not Shadows, not murderers, not the fog, not distance or time… nothing .

Yosuke shivered and forced himself to stay calm and focus. Shadows were the worst thoughts that a person had, but they were often drawn out and exaggerated--so after cutting out the extreme lengths that Souji’s Shadow was going to in order to keep everyone with him, Yosuke was left with only one conclusion after carefully parsing Shadow Souji’s words.

“You’re scared of losing us--not just to death, but… after you leave Inaba. You’re scared of being alone.”

His gaze traveled over to Souji as he spoke, feeling both guilty and satisfied as he saw Souji flinch and blush in clear shame, his gaze refusing to meet Yosuke’s.

Souji’s Shadow, in contrast, seemed pleased by Yosuke’s deduction. “ That’s exactly right, though… you’re forgetting to factor in one important detail.

“Huh?” Yosuke blinked, confused, before his eyes widened in belated realization. “Wait… hold on. I just realized, why didn’t you trap me along with everyone else? I-I mean, not that I’m complaining, but--”

Yosuke jumped as Souji suddenly let out a loud, muffled noise, his eyes widening as he looked over at Souji to find him trembling and struggling frantically against his bindings, panic clear in his gaze.

“What-- S-Souji, what’s--!!”

Now you’re asking the right questions, ” Souji’s Shadow praised with a smile that seemed to widen the more distraught Souji grew, his hands cupping Yosuke’s face and forcing his attention back over to him. He seemed to revel both in Souji’s panic and Yosuke’s flustered confusion for a moment before continuing to speak. “ Though really, it’s pretty obvious. After all, if I trapped you like I did everyone else, then I wouldn’t be able to do this.

With that, Souji’s Shadow leaned forward and captured Yosuke’s lips with his own.

For a moment, Yosuke was completely stiff as he tried to process what was happening--but as soon as it sunk in that he was being kissed (that Souji’s Shadow was kissing him), he jerked back to awareness, his face flooding with heat as he shakily shoved the Shadow off of him and backpedaled away.

“Wh-- what-- why did you-- what the hell?!”

Shadow Souji’s expression fell, and even in his flustered state, Yosuke could tell that the Shadow was hurt--and one wary glance over in Souji’s direction showed that he was in an even worse state, with his legs pulled up to his chest and his flushed face buried against his knees as his body continued to tremble.

Haven’t you figured it out yet? ” Souji’s Shadow took a step forward, and Yosuke took a wary step backwards in return. “ For so long, he’s been repressing these feelings… but why? You wouldn’t leave him, would you partner? You’ve had plenty of opportunities to abandon him like everyone else in his life, to just use him and toss him aside, and yet… you never did--so why would that change if he told you how much he loves you? Isn’t that right, partner ?

Yosuke’s blush darkened heavily, a nervous laugh slipping out--he couldn’t tell whether Shadow Souji’s words were a threat or a plea, not that it mattered much when his mind was stuck on the fact that Souji was apparently in love with him .

How was something like that even possible? None of this made any sense, he had to be… misunderstanding Souji’s Shadow or something, because there was no way that Souji, the most popular and sought-after guy in all of Inaba, was in love with him , the clumsy loser prince of Junes that everyone couldn’t stand.

Even putting aside the fact that they were both guys, and even putting aside the fact that Yosuke had never once been interested in guys, it was just… it was so utterly impossible that Yosuke couldn’t even begin to wrap his mind around the idea.

Why would someone like Souji love someone like him? It had to be some sort of crazy mistake, there was no other explanation.

I guess he was wrong about you, after all.

Yosuke tensed as Shadow Souji’s eyes began to glow, his cold expression sending a shiver of dread down Yosuke’s spine.

If you’re going to leave him, then--

“W-wait, hold on!!” Yosuke hastily put up his hands before the Shadow could try and trap him with everyone else, realizing that now wasn’t exactly the time or the place for him to be going into shock over a kiss or a confession, as unexpected as it had been. “Who said I was going to leave him? Like you said, he’s my partner; I’d never abandon him or toss him aside.”

Souji’s Shadow paused, a pensive frown tugging at the corners of his lips as he eyed Yosuke. “ ... Are you just saying that to try and placate me?

“I’m not.”

(Which was true, though the fact that he was purposely trying to calm the Shadow was also just as true.)

Yosuke just barely managed to repress a relieved sigh when he saw the glow fading from the Shadow’s eyes, instead holding his gaze as he took a careful step forward.

“Souji is my partner, and nothing will ever change that.” He briefly glanced over at Souji and gave him a small yet genuine smile as he added, “And I seriously mean nothing . You’re my best friend, and I don’t want you to leave me just as much as you don’t want me to leave you.”

Souji looked up at Yosuke in stunned shock that quickly faded into a look of relief and gratitude, one that was so overwhelmingly warm that Yosuke felt his face heating up just from being on the receiving end of it.

It was rare for Souji to be so openly expressive, but Yosuke couldn’t say he minded the sight all too much, no matter how embarrassing it was.

Souji’s Shadow hummed thoughtfully, and Yosuke warily turned his gaze back over to him as he heard him speak. “ Does this mean that you accept his feelings, then?

“Well, I mean….” Yosuke faltered, his blush darkening as he tried to find the right words to say. “It’s… kinda hard to accept something like this--I mean, Souji could have anyone he wants, so why is he settling for me?”

Shadow Souji’s eyebrows raised in a show of genuine surprise. “ That’s your reason for not being able to accept his feelings? Not because you’re both guys?

Yosuke grimaced. “I mean yeah, there’s that too, but like… that’s just my own personal hangups that I’ve got to get over, and I’ve been trying to be more… open to the idea ever since I made a total ass of myself around Kanji--but Souji liking me? Even if he was a girl and I was a guy, or if he was a guy and I was a girl, that still would make no sense. I mean, I’m clumsy, and useless, and I’m constantly sticking my foot in my mouth, and everyone can’t stand me, and-- mmph!!

He had no idea when Souji’s Shadow had managed to clear the distance between them, but he was abruptly cut off by Shadow Souji’s lips pressing against his own once more--and this time, though his head was spinning and all the blood in his body was pooled in his face, he couldn’t resist the urge to briefly lean into the kiss before pulling away and shooting the Shadow a weak glare.

I won’t stand for you putting yourself down, ” Souji’s Shadow said, undeterred by Yosuke’s expression. “ You’re loyal, kind, selfless, intuitive, bright, charismatic--

Now it was Yosuke’s turn to cut the Shadow off, though he hastily covered Shadow Souji’s mouth with his hand instead of with his lips as the Shadow had done to him.

“Dude, that’s… y-you’re just saying all of that,” Yosuke replied weakly, though he couldn’t quite stop his heart from swelling as he took in all of the praise.

Yosuke hastily retracted his hand with a choked noise when he felt Souji’s Shadow press a kiss to his palm, his face burning in embarrassment as Souji’s Shadow chuckled softly.

You know that isn’t true.

Yosuke shifted his gaze down to his hands, running his fingers along the spot that Souji’s Shadow had kissed before glancing back up at him.

“So that’s… really how Souji feels about me, then?” With a weak laugh, he added, “You’re not gonna suddenly spring on me that he thinks I’m a pain in the ass, are you?”

Shadow Souji’s expression softened in understanding, and--to Yosuke’s surprise--he reached out to wrap his arms around him, pulling him into an embrace.

Never.

Yosuke couldn’t help but relax, a wave of relief washing over him as it finally began to sink in that Souji’s Shadow was being completely sincere with him.

“When we first got here… part of me was honestly really scared to hear what you were going to say,” Yosuke confessed quietly. “I had no idea what kind of stuff partner could’ve possibly been hiding that would make him develop a Shadow, but I was worried that maybe… it was about me.” He laughed weakly as he added, “Which I guess it kinda was, though not in the way I thought it would be.”

I’m everything that he’s been repressing: his thoughts, his feelings, his desires… but I can assure you that he has no negative thoughts or feelings towards you. Any problems that he’s had with you, he’s always been upfront with you about.

Yosuke winced guiltily. “Yeah, I know that much. Partner really doesn’t beat around the bush when he’s not happy with anything I say or anything I do, but… I appreciate that about him. It means I can always trust him to be honest with me.”

Souji’s Shadow nodded with a small, satisfied smile before asking, “ And we can trust you to be honest as well--so tell me: do you think you can accept his feelings now?

Yosuke blushed, realizing that the Shadow had talked him into a corner--though really, Yosuke already knew what his answer was the moment he found himself relaxing in his partner’s arms.

“I still don’t completely feel like I deserve his feelings, but… yeah.”

One of Shadow Souji’s hands moved up to run through his hair, and Yosuke let out a soft, shuddering sigh and closed his eyes.

He knew he needed to focus on getting Souji back home and rescuing their friends, but it was so hard to separate the Shadow from his partner in his mind when the feeling of being held in both of their arms was nearly identical.

You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? ” the Shadow murmured, his voice soft yet not mocking in the slightest. “ So why not stay here with me?

Yosuke tensed, awareness briefly coming back to him before being swept away once more as Souji’s (no, Souji’s Shadow’s ) lips brushed against his ear, his voice and his warm breath both sending a shiver down Yosuke’s spine.

Think about it: just you and me, like this, for all eternity ,” he whispered, drawing Yosuke in deeper with each word. “ No more Junes, no more people whispering behind your back, no more cruel glances sent your way….

Souji’s Shadow trailed a hand down to the back of Yosuke’s neck, relishing the small shiver that wracked Yosuke’s body once more in response. “ I could protect you from it all, so all you would ever hear for the rest of your days is words of love and praise, just like you deserve--and best of all, I would be all yours .

Yosuke swallowed thickly--and for one brief, horrible moment, he found himself actually entertaining the thought of the Shadow’s offer.

What would it be like? To never have to hear anyone berating him or insulting him ever again; to be able to have Souji all to himself, instead of having to hope that Souji had a few hours to spare for him in between spending time with so many other people; to have Souji indulging him whenever he wanted, with even just this small taste of affection that he’d shown him….

Yosuke shook his head and forced himself to pull away from the Shadow before he could fully fall for his temptations, taking a few steps backwards for good measure.

“Souji doesn’t want that, and neither do I,” he declared firmly.

Shadow Souji’s expression fell. “ You do. You both want this, so why are you lying? ” His eyes narrowed, hurt and disappointment slowly morphing into anger. “ I’m just trying to make you happy and keep you safe, so why --

“I’d never be happy, staying in a place like this--especially not when you’ve got Souji tied up and all of our friends trapped,” Yosuke replied sharply. “If you really wanted to make me happy, then you’d let everyone go.”

I can’t do that, Yosuke. ” Souji’s Shadow took a step towards Yosuke, his eyes narrowed. “ I won’t let anyone take the people I care about from me ever again, not even you.

Yosuke swallowed thickly, a flash of fear rushing through him--he couldn’t let Souji’s Shadow trap him, but apparently talking the Shadow down was a lost cause. What else could he possibly….

He blushed heavily as an idea came to him, and he acted before he could second-guess himself.

Souji’s Shadow was clearly reluctant to do anything to him, and clearly harbored whatever feelings Souji had for him. It made him feel like an asshole for even considering using that against him, but desperate times called for desperate measures--and he could only hope that Souji would understand and forgive him.

Yosuke reached out and grabbed Souji’s Shadow by the front of his shirt and pulled him close, clearly catching him off-guard as his angry expression melted into flustered confusion.

Yos--?!

Yosuke captured Shadow Souji’s lips in a heated kiss, ignoring the blood pooling in his face as he heard Souji’s muffled noise of surprise almost in unison with the Shadow’s.

As Yosuke hoped, Souji’s Shadow was quick to relax into the kiss, and Yosuke very carefully maneuvered them as he continued to kiss the Shadow, inching closer and closer to Souji’s bound and gagged body.

Finally, when he was close enough, he broke the kiss and murmured an apology before roughly shoving the Shadow away and turning to run the rest of the way over to Souji’s side.

He only had a minute--less, even--to reach his partner and get the gag off of him so he could accept his Shadow.

Just a little bit farther, and--

Notes:

I couldn't decide how to end it so I wrote a bad end and a good end lol so you can choose to read them both or just skip to your preferred ending! ^^