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He doesn't get why people do this to themselves.
He doesn't get why people do this to themselves, with him.
Baji glares down at the girl who's bowing, arms extended and envelope in her shaking hands. She's a nervous wreck, stumbling over her words and unable to look him in the eyes. He wants to scoff but he can't, because she's come all this way. The girl is brave, he'll give her that, and is actually one of the few people he doesn't mind hanging off of him. Baji just doesn't know what made her think she'd ever be any different from the other girls who approached him.
Sighing, he unglues himself from the hallway wall and taps her shoulder, giving her a strained smile.
"Not interested." he says, as gently as he can because he respects her for at least trying, its more than he could ever do. She visibly deflates, straightening her body and looks at him with wide brown eyes that absolutely should not have the same affect on him as if it were Mikey.
But fucking hell it does and now Baji is blushing as he figures out a way to tell the girl that yes he's flattered, really, but no because there's an infuriating blond that has pissed him off to no fucking end.
One that he also wouldn't be against kissing.
Kissing a lot.
"Sorry." he adds, as an afterthought, because he doesn't know just how much of her feelings are real but he knows from experience that this hurts and he really isn't trying to put people through unnecessary pain. She smiles at him but it's wobbly and fake, and he knows it. Hell the entire fucking hallway knows it, everyone stopping to watch like they were two circus freaks. Baji growls at them, baring his teeth in a snarl and like a movie unpaused they keep walking. Some people linger but enough disperse that he feels comfortable talking again.
He doesn't talk much, unless with Toman and its members.
Or arguing with the stupid pretty boy over proper kanji.
"I-I'm sorry." the girl-- really now, he should've paid attention to her name-- "I know you don't like all the people but I thought that if we were alone I'd be too scared to do anything."
He understands the sentiment and her line of thinking so he doesn't say anything, instead raising a brow because clearly she isn't finished talking yet. But maybe she misinterprets what she means because her face lights up and she backs away with frantic hand waves. "Nonono I didn't mean it like that!"
Like what? He wants to ask but doesn't because it dawns on him what she's implying and he snorts, rolling his eyes. And people said boys were natural perverts. "I know you didn't mean it like that." he says, a full sentence because the girl really is sweet and deserves that much at least.
Shame that Baji doesn't care too much for sweet things.
"Look." He starts off, voice rough and words minced and damn can't he sound nice just this once? The 17 year old takes a deep breath, mentally preparing to humiliate himself in the poor attempt of salvaging the dignity of a girl who's name he can't even remember. Great. Way to be a team player. "I admire your resolve."
He forgot he dissolves into extra formal speaking whenever he was uncomfortable. Thanks mom. Fuck it. "You're brave, very brave for approaching me with your feelings. It's something I can't do, and I envy you for it."
Envy? Non-existent god don't let Chifuyu walk by and hear him spewing this shit. "Frankly, I'm honored, but I'm...interested in someone else. Someone who doesn't share my sentiments, so trust me when I say I might know a bit of how you're feeling. I wouldn't wish this on anyone, so I'm sorry that I'm causing you pain."
He knows his face is red and honestly the girl doesn't look much better and contrary to the popular belief Baji can read the room and does have a sense of humor thank you very much so he starts to laugh, a low rumble.
Because what the fuck.
They probably look ridiculous. It only takes a moment until the girl is laughing with him and with some relief he can see that yes her smile is genuine.
It makes him happier than he'd ever admit to anyone. When they finally calm down, she gives him a smile. It's bittersweet, but strong and determined and for a brief moment the fighter is tempted to try things out with the person. She seems like a firecracker underneath the shy exterior, like someone Baji can truly see himself with. But the thought flees almost as soon as it arrives, chased out by sea green eyes and a foul mouth.
"Thank you." the girl says. "I mean it, I really do. Good luck as well. Whoever you end up with will be lucky to have you."
And quicker than he can react she leans forward, placing a peck on his cheek. Then walks off, a completely different person radiating confidence and fuck if a part of him isn't regretting his decision.
It's only after she's gone that Baji realizes she shoved the confession letter into his hands.
Sneaky girl.
He'll be sure to remember her.
"Seriously Baji, this is starting to get ridiculous." Emma says, pouting as he hands her the letter, knowing she put them all in a box for him. Call it sentimental but he really can't bring himself to get rid of something someone put their heart into, deep feelings or not. Besides, Emma isn't mad, not at him at least. She just doesn't like losing money to Mikey, and honestly? He understands the sentiment.
Baji wonders why the hell Mikey had so much faith in him, but he's sure it's more like the strange kid gets off on unknown odds. Especially on beating unknown odds. So the fighter just sneers at Emma and laughs when she takes away the note from his hands.
They're hanging out at Takemichi’s place for their annual Friday movie night since the guy lives all alone, but only half the crew is here.
Maybe he should pass the time with homework but who the fuck does that? Definitely not him, and besides, he can tell with the shared glance that those conniving siblings share that they likely have other plans too.
"So, Baji my dearest and most loyal companion--" Mikey starts with an evil kind of smirk and Baji has to give it to the Toman Commander because the blond can ego stroke like a fucking champ. "Emma and I have been talking."
"When are you going to confess to Chifuyu?" the other blond interjects with sparkling gold eyes, clearly not in mood for prolonged games. Baji sends her a death glare, cold enough to freeze hell over.
She only smiles.
"I won't." he says, not bothering to deny it because what the fuck is the point of that when they already know?
“Didn’t know you became such a pussy.” Mikey drawls in a bored tone designed to make him lose his shit.
Baji just barely manages to keep his cool, flipping off his long time friend and snorting at the lazy ‘ you first’.
Emma looks at him for a long moment before leaning in with a conspiratorial smirk. "I'll help you out. For a fee, of course. Watch over my idiot brother so that I can have a proper date with Draken."
"No thanks." Baji says, knowing that it's pointless because she has that look in her eyes which means the plan has already been concocted. What bullshit.
The movie is long and boring and Baji can't focus because for some god forsaken reason the damn blond idiot chose to sit next to him of all people. He always thought dress code was stupid but maybe the creators were on to something because Baji never realized just how distracting a shoulder could be.
Somehow their legs get tangled in a fight that the fighter firmly tells himself is not footsies.
Chifuyu is pressed up against his side on the small couch. He's warm.
Baji's thankful that the dark room hides the blush in his face.
It's not until Monday that Emmai makes good on her promise. Baji knows that she's made good on her promise because the moment he walks in all eyes turn to him. He growls and makes his way to his desk, not bothering to acknowledge the calculating stare that Chifuyu is giving him. He has no idea with what the damn girl told him, and its too fucking early in the morning to try and figure it out.
He catches the eye of the girl from Friday and she gives him a small nod. He nods back.
There's a disturbingly disorienting moment where his body reacts before his mind and suddenly Baji has a lean ankle in his grasp and his eyes trail traitorously up sinfully long legs. Really though, is it truly his fault? No one should be allowed to have a body that attractive. It simply went against all logic.
He gave the boy an arrogant smirk, releasing his leg.
It wasn't random starting up a fight for no reason, just to stir up each other’s blood, but it hadn't happened in a while. "The hell has your panties in a twist, Fuyu?"
Baji thinks he can hear a vein pop in Chifuyu's forehead and he can't even find it properly funny because the whipped part of him is worried. He doesn't have to be though, because then Chifuyu slams a single sheet of notebook paper onto the desk.
At the bottom of the sheet is a single sticker heart and without bothering to try and read the words under the tutor's hands, he knows what it is.
"Finally got someone who looked past your stupid haircut?" Baji drawls, raising a brow and fixing Chifuyu with the most disinterested glare he can muster.
He tells himself silently that tracking down and threatening to dismember the poor girl that confessed would not be something that his friends would approve of.
Chifuyu gives him an incredulous stare, something unidentifiable swimming in that emerald gaze, before lifting the paper, showing the simple note and its signature.
I like you, you shitty tutor.
-K.
Baji decides to go back on his earlier restraint and kill Emma. But then, he knows she truly means to help him. He studies the paper, then studies Chifuyu's face, which grows darker and darker shades of red the longer he looks.
Cute. Very cute but bad brain that is not the current focus right now.
The thing is, Chifuyu knows what his handwriting looks like, and that isn't his handwriting. With a small quirk of his lips, Baji realizes that Emma is giving him an out. Forcing his head, but showing the exit.
He asks himself if he really wants to leave, especially when it's all right here.
"Rare to see you mad about a confession." he says airily, not really looking the blond in the eye, but not looking away either. He'd rather not do this with an audience but suddenly he understands what that girl meant.
There's a certain expectation hanging in the air for him to speak, so he speaks. Peer pressure is a bitch.
Chifuyu shakes the paper roughly, shoving it in his face like he missed the point which he did but it was on purpose.
"It's a confession from you." the pale teen hisses and ouch it hurts. Not that Baji expected anything less but he didn't realize someone could make a second person noun sound like such a curse.
Apparently thats possible.
But then Chifuyu has always good at whatever he puts his mind to. "You understand what I'm saying right?"
Yes.
He understands but why is the other making such a big deal about it. The blond is no stranger to LGBTQ+ Yuzuha being lesbian, Mikey being aroace, and Takemichi bi-curious.
Sure the guy is straighter than a ruler but is it such a surprise that Baji doesn't give a fuck which team he ends up on? He just wants the best.
Bastard should really be flattered that for some unholy reason the fighter considers him the best.
He gives Chifuyui an unimpressed glare and says, "What of it?"
The stupid pseudo tutor shuts down and seems to break. Baji finds it amusing.
Their teacher walks in and class starts before the blond can say anything back.
It's only after the fact that Baji realizes he just confessed.
When class is over he does not run. He speedily walks home. He pretends not to hear Chifuyu's call of " Bajjiiiii!"
When Baji goes to school the next day, Kana-- because he finally fucking remembered her name-- is at his desk, bucket in one hand and wet rag in the other. She pauses in what she's doing before beckoning him over. There's words all over his spot, written in permanent marker and partially washed clean but it's not too hard to make out.
Faggot.
Gay.
Go die with a dick up your ass. But you'd probably like that.
I can't believe I confessed to a fruit cake.
I never really liked him anyways.
He glances up at Kana who's wearing a tense expression, her eyes burning with fierce fire and Baji gives her a rare, genuine smile because she fucking deserves it. "These are all false but hell, that last one sounds shit deep in denial."
She snorts, the dark look on her face fading and she throws the rag at him, reflexes the only thing keeping it from slapping him across the chest. "I did what I could." the girl says and damn she really is totally different. “You can handle the rest.”
Chifuyu doesn't show up to class and someone makes a slick remark that Baji scared him off. Something about it makes sense the womanizer would go pussy.
Baji decks the smug, homophobic son of a bitch and breaks his fucking nose-- who's bleeding like a pussy now you fucking asshole? He tells the fuckwad that Chifuyu isn't scared of shit, and then he gets kicked out of class.
The gang is just as insufferable. Chifuyu has been missing for a few days now and the only person he'll talk to is Takemichi. Even then the conversations are short. Surprising, but insight to just how serious it is.
Baji won't apologize for his sexuality, or for liking the other, who greatly deserves affection but he can't help feeling that the whole situation is his fault-- which it is.
Souya pouts constantly and Hakkai turns to say something, only to realize that Chifuyu isn't there.
Even Emma and Mikey seem out of it and it's starting to grate on his nerves. Ignoring him was fine, but this was starting to affect their friends.
He stands outside Chifuyu's door, asking himself why the hell he's here.
He knows why, but doesn't know why.
He has no clue what is going to happen and frankly he's terrified. Even Nahoya's signature grin doesn't help.
But he's here and he has nowhere else to go.
Baji knocks on the door and like magic it opens, revealing Chifuyu on the other side. The blond's hair is disheveled and there are bags under his green eyes and maybe Baji shouldn't be so giddy over the thought that the other has been losing sleep over him.
Chifuyu.
Sleep.
Sleeping.
Chifuyu had been sleeping.
And holy fucking shit the blond decides to answer the door without a fucking shirt on what the hell. Now Baji's growling like some rabid animal and he has no fucking idea where to put his eyes.
Why, holy shit why are Chifuyu's pants so low and what 16 year old has the fucking gall to somehow gain a V-line that prominent.
Up. Baji thinks. Up. Like that fucking movie with the balloons because honestly he feels like he's floating right now. He looks up. Up, because there's nothing tantalizing in that direction.
How could he forget that Chifuyu has a face?
Stupid. Stupidly attractive face that he's only seen part of, damn it and shouldn't be this enamored with it. But the eyes. The eyes. Why would an eye be so fucking blue-green? Huh? Who thought of that shit?
It's not fair. It's not fair at all. Especially when they spar and Baji can see right through those dumb blond curtains of hair into his eyes. Plural.
And suddenly Baji thinks he understands why Chifuyu keeps such heavy bangs, nearly covering his face. Those eyes are a deep, deep blue, and endless pit that could flood the world and drown everyone in it.
But the fighter has always been an exceptionally strong swimmer.
His body moves without consent, and really it should stop doing that because now there's plump lips pressed against his own and--
There's lips pressed against his own.
There's his hands on warm hips slowly caressing creamy skin and there's the scent of yakisoba and its spicy. There's so much. There's too much.
Baji is kissing Chifuyu. Baji initiated a kiss with Chifuyu. Baji is fucking putty and a low hum thats really a hushed moan slips past his mouth before he can restrain it.
Chifuyu kicks the shit out of Baji. So hard it knocks the air out of his chest.
Chifuyu’s eyes are wide and furious. His brows are furrowed and mouth tilted in a frustrated line.
Baji is no coward. Baji is not afraid.
Baji runs. He runs fast, as fast as his legs will take him because he's not ready to hear it yet. Not at all.
All the girls he's turned down and yet he can't face the one thing he's done over and over again.
Baji runs.
Chifuyu follows.