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One thing that surprised most people about Yu Narukami was that he liked to touch. Being deprived of affection for so long had taught him to appreciate small moments of physical contact – a pat on the head, a squeeze of the hand, an arm around the shoulders. That sort of thing.
Yosuke was, predictably, the first person to notice. After all, they were partners. Yu would throw his arm around Yosuke at any given moment – after a tough stint in the TV, while they were chatting at school, when they were just hanging out. Sometimes, he’d hold Yosuke’s hand. Usually, it was just a brief thing, a second of contact when no one was looking.
Sometimes, though, his hand would linger. He’d take a moment to run his fingers over Yosuke’s palm, gently calloused from handling his knives in battle, lightly scarred from when his hands slipped and he cut himself. Yosuke found it strange at first. Then he realised what it was about, and squeezed his hand back.
Chie, he mostly touched when they were training. It was far rougher than a held hand – a sword-calloused fist in a practise movement, a failed dodge against Chie’s lightning feet – but in a strange way, it held a similar kind of affection. Afterwards, he’d bump fists with her and they’d head off to Aiya, shoulders brushing along the way.
Yukiko was more reserved than her classmates. Yu took what he could get; holding on a little longer when she pulled him up in battle, a pat on the shoulder when something didn’t go her way. If she noticed what he was doing, she’d invariably giggle at him, or pat him back playfully.
With Kanji, it was different again. Yu would pat him on the back after he destroyed a Shadow. Often, he’d do it harder, and Kanji would thump him back. (There was a spot on his back almost continually bruised from this.) Like with Chie, he’d bump Kanji’s fist when something went well. Or, they’d punch each other on the arm affectionately. (Again – constant bruising.)
Rise was more affectionate than Yu himself was, something which delighted him constantly. She’d hang off his arm, or pull at him to get his attention. Anyone else might have found that annoying, but Yu appreciated it. Since he never complained, she never stopped doing it. It quickly expanded into a range of physical gestures – hand-holding, for example, much like he did with Yosuke.
As a rule, Yu was the only non-girl who was allowed to pet Teddie’s fur (something which annoyed Kanji to no end). This even applied when Teddie was in his human form. Yu would ruffle his hair or try to neaten up his clothes, and Teddie would happily let him. For his part, Teddie would throw his arms around his Sensei, or tug on him almost as much as Rise did.
Naoto found the gestures of affection extremely disconcerting. Yu respected that. Later, Naoto noticed the way he held on to her assisting hands the way he did with Yukiko. Or, he’d reach over and brush something off her jacket. She accepted the compromise, and even came to enjoy the little gestures of affection.
Marie was stand-offish. Affection had never been her thing, not from the moment she first appeared in Inaba, lost and confused. But when he frustrated her, she’d punch him on the arm, and he’d pinch her back. Margaret once compared them to bickering siblings.
But his greatest affections were reserved for his real sister. He’d scoop Nanako up in his arms and throw her into the air. They’d dance, and she’d stand on his feet because she couldn’t quite reach otherwise. They’d hug goodnight, and he’d kiss her on the forehead in the mornings. When they went out – grocery shopping, or getting ice-creams in the summer – he’d hold her hand the entire way.
—
(there is nothing quite like human affection)
(especially when you’ve never had a whole lot of it to begin with)
(he’s just glad they understand)