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Shigeo came home for the weekend. University has been keeping him busier than anything he ever could have imagined - though he felt like he was spending his time very well, thanks to an elaborate schedule concocted by his genius brother - and, since it’s his birthday weekend and his friends had begged, he packed up a bag and caught the next train for Seasoning City.
Upon his arrival, he found a small party waiting for him at the station. His parents were talking with Ritsu and Shou, who had arrived earlier in the day from their university; Reigen was standing with Serizawa, who was holding a plainly decorated sign that said “Happy Birthday Mob Shigeo!” in black paint; Tome was arguing with a little green cloud that could only be Dimple. Shigeo felt a little disappointed to not see Teru, but he knew that Teru was still a few hours away, as he decided to go to a university further than any of the others. Shigeo had barely taken a step off of the train when he was enveloped in chatter and attention from those dear to him.
The whole party walked the quick trip back to the Kageyama house, talking animatedly. Ritsu asked how school was going (it was going good); Shou asked if he had any friends out there (he had a few, but none close to him the way everyone here was); Reigen asked if he should branch another office out near Shigeo’s university (he asked who would run it, and Tome ever-so-efficiently decided to butt into the conversation at that moment, saying how she’d be taking over Spirits and Such whenever Reigen and Serizawa decided to retire); His parents asked if he had any crushes (he didn’t- at least, not any new ones).
He excused himself to drop his luggage off in his old room, and took a moment to catch his breath and check his phone. A text from Teru awaited him.
‘abt an hour away! cant wait to see u! ✨🌟😊’
Shigeo smiled goofily.
‘Ok. Do you want us to meet you at the station? Should I bring Serizawa and Reigen? They both miss you.’ ‘Us’ usually included Shou and Ritsu. He didn’t include the fact that he had missed Teru as well; that was something that they both already knew.
‘idc who u bring as long as ur there 💘’
Shigeo’s smile turned into a full grin.
Shigeo didn’t quite know how to describe his friendship with Teruki Hanazawa.
They were inseparable until they went to different universities on different poles of the country. They were always touchy-feely with each other to the point where the first few weeks without him, Shigeo felt like he was going to float away without the weight of an arm around his shoulders, a hand in his.
He knew friends weren’t usually this physical, but he also knew that he and Teru weren’t just friends. The day before Teru left for school, they had confessed to each other, one after the other. They both didn’t want to do anything about it- school was important. Shigeo wanted to become a pediatrician; Teru wanted to go into design. They agreed to not hold each other back.
And they kissed, brief and fleeting, leaving them both breathless and Shigeo’s room a whirlwinded mess.
That was a few years ago. They had only seen each other in passing since, save for Shigeo’s last birthday, when he turned twenty and tried alcohol, which left him feeling a way he never wanted to again. Teru’s twentieth had been during exams, so he decided to celebrate a month later with Shigeo; Teru ended up liking alcohol a lot more, and Shigeo had to carry him back to the Kageyama’s, the two sandwiched onto Shigeo’s futon like a pair of sardines. Teru had to leave early the next morning, giving Shigeo a tight hug before getting on the train back to school.
It had left Shigeo feeling… Something he didn’t have quite the name for. He had gotten pretty good at understanding his emotions, but this one was unfamiliar. He wondered if there was a word for it. It felt like sadness, but not entirely; it felt like a missed chance. He wondered if he could find its antonym the next time he saw Teru.
Ritsu and Shou had turned down the offer to go get Teru with Shigeo, so he didn’t even try to ask Reigen and Serizawa. He said he’d go alone and was left standing at the platform, fiddling with his hands, checking his phone every few seconds.
He saw the train in the distance, and then it was pulling into the station, whistling and grunting from its mechanical effort. His phone buzzed with a message, and he put it into his pocket; he didn’t need to answer it. He knew who it was; he knew what it said.
Shigeo felt his aura flare against his control, teal searching, longing and yearning for the reply it craved. Gold was found, and Shigeo felt himself moving towards the source, seeing Teru step off of the car and look towards where he knew Shigeo would be.
It could be described as magnetic, their pull towards each other, like the moon and the ocean, like an apple falling towards the ground, like two friends who ached for each other the way lovers do. If Shigeo had any forethought to what was happening, he would realize that his powers were pulling Teru towards him, and would realize that Teru’s were doing the same.
They met in the middle, twin grins on their faces as Shigeo grabbed him like he could never let go. His arms went around Teru’s waist, Teru’s around his shoulders. They hugged each other passionately. Shigeo felt himself laugh, and suddenly he was picking Teru up, spinning him around elatedly. He was the Milky Way, and Teru was Andromeda, and they were colliding just as scientists said they would billions of years ago.
“Hey, c’mon, put me down!” Teru laughed, patting Shigeo’s shoulder tenderly. Shigeo did as told.
“Sorry, I just missed my best friend,” Shigeo replied teasingly. He looked down at Teru, really taking him in. His hair fell to his shoulders, tucked behind his pierced ears. He could see that his roots were coming in, dark brown turning to honey. He was wearing a vertically striped shirt, lines of every color of the rainbow trailing from his neck to his waist. His jeans looked crisp despite having been on a train for a few hours.
It seemed that Teru had been doing the same to Shigeo. “Did you fill out more? I swear, every time I see you you’re more and more built.” That made Shigeo turn a little pink, both with pride and embarrassment.
“Yeah, a little. The gym at my university is very well-equipped.” Shigeo paused, before turning a little coy. “Why, do you not like it?”
It was Teru’s turn to blush. “I actually think it suits you very well.” He grabbed his luggage, which had casually floated over to the two of them after their reunion. “Did no one else show up?”
“Shou and Ritsu said they didn’t want to, and I didn’t end up asking Serizawa and Reigen,” Shigeo said, following Teru out of the station and down towards the Kageyama house. He put a hand up to his chin, thinking. “Though I know Reigen will be very happy to see you. He misses you like crazy.”
“Of course he does,” Teru rolled his eyes jokingly, “He’s my dad. He’s obligated to miss me.”
“I suppose so. I like your shirt.”
“You do?” Teru stopped walking for a second to give a little pose. Shigeo gave a tiny grin. “I made it myself!” That wasn’t a surprise, since Teru had been making his own clothes since high school, but Shigeo still found himself amazed by what Teru had accomplished.
“That’s amazing, Teru! I think it suits you really well.”
“Well, that’s good to hear, Shigeo.”
Teru bumped his shoulder against Shigeo’s, and Shigeo returned the gesture, making them both snicker as they hurried towards their destination.
The party at the Kageyama house didn’t grow any larger, and Shigeo was perfectly fine with that. They had yakitori and takoyaki for dinner (Shigeo didn’t enjoy formal dinners too much, preferring the snack-like qualities of food on sticks), and Shou had brought beer, which Shigeo refrained from drinking. He watched Teru sip one beer slowly through the night; he laughed as Reigen got drunk from half a bottle, and Serizawa took it as his cue to take them home for the night, tailed by Dimple; he watched Shou and Ritsu flirt and hold hands and drink bottle after bottle, daring each other to quit. Tome finally bid farewell, and the Kageyama’s turned in early, followed by Shou and Ritsu, drained enough to drag each other into Ritsu’s old room and shut the door.
“You aren’t drunk, are you?” Shigeo asked Teru quietly, cleaning up the kitchen.
“Of course not, it’s one beer. I’m not a lightweight.”
“I know.”
Teru came to lean against the counter in the kitchen, watching Shigeo casually. “It’s your birthday, you shouldn’t be cleaning up the party.”
“I don’t mind,” Shigeo replied honestly.
“Would you mind help?” Shigeo smiled at Teru and shook his head, and immediately Teru was beside him, helping rinse dishes and put them out to dry. They were done as quick as they had started, and Shigeo took to wiping off the counters and stove as Teru cleaned off the table. Empty beer bottles were put into the recycling, and the leftovers were sealed away and put into the fridge. The kitchen was as clean as it was when the party had started.
“Well, now what?” Teru asked as Shigeo yawned and rubbed an eye with the heel of his hand.
“I think we should head to bed,” Shigeo sighed, looking at the time. It was a little past midnight. His birthday was officially over. He moved to his bedroom, followed by Teru.
“You still don’t mind sharing a futon?” Teru scratched his arm absentmindedly.
“Not unless you do. You’re a nice cuddle partner,” Shigeo commented, rolling out his bedding before standing up and beginning to change into pajamas. He caught Teru’s eyes, seeing him beet red- from the comment or the casualness of Shigeo’s lack of clothing, he was unsure.
Teru looked away, and started doing the same. Shigeo noticed something on Teru’s shoulder. It was small, plain black ink of the design of a sunflower.
“When did you get a tattoo?” Shigeo blurted, staring at the back of Teru’s shoulder curiously. Teru jumped a little, turning to face him.
“Not too long ago, maybe a few months ago?” Teru laughed nervously, scratching his cheek. “D-do you like it?”
Shigeo stepped closer, taking it into full consideration. He thought hard. “Yes, I think it looks nice.”
“A lot of people were surprised,” Teru added, “they thought I’d go with something flashier, but…”
“It fits you well,” Shigeo commented. “It’ll match with anything you wear.” Teru looked up at him, and cracked a smile, finishing putting on the shirt in his hands.
“Thanks,” Teru’s smile softened, “It means a lot, coming from you.”
“You care that much about my opinion?” Shigeo tilted his head while Teru nodded.
“Of course I do,” Teru replied tenderly. “You know, after everything.”
They were silent for a few moments, just looking at each other. Shigeo moved his hand forward, taking Teru’s into his own before averting his gaze, not able to look at the sunshine that was Teru.
“I-” Teru coughed, trying again. “I have a birthday present for you, Shigeo.”
That caught Shigeo’s attention. “You do?” Teru nodded eagerly, and let go of his hand, turning to rummage through his luggage. He came back up with an envelope - a letter - addressed to Teru.
“Your old mail?” Shigeo asked.
“Just open it, Shigeo,” Teru mumbled, watching Shigeo expectantly.
Shigeo did just so.
“It’s… a letter from my school?” Shigeo heard himself say, not believing what he was reading. “An acceptance letter? Why would you apply to my school?”
“Well,” Teru said, taking a step closer to Shigeo, “their fashion course is superb, surprisingly. Very notable. And…” Teru hesitated, looking up at Shigeo. “And it’s closer to you.”
“To me? ” Shigeo repeated in a surprised voice. “But you wanted to get into the university you’re going to now so bad! You… you shouldn’t change that just because of me.”
“I haven’t transferred yet, or anything,” Teru replied quickly, putting his hands up in a placating manner. He hastily tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. “I just wanted to surprise you with that, and with… a question, or two.”
Teru reached out, returning his hand to Shigeo’s. Shigeo found it hard to breathe.
“Do you have anyone you’re interested in dating?” Teru asked hesitantly.
“Yes,” Shigeo replied honestly, a truth he has known in his heart for years. His eyes didn’t leave Teru’s.
“Is that person… me?” Teru’s voice was small, a little shaky.
“Of course,” Shigeo answered. He squeezed Teru’s hand. “Who else would it be?”
Teru smiled nervously, then let a bubble of laugh escape him. “I… want to date you. I want to be with you. When we’re apart, I can only think of when I’ll get to see you again. Being away from you is torture, and while school is important, you’re important, too.” Teru inhaled, exhaled. “I could go to school anywhere. There are fashion programs everywhere. There’s only one you.”
Shigeo stared down at Teru- genuine, confident, open-hearted Teru, and felt himself fall in love all over again.
Shigeo leaned down and pulled Teru into a tight hug.
“I feel the same way.” Shigeo wanted to say more, say how he hated being away from Teru too and that he had his own apartment and if Teru wanted to, he could live with him. Shigeo wanted to say he loved Teru more than anything he could ever imagine. Shigeo wanted to thank Teru for, after all these years, after everything, accepting and reciprocating the wonder and adoration and fucking love Shigeo felt for him.
But his throat wasn’t working, so he put a hand to Teru’s cheek and another at the nape of his neck and kissed him.
It was as electric, as bone-crushingly passionate as their first. Shigeo felt Teru’s hands come up to his chest, clenching the fabric of his sleep shirt into his hands. Shigeo moved an arm to rest on Teru’s waist, pulling him in closer. They kissed until time stopped; they kissed until the world ended; they kissed until they ran out of air in their lungs.
“I think I just fell in love with you again,” Teru panted, grinning, cheeks red.
“Me too, but about you,” Shigeo replied unevenly, pulling a laughing Teru in for another kiss.