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Kenjirou is in the middle of breakfast, cheeks full of food, when he hears his classmates groaning. “Here he comes again,” one of them mutters under his breath and Kenjirou doesn’t need to turn around to know exactly who he’s referring to.
“Please, Shirabu-san!” Goshiki begs for the seventh time this week. “I need help with Potions or I’m gonna fail my class!”
“Why would I?” Kenjirou glares at his classmates before getting to his feet to drag Goshiki away from the Slytherin table. It’s not a secret that he’s dating the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but that doesn’t mean he likes making a show out of it.
“Because I’m your boyfriend and you love me?” Goshiki asks, struggling to catch his pace and follow him outside the Great Hall.
“I’m gonna need a better reason than that,” Kenjirou scoffs, the tips of his ears warming up.
“Because you’re the best at Potions and I’ll owe you a favor?” Goshiki tries again.
He knows him well enough, striking right where Kenjirou can’t resist. “Alright, but you’re gonna listen and follow my every instruction,” he warns, changing route towards the Room of Requirement.
“I always do!”
Kenjirou doesn’t even bother to argue he never does. This is far from being the first time he’s had to help him with potions. Goshiki is brilliant at Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but more detail-oriented classes like Potions or Herbology are too much for him. With the attention span of an overexcited dog, he lacks the patience to follow any kind of instructions and ends up messing up trying to skip steps.
He’s relieved to find there’s no one else there. There’s a cauldron waiting for them, most of the walls covered in bookshelves and cabinets with everything they could ever need and more. The sooner they can get to work, the sooner he can go back to his essay on nonverbal spells.
“What do you need help with?” Kenjirou asks, picking up a copy of Advanced Potion-Making from the bookshelf. He knows most fifth-year potions recipes by heart already, but if he wants to make sure Goshiki starts following instructions then he might as well lead with the example.
“Well… Everything, probably,” Goshiki rubs the side of his neck. It’s not easy for him to admit he doesn’t know how to do something, and Kenjirou feels kind of special being able to see that side of him. “But would you help me brew a Draught of Peace?”
“Sure,” Kenjirou nods, keeping to himself how fitting it is that Goshiki of all people would be struggling to mix a potion against anxiety.
Flipping through the pages until he finds what he’s looking for, he carefully places the book between them on the table, where they can both read its contents.
“First, you want to make sure you have everything you’ll need at hand,” he starts, “or you'll end up like you always do, running around the classroom looking for an ingredient while your potion burns.”
Goshiki hmpfs but doesn’t argue, Kenjirou’s already scolded him for that same reason more than once. After starting the fire—way too high—and picking up some powdered moonstone—way too much—, Goshiki gets to work, eyebrows furrowed and tongue poking out in concentration. As much as Kenjirou would love to just stare at him and commit his dumb expression to memory, he has to intervene not two minutes after Goshiki’s started his potion.
“You have to stir it before adding more moonstone,” he says, grabbing Goshiki by the wrist right before he messes up.
“What’s the point if I’m adding more anyway?”
“Do you want my help or not?”
“I do…”
“Then follow the instructions,” Kenjirou insists. “Stir until it turns blue and then add more moonstone.” He waits until Goshiki nods before letting go of his arm. “And remember to stir clockwise first.” Goshiki blinks at him and Kenjirou has to hold back a groan. “To your right,” he says, not surprised at all when Goshiki starts stirring left instead. “To your other right, Tsutomu.”
Instead of correcting his movements, Goshiki slows to a halt, looking at him with eyes wide open. “What?” Kenjirou frowns. “It says right there—”
“You called me Tsutomu.”
Kenjirou can feel his cheeks on fire. “I did not.”
“You did!”
“Do you want my help or not?” Kenjirou repeats.
Goshiki doesn’t answer, but the smug smile on his face does it for him. He’s probably thinking something stupid and sappy and Kenjirou needs to shut him up before he makes him lose composure again. “If they make you try this potion on yourself and it’s wrong, you’ll miss the rest of the Quidditch season.”
That seems to do the trick, sending Goshiki into a frenzy to follow his instructions. He somehow manages to set his sleeve on fire, melt the bottom of his cauldron and it’s only on the third try that he gets an acceptable result. Kenjirou still makes him do it all over again a fourth time, just because he can.
“I’m amazed you haven’t blown up the school yet,” he says, sitting on the couch on the other side of the room. It’s almost like the Room of Requirements knew his reward for helping would be cuddles he wouldn’t ask for but Goshiki would give him anyway.
Goshiki knows it too, for he hurries to clean up and plop down next to him, arms immediately wrapping around his waist. “What if I fail and they take me off the team?”
“They’d never take you off the team,” Kenjirou says, “You’re the best player they have.” Even without looking at him, Kenjirou knows he’s gleaming with pride at the praise.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Goshiki replies without missing a beat. Kenjirou would love to call him out for being so conceited, but he knows it’s the truth. He wouldn’t have said so in the first place if it wasn’t. “Would you help me with the rest of the potions, just in case?” Goshiki asks, shifting their positions so they’re lying down.
Kenjirou makes himself comfortable, resting his head on Goshiki’s chest before replying, “You’ll owe me lots of favors.”
“I can deal with that,” Goshiki chuckles, leaning in to press a kiss to his temple. “Thanks for helping me today, Kenjirou.”
Hiding his blush against the crook of Goshiki’s neck, Kenjirou mumbles something that sounds close enough to “You’re welcome, Tsutomu.”