#☆ — his heart shines like gold ( bokudou )

[mabufu]

my LOVELY, LOVELY & SUPER SKILLFUL friend reghan ( @reghanmac on tumblr / here on twitter ) drew this for me as a surprise christmas present!!! ;o; i love it so much ijdksldsg this super sweet & festive yusorey content added years to my overall lifespan (ft. my yusuke over here on @mabufu & bree’s sorey over at @bokudou)!!! i’m so happy!!! :’) 

[mabufu]

@bokudou

     yusuke stares down at the digital clock displayed on his cellular phone. he’s on high alert - watching. waiting. in a few seconds, it will finally be the single most important day of the year. in fact, its importance is only heightened in this moment, as it is the first time that yusuke will be celebrating this event with sorey. 

     the numbers on-screen shift. 11:59 is replaced with 0:00. that means...

     “your birthday,” yusuke breathes, finally looking up from the phone. “it’s here.” not giving sorey a chance to react just yet, he casts the phone aside, diving towards his bed as to reach under it and retrieve a box that he hid away ever-so-carefully, weeks ago. 

     “i’ve been waiting for this day,” yusuke hums as he shifts back over to where sorey sits. outside is cold - frost dusts the other side of his bedroom’s windows - but the heating within his room is working splendidly, and the numerous blankets and pillows surrounding them are comfortable. the cozy atmosphere is certainly what sorey deserves on his special day. oddly enough, yusuke finds himself feeling a bit... nervous. he’s never done something quite like this before. birthday parties themselves are a fairly new concept to him - and this? this quiet, intimate exchange... it is completely foreign to him. he can only hope that he won’t blunder. 

     he swallows his anxieties, instead handing the box over to sorey - it’s carefully wrapped in simple, pastel blue paper. “here. this is the first one.” or, rather, the first two. within the box are two volumes of old history books - tomes - that yusuke purchased from the bookstore which they frequent. he asked the owner to save the titles for him such a long time ago; thank goodness she kept her promise, allowing him to accumulate funds to make the purchase before anyone else could snatch them away. shockingly well-preserved, the books even have detailed maps within their binding... yusuke definitely plans to examine them with sorey, someday. 

     “ah - embarrassingly enough, i was not able to purchase a card,” yusuke admits, brushing his hair away from his eyes. “i lost track of time and did not want to rush such an important decision. however, i did manage to finish this.” standing up once more, he heads over to a seemingly innocuous, covered canvas. in one quick motion, he pulls the sheet covering it off - revealing a painting underneath. 

     yusuke has been fixated on its completion for the longest time. it’s an abstract piece; meant to convey an emotion rather than a one particular scene. swirling warm colors, flecked with metallic gold - bursts of white light sprinkled into the mix. “my inspiration for this piece... it was your heart.” yusuke smiles; for some reason, he finds himself feeling... meek. he is actually very satisfied with this piece, but he cannot help but wonder: will sorey truly like something like this? perhaps he should have just purchased a card - after all, that is what most people would do. he shakes the thought off; no. this piece is something... important. 

     “since we met, you have been a source of inspiration to me, sorey.” yusuke walks over once more, taking a seat in front of him. “you... have taught me things. many things. you have helped me with so much.” he takes sorey’s hands in his. it’s a rare occurrence - feeling so much that he becomes... choked up. his emotions threaten to overflow. “with you, i... believe i have found what i have been searching for. that true beauty that i believed would always elude me... i’ve found it in you.” his grip on sorey’s hands tightens; he cherishes him so much. so very much. “i’m so glad that you were born, sorey. i’m so glad that we were able to meet, and that our hearts’ desires aligned as they have.” he finally glances up, meeting sorey’s gaze - and the very moment he does, the anxieties within his chest... the trepidation he feels about messing up this moment... it all evaporates. it’s as if his doubts never existed. “so... in addition to all of this, please allow me to thank you.” 

     slowly, he leans in - pressing his lips upon sorey’s. the kiss is as gentle and as soft as snow, and, in that moment, it feels as if no one else in the world exists. as if it’s just them, quietly tucked away in yusuke’s bedroom. as they part, yusuke presses his forehead upon sorey’s. “i love you, sorey,” he says, and he means it - so very much. “i hope that we can celebrate this day together next year, too. in fact, i hope we can for the many years to come.” he smiles, eyes fluttering shut.

     “happy birthday.”

[mabufu]

"whoa!" sorey's eyes go wide, almost as illuminated as the stars on yusuke's headband, and the constellations that cross his leggings. "you look great–it's like all the stars are in your hair!" the tie really complements the dark of yusuke's smooth locks, which sorey lifts a hand to run through the back ends of it (carefully, obviously–as not to tangle or mess up anything). "hmm. you know, maybe you could pick something out for me! you've definitely got an eye for this."

     “i knew you’d understand my vision, sorey.” yusuke smiles, basking in both the feeling of sorey’s praise as well as the very sensation of his hand running through his hair. he spent the entire day at the thrift store… it took hours to put together this outfit, and he’s more than pleased with the results. “i tried to keep it as ‘fun’ as possible, so i incorporated a variety of colors.” colors make everything more interesting, don’t they? and he certainly does wish to appear interesting for the festivities. “i also wanted to acquire some accessories for the occasion. these are the first ones i’ve ever purchased. i was fortunate to find a headband that matches the leggings.” 

     upon hearing sorey’s desire for his own outfit, yusuke’s eyes widen. “truly, sorey?! i didn’t know that you wanted to dance!” he grabs onto sorey’s hand, clearly excited at the very prospect of his boyfriend joining in. “we must assemble a suitable look for you, too. perhaps we can even match…!” they’d become the talk of the town - how exciting! usually, yusuke doesn’t particularly care for such attention, but he does wish to announce his love for sorey at all times. is that strange? it’s simply the truth of the matter. “very well, then - tomorrow, i will visit the thrift store once more! and you must accompany me, of course. you’ll need to model the outfit for me.” he nods sagely, bringing sorey’s hand up to his lips as to give it a quick kiss. “i’ll do my very best to put together a fantastic outfit for you, too, sorey.” 

[mabufu]

me: can i get uhhhhhhhhhhhh some sweet thots on yusorey,

yes omg you can get endless thots on yusorey at all times……. i’m gonna go with p5 verse for this so it’s a bit more #specific and also bc i love your p5 verse! :D

first & foremost: yusuke and sorey are both very passionate people. they’ve been called ‘weird’ for their enthusiasm in the past and are prone to doing eccentric things in the name of their interests. in sorey’s case, it’s history, and in yusuke’s case, it’s art. they’re also interested in certain elements of each other’s ‘main focus’ - yusuke enjoys researching historical events, and, in sorey’s case, you can’t really study history without acknowledging the cultural context of art during that time period. related to that, their interests 100% overlap in the form of art history in general, lmao. so the bottom line here is that they learn from each other a lot… which is important for characters like them, i think. they get excited abt documentaries and marathon them and Nerd Out and stuff. and tbh, this what made me fall for yusorey initially. yusuke is 100% attracted to sorey’s passion; to him, it’s just… so incredibly beautiful? sorey’s interests are fascinating and inspiring to yusuke and they really help each other out when it comes to fully exploring what they love. yusuke wouldn’t be afraid to text sorey paragraphs of information about an art piece. he’d trust sorey to actually read it and enjoy it and not brush him aside as weird. imo establishing that trust is a super strong foundation for their relationship. it’s part of why yusuke was so determined to get involved with sorey’s problems in the first place.

in p5, yusuke’s major fear is becoming tainted; in toz, sorey is associated with purifying taint. need i say more?!

dlgkld;fkd but in all seriousness: yusuke is really preoccupied with the figurative concept of one’s heart, and he becomes fascinated with sorey’s ‘heart’ from their very first meeting due to his… unwavering kindness?! yusuke isn’t used to that at all. he’s used to being kept at a distance. sorey was the first person outside of the phantom thieves (prior to his joining) who treated yusuke like his opinion mattered, u know?!!! that goes a long way. their first meeting w the crepe means so much to me now bc while we were being silly back then, it absolutely showed that sorey accepted yusuke’s thought process from their very first encounter. he had the option of mocking him or calling him strange or, hell, even correcting him, but, instead, he went with it. it became a fun friend/couple joke as time went on, too. it genuinely set the tone for their relationship. 

they can definitely relate to each other in terms of their past experiences. their circumstances are different, of course - but they have that key similarity in that they both know what it’s like to be a victim of some corrupt adult’s cruelty. they both end up confronting extremely uncomfortable truths and have to work through all that leftover trauma, now. in doing so, they form a powerful support system with each other bc they can really empathize with each other. there isn’t any pity or anything, you know? it’s like a mutual understanding. both of them lost their mothers due to the actions of evil father-like figures (well, in sorey’s case, he wasn’t even a figure - he was flat-out his biological father… but u know what i mean). both of them know how it feels to kind of… be alone. separate from the world while also harboring curiosity. they can absolutely recover together, and are secure enough in their relationship to outlast even the rough patches.

this isn’t rly a meta point but like… when pre-pt sorey confided in yusuke re: his connection with heldalf, and yusuke decided he’d also confide in sorey w/o even consulting the other phantom thieves bc he trusted sorey just that much and was also willing to help sorey alone if he had to… that was gay culture in action right there.

we haven’t written out sorey’s journey into heldalf’s palace yet, but from what we’ve discussed… i just wanna say how amazing it’ll be. yusuke going into a palace that is based so firmly in fire elemental stuff - fire being one of his fears; not to mention his major canonical weakness - because he flat-out refuses to sit this one out. sorey learning a bunch of truths that will clearly have quite the impact on him, and yusuke being able to relate strongly to everything and being gripped by this determination to keep sorey safe; to protect his beautiful heart, to keep it free of the taint that afflicted his own heart after the madarame stuff… my god. it’ll be good. i could prob write a full meta piece based on that alone.

this is pretty unrelated and i can’t really take it somewhere deep just yet, but i’m also still rly (eyes emoji) over their phantom thief names. shepherd and fox. kind of cool in a weird way?! kind of fiesty?! a shepherd working alongside a fox has some kinda rad symbolism to me. yusorey is pastoral, now, apparently.

ok anyways: this is totally restating my first point but i want to drive HOME that they can genuinely be themselves around each other. given yusuke’s personality, that’s the most important, special thing possible lmao. they have such incredible compatibility and became friends so… quickly?! and their progression into romance was so fluid and natural, it’s just… iconic. i love yusorey so much and i’m so glad sorey babyboy was patched into p5 to be a member of the phantom thieves! thanks, atlus!

[mabufu]

leads yusuke to a clearing, where the snow is firm and he’s impatiently crafted snowmen of the two of them. they’re undoubtedly lopsided, but the hair looks pretty distinct and their smiles are charming. proudly, he presses both hands to his hips. “so? what do you think?”

     “you did this, sorey?” entranced, yusuke walks over to the snowmen, trying to commit every detail of this scene to memory. sorey wandered off for quite a while, but yusuke assumed that he was simply getting something for them to drink. “i never knew you were this proficient at sculpting things out of snow.” surely enough, there are some interesting stylistic choices… for example, yusuke-snowman appears to be in the process of leaning down upon sorey-snowman. it’s fitting, yusuke supposes - and even if it were not, the lopsidedness is made up for tenfold by the wide smiles that sorey added to each of their features. “they’re so expressive,” yusuke murmurs, and he cannot help it - he reaches out, lightly resting his hand against sorey-snowman. 

     “simply put, i love them. they are infused with personality - something which many professional sculptors fail to accomplish.” turning back towards the real sorey, he smiles. “you’ll have to teach me your technique. i’ve never done anything like this, myself…” 

[mabufu]

curls closer into his chest where they lay, peppering yusuke's jaws with loose, sleepy kisses and running a hand from his cheek to his hair.

— yusuke is exhausted. the deeper the phantom thieves travel within mementos, the more hostile the shadows become - and tonight, there were too many close calls to count. the only way you can truly thrive in such an environment is by gaining some type of thrill off those intimate brushes with disaster. by seeking beauty amidst rampant corruption; a spark of inspiration to purify the corruption swarming around you.

      for yusuke, that spark is sorey. as sorey accompanies yusuke in the real world, shepherd accompanies fox within the metaverse. it’s surprising how much easier facing shadows is when you have someone like sorey by your side. yusuke adores the phantom thieves as a whole - indeed, he would give his life for any one of them - but… sorey? shepherd? shepherd is special. the mere thought of him makes fox want to paint, even when they are facing evils that the average human could scarcely comprehend. on the battlefield, he is a beacon of light - a stark contrast to all which yusuke despises. his startlingly fierce gentleness gave yusuke another awakening, of sorts. it allowed fox to truly live up to his potential, and, over time, he grew fond of their training. of fighting alongside his friends… alongside his shepherd. 

     but yusuke’s favorite moments are these moments. ‘after the battle’ has become something sacred to him. their bodies - worn down, feeling the dull ache of phantom wounds - are pressed against each other, as this bed was certainly not made to accommodate two people. still, yusuke decides that he likes it. he likes the way their limbs tangle; likes the way sorey leans into his chest. his kisses are soft and kind, and the hand he caresses yusuke’s face with is warm. the taint which took hold in yusuke’s heart… simply spending time with sorey alleviates it. he makes yusuke feel like a good person. like everything he’s been through was worth it, if it meant he could be next to sorey like this. 

      he smiles, closing his eyes. they’ve been through a lot today. sleep beckons, but yusuke pushes the urge to succumb to it away, instead opting to cherish this moment. he pulls sorey in closer, pressing a kiss of his own against his forehead. thank you, sorey, he thinks. thank you for everything. 

[mabufu]

sorey's laying on his stomach in bed, turning to look at yusuke with misty, sentimental eyes. "he just – always gave it his best, you know? we should all aspire to be like that!" the unnamed hero lingers while he sniffs, scooting closer to his boyfriend. "mario's a good guy, yusuke. he's a good guy."

— “he is,” yusuke agrees, blinking back tears as he keeps munching away at one of his jagariko chips. “the devotion he displays to the princess, aiding her time and time again without ever faltering - even when the odds against him seem insurmountable… it renders me speechless.” mario is a true hero, acting out of the goodness of his heart; out of loyalty to his cause. yusuke has been watching sorey play this video game for the whole day, and it has been such an enlightening experience. “if we all tried to be more like mario, the world would surely be a better place.”

[mabufu]

​❝ let’s go trick-or-treating! ❞

halloween sentence prompts 🎃 status: closed!

— “yes…! absolutely!” yusuke grabs sorey’s hands, holding onto them tightly. “we must. i want to eat candy with you - more than anything.” sweets are especially delicious when they are shared, after all. “can you believe that people will simply give us their snacks? at no cost…!” all they need are costumes. it seems too good to be true! 

     “do you know that i’ve never been trick-or-treating? my former teacher thought it was too childish. too indulgent.” yusuke lets go of sorey’s hands. “i think it’s something very special, however. surely enough, there will be a lot of inspiration to be gained, and…” he smiles. “…it’s simply so exciting! even as a concept.”

          it doesn’t matter that yusuke was unable to participate in these activities as a child. in fact, he’s a bit grateful that he can be introduced to the world of trick-or-treating at sorey’s side. it will certainly make for a wonderful memory. “forgive me… i’m going on a bit of a tangent, aren’t i?” he takes sorey’s hands in his once more. “thank you very much for the invitation, sorey. i would love to go with you.” he pauses for a moment, then purses his lips. “however… i must ask. when trick-or-treating, are tricks to be expected? i’ve only heard about the treat aspect.” 

[mabufu]

“Yusuke, I want you to know: you’re the best.”

( da:i starters ♔ status: accepting! )

— the compliment comes at random, though it’s certainly not unwelcome. still, for a moment, yusuke is taken aback. he lowers his pencil, glancing away from his sketchbook as his cheeks become warm. “that… is high praise, sorey.” he shifts, turning towards him. they have been dating for a while now and he has felt impossibly happy as of late. these quiet afternoons spent sketching by sorey’s side have always been a delight; as time passes, more and more pages of yusuke’s sketchbook fill with images of his beloved. 

     “i cannot possibly be the best when you exist, however.” yusuke rests his forehead against sorey’s. “you grant me such inspiration. i owe so very much to you, sorey.” with care, he presses a kiss upon sorey’s lips. the action comes so naturally to him; his heart flutters with delight. 

     “…perhaps we can simply be the best together, hm? an artist and his most radiant muse.” a chuckle; he pulls away from sorey, a smile upon his features. “it’s a poetic thought, isn’t it?” 

[mabufu]

（´・｀ ）♡

(っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) !

[mabufu]

"i love you, yusuke... you're probably pretty well aware at this point, but a little reminder never hurt, right? i just thought if anyone deserved to know how important they are, it had to be you."

— yusuke tightens their embrace. sorey’s words are so very sweet; yusuke cannot believe how very fortunate he is to be with him. “i… have never felt this way about someone, sorey.” his voice is soft; honest. “the very last thing i want to do is ruin this. i don’t want to taint your heart…” his eyes slide shut - he presses his face within the crook of sorey’s neck, breathing in his scent. “especially not after everything you have been through.” everything with heldalf… the palace was certainly the stuff of nightmares. the burden sorey once carried was so very heavy - so overpowering… and yet, he never once lost hope. never lost his kindness. to think that such a radiant being has chosen yusuke, of all people… yusuke’s heart swells; it is so full, it feels as if it is to burst. 

     “i love you, too. i… will always remain at your side.” they have both faced the truth - both lost the structure which their lives once had. and now they must rebuild it all - together. “thank you for always understanding me.” yusuke is well aware that he is strange - countless others have informed him of such. sorey has never once kept him at arm’s length. never rejected him; never called him weird… from their first encounter, there has always been warmth.

     yusuke’s eyes sting… tears? he cannot remember the last time he cried. “you… truly saved me.” he pulls away from sorey, wiping at his eyes - and he laughs, albeit quietly. “forgive me. it appears my emotions have bested me once more. these are tears of joy, of course…” he takes sorey’s hands in his - trying to be as gentle, as tender as possible. “it is an honor to be loved by you.” a smile; yusuke is aware that the tears are still leaking from his eyes, but attempting to hide them from sorey makes little sense. instead, he presses his lips against sorey’s - keeping the kiss soft yet long. as they part, yusuke lets go of sorey’s hands, instead pressing them gently against his cheeks. “i hope that i can always grant you happiness.” 

[mabufu]

❛ the sun will rise and we will try again. ❜

( various prompts ♔ status: accepting )

— “i… wish i did more. that’s all.” yusuke rubs at his eyes - he is frustrated, admittedly. the guard was so rude to them - vocally questioning their respective disguises, going as far as demanding identification - which they, naturally, did not have. they retreated as to avoid drawing more attention to themselves, but the failed trip into the town still stung at yusuke’s pride. moments like these make him feel so… helpless. “i’m aware that dwelling on it is wrong, but…” he shakes his head. “…forgive me. you’re correct, of course. all we can do is try again tomorrow.” or bypass the visit altogether. how bothersome!

     “i will say this, however…” yusuke cups sorey’s face in his hands, as tenderly as he possibly can. “…i am angry at that guard for approaching you. i wish that i knocked some sense into him.” a soft sigh. “i’m happy that his words did not hurt you too much, however.” his shepherd is a strong person, indeed. the very strongest. “you even pulled me out of my frustrations. thank you, sorey.” finally, he smiles - the first time since they had to rush out of the town, in fact. “at least we can spend tonight under the stars.” a chuckle as he presses a quick kiss upon sorey’s lips. “together.”

[mabufu]

"today's international hand holding day!" he says, bright and sure of himself as he slips his palm over yusuke's to twine their fingers. "your hands are... my favorite." sorey adds, quieter when he tends to yusuke's knuckles with his mouth. "you'll have to forgive me if i get carried away."

— yusuke smiles as sorey’s lips ghost over his knuckles. “a day dedicated to holding your favorite hands, hm?” it is as strange as it is wonderful. “you’re very knowledgeable about these sorts of things.” of course, it comes as no surprise to yusuke; sorey has always been incredibly thoughtful. it is one of the many things that yusuke adores about him.

     “…there will be nothing to forgive. being hand-in-hand with you… why, it’s absolute bliss.” he glances up at him, mischief in his eyes. “in fact, it would be best if you did not let go of my hand at all today, sorey.” yusuke squeezes sorey’s hand a bit tighter. “after all, your hands are also my favorite. it would be a shame if we do not get carried away.” 

[mabufu]

lifts a crepe up to their noses before dabbing yusuke's with whipped cream--and standing awkwardly on his tiptoes to lick it off ! just not before laughing wholeheartedly, rocking back on his heels. "magic, right?" :p

— yusuke blinks, astounded. everything happened so quickly…! initially, he thought sorey was offering him a bite of the crepe. such an action would not be strange - they often share crepes with each other. however, instead of offering yusuke the first bite, sorey pressed its whipped cream upon yusuke’s nose - and before yusuke could so much as voice his alarm, he flicked his tongue over it… effectively licking off the cream without any shame whatsoever!

     in the aftermath of this silly prank, yusuke wishes to at least play along. a grin tugs at his lips; he does his best to suppress it. “your magic impresses me more and more with each passing day, sorey.” there’s no use pretending - he covers his mouth as laughter escapes. “…i must admit, whenever we share one of these crepes, i’m also reminded of the day we met.” the crepe is even the strawberries and cream flavor… the very same type of crepe that they shared, weeks ago upon their first encounter. “mischief aside, your magical nose is clearly what brought us together. for that,” yusuke leans down, pressing his lips upon sorey’s nose, “i am most grateful.” 

[mabufu]

curls closer where they're resting, tossing an arm over yusuke's chest and resting his head there. trying to be the big spoon, as usual–

— yusuke is convinced that sorey is capable of reading his thoughts; that he has some manner of access to his internal monologue. perhaps it is because they’re so very familiar with each other. either way, the very moment that yusuke found himself wishing to be held in sorey’s embrace, there he was. 

     yusuke chuckles, shifting as to run his fingers through sorey’s hair. “making yourself comfortable, hm?” hand still resting gently atop sorey’s head, yusuke presses a quick kiss upon his forehead. quiet afternoons like this are a rarity - they’re both very active people, especially given their phantom thief duties. even now, yusuke finds himself so very happy in this moment - so inspired - that a part of him wants to leap out of bed and get to work on a new sketch. he resists this urge; instead, he simply closes his eyes, content in surrendering to the bliss which sorey brings. 

     there will surely be a new piece later on, however. that much is certain. 

[mabufu]

they’re tucked away in the back of a quiet room, and his lungs are burning with yusuke’s scent. his pulse is a ringing in both ears, and sorey reaches greedily under the other’s arms, grasping at his back with clutching hands. yusuke’s name slips past his mouth somewhere between quiet breaths. it’s dark, and he thinks he’s dizzy enough to rest here forever—but he settles for pressing a hopeful, hungry kiss to the side of yusuke’s throat. one that lasts; one he means to give everything he’s got.

— it has become a ritual. deep and sacred; desperate and necessary. yusuke does not need blood as sorey does, no - but he needs the feelings, the sensations that accompany the bloodsuck. the hot breath upon his neck, the fangs scraping against his skin. it all brings such clarity. his eyes are closed, and the stillness of the room juxtaposes with the thundering desperation of his heart. this is their ritual, and each time it occurs, yusuke grows more convinced that it is the holiest experience this world has to offer.

     sorey holds him in ways that no other being could. the way he whispers yusuke’s name makes him shiver with anticipation. others may view it as blasphemous - a human and a vampire, consorting like this. in yusuke’s eyes, it is the ultimate bliss. he would gladly have his name besmirched if it meant staying by sorey’s side - experiencing this - for the rest of his days. 

     a soft gasp escapes from yusuke’s lips; sorey’s kiss is unexpected. aren’t you hungry? he means to ask, but he cannot speak; cannot form proper words as he is. he tilts his head back, exposing more of his throat. drink, he thinks. drink all of me, if you must. he will give it all. all of his blood - his body, too, should it ever become necessary. 

     but even when he feeds, sorey treats yusuke with an impossible amount of care. yusuke trusts him, and he lets his hands run through his hair. does sorey know how much he loves him? he shifts, pressing a kiss of his own upon sorey’s lips. a fang ghosts against it, and a corner of yusuke’s mind registers the faint, coppery taste of his own blood. 

     the ritual begins, and yusuke allows himself to be consumed by the love he has for this vampire. sorey; his sorey - the one he would die for; the one he will kill for. the one who he lives for.