Chapter 2: Blackout

He felt the sensation of something ruffling his hair. Slowly rousing he could make out a voice calling to him.

"...ke? Yosuke?"

He opened his eyes, the faint grogginess of sleep leaving him. "Ngh? Huh?" He turned his head, the fingers in his hair sliding across his temple. Looking up he made out the familiar silhouette of his friend before he came into focus.

"Yosuke?" Souji smiled. "Wow you were really tired, huh?"

He blinked then realized where he was. "Huh? WHA?" He stared wide-eyed at the boy. Oh crap he's fallen asleep on Souji's futon and....his face went red.

"What's with the face?" The silver-haired boy laughed. "Come on, I'll help you to YOUR futon." He chuckled and looped on of the boy's arms around his shoulders.

"I...I can walk myself." He muttered, trying to wiggle away. Once he was free from the other he yawned.

"Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear which one was yours." He scratched his head. "Well I guess if you wanna sleep here tonight it's fine."

"Huh?" Yosuke looked at him wide eyed. What the hell was he saying?

"I mean I can sleep in yours." Souji added looking away.

Oh. Oh he meant... "Um no, it's fine. I should get in my own." He stretched. "I guess the trip really wore me out." He smiled, feeling his heart slow a little.

The other boy smiled. "So no dinner tonight?" He stood up, giving Yosuke room.

He blinked. Oh that was right Souji was going to make curry. "NO, we can still do dinner." He smiled at him. "Just a sec...I'm gonna go shower first." He got up, still a bit groggy. Wandering into the bathroom he stripped down, rinsing himself off before slipping into the tub. Geez what was wrong with him? He hadn't meant to fall asleep on his friend's futon, especially because he had gotten so relaxed cause it smelt like him. He ran a wet hand over his face. He really must be messed up inside.

Gladly once he came out of the bath he fell into the familiar momentum with the boy and they laughed and talked as they ate before finally heading to bed.

"Hey, Yosuke?"

"Yeah?" He called from his futon across the room.

"My boss at work is looking for another worker. If you want I'm sure he'd hire you if you wanted to work with me?" His voice had that familiar calm tone but there was something else in it that he couldn't pinpoint.

"Uh, sure." He called back. "Sounds good to me. I mean we do make a good team, right partner?" He laughed.

"Yeah." Souji said before the room fell back into silence.

How he managed to fall asleep he didn't know but when he opened his eyes again it was morning and the bathroom door was closed. "Huh, he must be showering." He muttered, scratching his messy hair. Yawning he fell back on the futon, staring at the ceiling. He was going in to get a job today and school would start soon. Things were going along normally so why did it feel like it was back then, back to the days before his whole world changed? He sat back up when he heard the door.

Souji stood in the doorway drying his hair. "Hey, you're up. Come on, I'll take you to my work." He smiled.

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah, I'll get dressed." Getting up he changed, grabbing a quick breakfast before they headed out. Sometimes he felt so awkward and others it was like things had never changed. Following the other to work he met with Souji's boss. It was a pretty informal interview the man more wanting to get his info so he could start as soon as tomorrow. He bowed, leaving the man's office and saw Souji getting ready. "Hey."

"Hey, I gotta start my shift so head home without me, okay? See ya tonight." Souji smiled, waving to him as he left to manage the counter.

Yosuke gave a faint wave, turning when he felt this odd sensation in his chest, startled by it. What was wrong with him? Walking down the street he felt that odd out of body sensation like the one on the train. As he slowed down he saw a flash of light and a blue glowing door lay at the entrance to an alley. "Whoa!" he jumped back, startled and almost bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch where you're going." The guy spat.

"Bu...but...but the...d...door...?" He pointed but no one else seemed to see it and instead gave him funny looks like he was crazy. "What the...." Staring at the door he felt something familiar. Walking to it he reached forward before he felt something in his pocket. "Huh?" Yosuke reached into his pocket pulling out a blue key. "Oh this is getting weirder and weirder." He muttered but used the key on the door opening it and overwhelmed by a blinding light.

"Welcome once again." The large nosed man said, smiling like he had before. "It seems you have once again found your way here."

"I was sure it was a dream." He whined and walked into to the table the man sat at, on what he thought was a train, covering in blue velvet, the light from outside a blinding blue.
"Please sit." The man said, gesturing to the both across from him.
Reluctantly Yosuke sat down. What now? Was he going to be told the end of the world was coming? Wasn't the first time.

"The key you have is the one used for the door you just entered, anytime you need to speak with me you can go through that door." The man said, staring at him.

"Great." Yosuke said, looking at the key. "Where is here, exactly?" he asked. Not sure he really believed things the first time.

"The velvet room, where your journey will be monitored." The long nosed man pulled out a card. "You the Magician shall embark on a journey for truth. We simply watch and ask only that you take responsibility for your decisions."
He remembered that part. "Okay so if I need help I come here, then?" he asked, tilting his head. Okay so all of that wasn't a dream and this wild card was supposed to help him, but who was it?

"I will give you time to think on it. When you have questions please feel free to come here." He played the Magician card on the table. "The Magician's skill is to be whatever the Fool needs. Should it come to it, your abilities will adapt to the situation and your persona will evolve."

"My persona?" He blinked. Evolve, well it had once before but...even more?

"Yes, now go and come back should you need assistance." He smiled, those large eyes giving him a knowing look.

Yosuke got up, walking out the door he came in and there was another flash of light before he found himself standing in the middle of the street again. Weird.

He opened the door to his apartment. "I'm home." He called out of habit but there was no answer. Right, Souji was at work. It had been a day but he hated being away from him, it was lonely." He sighed. "God I am sounding gay." He muttered, going to shower, hoping it cleared his head. Why was it now things felt so empty without Souji? Well, actually, things had felt lonely before back in Inaba. When he said goodbye to the boy at the train station he told himself they'd stay in touch and then it would be fine but it was lonely. School was boring, hanging out with the others felt empty in a way and the only thing that made him continue was the idea he could graduate and move here with the other. He started the shower, letting the water just hit him but it didn't help. He had thought about the other a lot, almost obsessively and thinking back he'd always tried to get Souji to admit he had a girl, or if he had feelings for someone half hoping he didn't. He told himself it was cause he was just worried the boy would get ahead of him but it was because he didn't want some girl to steal the boy from him. "Dammit." He pressed his head against the tiles in the shower. Was he gay? He was, huh? No, he just was a bit too overprotective of his friend, that was all. He told himself it was natural, that close friends were like this but he'd fallen asleep on the other's futon, intoxicated by his scent. Friends didn't do that, they didn't. His head was even more a mess and thinking more and more about the other made him very aware his body was reacting in a way no guy should in regards to their friend. Turning the water to cold he gasped, his mind going blank except for the thoughts that were forcing their way into his mind. "Souji...." he panted.

He was slime. Wobbling from his room in his pajamas he went to go find out what to make for dinner. He started work tomorrow so maybe he should make enough for leftovers. Souji liked omelets, right? Getting things out he debated. He wasn't exactly a great cook and it wouldn't do good to kill his roommate on his second day here. He sighed. Souji should be home soon. He glanced at the clock. He put everything back, opting for some chips in a cupboard and went to sit down, turning on TV. He wasn't really paying attention, watching the weather out of habit anymore. Fog always worried him still, but then again rain wasn't fun either. God how long had it been since that had happened, just a year?

"Yosuke?" Souji put his keys down, seeing the boy sitting back against the kotatsu watching the weather.

He dropped the controller, turning quickly and couldn't stop the flush. God not long ago in the shower he'd.... "Hey." He got up, turning off the TV. "How was work?" He said, trying to not look as guilty as he felt. What kind of friend was he?

"Fine, did you eat yet?" He looked to the kitchen, seeing it untouched and the bag of chips next to the boy.
"No, I was waiting for you." He said and then wanted to kick himself. He was acting like they were newlyweds or something.

Souji gave a small laugh. "You didn't have to but how about I make us something?" he put his things down and rolled up his sleeves.

"I'll help." He moved quickly, going to him. "I gotta learn sometime, right?"

The other boy smiled. "Okay."

A little awkwardly he helped, chopping vegetables and managing not to cut himself, however each time they bumped into each other he got this odd feeling, his chest tightening and he might have stared a little longer than he should of before moving. God what was wrong with him? Maybe he should just talk to Souji about it. Maybe...no...no Souji was too cool to be that way.

"Hey, Yosuke?" Souji looked at him. "You okay? You seem a bit out of it, are you still tired from the trip?" He stared at him concerned, those silver eyes seeming to be unaware of the millions of things Yosuke thought of in the second he stared back at him.

He shook his head. "No...I'm fine just...getting used to life in the city again." He smiled, turning to work on dinner, concentrating really hard.

"Okay." Souji didn't seem so sure but didn't want to push it, adding the ingredients to the omelets and cooking them.
Yosuke sat back during the last part, watching as Souji cooked but he began to pay less attention to what the boy was doing and more attention to how his body moved. Was his skin always that pale? Did his hair hang in his eyes like that before? He was beginning to notice more and more, the idea that the other was really attractive and questions like, how his skin felt, what he'd feel like if he held him.

"...osuke?"

What did his lips feel like, was it wrong to wonder.

"Yosuke?" Souji waved a hand in his face. "Yo, you're spacing out." He grinned. "Your omelet is done."

Yosuke jumped, the boy suddenly close and the last thoughts in his brain poked at him, making him take the plate from the boy fast. "Thanks." He said, ducking down as he turned. Oh god!

Souji furrowed his brow. Yosuke was acting weird, but he wasn't sure of the boy wanted to talk about it yet. Still if this kept up...
"Wanna play a game while we eat?" he asked, trying to keep things light. He had to try and be friends. These romantic, or rather erotic feelings were not healthy and if he kept letting his mind wander he'd probably ending up making a fool of himself.

He smiled and sat down at the kotatsu. "Sounds good." He grinned, glad that Yosuke seemed a bit better but still wondered. Had he let his guard down?

Eating they played a game, battling each other, Souji amazingly good and he had to use all his skills just to keep up and make it worth the boy's while. "You're way too good at this." He laughed, gritting his teeth as he attempted a combo.

Souji leaned forward. "Come on, Yosuke, you gotta try harder if you wanna beat me." He teased.

"Dude, I can beat you if...crap!" He lost again and dropped the controller leaning back on his hands. "You suck." He snorted, feeling normal again, just sitting and laughing with him.

Souji laughed. "Oh don't be a poor sport." He nudged his shoulder.

Yosuke nudged back. "I'm not, you're just a cheater." He argued.

Souji laughed and pushed back harder. "No, it's all skill."

"I bet." He growled and pushed even harder when the lights went out and he fell forward right on the other. "Whoa!"

Falling back, Souji groaned, a bit thrown off by the sudden darkness and weight on him and when his eyes focused he was staring right up at Yosuke who look petrified.

He froze. Oh god...oh god. He was pinning Souji to the floor, trying to focus in the dark when those bright eyes came into view and god help him he did think about taking that moment of confusion to...to..."Souji?' he murmured, leaning closer.

Somehow Souji just stared at him and as Yosuke got closer he seemed to lean up.

He was sure it would be the end of him when there was a familiar jolt and they both paused, staring wide eyed for another reason. "Did you feel that?' he asked.

"Yeah." The other said a little husky.

He pushed his desire from his mind getting up and fumbling in the dark, the feeling stronger. He knew this feeling. It was something bad, something that shouldn't be on this side and he felt his heart race.

"Yosuke." Souji took his hand, leading him to their front door and stepping out, the whole city black. "What...?" There were no lights and people wandered on the street confused, some terrified that something awful had happened. That feeling was still there. "Yosuke, you feel that?"

Yosuke nodded, the feeling of darkness and dread and terrible emotions. "Yeah, it's a shadow."