Work Text:
Chifuyu scribbled into his notebook as though his life depended on it. It was a Friday afternoon and he was desperate to finish copying the teacher’s lecture notes before the bell chimed to announce the end of the school day.
As soon as the bell rang, he sat upright in his chair and slammed the notebook shut. Hakkai startled in his seat next to him. “Chifuyu, you’re done already?”
Chifuyu grinned as he shoved his pencil into its case and stacked his notebooks. “Yeah. My hand’s cramping right now, but it’s worth it. I’m gonna go hang out with Baji-san and Kazutora-kun!”
Hakkai blinked at Chifuyu twice, realization suddenly flashing in his eyes. “Oh! Yeah! Today is Halloween! I’m supposed to meet Taka-chan so we can watch movies and eat candy with Luna and Mana!”
Chifuyu slung his bag over his shoulder. “You know, for being a couple, you and Mitsuya sure spend a lot of dates just hanging out with his little sisters.”
Hakkai blushed and scratched his cheek. “Yeah, I guess… but after we put them to sleep and his mom comes home from work, Taka-chan and I are gonna change into our costumes and go to Takemitchy’s party. Will we see you guys there?”
Chifuyu shook his head and headed for the door. “Nah. I just picked up the new Biohazard game, and we’re gonna see if we can beat it in one night. But tell everyone we said hi! I’ll let you know on Monday how scary the game was.”
Hakkai grinned and waved goodbye. Chifuyu stepped out of the classroom and rounded the corner of the hallway before almost colliding with a familiar figure leaning against the wall. “Baji-san!”
Baji glanced up from the book he was squinting at. “Chifuyu! You ready to go yet?”
Chifuyu nodded and smiled when Baji ruffled his hair and slung an arm around his shoulders.
“Kazutora’s school lets him out a little later. Did you already pick up the game, or do we have to go get it now?”
“I got it yesterday! We just have to get Kazutora and stop by the store to pick up snacks.”
Baji grinned. “Fuck yeah. Who’s gonna shit themselves first because of the game, you or ‘Tora?”
Chifuyu snorted. “It’s not gonna be me.”
Baji’s head fell back as he laughed, and Chifuyu felt his own smile growing. They continued discussing the game and guessing which parts would be the scariest as they let muscle memory lead them on the path to Kazutora’s school.
---
Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves waiting outside the gates. They scanned the crowd of students exiting the school’s doors and spotted Kazutora in the distance.
“Oi, ‘Fuyu.”
Chifuyu looked at Baji, noting the huge toothy smile on his face. “Wanna try scaring Kazutora? I’ll buy us the snacks at the store tonight if you can get him.”
“...Deal. Here, hold onto this.” Chifuyu handed Baji his school bag and turned around. He crept closer to the gates, catching a better glimpse of Kazutora who had his head down, concentrating on his flip phone.
He glanced back at Baji, who kept smiling and offered Chifuyu a thumbs up. Chifuyu focused once more on his target and mentally counted down before holding his hands up like claws and pouncing.
“BOO!!”
Kazutora stopped dead in his tracks, his thumb hovering above the keypad of his phone. His head snapped up, then turned towards Chifuyu. Golden eyes met his own, wide and unblinking. Chifuyu’s mischievous grin remained plastered on his face, but Kazutora didn’t falter. His stare was both a question and a challenge, and after several more seconds, Chifuyu realized Kazutora wasn’t going to be the one to back down first. “...Okay, okay, I get it. Sorry. Baji-san dared me to. Stop looking at me like that! It’s fucking creepy!”
Chifuyu slinked away and snatched his school bag from Baji, who was shaking with silent laughter. Chifuyu pouted and started walking ahead in the direction of the convenience store.
“Baji-san! You knew he wasn’t gonna jump at all! You tricked me.”
Baji’s laughter had morphed into coughing and wheezing, which made Chifuyu even more determined to pout all the way to the store. He heard footsteps behind him, assuming Baji was going to catch up to him and tell him to stop. Instead, he said something else.
“Chifuyu? You should run.”
He hadn’t even had time to process the warning when Kazutora made impact, his arm hooking around Chifuyu’s neck and his knuckles rubbing painful circles into Chifuyu’s scalp. He yelped and grabbed the length of Kazutora’s grown-out mullet in an attempt to free himself. Despite not holding back, Kazutora’s grip didn’t budge.
“You’ll have to try harder than that, ‘Fuyu! I actually enjoy getting my hair pulled.”
Chifuyu immediately released his hold on Kazutora’s hair and flushed red at Kaztuora’s suggestive joke. Kazutora joined Baji in laughing at him and removed his own fist from Chifuyu’s hair, opting to keep his other arm around his neck.
“Just kidding. Unless-“
Chifuyu smacked Kazutora’s chest to cut him off. “SHUT UP! Don’t ever finish that sentence- ew, ugh, I don’t wanna have to think about that.”
Kazutora’s arm now kept Chifuyu from walking ahead, so he resigned himself to being teased by his two best friends as they made their way to the convenience store a few blocks away from his apartment.
---
At the convenience store, Kazutora watched Chifuyu make a beeline for the instant yakisoba. He scrunched his nose as he watched Chifuyu throw three boxes into their basket. “Do you consume anything other than noodles? Ever tried eating a vegetable for once in your life?”
Chifuyu narrowed his eyes and stuck his tongue out childishly. “Tch. Like your diet’s any better? I’m getting enough for the three of us to share tonight, so don’t be ungrateful.”
Before Kazutora could retort, Baji approached them from behind and tossed a package of Halloween candies and a few packets of cat treats into the basket. “Hurry it up, we have to feed the strays on the way home! They might think we aren’t coming and decide to leave!”
Chifuyu, as obedient as he always was towards Baji, huffed once at Kazutora and then stomped towards the drink aisle to grab their usual canned coffees. Kazutora couldn’t hold back his smile as he trailed behind, waiting for Chifuyu to buy everything before exiting the store.
They walked for a few minutes, eventually stopping at an alleyway that branched off from a street near Baji and Chifuyu’s apartment building. Kazutora watched on as the two boys performed their usual task of feeding the stray cats they knew would gather here each day.
One by one, cats came from the bushes and jumped down the brick wall to gather at their feet. He recognized one of them, a chubby tortoiseshell with a bobbed tail, as the cat which Baji had excitedly given him updates on after nursing it back from a bad cold. He was glad to see he had put on as much weight as it had, knowing it was skinny when Baji first found it.
The three remained there until each cat had been fed, laughing when one of them had snagged Chifuyu’s uniform pants with her claw while begging for seconds and delighting in how effective Kazutora’s bell earring was as a makeshift cat toy.
“Alright, I think they’re good for now. Thanks, guys.” Baji stood up as the last cat scurried into the bushes. “Are we ready to go eat?”
Chifuyu nodded. “I’m almost hungry enough to eat some of Kazutora’s cooking.”
Kazutora ignored the jab because he knew it to be somewhat true. He had set off a smoke alarm or two in both Baji and Chifuyu’s homes. He nudged Chifuyu with his elbow and responded in a sing-song voice, “Well, ‘Fuyu, it’s a good thing you’re cooking tonight!”
---
The three boys entered Chifuyu’s apartment and kicked their shoes off. Chifuyu left the plastic bags of food on his kitchen countertop and put on his apron. He filled a kettle,placed it on the stove, and started tearing open the instant yakisoba packages.
Kazutora headed for Chifuyu’s bedroom to set up the futon before pausing. “Wait, guys, it’s Halloween and none of us are dressed up. I know we’re just staying in together, but it’s still kinda lame.”
Baji threw his bag on Chifuyu’s bed and started rifling through it. “I thought about that already. I know this isn’t technically a costume, but it counts as one to me, and it’s perfect for staying in.”
He pulled out three packages, tossed one to Kazutora, then began opening his own. “What is it?” Chifuyu asked from the kitchen.
“Headbands!” Baji called out. He tore his open and slid the headband over his head, pulling it up from around his neck and letting it push his long hair back.
“Keroppi?” Kazutora asked, amused.
“Yeah, and yours is Kuromi, Chifuyu’s is Cinnamoroll. They reminded me of you guys, y’know? One’s goth and one has blue eyes. I would’ve probably gotten Badtzmaru for myself, but it was sold out. I actually don’t mind Keroppi.” To prove his point, Baji grinned and threw up a peace sign.
Kazutora slipped the headband on and smiled at his reflection in Chifuyu’s mirror. “It’s cute, but it’s definitely gonna clash with my pajamas.”
Chifuyu entered his room and took his own headband from Baji, feeling the plush material before trying it on.
“That wouldn’t be an issue if you didn’t wear leopard print, Kazutora. Honestly, everything clashes with that.”
Kazutora approached Chifuyu and used one of the headband’s floppy ears to smack him in the face. He went on to finish setting up the futon they would all sleep on while Baji’s subsequent laugh made both Kazutora and Chifuyu crack smiles.
“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that if you have dinner ready for us in the next ten minutes.” Kazutora knew his tone didn’t sound threatening anymore, but he was used to playfully teasing Chifuyu any chance he got.
“You got it.”
---
After dinner, Chifuyu told Kazutora and Baji to prepare the game while he finished cleaning up. “Chifuyu! I’m turning your Gamecube on!” Baji called from Chifuyu’s bedroom.
“Go ahead! I’m gonna finish up in the kitchen and I’ll meet you there!”
Kazutora threw away his coffee can before ruffling Chifuyu’s hair and padding into his room, taking a seat beside Baji. “So… this is a game about…?”
“Zombies. It’s like science fiction and zombies. Chifuyu’s played one of these games and he said it was really scary. I’ve watched him play a little and I’d have to agree.”
Chifuyu joined them on the futon.
“Yeah, it can be pretty intense. I wanna see Kazutora-kun play it!”
Kazutora glanced down at the controller being handed to him, then up at his best friend’s eyes, both shining with excitement. “Whatever you say, I guess.”
An hour and forty-five minutes in, Kazutora could sense that Chifuyu was ready to tear his hair out.
“This isn’t fun at all. Kazutora isn’t reacting to any of the scary stuff! He’s basically just walking around. I want a refund.”
Kazutora glanced at Chifuyu and then Baji, who seemed more bored than anything. “Would it be better if one of you two played? It’s kinda straightforward to me… isn’t it like a spooky puzzle-solving game? I think the scariest part of the game is the shitty aiming. The graphics look pretty good, though.”
Chifuyu snatched the controller and sighed. “Yeah, I’ll take over. Baji-san probably shouldn’t play it... a few years ago we were at the arcade and Baji-san broke the machine when he reacted to one of the zombie shooter games.”
He was smiling fondly. “We had to run before the employees realized what he did. We avoided that arcade for months after that, until we heard that they had repaired the machine and that the CCTV didn’t capture who broke it.”
Kazutora raised an eyebrow and snorted in amusement. “So that’s the kind of crimes you were committing while I was locked up, huh?”
Baji blushed and kicked Kazutora’s leg. “Shut up…it would’ve gone down the same if you had been with us anyways.”
Baji scooted closer behind Chifuyu and rested his chin on his shoulder, wrapping his arms around his waist.
“I wanna watch ‘Fuyu play now. He gets really into it, but he isn’t as fast at solving the puzzles as you were.”
Chifuyu scoffed as he used a key from his inventory to unlock a new door. He entered the new area and immediately gasped when a zombie grabbed Leon Kennedy and forced Chifuyu to mash the “A” button to escape. As soon as he was free, he lifted his gun to fire three shots at the attacker. He tried reloading the gun before realizing he had run out of ammo.
“What the fuck?? Kazutora, did you not pick up enough ammo?” Chifuyu desperately scrolled in his inventory to find healing items as he limped away from the zombie. He walked right into another zombie and flinched. “Dammit, you didn’t even grab any green herbs or first aid spray- I’m gonna fucking die here!”
Kazutora shrugged as Leon was tackled to the ground and had his throat ripped out. The words ‘ You Are Dead ’ appeared in shimmering red letters on the screen.
“You motherfucker, did you even save in the last safe room you came across?”
Kazutora smirked. “I don’t remember. Even if I didn’t, isn’t it more fun this way?”
Chifuyu groaned as he selected the ‘ Continue ’ button. Baji snickered and hugged his waist tighter, whispering into his ear. “Relax, ‘Fuyu. Don’t get so worked up over a little game!”
Chifuyu blushed and not-so-subtly leaned into Baji’s embrace.
Kazutora blinked and looked away, suddenly feeling like he had witnessed a tender exchange that he wasn’t meant to see. He felt a weird knot in his stomach. Was it jealousy? Towards Chifuyu? Or maybe towards Baji? He stared at his chipped black nail polish and started picking at the edges. He remained silent as Chifuyu lamented having to start the game’s current chapter from the beginning.
“Hey, ‘Tora, look at me.”
He glanced up and saw Baji staring directly at him. “…You want in on this? You should sit behind me.”
Kazutora raised one eyebrow. Did Baji notice him looking away? Did he think their cuddling had made him uncomfortable? Maybe it had, but he really didn’t want to unpack that right now.
“Baji…that’s kinda…” Kazutora trailed off, hoping Baji wasn’t pitying him at that moment.
“Don’t you want to? It’s fine with me, and it makes it easier to spectate. Plus, it’ll warm you up, since you insist on sleeping in that tank top.”
Kazutora clicked his tongue. He and Baji had always been touchy with each other, and this would be no different, right? Only this time Chifuyu was there too, and he was still blushing. Whatever that was about, it shouldn’t interfere with their usual dynamic.
He situated himself behind Baji and relaxed onto his back, mirroring the way Baji was embracing Chifuyu. Baji grabbed his arms and brought them around his own waist, then circled his arms around Chifuyu.
“There. Now we’re like a train! Imagine if they made an extra long seat for bikes so we could all ride together like this!”
The three of them laughed at the ridiculous image that came to mind, and Kazutora found himself able to calm down again. With every jumpscare, he felt Chifuyu and Baji stiffen. He found himself automatically hugging Baji tighter in an attempt to soothe him, and whispering advice into Chifuyu’s ear whenever he seemed stuck.
---
Around three o’clock in the morning, Chifuyu had almost made it to the game’s third boss. They had been playing for several hours straight.
“Hey, does anyone want a break before I try to fight this boss? Maybe we should stretch and get some water or tea?”
Baji detangled himself from the other boys and stood up first, yawning. “I’ll go make us some tea, then I think I’ll brush my teeth. I wanna go to sleep right after you beat it.”
He walked out of Chifuyu’s room and Kazutora stood up to follow him, then paused. “Hey, Chifuyu. Wanna see me get revenge on Baji?”
Chifuyu looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows. “For what? Making me try to scare you earlier? What do you have in mind?”
Kazutora gestured towards the bathroom. “There. When he’s washing his face and brushing his teeth, he’ll be distracted. If I hide in the shower right now, I can scare the shit out of him. The gameplay’s been getting to him, and I can tell he’s on edge right now.”
Chifuyu looked conflicted.
“Don’t you think Baji looks kinda cute when he gets scared? I think it’ll be funny.” Kazutora smugly watched Chifuyu’s expression change at that.
“…Yeah, okay. I won’t tell him you’re in there.”
That was how Kazutora found himself standing in Chifuyu’s shower with the curtain drawn, holding his breath. He listened intently as Baji opened and closed the door, turned the sink on and let the water run over his toothbrush before applying toothpaste to the bristles.
Kazutora debated whether to strike when Baji was brushing his teeth or washing his face, since he’d have his eyes closed then.
He hadn’t had much time to plan his attack when the shower curtain came at him. Hard.
The curtain rod clattered as the fabric fell down over Kazutora, taken down by the force of Baji’s punch.
“Huh?? Kazutora? You were in there? Fuck, I’m sorry.”
Baji reached out to help Kazutora out from under the curtain. He was too stunned to process the dull ache from the punch that had made contact with his shoulder. Baji held his shoulders steady while he assessed him.
“‘Tora, are you hurt? I’m really sorry, I was just-”
Kazutora cut him off. “Baji. Did you just fucking punch me? Without knowing I was even back there in the first place?”
Baji’s face grew red and he looked away sheepishly. “I…didn’t really think about it. I just thought I heard something there and guess I just …reacted.”
Chifuyu’s laughter from the other room made Baji blush more, and he let go of Kazutora’s arms when he confirmed that he hadn’t actually hurt him beyond what would probably become a bruise.
“You guys teaming up against me or somethin’? It’s good to see you gettin’ along. I hope you’re happy.” he smiled big in spite of the teasing and patted Kazutora’s head before turning around to finish getting ready for bed.
By the sound of Chifuyu giggling and gasping for air, Kazutora could tell he was happy. Even if it had been at his own expense, he relished seeing Chifuyu enjoying it.
Once Baji finished getting ready for bed, Kazutora and Chifuyu followed suit. They settled down one last time to watch Chifuyu take on the boss, huddling together and cheering when Chifuyu barely cleared it on his second try.
Kazutora laid down on the left side of the large futon, leaving space for Baji and Chifuyu. Once Baji had turned the console and TV off, he joined Kazutora and they waited for Chifuyu to switch off the lamp in the room. They settled in under the covers and exchanged sleepy “good nights”, eventually falling silent.
“Wait!”
Chifuyu sat up and kicked the large blanket off of himself, making Baji groan. He dashed out of his room and was gone for less than thirty seconds before returning with a black mass in his arms. Kazutora squinted in the darkness and realized that it was his cat, Peke J.
Chifuyu placed Peke J on top of Baji’s stomach and climbed back under the covers. Peke J remained still before adjusting to his new location and curling into a ball to fall asleep on top of Baji. Kazutora smiled at both Baji and Chifuyu petting Peke J with their eyes closed and allowed himself to scratch the cat behind his ears while falling asleep to the sound of purring.
---
The following morning, Baji woke up to the sunlight that drifted through Chifuyu’s curtains. He blinked and tried to sit up, finding himself unable to. The weight of two bodies kept him pinned down, and he craned his neck to find both Kazutora and Chifuyu clinging to him, their heads resting on his chest. He smiled fondly at his best friends and brought his arms up to wrap around them, hugging them closer.
He stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying the rhythm of their breaths against his neck and letting his mind swim with overwhelming feelings of love. He knew loved Kazutora and Chifuyu, and for months he had been wrestling internally with the desire to make those feelings known, and the desire to protect their friendship and avoid hurting anyone.
He was sure that, to a degree, his feelings were returned by both of them. What he wasn’t sure of was whether or not either one of them would be accepting of the fact that he wanted them both . Baji had never been interested in a romantic relationship with anyone until he met Chifuyu, and while spending time with both of them after coming to that realization, he grew to understand that he wanted the same from Kazutora. Baji swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he dwelled on his own selfishness and inhaled deeply.
He felt Chifuyu stir and he paused mid-exhale, raising his hand from Chifuyu’s arm. Chifuyu only let out a soft sigh and hugged Baji tighter, snuggling further into his chest.
Baji couldn’t stand it anymore. Maybe he was being selfish, but he felt like he was going to burst if he didn’t express himself. His gaze landed on the top of Chifuyu’s head, where golden sun rays were making his fluffy hair glow. He gently leaned over and planted a kiss on top of his head. He remained that way for a second, trying to memorize the feeling of soft locks brushing against his lips before a voice spoke.
“Where’s mine?”
Baji jolted and looked at Kazutora in horror. The boy had one eye open, peeking at Baji through his messy black bangs. There was a smile on his face, and Baji knew that Kazutora could hear and feel his own heart hammering from his position against his chest.
“You- huh? You were awake??”
Kazutora yawned sleepily and hummed in affirmation. “I felt you moving around and touching my arm. My eyes were closed but I was awake. Then I felt you stretch and I opened my eyes and saw you kiss him.”
Baji didn’t think he could feel any more embarrassed. He said nothing as Kazutora continued in a quiet voice.
“…It’s fine with me by the way. I know that you like him. I kinda do, too. Actually, I was thinking of asking him out on a date soon, but when I talked to Inupi about it, he said I should try being nicer to him first. It’s kinda hard for me though, because we’ve always teased each other and I think he sees me as competition for you.”
Shit. Kazutora liked Chifuyu, too? That was news to Baji. He’d known that Kazutora returned his own feelings for some time, but they’re always danced around that. Baji stayed silent and waited for Kazutora to continue.
“When I think about you guys, and the fact that he definitely likes you back, I think that if you asked him out he’d definitely say yes. I know you guys have a longer history, well, not as long as you and me, but still- I guess I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this, except I like you and Chifuyu but maybe you guys would be happier together, and I just-”
Baji could tell Kazutora was starting to get anxious now, as he rambled and stared somewhere far away. He figured that since he’d already been caught, he might as well completely let his feelings be known. He ducked down and kissed Kazutora’s forehead.
Kazutora went silent and Baji watched as his golden eyes refocused on his own face. His expression said nothing about how he was feeling, so Baji steeled his nerves and spoke.
“Kazutora. I have a crush on you. I’ve had a crush on you and Chifuyu for a long time. Both of you. Equally.”
He still felt warmth creeping up his neck and face as he confessed, but felt instant relief as Kazutora’s stoney expression gave way to a small smile.
“Damn, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one, then.”
Baji returned the smile and Kazutora tilted his head up to give Baji a peck on his lips. He pulled back and gauged Baji’s reaction before leaning in for more.
“Wait- ‘Tora, we still have morning breath.”
Kazutora pouted but relented, returning his head to Baji’s chest and tracing shapes into it with his index finger. “Fine. We shouldn’t do too much while Chifuyu is still sleeping, anyways. I’m gonna try to sleep some more, but when ‘Fuyu wakes up I think we need to talk about this together.”
Baji hummed in agreement and closed his eyes to sleep for another hour or two. He focused on the shapes Kazutora was tracing into his skin and realized it was a heart, over and over again.
---
Hours later, Chifuyu woke up. He sat up slowly, blinking and rubbing his eyes. He looked to his left and saw Baji and Kazutora were no longer on the futon next to him. He scanned his bedroom for his friends and saw them sitting on his actual bed behind him, reading one of his manga volumes. Kazutora was holding the manga and leaning against Baji’s chest, much like how the three of them had been while Chifuyu was gaming the night before. This time, though, Chifuyu sensed something was… different . Baji was nuzzling Kazutora’s cheek with his nose until he caught sight of Chifuyu awake on the futon.
“Oh! Mornin’ ‘Fuyu!” Baji called. Kazutora looked at Chifuyu and smiled.
Chifuyu swallowed hard as he felt a lump form in his throat and a pit in his stomach. He threw the covers off of his legs and stood up to go to the bathroom. “Morning!” he blurted over his shoulder, rushing and closing the bathroom door behind him.
He ducked down to splash water on his face before staring at his reflection in the mirror. Even as he attempted to calm himself down, he could see his eyes reddening as he felt tears pricking behind them. Did Baji and Kazutora just get together? Had something changed overnight while they were sleeping? Should he have seen this coming all along?
He had realized that he had a crush on both of them, but told himself that his silly crushes weren’t worth risking their friendship over. He hadn’t thought of the possibility that they would simply start dating and leave him behind. He wanted to yell at himself for letting himself hesitate to confess to Baji or Kazutora before this happened, whatever this was. Instead, he clutched at his chest and throat and took deep breaths, willing himself to ignore the tightness he suddenly felt throughout his body. He splashed water on his face again and prepared himself to face them like nothing had happened.
When he opened the door, he was surprised to find they had both moved back to the futon they had slept on. His eyes fell on their joined hands, and he felt the tears welling up behind his eyes again. So much for calming down.
“Oi, Chifuyu, can we talk?” Baji asked.
Chifuyu stayed standing, staring at their hands.
“I promise you’re not in trouble.” Kazutora added, and Chifuyu scoffed at his little joke while sitting down in front of them.
“Okay. What’s up?” Chifuyu asked quietly.
Now that they were actually seated together, Baji didn’t know how to start the conversation. He frowned and opened his mouth, then closed it. Kazutora squeezed his hand and he coughed before trying again.
“Chifuyu… you and Kazutora are my best friends. I don’t know who I would be without both of you in my life. Even though Kazutora and I have been through some of life’s worst experiences together, I wouldn’t trade those for the world. Chifuyu, please look at me.”
Chifuyu looked away from their hands and looked into Baji’s brown eyes, which seemed to be filled with worry and something else.
“Chifuyu, I’ve only known you for a few years in comparison, but we’ve been through a lot, too. I feel like you understand me just as much as Kazutora does. Sometimes, it’s like you know me even better. I don’t usually need to say what I’m feeling for you to understand me, so I hope you understand me when it comes to this,”
Baji paused as though he was considering what he wanted to say, and continued.
“Kazutora told me he has romantic feelings for me this morning, and I told him I feel the same way.”
Chifuyu blinked and felt the first tear roll down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away and nodded, silently cursing himself for letting it happen.
“But Chifuyu, that’s not all, I- fuck, I really didn’t think about exactly how I wanted to say this part. Fuck, wait, ‘Fuyu, don’t cry, shit- ‘Tora, can you help me explain?”
Kazutora scooted forward and wiped more of Chifuyu’s tears away.
“Chifuyu, this morning I saw Baji giving you a kiss while you were sleeping. That’s kinda how this whole thing started, so please don’t cry, ‘kay?”
Chifuyu sniffled and stared at Kazutora, searching for any sign in his eyes that would indicate he was lying.
“C’mon, don’t look at me like that. Did you seriously not notice he’s been head over heels for you all this time? You can ask him to confirm it.”
Chifuyu didn’t feel like he could ask right now, because he felt like he could barely talk over the tightness that was in his throat. Instead, he looked at Baji who just nodded and took Chifuyu’s hand.
“It’s true. I’m sorry for being a dumbass and not saying it sooner. Everything just feels more...complicated, when there’s more than one person involved. Do you feel the same way?”
Chifuyu could hardly believe what he was hearing. Still, he nodded and felt his face heat up as Baji squeezed his hand and flashed his toothy smile.
Kazutora crawled closer and took Chifuyu’s other hand.
“I like you too, ‘Fuyu. In fact, I was gonna ask you out sometime this week, but everyone who I spoke to for advice said I should start being nicer to you if I wanted you to say yes. I never really got the chance to do it since you’re always being such a dick.” Despite the harsh words, Kazutora’s tone was dripping with genuine affection.
Chifuyu felt like he had just gotten whiplash. Did he just go from feeling extreme jealousy over his two best friends to...being confessed to by both of them at the same time? He tried to process this before realizing it had been awhile since he said anything and both Baji and Kazutora were staring at him expectantly.
“So...are you both asking me to be your boyfriend right now?”
Baji barked out a laugh. “Yeah, if you’ll take us. I think we should all be each other’s boyfriends, if that’s okay with everyone.”
Kazutora nodded in agreement, and Chifuyu allowed himself a small smile.
“Okay. But how does that even work with three people?”
Baji shrugged. “We stay the same as we’ve always been, except now we can tell each other that we like each other and give each other hugs and kisses all the time.”
Kazutora’s eyes flashed with mischief and he opened his mouth to add on to Baji’s answer. Chifuyu let go of his hand and covered his mouth to stop him from speaking.
“Don’t say what I think you’re about to say,” Chifuyu started, but yelped when Kazutora licked his palm. He wiped his hand on his shirt while Kazutora and Baji laughed at him. Before he could scold him for being disgusting, Kazutora leaned in and was hovering inches away from his face.
“Can I kiss you, Chifuyu?” he whispered, his eyes focused on Chifuyu’s lips. Chifuyu’s tongue darted out to wet them.
“...Yeah.”
Kazutora closed the gap between them and Chifuyu shut his eyes. He noticed Kazutora’s lips were soft and warm, and his messy hair tickled as it brushed against his own face. He stayed still as Kazutora’s lips moved against his own, and realized in that moment he was woefully inexperienced compared to the other boy. He felt Kazutora’s hand come up to cradle the side of his face and hold his chin.
Kazutora pulled away for a second to whisper “relax,” against his lips before diving back in. This time, Chifuyu tried doing just that. He moved with Kazutora this time, following the rhythm he was setting for them. He noted that it felt nice when Kazutora sucked on his bottom lip and sighed into his mouth. Feeling bold, he slid his tongue out and let it trace Kazutora’s lips until Kazutora pulled away again. This time, he smiled and pressed their foreheads together.
“Getting better.” he whispered, and pecked his lips one more time before leaning back and looking at Baji. Chifuyu followed his eyes and saw Baji staring at them both with a blush from his face down to his neck.
“Whoa...that was awesome.”
Chifuyu couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled up when Baji said that. He offered apologies in between giggles, and finally calmed himself down when Baji approached and reached a hand behind Chifuyu’s neck.
“Is it my turn now?”
Chifuyu smiled and nodded, leaning in this time. He brought his lips to Baji’s and tried to imitate what he had just done with Kazutora. Baji’s lips were slightly chapped, and he kissed a lot slower than Kazutora had. He enjoyed it all the same, feeling a shiver run down his back the first time Baji captured his lips with one of his prominent canines. Baji eventually released his hold on his neck and Chifuyu pulled away just in time to see Kazutora pouncing on them both from the corner of his eye. He laughed as he and Baji let themselves get tackled to the futon and peppered with kisses along their faces and necks.
They stayed that way for a while, giggling and enjoying each other’s warmth. Kazutora was the first to roll over, crawling to where he had left his flip phone laying on the floor. Baji raised his head and frowned. “Oi, what are you doing? We’re not done cuddling yet.”
Kazutora stuck his tongue out and smiled. “I know, I know! I just have to tell Inupi that he was wrong, I got not just one, but two boyfriends, and he owes me thirty-hundred yen!”
Chifuyu rolled his eyes and threw a nearby pillow at Kazutora. Even so, he had to acknowledge that the idea of his friends knowing about them made him feel warm inside. Baji caught him smiling and reached out to brush stray hairs from his cheek. “What’re you thinking about?” he whispered.
Chifuyu blushed and intertwined their fingers. He looked into Baji’s eyes and took in the adoration they held. “I was just thinking that I think this is one of the happiest days of my life.”
Saying it out loud, Chifuyu wanted to feel embarrassed, but from the looks on Baji and Kazutora’s faces, he knew that they agreed.
.