Chapter Text
“You still suck but not as much as before.”
Eichi raised his eyebrow and almost glared at him.
“Highest of praise coming from you.”
“Indeed.”
The younger boy had almost reached his limit and was trying his best not to shake his hands in pure anger. What did he think he was doing? Sitting there to just give him some sort of twisted back handed compliment after daring to ask him for some tea.
But he was better than that he wasn't going to tell him to fuck off, he was going to make Rei feel so embarrassed and upset with himself that he was going to run out of there crying. After vowing to himself he opened his mouth only to have the older boy speak before him.
But it was fine, he was going to be calm about this.
“You look angry.”
Nevermind.
Unwillingly slamming his teacup down when he just wanted to put it down, and silently cursing himself for not paying more attention, Eichi stared at Rei with unmasked frustration and quivering lips.
“Sakuma of the Three Oddballs.” he growled, pushing away the temptation to use foul language. “Is this a joke to you?” he added, eyeing the teacup the vampire had stained with his fingerprints and visualising himself throwing in against the wall and into the bin. As he came back to reality, he looked up and make direct contact with the oddball, as if he was hoping to scare him.
He couldn't read the expression on Rei’s face nor could he understand why the other had took a while to answer him but he had almost lost it when the older boy tried changing subjects.
“How's Ritsu? I don't see him often.”
He spoke to ease the tension but the president had quite a different interpretation.
“You think I'll treat you kindly just because you're his brother? We came here to ease the tension between us yet every word you speak pisses-” he paused, took a deep breath, and softened his tone. “ Ticks me off more and more.”
The other merely ran his fingers through his hair as if looking for the next words to speak before his eyes widened.
“Tenshouin?”
It was then that he realised the tears running down his face and immediately used the back of his hand to brush them away.
“Ah Geez.” he whispered. “Why am I getting so worked up over you !?” his voice turned harsh with the last word, as if he tried to sound as angry as he could without raising his voice.
Looking down at his empty teacup, he refused to look at the older boy, various thoughts running through his head about how he was going to be made fun of or how stupid he was for getting so worked up and crying over his enemy.
Instead, Rei’s tone was almost comforting when he opened his mouth.
“Bad day, huh?”
Eichi knew he was smiling, he could feel his smile in his words but couldn't believe that the smile was not that of mockery at all.
With one breath in and out he replied.
“I hate the hospital.”
“I guess you never get used to it.” the other commented, choosing his words carefully as if he cared. And maybe he did, Eichi didn't understand him if he did but he wasn't actually being as much of an asshole as he thought he would be, or as he was making him out to be.
“It gets a little too much sometimes.” he sighed and stopped himself before he was going to talk to Rei like he'd talk to his close friends. Standing up he blurted out “I'll prepare more tea.” and turned to the desk to fill the teapot he grabbed. After almost burning himself and filling it up to the brim, he put the lid back on and froze, hesitating to turn around and go back to the table behind him.
It wasn't until after a silence that seemed to last a decade that Rei decided to speak again.
“I should've read the mood before coming in and opening my mouth, hm?” he lied back and looked up at the roof.
The younger boy smiled at himself.
“I do try to hide it, you know.” he looked at his faint reflection on the teapot. “A leader shall not burden others with his pain. Plus, it goes away eventually so I really can't complain.”
He heard a sigh behind him.
“You have friends, Tenshouin.” he spoke firmly. “You don't have to wait for it to go away, you'll feel better sooner if you confide in them. You broke away from my curse, remember?”
Eichi finally turned around and stared at Rei’s red eyes as he recalled the memory of his curse.
“Sakuma-senpai.” he whispered as if he was a 2nd year again.
“Haven't heard that in ages, you ‘gloomy bastard’.”
Closing his eyes and shaking his head, the council president laughed.
“Haven't heard that in ages. But I guess you really are right.” he replied. “It wasn't a strong curse now was it?”
“Is that a way of saying that it's not you who was strong to break it?” Rei raised his eyebrow. “I'll add that to the list on things we disagree on.”
Eichi stared at him in surprise before smiling yet again.
“You know what? I think I was able to break free from it because I'm stronger now.” his voice was soft when he spoke and he could see the surprise in the other’s face at the strange tone.
As he took a sweet from the untouched stand, he looked at it as he responded.
“Glad we can agree.”