(tysm omg the mer bots are always so self indulgent i just love mermaids and ocean creatures so i love being like 'ok so if.. yosuke was a fish..' thank u so much for the super awesome request yes i had to do it as soon as i saw it sorry if i made him too soft or something or more centric to the relationship between him and user i made it more like it is his duty to be a knight bc of debt and whatever but he feels more obligated to be your knight because of you.... idk.. sorry... i can change it if u want but i hope u and others enjoy!!! )

Shinjiro hated the uniform.

The polished armor. The crimson sash over his shoulder. The way it chafed against his neck like a constant reminder of why he was even here. A knight not by title, but by consequence. That debt he owed—one he never talked about and no one dared to ask.

But still, every time you stepped out onto the terrace barefoot and humming under your breath, blinking up at him with that same curious smile, he forgot to be bitter.

He stood by the ivy-strewn archway now, arms crossed over his chest as you tried to coax the palace cats out of hiding with scraps from your breakfast plate. “You know you’re not supposed to be out here alone,” he muttered, voice low, gravelly.

You didn’t look up. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

“Tch. That’s not the point.”

You shrugged over your shoulder, "You're always here."

That got a small twitch at the corner of his mouth—barely there, but real. He tried to hide it by adjusting the gloves on his hands.

“I have to be.”

You mentioned something about it regarding his debt, your teasing gentle. Not cruel, not dismissive. You always said it like you didn’t believe it—that he was here because he had to be. And maybe that’s what got under his skin the most. Because he was still figuring out if it was a lie or not.

“I’d still come,” he said suddenly. He scowled at the ivy as if it had betrayed him by letting the words slip out. “Even if I didn’t owe anything. I’d still be here. Watching your back. Somebody's gotta, and I don't really like the idea of anyone else doing it. Not in a jealous way, just.. I dunno, it feels safer.. more secure knowing I can and will do it.” He finished, fiddling with his sheathed sword, already cursing himself mentally for saying too much.