Chapter Text
Rohan drew closer with every step that Josuke took toward him. He felt his confidence dwindle with each passing second but didn't stop moving. The mangaka kept his eyes on his sketch pad and Josuke found himself thanking the heavens he remained unnoticed. But the gods weren’t as kind as he assumed and Rohan lifted his head, catching his eye moments after glancing at the other people around them.
Josuke halted mid step as they began to stare at each other. The heat crept up neck and settled in his cheeks. His heart was relentless with its beating and the boy expected (hoped) it would burst and render him dead.
But then he caught the way the artist’s hard gaze softened and the subtle purse of his lips. Josuke took a tentative step forward and simply observed from where he stood.
Rohan tore his eyes away and set the drawing pad flat against his lap. He reached up to pluck a different pencil from out of his headband and continued to draw, taking quick small moments to glance back up at Josuke. Heaven’s Door manifested over its owner’s shoulder and pointed its stare at the student.
Josuke remained where he was, dumbfounded for a solid minute before he realized what Rohan was doing. He smiled against his better judgement and could almost laugh.
Rohan was drawing him.
Right?
Josuke entertained the thought of striking a pose and were it not for the flock of people weaving past him, he just might have. Instead, he opted for continuing his approach to Rohan albeit more at ease than he was just seconds ago.
“I wasn’t finished.” Rohan spoke up when Josuke was within earshot.
“You didn’t have my permission to draw me, anyway.” Josuke offered a smug grin and sat down next to him.
Rohan’s eyes narrowed at the jab but he soon shrugged and flipped his sketch pad shut. “So,” He set it aside and started to put his things away. “To what do I owe the coincidence this time?”
Coincidence.
Josuke scoffed. Their run-ins were just coincidences, eh?
“Nothing, I guess.” Josuke shrugged and leaned back into the bench. He looked up at the darkening sky. “I just… Thought it was funny.” A small voice in his head started to scream, telling him to shut up.
Rohan turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised in question. “Funny? Us running into each other”
“That’s part of it.” Josuke confessed. “It’s just funny that every time I think about you, you always show up. Right before my eyes, just-” He referred to Rohan next to him. “Boom.”
The mangaka scoffed and committed to staring straight ahead. “Well, I’m not doing it on purpose. I can’t read your mind-”
“I know.”
“So…”
“I don’t know.”
The two settled into silence. The buzz of the activity surrounding them made up for any feeling of there needing to an exchange of words. Josuke picked at his nails, his nerves on edge. He had made it. He’s next to Rohan, he was talking to Rohan, but-
“Why did you-” Rohan cleared his throat, unaware of his innate habit of popping up when he’s on Josuke’s mind. “Why are you here?”
Josuke blinked once, then twice. “Here as in…?”
It wasn't like he had a solid answer for why he approached Rohan other than Okuyasu talking him into it.
“The amusement park.”
“Oh.” Thank God. “Me and the others wanted to come here during our Spring Break. I swear, I had no idea you’d be here.”
“Of course.” Rohan scoffed. “Would you have still come if you knew?”
“Knew what?”
“That I would be here.”
A chill pricked at Josuke’s gut. “Um. Y-yeah. I can't just bail on my friends.”
“But?”
Josuke shifted, feeling one of his feet go numb. “But I’d… avoid you if I saw you?”
“Liar.” Rohan threw a pointed look at Josuke. “You didn't know I'd be here but still came up to me when you saw me.”
“C’mon!” Josuke turned his body to face the mangaka, his cheeks turning rosy with heat. “You were leading me on to say something like that!”
Rohan tsked his tongue and shook his head. His earrings dangled at the sides of his face and glinted in the dimming sunlight. Josuke opted to stare at them instead of Rohan’s face.
“Well,” Josuke began, feeling his mouth go dry. “Would you have come here? If you knew I'd be too?”
The mangaka inhaled and held his breath for a short second. “No.”
Josuke felt his heart drop.
“Because then I’d just waste my time keeping an eye open for you.” Rohan stared straight ahead.
“W-” Josuke felt his voice crack. “W-what. You’d look for me?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“You said-!”
“I know what I said!” Rohan crossed his arms and shot a warning glare at Josuke. “And I didn’t say I would look for you.” A warmth seemed to spread over the mangaka’s otherwise pale face. “I’d keep an eye open for you to make to sure to avoid you. But that would just be a waste of mental energy and knock my focus off my work.” He referred to the forgotten sketch pad on his lap. “So, no. I wouldn’t have come here if I knew you’d be here too. Don’t misconstrue my words, Josuke.”
Neither said a word for a long minute. Josuke shifted anxiously in his seat and Rohan seemed committed to ignoring the kid’s company.
“Why approach me?” Rohan’s voice seemed softer than usual. “I thought things between us were-” He faltered, hesitating to put a word to it.
Josuke gulped as he felt apprehension hang in the air. “They're not.” He offered. “Things aren't anything bad or weird or anything. I just wanted to talk to you to make sure we both knew that.”
“Huh.”
“Yeah, so, uh…” Josuke scratched the back of his neck. “We're ok.”
“We're ok.” Rohan echoed.