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”C’mon, Tomioka, it’ll be fun, when was the last time you had fun, huh?” Shinobu poked his arm as they were walking together from their lecture.
“I have plenty of fun,” Giyuu said, his face unreadable as always.
Shinobu rolled her eyes. “Bullshit, I’ve never seen you with another person except for me.”
“There’s Sa-”
“Yeah, yeah, Shinazugawa,” she interrupted him, “but that doesn’t count. I’m talking about dating. Making out, getting laid, that kind of thing.”
Giyuu blushed, but kept his eyes on the path in front of him. Shinobu really was too forward.
“Anyway, this guy, he’s funny and nice, and he’s free on Saturday. It’s a perfect opportunity,” Shinobu got right on the track without missing a beat.
It was always like this with her. Giyuu had been forced to attend countless blind dates with random men Shinobu found for him. Either it be people from her classes or guys she saw at her work and thought Giyuu might like. So far, he hadn’t liked a single one.
At this point, Giyuu was done. He had his college degree to think of, he didn’t need a relationship. Sure, it would be nice to have somebody there for him, but he didn’t need a special person for that. He already had his best friend. Sanemi was always there for him when Giyuu needed it, even if all those instances were accompanied with some ‘annoyance’ on Sanemi’s part. But Sanemi stuck by his side no matter what, and that was what really mattered.
“Just go out with him.”
“No.”
“Tomioka, don’t be like this, you gonna what? Sit on your couch the entire night? Live a little,” Shinobu said with a certain level of exasperation.
“No. I- I’m already seeing someone,” Giyuu said, his hesitance obvious. He lied and Shinobu could see right through it.
“As if. You can’t get yourself a man unless I get you one.”
“That’s not true.”
“Oh, yeah? So who is it? What’s his name? How old?” Shinobu wasn’t about to let him lie his way through so easily. She crossed her arms, stopping in the middle of the walkway.
Giyuu was forced to stop as well, just barely avoiding another passerby. He stepped a little to the side, glaring at Shinobu. “Can we not talk about this here?”
“What’s wrong with here? If anyone has a problem, they can just walk around us. Admit you’re making this up and we can go. It’s simple.”
“I’m not making it up.” Giyuu turned around and started walking in their original direction. Shinobu was forced to hurry after him if she wanted to keep talking. She run ahead of him, jumping from one side to the other.
“So you gonna answer me or not?”
“Answer what?” Giyuu didn’t meet her knowing gaze. He knew damn well what she wanted him to answer, but he wasn’t giving up so easily.
“You’re really gonna make me repeat it? Okay, fine, so be it. Who is this guy? How old is he and what’s his name? Just answer me those.”
“I don’t have to.”
Shinobu laughed. “You couldn’t be more obvious. I’m gonna tell him that Saturday works for you.”
“I’m not going, I already told you,” Giyuu said immediately. Shinobu had a problem. As if it was something terrible to be single. Before she started dating, there were no blind dates. Giyuu was happy for them but kind of missed that peace and quiet.
“Let me guess, ‘cause you already have a boyfriend?” Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
“Yes.”
“Uh huh. This nameless boyfriend, who doesn’t even exist.”
“He does…”
“Name? Age?”
Giyuu rolled his eyes. He would really have to do it, wouldn’t he? How hard could it be to come up with some random name? It wasn’t like Shinobu knew every guy in the city. “He is as old as me.”
“Name,” Shinobu dragged out the word a bit.
“Ugh… N- Nemi,” Giyuu panicked and mumbled the first name that came to his mind. He instantly cursed himself internally, closing his eyes for a second as he cringed. Why on Earth was Sanemi’s nickname the first thing that came to his mind? Giyuu hoped Shinobu wouldn’t put it together.
“What? I couldn’t hear you, dude.”
“Nemi,” he repeated, but still not exactly loudly.
“Nemi? His name is Nemi?” Shinobu asked to know if she had heard right.
“Yeah.”
Shinobu glanced to the side, her eyes going to Giyuu’s face. She was looking at him silently for a while. Giyuu could tell she was analyzing his face. A drop of sweat formed on his forehead, hidden only by his hair. The sweet smile that slowly appeared on her face was frankly terrifying.
“Then a double date on Saturday. Take your boyfriend.”
“It’s not at that meet your friends stage yet,” Giyuu said way too fast. He scrambled for some sort of excuse. He couldn’t exactly take his nonexistent boyfriend to a double date.
“Don’t worry, it’s not that deep, it’s just a double date, not a family dinner.” Shinobu was looking ahead of them when she spotted her girlfriend. “Mitsu is here, gotta go. See you and your man on Saturday.”
“Wait, Shinobu-” There was no need to try, she was already hurrying away.
Fuck. What the hell did he get himself into?
Giyuu tried not to think about it as he walked back to the dorm he shared with Sanemi. He would just have to come up with some sort of excuse till Saturday.
“The fuck is up with you?” Sanemi said right after Giyuu entered, looking up from his phone.
He sighed. Of course Sanemi would pick up on his shitty mood right away, even if Giyuu’s face betrayed nothing. Sanemi could read him too well.
Sanemi was sitting on his own bed, and so Giyuu plopped down next to him, their knees knocking into each other as he did so. Neither of them moved their leg away.
“I got myself into a bit of a situation,” Giyuu said after he closed his eyes, just trying to relax after a long and taxing day.
Sanemi nudged his leg. “What kind of situation? Don’t be so fucking vague. You know I can’t guess for shit.”
“It’s with Shinobu again.”
“Don’t tell me she’s making you go to another date.” Sanemi sat up straighter upon hearing Giyuu’s answer. “I ain’t letting you go out with another one of those assholes she keeps finding you, man.”
Giyuu opened his eyes and lazily moved his gaze to his best friend. “Well, kinda, but worse.”
“What the fuck, Giyuu? How can that be worse? Just fucking tell me already.”
“She wanted to set me up with somebody this Saturday, but I panicked, I guess, and told her I was already dating somebody.”
Sanemi’s jaw dropped. “You have a freaking boyfriend?”
“What? No. That’s the problem.” Sanemi visibly relaxed. “She wants to have a double date but I don’t actually have a boyfriend.” Giyuu sagged on the bed, ruffling Sanemi’s covers as he did so. “Shinobu is gonna make fun of me for this my entire life.”
Sanemi was having none of this moping Giyuu. He flicked him on the forehead. “Hey,” Giyuu yelled and put his head over the spot on his forehead. It didn’t really hurt, he just wasn’t expecting Sanemi to do something like that. “What was that for?”
“Get your shit together.”
“I can’t. This is a problem. A big problem. I need to find somebody till Saturday,” Giyuu was starting to panic now. Why did he have to make such a bullshit excuse? This was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. Shinobu would never forget this.
Sanemi rolled his eyes at Giyuu’s dramatic antics. “Like hell you need to find somebody. I’m right here.”
Every frantic thought in Giyuu’s mind vanished instantly. He looked at Sanemi. “What?”
“You heard me. I’ll go with you to that stupid double date. Problem solved.”
The uncertainty showed in Giyuu’s eyes. “But-”
“I already decided so shut your trap.”
Sanemi picked up his phone again and looked down, deliberately hiding his flustered cheeks. Giyuu couldn’t stop the smile forming on his face.
“Okay,” Giyuu said at last. It wouldn’t be so bad if Sanemi was there by his side.
When Saturday came, they both got ready and were walking down the street where the destination of their double date was. When Giyuu had been trying to fall asleep the last few days, he couldn’t stop thinking if this would be awkward, after all he and Sanemi were friends for a long time now, but this wasn’t something friends normally did.
Despite his thoughts, everything went just fine. They were both busy trying to find the best clothes that would make them match to even think about it being awkward. The matching clothes were Sanemi’s idea. He wanted to mess with Shinobu a little, go in all extra.
“We’re almost there,” Giyuu told Sanemi as he finally spotted the restaurant where Shinobu and Mitsuri were already waiting for them, as per her most recent text message.
Sanemi hummed in response and took Giyuu’s arm, linking them together at their elbows. Giyuu averted his face so Sanemi wouldn’t see the speck of red on his cheeks. He didn’t mind Sanemi touching him, they did so often. It was a part of living together for long and in a small space, but it was always fleeting casual touches. Accidental. This now was very much deliberate and with a certain aim.
Both Mitsuri and Shinobu’s eyes went wide when they entered the joint, arms linked and soft smiles. But neither Giyuu nor Sanemi were about to give into it and instead pretended not to notice their shocked faces. They greeted them casually, as if nothing was out of place, and for them, it wasn’t. Not really.
Except for the linked arms, Giyuu and Sanemi weren’t doing anything that was unusual for the two of them. Before they sat down, they both got out of their coats. Giyuu was faster and his seat was closer to the hanger so he put away his one first and then automatically took Sanemi’s to hand it as well. Sanemi wasn’t as fast as him, though, and so Giyuu reached up and with a swift move, pulled at the scarf that was still draped over Sanemi’s neck. He wordlessly took it and hanged it by their coats.
Sanemi didn’t mind at all and seated himself first. With his foot, he pushed Giyuu’s chair away from the table, making it easier for Giyuu to sit down. They didn’t even have to look at each other while they did this. It was pretty usual for them to help each other out and now they did it without thinking.
“What the hell is happening?” Shinobu couldn’t wait anymore. She gestured to the two of them. “What is that?” She emphasized the last word.
Sanemi leaned back in his chair and put a hand over Giyuu’s shoulders. “What is what, purple bitch?”
“Sanemi,” both Giyuu and Mitsuri said. They were used to Sanemi being like this, but Shinobu wasn’t.
He only rolled his eyes. “Sorry, whatever.” Giyuu was trying to make him behave and talk more appropriately when he was in the presence of strangers. Shinobu wasn’t really a stranger because she was Giyuu’s classmate but she and Sanemi had only met briefly and only once or twice.
Mitsuri decided to take the lead. “We had no idea you two are together. But you make one handsome couple.” She smiled from ear to ear at them while holding her girlfriend’s hand. “Frankly speaking, we were all kind of waiting for you two to get together already.”
Her laugh echoed in the room, but neither Giyuu nor Sanemi found it funny. Sanemi stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“C’mon, guys, we have eyes. You two are always together, and when you aren’t you always talk about each other. Don’t tell me you never noticed that, Sanemi. You mention Tomioka’s name at least dozen times a day.”
Sanemi was emptily staring at Mitsuri. The two of them were classmates, just like Giyuu was with Shinobu and sure, he spent a lot of time with Mitsuri since she wasn’t such a bad company, not as good as Giyuu but not bad. He talked to her a lot between their classes and lectures but surely he didn’t talk about Giyuu that often?
But it wasn’t just Mitsuri. Shinobu nodded her head along as if what her girlfriend was saying was true. Sanemi frowned at them. “You’re right, they really do that. Giyuu never shuts up about you.”
“Shinobu,” Giyuu said in a desperate voice. He and Sanemi weren’t really dating but he couldn’t tell her that. Friends talked about each other a lot, too, right?
She completely dismissed him, though, continuing to voice her thoughts out loud. “I should’ve figured it out back then. I mean, same age? Nemi? I can’t believe I didn’t get it that Nemi stands for Sanemi.” Shinobu seemed more troubled with the fact that she didn’t make the connection rather than about their relationship.
Sanemi shot a quick glance at Giyuu but his friend was steadily ignoring his eyes. Sanemi couldn’t help the smirk. So Giyuu had already used him as his boyfriend. Sanemi hadn’t even needed to suggest it back then. Looked like their minds were more aligned than they had thought.
Meanwhile, Giyuu was trying his hardest not to let his inner emotional turmoil show on his face. The girls were speaking as if it wasn’t least bit surprising that he and Sanemi were dating. They were close, but Giyuu had never quite realized how close.
The double date went fine. No, that was an understatement. It went perfectly. They actually had a lot of fun and neither Giyuu nor Sanemi pretended to be something more.
Mitsuri, the love fanatic that she was, of course had asked them how they got together in the first place and Sanemi had just answered that it was a natural progression from their friendship. For some reason, that comment made Giyuu’s heart flutter.
Other than that, they acted normally. Giyuu had ordered something that Sanemi liked and vice versa, and so they ended up swapping their plates after they both ate half of the food. When it came to the dessert, Sanemi begged Giyuu to let him take a bite of his ohagi, which Giyuu did. He also just gave him the entire thing, after he could no longer stand Sanemi’s wishful gaze on his plate.
At the end of the evening, the two ‘couples’ agreed on splitting the bill and Giyuu insisted on paying for their half, since he had dragged Sanemi there with him.
Mitsuri, yet again, expressed what a lovely couple they made when the four of them were standing outside the restaurant, chatting idly, still not ready to part ways.
Sanemi, however, wasn’t really listening to her. His mind was too distracted to focus on anything else besides Giyuu’s hands. He had them out in front of his mouth, blowing at them and rubbing them together in order to warm them up. Giyuu got cold extremely quickly, unlike Sanemi.
With a roll of his eyes, Sanemi slipped off his scarf and moved to place it around Giyuu. Giyuu froze, looking up at Sanemi who tied the scarf around his neck tightly so no chilly breeze would hit it.
“Put your hands in the pockets,” Sanemi said after he was satisfied with the scarf.
Giyuu’s eyes widened a fraction. “Thank you.”
Sanemi wasn’t sure what he was thanking him for, he supposed it was for the scarf so he only nodded in acknowledgement. There was no thanks necessary, though. Sanemi wouldn’t get cold like Giyuu, it was only sensible to give it to him.
Soon enough, Sanemi found out his chain of thought was wrong. He felt a hand smaller than his in the pocket of his own coat. Sanemi looked to Giyuu, incredulous.
Giyuu, with his hand in Sanemi’s pocket seemed rather pleased with the sudden warmth but one look at Sanemi told him that he had painfully misunderstood. “Oh, you meant-”
‘-my pockets,’ Giyuu finished his sentence in his own head because Sanemi wouldn’t let him finish it out loud.
“Doesn’t matter, you dork,” Sanemi said with a booming laugh as he placed his own hand into the pocket, enveloping Giyuu’s one in his, squeezing it a bit and letting it there to warm him up.
Their little moment was interrupted with Shinobu and the gagging noises she made. Sanemi glared at her, while Mitsuri and Giyuu laughed silently. Sanemi’s glare didn’t frighten her, but she stopped it anyway, because she had something to say. “Okay, Giyuu, you got me. At first I thought you two might be faking it, but you’re way too sweet with each other, you can’t fake that.”
Giyuu didn’t know what to say. Neither did Sanemi.
“Let’s go, Mitsu, I can’t stand looking at that sweetness any longer.”
Mitsuri laughed and whispered something into Shinobu’s ear in between her giggles. Shinobu smirked and took Mitsuri’s hand, there was a soft pink dusting her cheeks but she didn’t let it show in her actions. “Yep, we’re leaving. See ya around boys, we should hang out again someday.”
“Sure,” Sanemi said for them as Giyuu waved at their retreating forms. They went back to their shared place afterwards.
The double date wasn’t awkward for them, but it led to both having a lot of things on their mind, a lot of things to rethink. Especially their relationship and their feelings for each other. To no one’s surprise and one conversation that led to a heated make out session later, Sanemi and Giyuu began officially dating. Just like Sanemi had told Mitsuri back then, it was simply a natural progression from best friends to boyfriends.