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The first thing Rohan wants to do when he opens his door and sees Josuke's stupid half-smirk is slam it shut. The second thing he wants to do is pull him into a bone-crushing hug and not let go.
There isn't a greeting to convey the two at the same time, so Rohan settles on, "Oh, Higashikata. You're back."
Josuke's smirk widens. It's still early in the day, and the sun behind him reveals there's not a hair out of place in his pompadour. "Good to see you too, Rohan-sensei."
It's early June, a date Rohan only cares to remember because it signals the start of summer vacations and the screaming children that come with. He always has to front load his June deadlines; it's impossible to make real progress over the racket.
Rohan rolls his eyes, propping himself up against the doorframe, letting his gaze drift lazily over the figure in front of him. Josuke's somehow taller now, and still broad and strong. He's got on an old, cropped band t-shirt under a leather jacket, the graphic straining against his muscled chest.
He looks good, Rohan realizes, his throat going dry in an instant.
No. No, he doesn't. He's not doing this now.
"Hm. If only I could say the same," he says cooly, voice betraying none of the sudden and entirely unwelcome turbulence in his mind.
Josuke sticks his lower lip out in a fake pout, pink skin catching the light. "Aw, don't be like that! You missed me, admit it."
"Absolutely not. If I had my way, you'd never have darkened my doorway again after you left," Rohan snaps. It's a partial truth, technically. He would have preferred Josuke stay as far away from his no-longer-scorched home as possible, after last time.
But he had missed him.
He'd missed his stupid jokes and his imbecilic smile and his laugh that was grounding and dizzying all at once. At least, he'd thought he'd missed him.
But suddenly there was so much more to miss.
Josuke gives a mocking gasp, hand pressed to his collarbone. "Rohan! How could you? You'll make me cry," he grins.
It's annoyingly endearing.
"Is there something you wanted, Higashikata? Other than to waste my time, of course," Rohan asks, staring very pointedly at a spot over Josuke's shoulder.
To his surprise, Josuke suddenly looks nervous. He reaches up to twist the stray hairs at the back of his head between his fingers, blue eyes straying to the wooden porch.
"Well, it's lunch time," he starts.
Rohan tries to roll his eyes hard enough to push the sudden eruption of butterflies in his chest back down. "You can't be serious."
"Only if you're not busy," Josuke continues.
"Higashikata, I am always - "
"Even if I'm paying?" Josuke asks, his grin widening. His lower lip is slightly flushed now, from where he'd bitten it anxiously.
Rohan raises an eyebrow. Interesting.
It's not like he can't pay for whatever Josuke has in mind on his own. And there's certainly still some satisfaction to be had at turning the kid down anyway, just to see the sad puppy face he would doubtlessly make.
Then again, he's offering to pay. He must very much want to spend time with Rohan, which in itself is intriguing. They weren't exactly rivals, not anymore, but the animosity between them had never truly been addressed.
Not to mention Josuke's slightly flushed from the mild summer day, and that band shirt really is too small -
"Well, if you're really so desperate to see me, I suppose I can spare an hour or two," Rohan finally drawls, heaving out a sigh.
It was the wrong decision, because Josuke's delighted puppy face is infinitely more endearing than the sad one, and Rohan's heart jumps unbidden into his throat. He wants to slap and kiss the look off Josuke's face all at once.
He steps back into his house, clearing his throat. "Give me a minute to grab my things. I trust you can entertain yourself nondestructively for that long?" he says, already starting for his bedroom.
"I won't touch anything," Josuke promises, holding up his hands.
Another thought darts through Rohan's mind, just as unwelcome and irritating.
You can touch me.
Without meaning to, he slams the bedroom door.
Maybe he did mean to, somewhere in his fuzzy mind, hoping the sound would knock the thoughts of Josuke from his head.
It doesn't work, and Rohan wants to scream. This isn't happening. It's never going to happen. He is not suddenly into Josuke Higashikata, not his wide blue eyes or his plush mouth or the way that stupid, stupid shirt strains over his stupid chest.
With a frustrated growl, Rohan flings open the bathroom door and marches to the sink, cupping a handful of icy water and splashing it in his face.
Of course it doesn't help. Of course he's now cold and wet and still thinking of Josuke, of how he's probably lounging on the couch, legs spread in tight jeans.
He's sick. That's all, Rohan decides. A classic summer sickness. A late hay fever.
Wrenching the towel from the bar, he realizes he's blushing as he dabs at his cheeks.
To his credit, Josuke doesn't say anything when Rohan finally comes back down the stairs, hair freshly combed after running his finger angrily through it, a coat of lipgloss to pretend he hadn't bitten his mouth raw.
Josuke's got that dopey half-grin again. It's adorable.
"You ready?"
Rohan breezes past him without so much as a glance.
"This better be worth my time, Higashikata."
Rohan doesn't recognize the cafe they find themselves at. It's got pastel blue awnings and a French-style menu, and he can only assume it's a recent addition to Morioh. There's a chance he needs to get out more.
"Sure you can afford this, Higashikata?" he teases dryly.
Josuke glares playfully. "Would I invite you somewhere I couldn't afford?"
Rohan just raises a brow, staring Josuke down over the edge of his menu. "Oh, my mistake. How foolish of me to think you'd try to cheat me out of money."
Josuke blushes, looking down at the tablecloth sheepishly before hesitantly focusing on Rohan. "I can't believe you're still on about that."
"I don't like liars," Rohan says simply, not breaking eye contact. He fights back a triumphant laugh when Josuke has to let his gaze drop again. The black of his jacket draped over his chair coupled with his dark hair makes him stand out against the bright summer streets, a thick ink outline around a particularly fine drawing.
Rohan grips the menu tighter.
Josuke clears his throat. "So, what're you having?"
That's better. "Trying to make sure I don't break the bank, hm?" Rohan asks.
"No! I'm just...curious. A lot of this stuff sounds like fancy food," Josuke insists.
"Fancy? And here I thought you were getting more worldly over at college," Rohan teases dryly.
Unexpectedly, Josuke's face goes stiff and almost sad. Even more unexpectedly, Rohan feels an unfamiliar and unwelcome pit in his chest.
"Yeah, uh...I'm taking a break, I guess. Figuring some stuff out," Josuke admits. The usual hard spunk is gone from his voice, leaving only something low and soft.
Rohan swallows audibly. He opens his mouth, probably to say something horribly consoling and kind, but Josuke saves him.
"You can call me stupid, it's okay," he grins, and the sadness is masked. Brave Josuke Higashikata, making sure nothing ever fazed him.
If you insist, dear Josuke. You're stupid.
At least, that's certainly what Rohan meant to say. Instead, he reaches out, fingertips brushing Josuke's knuckles.
"I wouldn't. You forget, I didn't go to college at all," he says, and it's gentle and sweet and he can't stand what Josuke does to him now.
And now Josuke's smiling at him, relieved and shy. "Does that mean I've got a leg up on the Great Kishibe Rohan?"
"Tch. Keep dreaming, Higashikata."
Josuke's grin only widens as the waiter approaches.
He orders an iced coffee concoction that's mostly milk, and Rohan orders tea. As tempting as it is to order the most obscenely expensive item he can, just to see the way Josuke's lips curl and pout in anger, he's never been one for exorbitant foods.
Josuke clears his throat.
"So what have you been up to while I was gone?" he asks idly, offering a smirk at the tease. He's tapping at the end of his fork, watching the utensil go up and down against the yellow tablecloth.
Rohan feels a frown crease at his mouth. Had Josuke always been so...polite? "The same thing I've been doing. My manga."
The metal chair that Josuke's draped over groans as he throws his head back. "C'mon, nothing exciting? No new adventures? No girlfriends?"
Heat flashes across Rohan's face unexpectedly, and he tries to hide it by running a hand over his face. "That summer was more than enough for me, thank you. And I don't have time to date."
He pauses, hand twitching hesitantly.
"It's not as if I ever cared much for women, anyway," he adds.
If there's one thing Josuke's never been, it's subtle. Rohan clenches his jaw as blue eyes become somehow wider, pink flooding the arches of the man's cheekbones. It's such a lovely expression, baffled and confused and delighted, and Rohan focuses on how much he wants to draw it over how desperately he wants to know what it means.
"Oh! Yeah, I guess...that makes sense. I mean, I get it! I, um...I don't, either," Josuke stumbles.
That's new.
Rohan is spared having to respond by the arrival of their waiter, glassware clinking against the table as their drinks are served.
He takes his tea only somewhat hastily. "How were your classes?" he hears himself ask, reaching for the sugar packets.
Josuke smiles in something like relief, cheeks still flushed.
And somehow, they start to talk. Not like enemies, not even like casual acquaintances. They talk like friends, Josuke grinning with all his infuriating charm as he talks about his time in college. It's endearing and Josuke is handsome and worst of all, Rohan likes it. He likes to hear Josuke's voice, the way it pitches and dips, and finds himself smiling along when he gets too excited.
It's not until Josuke pauses and his face colors that Rohan realizes they've leaned into each other, barely a foot between their faces despite the table between them.
It's strange and awful and fantastic all at once. Rohan's chest aches and his stomach's twisting and turning. The sun is warm overhead and Rohan's fingers twitch. He wants to lace his fingers through Josuke's hair and pull him in, kiss him hard right here in the open. The whole town can gossip about it, for all he cares.
Josuke's lips are parted, his irises the thinnest disc of blue.
"Um," he says eloquently, soft and hesitant. He leans in.
Rohan snaps out of it. No, no, no. It's never going to happen.
He stands suddenly, with more force than necessary, legs trembling ever so slightly. Josuke's looking at him with his wide-eyed surprise and the next words taste like bile as Rohan forces them out.
"Well, not that this hasn't been fun, but I'm getting quite bored of you," he says, before adding with a mockingly magnanimous tone, "I'll leave you with the bill like we agreed."
Slender fingers tremble as Rohan hooks his bag over his shoulder. Josuke looks utterly dumbfounded, rooted in place, and Rohan squirms. It's so damn hot out, why did he order tea?
"Goodbye, Jojo. If you're lucky, maybe we'll do this again sometime," he says coldly, knowing his smile looks as false as they come.
And before Josuke can come to his senses, Rohan is striding down the street, away from the heat and the public and the way Josuke's ocean eyes make his head spin.
He expects a few things after that. He expects Josuke will complain to Koichi, and Koichi will come to him, all soft words and reassurances, asking him to apologize.
He'll agree, of course, and give Higashikata his most polite regrets. And things will be normal. They'll go back to being not-quite-friends, and the sun-spotted memory of today will be left to fade like it should.
He adjusts the strap on his shoulder. Everything is fine. The Great Kishibe Rohan is fine.
"Oi, Kishibe!"
Rohan freezes.
Josuke jogs up next to him just as he smooths his expression into irritated boredom.
"Hello again, Josuke."
Josuke's face is slightly damp, mouth open as he breathes hard. Rohan's heart stutters slightly at the image of Josuke gasping for him before he quickly clears the thought from his head.
"Look, I don't know what I said, but you can't just - " Josuke starts.
"If you're here to beg for spare change, don't bother," Rohan interrupts, already starting to walk again. "You assured me you would pay - hey!"
He cuts himself off, because Josuke's suddenly grabbed him by the upper arm and dragged them both into the nearest alleyway. Rohan stumbles as Josuke pulls him around the corner, into an inner street. The sounds of the main town parkway have faded.
And the Great Kishibe Rohan is completely alone with Josuke, the savior of Morioh.
A dozen hungry thoughts flash through his head, and he forces them all back into the quickly overflowing mental box labeled "Higashikata Josuke" before giving the man in question his most curdling glare.
He's still holding his arm.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rohan sneers, ripping his arm away. His skin feels icy in the absence and he tries not to think about it.
Josuke stands stunned for a moment before his eyes flash. "What am I doing? You're the one who just stood me up, sensei."
Stood me up. Rohan swallows.
"I don't remember agreeing on a time limit," he snaps haughtily. His voice is fraying at the edges. He wants to stay. He wants to leave. He wants Josuke right fucking now.
For a moment, Josuke just stares.
His next words are quieter.
"I can't believe this."
Before Rohan can clear his head enough to ask for clarification, Josuke continues, voice rising.
"I thought things could be different now. But you're still like this!" he seethes, almost laughing in his anger.
Rohan glares, squaring his shoulders indignantly. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Higashikata?"
The shadows of the alleyway make Josuke's glowering face all the more dramatic as his blue eyes flash. His jaw looks sharp enough to cut fucking diamonds, and Rohan's throat is suddenly dry as Josuke takes a step forward.
"You know exactly what I mean, Kishibe. You're arrogant and selfish and pretentious, and while the rest of us grew up, you stayed - "
A bark of laughter cuts Josuke off. Rohan folds his arms, sneering. "You grew up? You? That's funny, because I still see the same stupid, cheating kid who can't stand not getting his way."
Their argument is lashing across the alley now, sharp lances of pointless, childish anger. Each barbed word stings across Rohan's skin and he doesn't mind at all because the pain distracts from the way Josuke's flushed face and parted lips make his heart race.
"Call me a kid one more time," Josuke says. His voice is like a knife's edge, low and cold. It slices down Rohan's spine and he realizes they're so close. If he takes a big enough inhale, he can feel the stone wall behind him. Josuke's breath is hot on his face.
He's deadly, and he's beautiful.
"You're a stupid kid, Higashikata."
Josuke kisses him.
It's not so much a kiss as it is an attack. Rohan yelps as he's slammed back against the wall, his head only just spared the brutal impact by Josuke's hand coming up behind it to fist into his hair. His other hand's got a death grip on Rohan's collar, fingers catching at the silk material.
Rohan's hands fly forward, grasping at thin leather desperately. Josuke's lips move hungrily against his, tongue hot and eager in his mouth. The taste is thick with coffee and too much creamer, and he's absolutely drunk with it.
Josuke wrenches himself away suddenly. Rohan just looks up at him (god, he's tall) and his blown out gaze, his slick lips, his flushed face.
"Fuck," Josuke mutters.
"Yeah," Rohan agrees, and he's dragged Josuke back down so they're kissing again and it's amazing.
It's impossible to say how long they spend like this, trying to devour each other in the alley behind the coffee shop. Josuke kisses so eagerly, trembling and sloppy like each press of their mouths is his first. But he learns quickly, too, learns that Rohan whimpers when Josuke bites his lips, moans when he sucks his tongue, and absolutely whines each time he's pulled in for another kiss.
When they break away long enough to think, lipgloss is smeared across Josuke's face, glistening like raindrops against his lips and jawline.
Rohan's almost forgotten why they were fighting. It was Josuke's fault, of course, but frankly he's far angrier with the fact that the man's mouth isn't on his than anything else they've ever clashed over.
Well, that can be rectified. Rohan yanks Josuke down by the back of his neck, lips parted greedily.
"Wait, Rohan," Josuke manages, close enough that Rohan feels his breath against his jaw.
"What?" Rohan demands.
There's a long moment of silence. Rohan's heart is in his throat, buzzing with apprehension and desire and excitement.
"I kissed you," Josuke says, like he's only just realized.
Rohan blinks slowly. There's no way Josuke's serious, not when there's a thin strand of Rohan's saliva drying against his chin and they're both breathing like they've run a marathon.
"You did," Rohan says, letting his eyes fall closed. Do it again.
"You...you kissed me back," Josuke continues softly.
Green eyes snap open. "Very astute, Josuke."
The awed "oh" shape that Josuke's been making with his mouth suddenly twitches, perfect lips curling into a triumphant grin.
"You like me."
And now Rohan's blushing, a sudden rush of heat and color flooding his pale cheeks. He clears his throat.
"I like you better when you kiss me."
The grin on Josuke's face widens as he surges forward, pressing Rohan even more flush against the wall. He can't move without feeling the brush of Josuke's hip or knee, can't breathe without their hearts thudding against each other. He's never been so close to another person, not like this, raw and real.
He loves it.
"You doing alright there, Ro?" Josuke asks around his grin, their lips brushing together.
Rohan glares. "You know the answer to that perfectly well."
"God, you're an asshole," Josuke says fondly. He's still smiling, flushed and awed, like he's looking at a summer sunset and not a bitter mangaka half-drunk from a few sloppy kisses.
Rohan's head spins.
"I know," he manages to reply.
Then, as an afterthought. "Now kiss me."
He doesn't wait for Josuke's response, grabbing his jaw and crashing their mouths together. It's better every time, he decides, each press of Josuke's tongue making his mind flicker.
Strong hands slide down Rohan's sides, trailing over thin silk and damp, bare skin. He whimpers into the kiss as Josuke's palms smooth across his ass before hooking under his thighs, yanking him up.
He does it like Rohan weighs nothing, like he's a fucking plaything.
It's hotter than it has any right to be.
Josuke gasps into their kiss as Rohan hooks his ankles behind his waist, pulling them closer, closer. Everything is new, sharp and electric, and Rohan doesn't understand. Then again, he's never wanted anyone like he wants Josuke Higashikata.
The thought pulls him into reality, down from the hazy high of the way Josuke's smoothing his tongue over the places he'd just nipped eagerly.
"Ro?"
Rohan shivers. It has to stop now, before he can't function without Josuke's mouth on him.
"Put me down and back off, you ape. I can barely breathe with you crushing me like this," he snaps. There's no bite at all, of course. Josuke has a way of softening him.
"Oh! Sorry."
Rohan's feet hit the concrete hard as Josuke unceremoniously drops him, stepping back instinctively. He stumbles, wobbling on shaky legs, and before he can stop himself he's right back in Josuke's stupidly strong arms.
The taller grins, hands coming to rest at Rohan's waist. "Thought you wanted me to back away?"
"I do! Don't. I...I don't want you at all!" Rohan insists, and it sounds hollow even to himself. Where's his bag? He has to leave, because Josuke's arms feel so nice around him and he can't have this, can't want this -
Josuke catches his face in his hands. There's callouses along the tops of his palms, pressing into Rohan's cheekbones with an intoxicating roughness. "Rohan. Stop being an ass for five seconds and listen to me."
Rohan wets his lips. He can still taste Josuke, bubblegum and cream and coffee.
"Five seconds," he agrees.
"I've been absolutely in love with you since that summer."
The words hit Rohan like a gunshot; that is to say, incapacitating and terrifying.
"What?" he asks. It's more of a breathless gasp than a word, really, but Josuke understands.
"It was just a stupid crush at first. But it, uh...never really went away. I didn't wanna ruin us finally not hating each other," Josuke continues. For the first time, he's not meeting Rohan's gaze, blue eyes locked on one of his earrings as it sways gently.
Rohan just blinks. Josuke Higashikata. In love. With him.
There's a euphoric rush that comes with the realization. He can want Josuke all he wants and he can have him because the idiot - the handsome, brave, perfect idiot - wants him back.
With the high should come the crash, because Rohan isn't the love type. He loves his work, and it's always been enough. He's selfish and arrogant and great, and it's enough.
But Josuke's eyes are blue like the summer sea and it doesn't feel like enough anymore.
It's horrible, and it's amazing.
Worse still, Josuke finally actually steps back, arms falling to wring awkwardly at his sides.
"But I guess that's out the window now, huh? You, uh...you can hate me again. If you want," he stumbles, still stepping away.
Rohan comes back to his senses, blurred by Josuke as they are. He's not getting away that easily.
A grin curls up his face, and Josuke's eyes go wide.
"And just where do you think you're going, hm?" Rohan asks. He takes a step forward, and god he loves how Josuke looks at him. How Josuke looks.
"I was gonna - oh."
Rohan's arms are around his neck, pushed up on his toes so their faces are almost level. One finger curls idly around the ridiculous loose hairs at the back of Josuke's neck.
"Well, now you're confusing me, Rohan," Josuke says, words absolutely dripping with mirth as he fights back a dopey grin. "You say you want me to back off, but now you've got me trapped."
"Oh, I've made up my mind," Rohan assures him. "I want you right here, Jojo."
He surges up, closing the inch between them. Josuke's eyes flutter closed. Neither of them says much after that.
They'll probably talk about this later; what they are now, how it started, who has to tell Okuyasu. Worse, who has to tell Koichi.
But right now, Rohan is more than content to let Josuke kiss him breathless in a Morioh alleyway, hidden away from the summer sun.