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“Junes will be closing in ten minutes!” the pleasant, pre-recorded woman warned over the loudspeaker, like she did every day. “Please bring any final items to checkout. Thank you for having a great day with us!”
With all the customers headed toward the exit, that gave Yosuke just enough time to run by the temporary Winter Wonderland setup in the middle of the store. He could say goodbye to Yu for the night and turn off all the Christmas lights real quick, and then he could run to the back to finish some stocking and closing paperwork.
Junes, and therefore Yosuke, had been incredibly busy for the holiday season, and he was exhausted. The holiday rush was almost over though; it was Christmas Eve, after all.
At least it was definitely over for Yu, who had been moonlighting as the store’s Santa for the past few weeks. His last shift had been tonight, since Santa had to go deliver presents across the world all night and would be too tired to entertain the kids at Junes on Christmas day, or something.
Yosuke still wasn’t sure why Yu had taken the job, even if it paid well. Yu was already so busy with everything else going on in his life, plus having annoying, gross kids plop on your lap all evening and beg you for toys was not Yosuke’s idea of fun. But Yu was great with the kids, of course, and his unusual prowess as a teen boy playing a jolly, elderly man had actually brought in a ton of business. Yosuke would have to talk his dad into giving Yu a bonus for all his hard work. He was sure his dad would agree though, since he did the store’s numbers and could no doubt see just how much of a benefit Yu had been to their bottom line. Plus, Yosuke’s old man loved Yu, because who didn’t?
While Yosuke was glad at least Yu would finally get to escape this place, he was a little sad Yu wouldn’t be working there anymore, even if they had barely gotten to see each other. He wished their schedules had lined up better; their shifts rarely started or ended at the same time, and they’d only been able to take their breaks at the same time twice, one of which got cut short when Yosuke had to go clean up a tower of cans a customer had knocked over.
As Yosuke power walked toward Winter Wonderland while balancing a stack of three cardboard boxes in his arms, he mentally ran back over the list of all the things he had left to do before he could go home for the night.
Say bye to Yu, turn off the Christmas lights, take the boxes to the back, unpack and sort them, update the inventory…
Yosuke’s mental list came to a halt as he approached Winter Wonderland and saw Santa in his big velvet Santa chair, fast asleep.
Yosuke slowed down and stared at Yu, not sure if his eyes were deceiving him. Sure, it would make sense for Yu to be exhausted, but Yu rarely showed signs of fatigue, or anything that might be perceived as less than perfect, really. Only the most dire of circumstances had exposed Yosuke to Yu’s not-so-perfect side, but that hardly counted; Yu was human, after all. Under normal circumstances, his work ethic and his patience were borderline angelic, kind of like his sleeping face right now lit by the gentle glow of the white Christmas lights…
“Junes is now closed! Thank you for shopping with us! And don’t forget: every day’s great at your Junes! We’ll see you tomorrow!”
“Closed already?” Yosuke asked, looking away from Yu and up at the closest speaker in the ceiling. How long had he been standing there?
Still, his gaze fell back to Yu, whose fake beard fluttered with every breath in and out.
“Caught you!” Teddie whisper-squealed in Yosuke’s ear.
“Shit!” Yosuke hissed as he lurched forward and the top two boxes on his stack went flying.
Luckily at that particular moment Teddie happened to have impressively fast reflexes, reaching out and catching one box in each hand. Even he looked surprised before raising both boxes in the air and twirling around, proclaiming through giggles, “And I caught this! I’m a real catch!”
“That doesn’t even make sense,” Yosuke muttered, though he was more tired than annoyed at this point.
“An elf like myself doesn’t have to make sense! Because how cute I am makes no sense at all!” Teddie sang, with another twirl for good measure.
On top of his usual bear costume, Teddie was wearing an almost nauseatingly festive elf costume. He had been Santa’s special elf helper all season, entertaining the lines of families waiting for their turn with Santa and wrangling kids on and off of Yu’s lap.
“Looks like your Sensei is out cold,” Yosuke said, adjusting the remaining box in his arms. “I wonder if he’s more exhausted from dealing with the kids or dealing with you.”
“Nonsense!” Teddie cried. “Teddie brings a surge of energy into the heart of every fair maiden he meets!”
“Yu’s not a fair maiden, you weirdo,” Yosuke sighed, not even about to argue about how that one made no sense. “Now go wake him up so he can head home.”
“Can’t bear to do it yourself?” Teddie teased, dancing around Yosuke.
“Huh?” Yosuke said, flinching away from Teddie and his shenanigans. “You’re louder, and he’s probably used to being annoyed by you at this point, so you might as well.”
“But I’m beary sure he would prefer to wake up to you!”
“Most people would,” Yosuke said confidently, but as soon as he said it his confidence waned. “I think…”
“He took this job for you, you know,” Teddie said, suddenly serious.
Yosuke frowned. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
“You were so busy working here for the holidays, so he took the Santy Claus job to be closer to you.”
“Closer to me? That doesn't make sense. I mean, I know we’ve both been at Junes after school every day, but we’ve barely seen each other. He’s been sitting in his Santa throne seeing a nonstop line of kids, and I’ve been running around like crazy covering for all the part-timers who’ve been flaking out, and—”
“He thought you were going to be Santa’s helper, not me.”
“Why the heck would he think that?”
“Remember that one time Sensei came over to our house for dinner, and Papa-mura threatened to make you the Junes elf?”
“He was joking! Obviously!”
“Well, Sensei didn’t know that. He took it literally!”
“What a doofus! I could have told him I wasn’t going to be the elf; I have way more important stuff to do around here!”
Teddie pouted a little at that. “And I don’t?”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“It’s okay; I don’t!” Teddie said cheerfully, his mood switching like a light. “Plus I’d much rather play with the kiddies and Sensei all day than do actual work! And the kiddies don’t even sit on me, unlike poor Sensei. So many different bodily fluids…”
“Ugh, gross,” Yosuke groaned.
“…and all for someone who doesn’t even realize…”
“Hold up,” Yosuke interrupted. “Yu told me he took this job because it paid better than all his other part-time jobs.”
“Yosuke,” Teddie said sadly. “Do you really think playing Santy Claus at Junes pays more than being a fancy private tutor?”
“I don't know! But I'm sure it pays more than folding envelopes or origami cranes! Why would he tell me that if it wasn't true?” Yosuke asked, genuinely puzzled.
“He lied, Yosuke,” Teddie said bluntly. “Sensei’s not perfect, you know.”
“I never said he was?”
Lifting the final box out of Yosuke's hands and adding it to his stack of boxes, Teddie said, “No, but you sure look at him like he is.”
With that, Teddie started walking away, leaving Yosuke floundering as to what all of this was supposed to mean.
“H-hey! What are you doing?” Yosuke called after Teddie.
“Giving you some time!” Teddie sang, not looking back. “Don't worry, Yosuke! Unpack the boxes, put the stuff away, update the inventory sheet, right?”
“Right,” Yosuke said, dumbfounded by this turn of events.
“Okey dokey! I'll see you later, Yosuke! Don't make me regret doing actual work!”
And with that, Teddie disappeared around a corner.
“What is going on?” Yosuke asked himself before his gaze gravitated back to Yu, who was still sleeping peacefully—his beautiful, stupid Yu, whose apparent plan to be closer to Yosuke did not work out at all.
Yosuke walked over and gently shook Yu's shoulder.
“Wake up, Partner.”
It took a few shakes, but then Yu woke with a start, looking around in panic as he tried to piece together what was happening.
“You fell asleep at the end of your shift,” Yosuke explained. “Now scoot over.”
The chair was just big enough for both of them, so Yu scooted over obligingly, allowing Yosuke to plop down at his side.
“Phew, does it feel good to take a load off!” Yosuke exhaled, not having realized just how achy his whole body was from all the running around.
“You've been working really hard,” Yu said quietly, adjusting against Yosuke's arm.
“So have you, sleepyhead!” Yosuke said, cringing at how Teddie-like the words sounded.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep,” Yu apologized, looking down at his Santa boots.
“Hey, it's not a big deal. You weren't asleep that long, and like I said, it was the end of your shift. No harm done, Partner. I'm just sorry you're so exhausted from taking this job on top of school and everything else.”
Yu shook his head. “Don't be. It was my choice.”
“Speaking of…” Yosuke started nervously, “Uh, why did you take this job again?”
Yu looked a little startled by the question, opening his mouth to answer and then shutting it again.
Yosuke went on, “Because Teddie said you took it to be closer to me, which I didn't think sounded right at all…”
“I did,” Yu interjected, looking ashamed. “It was a dumb plan.”
“So you really thought I was going to be the elf and we'd get to spend a bunch of time together?”
Yu nodded.
“My dad was totally kidding about that, Partner.”
“I know that now… because Teddie told me,” Yu sighed dejectedly.
Yosuke had to chuckle at that, which made Yu sit up a little straighter and turn more towards Yosuke.
“Why didn't you tell me?” Yosuke asked as his laughter faded, sinking into the back of the plush chair and looking up into Yu's inquiring eyes.
“T-tell you?” Yu asked with a rare stutter.
“Yeah, if you really wanted to spend more time with me, you could have just told me! Sure, I've been a little busy, but I would have made time for you. I'll always make time for my Partner—you know that!”
“I didn't want you to feel like you had to fit me in,” Yu said, even more quietly than usual. “You've been working so many hours, and you always work so hard… I didn't want to be selfish. So I tried to fit myself in, by working here.”
“Dude, you're the least selfish person I know! And even if you wanted to work with me, you should have just told me your plan so I could have told you it was dumb and then gotten you a position where we actually would have been working together!”
“You're right. I'm an idiot," Yu said, closing his eyes and slumping forward as if the admission had ripped the soul right out of his body.
“Hey, you're not an idiot!” Yosuke said, trying to push Yu back into an upright position. “You just… made some idiotic choices!”
“Ugh,” Yu groaned, only slumping forward more.
“Hey, I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Yosuke laughed, putting an arm around Yu’s shoulders and pulling him up out of his slump.
Yosuke quickly withdrew his arm, however, when he noticed just how rosy Yu’s cheeks had become behind his white beard.
“So, um, are you happy to be done playing Santa?” Yosuke asked awkwardly, crossing his arms and looking away.
“Oh, I guess I am done,” Yu said faintly, and before Yosuke knew it, Yu was taking his Santa hat off and dropping it on top of Yosuke’s head.
“Hey!” Yosuke protested, but then he watched as Yu pulled off his silly beard and shook his head vigorously, probably in an attempt to fix his hat hair.
Meanwhile, Yu’s hat on Yosuke’s head was warm, and it smelled like him…
“Did Teddie tell you anything else?” Yu suddenly asked.
“Anything else about what?” Yosuke asked, turning and making the white pom pom at the tip of the hat swing to the other side of his head.
“About… what we talked about… while we were working together all that time,” Yu said cryptically.
“Not really? Why? Is there something you want to tell me, Partner?”
“Uh, kind of? It’s just, I always like spending time with you, and I always miss hanging out when you have to work a lot… but I guess I specifically wanted to spend time with you during the holidays because, I don’t know, I feel like the holidays are for spending time with people you love? And that’s, well, for me, that’s you.”
“Oh,” Yosuke said shortly, not used to having Yu return his affection in such a… verbal way.
He of course already knew that Yu loved him, because he’d saved Yosuke’s life countless times and made him a special lunch almost every day and let Yosuke hang around him and call him his Partner…
His heart weirdly fluttery despite trying to convince himself that this was totally normal, Yosuke said, “That’s, um, really nice to hear, Partner.”
“Is it?” Yu asked, eyes sparkling as he looked at Yosuke.
“Well, sure! It’s always nice to hear that someone you care about cares about you back, right?”
“Right,” Yu said with a nod and a little smile, but somehow he seemed disappointed.
“What’s wrong?” Yosuke ventured to ask, even though it created a lump in his throat to think about what Yu might be leaving unsaid.
“I don’t think I’m being clear enough,” Yu said apologetically, but then he went silent, which didn’t clear up anything at all.
“Partner—”
“If only there was some way to make your feelings clear!” Teddie’s voice suddenly sang out from somewhere behind the Winter Wonderland display, causing both boys to jump.
“Teddie!” Yosuke yelped, but Teddie didn’t answer.
Instead there was a strange, small whirring noise that Yosuke couldn’t quite place, but Yu perked up.
“I know that sound,” he said, and before Yosuke could ask, a fishing line appeared above them, with some sort of green bait on the hook.
“How many times have I told you not to play with the fishing poles?!” Yosuke yelled, not sure what the hell Teddie was up to.
Teddie just giggled softly, which was incredibly suspicious.
As Teddie lowered the line closer to them, Yosuke took a better look at the bait and then froze once he realized what it was.
It was a sprig of mistletoe.
“Where did you even get that?!” he asked, but Teddie still remained silent. “And why…”
Yosuke’s question was cut short as he looked at Yu, who was staring curiously up at the mistletoe.
Yosuke asked carefully, “Uh, did you have anything to do with this, Partner?”
Yu shook his head. “But I don’t… I don’t mind it.”
“You don’t… mind it?” Yosuke asked, his head spinning. “Wait, when you said… did you mean…?”
Yu nodded.
“Like that?” Yosuke asked vaguely, but then he pointed up at the mistletoe. “Like that?”
Yu nodded again, looking slightly nauseous and more than slightly terrified.
“For fuck’s sake, Yu, why didn’t you just say that?!”
Yu recoiled and said defensively, “I didn’t think you’d want me to!”
“Who cares?! Just say what you want to say! Stop playing these games and trying to gauge what you think I do or don’t want from you and just—”
“I love you!”
“I love you too, you idiot!”
“For real? Like that?” Yu asked, pointing up at the mistletoe.
“Yes, like that!”
“Great,” Yu said bluntly, diving in to kiss Yosuke.
Yosuke swiftly put up a hand between his face and Yu’s, causing Yu’s lips to crash into his palm.
“N-not in front of Teddie,” Yosuke whispered, trying not to get too worked up prematurely. “Teddie! Did you already unpack those boxes?”
“You thought I was actually going to do real work?” Teddie answered. “Then how would I have had time to fetch the mistletoe and the fishing pole and eavesdrop on your conversation?!”
“Go do it now, Teddie!”
“But Yosuke—”
“Now!” Yosuke demanded, but then he added with genuine desperation, “Please?”
“Oh… oh! Okay!” Teddie cried, reeling in his mistletoe with a snap and then running away, cackling joyfully.
As Yosuke lowered the hand that was blocking Yu, Yu said disappointedly, “But now there’s no mistletoe.”
“Yu… you don’t need an excuse to spend time with me. And we don’t need an excuse to… you know…” Yosuke trailed off, starting to lose his nerve.
“Right,” Yu said with a determined nod. “I want to kiss you, so I’m going to kiss you.”
Yosuke laughed gently. “There you go.”
“I love you, Yosuke,” Yu said happily, leaning closer to Yosuke.
“That’s really nice to hear, Partner,” Yosuke breathed, tilting his head in anticipation.
“Is it?” Yu asked, eyes sparkling once again as he looked into Yosuke’s eyes.
“It’s always nice to hear that someone you love, loves you back, right?”
“Right,” Yu said with a nod and a little smile. “Always.”
“Then, I love you back.”
Yu nodded again, his smile growing. “Yeah, it’s really nice to hear.”
“Great,” Yosuke said with finality, no longer able to hold back after seeing Yu’s pretty smile.
He leaned in and pressed his lips to Yu’s, his brain melting into a blissful puddle as Yu kissed him back.
And as they continued to kiss, gingerly at first and then less gingerly, Yosuke was very grateful to be spending the holidays with someone he loved.