Persona 4: Precious Things

[chisotahn]

Title: Precious Things
Fandom: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Characters: Yosuke & Nanako; Souji
Summary: Fill for badbadbathhouse; prompt under the cut because it has some spoilers in it. Yosuke and Nanako take a train ride and have mishaps and adventures along the way.

Notes: This will spoil you in the face for the good ending. This one was a lot of fun to write, and I think I learned a bit in the process. Many thanks to frigoris as always for beta-ing and inspiration! A few more notes under the cut.


Prompt: "Yosuke and Nanako bonding. With Yosuke acting as her Stand In Big Bro while Souji is away."

And here we go! As a side note, I've always liked the amusing fandom idea that Souji moved away to Tatsumi Port Island and attended Gekkoukan High for third year, so I threw that element in as well. :> And, not that it matters much to the story, but this is set during the one long weekend in September (it appears in P3, not so much in P4, but eh - close enough). Enjoy!




Yosuke hadn't had much planned for the long weekend - homework, of course, maybe pull an extra shift at Junes for a boost to his motorcycle fund, and dedicate at least one evening to doing absolutely nothing. Truly free time was a rare commodity for third-years, and he was damn well going to enjoy it.

He certainly hadn't planned to be in a bustling train station miles from Inaba, a bulging backpack on his back and a tiny, terrifyingly pink suitcase in his hands, waiting outside the ladies' room with a mixture of embarrassment and defiance.

The whole thing was Souji's fault, really. His best friend had called last night, as usual, but the conversation topic was not what Yosuke had expected. "You know how my uncle and Nanako were supposed to come visit us over the long weekend, right? Something came up at the police station. So he can't go, but Nanako's been looking forward to this trip for weeks. I know she'd be heartbroken if she had to stay home. I know it's a lot to ask at short notice, but..."

And it was, but Yosuke didn't mind at all; any excuse to see Souji was a good excuse, and traveling for free on Dojima's unused ticket made it even better. He'd agreed instantly, packed in a whirlwind effort, and gone directly to the train station after school to meet an excited Nanako and her dubious, glowering uncle. "Have fun, Nanako... take good care of her, Hanamura."

Dojima had punctuated that growled statement with a sharp look, and Yosuke had just swallowed, nodded, and reassured Dojima-san that of course everything would be fine, he'd gone to Tatsumi Port Island twice now (never mind that once had been on the school trip, and the other time Souji had been with him), and he'd make sure to call once they were safely there.

And that had been that. Everything had gone quite well, with Nanako peering out the window and talking to him happily, asking him the usual endless questions about Junes and watching the scenery go by as the train sped through the countryside. They'd made their connection in Okina easily, no problem at all, and the next train would bring them to Tatsumi Port Island.

Everything had gone quite well... up until now.

Yosuke looked up at the nearest clock and bit his lip. They were cutting it close, really close, but Nanako had needed to... well, go, and he couldn't possibly go into the restroom and get her. He was getting enough weird looks just standing here with her pink rolling suitcase-

"Yosuke-nii?"

Yosuke nearly dropped the suitcase right on Nanako's head. "Gah - uh, sorry, Nanako-chan..." He quickly put the thing down, casting another nervous glance up at the clock as he did so. "We'd better get going. Two trains down, one to go!"

"Yeah!" Nanako bounced happily, then tugged the handle of her rolling suitcase with a determined expression. "Which way now?"

"Uh." That was a good question. Yosuke pivoted on one foot, scanning the departure boards around them; the vast majority of his train travels over the past two years had been from Inaba to Okina and back, and he was more than a little dismayed at how overwhelming the express train platforms seemed now in comparison. "Uh... oh, wait, there we go, platform twelve!"

And... they had two minutes.

Crap! "C'mon, Nanako-chan, we gotta run!" Yosuke fumbled for Nanako's free hand and ran for it as best he could, considering that Nanako's top speed was way slower than Yosuke's own. The suitcase rattled behind them as Yosuke hurried Nanako through the crowds, up the stairs and over the pedestrian bridge that led to the correct platform.

To his horror, there was already a train waiting there, and as they set foot on the platform, the familiar warning chime sounded and the doors began to close. "Hang on, Nanako-chan!" Yosuke yelped, then scooped her up in one quick movement. She was almost too big for him to carry, especially with her suitcase thrown in, but this didn't need to be graceful. One step, two steps, a desperate lunge, and then they were through the doors. Mostly, anyway; the doors closed on Yosuke's bulging backpack and snapped back open with an accusing please stand clear of the closing doors!, but it was enough.

"Phew... sorry about that, Nanako-chan," he added, putting her down with exaggerated care as the doors swished closed behind them. "I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?"

"Nope! It was fun!" Nanako giggled, though she took a moment to re-tie one of her pigtails. "How many stops this time, Yosuke-nii?"

"Four stops," Yosuke assured her; the train was an express, so they'd be at Iwatodai Station in an hour, just in time for dinner. He quickly picked up Nanako's suitcase and settled it and his backpack in the luggage rack before sitting down next to her. "We're almost there. You excited?"

"Yeah!" Nanako bounced in her seat, then turned to peer out the window with every sign of enjoyment. Yosuke grinned and settled back in his own seat. He'd been kind of nervous, but really, this wasn't turning out half bad. He tugged his headphones up over his ears and turned on the music with a sigh of relief, though he still paid careful attention to Nanako in case she needed anything.

This trip was much smoother than the others; the express train whipped through the small-town train stations as if they weren't even there. Yosuke kept careful count of the stops. The train pulled away from the third stop as night began to fall outside, and Nanako began fidgeting with eagerness. "Almost there, right?"

"Yeah, should be." Yosuke took off his headphones and stretched - there weren't many people in the train car any more, which seemed a little strange, but he shrugged it off. "Next stop, Iwatodai Station and your big bro!"

"Next stop?" The voice was unfamiliar. Yosuke blinked as a woman sitting across the aisle a few rows down glanced back at him, a faint frown on her face. "Were you trying to go to Tatsumi Port Island, young man?"

"Uh. Aren't we... going there?" Yosuke managed, utterly confused.

"Oh, dear." The woman sighed. "No, the next stop is Shinshuu. I'm afraid you're going in the opposite direction."

Yosuke stared, his gaze flicking from the woman's concerned expression to the windows - windows showing mostly darkness, he realized, and definitely not the riot of lights and color that should be showing up on the approach to a big city. Next to him, Nanako made a worried noise. "Uh. You're... you're sure?"

"Absolutely." The woman shook her head. "But if you get off at Shinshuu, you should be able to catch a train back."

"Oh. Uh. Thanks," Yosuke managed, giving her a grateful (if shaky) smile; she nodded and went back to her own business. Yosuke waited one moment before burying his head in his hands. "F-uh. Darn it, darn it, darn it." Somehow, that just wasn't satisfying.

"Are you okay, Yosuke-nii?" Nanako asked hesitantly, one hand tugging at his sleeve.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Totally fine, other than being on the wrong damn train. Dojima-san would probably have him arrested for kidnapping or something. "I guess I messed up... I'm sorry, Nanako-chan. But hey, we can get off on the next stop and get on the right train just like that. Easy!" He straightened up and gave her a bright grin, trying to hide the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Nanako just nodded quietly and settled back in her seat.

The stop announcement kicked up as the train began to slow down; Yosuke got up and got down their luggage, putting on his backpack before presenting Nanako with her suitcase. She took it gingerly, a pensive expression on her face, but there wasn't time to discuss that, not with the platform lights suddenly visible through the windows. "Shinshuu," the PA system chimed as the doors swished open.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes," Nanako said, and she hesitantly took his outstretched hand as they hurried out onto the platform.

Yosuke immediately turned towards the ticket counter, finding an empty bench right by the small line and settling Nanako on it. "Here, just hang on - I just have to sort out our new tickets and then we can call your big bro, okay?" She just nodded and pulled her suitcase close as she sat down, and Yosuke bit his lip as he walked quickly over to get in line.

It didn't take long, and he kept one eye on Nanako the entire time even has he discussed things with the ticket agent. His stupid mistake was going to cost them time and him money, though he couldn't deny that he deserved to pay the price for this. Nanako, on the other hand...

He hurried back to her as soon as the new tickets were in his hands. "Okay. Sorry about that, Nanako-chan..." She glanced up at him immediately, but the expression on her face was so worried and vulnerable that it sent a pang of guilt racing through him. "Hey... hey, it's okay. We'll make it, okay? We're not lost, I got the tickets right here-"

But Nanako shook her head. "It's not that..." She looked down, kicking her legs back and forth as she stared at the floor. "'s my fault we were late," she said after a long pause, very quietly.

"What? Dude, no it isn't," Yosuke protested as he sat down next to her, but she wouldn't look at him. "Nanako-chan, I was the one who jumped into the wrong train like a dumba- dummy. You just got pulled along for the ride. It's okay." He tentatively patted her shoulder, not really sure what else he could do. "A-anyway, it's kind of... kind of like an adventure! We'll be here for a little while, and then we'll get on another train, and then we'll be in the right place and you can tell your big bro all about it." And he'll either laugh his ass off or tease me forever, one or the other. Maybe both.

Nanako just blinked up at him, and for a moment Yosuke was afraid that he'd overdone it - but then a small smile appeared on her face. "An adventure," she agreed, after a moment, shifting to scoot just a little bit closer to him.

"Absolutely," Yosuke grinned, a little self-conscious. Still, the mention of Souji reminded him; he had to tell someone about their mishap, and he sure as hell wasn't going to call Dojima-san. Ever, if possible. "I'd better give your big bro a call, anyway... just to let him know we'll be um. Late. Okay?"

"Okay," Nanako said, and the smile on her face stayed there, much to Yosuke's relief.

Yosuke pulled out his cell phone and flicked to Souji's number, biting his lip as the phone began dialing. Souji picked up almost immediately. "Yosuke? Did you make it to the station already?" He sounded puzzled; Yosuke would have almost found it amusing if the situation hadn't been so damned embarrassing.

"Yeah, we're at... at a station. Well - Nanako-chan's right here," Yosuke said, trying to sound casual; Nanako chimed in with a "Hi, big bro!". "So, hey, Souji..."

"Yeah?"

"So, hypothetically, what would you do if I said we were in Shinshuu?"

"Hypothetically?"

"Absolutely, one-hundred-percent hypothetically."

"... You're lost, aren't you?"

"We're not lost. I know exactly where we are. We're, um, in Shinshuu."

There was a long pause from the other end, followed by an amused chuckle. "Wow. That's... wow, Yosuke. How the hell did you manage that?"

"Ugh, shut up," Yosuke groaned. Man, even Teddie had managed to get from Inaba to Tatsumi Port Island on his own; why the hell was he so terrible at this? "I just messed up and got on the wrong train, and it was an express, and... argh. But we're on an adventure. Right, Nanako-chan?"

"Yeah!" Nanako replied; to Yosuke's vague surprise, she sounded genuinely enthusiastic.

"You heard that? It's a fantastic adventure. You're missing out!"

"So I take it we won't be coming to the station to get you in fifteen minutes?" Souji said dryly.

Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Uh. Not exactly. See, we kinda... the last express for the day already left. Just missed it, actually. Um. So we'll be on the next slow train. We'll... probably be there about ten o'clock or so," he admitted. There was another chuckle from Souji's end, and Yosuke frowned into the phone. "Yeah, yeah, mark down another failure for Yosuke Hanamura, I got it. Sheesh. We'll be there, okay? Eventually!"

"I know you will," Souji said, and Yosuke could almost see the grin on his best friend's face. "I trust you no matter what."

Yosuke grinned wryly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, partner. You want to talk to Nanako-chan?"

"Sure, put her on. I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

"Sounds good! Here you go, Nanako-chan-" With that, Yosuke handed the phone to Nanako before settling back with a sigh as the girl started her own eager conversation. This whole thing was so ridiculous, a textbook failure on his part... but, well. Maybe it wouldn't ruin their vacation after all.

Maybe.

To his surprise, Nanako didn't talk for long; it took only a few minutes before she snapped his phone shut with a smile. "Big bro says I'm lucky," she informed him, beaming.

"Oh?" Yosuke raised one eyebrow and took back the phone as she held it out to him. "What'd he say?"

"He says he's jealous of our adventure." Nanako giggled. "This is exciting - Daddy and big bro never get on the wrong train!"

Yosuke couldn't decide if that was flattering or vaguely insulting. "Yeah, that sounds like your big bro... heh." He hesitated awkwardly for a moment. "I'm sorry, Nanako-chan - I didn't mean to get your vacation all messed up. But we'll get to your big bro, I promise. Whatever it takes," he said, firmly.

He glanced down in surprise as she tucked her hand into his; she just grinned up at him. "It's okay, Yosuke-nii. It's an adventure, right?"

"Yeah," he said, grinning back. "Yeah, it is."

......................


"Next stop, Iwatodai Station - Iwatodai, with connections by monorail to Tatsumi Port Island. Next stop, Iwatodai Station."

Yosuke carefully pushed his headphones down and stretched - as best he could, anyway, given that Nanako was leaning against his side, fast asleep. He couldn't blame her; the train ride had been long and she was pretty little, and... well, she was pretty cute all curled up like that, so waking her up before he absolutely had to seemed criminal.

He shifted himself carefully as he stood up, moving so Nanako ended up leaning against the back of the seat as he straightened to get their bags down from the luggage rack. He could see the city lights clearly now as the train swept along the curve of the bay, familiar from the last time he'd been here with Souji. It felt like a lifetime ago.

The train began to slow as the view of the bay winked out behind buildings, and Yosuke quickly pulled down his backpack and grabbed Nanako's suitcase in one hand. "Nanako-chan? Hey, wake up, Nanako-chan..." But she just shifted and curled a little, and Yosuke sighed.

He carefully hoisted Nanako onto his back and grabbed their bags in his free hand - it was awkward, but it worked well enough, especially when she made a sleepy sound and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was out the doors the second they swished open, heaving a sigh of relief at the bright Iwatodai Station signs above him. At last-

"Yosuke!"

Yosuke looked up and grinned at the familiar figure visible just beyond the ticket gates. "Hey, Nanako-chan, your big bro's here to pick us up," he whispered in her ear.

"Mmm..." she mumbled, sleepily, and tightened her hold on him.

Yosuke sighed and trundled his way over to the ticket gates, wincing as the rolling suitcase bumped and banged its way through the gate behind him. "Hey," he said, quietly, as Souji strode over to them. "What?" he added, raising one eyebrow at the broad grin on his best friend's face.

"Oh, nothing," Souji said, reaching down to grab the bags from Yosuke. "Glad to see you, that's all."

"Hey, I told you we'd make it - and we did." Yosuke flashed Souji a v-sign with his free hand, then shifted his grip on Nanako. "Hey, Nanako-chan... c'mon, wake up..."

"Mmph." This time, her eyes opened, blinking sleepily. "Yosuke-nii?"

"Hey, Nanako," Souji said with a grin, ruffling her hair lightly. "Did you have a fun adventure?"

"Big... big bro," Nanako beamed, and wrapped her arms around Souji's neck in a hug the instant he was in range.

Once Nanako was safely in Souji's arms, Yosuke took a step back, grinning at their reunion but still feeling a little awkward. Yeah, he'd gotten her here safely, but...

"Did you have fun with Yosuke?" Souji asked, and Nanako giggled.

"We had the best adventure - we got bento at the train station and watched the shinkansen go woosh!, and he tried to do the finger-jumpy trick only he did it wrong but I showed him how to fix it, and he told me stories-" she told Souji, and Yosuke felt his cheeks go pink, glancing down at his shoes to try and hide it.

Souji chuckled and ruffled Nanako's hair again. "Sounds like you had a great time." Yosuke glanced up just in time to see Souji's grateful grin. "Thanks, partner."

"Oh, uh - it was nothing," Yosuke said, quickly. "Don't make such a big deal about it, geez-"

Souji just grinned. "Come on, my dad's waiting in the car. You can tell me all about it, both of you." He shifted his grip on Nanako a little as Yosuke reclaimed their luggage. "What kind of stories, Nanako?"

"The best stories - all about saving people from monsters, and being a hero, and everything! And you were in them too, big bro!"

"Was I?" Souji said, raising one eyebrow at Yosuke.

Yosuke just groaned, and Souji laughed as they trailed down the stairs towards the car, and home.

Comments

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

[chisotahn]

:D ♥

[syvia.livejournal.com]

[chisotahn]

♥

[seki-yumizu.livejournal.com]

d'aaaaaaw
Yosuke would make an awesome big bro
A fumbling, clumsy, awesome big bro ♥

[chisotahn]

Souji's one ground rule is that Nanako is never, ever permitted to be on Yosuke's deathtrap. I mean bicycle.

[devotfeige.livejournal.com]

I-I want Yosuke to be my big bro. ♥

_{I need somebody to sort things out for me when I get on the wrong train like a dumbass, anyway.}

[chisotahn]

The wrong train bit was in no way based on my own personal experience. Nope. Never. >>;;!

[sugarainbow.livejournal.com]

[chisotahn]

♥!

[zero-damage.livejournal.com]

Adorable!

[chisotahn]

Thanks! :D Mmm, warmfuzzyfluff.

[akisazame.livejournal.com]

Eeee so cute.

(Also all the Ryoji icons getting used in the replies make me smile, yay Ryoji you are the best)

[chisotahn]

Nanako will never not be the cutest little 'sister' ever ever ever.

(Ryoji! \o/)

[strangestquiet.livejournal.com]

S-so, so cute. *A* Yosuke would make the best big bro - the kind that would screw up at every turn and get you in all kinds of trouble, but who would never let any real harm come to you. Which makes for awesome adventures! &hearts

[chisotahn]

Thanks! X3 I think they could have many more terribly amusing adventures that would probably make Souji laugh and facepalm simultaneously.

[safelybeds.livejournal.com]

Oh, look, I was your OP again!

I will reiterate what I said in my comment: picture freaking perfect. Is it possible for you to misstep in a story ever? I really don't think it is!

[chisotahn]

XD I guess you're just good at posting prompts that catch my interest! (Feel free to keep doing so as long as you like. @3@)

[safelybeds.livejournal.com]

Gladly! *salute* It's the only thing I can do on that meme...so I do it often. >u>

[salimachan.livejournal.com]

So cute ♥
I'm sure Nanako will ask to spend more time with the two boys after that XD
Because Souji needs to go on a 'wrong train trip' too~

[chisotahn]

Hehe - cousin fluff is one of my favorite kinds. Perhaps they will go on a group trip of fail!adventures sometime. ;)

I'm glad you liked it!