Chapter Text
“That’s it, I’m going to fail. I’m never getting into college, and I’m going to rot in Junes for the rest of my life.”
Yosuke flopped across the table, arms out with his face flat down against his book. They’d been working on math, and they were both feeling a little fried, but Souji shook his head, putting his own book down.
“You’re not going to fail, Yosuke. We’ve been sitting here since just after lunch, and-” Looking up, he checked the clock. “-and that was six hours ago. We honestly should have taken a break two hours ago when we started dinner, but you were doing so well on your practice exam, may I remind you, that we decided to stick it out. So come on, let’s stop, get dinner, take a break. If we feel up to it, we can put in another hour or two later, but we’ve already done a lot today.”
Reaching over, he patted the brunette’s hair; as he did Yosuke looked up, sticking his tongue out to make a “thbbbbttt” sound. Of course, he appreciated Souji’s sentiment, and he did feel good about how much they’d gotten through that afternoon, but…
God. Right now he wasn’t sure he could recite his prime numbers if his life was on the line, much less evaluate an indeterminate limit.
“Come on.” Souji was already standing, shoving his book aside on the table. “We put a curry doria in to bake, remember?”
“Shit.” Now that Souji mentioned it, Yosuke did remember. “That was like, two hours ago. It’s gotta be burned!” He was already on his feet and hurrying to the door by the time it registered that Souji was laughing.
“You were so focused on your homework that you didn’t hear Nanako call up an hour ago that she was taking it out of the stove to put on the back burner. We just need to put it in for another five, ten minutes, and it should be good. We can spend that time making tea - or no, let’s have some of those drinks we bought at Junes. Our brains could use some sugar.”
“Are you trying to spoil me, partner?” Yosuke laughed, heading downstairs, with Souji right behind him. “Sodas and a study break before it’s even time for bed.”
“Maybe a little, but you know I like sweet things, too.”
“Suuuure.” Yosuke couldn’t tease him too hard, though - Souji did have a sweet tooth, even if he somehow managed to keep it under control (how does he manage to keep it under control? Yosuke thought about Teddie, stuffing an entire box of topsicles in his mouth, and marvelled.)
He was just glad that Souji didn’t try some “sweets for the sweet” joke on him.
As they sat at the living room table, watching Loveline as they ate, Souji looked sideways at his partner. “Want to stay the night?” he offered, casually. It was, after all, Saturday, and they didn’t have anything to do Sunday except finish the first stage of a group project for history.
Yosuke’s face lit up, but then almost immediately fell, and Souji found his stomach sinking. “Da-” a look at Nanako “-ng, partner… I was going to dye my hair tonight. I really want to, though…”
Souji looked thoughtful, remembering the conversation they’d had back when Nanako had gotten gum in her hair. “Did you want to do that over here? I could help, I told you I would.” Honestly, I’d like to - I’ve never messed with hair dye, I’d like to see what he does for it.
The brunette brightened again. “Hey, really? Do you think your dad would be okay with it?” Souji nodded - they’d already had a talk about sleepovers being okay as long as they didn’t interrupt school, especially as Dojima had to be out of the house frequently and didn’t want his kids to be lonely - and as he did, Yosuke’s expression shifted.
“Hey. What about you?”
?
“What about me?” Souji knew he sounded puzzled, and Yosuke laughed. “What if we dyed your hair, too?”
“Me?” Immediately imagining himself with Yosuke’s copper hair - and then blue, or green, or even purple - Souji raised an eyebrow, trying not to grimace. “Do you really think I should?”
“Mmmm.” Making a pensive face, the brunette peered at Souji, then leaned over, back, and around to “examine” him, although the silver-haired boy was pretty sure he was playing it for laughs. “Nothing too crazy, what about black or dark brown? The most outrageous thing I’d suggest would be bleaching it, but that’s- well, it’s a lot of damage to your hair without much gain, since you’re already silver.”
I wonder what I’d look like with black hair, like most kids. It was something he’d wondered before, when he’d get picked on because of his hair, and then again more recently when he found himself feeling dissatisfied with his life and wanting to do something, anything that would go against the stringent rules his biological parents had laid down for him. And it wouldn’t be too out there…
“Yeah. I’ll do it. Black, I think, since that will look the most normal, right?”
Yosuke looked pleased at his response, although he also started laughing. “Most normal, huh? Come on, partner. You’re dyeing your hair, don’t you want to be at least a little outrageous?”
“No.”
Souji’s response was immediate; Yosuke's laugh got louder, and Souji joined him.
They decided that Souji would do the dishes and some various chores, like laundry, while Yosuke ran home to tell his folks he’d be staying over, grab some overnight stuff, and stop by Junes to buy a couple of boxes of dye. Souji was in the middle of hanging up some of his father’s shirts when he got a text; Yosuke had sent him a picture of three different boxes of dye.
Souji was at a loss.
? They all look the same.
\(>o<)ノ 1 is cool blk 1 is warm blk 1 is xtra drk brown
...I leave it to your discretion, I literally have no idea.
cool blk it is bc my prtnr is cool ヾ(≧∪≦*)ノ〃
Souji shook his head, smiling at the phone.
I love you too. See you soon?
(⌒.−)=★
Nanako was given permission to postpone bedtime; she seemed inordinately excited about the fact that big bro was going to dye his hair, so Souji told her that she could stay up, but if dad came home and caught them she’d have to go to sleep. She agreed cheerfully, just happy to be “part of it,” and Souji was just putting away the last dishes when he heard a knock on the door. As always, Nanako hurried to open it - “remember, no running in socks!” - and then Yosuke was bursting into the kitchen with an overnight bag on one shoulder and a Junes bag in the other hand.
“You ready, partner? I’m gonna make you look totally awesome! I mean, not that you don’t already look awesome, just, you know…” He deflated a little at Souji’s raised eyebrow, but then Souji laughed.
“I’m excited, Yosuke, don’t worry. I know what you meant.” They headed upstairs; Souji had set aside some old, clean towels (usually used when they needed to clean the floor during rainstorms) and as Yosuke laid out the boxes of dye, old brushes, and other odds-and-ends, he looked over his shoulder to see Nanako in the doorway.
“Heya, Nanako-chan. You gonna hang out?”
The little girl nodded, her eyes full of stars. “Yeah! Big bro said I could stay up unless dad comes home.”
Yosuke laughed. “Sounds good, you can be my assistant, but you should stay out there unless I need you, kay? The fumes can get kinda strong. I don’t mind Ted smelling them because he’s already messed up in the head-” here, Nanako giggled “-but your bro would have my hide if you got sick.”
“Okay, Yosuke-nii!” She dragged a folding stool out of the closet in Souji’s room, sitting just outside the door - Yosuke made sure to turn the bathroom fan on - and after pushing Souji out of the room to go change into an old t-shirt, got to work.
He started with Souji’s hair, so that Souji would have an idea of what he needed to do when it was time to dye Yosuke’s. Taking a seat on the stool Yosuke tugged over, Souji closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of the brunette’s fingers combing through his hair. When the first touch of cold registered on his scalp, he found himself sniffing.
“Is that… grape?”
Laughing, the brunette squeezed a line of deep black solution down the part of Souji’s hairline. “Yeah, this brand does that, so you don’t smell the chemicals. They’re still there, though, so you shouldn’t go huffing the box - something I have to tell Ted about every dang time I do this.”
They laughed.
Having a head full of dye (and carefully damped eyebrows, because it would look weird for him to have black hair and silver brows) felt odd, but when Yosuke tucked everything into a neat shower cap Souji found he really didn’t have much of a problem moving around the bathroom, washing up the few splatter spots before they stained, and getting the second brush ready for Yosuke, who came back with an old (sleeveless, that’s highly unfair) shirt and his hair all brushed out, which looked surprisingly… flat.
When Souji snickered, Yosuke flashed a hurt expression at him, and Souji immediately felt terrible, patting the brunette’s shoulder soothingly. “Sorry, it just reminds me of seeing you just out of the shower-” he started, but then both of their gazes flashed to Nanako.
Luckily, it seemed that she hadn’t registered where Souji was going with that statement yet, but he wasn’t willing to risk it, so he coughed, and it was Yosuke’s turn to snicker.
“Oh, just sit down and let me dye your hair.” Souji rolled his eyes, and Yosuke laughed.
“How could I ever deny you when you plead like that?”
As Souji held a cup of water over Yosuke’s head, he threw up his hands to cover himself. “Hey, hey! You’re supposed to dye dry hair, not wet!”
As Nanako giggled, Souji pulled on the plastic gloves that came with the dye, and following Yosuke’s patient instructions netted him a pretty neat job a quarter of an hour later, he had to admit. Even Yosuke looked at himself in the mirror admiringly.
“Not that I’m surprised but you’re definitely better at this than Ted. Man, I don’t miss the days when I’d do this by myself.”
Souji looked over at the clock, mentally timing how long it had been since Yosuke had finished his. He was about due a washout, so he walked over to the hand shower to start warming the water. “Well, like I said before, I don’t mind helping… it was fun. And I guess we’ll see how mine turns out.” He poked the squishy mess on his head through the shower cap. “It’s time to rinse it out, right?”
Forty-five minutes later saw them standing in Souji’s room in front of the mirror; Nanako had headed to bed before they got into the shower, so it was just the two of them, and Yosuke had his arms around Souji’s waist and his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder as Souji stared at his reflection in fascination.
He really did look good, the brunette had to admit. It was a bit startling, to say the least, but… good. He looked like a model, to be honest, or an idol. He looked good. Yosuke was about to place his hands on his boyfriend’s hips and a kiss on the back of his shoulder when they heard wheels outside; Souji’s head snapped up to look at the clock, and suddenly there was an expression of worry where before there’d just been pleased curiosity.
“Partner?” Yosuke couldn’t fathom what was bothering him, but then Souji flashed him a wry smile.
“I didn’t even think about asking dad if he’d be okay with this.” He tugged at an inky-black lock.
“Mmmm, yeah. But honestly, my folks have never cared enough to stop me, and you literally dyed your hair the colour of every average guy of our age.” Average, of course, because Souji was anything but.
“You’re right,” Souji said, looking a little relieved. It was clear that he still had bad memories from his biological parents, and no wonder. “But still…”
They heard the front door open, and after shrugging at each other, they both pulled on their sleep shirts and headed down the stairs. Dojima was at the fridge, and he just raised a hand in welcome when Souji called down, “Yosuke’s staying the night”; pulling a beer out, he stood to turn around, then stopped dead, staring at Souji.
“Your- your hair!”
Souji winced and Yosuke immediately pushed past him, into the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. “It’s my fault, Dojima-san, I needed to dye my hair and suggested he try it, and-”
He stopped when he saw the detective holding up a hand, and Souji walked up behind him.
“I’m not mad, boys.” Dojima looked past Yosuke’s shoulder at Souji with a wry smile on his face. “Sorry, son. I’m surprised, but I’m not mad.” He reached out, paused, then ruffled Souji’s hair, and Souji’s expression shifted to one of relief. “Jeeze, I just filled out adoption paperwork but now you look five, ten years older. It makes me feel old - you look like I did when I first joined the force.”
He shook his head, smiling at the teen that was as tall as him. “It’s not like you went crazy, anyway. I might have something to say if you’d picked orange or blue, but…” He shrugs. “If you’re going to experiment, you could do worse.” Yosuke could see Souji’s shoulders relax; they talked to Dojima for a few minutes, and then he told them to go on upstairs, and not to stay up too late.
The boys grabbed tea bottles and some snacks and headed up to Souji’s room; when they got inside, he slumped against the door as it closed, laughing.
“Man, I really thought dad was going to be mad there for a minute.”
“Yeah, sorry dude… I didn’t even think about getting his go-ahead - my ‘rents have never minded, I’ve been dying my hair for years now.” Yosuke plopped down on a pillow in front of the TV, reaching over to slip a disc into the game system.
“No worries.” Souji opened his bottle of tea before taking the pillow next to the brunette and picking his controller up. The load screen of the game they’d been playing over the last couple of months popped up - they hadn't had the chance to get further than a few stages at any one time - and they zoned back into the antechamber before a boss fight they were having a bit of trouble with.
Something seemed off about the game, different from the last time they’d been playing. Not in a bad way, just in a way that had Souji pause from time to time, as if trying to place what he was feeling. After the second or third time, Yosuke shot him a look.
“Something on your mind, partner?”
That comment jogged his memory, and he sat up, hitting the pause button (sure, they’d probably have to restart the fight, but eh. They’d already died a half-dozen times to this guy.) “The music!” He listened to the theme playing in the background; it wasn’t quite as professional-sounding as the game’s actual soundtrack, but the music itself fit better. “I remember you complaining about it. You wrote this, didn’t you?”
The grin on the brunette’s face told him all he needed to know. “Hell yeah, I did! Remember when I was bitching about it? You told me to write something for it, so I did. I know it’s kinda rough and it doesn’t sound as polished as the original music, but-”
“But nothing, Yosuke,” Souji knew he had the stupidest grin on his face as he shuffled his pillow close to his boyfriend’s. “It’s awesome. It fits the game a lot better than the original stuff - I don’t know why you keep worrying that you’re not going to be able to get into the Conservatory, because you’re already writing stuff like this.” He gestured to the screen even as he leaned in.
The brunette’s smile was all he needed, but the kiss - happiness and pride, joy and excitement - was even better.