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He’d been so young when his mom died, everything about her was fuzzy. He couldn’t remember her at all before she got sick and now even her face wasn’t clear to him. He wondered what she was like, but Keicho and Dad didn’t like talking about her. He’d learned to stop asking years ago. He was sure of one thing, though: she had loved him. He wished he could remember her better. Sometimes he found himself jealous of Josuke or Koichi because they still had their moms in their lives. Maybe it wasn’t fair–after all, neither of them had very present fathers–but was it selfish of him to want someone who cared? How come he had to experience his mother’s passing, his father growing violent and then turning into…whatever he was now, and Keicho becoming meaner and meaner before dying when his friends had stable home lives? Sure, Josuke hadn’t known his father until he was sixteen and Koichi’s was rarely around but still…it stung.
“Hey, Okuyasu,” Josuke greeted, pulling him out of his thoughts. Oh, the classroom was completely empty now. “I’m going now,” he announced, motioning for Okuyasu to follow him. He disappeared behind the door but Okuyasu lingered a bit, taking his time gathering his school supplies. “You comin’?” Josuke asked, poking his head back in the doorway.
“Comin’!” Okuyasu exclaimed, now shoving his remaining supplies into his messenger bag. He caught up with his boyfriend and they headed out of the school.
“You okay man?” Josuke asked casually, looking straight ahead.
“Huh? Yeah, man, why?” Okuyasu replied, feigning casualness himself.
“I dunno man, you seem a little…off.” Okuyasu shrugged, glancing at his partner.
“I’m good, man.”
“All right…” Josuke replied, not sounding even slightly convinced. At least he dropped it still. “Oh shit!” he exclaimed suddenly. “We need to get Koichi!”
Okuyasu, Josuke, Koichi, and Tomoko sat around the table at the Higashikata house. Okuyasu swallowed, staring down at the table. He didn’t know Josuke’s hot mom would be here.
“So!” Josuke announced, slapping his hands down on the table. “I have a proposal!” Okuyasu blinked. Wasn’t it a bit early for that?
“What’s your proposal, Josuke?” Tomoko asked with a raised eyebrow, gaze flickering between the boys.
“Weeeeell,” Josuke replied, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly, “I was wondering if…Okuyasu could start staying some of the time?” he asked hesitantly.
“Huh?!” Okuyasu exclaimed, jumping out of his chair. He hadn’t known about this at all!
“Josuke,” Tomoko said evenly, taking note of Okuyasu’s reaction. “Did you discuss this with Okuyasu at all?”
“No,” he admitted ashamedly.
“I think you should do that,” she said pointedly as Koichi squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. Why was he here for this conversation anyway? Josuke rose from his chair, leading Okuyasu to his room with a worried expression.
“Uh, so,” Josuke began awkwardly. “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have sprang that on you like that.”
“D’you mean it Josuke?” Okuyasu exclaimed. “You really want me to stay here?”
“Uh, yeah, like semi-permanently,” Josuke coughed. Okuyasu’s eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. He was about to throw his arms around his boyfriend when worry crept up on him.
“What about my dad?” he asked, his brows furrowed in concern.
“What about him?” Josuke replied, tilting his head in confusion.
“Like, d’you think it’s alright to leave him alone for too long?” Okuyasu’s head also tilted, his expression matching Josuke’s perfectly.
“Isn’t he, like, immortal? Won’t he be fine for a couple days?” Okuyasu hummed in response, mulling it over. It’s true that in his current state, his dad didn’t do or need much. Maybe it would be alright….
“Okay!” he declared, a grin spreading across his face. “I can just…give him enough stuff and come over!”
“Hell yeah!” Josuke exclaimed, reaching out for a celebratory fist bump, which Okuyasu gladly reciprocated. “Now, let’s go talk to my mom again!” With that, Josuke bolted out of the room, Okuyasu close behind.
“Ma!” Josuke called out as he burst into the kitchen, where Tomoko and Koichi were having tea and talking. Okuyasu was hot on his heels, and didn’t manage to stop in time when Josuke ground to a halt. He ended up bumping into him and the duo narrowly avoided falling to the ground, propping themselves up on their elbows.
“Yes?” Tomoko asked with a raised eyebrow and a teasing smile.
“Oku and I talked,” Josuke said with an embarrassed blush as he rose to his feet, his boyfriend following suit.
“I wanna stay!” Okuyasu blurted out, perhaps too quickly.
“We’d be happy to have you,” Tomoko said, her smile turning more genuine.
“Told ya it would work out fine, Josuke,” Koichi said with a pleasant expression. “But,” Tomoko added more firmly, “I need to establish some ground rules for when you stay here.” She paused momentarily to make sure she had been heard, giving the boys a pointed look. Teacher instinct, Okuyasu supposed. “You two can hangout in Josuke’s room— with the door open —but Okuyasu, you can’t sleep in Josuke’s room. You can stay in the…guest room.” The pause was strange and once she said it, Okuyasu watched as her eyes became misty and Josuke’s expression passed from confused to surprised to…sad. There was clearly something he was missing here. “Furthermore,” Tomoko continued, regaining her sternness, “hands should be above clothing and above the waist at all times—“
“Mom!” Josuke yelped, face red as a tomato, but Tomoko didn’t pay him any mind.
“Pecks on the cheeks and lips are reasonable but don’t get into a makeout session under my roof. Lastly, don’t let each other become a distraction.” Tomoko’s stern demeanor melted away as she offered Okuyasu a warm smile and a “welcome to the family.”
“Yes-yes, ma’am! Thank you!” Okuyasu stuttered, feeling like his heart might explode.
Okuyasu practically skipped out of school, more than eager to go to Josuke’s house. And stay there . For a few days. It had been a long time since he’d stayed in a house with…anything that really made it a house for more than one night. He would get to stay a few nights in a nice house, with his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s hot mom. Hell yeah! He met up with Josuke at the school’s entrance, linking arms with him.
“Hey man!” Josuke greeted with a wide grin. “Ya ready?”
“Yeah!” Okuyasu exclaimed eagerly, nodding rapidly. The pair practically ran to Josuke’s house, giggling a bit at the prospect of a several day sleepover. Once they approached, Josuke pushed his door open a bit too forcefully in his excitement, a momentary sheepish expression crossing his face as the door hit the wall loudly. An equally momentary feeling of fear passed through Okuyasu. Weird.
“Welcome home, man!” Josuke announced as the pair made their way into the house. Suddenly, Josuke’s expression shifted from excitement to confusion as he looked at Okuyasu as if he was seeing him for the first time. “Didn’t you pack a bag?” he asked, tilting his head.
“Oh, uh, I just put everything in my school bag,” Okuyasu replied, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish.
“For three days?”
“Uh, yeah?” Okuyasu said, the words coming out as a question. Josuke’s eyebrows knit in what seemed to be concern but he didn’t say anything more on the subject. What’s up with him? Is it rude to just bring a school bag? I don’t have an overnight bag though…
“Soooo, what d’you wanna do?” Josuke asked, slinging an arm around his boyfriend. “Honey?” he tacked on awkwardly. They’d been dating for a couple months now but pet names weren’t common for them yet.
“Won’t your mom, like, get on to us if we don’t do our homework?” Okuyasu questioned, raising his eyebrows.
“Yeah, but she’s not home yet,” Josuke replied, waving his hand dismissively. “Soooo, Famicom?” he suggested, his voice raising a bit in excitement.
“Yeah!” Okuyasu exclaimed. The pair planted themselves on the living room floor, starting with Oh, That’s a Baseball! and then playing F-Mega for far longer than intended. Unsurprisingly, Tomoko arrived home while they were distracted and got onto them–mostly Josuke–for not doing their homework yet. Okuyasu liked Tomoko, quite a bit, but he still found himself getting nervous when she lectured Josuke. Why? She was a bit scary but surely she wasn’t going to…hurt anyone, right?
A family dinner. Okuyasu wasn’t sure if he’d ever experienced that before. Maybe before his mom died? He felt a bit out of place sitting at the Higashikata family dinner table, despite that he knew Josuke and Tomoko and had had Tomoko’s cooking before. But this was different. Typically, whenever he and Josuke had a sleepover before, Tomoko would order something the pair could eat in Josuke’s room—they hadn’t had a sleepover since they started dating so there had been no problem with them sharing a bed then—and Tomoko sending him home with some of her cooking the next day. He was so grateful for those meals. He had managed to save up quite a bit but he still had to be frugal if he wanted to have enough to live off of before he could get a full time job. His situation made free food extremely valuable. He tried to tune into the conversation Josuke and Tomoko were having but he couldn’t quite pay attention to it. He could tell they were bickering about something or other but it seemed…lighthearted? It kind of reminded him of when he and Keicho were much younger, before Keicho had become so mean.
“...Right, Okuyasu?” Josuke asked, a bit demandingly, as though Okuyasu had followed any of the conversation.
“Huh?” he responded blankly while wondering if this was what it was like to have a family. People considered their spouses and in-laws family, right? So, surely he could feel the same way about his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s mom.
Nightfall came eventually. Okuyasu had showered and brushed his teeth, marveling, as he always did at Josuke’s house, the luxury of guaranteed running water. He knew that the Higashikatas were very far from rich—it was a one income household living off a teacher’s salary, after all—but they still lived like kings compared to anything he had ever known. He exited the bathroom in the old sweatsuit that served as his pajamas, not sure where to go from here. The only bedroom he’d ever seen in the house was Josuke’s, so he had no idea where to go to find the guest bedroom he’d be sleeping in. And he didn’t want to risk accidentally walking into Tomoko’s room, especially if she was changing or something. Sure, she was hot but he wasn’t a pervert.
“Uh,” he muttered aloud, standing like a Sim with nothing in their queue. As he was looking around aimlessly, Josuke walked up to him.
“You awright, man?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Uh, yeah man, jus’, uh, where’s you guys’ guest bedroom?” Okuyasu replied, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.
“Oh yeah,” Josuke said, a strange look passing over his face, “just uh, follow me.” He led Okuyasu down the short hallway, opening the door to a well-maintained room. Although nothing about the room stuck out, Josuke’s reaction did. His face fell, his shoulders sagged, and he let out a slightly shuddering breath. “This…this was my grandfather’s room,” he whispered, eyes glistening.
“Oh!” Okuyasu exclaimed, jumping back slightly. “Uh, I could just-I could sleep on the couch or somethin’?” he suggested. Josuke shook his head minutely.
“Nah, man, it’s fine,” he said, his voice slightly strained. “It’s not like he’s using it now anyways,” he continued as he began walking away, keeping his face turned away from his boyfriend. He called a “goodnight” over his shoulder before disappearing into his own room. Okuyasu walked into the room that had once belonged to Josuke’s grandfather, unable to fully shake the feeling of guilt. Still, he set his bag down and climbed into the bed. It was…soft. And large. Josuke had a nice bed too, but this one was actually big enough to properly fit two people instead of them having to squeeze in. He once again found himself marveling at small luxuries. When they were little, he and Keicho shared a bed. Once Okuyasu outgrew his toddler bed, they shared again until Keicho found the cheapest twin money could buy. It was the bed he still used at home. Having such a big bed all to himself was nice but…he missed having someone next to him.
Okuyasu woke up the next day, a momentary panic passing through him as he saw the clock reading “10:46”. He flung out of bed but just as he opened his bag he realized it was Saturday. With that realization, the panic melted away and was replaced with annoyance that he hadn’t slept in longer. But what if Tomoko wanted him up early even on the weekend? Sure, she never had before but what if that had been sleepover rules and “semi-permanent living situation” rules were different? With that thought in mind, he races into the kitchen and was greeted by a sight he’d only seen once before: Josuke with his hair down.
“Good morning Okuyasu,” Tomoko greeted groggily, a half-empty cup of coffee in front of her. Josuke sat across from her at the table, with his own zombie-like expression and cup of coffee to match. “Would you like some coffee or tea?” Tomoko asked.
“Yes, thank you!” Okuyasu exclaimed a bit too excitedly. “Uh, tea please” he added when he realized his blunder. As Tomoko rose to her feet, Josuke finally seemed to notice Okuyasu.
“Oh! Uh, good morning, Oku,” he stammered, a nervous blush appearing on his face as he tried to shove all his hair behind his back as if that would somehow hide it. He drank the rest of his coffee in one gulp and stood up rapidly. “I’mmmm gonna take a shower,” he announced, drawing out the first word, as he ran towards the bathroom.
“That boy and his hair,” Tomoko sighed as she set the teapot on the stove to boil. “Do you want to help me make pancakes?” she asked, turning to Okuyasu.
“Yes!” Okuyasu replied instantly.
“Have you made pancakes before?” Tomoko asked with a gentle smile.
“Uh, yeah but only once,” Okuyasu responded as she set out the ingredients. “They were pretty good though!” he added, as if he needed to defend himself.
“That’s good to hear,” Tomoko said with a nod.
“Why didn’t you ask Josuke for help instead?” Okuyasu asked as they set to work.
“Do you know how long that boy takes to do his hair?” Tomoko replied, deadpan. “And also,” she added more seriously , “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Huh?”
Tomoko glanced up from the stove to look at Okuyasu, a concerned expression on her face. “Josuke didn’t give me any details, but he said things aren’t great at your home. Would you be okay with telling me about it?” She said it all in a much gentler tone than Okuyasu was used to hearing from her conversations with Josuke.
“Oh, uh,” he stuttered, not sure how much to say nor where to start. “Well…my mom and big bro are dead and my dad’s not in good shape. Uh, he’ll be fine for a few days, but he can’t really work or leave the house anymore.” All of it was true, and he felt like the ‘my dad turned into an amphibian monster when I was five’ part would sound ridiculous.
“That does sound difficult,” Tomoko replied sympathetically, though she didn’t seem at all convinced that was the full story. “Is your dad okay with you staying here?”
“Uh, yeah,” Okuyasu said, trying to keep any note of hesitation out of his voice. He had told his dad, but it wasn’t like he was going to get a response. Tomoko nodded.
“That’s good,” she said a bit slowly. “But, just between you and me, if you need a place to stay, our door is always open. Regardless of what your dad says ,” she finished sharply.
“I….” Okuyasu didn’t know what to say. Had she read him that well? He wasn’t even in any danger anymore.
“Okuyasu, please tell me if I’m jumping to conclusions,” Tomoko began seriously,” but I’ve noticed the way you react when I raise my voice, or someone slams a door, or Josuke and I get into a fight—“
“It’s not happening anymore,” Okuyasu blurted out, instantly regretting it.
“Anymore?” Tomoko prompted gently.
“Uh, my dad uh, did…uh, he wasn’t very nice when I was younger…” he whispered.
“He hit you.” It wasn’t a question. Okuyasu nodded anyway. “You don’t have to worry about that here. I wouldn’t hurt you or Josuke, even if I was angry with you. I promise.” With that, she held out her pinky. It was childish, it was dumb, it was effective. Okuyasu held out his too and the two pinky promised. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. He knew how it had been at his home wasn’t. Tomoko couldn’t replace his mom but, as hopefully his future mother-in-law, she could still fill a familial role, right? And that was more than Okuyasu thought he would ever get. “Glad to have you, future son-in-law!” Tomoko exclaimed lightheartedly just as Josuke re-entered the room.
“Mom!” he groaned as Okuyasu blushed.
“Whaaaat?” Tomoko teased, smiling mischievously.
“Uh, thank you! For everything! Letting me stay and uh-” Okuyasu was cut off when both Tomoko and Josuke enveloped him in a warm hug. He couldn’t have been more content.