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It was in his nature as a detective to sit back and carefully observe interactions like this.
It was mostly the reason why he could never find it in himself to take a proper vacation, and why he seemed to never really turn off interrogation mode, even with his family. These kids were stupid, reckless even, but he always found himself intrigued when they all crammed themselves together in his otherwise boring little living room, the ever-excited commotion never letting up for a second—but never quite verging on annoying. He wouldn't admit it, but he sort of liked that rag-tag group of mismatched teens.
They brightened up the place, for what it was worth.
Souji was back for the summer. The whole summer—and already the house felt more like home, like he never left at all. Nanako's laughter floated carelessly through rooms like the summer breeze every day without fail, and his gentle presence complimented that familiar old sparkle in her eyes. On most days lately, he found himself speeding through his work at lunch just to get home early and see it.
It was so strange, sitting on his own couch and watching like an outsider. It’s not that they were exclusionary, not at all—but something about the lot of them was so different, and Dojima couldn’t fathom why, since they’d only known each other for barely a year. He would see them around their small town all the time. Hanging around the shopping district, or even occasionally stopping by to visit Nanako, each sort of timid in his presence and always carefully respectful—but when they got together, you wouldn’t even recognize them. They gravitated towards Souji like planets in orbit, each finding their little niche amidst the group.
You didn’t have to be a detective to notice the difference—they all just came alive.
The Hanamura kid was around the most often with Teddie in tow, bringing them leftovers from Junes for dinner, giving them an earful about Souji and his school clubs, a few new jobs, the city life. Dojima would have been grateful for the updates if his phone didn’t ring every night—7-o’clock, on the dot—for a thorough update of his own.
But the way they all talked amongst themselves was so normal, with no pretense or hesitation among them at all, though it had been months since they'd last gathered. There must be so much to catch up on—but there wasn't. Dojima hadn't heard a single how are you or a what's new, because they all already knew, knew every single detail—as if there wasn't a few hundred miles between them for so long. As if the last time eight pairs of shoes had cluttered up his doorway was just yesterday.
"SENSEIIIIIII," Teddie squealed in his usual over-energized way, bounding up to a bustling Souji, who was making tea for his house guests. Hospitality at its finest, as usual. Never fails. "Let me help!"
Souji chucked softly, ruffling his blond hair some. "Thanks Teddie, I can always count on you." He lit up like a Christmas tree, and Dojima sighed a little laugh. Always so easily amused, that one. "Go get the table ready for me, okay?"
"General Teddie, beary much at your service!" He saluted dramatically, and whirled away to straighten up. Seriously, what was with all the bear jokes?
The rest of the group was lounging around on the couch, on the floor, at the table—everywhere really, shuffling around, shouting, jumping. They never kept still, but Dojima couldn't find it in himself to mind, observing them all with a small twitch at the corner of his lips. It was tiring, but he really did love it when Souji came back to visit.
"Hm..." Souji hummed to himself in the kitchen, as they all trickled around him to see if they could help with anything. He seemed to be looking for something for the tea, but wasn't having much luck.
"Honey?" He said absently.
"Yeah?" Yosuke answered automatically, and the whole room immediately went quiet, apart from the smacking sound of sheer force as Yosuke clamped a hand over his mouth as quick as a reflex, eyes bulging out of his head. Souji stopped dead in his tracks, arm outstretched halfway to opening another cabinet, and shot him a panicked look, with just a hint of... amusement?
The air around the room had to have gotten at least 5 degrees colder in the few seconds since anyone spoke, but the awkwardness slowly trickled away as the looks on the whole group's faces faded slowly from confusion to knowing, giddy smiles. Yukiko's was the first to bubble over into a debilitating giggle fit that Dojima had become pretty used to by now, and he wasn't surprised when it quickly infected the rest of them until all but the two in question were hysterical. Chie doubled over with Yukiko, both squealing I knew it's and I told you so's; fingers loosely covering Shirogane's mouth in a half-hearted attempt to hide the snickering; Kanji's red face stuttering the word Senpai in the form of an incredulous question, barely audible; Teddie catcalling and congratulating the two of them on "scoring"; Kujikawa wheezing out, "I didn't know you were into pet names, senpai"—and the Hanamura kid's beet-red face squawking protests all the while, insisting that it was just a joke, looking desperately to Souji for the help that his own quiet mirth was effectively preventing him from providing.
Dojima snorted as the scene escalated until more than half the group was on the floor, either holding their stomachs and wiping away tears, or having been tackled by a totally unamused Yosuke. Souji was now full-on belly laughing, not even trying to keep his cool anymore, and Teddie was trying to teach Nanako a song about “big bro and Yosuke-nii sitting in a tree,” while simultaneously dodging Yosuke’s lunges.
Dojima wasn't stupid, nor was he surprised at the slip-up—profiling was his job, for chrissakes. His senses were sharp enough to catch the glances that lasted too long, the lingering touches that overarched out of platonic territory, the poorly disguised sounds that traveled through paper-thin walls whenever he was home for one of their sleepovers. The only thing that did surprise him was that they hadn't told everyone else. But, he thought with a wistful smile, looks like they have no choice now.
This oughtta be good.
Dojima really was glad to have Souji home.