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Chapter Text

Shinkai sighed, putting his phone away in his pocket as he walked across campus. Their university had many computer labs but his friend Fukutomi Juichi seemed to favour one in particular, leaving Shinkai with no choice but to waste a few precious minutes getting from one side of his school to the other.

It was a beautiful day and the quad was full of students. Although late April meant lots of rain, students were spotted sitting leisurely on the damp grass, not caring if their pants were getting wet. Shinkai felt a small smile tug at his lips as he imagined the group of guys sitting under the tree ahead of him standing up, sporting wet, grassy stains on their asses.

He quickly composed himself as two professors walked by, doing his best not to look crazy laughing to himself. He gave them a polite nod before returning his gaze to the field, noting that others were casually playing soccer or simply standing around idly chatting away. Another sigh escaped his lips as he successfully made it past the quad, walking through the building's main entrance. Shinkai immediately felt his mood drop as he entered the dark vestibule.

It's such a perfect day to go biking and I'm stuck working on fucking biochem. Shinkai sulked, turning left in the hallway towards his destination.

Advanced Biochemistry was definitely not his best subject, which is why he had asked Juichi to help him with his report. Okay, he not so much asked as he did beg. Basically anything with calculations left Shinkai confused and frustrated, no matter how hard he worked on them. Although Juichi was his lab partner, reports were to be done individually, resulting in Shinkai doing horribly on his last lab. His friend had agreed to work with him, which was why Shinkai was now on his way to the depressing, fruit-fly infested computer lab instead of outside, enjoying the crisp summer weather.

You're in your third year of university Hayato. Your marks should be improving not getting worse, dumbass. He scolded himself as he walked through the double doors of the computer lab. Now was definitely not the time to feel sorry for himself. He had to work hard if he wanted to do well, no excuses.

Just like Juichi had texted, a wild patch of blond hair could be spotted to his right as he walked towards the computers. Shinkai was so dead set on approaching his friend that he hadn't noticed another figure quickly walking in the opposite direction.

The impact was surprisingly forceful considering the fact that the person he hit seemed more gangly than muscular. Their shoulders had collided sharply, causing Shinkai to spin a full 180°, facing the stranger in question.

“What the FUCK do you-”

“I’m so sorr-”

“-mean it’s due at 9?”

“What?”

Shinkai observed the raven haired boy, completely bewildered. The boy in question looked back at Shinkai, quickly patting him hard on the shoulder twice.

“Sorry buddy, you alright?” He asked, barely waiting for Shinkai to respond before re-approaching his friend across the room, yelling an “I thought we had ‘til fucking midnight what the FUCK”.

Shinkai watched him freak out for another thirty seconds before snapping out of it. He turned to look back at Juichi, who hadn’t witnessed the scene unfold. His classmate had his headphones on as he typed away on the school’s computer, bobbing his head slightly to the beat of his music. Shinkai tapped his friend on the shoulder, smiling when Juichi looked up at him.

Juichi merely nodded to Shinkai, and then the computer beside him, indicating that the seat was saved for him. “Thanks.” Shinkai said as he grabbed Juichi’s backpack from the seat, setting it gently on the floor beside Fukutomi as he sat down.

“Sorry I couldn’t find us better seats” Juichi said gruffly, pausing his music and taking his headphones off.

“What do you mean? These seats are fine.” Shinkai said, looking around the lab.

Indeed, most students ended up going for the computers with the huge tables so that they could comfortably lay all their papers/textbooks/fucking meals out without having a crowded workspace. The students who were regulars in this lab would go as far as scattering some of their papers on the table, logging into the computer and playing 10 hour videos on youtube just so that they could reserve their computer while attending class, without worrying about being automatically logged off due to inactivity.

“Because of a certain noisy individual.” Juichi grumbled, looking past Shinkai to the person beside him. Just as Shinkai turned around did the black haired boy return, sitting in the seat directly left of Shinkai. The boy had been muttering curses under his breath as he quickly typed away on his computer before suddenly getting up, startling Shinkai.

“Kin-chan did you fucking know about this?” He asked the boy sitting on the opposite side of his computer. Kin-chan sighed, looking up at his classmate from his cubicle, adjusting his slightly askew glasses.

“Everybody knew Arakita. Now quiet down and get to work. You’re disturbing the people around you.”

The black haired boy, no, Arakita, sat down with a huff. From this angle, Shinkai could see that his eyebrows were creased and a deep frown was sporting his face. Suddenly, he turned to Shinkai, startling the red-head again with his abrupt movements.

“My bad, was I being loud?” He asked, his long bangs covering his forehead, making his expression look more scrutinizing than sorry.

“Nah.” Shinkai said, shaking his head. “I just got here.” He pointed at his computer, which had yet to be logged into.

“Hmm” Arakita had said absentmindedly, staring at Shinkai. Shinkai couldn’t help but look back, not wanting to lose the staring contest he didn’t know he signed up for. Just as promptly as it started, though, did it end, Arakita turning back to his assignment with not so much as a second glance.

What the fuck just happened? Shinkai wondered, also turning to his computer, quickly typing his school I.D. and password, then turning to Juichi as he waited for his computer to load. His blond friend was looking at him, one strong eyebrow raised, silently asking Shinkai- what was up with that exchange? Shinkai just shrugged, turning back to his computer, suddenly feeling very self conscious. What was up with that exchange? He quickly peeked to his left, only to see that his neighbour was looking right back at him.

“Are those blue streaks?” He asked, his expression serious but his voice amused.

“Y-yeah..?” Shinkai stuttered.

Immediately was he mad at himself for sounding nervous. It wasn’t like him to lose his composure, especially to a stranger, so he instinctively gave the other boy a wink and a finger gun. “You like?”

Now that had been unexpected. For both him and Arakita, apparently, whose pale face turned a shade darker.

“It’s fucking wild, that’s for sure.” He muttered, pretending to be busy with whatever was on his computer screen. Before Shinkai could say anything else, the boy from across the room who Arakita had approached initially, was by his side, poking his friend in the back of the head.

“Hey fuckass, did you finish question 4 yet?” He asked, the bags under his eyes an indication of how tough their assignment most likely was.

“No shitdick, I’m barely starting 3.” Arakita responded, violently slapping his hand away. His eyes still glued to his screen.

“Well hurry the fuck up. I’m exhausted and starving.”

“Then leave! I basically lost 3 hours off this shitty assignment because somebody decided to keep the deadline a secret from their friend!” Arakita exclaimed, his voice rising what felt like an octave per word.

Suddenly, Shinkai felt something prodding his side. He turned to Juichi’s stern gaze.

“If they’re distracting you, we can relocate.” Shinkai quickly shook his head, turning to his screen to download and open his rough lab report before speaking again.

“Okay, I’m ready. Shall we start?” He asked, a smile on his face although his brain screamed for him to just give up and take an undeserved break. Arakita was both entertaining and mesmerizing, and he wanted to keep watching the boy beside him. Before he could question his own trail of thought, he heard Juichi let out a small sound of affirmation while opening his own assignment. His friend definitely seemed to feel the exact opposite as Shinkai in regards to their noisy neighbour.

“The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get away from them.” Juichi mumbled, taking out his calculator and a rough sheet of paper.

***

It took Shinkai almost three hours to feel confident enough in his own knowledge before letting his friend go.

“Thanks again Juichi,” He expressed, watching his stone faced friend pack up. “It’s a lot clearer now.”

“No problem Shinkai, text me if you need anything”

Shinkai merely smiled and nodded, waving at Juichi’s back as his friend made his way for the exit. He had more or less completed his lab report, telling Shinkai that he’d “finish the rest at home,” his stern gaze looking past Shinkai to their noisy neighbour. Shinkai had laughed at that, but now that he was alone did he feel his self control waver. He looked at the boy beside him, who had had his third emotional breakdown and was now cradling his head in his arms.

While working on his lab report, Shinkai had ended up learning bits and pieces about the raven haired beside him. Arakita was an engineering student in his third year, working on an assignment that had been worth quite a bit considering that it was only 8 questions. Shinkai didn’t need to look at their work to see how troublesome the assignment was. That, and the fact that Arakita had been pretty vocal about it.

That was another thing he had learned about the napping boy. He was loud. He was constantly voicing his opinion about the assignment, which was negative by the way, using a plethora of inappropriate words and occasional hand gestures to get the message across to whoever seemed to be within hearing range. His two friends Kinjou and Machimiya had been helping each other on the questions, but had ended up completing and printing their assignments 30 minutes ago, leaving the computer lab to hand in their reports.

Shinkai gently prodded at Arakita’s elbow, making him turn his head to glare at whoever dared interrupt his 4 minute nap.

“You alive?” Shinkai asked, surprised at himself for trying to strike a conversation when he knew what he should have been doing instead was working on his own paper and getting the fuck out of there. He was starving.

“Hmhjdhgsd” Arakita answered, muffling his painful groan in his sweater/makeshift pillow.

“Don’t you only have like, 20 minutes to finish?” Shinkai asked, nodding towards Arakita’s screen, a polite smile on his lips.

“Don’t you only have like, 20 seconds to shut up?” He responded, half-heartedly raising a fist at Shinkai, clearly fed up with the torture.

Shinkai laughed at that, watching the boy sit up, rub his eyes, and get back to typing.

Something else Shinkai had learned about Arakita was that he was surprisingly smart, despite his mean looks and rude mannerisms. He had constantly pointed out faults in Machimiya’s and Kinjou’s work, helping them with equations and explaining clearly how they should approach each problem whenever they were stuck. The only reason why he was still working on his own assignment while the other two had gone to hand theirs in was because he wanted his answers to be perfect. Although his classmates had gotten to that “fuck it” stage every university student experiences about an hour before a deadline, Arakita was determined that he could still finish the assignment properly and make it on time if he left 10 minutes before 9.

“I’m definitely cutting it close.” He grumbled switching tabs to look something up.

Shinkai went back to his own work after he was satisfied that Arakita wasn’t going to pass out again. Why am I so concerned? He thought as he tried to get back into the flow of his own assignment. His question went unanswered as his stomach grumbled for what felt like a solid four minutes. Staring back at his report, Shinkai realized it was a lot easier than he had initially thought. Calculating the relative mobility of his proteins wasn’t hard, but had he needed Juichi with him so they could agree on which blobs in their gel image could be considered their protein bands. Now that things were settled, the rest of his lab was simple enough. If not for the distracting boy beside him, Shinkai probably would have finished an hour prior.

Shinkai was just finishing typing up one of his figure captions when he saw Arakita run to the printers, with 7 minutes remaining until his deadline. Shinkai didn’t have a chance to turn back to his work before he saw the boy run back, a string of curse words escaping his thin lips.

“Hey, shit, do you have money on your card?” He shook Shinkai’s shoulder roughly, looking at his watch then his computer screen, opening up facebook.

“Yeah…?” Shinkai was already mentally calculating how much this was going to cost him. Their school had I.D. cards that could be loaded with money to spend on campus stores and services. It was pretty useful, but loading the card was troublesome, as putting in ¥ 500 was the minimum and the machines didn’t accept change, even if you only needed like ¥ 10 to print out a page.

“Okay, what’s your facebook?” Arakita asked, snapping Shinkai out of his mental ramble.

“What?”

Arakita scoffed. “It’s gonna be pretty hard printing my assignment on your computer if you don’t actually posses said assignment, buddy.”

Shinkai did his best to keep his face neutral as he logged into his facebook, but he felt his lips twitch up.

“The name’s Arakita Yasutomo, by the way.” He said, still standing, hovering over his keyboard.

“I’m Shinkai Hayato, nice to meet you.”

“Don’t fucking introduce yourself 3 hours after we’ve met, idiot. Add me so I can send you this shit.” Yasutomo was definitely in panic mode. Only a minute had passed but he was cutting it extremely close. It would be such a waste if he lost 10% just because he was a few minutes late handing in the physical copy. Shinkai quickly found Yasutomo and clicked add friend. Not a second later did he get a notification saying the friend request was accepted, and then another notification indicating that someone had sent him a message in chat. Before he could even click the icon, Yasutomo had reached over, grabbing Shinkai’s mouse and his hand along with it.

Shinkai felt his face heat up as he wrestled his hand out from under Yasutomo’s grasp. The engineer-to-be hadn’t seemed to notice how close they were, how his shoulder was brushing Shinkai’s cheek, how exposed his pale neck was to Shinkai. All he seemed to care about was quickly downloading his files and making sure to print under the right setting before taking off towards the printers again.

“Hey dumbass! You coming or not?” He shouted from across the room.

Shinkai quickly got up and half jogged to the other side of the room, forgetting that Yasutomo needed him to put in his I.D. and password in order to print his assignment. 16 pages later and about ¥ 130 less in his card did Shinkai feel his shoulders shaken violently as Yasutomo expressed his thanks, stapling his assignment and running out of the lab.

“I’ll be back soon,” he screamed over his shoulder, running down the hall. “Watch my stuff!”

And with that he was gone, turning the corner without so much as a second glance. Shinkai slowly walked back to his computer, looking at the time displayed at the bottom corner of his screen. Yasutomo had 3 minutes to get to the engineering building, which was about a 5 minute walk away.

He better make it, after all that trouble he put me through. Shinkai thought, staring at Yasutomo’s shit-eating grin displayed on his facebook chat.

Shinkai sighed, clicking on the profile picture, enlarging it. Yasutomo had a mischievous smile on his face, his arm wrapped around the shoulder of someone whose body had been cut off in the photo. His bangs were shorter in the picture then they were now, but he more or less looked the same. Shinkai realized that he had been smiling to himself and quickly closed the tab. His thoughts were all over the place, but he could distinctly come to the conclusion that Arakita Yasutomo had hit him like a hurricane.

Chapter Text

Arakita fucking sprinted through the hallway, making a sharp right and practically tackling the bike rack as he exited the school building. He quickly unlocked his bike, letting the lock fall to the ground as he backed up, before pedalling like a mad man towards the engineering building across the street. He had 2 minutes and a few seconds to cover a 5 minute distance; he’d deal with the missing lock later.

Tch. I’ll get there in fucking 60 seconds. He thought, tightly wrapping his paper around his right handle bar. Arakita decided that he’d rather crumple his hard work than risk losing it. He knew he’d be rushing to hand in his assignment, but he didn’t think it would be this down to the wire. All because of fucking Blue Streaks, he thought as he rode off the sidewalk onto the street at a dangerous speed. These last few hours felt like emotional torture. It was hard enough dealing with his stupid assignment, but concentrating at the computer lab seemed particularly difficult today. Arakita was too aware of the boy beside him, his distractingly colourful hair, his deep, sexy voice spouting sciency nonsense, his thick luscious lips looking so-

Arakita hit a pothole hard, causing him to bite the inside of his cheek. Cursing himself for being distracted by Shinkai again, he did his best to push his thoughts aside, recovering his dancing and continuing to pedal at a steady rhythm, his destination now in site. He is the least of your concerns right now Yasutomo. You have 40 seconds to get to the fucking drop box.

True to his words, Arakita had biked into the building exactly a minute later.

Into the building.

He weaved past students and pedestrians screaming “GET OUTTA THE FUCKING WAY” and “MOVE IT, I WILL USE YOU AS A RAMP” as he sharply turned into the building just as the door was closing behind a girl who had exited the main foyer. Passersby screamed, and some classmates who were still loitering in the building cheered him on as he recklessly pedaled passed them. He jumped off with as much grace as he could muster inside the school building, letting his bike hit the side of the staircase as he sprinted up to the second floor, his gangly legs taking him to the next story 3 steps at a time.

A few long strides down the hall and the third door to his left did Arakita find his TA, idly sitting on a stool outside of the lab by the drop box, nonchalantly playing on his phone, a pile of papers in his arms. Arakita didn’t have the lung capacity to say anything to his TA, simply handing him his work, hunched over and panting, hands on his knees.

“Wow Yasutomo, what’s the rush? You still have an entire minute and twenty six seconds left.” His TA stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm, adding Yasutomo’s paper to the pile. Arakita would have told him to shut the fuck up if the oxygen in the air would hurry the fuck up and get inside him, but alas, the raven hair settled for flipping him off, knowing his TA’s chill demeanor meant no offense would be taken. As he thought, Arakita’s TA merely laughed at his response, exiting his game and getting up off his stool.

“Good job though,” He said, patting Arakita on his back as they both walked towards the stairs. “You made it right on time. Did you submit the online copy?”

“Yeah.” Arakita said, finally able to speak without feeling like he’d get a second wind of his lunch if he so much as opened his mouth. His TA nodded his approval as they made it down to the first floor. Arakita collected his bike, ignoring the questioning look he received, opting to go the opposite direction of his TA.

“I’ll seeya later.” He said, making his way to the other exit once his TA waved him off. Now that his adrenaline rush was gone, Arakita felt his stomach grumble in distress. He wasn’t lying when he said he felt his lunch coming up after all the running and heavy breathing he did. He hadn’t eaten since 12 AM, and it was seriously starting to hurt. He decided to quickly stop by the burger joint near the engie building to get some fries to silent his stomach.

Leaning his bike against the store’s wall, Arakita prayed that no one would steal his piece of shit man-powered vehicle while he bought himself some fucking sustenance. It was only when he had gotten to the very front of the line, though, that Arakita suddenly changed his fries only order into buying two combos instead.

***

Balancing two cups of Bepsi’s and a large paper bag while biking was troublesome, but doable for Arakita. Since he was no longer in a rush, he took his time getting back across campus, being careful not to spill his drinks or drop his food.

What the fuck am I doing? He thought, turning slowly onto the sidewalk, approaching the bike rack near the computer lab he had left minutes ago, spotting his abandoned bike lock. He knew he owed Shinkai for printing his assignment, but this was a bit too much wasn’t it? He didn’t want to look desperate. Desperate for what exactly? He chided himself, groaning out loud. There was no way three hours and a few exchanges were enough to make him infatuated with the redhead.

He groaned again, mad at himself for even thinking of the word infatuated as he made his way into the building, walking towards the double doors he hated so much.

Arakita felt his stomach lurch as he spotted the red head typing away. I’m never skipping dinner ever again. He thought, making his way towards Shinkai.

He placed a cup of Bepsi in front of Hayato to get his attention. The boy jumped, surprised by his sudden appearance.

He’s a jumpy one. Arakita thought, remembering the few other times his sudden movements or exclamations had made Shinkai’s eyes widen or his broad shoulders hunch over in shock. Fucking adorable…

Arakita frowned, trying the fight back the affectionate smile he felt creeping across his lips.

“What’s this?” Shinkai asked, looking up at the now scowling boy, with his droopy, blue eyes.

“My attempt at taming the beast that is your fucking stomach.” Arakita responded, fishing out his burger and fries from the bag before handing the rest to Shinkai and sitting down.

Shinkai seemed too hungry to be embarrassed that the other had heard his stomach multiple times while working beside him, accepting the food without a second’s hesitation.

“I don’t know how you did it Yasutomo, but you got exactly what I’ve been craving for these last few days.” Hayato said, taking an insanely gigantic bite out of his burger. Two more and it would be completely gone. Impressive. “By the way, did you make it on time?” He asked, his question muffled by the food in his mouth.

“Fucking chew, you moron.” Arakita said, taking a sip of his Bepsi. He threw some fries in his mouth before answering. “Yeah I did. With exactly one minute and twenty six seconds left, apparently.”

“Nice.” Shinkai nodded his approval before removing his fries from the bag and letting about 19 slide into his mouth as if he was drinking from a glass of water.

“You do not mess around when it comes to eating do you?” Arakita asked, astonished by the rate at which Shinkai was inhaling his food. He had yet to unwrap his burger while the other boy had already finished his sandwich and was about a handful of fries away from finishing his meal in its entirety, save for his drink.

Shinkai gave Arakita a sheepish grin as he took a sip of his Bepsi.

“If there’s anything you should know about me Yasutomo, it’s that I’m always hungry.”

Arakita scoffed at that. “Explain to me why I’m seeing muscle instead of fat, then.” He argued, punching Shinkai in the arm.

“I don’t think engineers would understand how muscles and fat worked, even if I gave them the simplest of explanations.” Shinkai countered, receiving a swift kick to the shin for his comment. The redhead flashed Arakita a toothy grin causing Arakita to shake his head and turn away from the other. Looking at Shinkai while he smiled was the equivalent of basking in the sunlight for too long, Arakita concluded. His eyes hurt and his face felt hot.

Only a minute of silence passed between the two, Arakita finishing his burger and Shinkai sipping on his drink before Shinkai suddenly reached over to Arakita’s mouse, clicking on his own facebook profile, which had been left open from their earlier interaction. Arakita watched the redhead silently as he maneuvered the cursor across his screen, clicking the album titled “Food”, followed by the last picture, causing it to go full screen. Arakita gave him a questioning look, but Shinkai merely said “stalk me” before returning his mouth to the straw of his drink, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his lips. Arakita turned back to his screen and half choked on the fry he had just put in his mouth. The photo was of a young Shinkai, probably no older than 12, sitting at a table surrounded by food. Rice, fish, soup, vegetables and curry dishes were scattered across the table, displayed in front of the boy, who coincidently seemed to have all of the above stuffed in his mouth. His hair was still red as ever, but extremely short, showing off two very big ears. His lips were also just as thick as they were now, although it was a bit hard to tell in the photo. Food was coming out of little Shinkai’s mouth from all directions, blocking half of his face.

Arakita laughed at the image. It was all he could do to stop himself from screaming at the top of his lungs. Shinkai was so fucking cute in that photo. It took Yasutomo about 4 minutes and all of his willpower to click away from the photo, moving onto the next one.

***

It went on like this for another hour or so. Arakita would go to the next picture of Shinkai, who without a doubt had some sort of food item stuffed in his mouth. Shinkai would give the boy beside him a brief summary of where he was, what he was eating, and what the occasion behind each photo was for. Shinkai was not joking when he said he was always hungry. Arakita should never have doubted him, especially when he had personally witnessed a pile of power bar wrappers increase in size every time he had looked over to Shinkai in their time together in the computer lab.

He had finally reached the last, most recent photo of Shinkai, who had a bowl of ramen extremely close to his face. The steam was apparent in the photo, covering half of Shinkai’s sweaty face along with the hand he was holding his chopsticks with, which was raised to bring a large amount of noodles to his anticipating mouth. Hayato had his hair pulled back by a headband, displaying his forehead and ears, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing his toned arms. Arakita mentally clenched his heart at the image.

“This was actually at London.” Shinkai explained, gently elbowing Arakita. He had shifted closer to the other a while ago during their little adventure, to the point where they could probably have shared a single chair if not for Shinkai’s massive thighs.

“Dang.” Arakita said, observing the many foreigners in the background of the photo that he hadn't noticed initially. “What was the fucking special occasion for this?” He asked, a hand waving at the picture’s general direction while he continued biting the straw of his long since emptied cup of Bepsi.

“It was my friend’s birthday. He had moved to London around 2 years ago after landing a sweet hairdressing job.” Shinkai said, swatting a fruit fly away from his face. “He had worked his ass off to follow his best friend, who apparently moved there with his brother during his last year of high school.”

Why does that story sound familiar? Arakita pondered, still staring at Shinaki’s ears in the photo. His thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of his phone. Looking down at his screen, he saw that it was his sister calling.

“Sorry, gimme a sec.” He said to Shinkai, receiving the call. “What do you want?”

“Where are you idiot? Dinners been ready for like 3 hours now.”

“I told you I was working on an assignment!”

“Yeah, but you also told me you found out it was due at 9 not 12. You should be home by now.”

“Don’t worry about me. I ate already.”

“Whatever, mom says come home already. It’s like 10:30! Don’t you have an 8:00 AM class tomorrow?”

He did. He knew his sister was right and he honestly was exhausted, but didn’t want to leave just yet.

“Yasu?”

“Yeah yeah, I’m packing up. I’ll seeya in a bit.”

They said their goodbyes and Arakita hung up, staring down at his phone, frowning.

“Your girlfriend?” Shinkai asked, pulling another bar out of God knows where, tearing open the wrapper.

“What? No! Who the hell greets their significant other with a ‘What do you want’?” Arakita spat, horrified. “That was my little sis.” He explained, throwing his pencil and loose sheets of papers into his bag. “It’s late. I should probably get going.”

“Same.” Shinkai nodded in agreement, also putting his stuff away.

The two had finished packing up and logging off of their computers before making their way towards the exit. Once outside, Arakita briefly considered grabbing his bike, but deciding against it. He’d much prefer walking to the station with Shinkai rather than biking off on his own. The other boy had also stared at the bike rack, but kept on walking with Arakita. The two idly chatted away about classes and their respective programs until they reached their destination.

“I’ll see you around Shinkai.” Arakita said after a moment of silence.

“Oh? You don’t go this way?” Shinkai hesitated at the turnstile, looking back at the other boy, who had stopped walking.

“Yeah, I actually live really close to school.” He said, then in a low mumble; “I just wanted to see you off.”

Shinkai smiled at that, putting his bus fare into the turnstile and walking to the other side before turning back to Arakita.

“See you soon then, Yasutomo.” He winked before striding towards the approaching train.

Arakita watched the other enter the train, and waited until Shinkai was out of site before leaving the station.

Fuck. Arakita thought, taking out his phone. He quickly opened his facebook app, finding Shinkai’s “Food” album. He stared at his ramen eating picture briefly before going back to the picture of 12 year old Shinkai, quickly setting it as his phone’s background.

Fucking hell. He covered his smile with the back of his hand, making his way across the street towards his apartment. I am infatuated with the redhead.

Chapter Text

Shinkai couldn’t sleep.

After getting home from school that night, he went straight to the kitchen to grab a “light snack” before finishing up his lab, completing it with plenty of time to get his 8 hours of sleep in before his 11 AM class the next morning. However, no matter how tired he was, no matter how much he tried to silent his thoughts, Shinkai could not fall asleep for the life of him.

At one point around 4 AM, Shinkai gave up on trying to get into a comfortable position. Sitting up violently, he left his bed and made his way to the kitchen, hoping that there’d be something in the fridge high enough in glucose to help him crash until the morning.

A crash did occur in the Shinkai household, but it was definitely not the kind Hayato was hoping for.

Ah shit. He mentally berated himself for being so clumsy. He had spotted some yogurt containers at the back of the fridge and thought he could pull them out without making too much of a mess. As it turned out, the exact opposite occurred, and Shinkai ended up toppling over a bunch of food items. Consequently, his impatience at cleaning the mess caused even more things fall over, including a few apples, which ended up rolling out of the fridge onto the floor with loud, consecutive thuds.

Why were there apples up there in the first place? The redhead scowled, squatting down to pick up whatever fruit he could make out on the dark kitchen floor, surprised the noise didn’t wake up his parrot. Just as he went to grab the last apple did he see another hand reach for it, making him jump frighteningly high for an exhausted university student.

“Fucholy shi-t Yu- Yuuto” He could barely get the words out. The shock had resulted in the redhead squatting against the oven door, holding onto the handle with an iron grip, his face pressed against his arm as he tried to regain his composure. “Don’t fucking sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry bro.” Yuuto responded, the teenager’s heavily lidded eyes looking borderline closed given how late at night it was. “I forgot you were more skittish than Usakichi.”

Hayato huffed, taking the last apple from his younger sibling’s hand, and returning it to its rightful place.

“Why are you up?” He asked Yuuto, finally digging out his yogurt and retrieving a spoon from the drawer.

“I dunno.” Yuuto shrugged, leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. “It probably has something to do with me mistaking my brother for what sounded like a rhinoceros mauling our fucking fridge.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” The redhead apologized, his mouth full of yogurt as he moved to stand beside Yuuto. “I’m just having trouble sleeping.”

His sibling hummed in understanding. “You have something important coming up?”

“…No?” Hayato licked his spoon clean before opening up another yogurt, his first one consumed in a matter of seconds. He hadn’t really thought about why he couldn’t sleep. Besides the regular anxiety he felt due some of his courses, nothing significant had happened in class to cause him stress. And yet, now that Yuuto had mentioned it, he did feel something in the pit of his stomach. Hayato took a deep breath and put down his unfinished yogurt, suddenly feeling uneasy.

“Woah.” Yuuto remarked. “It’s obviously something if it made you stop eating.”

“Shut up. I’m fine kiddo, I’m just getting a drink.” He lied, ruffled the others’ dark hair before getting a glass of water and forcing himself to drink it all, pushing the troubling feeling aside. “I’m probably just stressed from Biochem.”

Yuuto hummed again, not looking convinced. “You know, Hayato, you’re acting the same way you did before your third year Inter High.”

Shinkai raised an eyebrow at that. He hadn’t been nervous for the Inter High, though. He was confident in his and his teammate’s abilities. That night, his restlessness was due to excitement and anticipation, not stress. He voiced his thoughts to Yuuto, who nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s exactly it though! You look happy –like excited, not stressed. Did something good happen?”

“No…? Wait no. I did end up finishing my lab report the day before it was due instead of a few minutes before like what I usually do.” Shinkai replied with pride. He had come home from the computer lab in high spirits today –well, yesterday. He was glad Juichi made him go to that particular lab. He was able to get the majority his work done and even got to meet Yasutom-

Yuuto scoffed but didn’t say anything, noticing their brother’s change in expression.

“Actually I did make a new friend.” Hayato said quietly, throwing out his emptied yogurt containers and placing his spoon in the kitchen sink.

“Ooh, that is exciting you antisocial nerd.” Yuuto responded.

“I’m not antisocial. I’m just selective when it comes to my friends.”

“Whatever the reason, I’m glad your friend circle has increased from 4 to 5, Hayato.” Yuuto said, walking towards the exit of the kitchen. “And I’ve included myself in that list, by the way.”

“Okay, haha. Goodnight Yuuto. Sorry for waking you.”

“No problem. G’night Hayato. Congratz on your friend.”

“Yeah.” Shinkai smiled, shaking his head. He drank another glass of water before heading back to bed.

***

Shinkai woke up groggy the next morning, his movements painfully sluggish as he got ready for his Molecular Biology lecture. He was able to fall asleep after his little trip to the kitchen, the anxious feeling he experienced the night before completely forgotten –but it wasn't the 8 hours he had planned on getting, resulting in him leaving his house in a cranky mood.

He walked to the bus stop conveniently located in front of his house at a snail’s pace, the helmet in his bag weighing him down. He had abandoned his bike at school the other day, opting to walk with Yasutomo to the station, half hoping that the other boy would be going the same direction. Normally, Shinkai would travel on the bus with his bicycle from his home to the station, and then ride his bike the rest of his way, sprinting to school instead of taking the train simply because it was faster. Knowing that he couldn’t do that today, Shinkai ended up waking and leaving his house much earlier, only adding to his fatigue.

Getting to school was one thing, but actually being mentally present in class was another. Sitting through Molecular was relatively painful today, considering the fact that the lecture was more or less review for Shinkai and the rest of his classmates. The professor was babbling on about the DNA structure, describing the alteration between a nucleoside to a nucleotide to a nucleic acid, showing the class which ends go through a condensation reaction to form the phosphodiester linkage -hence making the DNA strand; etcetera, etcetera. Shinkai had zoned out about 20 minutes into the lecture, opting to distract himself on his phone instead of taking unnecessary notes. He had been texting Juichi about their lab for today, reminding his friend that affinity chromatography was not his thing and that he’d much rather do the gel electrophoresis, when a notification popped up at the top of his phone, showing that he had gotten a snap from one of his friends.

Opening up the app, Shinkai held down his friend’s name, observing a smiling boy with a blue –almost violet eye looking directly at him, the other closed in a wink. Jinpachi had sent him a selfie with the words “You still alive Shinkai?” written across the screen. Shinkai looked around the room, making sure his classmates were distracted. He had sat near the far right of the lecture hall, relatively in the middle so he could pay attention to the lesson had he chosen to. When the redhead confirmed that no one was looking at him, including the professor, he took a quick picture of himself, winking to his camera with his signature gun pose. “I regret skipping my second breakfast” he typed, positioning the text across his face before hitting send.

A chat message was sent to him almost immediately. Shinkai smiled to himself. Despite it being 3 AM for Jinpachi, he seemed as lively as ever.

“you shouldnt be having a 2nd breakfast in the first place!

how are your classes though?

you havent freaked out to me yet so im assuming things are ok”

Shinkai huffed at his friend’s rapid fire messages. Leave it to Jinpachi to worry about others despite his own problems.

“I’m fine. I’m forcing Juichi to take care of me.” He replied. He wished he was joking when he said that, but his childhood friend had stuck by his side through thick and thin, and even now was mindful of Shinkai's progress at school.

“hahaha thats good!!

i know its exam time for you guys in july but we’re coming down to celebrate your bday!”

“Really? You got time off?”

“yeah! Its maki chans bday too so we’re gonna be home all month!”

Schools in England apparently only had 2 semesters, with a relatively long summer vacation. Although both Toudou and his best friend worked while attending school, it was under a specific co-op program, meaning that they had to have pulled some strings if they were able to get an entire month off.

“That’s great! I haven’t seen you in so long. Same with Yuusuke-kun.”

They chatted a bit more, quickly catching up with each other’s lives until Jinpachi stopped replying. Shinkai put his phone down, assuming his friend either fell asleep or his phone died. He looked up to the front of the room, deciding it would be in his best interest to pay attention to the rest of his class.

The rest of the day went by excruciating slowly. Their biochem lab, which started at 2, consisted mainly of sitting around and waiting while they isolated their Lactate Dehydrogenase for three hours. Although Shinkai had split the work load with Juichi, they had finished exactly at 5, meaning Shinkai was going to have some trouble beating the rush hour traffic, which was never fun biking through.

Shinkai bid farewell to Juichi, choosing to be responsible and stay back to talk to their TA about his last assignment. He knew he had gotten a lot of things wrongs, but he wanted clarification on certain calculations so that he wouldn’t make the same mistakes on the final. Even Juichi, who did relatively well on the assignment, had gotten some marks off. Knowing that getting help from someone who knew the answers was his best bet in doing well in the class, the redhead opted into getting some help while it was still early in the semester.

Besides. He thought, waiting for a classmate to finish asking her question before approaching their TA. At least this way I won’t have to worry about biking through traffic.

***

About thirty minutes had passed before Shinkai made his way out of the science building, crossing the quad to retrieve his Cervélo S2. It was exactly where he had left it the day before, the red and white letters and stripes standing out against the black bicycle, leaning on the bike rack near one of their school’s many entrances.

Just as Shinkai went to unlock his bike did he notice Juichi’s Bianchi beside his. He’s still at school eh? Shinkai smiled to himself, amazed at how serious Juichi took his school work. It reminded him of their high school days. His stone-faced friend had always put 100% into everything he did, and now was no exception. I wish I had that kind of motivation.

It took only a second’s hesitation before Shinkai decided to go visit Fukutomi. Even though they had a majority of classes together, it wouldn’t hurt to say bye to the blond for the weekend. He also might as well let him know about Jinpachi’s plans for the summer while he was at it, since he forgot to do so during lab.

I could probably just text him. Shinkai thought, entering the building, suddenly feeling antsy as he turned towards the computer lab. Or I could just tell him Monday in class.

He pushed the feeling aside, however, as he walked through the double doors. After a quick scan over the lab did he notice Juichi, sitting beside who he recognized was Kinjou. Shinkai’s insides did a flip as he looked around some more, walking slowly towards his friend. He noticed an empty computer two seats away from Kinjou which had a bag similar to Yasutomo’s resting on the chair in reserve. He didn’t have time to wonder where the raven hair was, however, as both Kinjou and Juichi looked up at him the second he had gotten relatively close. Kinjou gave Shinkai a polite nod, which Shinkai returned quickly before turning to Juichi, who had asked him what was up.

Shinkai went out of his way to explain what he had learned from their TA before relaying Jinpachi’s message, all just to buy some time. He decided not to question why he was buying time; instead rambling on about potential things they could do for their birthdays.

Shinkai was just in the middle of mentioning doing something for Makishima’s birthday first since he was a week older when Kinjou interrupted.

“Sorry, did you say Makishima? As in Makishima Yuusuke?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“You know him?” Juichi asked, looking at the bespectacled boy beside him.

“Yeah, he was our friend in high school. He left a few months before graduation to attend a university in England.”

“Wow, yeah. That’s the same guy.” Shinkai said. What were the chances? However, before Shinkai could say anything more, Juichi had swiftly turned to Kinjou, his monotone voice slightly more animated as he said “You should join us, then. With the celebrations, I mean.”

“Sure.” Kinjou nodded, flashing the blond an easygoing smile. “Makishima hadn’t mentioned coming back to Japan for his birthday, but he was never really good with communicating.”

Juichi smiled at that, and the two continued their little gossiping. Shinkai was taken aback by Juichi’s sociability towards the engineer. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have easily mistaken the two for friends. Just as he was about to voice his thoughts did he notice movement to the side.

“What are we talkin’ about Kin-chan?” said a familiar voice just as a hand roughly patted Shinkai on his back, causing him to jump.

Yasutomo.

Shinkai turned to look at Yasutomo, who gave him a small nod and a quiet “hey”. Shinkai nodded back, not trusting himself to talk. His stomach was being weird again. Was that yogurt expired or something? He wondered as Kinjou caught Arakita up to speed.

“Oh that’s fucking awesome! You guys know our walking fern!”

Shinkai laughed at that, trying to ignore how Yasutomo’s hand was still resting on his back. The lab is particularly hot today, he concluded, refusing to acknowledge his burning face. The four of them discussed potential clubs they could go to if a house party ended up being a dilemma. Yasutomo’s hand had traveled up to rest comfortably on Shinkai’s shoulder somewhere midway through their conversation, the loud boy seemingly unaware of what he was doing. It was about 10 minutes into the planning before Shinkai couldn’t take it anymore. He excused himself, blaming his lack of sleep and queasy stomach for his rudeness as he waved goodbye to the others, quickly making a break for the exit.

Shinkai rode home in what felt like record time. He had elected against taking the bus the rest of the way like usual, deciding that his sprinting would be more than efficient enough to get him to where he needed to go. That, and the fact that he needed to cool his head. He was feeling particularly hot near the end of the day, and ruled against sitting in the suffocating bus for 20 long minutes.

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten sick. He thought once he got home, trying to convince himself that he had a slight fever as he dived into his bed the second he entered his room. I should probably get medicine or something.

He didn’t get up though. Even though it was easier to pretend that he was sick, lying to himself was not something Shinkai did easily, so he just lay face down on his bed contemplating the last two days.

You look happy. Yuuto’s words echoed in his head.

Shinkai groaned into his pillow. Nothing good can come from this.

Chapter Text

Arakita was more irritated than usual. Typing away on his computer, he cursed under his breath at what seemed like a word per minute, unable to get what he wanted to say across the screen.  

I scared Shinkai off. Probably. He thought, scowling to himself. It had been over two weeks since they last spoke to each other properly, and he knew he only had himself to blame.  

At that time, he had been working with Kinjou on yet another assignment when he decided he needed a mental break, opting to go out and bike to the nearest convenience store for a light snack. He hesitated at the bike rack, eying the sexy Bianchi a meter away from his own piece of garbage, before deciding against stealing it again.  

Borrowing it. He corrected himself, getting on his bike and pedalling away. He didn’t know who the owner was, but it was most probably someone who frequented the computer lab. He had borrowed it from time to time for similar short distance trips, when it was earlier on in the day and he assumed the person would be staying back for a while, their missing bicycle going unnoticed –but he didn’t have the patience to carefully unfasten the lock this time around.  

The University is really gonna regret letting me study engineering one day. He smirked to himself, entering the store. Although he was intelligent and more or less a good person, Arakita was prone to being an asshole from time to time, using the knowledge he gained for his own benefits.  

He pushed his thoughts aside as he approached the register. He could think about his fucked up morals some other day. He ended up buying some chips and a bottle of Bepsi before riding back to school, the black Cervélo going unnoticed as Arakita entered the building. It wasn’t until he walked through the double doors that he saw the broad back and brilliant red hair of the boy he had lost sleep over the night before, causing Arakita to pause mid-step. He was not prepared to see Shinkai standing in the room. In fact, he was convinced it was some cruel joke his worn out brain was playing on him, that is, until he saw the redhead in question turn to face Kinjou, his thick lips apparent and full as ever as he exchanged a few words.  

Ahhh fuck. He thought, regaining his composure and approaching the group.  

“What are we talkin’ about Kin-chan?” he said, roughly patting Shinkai on the back with his right hand, causing the unsuspecting boy to jump.  

Ahhhhhhh fuuuckk. He fought against smiling, doing his best to seem calm and collected even though his mind was in utter chaos. He gave Shinkai a quick nod when the boy looked over, uttering a small “hey” before turning his attention back to Kinjou, knowing he’d end up staring at Shinkai again if he didn’t look away immediately.  

Apparently, his and Kinjou’s old friend Makishima was coming back to Japan with Shinkai’s friend Toudou in July. Well that explains why that story sounded so familiar. Arakita thought, recalling the previous night, momentarily zoning out as their small group continued chatting, discussing when and where to party once summer vacation arrived. He was standing on Shinkai’s left, and had yet to move his hand from his back, half hoping the other would just pull away and spare him the inner turmoil. That was not the case, however, Shinkai seemingly unaware that his hand was there in the first place. About five minutes into their conversation did Arakita realize that Shinkai had no plan of moving away from his touch, remaining unmoving under his presence. Taking that as a good sign, Arakita slowly worked his way up from the small of the other’s back to his right shoulder, resting his hand comfortably against the fabric of Shinkai’s blue t-shirt, his thumb excruciatingly close to the neckline.  

Shinkai was extremely quiet by that point. Arakita had barely known the guy for a day, so he couldn’t tell if that was just his personality, but the silence made him very weary. Not even the smallest of movements went unnoticed by the engineer. Arakita was in the middle of telling the others of a club downtown that was relatively cheap, offering his place to pre-drink when he felt the other boy finally relax under his grip. Without intending to, Arakita stroked Shinkai’s shoulder with his thumb, making contact with the redhead’s bare skin. His neck was extremely hot to the touch. Before he could register the pure heat emanating from Shinkai’s skin did the other boy suddenly back off. He apologized to them, stating that we wasn’t feeling well due to lack of sleep and upset stomach, before excusing himself and hastily leaving the lab.  

Shit. I fucked that up real bad. Arakita thought.

And he kept thinking that, two weeks later, letting the sinking feeling take over –only being brought back to reality by Machimiya’s bothersome prodding.  

“The fuck is wrong with you? You’ve been staring at the rubric for over 30 minutes now.” 

“Shut the fuck up. I’m allowed to be confused from an assignment from time to time, asshole.” Arakita responded, trying to cover up the fact that he had just zoned out thinking about Shinkai, again.  

Although Shinkai would sometimes drop by into the lab to see his stone-faced friend, Arakita was too embarrassed to approach the other. If they made eye contact, a polite hello or nod was given, but otherwise, Arakita would continue “working” while Shinkai continued speaking to his friend. It was hard. The second Shinkai entered the room, Arakita forgot how to function. It was bad enough trying to ignore a crush, but when said crush always ended up standing within your field of view because their friend almost always seemed to find a seat beside your friend, you knew you were fucked. 

“Shit.” Arakita muttered, rapidly pressing the backspace key violently instead of simply holding it down, earning him a glare from Kinjou. He didn’t care. He was far too concerned trying to think up ways of fixing the friendship he inevitably broke, unsure of how to apologize for his –his what? Bold advances? Flirting? All he did was rest a hand on Shinkai’s shoulder, right? Maybe he was over thinking things and Shinkai had actually left because he was legitimately tired. But if that were the case, why didn’t the other approach him more often in the lab?  

“Fuck.” Arakita said again, slamming his head into his arms. I’m acting like a 14 year old. He thought. He slammed his head a few more times, kissing his teeth in frustration when suddenly, the sound of hands slamming the desk  made Arakita sit up, alarmed. Kinjou was looking at Arakita, clearly irritated.  

“Arakita, go take a break.”  

“I’m fine! I need to finish this-” 

“Dude, you’re not doing shit.” Machimiya interjected from Arakita’s other side. 

“Shut the fuck up, I-” 

“Don’t tell me to shut the fuck up when you’re the one making all the noises!” Machimiya interrupted.  

“Why don’t you just go home?” 

“I’m not going home, Kinjou” Arakita yelled, earning his group a few glares and even a few shushes from others in the lab. 

“Relax Arakita, just go for a walk and cool off.” Kinjou said, his palms out in surrender, trying to do some damage control. Arakita was standing up at this point, his fists clenched and teeth gritted.  

“Fuck you guys.” He spat, ready to storm off towards the exit. He stopped in his tracks just as he turned to leave. Right behind them was Fukutomi, sitting down facing them with a questioning look on his otherwise rigid face, and there beside him; Shinkai, standing next his friend with a small box in his hand, his steady gaze meeting Arakita’s. 

Oh god. Arakita felt his face heat up as he ran out of the room. How long had Shinkai been there? He probably saw that entire meltdown. I’m digging my own grave at this point. He sulked, half sprinting down the hall, doing his best to get away from the shitty computer lab as quickly as possible. 

*** 

Arakita had run across the quad, opting to lie down in the grass, his arm across his face to block the sun from his eyes and his embarrassment from curious passersby. He was probably gone for over ten minutes now, slowly relaxing in the early May weather when he felt someone kick his thigh.   

“You better have a very good reason for disrupting my nap.” Arakita said before lifting his arm to who he assumed would be Machimiya. 

“Just confirming that you were alive.” Shinkai responded, smiling down at Arakita. "That seems to be a common theme between us." 

Arakita was too shocked to respond. It felt as though time itself had stopped. Shinkai, who he thought had hated him, was standing over his left side, his back to the sun, casting a shadow over Arakita's head, shielding him from its harsh rays. The light made Shinkais red hair look almost golden, the blue streaks accenting his curls like the calm waves of an ocean. His blue eyes were dark in contrast to his streaks, heavily lidded but clearly attentive to the boy beneath him, a playful smile tugging his fat lips. Arakita's mind was complete static for what felt like 3 minutes. 4. And then; I want him.  

The overwhelming urge to drag Shinkai down onto the field and just have his way with him was so terrifyingly strong that Arakita had to physically sit up and move back, away from the other boy. I want him so bad.

"You alright Yasutomo?" Shinkai asked, genuinely concerned.  

Don't fuck this up again. 

"Uh, yeah. F- I'm fine." Sick. 

"You seemed a little upset earlier. Is everything okay?" 

"Ah, yeah. Just frustrated with school." With you.  "You didn't have to follow me, you know. I’m fine."  

Shinkai laughed at that before shaking his head.  

"Nah, I didn’t follow you. I had no idea where you went." 

"Oh, what the fuck? You weren't looking for me?" 

Shinkai pointed at the science building behind Arakita, his smile never faltering. 

"I'm here to drop these gloves off in my locker." 

"Shinkai, you're hurting my feelings here." 

The other boy laughed again, the sound making Arakita's stomach flip. 

"Well now that I found you-" 

"You didn't find me assho-." 

"-How 'bout you come with me." Shinkai continued, talking over Arakita.

Arakita couldn’t believe it. He spent over a good 14 days thinking Shinkai had run away from his kind-of-but-not-really advances and had been avoiding him since. And yet here he was, talking to him like it was the most natural thing in the world, an easy going smile on his face, looking amazing and adora-

Another kick to the thigh made Arakita let out a frustrated laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, okay. I’m getting up.” He said, rising to his feet, not bothering to hide his smile.

“Okay! My locker’s on the fourth floor by the way.”

Arakita moved to sit down again, muttering a fuck that right before Shinkai caught his arm.

“Come on Yasutomo, using the stairs will wake you up! The oxygen will keep your brain going.”

“I know you’re not calling me stupid but I’m offended anyways.” Arakita huffed, allowing Shinkai to half drag him into the building before the boy let go at the entrance. Four flights of stairs wasn’t something Arakita couldn’t handle, but the science building in particular was unethically stuffy. By the time they had gotten to the top floor, both were panting, their foreheads slick with sweat.

Arakita rested his face against the cool metal locker beside Shinkai’s, watching the other boy work at his combo before stuffing his newly acquired box of nitrile gloves into the top cubby.

“So what kinda sciency shit do you have goin’ on in there?” He asked, finally able to speak without sounding like the pathetically unhealthy shit that he was. I need to work out again. “Drugs? Poisons?”

“Yes Yasutomo, because that’s allowed.” Shinkai said sarcastically. His deep voice was almost too convincing. “In fact, don’t be alarmed, but I’m about to chloroform you right now.”

“I don’t have the energy to stop you.” Arakita responded, and then; “So what would you do with my unconscious body?”

Before Arakita could scold himself for asking something so suggestive, Shinkai hummed in thought, interrupting his mental berating.

“I’d probably take your money and run.” He answered seriously, taking his lab coat out of his bag and placing it on the hook.

“Joke's on you Shinkai. I don’t have any money.”

“The sad truth of a university student.” Shinkai said solemnly, closing the door and replacing the lock.

They went back downstairs, walking around the quad rather than across, chatting about complete and utter nonsense. Well, it wasn’t nonsense per se, but anybody walking by would most likely have called the cops. Their little chloroform conversation had blossomed into them asking each other alternative hypotheticals, their answers becoming more gruesome and creative than the last –nothing surprising for an engineering and biology student. By the time they had gotten to the other end of their school, Arakita was hyperventilating and Shinkai had to stop and sit down.

It took 5 minutes, but Arakita had finally calmed down, looking at the boy sitting before him. Shinkai was half choking on a power bar, his hiccupping laughter making Arakita’s heart flutter.

“You good? Or should I be calling out for a nursing student?” Arakita asked.

“I’m go-od.” Shinkai hiccupped, getting up, rubbing the crumbs off his cheery face.

“’Kay well… I guess I’ll see you later then.” Arakita blurted, realizing that they had gotten to their destinations. He would be heading back to Kinjou and Machimiya, and Shinkai would be getting on the train home.

“Bye Yasutomo.” Shinkai responded.

Not wanting their conversation to linger, Arakita quickly made his way to the school entrance, trying to come up with a way to apologize to Kinjou and Machimiya for his poor behaviour. He had taken about twenty steps towards the entrance before turning to his side.

“Why are you still here?” He demanded, glaring at Shinkai, who had ended up walking in the same direction. Shinkai was obviously trying to keep a straight face, his jaw clenching and his lips slightly twitching as he followed Arakita to the bike racks.

“Just needed this.” He said, grabbing for his Cervélo, before bursting out into another fit of laughter.

“Oh, I didn’t know you biked.” Arakita confessed, looking at Shinkai’s bicycle, ignoring the heat dusting his cheeks at their awkward goodbye. It was really nice. If his heart didn’t already belong to the Bianchi seated adjacent to his, he would have considered Shinkai’s bike desirable. Arakita relayed his thoughts to the redhead, who in turn patted the Bianchi’s bike seat like it was an old friend.

“You know, I’m sure Juichi wouldn’t mind giving it to you.”

“Oh really, do you think he’d be oka- wait what?” Arakita exclaimed. “This is Stone Face’s bike?”

Shinkai nodded, finally finishing his forgotten power bar, tucking the wrapper away in his back pocket.

“He was planning on getting a new bike anyways. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind giving this to you. We can go ask him now actually.” He said, making his way towards the school's entrance.

Arakita trailed along, experiencing what he could only describe as the nearest he’d ever come to an out of body experience.

“Shinkai, oh my God. There’s no way he’d just give me his fucking Bianchi, there’s absolutely no way.” Arakita was muttering more to himself than the boy beside him. He’d stolen (borrowed) the bike multiple times. Had Stone Face noticed? Would he let Arakita have his bike? If by some miracle he did get the bike, he would have to find some way to celebrate. But first he’d have to formally thank Shinkai’s friend.

“What was his name again? Stone Face, I mean.”

“Fukutomi Juichi.”

“Shinkai, if Fuku-chan gives me his bike we’re celebrating, you know that right?”

Shinkai hummed at that.

“Can we go to a buffet?”

“Yeah, sure thing buddy.” Arakita snorted. Leave it to Shinkai to think with his stomach.

He had barely made his way through the double doors when he felt a strong hand grab his arm, dragging him back outside the room forcefully, and around the door’s corner, into a crouching position.

“What the fu-”

Shinkai covered Arakita’s mouth, his other hand pressing a finger to his own lips, his eyes wide. Arakita raised an eyebrow, shaking his head silently asking what was wrong. Shinkai lowered his hands before whispering to the raven.

“Juichi is laughing.” He hissed.

“Yeah so?”

“No you don’t understand Yasutomo. Juichi rarely smiles, but he is genuinely laughing in there.”

Arakita got up, skeptical. He turned to look back into the room. Shinkai grabbed his arm again, but he made no move of walking inside. Indeed, Fukutomi was laughing. He had taken Arakita’s abandoned seat, talking to Kinjou about God knows what. Machimiya was missing in action, his computer 46 seconds into its auto-log off countdown, meaning that he had been gone for over 30 minutes.

“See?” Shinkai whispered, his breath tickling Arakita’s ear. The engineer fought back a shiver, slightly turning to Shinkai before speaking.

“They do this all the time.”

“What?” Shinkai exclaimed. Now it was Arakita’s turn to cover his mouth.

“Shut the fuck up, idiot. You were the one trying to hide your presence in the first place, remember?” Arakita hissed, moving his hand once Shinkai nodded in understanding.

“I can’t believe this. Why didn’t Juichi just tell me he had made a friend?”

“Maybe he didn’t want people to know about it?”

“Who keeps a new friend a secret?” Shinkai demanded. Arakita was not prepared for such eccentric behaviour from the other. It was extremely entertaining.

“Is it something that has to be announced? Did you go running around telling people about me when we first met?”

“I mean, my younger sibling may or may not have found out that very day, but that’s not the point. This is Juichi we’re talking about! ”

“It sounds to me like you have no faith in you friend.” Arakita said, earning himself a kick to the shin for that. “I’m joking, I’m joking. I dunno, maybe they’re not friends?”

“Yasutomo, if they weren’t friends would they be laughing like that?”

“Not. Friends.” Arakita emphasized, hoping Shinkai would catch his drift. Indeed, after a beat, Shinkai’s eyes widened in understanding.

“Do you think they’re, together?” Shinkai whispered, looking simultaneously panicky and proud of his friend.

“I dunno, probably not? They both seem pretty reserved... These kinds of interactions are rare, from what I’ve witnessed.” He replied, not entirely sure what he was saying. Looking back at the two boys in the computer lab, he noted that they had both pulled their chairs closer together and were speaking in hushed voices to avoid being disruptive. Arakita wasn’t lying when he said he saw the two interact before, but any guesses he made about their relationship were just that –guesses. He turned to see Shinkai looking at him expectantly.

“Well?”

“Well what, moron? They’re just talking, I don’t know what more you want.”

“Maybe they like each other, Yasutomo.”

“Shinkai…” Arakita exhaled. This was none of their business.

“No, hear me out.” Shinkai pressed. “What if they like each other but they can’t find excuses to hang out? They are in different programs after all.”

“Where is this going Shinkai, I had an assignment due approximately 20 minutes ago and I-”

“What if we help them out? Maybe find reasons for them to be together outside of school?”

“Sure, fine. Whatever.”Arakita sighed. Yeah he liked Shinkai, but his patience was running thin. It had been a long day for him.

“Okay! Sounds like a plan! Here, gimme your phone.”

“Uh, why?”

“So I can add myself into your contacts?” Shinkai replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It was the most obvious thing in the world, but Arakita would rather cut off his arm then let Shinkai look at his phone, or more specifically, his phone’s current background image.

“Just tell me your number, I’m… germaphobic.” Arakita said, fighting the urge to slap himself. Shinkai was too distracted recalling his number to the other boy to make a jab at his out-of-character announcement. Arakita quickly texted Shinkai with a plethora of emoji’s to make sure he had added the right guy, and confirmed a second later when Shinkai’s phone lit up.

“Good, now that that’s settled, let’s get me a fucking Bianchi.” Arakita proclaimed, rubbing his hands greedily as he entered the room, hollering “Fuku-chaaan” as he approached the two, Shinkai trailing close behind. He had no idea what mess he had gotten himself into with these two biologists, but he could deal with it later. Arakita’s current concern was going from Bianchi borrower to owner.

Chapter Text

Shinkai couldn’t feel his left arm, Yasutomo’s iron grip having cut off all circulation as their little group watched Juichi slowly unlock his bicycle from the rack. Arakita was basically wrangling Shinkai’s limb by this point, slightly bouncing in place as he watched Fukutomi step back, gesturing to the turquoise Bianchi.

“It’s all yours.”

Arakita practically leapt onto his bike from 2 meters away, screaming THANK YOU FUKU-CHAN and I FUCKING LOVE YOU FUKU-CHAN as he sat on the saddle, looking down at his newly acquired road racer, quickly glancing left and right, trying to absorb every possible detail. There was a genuine smile on Yasutomo’s face, making Shinkai smile back in turn, the pure happiness emanating from the boy contagious.

When Shinkai had approached his friend about the Bianchi, Juichi had said that he didn’t mind giving Arakita his bike, stating that he had been eying a Giant for a while now and his bike would probably have gone unused in storage otherwise. They had packed up, leaving the lab once Machimiya returned to collect his things, the five of them making their way towards the foyer. Juichi had warned Yasutomo halfway down the hallway that he suspected someone of stealing his bike, noticing dirt or scratches that hadn’t existed before, and how his lock seemed to be in a different position from where he left it last every once in a while. Yasutomo faltered at that, looking guiltily at Shinkai then Juichi.

“Ah, about that Fuku-chan… that was me. The one who would take your bike… sometimes...”

“Arakita are you fucking serious?” Machimiya bellowed, laughing like a hyena at the turn of events.

“What?! I returned it every time didn’t I?”

“You’ve stolen it more than once?” Kinjou exclaimed, his expression the textbook definition of shocked.

Shinkai doubled over laughing at the ridiculous situation. Juichi had told him months ago about thinking someone was using his bike. Shinkai suggested he tell school security, but since his bicycle had never technically gone missing, the authorities apologized stating that there was nothing they could do but keep an eye out.

“Yasutomo was the bike thief!” Shinkai cried, holding his stomach as he gasped for air.

“Shut the fuck up Shinkai!” Arakita snapped, turning to Juichi, his eyes pleading. “I’m sorry Fuku-chan! I made sure nothing bad happened to it, but I understand if you change your mind…” He trailed off, knowing this was a lost cause. There was no way anybody would let something so inexcusable go. He drifted over to Shinkai’s side, shoulders hunched in defeat as he kicked the still laughing boy lightly in the knee muttering an I told you there was no way he’d give me his Bianchi.

Shinkai finally regained his composure, wiping his eyes with the palm of his hands as he stood up, looking at Juichi for any signs of resentment. His childhood friend didn’t seem to care, preoccupied with trying to calm Kinjou down, who had be stammering an apology for his friend’s shameful actions.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” He said to the bespectacled boy before turning to Arakita. “It’s fine. If anything, your actions only show me how much you love the bike.”

Shinkai could have sworn Yasutomo almost fainted at that, sputtering a thank you and I’m so sorry, as they resumed their walk towards the exit.

Now, Yasutomo was happily sitting on his newly obtained Bianchi, grinning like an idiot as he gripped the handle bars with care.

“Why are you acting like you’re seeing the bike for the first time?” Shinkai teased, standing opposite to Arakita. “From what we’ve all learned today, you’re probably more familiar with it than Juichi.”

“Hey Shinkai, have you ever been run over by a Bianchi?” Arakita asked, his smile turned threatening though there was a hint of playfulness in his voice.

“Actually yeah I have.” Shinkai responded, turning his accusatory glance towards Juichi, who had been standing across from the two, leaning against the bike rack alongside Kinjou and Machimiya.

“That was one time!” Juichi interjected, crossing his arms. Machimiya’s hollering laughter and Kinjou’s demands of Juichi elaborating on the story were prominent but immediately drowned out when Shinkai caught Arakita looking at him, his smile gone.

“What is it?” He asked, feeling self-conscious. Yasutomo had a way of making Shinkai feel flustered at the most random of times. Ever since his little running away incident a bit over 2 weeks ago, it had been really tough for Shinkai to approach Yasutomo again. He knew he liked him, and he knew he wanted to see him more, but every time Shinkai went to the computer lab telling himself he would speak to Yasutomo, he’d freeze up, saying hello and quickly turning back to the safety of Juichi.

Arakita half-waddled on his bike, not properly sitting on the seat, until he was close enough to Shinkai so that he could speak in a low voice.

“Do you wanna go on a ride?”

“Yasutomo, there’s no way you could carry me on that.” Shinkai responded with a smirk. That earned him a slap at the back of his head.

“No Shinkai, holy shit. I meant we both go on a ride on our individual bikes, how did you get this far into University?”

“Honestly, I ask myself that every day.” He answered, making his way towards the other boys to retrieve his bike.

“We’re gonna go on a little test run.” Shinkai informed the group after receiving questioning looks. Arakita pulled up beside him and Juichi, thanking him one last time before the two rode off, away from the university.

***

Arakita Yasutomo was fast. Shinkai thought that he’d have to go at a slow pace to make sure Yasutomo could keep up, but the other boy was riding easily alongside him. Shinkai had asked Arakita to follow behind him at first, navigating through the downtown traffic and making all the appropriate turns until they left the crowded streets, entering the countryside. After that, the two ended up riding side-by-side, enjoying the warm, fresh air and the pleasant scenery. It was about 20 minutes into their ride when the other broke the silence.

“So where are we even going?” He asked, looking confusingly at his surroundings.

Shinkai shrugged. He hadn’t really thought about where they were going. He was just biking for the sake of biking. It wasn’t until he looked away from Yasutomo that he had noticed that he’d subconsciously taken his normal route home. In fact, they were relatively close to the station where Shinkai would stop biking, opting to take the bus home as not to overexert himself with his heavy backpack. However, now that Yasutomo was with him he decided that it wouldn’t hurt to keep going.

“I live around here actually.” He said, pumping his legs a little harder as they starting riding up a small hill. “If you want, I know a nice park we could bike at.”

“Sure, but there’s no fucking way I’m biking back home, Shinkai.” He said gruffly, wiping sweat from his chin. “You’re gonna have to tell me which buses to take home and crap.”

“Of course.” Shinkai promised, feeling guilty for leading the other so far from home. “In fact, I’ll pay for your fare. It’s my fault for dragging you here.”

“It’s fine, but thanks.” Arakita said, giving Shinkai a small smile. The redhead unintentionally picked up his pace at that, feeling his cheeks heat up. After a beat, Arakita caught up, a glint in his eyes. Next thing he knew, they both simultaneously sat up from their seats, racing down the pathway, sprinting as if their life depended on it.

The two ended up racing until they entered the residential area, quickly establishing that the stop sign 3 blocks down would be the finish line. It was surprisingly a close race, but Shinkai had taken the goal, about 3 seconds ahead of Arakita.

“FUCK, Shinkai how are you that fast.” Arakita exclaimed, panting substantially as he tried to keep up with Shinkai’s slower but even pace. “The fuck do they put in your power bars? Is an intervention needed here? Imagine how devastated Fuku-chan will be once he finds out.”

Shinkai laughed, trying to steady his own labored breathing before speaking.

“I used to be the sprinter for our high school road racing club.” He explained as they road by the pet shop he worked at. A quick glance told him that his manager was speaking happily with a customer, the store otherwise empty. “Juichi was also part of the club. He was our ace.” He continued, looking back at Arakita.

“I didn’t know bike clubs existed.” Arakita confessed, finally catching up to Shinkai so that they were side-by-side again. “Must have been fun.”

Shinkai nodded before slowing down to a stop. Arakita follow suit, looking at the redhead questioningly.

“Before we go to that park I told you about, do you want to drop our bags off at my place? We can get some water too…” Shinkai trailed off, realizing that he had just asked Yasutomo to come over.

“Fucking yes please. I feel like I’m carrying my house with me.” He exaggerated, following Shinkai as he started pedalling again, turning towards the neighbourhood. They ended up parking their bikes at the front of Shinkai’s house, locking their road racers to the makeshift bike rack near the front gate, which was already occupied by another Cervélo.

Ahh. Yuuto’s home. Shinkai thought, a small feeling of uncertainty washing over him. He pushed it aside as he walked through his door, announcing his arrival. Yasutomo bellowed a Sorry for intruding! as he took off his shoes and dropped his bag off at the side of the entrance. Shinkai was in the middle of taking his own shoes off when he heard the heavy thuds of someone walking down the stairs.

“Welcome home bro.” A pause, then. “And friend.”

“Hey. I’m Arakita Yasutomo,” he said, outstretching his hand towards Yuuto. “You Shinkai’s brother?”

“I’m his something.” Yuuto said with a polite smile, shaking Yasutomo’s hand.

Arakita looked down at the hand in his and looked back up to Yuuto, clearly surprised.

“Is this fucking nail polish?”

The feeling of dread was back. Shinkai was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.

“Yup!” Yuuto responded, looking down at the pastel pink nails. Every once in a while, when training wasn’t intense and no nails were broken, Yuuto would choose to paint them instead of trimming them back down. Looking over Yasutomo’s shoulder, Hayato saw Yuuto’s well manicured nails, coloured evenly and without flaw; the thumb nails even sporting a small flower design.

“Holy fucking shit.” Arakita responded, Yuuto’s hand still in his grip as he dug out his phone with his other hand, quickly snapping a picture before letting go and typing something.

“Yasutomo…” Shinkai said warningly.

Arakita ignored him, showing what he typed out to Yuuto, who covered their mouth, laughing at what was written across the screen. Shinkai stopped, confused at their interaction.

“Arakita-san, would you like something to drink?” Yuuto offered, walking towards the kitchen.

“That’s actually why I’m here.” Arakita responded, following the younger Shinkai, the two conversing like they were old friends catching up. Shinkai didn’t have time to reflect on what just happened. He had barely gotten his shoes off and taken a step towards the kitchen before hearing Yasutomo’s HOLY SHIT echo in the hall.

“How fucking much do you guys eat?” Arakita asked, sticking his head out of the fridge as he looked at Yuuto, then to Hayato who had finally walked into the kitchen.

“Not enough.” Yuuto responded, biting into an apple before leaning on their usual kitchen counter spot, watching Arakita with amusement.

“Yuuto, did you wash that apple first?” Shinkai asked, visibly relaxing at the site of Yuuto and Yasutomo getting along. He had reached over Yasutomo’s shoulder, grabbing his own apple, ignoring how his thigh accidentally brushed the other boy’s ass in the process, walking towards the sink to rinse the fruit.

“No Hayato. I decided that the apple I had to pick up off the ground for you at 4 AM was perfectly fine.”

“Stop lying Yuuto. You and I both know those apples were consumed in a day.”

“Holy shit this is terrifying.” Arakita interrupted the two, closing the fridge door before looking at the Shinkai siblings in wonder. “How does your family afford to keep you two fed?”

The two simultaneously shrugged before taking a bite out of their respective apples, earning themselves a scoff from Yasutomo. Shinkai watched him as he made his way to the sink, washing the sweat off his face and his neck, his hair now sticking to his head at uneven angles. Yasutomo’s bangs in particular were stuck to his forehead in a way that revealed his arched eyebrows and some feint acne scars.

“I’ll get you a towel.” Yuuto said, their voice making Hayato break his gaze. The two siblings briefly made eye-contact, Yuuto’s eyebrow raised and a mischievous smile creeping up their lips before turning and exiting the room. Hayato tried to ignore what that expression implied, thanking the hot weather for disguising his blush. The two university students were silent after that, Yasutomo unmoving as not to get the water trickling down his face onto the floor, and Shinkai silently finishing his apple.

“Do you want to stay back for a bit? To cool off, I mean.” Shinkai blurted, not wanting to leave just yet.

Before Arakita could respond, Yuuto returned, handing him a clean towel.

“Thanks.” Arakita responded, turning to Shinkai only after he had completely dried himself off. “And sure.” He continued, unaware that his bangs were now sticking out at random directions.

Shinkai felt himself take one step forward, then another, until he was standing in front of Yasutomo. He grabbed the towel with his right hand before lifting up his left, fixing Yasutomo’s hair. The engineer was strangely quiet as he let Shinkai’s fingers coordinate the individual strands. Only when Yuuto cleared their throat did Hayato’s mind catch up with his body. He looked down from Yasutomo’s forehead to see that the boy’s cheeks were dusted with red, his eyes looking everywhere but at Shinkai. What am I doing?! He thought, quickly backing up.

“I’ll go get us some watermelon.” He stammered, towel still in hand as he fled towards the garage, calling over his shoulder for Yuuto to go take Yasutomo to the living room, please.

What was that, Hayato? He chided himself as he retrieved the watermelon from the cooler by the garage door. He didn’t want Yasutomo to get the wrong idea. They had barely become friends and yet here he was, doing everything in his power to scare him off.

It’s a good thing Yuuto’s home. He thought as he made his way back to the kitchen. Luckily, Yasutomo didn’t seem to react to what he did. Maybe he could play it off as if nothing had happened.

Shinkai got to work washing and cutting the watermelon, placing the slices on a platter and grabbing 3 plates. He entered the living room to Yuuto and Yasutomo sitting on the floor in front of their fan, idly chatting as they both looked at something on the raven’s phone.

Shinkai placed the plates and platter on the floor before the two, sitting on Yuuto’s far left, still too embarrassed to look Yasutomo in the eyes.

“Eat up.” He said, personally grabbing himself 5 slices and resting them on a plate, watching Yuuto and Yasutomo do the same.

This is not how I expected my Wednesday to go. Shinkai thought, wiping watermelon juice from his lower lip before taking another hefty bite, the anxious/excited feeling he felt in the pit of his stomach days ago back and as strong as ever.

Yasutomo was really good at doing that to him, apparently.

***

The three of them finished eating and had relocated to the couches, no longer needing to sit directly in front of the fan to cool down. Yuuto and Arakita ended up sitting beside each other, speaking quietly amongst themselves while Shinkai casually watched some television from the far side of the same couch.

It was surprisingly peaceful. Shinkai didn’t know what he expected when he invited Yasutomo to his house, but it definitely wasn’t something so… domestic. Occasionally, he would look over to see Yuuto typing something on Yasutomo’s phone, the two of them sharing a knowing smirk before returning to their original conversation. Yuuto had asked Yasutomo about school, his program, how he and Hayato had met… Shinkai had joined in by this point, correcting any details Yasutomo “forgot”.

The raven made himself seem far more charming during their first few encounters than he actually had been. Likewise, Arakita would chide Shinkai for leaving out details about their interactions to make himself seem much cooler to Yuuto, accusing Shinkai of dismissing how he occasionally jumped or stuttered the first few times they spoke to each other.

“At least I didn’t steal a bike just for the sake of buying some soda a block away!” Shinkai countered.

“BORROWED” Arakita corrected, leaning over Yuuto so he was closer to the redhead. “And it wasn’t just for soda ok? I used it for important reasons too.”

“Like what?”

“Once, I left my laptop at home and needed it for a major presentation.”

“Why didn’t you just call your sister and ask her to bring it to you?”

“Because she’s an asshole!” He exclaimed. “Also, I don’t think I gave her the key to my place.”

“Don’t you two live together?”

“No? I have my own place close to school.”

Yuuto was looking back and forth between the two like a bystander watching a tennis tournament.

“Oh, what? I thought you lived with you family. Weren’t you going to go eat dinner with them that one night?”

“Yeah but I was gonna drop off my stuff and get changed at my apartment first.”

“Oh…”

The two had gone silent after that, Arakita apologizing to Yuuto as he crawled off their lap. Just as he did, a click was heard at the front of the door and the sound of footsteps, followed by a shrill I’m home.

“Welcome home.” The Shinkai siblings said in union as their mom entered the living room. Shinkai quickly introduced Yasutomo, not realizing how late it had become. Yasutomo had been over for 4 hours instead of the 4 minutes Shinkai had initially planned. Arakita apologized for intruding, getting up saying that he should probably get going when Shinkai’s mom stopped him, insisting he stay for dinner. Arakita had looked at the redhead for an out, but Shinkai just smiled, encouraging that he stay over a bit longer. He had been having fun, and so was Yuuto, which was a wonderful change of pace. After a bit more pestering from the three of them did Arakita agree to stay for dinner, thanking Shinkai’s mom and offering to help her with the preparations.

“Nonsense! Yuuto will help, wont you dear?” She exclaimed, walking back to the front door to retrieve the groceries.

“This’ll be interesting.” Shinkai heard Yuuto mutter, walking over to the kitchen to help their mom with the food.

“Yeah.” Shinkai whispered to himself, seeing Yasutomo shift awkwardly at the opposite end of the couch from the corner of his eye. “Yeah, it will.”

Chapter Text

Arakita would have been panicking right now over the mere fact that he was over at Shinkai’s house and having dinner with his family if he weren’t so distracted by absurdity that was the Shinkai siblings. Once dinner was ready, their mom had set aside some food for her husband before putting dish after dish down on the dining room table, demanding each time that they do not touch the food. Arakita sat at the table across from Hayato, beside Yuuto, looking back and forth between the two. They were both obviously holding back for the sake of their mom, who had wanted to be as hospitable as possible towards Arakita. He discreetly looked at Shinkai, who had been eyeing the Yakitori at the far end of the table, his mouth slightly agape and watering at the sight of the graciously seasoned chicken. Yuuto wasn’t fairing any better, their eyes jumping from dish to dish, mentally mapping out what they could take and pile onto their own plate before Hayato could eat it all. Arakita chuckled, getting two’s attention. 

“You guys are fucking outrageous.” He commented, just as their mom finally joined the table, placing down some bowls of rice.  

“You should see them when we don’t have guests over.” She said with a slight smile.  

“I’m guessing you can barely put the food down before they inhale it?” 

“I can barely make the food before they inhale it.” She corrected, laughing at her children’s ridiculous appetite. 

“Moooomm lettss eaaatttt.” Yuuto whined, chopsticks in hand and eyes dead set on the gyoza in front of Arakita. 

“Alright, alight. Itadakimasu.” She said, still smiling and she watched the others spew out a quick Itadakimasu before all hell broke loose.  

Arakita had never seen anything like this before. Hands were blurring in front of him, and food was disappearing at a preposterous rate. A few times, he’d look up from his plate to see chopsticks fighting for the same dumpling or sushi, complimented by a bit of yelling and arguing before Arakita or their mother had to intervene.

Dinner with the Shinkai’s was hilariously chaotic, to say the least. If Arakita could compare the pandemonium to anything else he’s ever experienced in his 21 years of living, the most accurate thing he could come up with would be the shit show that always seemed to go down in GTAV multiplayer. Nothing made sense, there were things flying in all directions -he almost lost a limb... But more than anything, it was fun. Sometime amidst all the chaos, Hayato had caused Yuuto to break a nail, resulting in the younger sibling getting revenge by stealing food off Hayato’s plate, which was apparently a rule breaker in their house. Claims of trust and betrayal were spewed and even some threats were made. Arakita ended up laughing so hard that he had trouble swallowing his food, almost choking four different times during dinner.

At some point in the middle of their meal, Arakita had taken his phone out, snapping some quick pictures when the two were too focused on each other or eating to notice. It wasn’t until after the mayhem had died down that Arakita scrolled through his gallery, finding the one picture he took that make his heart lurch. It was of Shinkai, who had some noodles dangling out of his mouth, his arm extended out directly in front of him to grab something off of Arakita’s plate, his other hand holding a spoon piled terrifyingly high with white rice. Shinkai’s eyes were looking up, not at the camera but at Arakita, his bangs having been pushed to one side at some point in the evening so that he could see better.  

Of all the pictures Arakita had taken, this one was probably his favourite. In some pictures, Shinkai was either too focused on eating or glaring at Yuuto to notice that he was being photographed, while in other instances, he had looked directly at the camera, smiling or winking nonchalantly. In this picture, however, Shinkai’s expression was neutral as he looked at Arakita.

Actually, that’s probably the reason why I like this photo so much. He thought, zooming in on Hayato’s face, focusing on his dark blue eyes that had been looking directly at him moments ago. A movement to his right make him exit out of his gallery quickly, noting that Yuuto had shifted a little closer to look over Arakita’s shoulder. That had been a mistake, as closing the app brought Arakita back to his phone’s home screen, which just so happened to have the background image of a young Shinkai Hayato blissfully eating away.

Arakita opened his mouth to explain, but Yuuto just flashed him a close-mouthed smile, chewing the last bit of food on their plate, looking very similar to a chipmunk. A bit of silent communication and some eyebrow wiggling from Yuuto caused Arakita to pinch their still stuffed cheeks quite roughly before he got up to take his empty plate to the kitchen sink, his face burning.  

That little shit better not say anything. He thought, choosing to use the same term of endearment for Yuuto as he used for his younger sisters. Arakita’s hasty retreat to the kitchen received him a questioning look from Shinkai’s mother, who had been washing the dishes. Insisting on taking over to hide his embarrassment, Arakita had shooed Shinkai’s mom away to relax in the living room, telling her this was the least I could do after such a delicious meal.

As Arakita got to work scrubbing, he turned to see that Shinkai had started clearing out the table, working around Yuuto who had been mischievously pointing out any stains Hayato had missed using their chopsticks, successfully causing additional stains to blossom.

Arakita shook his head, smiling to himself. He had fallen for Yuuto almost immediately. The weird introduction and the nail polish had thrown him off for about 10 seconds before he understood the situation, quickly snapping a picture of their hand and sending it to his little sister –the older of the two. He typed out a text right after saying why the fuck couldn’t you be this talented? before showing Yuuto and pressing send.  They had gotten along rather quickly after that, Arakita reaching the Yuuto is a little shit just like my sisters conclusion immediately after Shinkai had left to kitchen to retrieve the watermelon. Yuuto had witnessed the little hair fixing exchange he and Hayato had, choosing not to say anything until after they had situated themselves in front of the fan in the living room. 

“So. Are you and Hayato dating?” 

“NO.” 

“Okay. When are you gonna ask him?” 

“I’M NOT.” 

“Do you want me to ask him for you?” 

“NO YUUTO.” 

Arakita had known this kid for all of seven minutes and they had already read him like a book. Deciding to change the topic, Arakita ended up asking Yuuto about their school and their interests –anything to distract them from the mess that was Arakita’s feelings towards Hayato. Occasionally he would text his sister back, showing Yuuto her comments which were generally filled with compliments for the nails and curses for Arakita’s attitude. At one point, she asked for a picture of the person behind the nails, in which Yuuto was more than happy to pose for, resulting in an influx of excited text messages.  

After they had finished eating and had retreated to the couch, Arakita just ended up giving Yuuto his phone so that younger Shinkai could easily converse with his sister rather than have him be the middle-man. By then, it was safe to assume that Yuuto had unintentionally joined a second family, sarcastic comments, shitty teasing, and all.  

Arakita was so deep in thought that hadn’t noticed Shinkai standing beside him until a plate was taken from his hands. The redhead silently started rinsing the soapy dishes before setting them aside. They worked silently for a few minutes, the pile of dirty dishes eventually decreasing in size, before Shinkai spoke up. 

“It’s gotten pretty late Yasutomo.” He noted, washing out a small bowl that had originally been full of rice mere minutes ago. 

“Yeah.” It was late. It was 10:30, Yuuto having retreated to their room a bit earlier, informing the two that they had morning practice the next day, while Shinkai’s mom had also said goodnight, obviously exhausted from cooking for an additional person, turning off the T.V and the lights in the living room before making her way upstairs. Shinkai had only just finished cleaning the mess they made on the table before going to help Arakita with the dishes, no signs of being tired at all. 

“You know, you can sleep over for tonight.” The redhead said, eyes focused on the utensils in his hands.  

“I’ve already overstayed my welcome-”  

Shinkai splashed some water at his face for that, finally looking up at him.  

“Shut up, it’s fine. My mom already took out the futon.”  

Arakita laughed at that, plopping some foamy soap onto Shinkai’s head. 

“Wow your mom must really like me.” He said, watching Shinkai struggle to wipe it off. 

“She loves you.” He said, successfully scooping up the majority of the soap and flicking it onto Arakita’s face. “Yuuto does too.”  

They were silent again after that, although it was more comfortable than the last. Arakita didn't want to change the mood, he almost dropped the topic that had been bothering him all evening right then and there, but he needed to know. 

"So... About Yuuto."  He started, wiping the soap off his face, unsure of how to continue.

“What about Yuuto?” Shinkai asked, straightening his posture; his tone challenging. Arakita knew that voice well. He had made it plenty of times himself when he was being protective of his little sisters. Sure they were both very much capable of taking care of themselves, but that didn’t stop Arakita from occasionally turning into a defensive older brother.

“Is Yuuto a girl? Or uh… want to be –I mean, do I call Yuuto she…?” He trailed off at that, cursing himself for not planning what he was going to say to Shinkai. Now he looked like a complete asshole and an idiot.

Shinkai continued to silently rinse the last of the dishes, piling them neatly onto the dish rack.

“Sorry.” Arakita continued, realizing Shinkai wasn’t going to answer. “I just didn’t want to say anything wrong and upset the kid…”

Shinkai turned to him, smiling at Arakita.

“Thank you Yasutomo. I don’t think you realize how big an impact you had on Yuuto today.”

“Uhh, I didn’t do shit today.” Arakita responded, taken aback by his words.

“You did.” Shinkai said, finally turning off the sink and drying his hands on the towel. He quickly left the kitchen to make sure his parrot would be okay for the night before gesturing for Arakita to follow him upstairs. Arakita had expected Shinkai to continue their conversation in his room, but instead he shoved an extra set clothes, a new toothbrush, and a towel into his hands, telling him to just leave his dirty clothes in the hamper before pushing him towards the bathroom.

***

Arakita bathed quickly, body in autopilot as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that he was in Shinkai’s bathtub in Shinkai’s bedroom in Shinkai’s house. It was surreal to him. He had spent his morning thinking that the guy was uncomfortable around him and didn’t want to see him if he could help it –to being invited over to his house and him insisting Arakita spend the night.

He finished washing up quickly, drying himself off with the towel Hayato had lent him before looking over at the pile of clean clothes. Shinkai had provided him with a simple white t-shirt, some grey sweatpants and… fuck.

Arakita had lifted up the shirt and pants to find pink boxers underneath. He shook his head as he lifted the underwear, examining the white bunnies scattered across the fabric like polka dots. Why the fuck does Shinkai own this? He thought, putting the boxers on. The waistband fit Arakita fine, but the fabric was a little loose around his thighs, which was to be expected. Shinkai did have larger legs then him after all...

Arakita hastily put on the rest of his clothes, trying to ignore how hot he felt after realizing that he was wearing Shinkai’s underwear.

He brushed his teeth, trying to get the image of stupid sexy Shinkai in his stupid bunny underwear out of his head when he heard a knock on the door. He opened it, toothpaste foaming at the mouth as he looked at said stupid sexy Shinkai.

“Ah sorry. Just wanted to make sure you were ok Yasutomo.” He said, walking into the bathroom to place his own clothes down in preparation for himself. Arakita didn't bother answering, knowing he'd just spit everywhere if he tried. Instead, he finished brushing his teeth, leaving the bathroom to allow Shinkai to do his nightly rituals.

Arakita looked around the room, trying to take it all in. Shinkai’s desk was scattered with papers, some neatly typed up and extremely professional looking while others were roughly penciled in scribbles of calculations. A bookshelf above the bed had a great deal of novels, which under further scrutiny seemed to be nothing but mystery books. Some miscellaneous clothes and items were thrown here and there, but otherwise, Shinkai’s room was relatively neat.

Arakita approached the futon that lay beside Shinkai’s bed before noticing the small cage next to his desk. Getting on his knees, Arakita saw a little fluffy bunny in the cage, fast asleep at the far corner. Shinkai has a pet bunny.

Arakita couldn’t help it. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the baby bun. Not only was the little rabbit adorable, but the fact that it belonged to Shinkai was just too fucking precious. He started scrolling through his gallery again, reliving the dinner that had just happened minutes ago when he heard the sound of rushing water stop.

Arakita didn't know why he did it, but he quickly sat up and jumped into Shinkai’s bed, under the covers. I’ll let him kick me out. He decided, burying his face in the pillow, pulling the covers up passed his shoulders, phone still in hand. Arakita lay facing the wall of the room for what felt like 10 minutes before eyes started to droop, exhaustion taking over him. Today had been a long day for the engineer. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered that he still hadn’t finished his assignment and would probably have to get up early just to work on it before he lost another 10%, but even thinking that far ahead made him yawn, his eyes watering by the action.

Somewhere along the line, Arakita felt a dip in the bed. Opening his eyes, he realized that he had dozed off, and was about to turn to see what caused him to wake up when he remembered; I’m at Shinkai’s house. He felt the cover being lifted off his shoulders momentarily, before they were returned after some shuffling around from Shinkai. I’m at Shinkai’s house and we are sleeping in the same fucking bed.

“You awake?” He heard Shinkai whisper, causing the hair at the back of his neck to stand on end. He was closer than Arakita had thought.

“Yeah.” He said gruffly, still facing the wall, his back to Shinkai. Arakita was expecting the other boy to bring up the futon, to kick him out of the bed, something, but what came next was not what Arakita had been expecting at all.

“Yuuto’s not a boy.” Shinkai admitted, answering the question Arakita had almost forgotten he asked. He turned at this, to face Shinkai, now fully alert.

“But Yuuto’s not a girl either.” Shinkai said after a few seconds. He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, hands resting on his stomach. “I don’t really know how to explain it. I barely get it myself… But Yuuto is neither.” He turned to face Arakita, expression almost desperate. With what, Arakita didn’t really understand, but he nodded at Shinkai.

“Alright, I think I understand.” He replied, wanting to reassure the redhead that he did get it. His sister had a close friend similar to Yuuto. Unfortunately, they ended up moving away to a different high school, after the teasing had become too much.

Arakita thought back to how crushed his sister had been. She loved her friend very much, and spent the majority of her middle school years getting into fights defending them. She had become tough for the both of them, and was devastated when their friend moved. Arakita remembered how excited she had been to see the picture of Yuuto behind the fabulous nails, how she wanted to speak to the younger Shinkai, to befriend them immediately.

“How’s the kid treated at school?” Arakita asked, the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach at what the answer might be.

“Alright, I suppose." Shinkai said after a while. "Yuuto decided it’d be easier to just be a boy at school, so no one’s really bothered them.” He sighed, looking back up at the ceiling.

“Well that sucks.” Arakita declared, getting a chuckle from the other.

“We should probably stop acting like Yuuto’s dying.” Shinkai said, smiling at Arakita before pulling the cover completely over the raven’s face. “From what I can tell, they’re doing fine.”

Arakita’s scowl went unnoticed as Shinkai repositioned himself to lie on his stomach, facing his desk.

"So, you wanna tell me why Yuuto was picking up apples off the floor for you at 4 AM?" Arakita asked, trying to lighten the mood. That kind of worked, Shinkai sputtering an answer to a question he hadn't expected. Arakita had earned himself a kick to the back of his knee after laughing at Shinkai's stuttered answer, glad that the atmosphere had become a bit more light-hearted.

“What time do you have to get up tomorrow?” Shinkai asked over his shoulder, sticking an arm under the cool pillow once the two had calmed down from their previous conversation.

“Fuck me, probably 8 AM.” Arakita muttered, turning back around to face the wall.

Shinkai hummed, setting his alarm for 7:45 before murmuring a quiet goodnight, going completely silent after a few minutes. Arakita found himself dozing off as well; feeling more at peace than he ever thought possible for a university student.

So. Are you and Hayato dating? Yuuto’s voice echoed in Arakita’s mind.

I fucking wish, kiddo. He thought before passing out, letting the exhaustion finally take over.

Chapter Text

It was a bright and sunny day as Shinkai rode his bike along the road, looking out at the small shops and houses that made up his neighbourhood. He ended up riding to the park he had told Yasutomo about, the one they never ended up going to, wanting to enjoy the quiet summer day in peace. Suddenly from the corner of his eye did Shinkai see a group of children, no older than 8 years old, throwing their bags at an even younger looking child; at Yuuto.

“HEY.” Shinkai screamed, biking towards the group. They didn’t respond however, disappearing altogether as Yuuto made a break for it, running down the park’s bike path, out of site.

“Yuuto!” Shinkai screamed again, biking as fast as he possibly could, praying that he’d see Yuuto around the next turn. Shinkai let out a sign of relief when he did, finding his sibling up ahead. They were now their proper age and somehow sitting on a bike, pedalling ahead of Shinkai, up a hill that didn’t originally exist at their park.

Shinkai looked around and saw that he was back at the Inter High, both him and Yuuto wearing Hakone Gakuen jerseys. Shinkai tried his best to sprint, but it felt like he was pedalling through molasses. On this hill, Yuuto was in their domain and he was not. There was a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach as he tried to catch up. There was another turn coming up, and even though Shinkai had caught up a little, Yuuto showed no signs of slowing down or following the road.

There seemed to be another scenery change, Yuuto now heading towards a cliff, no guardrail in sight. Shinkai was frantic by this point, screaming for Yuuto at the top of his lungs. They we so close to the edge. In a few more seconds, Yuuto would go flying off –

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, another teammate sporting the Hakogaku uniform rode ahead, grabbing Yuuto by the back of their collar, pulling them off the bike and away from the cliff.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going dumbass?” The teammate spat at Yuuto. “The finish line is that way.” He said, pointing behind him, towards the right side of the cliff. Yuuto had apologized at that, smiling –genuinely smiling, before getting back on their bike and riding away, towards the safety of the road.

Shinkai caught up to his teammate, who was just standing there with his hands on his hips. Shinkai was in the middle of apologizing when the other cut him off with a look. Arakita Yasutomo had a wild smile and was shaking his head as if someone had made a bad joke.

“Shinkai,” He said, getting right up in the sprinter’s face, gingerly placing his hand on the back of his neck. “We have a problem child on our hands.”

***

Shinkai woke with a start, feeling the after effects of the fear and anxiety his dream had caused. He squeezed his pillow tightly; his left arm draped over the cushion and his right arm under it, as he tried to steady his breathing. After what felt like 3 minutes, Shinkai figured he’d be okay to open his eyes. First thing he noticed was that his face was buried in his left arm. The second thing he noticed was that he was lying anti-parallel to his bed, resulting in his right leg sticking completely out of the cover, over the mattress. Thirdly, he noticed that the feeling at the back of his neck was still there. And finally, Shinkai noticed as he moved his arm away from his face, was that he was looking down at a pair of long legs.

Shinkai’s pillow wasn’t actually his pillow, but Yasutomo’s stomach.

“Shi-” Shinkai flew off the bed the second he realized what –no, who he was sleeping on.

“Hng, what the fuck.” Shinkai heard Yasutomo grumble from where he lay on the bed. Shinkai’s left leg had gotten tangled in the bed sheet, resulting in him falling onto the floor at an awkward angle, one leg sticking up on the bed while the other lay bent on the floor. From what Shinkai could tell, Yasutomo had been asleep when Shinkai lay on his stomach, so maybe he could still play it off like nothing had happen and he fell off simply because he didn’t have enough room on the mattress. Shinkai watched Yasutomo slowly crawl to the edge of the bed, looking down at him.

“Did you fucking fall off the bed Shinkai?” He asked, his eye’s still half-closed.

“Ah, yeah.” He said sheepishly, untangling his foot and sitting up on the futon. “Sorry for waking you.”

Arakita scoffed at that, slowly sitting up on the bed.

“What time is it?” He asked, rubbing the fatigue from his eyes.

“Dunno.” Shinkai responded, unsure of where his phone landed after his little fall. It was still dark out, from what he could tell. Looking out the window, Shinkai realized that it was raining, meaning the air would be extremely humid today in the mid May heat.

“It’s fucking 6 AM Shinkai.” Yasutomo said, finding the time on his own phone. He slowly got off the bed, scratching his stomach. Shinkai watched as the pants he lent Yasutomo slid down his hips, revealing his boxers and a bit too much skin. Shinkai glanced at Yasutomo’s hipbone, and then allowed his eyes to follow the boy’s hand, observing the coarse hair trailing from his stomach down to where they disappeared behind his pants.

“I’m gonna pee.” Yasutomo announced, snapping Shinkai out of his trance, walking towards the bathroom. “I might as well work on my paper since I’m up.”

“I’ll go get your bag.” Shinkai announced, quickly walking out of his room. If you’re gonna check Yasutomo out, at least be more discreet, he thought as he made his way downstairs to the front door, his face flushed.

Yuuto was spotted sitting at the entrance, putting on their cleats while simultaneously trying to eat the toast they had made for breakfast. Shinkai grabbed his and Yasutomo’s bags to give the other a little more room to sit comfortably.

“Hey Yuuto. It’s raining pretty hard out there so be careful ok?” Shinkai warned, throwing Yasutomo’s bag over his shoulder. It was heavy. Yuuto mumbled a Yess Hayatooo as they finished tying their shoes, stuffing the rest of their breakfast in their mouth before heading out for morning practice. Although his bad dream had made him anxious, Hayato trusted that Yuuto would be careful riding in the rain.

Shinkai sighed as he watched Yuuto ride off before making his way back upstairs. He entered his room just as Arakita walked out of the bathroom, handing the boy’s bag over to him. He accepted it silently, gently moving the loose papers aside as he rested his laptop on Shinkai’s desk, getting to work.

Shinkai lay back down on his bed, deciding that he could still get a few more hours of sleep before his class today at 11. He felt himself doze off as clickity-clack of Yasutomo’s rapid typing and the pitter-patter of the rain outside lulled him to sleep. Shinkai wasn’t sure how long he fell asleep, too far gone to comprehend that his phone was vibrating somewhere in the futon and that he should probably get up to find it. Somewhere at the very back of his consciousness did he recall hearing a sigh, some shuffling noises, and then the vibrating sounds stopping. The last thing Shinkai remembered before fully waking up was the presence of something in front of him followed by a pressure on his cheek. Just as fast as the pressure had come, though, was it replaced by a pinching feeling instead.

“Shinkai wake the fuck up.” Arakita said, switching from pinching the other boy’s cheek to slapping it lightly. “Your stomach is louder than your fucking alarm, how sad is that?”

Shinkai groaned, burying his face in his pillow, trying to turn away from the slapping as his stomach grumbled loudly in the silence of his room, as if to accent Yasutomo’s words. Traitor.

“I’m pretty hungry too.” Arakita said quietly, settling on tugging at Shinkai’s hair until he got up. It took a few seconds before Shinkai sat up groggily, turning to look down at Arakita with half-closed eyes.

“Did you finish your work?”

“Yeah.”

“You need to print?”

“Yeah.”

Shinkai got up and walked to Yasutomo’s laptop, logging onto his own Facebook account before instructing the other to send him his work in their chat. Yasutomo  complied as Shinkai went to the bathroom to do his morning rituals. When he finished, he asked Yasutomo to follow as they made their way downstairs. Arakita  leaned against the wall as Shinkai turned on his printer in the living room, sending the file to be printed from his phone.

“Couldn’t you have done that from my laptop?”

“You would have needed to install the program.” Shinkai answered, quickly calming down his parrot, who had squawked at the sound of the printer working.

“Oh right, fuck that.” He said, walking up to Shinkai to stare at the bird. “And is there a reason why your printer is downstairs instead of in your room?” He asked, sticking his finger through the cage, allowing the parrot to nibble at his finger curiously.

“The sound would probably give Usakichi a heart attack.”

“Who the fuc-”

“My rabbit.”

“Oh.” Arakita responded, pulling his finger out the parrot’s beak, shaking his hand at the pain. “Okay, one last question, Shinkai. Why did you log into your Facebook when I could have sent you the file from mine just as easily? I have you added as a friend remember?”

A pause, then. “Because you woke me up 2 hours before my brain could function.” Shinkai answered, resting his hand on his abused cheek as to indicate Yasutomo’s methods of getting him up. Arakita scoffed, turning away to collect his papers from the printer.

The conversation ended there, Arakita heading back upstairs to staple and put his assignment away while Shinkai got to work making breakfast. After eating, Arakita borrowed a change of clothes, his own still in the hamper. Shinkai insisted he borrow Yuuto’s clothes, the two being relatively similar in stature, not wanting Yasutomo to wear his most likely still sweaty attire from yesterday.

After a few more minutes of collecting their things, the two set out to retrieve their bikes before walking to the bus stop, getting almost completely soaked in the rain as they waited. Once they had placed their bikes at the front of the bus, Shinkai quickly ran into the vehicle, putting in his own fare as well as Yasutomo’s, turning to give the other a wink. Arakita argued it a bit, insisting he pay Shinkai back, before the other was finally able to make him shut up.

“People keep giving me things left and right.” Arakita muttered. “Before I know it, I’ll be more in debt to you guys than the government for my tuition.”

“You know I heard Juichi has a really high interest rate on bikes he gives out.”

“Fuck me, I thought that was a grant not a loan.”

They continued their idle chit-chat until they reached the station, Shinkai deciding that it’d be better for them to take the train rather than risk biking in the busy downtown streets while it rained. The two ended up having to shove their way into the station with their bikes, getting a few glares are they walked down the platform.

Once in the train, the two didn’t have much room to move. Rush hour had passed, but the aftermath was still present. Cranky individuals who were late for work ended up taking up all the seats and handles, leaving the two university students to stand awkwardly in the middle with nothing but their bikes for support. Arakita stood in front of Shinkai, both their bikes running parallel between them. Yasutomo was tall enough to grab the pole directly above his head, but Shinkai didn’t have such luck in terms of placement, having to hold onto his bike seat and handlebars for support instead.

He had been balancing pretty well, keeping his knees bent and putting weight on the appropriate legs as the train sped up or came to a full stop. It was the transition between the two that was troublesome for the sprinter. Sometimes the train would lurch or stutter while turning sharply along the tracks, causing Shinkai to lean really forward or back. At one instance, Shinkai lost his balance, the train lurching in a way that caused the redhead to fall back. Arakita caught his arm immediately, pulling him back close. Shinkai was mid-apology when another wave hit the train, this time causing Shinkai to fly forward into Arakita instead.

“Sorry.” Shinkai sputtered, backing up as he tried to regain his footing.

“S’fine.” Arakita said, still holding onto Shinkai’s arm with an iron grip. Shinkai looked down at their arms then back up at Yasutomo, giving him a questioning look.

“You almost gave that lady behind you a lap dance.” He answered quietly. “I’m not letting go ‘til we get to school.”

“Yasutomo, I’ll have you know that my unexpected lap dances are lovely.” Shinkai commented, making a light-hearted joke to hide his embarrassment. Arakita  scoffed, but stayed true to his word, not letting go of Shinkai once. They were only a few stations away from their destination as more and more people piled into the train. It had gotten to the point where people were leaning on their bikes to try and balance themselves. Arakita kissed his teeth when he saw someone grip his Binachi’s white handlebars, their grimy hand –that of a construction worker probably, leaving a little dark smudge where his fingers had made contact.

“Fuckin’ unbelievable…” He hissed, only loud enough for Shinkai to hear.

“Wow Yasutomo, it must be painful knowing that somebody touched your bike without your permission.” Shinkai said in a monotonous voice. Arakita gave him a not-too-gentle head butt for his commentary but otherwise stayed silent. The two were really close now, Shinkai’s bangs brushing Arakita’s cheek every so often, having been pushed or shoved by people entering or exiting the train. Arakita was still holding onto his arm, his grip relaxing or tightening at appropriate times in regards to Shinkai’s movements.

It was all too much for the redhead. He exhaled sharply as they got off the train, finally able to breathe after what felt like a very long 20 minute ride. They rode the short distance from the station to their usual bike rack, noting a black road racer with gold letters spelling out Giant.

“Wow, Fuku-chan works fast.”

“Juichi’s pretty serious when it comes to bikes.” Shinkai responded, locking up before approaching his friend’s bike to get a better look. It definitely screamed “strong”, something Juichi was adamant about. Oh shit.

“Yasutomo! We never came up with a plan to get Juichi and Kinjou-kun together!” Shinkai said, feeling guilty for completely forgetting about his friend.

“Doing what for who now?” A voice from behind them said.

“Ah fuck.”

Turning, the two ended up face-to-face with Machimiya. He was smiling at the two, a hand on his hip while the other played with a few strands of his hair.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Arakita said, trying his best to shove his friend back so he could walk around the bikes and enter the air conditioned school building. Both Shinkai and Machimiya followed close behind, sighing in relief simultaneously as they escaped the humid air.

“So, you're trying to set Kinjou up with that blond?” Machimiya asked Shinkai, the two unable to catch up with Arakita’s insane pace.

“We just thought it’d be good for them to hangout outside of a school setting.” Shinkai said carefully, not knowing if Machimiya could be trusted. “They’re both always working really hard.”

Machimiya hummed in understanding, pushing his damp hair back, away from his eyes. “Why don’t we have a party then?”

That was a good idea, but imaging Juichi at a party was pretty tough on its own. He wondered how he’d convince him to willingly go. When Shinkai relayed his thoughts to the other, Machimiya gave him a reassuring shove.

“My birthday’s coming up! We can just use that as an excuse, if anything.” He said before looking ahead at Arakita. “You hear that asshole? My party, your place. Alright?”

“The fuck?” Arakita snapped, turning around to look at the other. “Who said anything about using my place?”

“I did. That’ll be your present to me!” He bargained, smile unwavering as Arakita walked up to him, face threatening.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Yasutomo.” Shinkai interjected, realizing that a confrontation was the last thing he needed right now. Yasutomo looked at Shinkai momentarily before looking back at Machimiya, his expression softer.

“I don’t owe you a present for the next 5 years.” He hissed, before storming off towards the lab again. Machimiya laughed at Arakita’s back before turning to Shinkai.

“Wow that usually never works. Remind me to have you standing by my side whenever I ask him a favour.” He said, patting Shinkai roughly on the shoulder. What was up with there engies and their shoulder pats? Shinkai wondered, trying not to visibly wince.

“Uh, sure. Anyways, I have to head to class.” Shinkai explained as he started backing up towards where he came from. He was hoping he’d see Juichi and say bye to Yasutomo one last time, but their little conversation had delayed him long enough that he’d be late for his anatomy lecture if he didn’t leave now. “When’s your birthday, by the way?”

“May 31st!” He exclaimed proudly. “I’ll seeya later.” He said, waving Shinkai off.

***

During his 10 minute break, Shinkai took out his phone and stared at the notification he had ignored all day. It was from Yasutomo, who had sent him a string of emojis the day before as his way of adding a contact. Shinkai quickly edited his information, putting his proper name in before texting Yasutomo.

Shinkai laughed at his own stupid winky face before flipping his phone face down on the table, the professor beginning to lecture again. He couldn’t help but smile, thinking about the last two days. Yasutomo had learned where his locker was, biked with him all the way home, met his family, kissed him on the cheek, taken the train with him to school, and was now offering his place to party so that Juichi and Kinjou could be together.

The smile on his face froze as his thoughts echoed the fourth event over again.

Hold up.

Chapter Text

I kissed Shinkai.

It was the only thought running through Arakita’s head that morning; repeated over and over again like a stupidly catchy jingle from some overplayed T.V commercial. He had ignored Kinjou as he entered the lab, choosing a small cubicle to throw his bag onto and face plant into. It was kind of hard breathing through his backpack but Arakita already felt like he was dying anyways, so it was barely noticeable.

That morning in Shinkai’s room, he had been reading over his paper, making small edits here and there when he heard a phone vibrate. He ignored it for a few seconds, thinking someone was calling Shinkai and they’d hang up soon enough, but the sound persisted. With a sigh, Arakita got up from his seat and tried to find the source of the noise. Only after completely flipping the futon over did he spot Shinkai’s phone, turning off the alarm and throwing it back down on the comforter. It was 7:45 AM. He looked over at Shinkai, who had passed out on his bed a while ago, lying on his stomach, his face towards Arakita. It was probably an appropriate time to wake him up. He had finished his assignment and was starving –and so was Shinkai from what he could tell (hear).

Quietly, Arakita walked up to the sleeping boy, crouching so that they were at eyelevel. Shinkai’s hair was draped messily over his pillow, the copper red hair looking almost brown in the darkness of his room. His lips were slightly parted, allowing a small trail of drool to escape the corner of his mouth, creating a small wet spot on his pillow. Arakita smiled to himself. Shinkai was really cute when he was asleep.

He moved closer, ready to scream in the other’s ear to wake him up –the same way he would do to his sisters sometimes when he felt like being an ass, when he stopped short. He was really close, closer than he had ever been to Shinkai. Arakita could make out the long, individual eyelashes Shinkai had, the faded acne scars peppered close to his nose, the traces of stubble forming along his jaw… Before Arakita could process what he was doing, his lips were on the other boy’s cheek.

Shinkai was soft and warm and Arakita never wanted to break away from the kiss, but a small inhale from the sleeping boy under him made Arakita backup, quickly switching to pinching the spot he had just kissed, not wanting to risk Shinkai catching him in the act or questioning his closeness.

“Shinkai wake the fuck up.” He said after a second. Shinkai was obviously awake now, but Arakita didn’t want to abandon the small contact he had with the other. He switched to slapping Shinkai lightly, watching him scrunch his eyebrows and slightly frown as he attempted to open his eyes.

This guy is gonna be the death of me. Arakita thought, twirling a blue streak of Shinkai’s hair around his finger once the boy buried his face in the pillow to stop facial abuse. Arakita ended up tugging Shinkai’s hair until he finally got up, slightly glaring down at Arakita before giving up and getting ready for school.

The rest of the morning happened in a blur. Arakita’s body, which was in autopilot, would say words and do things, but his head keep thinking the same thing over and over again: I kissed Shinkai.

The train ride didn’t help his mentality either. Arakita was furious with himself for grabbing Shinkai and refusing to let go. Even when it had gotten crowded to the point where the other couldn’t fall if he tried, Arakita had an iron grip Shinkai’s arm the entire time, ignoring the flips his stomach was doing even long after they had gotten to their destination.

Arakita thought that he’d finally be able to escape the suffocating feeling at the bike racks, when their conversation was interrupted by Machimiya. He had on his usual fake-but-polite smile, his eyes widening as he gazed between Arakita and Shinkai. Machimiya’s smile changed a bit, turning from friendly to knowing, and Arakita had to do everything in his power not to sock him in the face right then and there. Instead, he shoved Machimiya aside, walking to the computer lab as fast as possible.

How the fuck did Machimiya already figure out that something was up. He thought furiously, not hearing the two boys conversing behind him. Am I really that easy to read?

He was, apparently. Arakita agreed to host Machimiya’s party in his apartment, something he’d never even consider doing if Shinkai weren’t there looking at him with those stupid pouty lips and droopy eyes. It was painfully obvious how bad he had it for the guy and Machimiya took advantage of the situation. Fucking kill me.

And now here Arakita was, in the computer lab, dying at some far corner away from his friends. He had agreed to the party mostly because he realized that Shinkai would be there, but he didn’t know what he was expecting out of that scenario.

Kissing Shinkai again would be nice. He thought, still face down in his backpack, earning himself some looks of concern from other kids sitting at the back of the lab. Kissing him while he’s conscious. He corrected himself.

Suddenly, he felt someone gently shake his shoulder.

“Hey, you alright?” Machimiya asked, looking down at Arakita through his hair.

Arakita was about to snap some witty remark at his friend but stopped himself when he noticed the genuine look of concern expressed on Machimiya’s face. He realized that he never did apologize for being angry and storming off the other day, or for how he had basically ignored the other two when he was getting his bike from Fukutomi, riding off with Shinkai without so much as saying a goodbye. The guilt hit Arakita like a cold wave. He suddenly stood up, making the other step back defensively. Arakita just rolled his eyes as he grabbed his friend’s wrist, dragging him to where Kinjou sat. Arakita towed Machimiya to stand beside Kinjou, ignoring their looks of confusion as he bowed a full 90°.

“I’m sorry for my poor behaviour.” Arakita said loudly before straightening his posture. “I was being a really shitty person yesterday.” He continued more quietly.

“More like all month.”

“All month” Arakita agreed with Machimiya, smiling at his friends. They both smiled back at him; Machimiya laughing and Kinjou shaking his head.

“You know you can talk to us if something’s bothering you, right?” Kinjou asked, leaning back in his chair. Arakita didn’t really know what to say to that. Nothing was bothering him in particular; he just happened to have developed a really big crush on some science nerd and didn’t know how to deal with his feelings. Okay, so maybe someone was bothering him. However, not wanting to worry his friends, Arakita decided it was better to stay quiet, nodding to Kinjou to show that he had heard.

“Good.” Kinjou said, Machimiya nodding in agreement beside him. They were obviously more concerned about his wellbeing than they were angry with him, making Arakita feel very warm. He was really grateful for having such tolerant friends. He turned to Kinjou, feeling his pleasant smile turn mischievous.

“So, did Miya tell you ‘bout his birthday party next week?”

“No he did not.” Kinjou responded, turning to give his friend an accusatory frown.

“Hey don’t give me that look Kinjou! We just made the decision.” Machimiya interjected.

The three were being obnoxiously loud now, earning themselves a few glares from those sitting close by.

“Let’s talk on our way to class.” Kinjou said quietly, packing up his things. They agreed, Arakita going back to where he had left his stuff, quickly snatching his bag off the small table and logging off his unused computer before returning to the other two, the three making their way out of the lab.

***

Instead of heading straight towards their class, the three engineers decided to take the long way around, still having 20 minutes to spare before lecture began. It had stopped raining, but the air was still painfully humid as they walked across the campus street, heading towards the small coffee shop near the burger joint by the engineering building. Being almost noon, the shop was quite crowded, but Machimiya insisted on getting a coffee as he walked into the line. That left Arakita and Kinjou alone at the back of the store, quietly conversing as they waited for their friend. Kinjou had been quickly brought up to speed on their little walk, so now all that was left was to decide who would be invited.

“Maybe some guys from Thermodynamics.” Arakita offered, trusting his classmates to respect him and not completely destroy his house since he had helped them countless times with their assignments.

“We should probably let Machimiya decide, since it’s technically his party.” Kinjou interjected “Besides, I don’t think his friends would completely destroy your… place…” He had trailed off, which was weird for him. Arakita followed his gaze curiously, to see that Fukutomi was sitting alone at the corner of the store, headphones on as he scrolled through something on his phone.

“Dude, you should totally ask Fuku-chan to come.”

“Wha- Why would he even come?”

“What do you mean why? He’s our friend you fucking asshole! Besides, Shinkai said he’d be coming too.”

“So just tell Shinkai to invite him.”

“Fuck that! Kinjou, he’s right there. Just go ask.”

“He’s right Kinjou, just go ask him.” Machimiya agreed, joining the two’s discussion, a freshly brewed coffee in hand.

“Fine.” Kinjou exhaled sharply, making his way across the shop towards Fukutomi. Shinkai would be so proud of me for doing this. Arakita thought, watching Fukutomi lift his headphones off his head so the two could talk. He turned to Machimiya, who was blowing on his coffee and taking small sips, also watching Kinjou with a smile.

“You know as awkward as those two are, they’re pretty cute together.” Machimiya said, now facing Arakita. “In a weird, tough, manly sort of way.”

Arakita let out a huff, turning towards his friend, deciding to ignore his previous commentary. “So have you thought about who you’re gonna invite?”

“Probably just Kana.” He said quietly, absentmindedly playing with a strand of his hair. “And some of the guys from class.” He added when noticed Arakita’s questioning look.

“The fuck? Nobody else from high school?”

“Nah.” He said, looking away. “Kana’s been wanting to spend some quality time togeth-”

“Fucking what? It’s a party Miya. There will be no one-on-one exclusive interactions, is she stupid?”

“Hey.” Machimiya said warningly. “I’ve just been busy with school and stuff. I owe her quality time.” 

“You don’t owe her shit!” Arakita exclaimed. He wasn’t too fond of Kana. And that’s putting it nicely. He thought, thinking back to the few times he met her. She was extremely demanding of Machimiya, but was never expected to do anything in return. What bothered Arakita the most was how Machimiya’s smile to Kana was always those fake smiles he gave to strangers. It was forced and painfully polite and a smile that Machimiya should never have been giving his girlfriend.  

When Machimiya didn’t say anything, Arakita took out his phone and quickly typed something. 

“What are you doing?” He asked, his voice strained. 

“Giving the party details to Ibitani.” 

“WHAT.” Machimiya reached for Arakita’s phone, spilling some coffee as he latched on to the other’s wrist. Unfortunately, he was too slow and Arakita had already hit send. 

“If she gets angry over the fact that your best friend is at your birthday party, then there’s something fucked up here Miya.” Arakita warned, his tone serious as he pushed his phone back into his pocket. Arakita had his suspicions that his friend acknowledged his relationship issues and just didn’t want to deal with any conflicts during the school year. That doesn’t mean he should be miserable during his birthday. Arakita thought, positive that his expression reflected what he was thinking. Before Machimiya could make a retort, however, Kinjou walked back, muttering a let’s go as he walked out of the coffee shop, not even bothering to see what the two were talking about.  

“What happened? Did you tell him? Is he coming?” Arakita asked exiting the shop as well, sounding a bit too excited for his own good. 

“Yeah I told him. He said he wasn’t sure if he could make it but he’d let me know sometime next week.” Kinjou explain, walking ahead of the other two, refusing to face them while talking. He was silent for a bit before continuing. “I got his number…” 

“OOOHHH KINNJOUUU” Both Arakita and Machimiya screamed on either side of Kinjou, making kissy noises as their bespectacled friend quickened his pace. It was easy to see the blush at the back of his neck and ears.  

Oh man wait until Shinkai hears about this fucking progress. He thought, as the three entered their class. They sat down at their usual seats at the very front row, directly in front of the podium where the professor would be lecturing. Two years ago, Arakita would never have imagined that he’d willingly be sitting at the front, but somewhere along the line had he realized that the intimidating pressure of having the professor so close by actually forced him to pay attention and take notes.

Arakita felt his phone vibrate in his pocket right as class started. Being as discreet as possible, he pulled it out, hiding it behind his laptop as he read the message. It was from Shinkai. Speak of the devil Arakita thought, smiling to himself. Shinkai had thanked him for hosting the party at his place, totally unaware that Arakita had initially agreed just so he could potentially see drunk-Shinkai in action. Talk about ulterior motives, he thought as he typed out a reply. Shinkai almost immediately replied, sending the most ridiculous winking emoticon Arakita had ever seen. He snorted while typing a reply, unaware that the professor was looking directly at him.

“Did I say something funny just then?” She asked, looking down at Arakita through her glasses.

“N-no..”

“Are you here to learn or text your girlfriend Yasutomo-kun?”

“My-” Arakita’s face was scarlet as he stammered out an answer. “To learn…”

“Then put it away.” She said sternly before continuing the lecture. He obliged immediately, trying desperately to calm his racing heart. Even Machimiya knew not to laugh in this situation less he wanted to be chewed out as well. Arakita quickly copied whatever notes he missed from Kinjou and proceeded to listen to the rest of the lecture, trying to ignore how heavy his phone felt in his pocket and how much he had loved being called Shinkai’s boyfriend indirectly.

***

Class couldn’t have ended fast enough for Arakita as he hurriedly packed his things and made his way towards the exit, all while pulling his phone out of his pocket. He was a little disappointed to see that Shinkai hadn’t texted him back, but quickly accepted that the conversation had reached a dead end anyways. He frowned at his phone, trying to think of a way to start up the convo again.

“Arakita you look like you wanna murder your phone for getting you in trouble today.” Machimiya said as they moved away from the crowd, standing against the wall as they waited for Kinjou to come out of the classroom. Arakita looked up from his screen, his frown deepening.

“Was it Shinkai?” Machimiya asked.

“No.”

“Bullshit. It was obviously Shinkai.”

“What’s obviously Shinkai?” Kinjou asked, having just exited the room, throwing his bag over his shoulder as the three of them began walking back outside.

“The ‘girlfriend’ he was texting in class.” Machimiya said with a smirk. Arakita punched him in the shoulder but didn’t bother denying it. He was teased only a bit more before the conversation took a different route, the need to study for upcoming midterms the main topic of discussion. Arakita slowed his pace causing the other two to turn back at him.

“I need to go grocery shopping.” Arakita said suddenly, not in the mood to study just yet. There was a fair sized grocery store by the university which offered students a small discount every Tuesday and Thursday. He might as well take advantage of the price reduction and buy some things for the party now so he wouldn’t be scrambling for stuff at the last minute. And I can totally ask Shinkai to come with me.

Kinjou and Machimiya waved him off as they walked opposite directions, not bothering to question their friend’s abnormal behaviours anymore. Arakita typed Shinkai a quick you in class rn?, before hitting send, standing awkwardly in the middle of the sidewalk as he waited for a reply. Not 30 seconds later did Shinkai respond, telling Yasutomo that he had a 2 hour break before tutorial and was just sitting by his locker. Arakita didn’t text him back, instead rushing towards the science building, planning on dragging Shinkai to the store with him.

He made it to the main entrance in an instance, running up the dreaded stairs two steps at a time. By the time he had gotten to the fourth floor, Arakita felt light headed, desperate for breath as he trotted towards Shinkai, who was sitting in front of his locker, his computer on his lap.

“Fuck. Me. These fucking. Stairs” Arakita cursed, breathing heavily and sitting on his knees directly in front of Shinkai.

“Yasutomo? What are you doing here?”

Arakita put his hand on Shinkai’s shoulder, slouching slightly so he could breathe easier.

“Shinkai do science kids get to choose the location of their lockers? I swear to fucking God if your answer is yes I’m beating you up.”

The said science kid laughed, closing his laptop as he answered. “Yeah, we get to choose.”

Arakita lightly shoved the shoulder he was holding, trying to frown at the other.

“All the labs are up here. It was the optimum location.”

“Don’t say optimum, you sound like a dick.”

“Speaking of dicks, why are you here Yasutomo-“

“Oi.” Arakita shoved Shinkai playfully into the locker again, unable to hide his smile this time. “Come shopping with me.” He said quietly, knowing he was blushing but choosing to ignore it.

“Oh. Uhh, sure.” Shinkai responded, putting his laptop away in his bag. “What do you need to buy?”

“Stuff for the party.” Arakita said, as the two of them headed towards the stairs.

Shinkai hummed as they started walking down the staircase, holding onto the handrail for support as he limped down the steps.

“What happened? You okay?”

“My leg’s asleep.” Shinkai muttered, obviously embarrassed. Arakita barked with laughter before attempting to shut himself up by covering his mouth with his hand. “Anyways,” Shinkai continued, trying to distract the engineer from his current situation. “Have you guys decided who you’d be inviting?”

“Oh fuck I almost forgot to tell you Shinkai, I totally made Kinjou talk to Fuku-chan one-on-one earlier today.” Arakita said proudly, watching Shinkai attempt to go down the steps. His face hurt from laughing at the redhead, but he couldn’t peal his eyes away.

“Awesome!” He said before realizing Arakita was watching him. Shinkai shoved his hand in Yasutomo’s face to get him to stop staring.

“Ahh fuck Shinkai.” Arakita coughed as he wiped an imaginary tear from his eye, doing his best to get a hold of his laughter. You’re too fucking cute. “And yeah, we have an idea of whose coming. We’ll probably have 30 people max.” He continued. Arakita’s apartment was roomy, but that didn’t mean his neighbours downstairs would appreciate the sound of 50 pairs of feet dancing above them, let alone 30. In fact, Arakita was counting on less people showing up since the party was being held on a Sunday night.

“Sounds good.” Shinkai said as they made their way to the basement floor instead of walking outside from the first floor, choosing to avoid the muggy weather for as long as they could. Not many students knew about how the basement floor of the science building looped back, connecting to the rest of the school, and consequently, towards the direction of the grocery store; hence leaving it surprisingly isolated.

“We’re probably gonna have a small birthday-celebration-thing earlier too.” Arakita continued. “With cake and presents and stuff.”

Shinkai hummed as they made their way down the empty hall.

“You should invite Yuuto.”

Shinkai stopped walking at that.

“What?"

Uh oh. There’s that big brother tone again. Arakita thought consciously, stopping as well. This can’t be good.

Chapter Text

“You should invite Yuuto.”

“What?” Shinkai said, having to stop walking just to grasp what Yasutomo had said.

“What do you mean what? Ask Yuuto to come, Shinkai. It’ll be fun!”

Absolutely not. There‘s no way I’m letting Yuuto go to a party. What the hell was Yasutomo thinking?

“What?” Shinkai repeated, dumbfounded. “Why would I invite Yuuto to a university party?”

“Shinkai, they’ll be fine. I’m sure Yuuto’ll be good in any social situation.”

“It’s not Yuuto I’m worried about; it’s how other people will treat Yuuto that bothers me. Drunk uni kids have no filter, Yasutomo.”

Arakita was standing directly in front of Shinkai now, his arms crossed. He didn’t look like he was going to back down and that pissed Shinkai off.

“Shinkai have you ever taken Yuuto to a party?”

“No Yasutomo I haven’t. They’re 17.”

“Okay fair enough. Have you ever taken them to a concert?”

Silence. Shinkai hadn’t, but he didn’t like where this was going.

“Aquarium? Amusement park?” More silence. “Holy shit Shinkai, do you take Yuuto anywhere?”

Shinkai clenched his fists as he felt the heat rise to his face. He only ever did what was best for Yuuto and yet Yasutomo was making it sound like he was the enemy here.

“I’m only looking out for them.” He said through gritted teeth. “You don’t understand how many times we’ve been in a public setting only for Yuuto to get disapproving looks. If they look or act a certain way that lies outside of the gender binary then they get ridiculed!”

“Does Yuuto ever complain about getting stared at in public or is that just something only you’ve noticed?”

“What are you trying to imply Yasutomo?”

“It sounds like you’re ashamed of Yuuto!” Arakita screamed. He didn’t get a chance to say anything else as Shinkai’s fist connected with his jaw, the impact sending him into the abandoned lockers. Arakita stood straight, wiping the blood from his split lip, his eyes bulging with rage. Before Shinkai could register what was happening, he was on his back, looking up at the dim basement lights, the wind knocked out of him. He tried to wrestle out of Arakita’s grasp, but the boy was holding his wrists down with an iron grip, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

“You’re acting like you know what’s best for Yuuto, but have you ever actually sat down and talked to the kid about this stuff?”

Shinkai decided to respond by head-butting Arakita right in the nose, causing him to lean back in pain, momentarily releasing his grip. Shinkai quickly pulled his hands away, flipping Arakita off of him so that the raven was now the one lying on his back, Shinkai leaning over him. The blood from Arakita’s lip was starting to mix with the fresh blood leaking from his nose, and yet there was still a fire in his eyes. He wasn’t going to back down.

“Fuck off Yasutomo. You’ve met Yuuto once; your advice is fucking invalid.” Shinkai spat just as Arakita elbowed him in the face, hard. He saw stars for a split second before his eyes went back into focus. Arakita had pulled out from under him and was making to stand up again. Shinkai roared as he tackled Arakita  down once again. I’m not done yet.

“You’ve met Yuuto once.” He repeated, furious. “You don’t to get to see how sad the kid gets in the mornings when they’re getting ready for school! You don’t see the miserable look in their eyes when they put on their uniform or have to take off their nail polish before leaving the house! You don’t see the shame on their face when they hide their things in the corners of their room before having friends come over!” He screamed, pulling Arakita up by the collar and shoving him back down on the floor with every scenario.

“And you seem to have forgotten how Yuuto introduced themself to a complete stranger!” Arakita countered. Shinkai had Arakita pinned to the floor in an awkward angle. The other boy was able to push Shinkai back far enough so that he could pull his leg in before extending it into Shinkai’ gut with such force that the redhead felt some bile rise in his throat. Shinkai swallowed it back right as Arakita’s fist connected with his jaw.

“Yuuto is fine, Shinkai. They’re confident with who they are, you’re fucking blind if you can’t see that!” Arakita exclaimed, roughly shoving Shinkai away. “Let the kid live! They’re not some animal you can keep caged up in your home like your other two pets.”

Shinkai screamed, infuriated as he grabbed Arakita by their collar again, pulling him close as he head-butted him one last time, with as much force as he could muster. The impact was strong enough to knock them both down, Shinkai falling on top of Arakita.

“I just don’t wanna see my kiddo hurting.” Shinkai said weakly, his face buried in Arakita’s chest, his fists clenched half-heartedly at the other’s collar. They were both breathing heavily, trying to regain some composure from the battle they just had. Shinkai tensed as he felt Arakita put his hand on the back of his neck, but relaxed immediately when he realized there was no impact coming. As sudden as their fight had started, was it over.

“Hayato, do I look like I’d be friends with ignorant people?”

Shinkai remained silent, listening to Yasutomo’s beating heart and feeling the rise and fall of his chest.

“If anyone made Yuuto feel even slightly uncomfortable, they’d be out the door in a second.” He continued.

“Before or after you beat the shit out of them?”

“After, obviously.” Arakita affirmed, stroking Shinkai’s hair. Shinkai felt a shiver run down his spine, but ignored the intense feeling as Arakita continued speaking. “And now you know from experience that fighting me is not something most people do willingly.”

Shinkai laughed, immediately regretting the action as he cringed from the pain. Everything hurt. But he felt lighter; like something heavy had been lifted from his chest. He never really spoke to anyone about Yuuto. Juichi was awkward with the topic just like with anything else, and Toudou was too far –the time zone too different to have a full out conversation.

Shinkai slowly got up off of Yasutomo’s chest, sitting back, leaning against the lockers. He watched Yasutomo sit up as well, swearing as he rubbed the left side of his face.

“Sorry.” Shinkai muttered, seeing the damage he had done. There was already a bruise forming along Yasutomo’s jaw and dry blood caked around his nose, lips and chin.

“I’ll forgive you if you invite Yuuto.” He grumbled. This guy is fucking persistent. “Besides. Who knows if they’ll actually want to go.”

Shinkai huffed, regretting it instantly as pain shot up from his mouth to his left temple. “Trust me Yasutomo, Yuuto would definitely want to go.” He shook his head at the thought. Yasutomo was right to call him out on his bullshit. Yuuto was almost 18, and yet instead of helping them transition from teenager to adult, Shinkai had shut them out from the world –thinking he knew what was best for them.

When was the last time I spoke to Yuuto about this? He thought, leaning his head against the locker. When Yuuto first told Shinkai that they weren’t necessarily a boy, he was less than understanding. It didn’t make sense to him. Yuuto had guy parts so he was a boy –that was that. It wasn’t until Shinkai had entered high school and started questioning his own sexuality that he began to realize that things weren’t always so black and white. He came home that day demanding Yuuto tell him everything. Shinkai was only 15 at the time, meaning Yuuto was 12, but despite their age, the younger Shinkai had a clear understanding of who they were, and was eager to explain it to their older brother.

5 years ago. Shinkai thought, mortified. He had properly spoken to Yuuto about this once and that was five years ago. Shinkai never asked them if they were comfortable at school, if anyone had bothered them in public, if they even cared about any of this. Shinkai had always assumed worst case scenario simply because Yuuto was different –but what if they were totally fine? What if Yuuto was just tired in the mornings putting on their uniform, not sad? What if they took off their nail polish just so that it wouldn’t be ruined during intense practice, driving them crazy for the rest of the day? What if Yuuto was just cleaning their room when their friends came over, not hiding who they were? What if Shinkai had misinterpreted everything simply because he didn’t ask?

Shinkai buried his face in his hands, groaning at his own stupidity. Yuuto was most likely totally fine and Shinkai had never bothered to ask, let alone notice how they held themself in the public eye.

Yuuto is totally fine on their own and here I am acting like they need to be treated differently –like I’m ashamed of them for being themself. Shinkai felt his throat constrict, his eyes burning as he fought back tears.

Arakita shuffled closer, noticing the change in Shinkai’s body language. He sat cross-legged across from the other, rubbing his shoulder gently. It was surprisingly comforting. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Shinkai collected himself, sitting up straighter and wiping his eyes.

“You alright?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. How about we make a compromise, Shinkai?” Arakita asked, addressing the uncertainty apparent on Shinkai’s face. “Why don’t we have Yuuto come over just for the pre-party birthday-celebration-thing? That way it’ll only be our closer friends.”

Shinkai must have still looked skeptical because Arakita continued.

“Fuck man, I’ll even go as far as inviting my sister so that they have a friend with them.”

Shinkai sighed, rubbing his stomach. The kick was causing a second wave of pain. Truthfully, Shinkai’s curiosity had gotten the better of him earlier that day during lecture, and he ended up asking Yuuto to spill the beans about what Yasutomo had showed them on his phone and who they were talking to. Instead of texting back, Yuuto responded with a selfie. They were posing in the picture beside a girl with long, silky black hair and piercing eyes. She had a shit-eating grin and her arm was wrapped around Yuuto’s shoulder, the other hand holding a smoothie. The photo had immediately reminded Shinkai of Yasutomo’s profile picture on facebook. He made the connection right away, but still asked Yuuto to give details. Apparently, they and Arakita’s sister, Natsuki, had chatted the day before and chose to hang out as soon as they possibly could, which just so happened to be today.

“You know those two are skipping school to chill with each other right now?” Shinkai asked, now rubbing his aching head.

“Fuck, I’m not surprised.” Arakita responded, releasing his grip from the other’s shoulder to gingerly touch his lower lip. “But if Yuuto’s marks start suffering or something because they’re hanging out with Nats too much, just lemme know and I’ll kick her teeth in.”

“Yasutomo, you’re so much more violent than I initially thought.”

“You’re fucking one to talk.” He responded, gesturing to his bloodied face. Shinkai laughed at that, not feeling nearly as guilty as he probably should have. It was almost scary how big an impact Yasutomo had made in Shinkai’s life in the mere month that they’ve known each other. The fact that a fist fight hadn’t changed anything between them was a weird indicator as to how strong their relationship was –whatever that relationship may be.

“Come on.” Shinkai said, painfully getting up from where he was seated, extending his arm to help Yasutomo stand as well. The other boy gingerly placed his left hand in Shinkai’s right, allowing himself to be hoisted up. Shinkai’s knuckles screamed in agony, but he didn’t let go of Arakita’s hand, half dragging him into the staff’s washroom. It was relatively clean but obviously neglected by both the professors and the caretakers. Shinkai didn’t bother locking the door; quickly grabbing a giant wad of toilet paper and folding it neatly in his hands. Shinkai knew Arakita was watching him from the counter, staying silent as Shinkai wet the toilet paper under the sink behind him before stepping back to stand in front of the engineer. Shinkai gently placed a hand on Yasutomo’s chin, tilting his head up and slightly to the side as he got to work cleaning his bloodied face.

Shinkai clicked his tongue as he wiped under Yasutomo’s nose. It wasn’t broken, thank God, but it was starting to bruise similar to that of his left cheek.

“I’m a horrible person.” He muttered, following the trail of blood to Arakita’s chin, wiping at any dry flecks that had gotten on his jaw.

“You say that now, but wait until you take a look at my fucking handiwork.” Arakita almost boasted. Shinkai pushed Arakita’s head slightly aside so that he could look over the raven’s shoulder, into the mirror.

“Oh fuck.” Arakita had done some damage. The left side of his face had already formed a bruise matching Yasutomo’s own, and he pushed his bangs aside to reveal a large, red bump forming on his forehead. His knees, stomach and elbows also hurt like hell, and his right hand was raw from punching Yasutomo, but he didn’t bother inspecting them, having a rough idea at what shape they were in. “Guess I’m not sorry.” He grumbled, leaning back away from the mirror to continue cleaning Arakita’s face.

Shinkai was closer now; not bothering to back up, deciding to use the proximity to better observe Yasutomo’s cut lip. It probably looked worse than it actually was, but that didn’t stop Shinkai from wincing along with Yasutomo every time he brushed the spot. Shinkai swiftly threw out the used toilet paper before grabbing a new handful and soaking it, continuing his work silently. The cut on Arakita’s bottom lip had already closed, but it was a swollen-and–slightly-bruised mess. Every time he dabbed at it, Arakita would flinch, leaning back, away from Shinkai’s hand. After the raven had flinched for the third time; leaning so far back that his head almost hit the mirror, Shinkai let out a frustrated sigh, forcefully grabbing the side of Yasutomo’s face and pulling him closer.

“Stop moving away.”

“Stop being so fucking rough. Shit hurts.”

“It’s called tough love Yasutomo.”

“I’m a sensitive guy, Shinkai. I need a more gentle approach.”

“And how do you suppose I do that?”

“You could always just kiss it better.”

Shinkai had barely heard him, Yasutomo’s hushed tone going almost unnoticed if not for Shinkai reading the other’s lips. He looked up to see that Yasutomo’s face was red, his lips in a slight pout as he glared at something to his left, refusing to make eye contact. Shinkai wanted to scream. He spent the majority of this morning wondering if Arakita kissing him on the cheek was just a dream or not, and now here he was, flat out requesting a kiss from Shinkai.

“I could do that.” Shinkai muttered, Yasutomo’s lips the last thing he saw before closing his eyes, leaning into the other. Arakita’s lips were rough around the cut, but extremely warm. He barely registered the pain as Yasutomo’s right hand cupped his face, pulling him closer so they could deepen the kiss. Shinkai tilted his head slightly to the side for better access, his lips parting easily as Yasutomo’s tongue licked his bottom lip. A soft moan escaped Shinkai as the other’s hand moved from his cheek to the back of his neck, squeezing slightly as both their mouths parted at last.

Since when did I love that feeling so much? he managed to ask himself before his thoughts were interrupted by Yasutomo’s tongue. The boy had licked the inside of his mouth, drawing out another moan from Shinkai. They backed away only a centimeter to catch their breaths before tilting their heads the opposite way, their noses brushing as they connected their lips again. Somewhere along the line, Shinkai had wrapped his arms around Yasutomo’s shoulder, leaning so heavily on him that the other ended up sitting on the counter top, pulling Shinkai between his legs. The new angle gave Yasutomo better access into Shinkai’s mouth, making them both moan simultaneously as the kiss became more intense. Suddenly, Arakita’s moan turned into a grunt and his hand moved away from Shinkai’s neck to his chest, pushing him back.

Shinkai was still in too much of a daze to ask what happened, but then he saw Arakita cautiously touching his lips, swearing as he drew his fingers away. His cut had opened again and was bleeding quite profusely. Just as Shinkai was about to apologize did they hear the bathroom door being opened. He hastily backed away from Yasutomo, just as a caretaker walked in with his supply trolley.

“Oh, what’s this?” He asked the two students, not a single trace of amusement in his voice.

“Sorry, we just uhh…”

“We got into a fight.” Arakita said, hopping off the counter. “We were just cleaning up.”

“I see.” The caretaker responded, pushing his trolley in further as he regarded the two boys. “That’s a pretty bad cut there. You might want to stop the bleeding.”

“Yeah.” Arakita responded, grabbing a handful of paper towels from his cart, ignoring the man’s glare as he stuffed them all in his back pocket except for one, which he brought under the sink before gingerly holding it against his mouth. “We’ll be on our way then.” He said, walking by both Shinkai and the janitor as he exited the bathroom. Shinkai also made to leave, giving the man a polite bow before heading towards the door.

“Hey kid.”

Shinkai turned to see the janitor motioning to his own lips, indicating that something was on Shinkai’s as well.

“You’ve got some of your opponent’s blood on your face.”

Shinkai bowed again, trying to hide the heat rushing up his face as he quickly escaped the staff washroom. I just got caught making out with another boy.

Shinkai wasn’t able to give the kiss that much more thought as he walked out to see Yasutomo waiting for him in the hall, one hand in his pocket while the other was holding the paper towel to his mouth.

“We still have an hour ‘til your lab right?” Arakita asked behind his hand as they started walking down the hall again, the two finally making their way towards the exit.

“Yeah.” Shinkai said, pulling out his phone and pretending to be busy, finding it hard to make eye contact with Yasutomo after that entire ordeal. Yuuto had texted him saying something about coming to visit, but Shinkai could barely concentrate on the words.

“Then let’s grab something to eat. I’m barely functioning right now.” Arakita said, walking out of the building and off the sidewalk to cross the busy street, motioning for Shinkai to follow. Shinkai looked up from his phone at that, facing Arakita as they made it to the other side.

“Sure, but I’m buying.” Shinkai said, following Yasutomo to wherever he had in mind. It was the least he could do after causing so much trouble.

“Absolutely not. I’ve seen how much you can eat, Shinkai. You need to save as much money as you can just to keep yourself fed.”

“Not to worry! We have coupons!” A voice from behind them said.

They both turned simultaneously to see Yuuto and Natsuki behind them, the two happily sipping on their smoothies. Yuuto was half-waving their McDonalds coupons in front of the two university students, half-using it to fan themself, a stupid grin on their face.

Shinkai rolled his eyes at Yuuto, turning to Arakita’s little sister instead. He quickly introduced himself, bowing slightly as she smiled up at him, ever grateful for the distraction.

“It’s nice to finally meet you! I’m Arakita Natsuki..i w-what the fuck happened to your face?!” She stuttered, finally noticing the huge bruise sporting almost the entirety of Shinkai’s left jaw and cheek.

“We can talk about this after we get some fucking grub. Come on now, chop chop.” Arakita said, ushering the younger two to continue walking down the sidewalk towards the McDonalds ahead. Yuuto grabbed Shinkai’s arm, silently questioning what happened. He ruffled Yuuto’s hair in reassurance, smiling as best as he could despite the pain.

“It’s all good kiddo, don’t worry.” Shinkai said, slowing his pace to speak to Yuuto privately. “We’ll explain everything later, I promise.”

Yuuto didn’t look convinced, but nodded anyways.

Satisfied that they wouldn’t pry any further, Shinkai let his gaze fall on Arakita’s back. He was far ahead now, talking to (yelling at) his sister, who was obviously asking that he spill the details about what had happened. Shinkai smiled, watching the engineer accidentally shove his sister into an innocent stranger, the two loudly apologizing for the others’ rudeness. I made out with Yasutomo. Shinkai thought, feeling very warm. He covered his smile with his hand, obviously having some difficulty hiding his feelings.

“What? Did he ask you to marry him already?” Yuuto asked around the straw of their beverage. Shinkai didn’t answer, shoving Yuuto lightly to the side. They ended up bumping into the same passerby Natsuki hit, only making it all the more funny for the redhead.

What have I gotten myself into.

Chapter Text

Arakita trotted ahead of the Shinkai siblings with his sister in tow, holding the paper towel to his face, half attempting to hide behind it to avoid Natsuki’s scrutiny.

“Yasu, seriously. What the fuck happened.” She asked, trying to walk in front of him to get a better look at his bruises. Arakita quickened his pace as he turned away from her, trying to avoid any eye contact. If he learned anything these last few days, it was that he was easy to read. At least when it involves Shinkai.

“I’m fine Nats, nothing bad happened.”

“Nothing bad happened my ass.” She huffed, giving up on trying to see his face. “You look like you attempted to dye your shirt red and purple but misread the instructions and dipped your fucking face in the paint instead.” That earned her a rather rough shove to the side, causing her to bump into an unsuspecting passerby. The two apologized quickly before continuing their argument, the banter nothing but routine for the two siblings. They slowed down their pace once they approached the fast food restaurant, Arakita holding the door open for his sister and the Shinkai’s; allowing them to enter first.

The four students sighed simultaneously as they walked into the air conditioned building. The place was relatively empty, it being 2 in the afternoon, with only some adults with late lunch shifts and university students on break silently eating their burgers in isolation. The four moved to the side to allow the person behind them to approach the cashier as they surrounded Yuuto, deciding what meals they could get with their coupons. Arakita chose a relatively cheap combo, asking his sister to order it for him so that he could go find them seats. He walked to the drink station first, throwing out his bloodied paper towel as he fished out the ones he had grabbed earlier out of his pocket, opening a few up and layering them on top of each other before holding it under the ice dispenser. He did this again with another pile of paper towels, walking towards the far side of the store and grabbing a window seat when he was done.

Arakita sat down at the corner of the booth, gingerly placing one of his makeshift icepacks to his face, sighing at the contact. Shinkai’s punch had done some damage, but nothing Arakita wasn’t used to. Getting into fights wasn’t uncommon for him, but it’s been a while since he got into a legitimate fight, with legitimate consequences. His stomach did a flip at the thought. Arakita’s actions were usually instinctual, but it was scary how far he went just to make a point –knowing his words could have potentially ruined an important friendship.

He dug his phone out of his pocket to pass the time as he waited for the others. His phone background was still of young Shinkai stuffing his face, making Arakita smile behind the ice in his hand. Maybe he had crossed the line and initiated a fight because his instincts told him nothing bad would happen. Shinkai was kind-hearted, caring, and all around good person. Even though Arakita has said some nasty stuff, he trusted Shinkai to understand where he had come from, for Yuuto’s sake. Still. I need to properly apologize to him about all this. He thought, putting his phone away when he noticed the three approaching him. Natsuki sat across from her bother with a single tray holding both their orders while Yuuto and Shinkai had similarly piled up trays of their own. Yuuto quickly sat beside Natsuki, leaving Shinkai with nowhere to sit but to Arakita’s right.

Arakita watched Shinkai as he sat down, waiting for the other’s attention to be drawn somewhere else before silently placing his other makeshift icepack against Shinkai’s face. Despite his gentleness, Shinkai flinched from the cold sensation, not realizing what had touched him. Arakita had to force down the laugh he felt ready to escape his lips, knowing it’ll only open his cut again. The mood dissipated, however, as he watched Shinkai make to hold onto the paper towels, placing his hand on top of Arakita’s to get a proper grip so that the ice wouldn’t fall out.

Shinkai’s hand was warm over Arakita’s, and his smile was warmer as he thanked the other. Arakita couldn’t look away, he didn’t want to look away, but Natsuki cleared her throat, getting their attention. Arakita slowly moved his hand out from under Shinkai’s, breaking eye contact a second later; reaching for some fries instead. The four bellowed a thanks for the meal, digging in to their late lunch.

“So. We’re here. Care to explain all this?” She said, motioning between the two across from her.

Neither said anything for a while, pretending they were too busy eating their meals to respond. Natsuki and Yuuto exchanged glances, but didn’t pry, knowing their brothers would talk when they were ready. Shinkai was the first to speak, unwrapping his second burger as he faced Yuuto.

“Yasutomo’s friend’s birthday is this Sunday, so we’ll be having a party.”

“Okaaayy?” Yuuto was obviously confused as to where their brother was going with this.

“Do you want to come?”

They stopped mid-chew at the question.

“To the party?”

“Yeah.”

“Will there be drinking?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“C-Can I drink?”

“Pffft.” Arakita couldn’t help but laugh at that. As adorable as this conversation was, it wasn’t going anywhere, so he decided to interrupt the two and get to the point. “Yuuto you’re coming. Nats so are you.”

The two seemed to vibrate in their chairs, neither daring to ask why, in fear that their brothers might change their minds. Arakita shook his head at their reaction. He had forgotten how big a deal parties were for high schoolers.

“Wait. That doesn’t answer why you two look so beaten up.” Natsuki noted, watching Yuuto nod in agreement as they piled fries onto their burger, replacing the bun and taking a whopping bite. Arakita glanced at Shinkai, having trouble reading his expression. Shinkai was still holding the ice to his jaw, but the engineer noted a glint of uncertainty in the other’s eyes.

“We, uh.” Arakita wasn’t really good at improv, but that didn’t stop him from trying. “We got into a little fight about the drinking..” He trailed off, knowing it was a shitty lie.

“Wait –you two fought each other?!” Yuuto asked, putting down their food, obviously shocked.

“Are you fucking serious Yasu?”

“Hey shutup! I live in a tiny ass apartment and it’s gonna get loud, Nats. If I get in trouble with the police, it better be for a sound complaint, not for two underage drinkers!”

“Yeah so... we came up with a compromise.” Shinkai added, backing up Arakita’s lie. “We decided that you two can’t stay for the entire party.”

Some whining ensued –some empty promises of we’ll be good and we won’t get drunk, let us stayyyy but neither Arakita nor Shinkai were having it.

“You two’ll be coming for Machimiya’s birthday party, but once it starts getting crowded, we’re kicking you guys out.”

“Well that’s no fun. I don’t want to spend my night watching some asshole blow out some fucking candles.” Natsuki huffed, watching her brother clear their tray so he could place his melting ice on it instead.

“Nats, there’ll still be drinking games and music and shit.” He countered, grabbing Shinkai’s melting ice out of his hand to place on the tray as well. “Nobody’s begging you to come. We just don’t want Yuuto alone.” Oops. Had he said too much? He grabbed some napkins to dry his hand as he watched Yuuto look up at Shinkai.

“Hayato, was the fight about me?”

“You coming to drink.” Shinkai corrected, letting his left hand rest awkwardly on the table to avoid getting water everywhere.

“Not just me coming in general?”

“No.” Both Arakita and Shinkai stressed.

Yuuto didn’t seem satisfied, but dropped the topic as they went back to their meal. Arakita sighed, grabbing Shinkai’s left hand, seeing that he wasn’t planning on doing anything about its wetness from the ice. He absentmindedly started dabbing it dry as he let his mind wander. Shinkai wouldn’t be able to go shopping with him anymore, his lab probably starting by the time they finished their meals, but maybe he could ask Natsuki and Yuuto to join him instead. At least then he could explain to them what the fight was really about without making Shinkai look like the bad guy. He’d explain to Yuuto that he provoked a fight to get Shinkai to realize that he was being a little overprotective, that there was nothing bad happening to Yuuto and that he should stop worrying so much.

Arakita hadn’t realized he had zoned out, silently playing with Shinkai’s fingers, the redhead’s hand long since dried. The other didn’t say anything, eating his third burger with one hand as he allowed Arakita to trace the creases along his palm with both of his hands, creating invisible trails along his fingers and thumb. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Arakita knew his sister was looking and that he should probably stop, but Shinkai’s hand was comfortably warm in both of his, despite holding ice moments ago. Shinkai’s left hand caught Arakita’s right, flipping it over to trace his reddened knuckles with his thumb. The pain was barely noticeable, so he let Shinkai continue massaging his hand. It wasn’t until their fingers intertwined and rested comfortably on the table that Natsuki spoke again.

“It’s seriously hard to believe you two fought each other.” She said, sipping on Arakita’s drink, her smoothie long since finished.

“You sure you two didn’t just fall down the stairs and this story is your poor attempt at covering it up?” Yuuto asked, taking some of Shinkai’s fries. Arakita was about to counter argue, but he felt Shinkai’s grip tighten in his hand. He looked up in time to see the other boy crinkle his brows, mouth slightly agape in a way that made him look very offended. He’d seen that face before. Arakita immediately knew to let go of Shinkai’s hand, taking out his phone and getting the camera ready, ignoring Natsuki as she looked at him questioningly. She didn’t have a chance to ask what was wrong before all hell broke loose. Yuuto had broken the “no stealing food” rule Again! Yuuto, you broke the rule twice in the span of two days! Shinkai accused, his hand a blur of motion as he grabbed a burger off the other’s tray.

“Hey that’s not fair Hayato! I only took like three fries, give it back!” Yuuto complained, making to reach for the burger in their brother’s hand. They were too slow, Shinkai moving his hand away while simultaneously grabbing his tray and placing it on Arakita’s lap, denying Yuuto from taking anything off of it, causing more arguing to ensue. Arakita had to cover his mouth to keep himself from laughing. He wasn’t down to deal with his stupid cut opening again, but fuck was it hard keeping a straight face.

He had recorded the initial argument on video, but now he was snapping pictures left and right as the two fought over the food. Remembering that this was the first time his sister was witnessing the Shinkai siblings in action, Arakita whipped his phone around fast enough to capture the terrified look on Natsuki’s face. Her expression was fucking hilarious. Her eyes were wide and her hands were reaching forward to break the two apart, mouth comically twisted in an attempt to talk some sense into them. Arakita ended up doubling over, resting his head in the crook of his arm as he laughed into the table, ignoring the pain erupting from his bottom lip.

***

It was some while before things calmed down at the back corner of the McDonald’s. Shinkai had threateningly held Yuuto’s burger close to his mouth until the other gave in, running to the cashier to buy Shinkai a fresh batch of fries in apology for breaking the house rules twice. The four had finished up their meals and chatted a bit after that, getting up to leave with Shinkai once he realized he was going to be late for lab if he didn’t move soon.

The small group had stepped out into the humidity again, Arakita, Natsuki and Yuuto saying their goodbyes to Shinkai. Arakita looked longingly at the other’s back. He had wanted to apologize for everything that happened today, to hold his hand again, to kiss him on the lips one more time, to –to something, but he kept his mouth shut, simply waving Shinkai off. Arakita turned around to face the other two, ready to drag them to the grocery store with him when he noticed them smirking.

“What? What’s so funny?” He demanded, directing to two to follow him as they spoke.

“It’s just so nice seeing you with someone who isn’t a complete asshole.” Natsuki said nonchalantly, shaking her head in an ‘I’ll explain later’ way when Yuuto looked at her questioningly. Arakita didn’t respond to that immediately. He knew she was referring to his first and only ex, a relationship which he wished he could permanently delete from his memory. But alas, not even all the alcohol in the world could help him there. I would know. He thought reluctantly.

“Don’t bring that shit up again Nats.” He warned as they turned the corner, approaching the grocery store. “And I’m not with Shinkai.” He hissed, quiet enough for only her to hear as they walked through the automatic doors. Not yet, anyways. He thought, watching her shrug. Natsuki ended up grabbing Yuuto’s arm and dragging them towards the junk food aisle, claiming that they’d help him get some snacks for the party, totally oblivious to Arakita’s tone. Arakita sighed, grabbing a cart and heading towards the drinks, deciding that he’d deal with his sister’s dumbassery some other time.

He figured he only needed to buy one or two packs of canned soda, and maybe four 2 liter bottles of whatever for Machimiya to be satisfied. He’d deal with the actual booze on the weekend, but for now this was more than enough. He started pushing the cart towards the snack aisle when Natsuki and Yuuto appeared in front of Arakita with bags of chips and a wide assortment of dips in their hands, dropping them off in the cart before making their way back to where they came from.

“Hold it!” Arakita said, grabbing his sister by the back of her collar. “That’s way too much shit! Go put these back.” He said, grabbing about 4 of the 10 things they had put of the cart, handing it to Natsuki to replace on the shelves. Yuuto made to follow her, but Arakita stopped them too, asking that they come with him instead.

“What’s up?” Yuuto asked, following Arakita as they lazily browsed the aisles, not looking for anything in particular. Here goes nothing. Arakita thought, delving into his explanation about his fight with Shinkai.

***

Yuuto was pissed off, that much was obvious. They didn’t appreciate Arakita speaking on their behalf and made sure to let the engineer know.

“No offense Arakita-san, but we don’t actually know each other.” Yuuto chastised, the three of them now waiting in line for Arakita to buy his items. “Hayato isn’t overprotective of me, he’s just concerned. And for good reason might I add.” They said, motioning to the entirety of their body. This was the first time Yuuto had shown any signs of insecurity, making Arakita feel like somebody had physically stabbed him in the heart.

“I know, I know.” Arakita apologized, feeling like shit as he took the smaller items out of the cart, placing them onto the checkout counter. “But seriously Yuuto, when was the last time you two did something together.”

“We go bike riding all the time.”

“Something more public?”

“He comes to all my races.”

“Oh yeah? The ones where you pretend to be a boy? Where he witnesses you being called the wrong pronouns by your friends first hand?” That had obviously struck a cord with Yuuto, their argument dying in their throat. Yuuto lowered their head in defeat.

“Cut it out Yasu.” Natsuki demanded, standing in front of Yuuto as if she could physically stop Arakita’s words.

“Look kid, I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything.” Arakita continued, ignoring his sister as he paid for the items. “But from what I can tell, Shinkai seriously worries about you. You understand why, right?”

“Yeah…” Yuuto said, helping Arakita bag the chips and drinks. “What should I do?”

“What, to make Shinkai stop pissing himself at the mere thought of someone bullying you? I dunno Yuuto, fuckin’ slouch less.” Yuuto punched Arakita with their free hand, the other holding two bags of groceries.

“Seriously Arakita-san. Hayato’s about one midterm away from a mental breakdown. He doesn’t need me adding to his stress.”

Arakita hefted his packs of soda and a bag of snacks off the counter and made his way to the exit, asking Natsuki to carry whatever remained as they left the store. He was racking his overworked brain like crazy trying to come up with a plan. What could he do to convince Shinkai that Yuuto was fine? The night before, when he had slept over at Shinkai’s, he had woken up to the sound of the other talking in his sleep.

Arakita frowned at the memory. Shinkai was sprawled across the bed like a moron, his face pressed into Arakita’s side, arms tucked under his chest. Shinkai was muttering in his sleep, his words unintelligible. Arakita was about to shake him awake when he heard something else; a sob. Shinkai was crying in his sleep. Arakita had listened carefully, unsure of what to do. It took him only a few seconds to realize that it was Yuuto’s name he was calling, over and over like a broken record player.

Nightmares were bad enough on their own, but when family was involved, they were downright terrifying. Arakita called Shinkai’s name, gently shaking his shoulder in an attempt to rouse him from his sleep. The other responded by draping an arm over Arakita’s torso, pulling him close so that he could rest his head on their stomach.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going dumbass?” He muttered, realizing the other was still asleep. Shinkai had gone silent, showing no signs of waking up. Arakita gingerly placed his hand at the back of the other’s neck, attempting to rub some of Shinkai’s tension away with his thumb. Only when he felt the other relax did he let himself drift off again.

“Yasu?”

Arakita snapped back to attention, realizing Natsuki had asked him a question.

“Sorry, repeat that?” He asked, fixing his grip on the drinks. Machimiya owed him big time for this labour.

“I said, did you come up with a way to help Yuuto?” Arakita responded with a blank stare. He hadn’t. She turned to Yuuto, shaking her head. “It’s a fucking mystery what your brother sees in mine.” Arakita perked at that, turning to Yuuto with wide eyes as an idea struck him. He promptly collected himself before grabbing their attention, not ready to clue them in on his thoughts yet.

“By the way Yuuto, does Shinkai like mystery novels?” He asked casually, leading the two towards the entrance of the apartment complex.

“Jeez Arakita-san, what gave that away? Was it the plethora of fucking mystery novels on his bookshelf or-”

“Alright, alright! Jeez, I get it.” He laughed, leading the two through the lobby towards the elevator. “Do you know which book is his favourite?” He asked, pressing 4 and awkwardly fishing for his keys while balancing the drinks on his knee, propping his leg against the wall for better leverage. Yuuto shook their head.

“Want me to find out for you?”

“Yeah. But don’t tell him I asked.”

“Yasu, is this supposed to help Yuuto?” Natsuki asked, taking the keys out of her brother’s hand, unlocking the front door once they had reached their destination.

“It is.” He reassured, placing the groceries down with a loud thud on the kitchen counter. “Don’t worry Nats, I have a plan.”

“Fucking hell Yasu, your last plan got you and Kinjou banned from the school library.”

“There’s so much shit you have to catch me up on.” Yuuto whispered to Natsuki, placing their bags aside before facing Arakita. “I dunno what your plan is Arakita-san, but I haven’t got any better ideas, so let me know what I can do.”

Arakita messed Yuuto’s hair, happy to hear their willingness to help. “If things work out, I’ll have stuff ready by the beginning of July.”

“What the fuck, that’s over a month away!” Natsuki exclaimed from the living room. When the fuck did she get there?

“Most of its brainstorming.” He argued, watching Yuuto plop down on the couch beside Natsuki. “Don’t you worry your ugly little ass, Natsu. I got this.” The two high schoolers stared at Arakita with such skepticism that it almost looked like they were squinting at direct sunlight.

“I’ve always wanted to be banned from the library.” Arakita heard Yuuto mutter to his sister.

These assholes need to trust me more. That; and they needed to “Get the fuck outta my house!” Arakita bellowed, throwing a bag of chips at them.

Chapter Text

Shinkai would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for the 31st. Machimiya’s party was just around the corner and it seemed to be the only thing occupying Shinkai’s thoughts. That, and a certain individual who he tried his best not to think about. Talking to Toudou about his current concerns didn’t seem to help his anxiety either. On Thursday, Shinkai had gotten to lab on time, dealt with as many concerned classmates as he could in those three hours, and booked it out of there the second he was done with his samples. He then proceeded to spend his entire night talking to Toudou over Skype, at a complete loss for what to do in his current situation.

“Wait, lemme get this straight Shinkai. You met a guy you ‘probably’ like,” he said making air quotes while looking directly at his webcam. “proceeded to beat the shit out of him, made out with him in a public bathroom directly after beating the shit out of him, and are now going over to his place to party next weekend?”

“Jeez Jinpachi. When you put it that way you make me sound crazy.”

“YOU ARE CRAZY” Toudou screamed into the mic of his laptop, getting a small book throw at him for his loudness by an unseen Makishima. “You are crazy.” He hissed, rubbing his shoulder where the book had connected. “No offense Shinkai –there’s nothing wrong with you for liking the guy, but you two seem all over the place in terms of your emotions.”

“Wow, who does that remind me of?” Shinkai heard Makishima say in the background. Toudou picked up the novel previously thrown at him off the ground and chucked it back at the direction it came from with surprising force. A distant thump and some cursing followed, but Toudou ignored it, turning to Shinkai once again.

“Do you seriously like this guy Shinkai?”

“Yes.”

“So then just ask him out!”

“I caaaann’t.”

“Why not Shinkai? You’ve always been the confident type. I don’t see how asking this guy out will be hard for you.”

“Because I don’t know if he likes me back!”

“Unbelievable.” Toudou muttered, turning to his side to look at Makishima. “Was I seriously this bad Maki-chan?”

“Worse.”

Toudou sighed at that, his eyes following Makishima until he came into view for Shinkai. Toudou moved over so that the other boy could push his chair beside him, both now visible on Shinkai’s screen. Makishima nodded a hello, but otherwise remained quiet as he let Toudou speak.

“Shinkai you’re a great guy, and from what you’re telling me, this guy seems pretty great too. Just ask him out, he kissed you back remember?”

“I dunno Jinpachi… Yasutomo seems like the spontaneous type. I’m pretty sure if it were anyone else, he’d probably kiss them ba-” Shinkai stopped mid rant when he noticed the other two’s expressions. Toudou’s mouth was hanging open and Makishima was smirking like crazy behind his hand, looking over at Toudou.

“Hayato, what did you say this guy’s name was again?” Toudou whispered, gripping onto Makishima’s arm like his life depended on it.

“Yasutomo? His name’s Arakita Yasutomo.” Shinkai answered, startled by the response that got.

Toudou swore, getting up out of his chair, walking off Shinkai’s screen, while Makishima burst into laughter. Not a second had passed before Toudou reappeared, his face so close to his laptop screen that Shinkai could practically see up his nose.

“Arakita? Are you serious Shinkai!?” Toudou screamed, allowing Makishima to pull him back into his seat, the other boy still laughing at the news.

“Oh right. I forgot to tell you, Yuusuke, but I met your friends a while ago.” Shinkai continued, ignoring Toudou’s sudden outburst and question.

“Oh?” Makishima said, obviously amused. “Who else besides Arakita?”

“Kinjou and Machimiya.”

Makishima hummed at that, still grinning at Toudou, who was silently shaking his head in disbelief.

“I should probably let them know I’m coming down in July, huh?” He noted, taking out his phone to type a message.

“I already told them.” Shinkai informed, making Makishima stop mid-text. “But more importantly, what’s wrong with Yasutomo?”

“Nothing’s wrong with Arakita. Jinpachi just hates to acknowledge the fact that he’s a pretty cool guy.”

“He’s not cool in the slightest.” Toudou grumbled, crossing his arms.

“Look, Shinkai.” Makishima continued, ignoring his frowning roommate. “You don’t have to ask him out now if you don’t feel ready, but it sounds to me like he’s interested in you. The fact that he’s let you get this close shows that he’s finally over his ex –oof” Toudou had elbowed Makishima to get him to stop talking, but it was too late.

“Ex?”

“Aha, y-yeah.” Makishima said awkwardly, scratching his jaw. “Look, it’s not really my place to say, but-”

“Then maybe you should shu-” Makishima cut Toudou off by placing his hand over the other’s mouth.

“-but,” Makishima continued, showing no signs of moving his hand from Toudou’s face, “I don’t mean ‘over his ex’ as in he still loves them.”

“Then what?” Shinkai asked, feeling only slightly less nauseas.

“I just mean it was hard for Arakita to move on because she kinda ruined the whole “relationship” thing for him.”

Well that sucks. Shinkai thought, frowning at the idea of someone ruining something as special as a relationship; and for someone like Yasutomo, no less.

“Why did they break up?” He asked through gritted teeth. He was pissed –that much was obvious. He couldn’t imagine someone hurting Yasutomo.

But didn’t I hurt Yasutomo earlier today? Shinkai felt his shoulders slump at the guilt. He seriously needed to properly apologize for that as soon as possible.

“Because Toudou can’t mind his own business.” Makishima answered, unaware of Shinkai’s mood change.

“Hey now.” Toudou interjected, finally slapping Makishima’s hand away from his face. “He looked so miserable back then. I couldn’t help it.” Toudou pouted.

“Jinpachi, I had no idea you were friends with Yasutomo.”

“We’re not friends!” He argued. “I just happened to meet him through Maki-chan, who knew him through Kinjou.”

“I’m so confused. When did you guys meet?”

“First year?” Toudou inquired, looking at Makishima who nodded in response. “He was the only person we knew who had a licence at that time.”

“Near the end of August? Are you telling me Yasutomo was the one who dropped you off at the airport 2 years ago?”

“That’s the one.” Makishima said, attempting to yank his hair out of the bun it was currently in. Toudou tisked, getting up to stand behind Makishima, working out the knot the other inevitably created around his hair tie. Shinkai watched their silent interaction, feeling genuinely happy at seeing how far the two had come. Toudou especially had grown since his high school days. When Makishima had left for university overseas in the middle of third year, Shinkai remembered how much at a lost Toudou was. It took him a while to gather himself, but because Makishima had left so suddenly, Toudou was able to figure out what he wanted and chase after it. Or after him, to be more specific.

“Do you guys have class soon?” Shinkai asked, not bothering to continue their previous conversation.

“Placement, sorry Shinkai.” Toudou corrected from behind Makishima, quickly and skillfully braiding the other’s hair loosely to the side, sitting back down to face his laptop once he was done. “Anyways, you should try to sleep.”

“Yeah alright. Thanks for listening to me ramble.” Shinkai said, in the midst of saying goodnight when Toudou interrupted him.

“You know, Shinkai, I speak from experience when I say don’t over think it. Just follow your heart!” He exclaimed with a goofy smile. “Things will usually turn out better than expected!”

Makishima got up from his chair using the other’s head as leverage, messing up Toudou’s hair in the process. Jinpachi complained, but Makishima was already out of sight. Toudou muttered something about how Maki-chan needed to stop lashing out on his hair every time he was embarrassed, before turning his attention back to Shinkai one last time, urging him to think about what he said. Shinkai agreed, and they said their goodbyes, ending the call soon after.

The redhead sighed, closing his laptop and plopping onto his bed face first. Ow. Okay, bad idea, but Shinkai was too exhausted to tend to his aching face. Besides, the pain just reminded him of the kiss.

The kiss.

Shinkai smiled into his pillow. I wouldn’t mind kissing Yasutomo again.

Multiple times.

For the rest of my life.

Shinkai let his thoughts settle, his overwhelming feelings for Yasutomo making it hard to breathe. He knew having his face buried in his pillow wasn’t helping either, but the fear of screaming out in frustration was a very real possibility, and his poor family didn’t deserve to wake up 3 in the morning because he couldn’t keep his emotions in check. Shinkai replayed the conversation he had with Toudou and Makishima once more in his head, deciding that it’d be in his best interest to sleep on it to avoid making any hasty decisions. Shinkai lay awake for a few minutes longer before his anxiety finally gave way to his exhaustion.

***

I’m asking him out. Shinkai concluded, waking up the next morning, hours earlier than need be. He had a total of three hours of sleep but his mind was surprisingly clear, his decision made. He didn’t know when or how, but he was going to make Yasutomo his boyfriend, even if it kills me.

Shinkai headed downstairs, ignoring Yuuto’s questioning look as he tried to get some breakfast ready for himself.

“Why are you up so early?” Yuuto asked, rolling up the sleeves of their jersey, having just finished eating breakfast. It was 6 AM, meaning they were headed for morning practice, one of the few things Shinkai didn’t miss about high school. He shrugged in response, grabbing whatever food Yuuto hadn’t devoured yet, sitting down at the dining room table. Yuuto watched him silently from the kitchen counter, their eyebrows furrowed as they watched their brother eat. “Hayato…” Yuuto started, obviously bothered by something.

“What’s up?”

“I’m going to school now…” They hesitated for a bit, grabbing their backpack and slugging it over a shoulder. Shinkai let Yuuto gather their thoughts, not wanting to rush the kid into saying whatever it was that was on their mind. Yuuto shuffled around the kitchen a bit more, grabbing a handful of power bars to stuff in their back pocket, keeping one in their hand for the ride to school. They fumbled with the wrapper, tearing it open after a few seconds of struggling before finally looking up at Shinkai. “And uhh, I guess I should keep you updated. I’m not getting bullied at school or anything… so don’t lose sleep over me.”

Shinkai’s mouth was wide open, his spoonful of rice hovering comically close to his lips as he stopped to process what Yuuto had just said. Where had that come from? Yuuto seemed to have read his mind, shrugging at Shinkai’s silent question. “Arakita-san told me what you guys fought over. What you really fought over.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I’m still pissed at him about that. He had no right saying that shit to you, but you know…” Yuuto sighed, spinning their power bar in their hand, the snack yet to be consumed. “I guess he was right about a few things.” Shinkai put his utensils down, attentive to Yuuto’s every word. “You don’t need to worry about me Hayato. Things are fine at school. Nobody bothers me about… me. Okay?” They smiled confidently at Shinkai, stuffing their bar into their mouth having said everything on their mind.

Shinkai was shocked to say the least. He hadn’t expected Yasutomo to beat him at telling Yuuto the truth, and he definitely hadn’t expected Yuuto’s response. They more or less seemed indifferent to their situation, meaning Yasutomo was right. And yet, Shinkai couldn’t help but feel the warning signs gnawing at the back of his mind, barely noticeable but there nonetheless. He knew Yuuto identified as a boy at school to avoid confrontations with authorities and club activities, so if what they said was true about nobody bothering them, it was probably because nobody knew about them. Shinkai let out a long sigh, returning his attention back to his breakfast.

“I’m glad Yuuto. Just let me know if anything happens.” He said, deciding to ignore his doubts just this once. He had spent far too long thinking Yuuto hated being a boy at school, but they had come right out and said they were fine, so who was he to doubt that? Yuuto said one last goodbye before rushing out of the house, leaving Shinkai alone with his thoughts.

He quickly finished breakfast soon after, washing the dishes and heading back upstairs to get ready for school. It wasn’t until he started putting on his shoes that he noticed the Facebook notifications on his phone. Opening up the app, he noticed that a handful of his friends had commented on some photos he posted.

That’s weird, I don’t remember posting anything. He thought, clicking the notification. It loaded a few seconds later, revealing a video of him and Yuuto fighting at the McDonalds. Oh God. Shinkai quickly paused the video, embarrassed, choosing to scroll down and look at the comments instead. The majority of his friends noted that they weren’t surprised Shinkai was fighting over food, and there were even a few people who showed some concern for the bruises plastered along his cheek. Shinkai covered half his face behind his hand in embarrassment, groaning as he swiped through the next few photos that followed the video. They were all of him eating, obviously, but the angle of the photos indicated that it was none other than Yasutomo who took the pictures and posted them up. I can’t believe this is what he saw. He mentally screamed, his eyes hovering over the last photo. It was of him reaching over the table for Yasutomo’s food, his eyes focused on whatever was behind the camera, with a caption that read “This one’s my favourite.” Shinkai blinked, realizing that he wasn’t tagged in these photos; they were posted directly from his account. Before he could register what he was doing, his fingers somehow hit the call button under Yasutomo’s name, his phone held against his ear an instant later.

“Shinkai the fuck? It’s not even 7 yet.” Arakita responded, his voice groggy.

“Yasutomo how did you post up those pictures on my account!?”

Shinkai heard a small cruse and some shuffling in the background. “You logged onto my laptop remember? You didn’t even bother signing out so…” Arakita drifted off, stifling a yawn.

“Right…” Shinkai played with his shoe lace, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Asking Yasutomo out over the phone 6:40 AM would be inappropriate right? “Sorry for waking you by the way.”

“S’fine. My alarm was about to go off soon anyways.” He responded, his morning voice sending shivers down Shinkai’s spine. “Why are you up though? Don’t you have class way later in the day?”

He did. He only had a Molecular lecture and his Biochem lab that day, both of which were after 12.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I’m just gonna go to school and try working there.” Shinkai replied, getting up from where he was sitting, deciding that he had been fumbling with his shoes long enough. “If I stay home I’ll definitely pass out and miss class. The commute to school is horrible on Fridays.”

“Well that’s shitty. Are you on your way now?”

Shinkai opened the front door as a response, heading towards his bike. “Yup. I’m leaving right now.”

Arakita was silent for a bit, giving Shinkai the impression that he had fallen asleep. Right when Shinkai was about to call his name did the other speak again, his words rushing out at a stupendous speed.

“You can come over if you want.” Arakita blurted, his raspy voice creating some static through the phone. Shinkai stopped walking towards the bus stop, startled by Yasutomo’s sudden proposal. Could this be the opportunity he was looking for? Before he could chicken out, Shinkai agreed, asking Yasutomo to text him his address. He turned away from the bus stop, getting on his bike as he hung up the phone. He wasn’t up for waiting forty minutes to see Yasutomo. He didn’t want to rush his confession just so that the other could make it to class on time, so Shinkai sprinted, weaving his bike skillfully through the neighbourhood, his goal fueling him forward.

***

Shinkai made it in front of Yasutomo’s building in 30 minutes, covered in sweat and panting. He obviously didn’t think this through, but the need to see Yasutomo had practically possessed his body, pushing him downtown faster than he had ever ridden before. He wiped the sweat from under his chin as he walked towards the bike racks at the side of the building, locking up his Cervélo before taking out his phone once more. Yasutomo had initially given him instructions to his place, but now that he was here, he needed to know what floor and apartment number to go to.

“Hey.”

Shinkai looked up from his phone to see Arakita standing by the lobby door, propping it open with his foot, his arms crossed in a way that made him look like he was more cold than impatient. Shinkai couldn’t help but stare. Arakita was wearing a black tank top and blue pajama pants, showing off his toned arms and long legs. Shinkai was glad he could hide his flush under the guise of his intense bike riding, because seeing Arakita like this made him feel embarrassingly hot. He approached the other, greeting him and trailing behind as he let the engineer guide him through the lobby to the elevator. Once they entered Arakita’s place, Shinkai kicked off his shoes, bellowing a quick sorry for intruding! as he looked around the apartment.

“Wow Yasutomo, it’s surprisingly roomy here –and clean.”

“The fuck’s that supposed to mean asshole?” Arakita spat, rolling his eyes when Shinkai just winked in response. “Machimiya wouldn’t want a party here if it wasn’t nice.” He grumbled, motioning for Shinkai to follow him. They spent a good bit of their morning touring Yasutomo’s place. Overall, the apartment had a more western style, to Shinkai's surprise. The kitchen was relatively modern, the marble counter claiming a rather large corner of his apartment, leading toward a similarly styled, waist-high marble island accompanied by 6 chairs. The island seemed out of place, located more to the side of the kitchen than in the middle, acting more as a dining table. The living room was right by the kitchen, consisting of a large sectional couch resting comfortably at the other corner of the apartment, facing a rather impressive television.

“Holy shit Yasutomo, I didn’t know you were filthy rich.”

Arakita exhaled noisily, obviously too tired to tell Shinkai to shut up for the seventh time that morning, opting to head towards his bedroom before responding.

“I’m not rich, just lucky.” He said, shuffling through his cabinet as he spoke. Shinkai sat on Yasutomo’s bed, doing his best to seem like he was looking around. It was hard. Arakita had bent over to a lower cabinet to pull something out, giving Shinkai a spectacular view of his ass. “My mom’s friend works in real estate, and the previous owners got into some weird situation apparently.” He continued, straightening up to look at Shinkai. He had a fresh set of clothes in his hands along with a towel. “They needed to leave immediately or something, so they practically gave this place away.”

“Huh. It must be peaceful living alone.”

“It is.” Arakita agreed. “I don’t think Nats and I go a day without arguing.” He smiled, shaking his head. “Ah. But I miss Aki-chan.”

“Your other sister?”

“Hell no! Emi’s just as bad as Nats.” Arakita scoffed, smirking at Shinkai. “Aki-chan is my dog.”

“Yasutomo why am I here instead of your other house?” Shinkai accused, sitting up straighter at the thought of meeting Yasutomo’s pet dog.

“You’re not ready to meet the shit show that is my fucking family, Shinkai.” Arakita grumbled, turning back at Shinkai as his hand hovered over the other door near the entrance of his bedroom. “I’m gonna shower.” He said, opening the door. “Try not to empty my fridge while I’m gone!” He exclaimed over his shoulder, going out of sight moments after as the door clicked shut behind him.

Shinkai pushed himself further onto Arakita’s bed to lie down, his mind whirling. He had been so distracted by his crush’s presence that he almost forgot his reasons for coming over in the first place.

I’ll ask him out when he’s done getting ready for school. Shinkai thought, closing his eyes and facing away from window, avoiding the sun’s rays as it seeped through the bedroom’s white blinds. Yasutomo will be my boyfriend by the end of today.

***

Shinkai jumped, startled at the sound of his phone’s alarm. He looked around, confused for a moment until he remembered the morning’s events. He sat up, skillfully dismissing his alarm with one hand while rubbing his eyes with the other. It was eleven. He slept for almost 4 hours at Yasutomo’s place, completely undisturbed.

Shinkai stood up, angry at himself for being so careless. He needed to learn how to sleep at night like a normal human being to avoid shit like this happening. He frowned as he checked his texts, realizing that Yasutomo had messaged him while he had passed out.

Shinkai blushed. Yasutomo was absolutely perfect in every way imaginable, and here he was, being a nuisance. He walked towards the kitchen, contemplating whether or not he should actually take the food right as his stomach growled in response. Three minutes later, Shinkai was shoveling noodles into his mouth as he walked around Yasutomo’s place once more, giving himself a second tour. He had missed the balcony the first time; but he could see why Yasutomo didn’t bother mentioning it, the view being essentially the wall of another building. The living room was a decent size, and could most likely hold a bunch of drunken kids wanting to dance –and his kitchen was just as good. Shinkai concluded that it was a nice apartment, and perfect for small parties.

I wouldn’t mind living here. He thought, looking at Arakita’s bedroom one last time. He really wouldn’t mind, but moving in with Yasutomo was kind of jumping the gun in terms of his current plans.

Eventually, Shinkai packed up, knowing he had long since overstayed his welcome. He made sure to clean up after himself before locking Arakita’s door behind him, heading to class. Today might have been a failure, but he still had an entire week until the party to properly confess to Yasutomo. He was nowhere near satisfied enough with where their relationship was currently at.

Chapter Text

Shinkai had been acting pretty strange all week, and Arakita couldn’t figure out why for the life of him. It had started around Friday, when he invited the other over to his place in the morning. He didn’t know what he expected when he asked Shinkai over, but having the redhead fall asleep in his room was definitely not one of them.

Arakita had walked into his bedroom fully clothed, wiping his wet hair with his towel when he noticed Shinkai snoring softly on his bed.

“Shinkai?” He called quietly, approaching the sleeping boy after a second’s hesitation. There was no response, so Arakita sat on the bed. Shinkai still didn’t stir, the sudden dip in the bed not affecting his slumber in the slightest. Arakita continued drying his hair, watching the rise and fall of Shinkai’s chest, contemplating what course of action to take. Eventually, he leaned forward, close enough to see the detailed swirls of red and purple masking Shinkai’s left jaw, noting the bits of stubble poking out here and there along his bruise. Arakita was overwhelmed with the sense of déjà vu, but continued leaning closer until his nose brushed the boy beneath him. He planted a soft kiss on Shinkai’s cheek, holding his breath, not daring move away less Shinkai woke up. The redhead merely crinkled his eyebrows, otherwise oblivious to the engineer’s actions, so Arakita kissed him again. And again. By the fifth kiss, Arakita forced himself to backup, knowing he was on the verge of losing his self-control. Shinkai was obviously exhausted. Attacking him with kisses while he was asleep would be pretty fucking inappropriate.

I should go to class and let him sleep, Arakita thought sadly, getting up from the bed. He looked around the room until he spotted Shinkai’s phone. He knew the other’s class was later than noon, but he didn’t know the exact time, so he set the alarm to 11 just to be safe. As an afterthought, Arakita texted Shinkai what he did so that the other wouldn’t be totally confused when he woke up alone in someone else’s house.

Arakita quietly got ready for school, doing his best not to make a sound as he gathered his things from his room. He couldn’t help but think about how easily Shinkai had agreed to come over. There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation in his voice. In fact, there seemed to be an air of urgency around him, leading to Arakita to be extremely confused when he found the other passed out on his bed without saying a word. Arakita mentally shrugged his thoughts away, deciding that if Shinkai had anything important to say, he’d let him know as soon as possible. I’m probably just over thinking things.

***

The next time Arakita saw Shinkai in person was the following Monday. Shinkai texted Arakita, asking him if he was at school; something he had never done before. When Arakita replied that he was at the computer lab, Shinkai asked if he could save him a seat, stating that he had a lot of work to do. Arakita looked around, spotting a free computer a few seats away, throwing his backpack on the chair so no one else would take it. When Shinkai arrived later that day, he looked pretty upset as he stared at the reserved seat.

“What’s wrong?” Arakita asked, getting up from his chair to stand beside Shinkai.

“Nothing’s wrong Yasutomo.” Shinkai smiled, sighing as he placed his bag on the table, taking a notebook and a pencil out in the process. “I’m just tired.” He looked over to where Arakita was seated. “You’re sitting so far away.”

“That couldn’t be helped.” Arakita argued, taking his backpack off the chair so that Shinkai could sit down. “It’s that time of the year where every fucking assignment and test is thrown at us.” He muttered, looking around the computer lab. It was extremely crowded, dense to the point that some students had to start circling the lab like hawks, waiting for someone to get up and leave so they could take their spot. Others would take 2 steps through the double doors, see the ridiculous crowd, and turn back around to find somewhere else to study altogether. Shinkai nodded in understanding, thanking Yasutomo for saving him such a good seat. Arakita wanted to talk more, but he saw some impatient students eyeing his computer, so he excused himself and got back to work.

Every so often, Arakita would glance to his side to see how Shinkai was fairing. The other’s face was glued to the screen, his fingers gliding over the keyboard typing whatever the fuck it was that science kids studied. There wasn’t much room for idle chit-chat, there being two people sitting between him and Shinkai, so Arakita decided to work as diligently as he could in finishing his assignment. Maybe that way the two could leave together and walk towards the station like they had in the past, before going their separate ways again.

Eventually, the computer lab emptied out, students packing up here and there, including the girl to Arakita’s right. Arakita was hard at work, still nowhere near done his assignment, refusing to leave until he did at least two more questions. He glanced up a few minutes later to see somebody nabbing the empty seat beside him, which was unexpectedly followed by a loud tch. Surprised, Arakita turned around to see a frowning Shinkai, his bag on a shoulder and a notebook in his hand.

“Shinkai? What’s up?” Arakita asked, watching the other’s sour expression instantly change to a small smile.

“Ah Yasutomo, I’m going home.” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t think I can work for another second.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later.” Arakita said, noticing Shinkai frown a second time. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay?”

Shinkai nodded, shooting Arakita a wink as he backed away towards the exit. “I’m fine Yasutomo. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure.” Arakita muttered, turning back to face his computer once more. He was upset that they couldn’t walk together, but he knew if he left the lab now, he would do shit all at home. Seeing Shinkai again would be nice. He thought, once again working on his assignment, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something more was going on here.

***

Arakita didn’t see Shinkai the next day, nor the two days after that. Even though they tried meeting up, schedules conflicted or something school-related popped up, causing the two to constantly go their separate ways.

Arakita cursed, scratching his head as he stared down at his phone. It was Friday evening and Arakita’s last class before the weekend. Shinkai had just sent him a text message saying that something had gone wrong in his lab and that he and his partner were asked to stay back to redo it. Just our fucking luck. He thought, scowling at his phone. The two had planned to grab some food together after school, but now, by the time Shinkai finished redoing his samples, Arakita would have to meet up with Machimiya like he promised to get some last minute supplies for the party. Arakita sent a reply telling Shinkai that it couldn’t be helped and that they’d see each other some other time.

“What’s wrong Arakita?” Kinjou asked, sensing his friend’s aggravation.

“Nothing.” He grumbled, knowing his lie was bullshit but not wanting to delve into the details with Kinjou.

Shinkai’s frustration during the week had been contagious. The more the two tried hanging out, the more Arakita realized how little time they actually did spend together. There was a weird pressure in the air whenever they did manage to meet up, but it felt like every time one of them tried to address it, something or someone would interrupt them. It was starting to mess with Arakita’s mentality.

Arakita sent Shinkai another text asking if he wanted to join him and Machimiya but the other denied, saying that since their plans didn’t work out, Arakita might as well leave earlier with Machimiya and get the preparations for Sunday done and over with. Arakita huffed in irritation, not so much at Shinkai but at his circumstances in general. Arakita’s class had just ended but Shinkai said he’d probably be in lab for another hour.

Guess there’s no helping it. Arakita thought, telling Machimiya to come with him to the school cafeteria to grab some food. At least we’ll get to see each other on Sunday.

***

The two engineers entered the food court and bought their dinner, all while talking about school, work and whatever video games they were able to squeeze into their free time. Arakita took his time eating, checking his phone every so often, watching the minutes tick away. He knew he was stalling, but he wanted to see Shinkai, even if it was just for a few minutes.

“So you excited for your birthday?” Arakita asked, casually checking his phone. It was 5:25.

“I am.” Machimiya declared, grinning at Arakita. “I’m especially looking forward to drowning myself in alcohol.”

Arakita scoffed, shaking his head. “You know you have school the next day right?” He asked, watching Machimiya shrug nonchalantly in response.

“By the way, you know that thing you told me about Shinkai’s br- ahh, Yuuto?” Machimiya inquired, twisting a strand of his hair distractingly.

“What about them?” Arakita emphasized, not sure where his friend was going with this.

“I’m cool with all that, obviously.” He said, moving his hand away from his hair to fiddle with bottle cap of his drink instead. “I’m just worried about Kana.” He sighed.

Arakita stopped eating, nodding slowly in understanding. When he told Shinkai not to worry –that he wasn’t friends with ignorant people, Kana had completely slipped his mind. He just prayed to god that she wouldn’t say anything stupid to Yuuto.

“If she ends up being a dick I’m kicking her out.” Arakita warned, half expecting Machimiya to retaliate. He didn’t, however, simply nodding as he continued eating his meal. Okay, that was weird. “Did something happen?” He asked, checking his phone for the time once more. 13 minutes had passed.

“Nah. I dunno.” He lifted a shoulder to half-shrug, his eyes never leaving his meal.

“What did she do now?”

“Nothing!”

“Miya…”

“No seriously! She doesn’t do anything. She won’t text or call or even attempt to meet up!” He elaborated, flinging his arms wildly in the air. “And then she has the audacity to complain that we’re never together whenever she finds out I spent my day with Ibi or whoever!” Arakita had to gesture that Machimiya calm down, the other boy drawing attention to their table from all the screaming.

“You know you really remind me of my past self.” Arakita began, mentally noting that it was now 5:41.

“No offense Arakita, but I don’t think Kana is nearly as bad as Riko was.”

Well he wasn’t wrong, but; “That doesn’t mean things won’t go that way if you two keep this up.” Arakita warned, eating the remains of his dinner. Machimiya nodded, taking a long swig of his drink. Only a handful of people knew about Arakita’s ex, and Machimiya was one of them. Riko had basically dated Arakita for the sake of having a boyfriend. She was awfully selfish and manipulative to Arakita, but since she was his first –well, a lot of things, Arakita wanted to make their relationship work. He stuck around way longer than any normal person would have under the given circumstances, and it took a fucking headband freak’s intervention to make him realize he should break it off and move on.

“Besides.” Arakita continued, standing up and pulling some money out of his wallet, not wanting to think about Riko anymore. “The sooner you end this relationship, the sooner you can go out with Ibitani.”

Machimiya spat out his drink, tears forming in his eyes as he tried to recover from the coughing fit he was having. Arakita watched him for a minute longer, patting his back in a poor attempt to help his friend from dying.

“Arakita! We’re not –I’m not” Machimiya sputtered, wiping his mouth as he tried to defend himself.

“Suuurree.” Arakita smirked, enjoying how easy it was to tease Machimiya.

“Seriously Arakita. Don’t get me wrong, I love Ibitani, but not like that. I’m not gay.” He whispered the last bit, his face matching his hair.

“Hey, surprise asshole. You don’t have to be gay to like boys.” Arakita said, pointing to himself as if to make a point.

“I’m not bi either.”

“Nats?”

“Nor am I pan.”

“The fact that you know all these terms and refuse to acknowledge one of them as yourself is pretty sad Miya.” Arakita mocked, turning his back to his friend.

“You ready to go?” Machimiya asked, deciding to drop the topic, noticing that Arakita had stopped paying attention.

“Hold on. Give me a sec.” Arakita said, running to the place where he had bought his food, purchasing another order. He heard Machimiya scream a What the fuck?! but ignored it, heading back to him only after he had his take out in hand.

“Where are we going?” He asked Arakita, confused.

“We aren’t going anywhere.” Arakita retorted, holding up the bag in his hand. “I’m just gonna drop this off to Shinkai and then we can leave.” He promised, running off, not giving Machimiya time to ask any more questions. “Just wait here!” He screamed over his shoulder, turning the corner to head towards the science building. Arakita wanted to see Shinkai again, even if it was just for a few seconds.

Once he entered the building, Arakita ran up the stairs, doing his best to keep the hand holding Shinkai’s dinner still as he worked his way up to the fourth floor. The hall was empty, so Arakita walked towards Shinkai’s locker, looking in the window of every door on his way, checking to see if he could possibly spot Shinkai in one of the labs. Just as he approached the third door did it slam open in his face, making Arakita step back, clenching his nose.

“OH GOD.” A girl screamed, a hand covering her mouth in horror. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t see yo-”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Arakita said, checking his hand for blood. He didn’t spot any, sighing in relief as he looked back at the girl. She was wearing a white lab coat; her face the textbook definition of guilt. Arakita was about to tell her he was fine once more when someone else appeared behind her.

“Yui? What’s wrong?” Shinkai asked his lab partner, following her gaze to Arakita. “Yasutomo?”

Arakita’s voice was stuck in his throat. Shinkai was wearing his lab coat, the protective clothing accenting his broad shoulders and torso. The whiteness from his coat made Shinkai’s hair seem more vibrant, the red colour looking almost fiery in contrast to the blue streaks. His bangs were held back with some hair pins, exposing his forehead and ears, making Arakita’s knees feel weak. A lock of blue hair seemed to have escaped the pin’s confinement, settling on Shinkai’s forehead in a comical swirl; almost resembling a question mark, echoing his confused expression. Shinkai looked stupidly good in his lab uniform, and Arakita had to clear his throat –urging himself to say something before things got too awkward.

“Hey.” He murmured, covering his reddening face by pretending he was still in pain. So much for that. He thought, praying his cheeks would hurry up and cool down. Luckily, Shinkai’s lab partner noticed Arakita’s hand covering his nose, and stammered another apology, momentarily distracting the redhead. Arakita just nodded at her, saying he was fine, feeling only slightly bad for making Yui think she had seriously injured him.

“Yasutomo, are you okay?” Shinkai asked, placing a hand on Arakita’s shoulder. “More importantly, why are you here?”

“More importantly?” Arakita repeated, finally able to move his hand away. “Your priorities are fucked up Shinkai.”

Shinkai laughed at that, guiding Arakita towards his locker with the hand that was still resting on his shoulder. If his lab partner noticed anything, she didn’t mention it as she apologized to Arakita one last time, excusing herself to go home, leaving the two alone in the hall.

“Weren’t you supposed to go shopping with Machimiya?” Shinkai asked, opening his locker and unbuttoning his coat.

“Yeah, we’re leaving right now. I just wanted to bring you this.” Arakita explained, showing Shinkai the bag in his hand. “I kind of left Miya alone so I should head back, but I knew you’d be hungry so I-”

Arakita was cut off by a forceful hug from Shinkai. He was bewildered only for a second before he laughed, patting Shinkai’s back with his free hand.

“Rough week huh?” He asked, his chin resting comfortably on the other’s shoulder.

“The worst.” Shinkai fake-sobbed, his arms wrapped tightly around Arakita’s shoulders and his face buried in the crook of Arakita’s neck. Shinkai’s breath was warm against Arakita’s exposed skin, causing goose bumps to run along his arms. He knew the embrace was supposed to be comforting, but it drove Arakita crazy nonetheless. They stayed like that for a bit, Arakita rubbing soothing circles around Shinkai’s back while his other hand holding the food rested on Shinkai’s waist. Eventually the two backed away from each other sheepishly so that Shinkai could finish packing up.

When he was done, Shinkai suddenly turned to Arakita with vigor in his eyes. There it was again. That pressure in the air. Arakita held his breath as Shinkai approached him.

“Yasutomo, listen. I re-”

“ARAKITA WHAT THE FUCK.” Machimiya screamed from across the hall, panting as he approached the two by the locker. “Fucking pick up your phone you fuckass!” He bellowed, chucking Arakita’s backpack at him. Arakita let out a small oof as his bag hit him square in the stomach. He scrambled for the shoulder strap, catching it before his bag could hit the floor.

“Hey watch it! I have a laptop in there!” Arakita screamed, frustrated. Why was the universe so against him?

“I’ve been calling you for ten minutes straight! Don’t just leave without saying a word, holy shit.” Machimiya exclaimed, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “I had to ask Kinjou who had to ask Fukutomi just to figure out where you might have been.” He accused, standing up straight to glare at Shinkai. “Shinkai, why the fuck is your locker on the fourth floor?”

Arakita exhaled noisily, accepting that whatever moment he and Shinkai were about to have was completely ruined.

“Sorry Miya. I was just about to leave.” He proclaimed, shrugging his backpack over his shoulders, pushing his friend back towards the stairs. “Shinkai, do you want to come with us?” He asked, turning back to see Shinkai frowning at the floor. Arakita’s heart lurched at the site. Shinkai was obviously trying to tell him something important, but he was interrupted once again. The biologist just shook his head, looking up at the two with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I need to go home and sleep early.” He responded, putting on his backpack and picking up the food Arakita had bought for him off the ground. “I got called in for work tomorrow morning.”

“Damn. Take it easy!” Machimiya called out while heading towards the exit.

“We’ll seeya Sunday Shinkai.” Arakita said, patting the redhead roughly on the shoulder, smiling widely, hoping to improve the other’s mood. Shinkai just nodded, looking at his shoes. Arakita frowned, upset at how frustrated Shinkai looked. Before he knew what he was doing, Arakita pulled Shinkai into another hug, squeezing him tightly. “Don’t worry Hayato. This weekend you can drink all your worries away.” Arakita said quietly, trying to sound light-hearted. When he backed away, he saw that Shinkai was smiling –actually smiling again.

“Arakita, hurry up!” Machimiya bellowed from the other side of the hall, disappearing behind the doors towards the staircase once more.

“He’s such a spoiled little shit when it gets close to his birthday.” Arakita huffed, scowling at his friend’s rudeness. Shinkai laughed, grinning at Arakita as he closed his locker.

“I’ll text you later Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, securing his lock. “Have a good weekend.”

“Yeah, you too Shinkai.” Arakita said, leaning forward and kissing Shinkai on the forehead before heading towards Machimiya. School had been especially tough on everybody, including Arakita, and he was glad he’d be able to blow off some steam with his friends soon.

He made his way to the first floor where Machimiya was waiting for him before he lost his composure, crouching and covering his face with his hands.

“The fuck? What just happened?” Machimiya asked, looking down at his friend.

“Why do I keep doing embarrassing things?” Arakita whined into his hands. He just kissed Shinkai, right? That wasn’t just some fucked up daydream he had, right? He had definitely grabbed Shinkai by the shoulder just then, turned him around and planted one right on his fucking forehead before walking away like nothing happened. Arakita groaned noisily to display his distress. He didn’t mean to kiss Shinkai, it just sort of happened. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he acted on instinct, Shinkai’s exposed forehead practically a beacon for his lips.

“What, did you propose to him already?”

“NO!” Arakita exclaimed, looking up at Machimiya mortified. “Why do people keep thinking that?” He asked, upset that this wasn’t the first time someone brought it up. Yuuto and Natsuki were constantly making wedding jokes, and even Kinjou wiggled his eyebrows from time to time whenever Arakita mentioned Shinkai.

“Because you two act fucking married.” Machimiya stated, sounding unamused. Arakita groaned, burying his face in the palms of his hands again, flustered for a completely new reason now. “Are you done having an emotional breakdown? I don’t want the store closing on us.” Machimiya said impatiently, his arms crossed as he looked down at his friend.

After two more minutes of uncharacteristic self-loathing, Arakita got up from his little corner and followed his friend through the campus. He didn’t get to see Shinkai’s reaction to the little kiss, but he prayed things would be fine between them. Even though they’ve kissed before, Arakita tried to brush that instance off as a fluke caused by the testosterone and adrenaline running through their veins after the fight they had. Arakita had no idea if Shinkai liked him back, and he didn’t want to ruin their current friendship by being overly affectionate and crossing any boundaries Shinkai might have. Arakita growled, rubbing his face as if to physically wipe his blush. Sunday needs to come faster so I can get this god forsaken party out of the way.

Chapter Text

Shinkai kicked off his shoes and threw his bike helmet off to the side as he entered his house that Saturday night, absolutely exhausted from work. Because he had asked to take the entire Sunday off, his boss requested that he make up the lost time on Saturday instead, leaving Shinkai to work continuously all day from morning until closing. He walked into his empty kitchen yawning, wondering where everybody was.

“Mom?” He called, opening the fridge door, scrounging for some sustenance. If there wasn’t any food leftover, he was pretty sure he’d call child services for the neglect.

Wait. I’m an adult. Shinkai thought, yawning a second time into the back of his hand as he continued his search. He closed the fridge door once he heard someone running downstairs, praying it was his mother.

“Hey Shinkai-san.” Natsuki greeted, entering the kitchen. “Long day at work, huh?” She asked, watching Shinkai check the inside of the rice cooker. Nothing.

“Yeah. It sucked.” He grumbled, now checking the pots on the stove. Bingo. There was some curry in one pot, and some fried vegetables in a skillet next to it. “Where’s the rice Natsuki-chan?” Shinkai asked, pouring his food onto a plate, promising himself he’d deal with the mess he just made later. “Oh, also. Where’s my family?” Shinkai added as a second thought.

“I’m glad your main concern was for the food.” She laughed, walking towards the oven and opening the door. Shinkai looked inside to see a tin foil tray with a lid loosely placed on top. He reached in, lifting the lid to see that the tray was still half-full of beautifully steaming white rice.

“Natsuki-chan, please don’t look at me while I cry.” Shinkai said, shoveling as much rice onto his plate as he possibly could with his spoon, too hungry to grab a more efficient utensil. Arakita’s sister laughed again, moving to sit at the dining room table.

“Yuuto’s in the shower, by the way.” She said, watching Shinkai squeeze some fresh lemon juice onto his curry and vegetables before digging in. “They’re coming over to my place tonight –we’re having a sleep over!” She said excitedly. Shinkai nodded, leaning on the kitchen counter, knowing there would be no point sitting down away from the food when he’d be getting up in seconds to grab more.

Shinkai had stopped being surprised whenever he saw Natsuki over at his house or Yuuto missing in action. Those two were inseparable; the textbook definition of best friends, and Shinkai would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little jealous. He had almost forgotten how much free time high schoolers had. Even with practice, Yuuto was able to do most of their homework in class or during break, freeing up the rest of their day for friends and family. Natsuki was the same, hence why she was always coming over, despite the commute. Wish she’d bring Yasutomo with her from time-to-time. Shinkai mentally grumbled, aggressively stabbing the rice on his plate with his spoon and shoveling a heaping pile into his mouth.

“Also, your dad got off work early today, so he and your mom are visiting friends, apparently.” She added, completely oblivious to Shinkai’s shift in mood.

“Did they say what time they’d be back?” He asked, deciding now would be an appropriate time to put his spoon down and start breathing again. He had a tendency of consuming food too fast for his own good, sometimes leading to either choking or getting extremely light headed.

“They just left.” Yuuto said, entering the kitchen. They had a towel around their shoulders, their hair dripping wet as they went to sit beside Natsuki. “So they’ll probably be back super late tonight.”

Shinkai hummed while grabbing more rice. “And what about you two? You’re not leaving me here all alone ‘til then, are you?”

“We are. Sorry bro.” Yuuto laughed, roughly drying their hair with their towel. Shinkai didn’t complain, continuing to eat his late dinner. He knew he was going to pass out soon anyways. Whether he had company or not wasn’t going to affect him in the slightest.

“We should get going soon.” Natsuki said, getting up from her seat. “I promised Emi I’d walk Aki-chan tonight.”

Shinkai watched the two high schoolers loaf around for a bit more before they started packing up, leaving for Natsuki’s house shortly after. Shinkai promised the two that he’d come pick them up some time tomorrow to buy them both one alcoholic beverage each, feeling that he owed them something for kicking them out of the party early, much to their excitement.

After finishing dinner, Shinkai put the remaining food away, washed the dishes and cleaned the mess he made on the stove before making his way up the stairs to his bedroom. He was tempted to go straight to sleep, but he pushed past his exhaustion, brushing his teeth and changing clothes first; properly getting ready for bed. Once exiting the bathroom, Shinkai made his way toward the window, opening it to allow some cool air to seep in. It was painfully hot in his house, making him pull off the shirt he had just thrown on, deciding it wasn’t worth sweating in his sleep –especially since he was the type of guy who always needed to be under blanket.

Shinkai all but nose-dived into his mattress when he was done his nightly rituals, grateful that Usakichi didn’t stir from her slumber after the noise he just made. He lay on his stomach, crawling under his covers and resting his face comfortably into the pillow, sighing in relief as he let his body relax and his mind wander. The past week was embarrassingly brutal. As if school on its own wasn’t kicking his ass, the universe in its entirety seemed to especially favour fucking with Shinkai these last seven days. Even though he had accepted his feelings for Yasutomo, getting to the next step was next to impossible.

Shinkai grumbled into his pillow as he felt his face flush in embarrassment. As if falling asleep at Yasutomo’s place wasn’t bad enough, his attempt at being alone with the other on Monday had been a complete failure as well. When he had learned that Yasutomo was at the computer lab, he asked the other to save him a seat, thinking they’d be sitting beside each other. Shinkai was hoping that there would be a similar atmosphere to when they had first met at the lab. He was banking on them falling into a comfortable conversation, like they always did, and just let it slip that he liked him. That obviously didn’t happen, the computer lab being busy beyond belief and Yasutomo looking too hard at work to be convinced to sit somewhere else. Even when things died down later on that day, once Shinkai realized that there was a free space beside Yasutomo, by the time he packed up his belongings to switch seats, someone else ended up claiming the spot.

All other attempts that week had been just as bad, school, family or work getting in the way of any alone time the two tried having together. Probably the only positive thing that had happened that week was Yasutomo’s kiss on Friday. Shinkai turned in his bed, now lying on his back as he draped his arm over his eyes, not bothering to hide his smile. Arakita had plans with Machimiya later that day, but he still went out of his way to see Shinkai, even going as far as to bring him food like the angel he was, knowing full well that Shinkai would be hungry and cranky after having to redo his lab. Shinkai had hugged him for that, only letting go to collect his stuff from his locker and his thoughts from the jumbled mess they were in. Unfortunately, by the time Shinkai was ready to confess to Arakita, Machimiya had showed up, disrupting his last attempt at getting a boyfriend before the weekend like he had previously planned.

Shinkai moved his arm away, bringing up both his hands to cover his face instead, hiding his grin. At that moment in time, by his locker, Arakita seemed to sense his distress, hugging him and making a light-hearted joke. Shinkai could only think about was how lucky he was just having Yasutomo in his life. He smiled at the engineer, saying his goodbyes-

-and then the other kissed him.

It was a simple peck on the forehead, but for some reason, Shinkai wasn’t able to register what had happened until the other was completely out of site. Arakita had kissed Shinkai and walked off as if nothing happened, totally unaware that he had left Shinkai crouching by his locker, blushing like mad and at a complete loss for what to do. It took the redhead three entire minutes before he was able to get up and go home. That kiss meant Yasutomo liked him right? Or was he just being comforting, having sensed Shinkai’s shitty mood? Either way, Shinkai’s heart did flips for the rest of that night, and all day Saturday too, work unable to dampen his mood.

And now, on his bed, Shinkai was starting to feel the effects of Yasutomo’s existence once again, but this time in his lower regions. If he wasn’t blushing before, he was now, ashamed of how quickly his body responded to the mere thought of something as innocent as a kiss. He contemplated taking a cold shower or just ignoring his growing erection until he fell asleep, but quickly dismissed the thought, knowing now would be the perfect time to get it out of his system. Nobody was home and he was horny –he’d be crazy not to masturbate. Besides he thought, trying to justify his actions as he let his right hand slide down towards his pants. It’s been a while since I’ve helped myself relax.

Shinkai’s other hand covered his eyes as he felt himself massage his balls through the fabric, preparing himself for what was coming. He slowly, slowly raised his hand, allowing it to glide over his member, making him gasp at the contact. Holy shit, it actually had been a while, according to how sensitive his dick was being. He only palmed himself for a few seconds longer before he couldn’t take the teasing any more, the need for actual contact forcing him to change his tactics. He violently moved his covers off himself, throwing his blanket onto the floor before looking down at his body, seeing the tent in his pants. Whatever self-control Shinkai had left flew out the window as he pulled his pants and boxers down simultaneously, the friction causing his breath to hitch as an almost violent wave of pleasure washed over him. His dick practically sprung out from under its constraints, and Shinkai could see that there was precum already forming at the head of his dick, though barely noticeable in the darkness of his room.

Silently touching oneself and actually seeing it happen were two very different things, and Shinkai felt his breathing become remarkably uneven as he brushed his thumb over the tip of his cock, watching it twitch in response. He guided his thumb lower, over a throbbing vein, his hips bucking to the pleasure and dick finally become fully erect. He slowly stroked himself in a steady rhythm, forcing his labored breathing to match his hand’s pace. He didn’t want to come just yet, so Shinkai tried to relax as much as he could into his bed, concentrating on the sparks of pleasure pulsing through him as he lazily guided his hand from the base of his cock to the tip, bringing it back down just as slowly before repeating the action over and over again.

Dissatisfied with how his pants were restraining his movements, Shinkai kicked them off, sighing as he brought his knees up, opening his legs, allowing the cool air from his open window to brush regions of his body that weren’t accessible before. And then, for some strange reason, Shinkai’s imagination took over, his mind forming Yasutomo in front of him, sitting between Shinkai’s currently open legs, his hands resting comfortable on Shinkai’s raised knees. Shinkai gasped, his slick hand leaving his penis, moving lower to hover over the entrance of his anus. How would it feel to have Yasutomo inside him? He thought, putting pressure around the rim. How would it feel to have the engineer rock his hips against Shinkai, cursing and groaning and a mess on top of him?

Shinkai groaned, the elongated “Oh” that escaped his mouth not doing justice for how he felt inside; both physically and mentally. He moved his hand back up to his erection, pumping a bit more desperately now that he had the lewd imagery of Yasutomo fucking him in his head. Shinkai lifted up his back, getting into a sitting position before leaning forward violently, getting on his knees and leaning heavily on his left arm. He rested his right hand into the mattress of the bed, his slick palm unmoving as he thrust into himself, fucking his own hand. He knew he was being noisy now, each shuddering breath being accompanied by oh’s and ah’s of pleasure, his tiny gasps filling the otherwise silence of his room. Occasionally, a little Yasutomo would escape his lips as well, but he was able to mask his embarrassment more easily in his current situation, every part of his being too focused on the rising climb of pleasure around his lower stomach to pay mind to his shameful sexual needs for Arakita.

Shinkai violently sat up, stroking himself once more, watching his flesh tighten and relax as he jerked himself off, his other hand gliding over his body, following wherever more contact was needed. Shinkai fell back against his bed, resuming the position he had initially started with –lying on his back, his legs wide open, his left hand squeezing his balls while his right roughly pumped his member. It took only a few more strokes before Shinkai came, the pleasure like white noise, silencing any remaining thoughts he might have had. His stomach clench and his lips curled back in a snarl as he reached his climax, releasing his load, the hot liquid spurting onto his chest.

“Fuck.” Shinkai growled, his toes curling as he convulsed; a second, less impressive load shooting onto his stomach as he moved against his orgasm. Shinkai concentrated on his labored breathing, relaxing his body against his bed as he tried to compose himself. His eyes were closed, but he opened them when he felt his dick begin to soften, knowing he needed to clean himself. He looked down, seeing the trail of semen on his stomach. Somewhere at the back of his mind; some very dark, demonic part, told Shinkai to scoop up the cum, to spread it along his fingers and utilize the natural lube –to guide his fingers between his buttocks and find the entrance –to slip in and stretch the muscles. But Shinkai was boneless and exhausted. He was able to ignore his lewd thoughts, getting up to clean himself off instead.

Shinkai did the awkward waddle of shame to his bathroom, the waistband of his boxers and sweatpants only pulled up to his thighs so he could properly clean his private regions without getting his clothes dirty. He grabbed a giant wad of toilet paper, wetting it under the sink before wiping his chest and stomach, working his way down to his crotch. Once he was done, Shinkai quickly washed his hands, followed by his face –avoiding looking at the mirror while he did so. Normally, he wouldn’t feel so guilty masturbating, but this time was a little different. This time he had thought about Yasutomo while doing it –about Yasutomo doing him.

Embarrassed, Shinkai hastily exited the bathroom, recovering his blanket off the ground and diving into his bed once again, silencing the nagging thought at the back of his head warning him that his romantic frustration for Yasutomo had just branched off and awakened his sexual frustration as well –something he had less control over.

Shinkai inhaled deeply before letting out an exasperate sigh. He’d deal with things as they come, he thought, shutting his eyes. Taking things in stride was probably the only thing he was good at.

***

Shinkai woke up groggy and extremely hungry, his stomach cramping as it growled for what he estimated was probably the hundredth time. He sat up slowly, checking the time on his phone.

Shit. It was 1 PM and he was still in bed. Shinkai tried to scramble off the mattress, knowing Yuuto would be pissed if he showed up late, but his leg got caught in the covers causing him face-plant into the floor instead. After a few minutes of cursing and kicking, Shinkai was able to escape the blanket deathtrap, prioritizing taking care of Usakichi first. He made sure she had food, water, and a clean cage before going downstairs to see after his parrot in a similar fashion. Finally, after he took care of his two major responsibilities, Shinkai saw after himself; eating breakfast, brushing his teeth, shaving, and lastly, showering.

Once he was finished, he stood in front of his closet with only a towel wrapped around his waist, contemplating what to wear as he slowly put on his underwear. He didn’t want to dress too formally, knowing it was a casual party with zero expectations, but Shinkai didn’t want to dress like a slob either. He shifted through his shirts, feeling more and more anxious with each article of clothing he denied, finally seeming to realize that today was the highly anticipated day –Machimiya’s party.

At Yasutomo’s house.

Where Yasutomo would be.

Shinkai shivered violently, immediately blaming the cold air brushing his exposed skin for the tremor that ran through him, trying his best to ignore the heat rushing to his face telling him otherwise. Jeez. If the mere thought of Yasutomo was making Shinkai’s body respond so readily, how would seeing him in the flesh affect him?

Well first of all, let’s try to stay away from the word ‘flesh’. Shinkai thought, feeling the blood that had set camp around his face relocate to somewhere a bit lower. He hastily continued inspecting his closet, finally grabbing his cream coloured cargo shorts and pulling them over his underwear. He then threw on a white t-shirt, accompanied a dark green and blue short-sleeved plaid shirt, keeping the buttons undone. Shinkai ran his fingers through his damp hair, knowing there was no point trying to control the messy waves with a comb. He let his bangs fall back over his forehead with a shake of his head, feeling the hairs tickle his eyebrows despite the tips already curling up.

I need to get a haircut. Shinkai thought, grabbing his wallet and making his way out of the house. Maybe he could weasel a free cut from Jinpachi when he came down to visit next month. My streaks need a touch up too, he mused, hurriedly running across like front yard, Yuuto’s text from earlier asking him to “kindly get your ass over here”, making him rush to the bus stop. Shinkai was never the one to fuss over his appearance, but Yasutomo had previously commented on his hair, making Shinkai want to keep it at least relatively presentable. He blushed to himself, realizing he was about to meet Yasutomo’s family. Hopefully he’d make a good first impression.

***

“Holy crap, finally.” Yuuto muttered, opening the front door to allow their brother in. Shinkai quietly greeted the two high schoolers at the entrance, removing his shoes while looking around the Arakita household in awe. It was big, much bigger than he had initially expected. When Yuuto texted him the address, he had no idea Yasutomo’s family lived in such a high-class neighbourhood.

“I don’t understand why Yasutomo would want to move out.” He said, following Natsuki down the hall.

“You haven’t seen my family in action.” She responded, leading the Shinkai’s to the kitchen. “And you won’t be a witness for that today either, unfortunately.” She added, walking towards the counter to grab some snack bowls. “Mom’s working late tonight, and dad took Emi out shopping.”

Shinkai was only slightly disappointed; pouting a bit as he watched Yuuto open a bag of chips and pour it into one of the bowls Natsuki had lain out. He’d probably get another chance to meet Yasutomo’s parents, but he was really looking forward to see where he got his personality from. And his looks.

“Ah, so...” Shinkai coughed, trying to stop his thoughts in its tracks. “What are you guys up to right now?”

“We were actually looking at baby photos in the living room.” Yuuto smiled through a mouth full of chips. “We just wanted to grab a few snacks-”.

Yuuto never got to finish their sentence, Shinkai leaving the kitchen in an instant, the need to see baby Yasutomo taking him to the unfamiliar area in an instant. He ran back into the kitchen moments after, a tiny Papillon in his hands. Shinkai knew he was too excited for his own good, but he couldn’t help it.

“I found the dog.” He whispered to the two teenagers, holding Aki-chan up for them to see. He was gone again before they could respond, locating the photo albums that the two had left lying open on the couches in the living room. Yuuto and Natsuki chased after Shinkai with their snacks, laughing as they sat on either side of the redhead. The excited university student started playing with Aki-chan’s ears as he looked at the album closest to him, noticing the first picture at the top left corner. The photo was of a little Yasutomo in baseball gear, holding a bat that was obviously too big for him. His eyebrows were scrunched up in concentration, in anticipation for a ball that was unseen in the photograph. He looked adorable.

“He was about five years old here.” Natsuki commented, snacking nonchalantly as she watched her dog try to wriggle itself free from Shinkai’s loving embrace.

“I don’t suppose you’d let me take this photo home with me, would you?” Shinkai asked, finally letting the tiny dog free, sensing its restlessness.

“My mom would have your head, sorry.” Natsuki laughed. “But feel free to take pics with your phone.”

Shinkai nodded, knowing that if Yasutomo ever found out about this, he’d probably hire an assassin to take care of both him and his sister, but he was more than willing to take that risk. Who knew when he’d get an opportunity like this again?

***

Shinkai had taken only a few more pictures after the first one, becoming more and more distracted by Yasutomo’s family as he went through every available album possible. If he could describe the Yasutomo’s in one word, it would be ‘free’. It always looked like they were having fun, no matter where they were and what they might have been doing. Shinkai was having too much fun going through the pictures, and it had taken about an hour before Yuuto and Natsuki were able to convince Shinkai to leave the house, wanting to buy their drinks and make their way to the party. By the time they made it to Yasutomo’s, it was already 6 PM.

“I wished he’d just give me the key to this place.” Natsuki grumbled, knocking on the door for the third time. They could hear music coming from inside the apartment, despite it still being so early in the day. Finally, after a moments silence did Yasutomo open the door, letting the three in. Shinkai let Yuuto and Natsuki chat excitedly to the engineer as he took off his shoes, finding it very hard to make eye contact. Yasutomo looked good –really good. Under his dark grey vest, Yasutomo wore a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, along with navy blue skinny jeans, something Shinkai had never witnessed him wear. They were hugging his long legs quite nicely, he noted, appreciating the engineer’s calves through his clothing.

“Shinkai?”

“Huh? What?” Shinkai stammered, looking up to see that Yasutomo’s hand was extended towards him, making the grabby motion.

“I said, give me the drinks, I’ll put them away for you.”

“Oh.” Shinkai said dumbly, handing the bag to Arakita. He looked away flustered, worried Yasutomo would somehow read his thoughts if they made eye contact. Their fingers brushed momentarily, but Shinkai quickly retrieved his arm, walking past their little group.

“So where’s the birthday boy.” He said awkwardly, heading towards the living room on his own accord, following the sound of idle chatter and music. He knew he’d rather die than let Yasutomo find out what he did the night before, ashamed of what the other might think.

This is going to be a long fucking night.

Chapter Text

Arakita sat on the couch, anxiously spinning the beer bottle in his hands as he tried to listen to Machimiya’s enthusiastic voice. The birthday boy was in the middle of telling a story, earning chuckles of amusement and the occasional prying from those sitting around him. And yet, no matter how hard Arakita tried to listen in, no matter how much he wanted to join the conversation, his mind kept wandering to Shinkai.

Fucking Shinkai. Shinkai was avoiding making eye contact –no, he was avoiding Arakita in general. It was so easy to tell it was almost painful. The asshole had waltzed into his house with his two children, led himself to the living room, and squeezed his way between Kinjou and Fukutomi, almost as if he was completely unaware of what he was doing. When Arakita asked to take the bag of drinks out of Shinkai’s hand, the guy had actually flinched at the contact.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Arakita wondered, looking over at his crush. Shinkai was leaning forward on the couch, resting his arms on his thighs, his hands clasped as he listened intently to Machimiya. Shinkai was obviously avoiding him because of the kiss. Arakita couldn’t come up with any other explanation. Things were fine before Friday night, and now they weren’t. Arakita didn’t even get the text he was promised, only further confirming his doubts. Alright, so Shinkai didn’t appreciate the kiss. But he was still here, meaning what exactly? Were they still friends? Or was he just forcing himself to be here for Yuuto and Fukutomi’s sake, not wanting to ditch the two at a party with far too many unfamiliar people? Either way, Arakita needed to find out as soon as possible. Getting up, he walked towards the kitchen, getting everyone’s attention.

“Shinkai, help me out here.” He said, turning back quickly and making his way towards the fridge, giving Shinkai no other choice but to get up and follow him. He opened the fridge door, taking out a relatively large box and setting it on the counter.

“What’s up?” The other asked behind him, sounding curious. Okay, so he was talking to him, that was a good sign.

“It’s Miya’s cake.” He answered, opening the box to show Shinkai the contents. “Might as well get the ‘birthday’ part of this birthday party out of the way.” He muttered, pulling candles out from a plastic bag he had placed on the kitchen counter earlier that day. He watched Shinkai lean over, observing the cake with a glint in his eyes.

“Noooo Shinkai. Bad.” Arakita teased, lightly hitting Shinkai’s shoulder with the birthday candle packaging.

“What?” Shinkai blurted, finally looking at Arakita. “I wasn’t going to eat it! Who do you think I am Yasutomo?”

“I believe you are Shinkai “I’m always hungry” Hayato.” Arakita countered, smirking down at the redhead. Shinkai only seemed to deflate a bit, muttering ‘that’s a new one’ before breaking out into laughter. Arakita’s heart leapt at the sound. He watched numbly as Shinkai reached for the candles in his hand, opening the packaging, and getting to work putting the candles onto the cake.

“Machimiya’s turning 30, right?” Shinkai joked, trying to evenly space out and colour code the candles as Arakita watched.

“He seems like the type to fail and be held back, doesn’t he?” Arakita chuckled, thinking back to Machimiya’s loud personality and fucked up sense of humor. Machimiya was a dumbass in the best sense –saying and doing the stupidest things, all while being a goddamn genius when it came to mechanical engineering. Arakita shook his head. He fucking loved Machimiya. “He’s our age.” He added, just in case Shinkai wasn’t actually sure.

“Yasutomo, that means nothing. How do I know you were never held back?”

Arakita pinched Shinkai’s cheek roughly, telling him to shut the fuck up. “I’m 21, asshole. I’m only a few months older than you. You shouldn’t be talking to your senpai this way.”

Shinkai chuckled, taking out a candle and moving it a bit further away from where he had initially placed it. He was either buying time or had a slight case of OCD, not that Arakita cared either way.

“I’d be the worst fucking kouhai.” Shinkai muttered quietly to himself. Arakita shook his head, otherwise staying silent as he watched Shinkai work on the cake. He didn’t realize his was smiling to himself until he noticed Shinkai looking up at him. The redhead was still leaning on the counter, the candle in his hand hovering over the cake but unmoving. He was looking up at Arakita through his bangs with those stupidly blue eyes, his mouth slightly parted as if he was about to say something. Shinkai looked really good like that; bent over his kitchen counter. All Arakita needed to make this moment perfect was some privacy and a little less clothing between them.

“Shinkai!” Arakita all but screamed, his terrifyingly embarrassing thoughts making him say the other’s name about 10 octaves higher than he would have liked in his panic. The other jumped at that, standing up straight to show Arakita he was listening. Why the fuck am I having dirty thoughts now of all places?! He had initially screamed to stop his own wandering thoughts, but he instinctually said the other’s name of all things.

“Uhh..” What was he supposed to say? “Sorry Shinkai, I just screamed to stop myself from imaging pounding you against the counter, please carry on.”? Abso-fucking-lutely not. “So how was work yesterday?” He improvised, mentally kicking himself for the shitty segue. Luckily, Shinkai seemed to relax at that, turning his attention back to the cake as he answered Arakita’s question.

“It was hectic. And some customers are so troublesome.” Shinkai complained, putting in the final candle. “Working all day is exhausting, Yasutomo.” He said, giving Arakita a small smile.

“Yeah, I bet. You probably dived into your bed and fucking passed out last night.” Arakita commented, glad Shinkai continued the conversation without asking any questions. Suddenly, Arakita detected a slight change in the other’s expression. Shinkai frowned, looking down to the side with his eyebrows scrunched and his cheeks dusted red. Did I say something weird? Arakita thought, taken aback by Shinkai’s weird behaviour. He didn’t have time to ask, as Kana appeared behind them with her hands on her hips, slightly scowling at the two.

“What’s taking you two so long?” She asked, looking over at the cake. “Hurry up and light it.”

“What the fuck is the rush?” Arakita asked, taking the lighter out from his pocket and placing it on the counter regardless. Kana ignored Arakita, merely rolling her eyes as she shifted her gaze to Shinkai instead.

“And you. What’s up with your brother? He’s dressed really girly. Is he gay?”

“Kana holy fuck.” Arakita explicitly told Machimiya to explain things to her so that this exact scenario wouldn’t happen. Yuuto had walked into his house wearing a long black and white tank top with fat horizontal stripes, accompanied by black tights containing small white and yellow flowers scattered across the fabric. The kid looked good, and very much comfortable with what they wore. Shinkai’s expression flared annoyance briefly, but he quickly concealed it, looking neutral as he spoke to Kana.

“Kana-san, Yuuto isn’t a he.” He said, forcefully polite even though Arakita knew he probably wanted to punch her.

“Looks like a he to me.” She scoffed, reaching for the lighter. Shinkai snatched it off the counter before she could come into contact with it. Uh oh. Arakita quickly stood between them, hoping his body language would be a clear indicator to Kana to stop talking.

“Kana fuck off. Yuuto’s non-binary alright? Neither he or she.” Arakita tried to explain, watching Shinkai as he attempted to light the lighter. His hand was shaking so badly that Arakita impulsively reached out for him, holding Shinkai’s hand with both of his, gently wrestling the lighter free.

“Let me do it.” He said quietly. Squeezing Shinkai’s hand, running what he hoped was comforting circles with his thumb as he began to light up the candles on the cake with his other hand. He stood in a way that blocked Kana from seeing their handholding, hoping Kana would just go back to the living room. But she didn’t. She continued standing there, running her mouth.

“How the hell is he non-binary? How can you neither be a boy or girl?” She asked crossing her arms.

“I need a drink.” Shinkai stated, pulling his hand out from Arakita’s grasp and leaving the kitchen, refusing to look him in the eyes as he walked away. Great. If Shinkai wasn’t mad at him before, he definitely was now. Arakita had promised Shinkai a carefree night for Yuuto –they literally fought each other over this; and yet Kana was ruining everything.

“The fuck is your problem?” He hissed, spinning to glare at her. Kana looked legitimately shocked for a moment before glaring back.

“What? I was just asking a question!” She countered, obviously upset that she was on the receiving end of Arakita’s anger. Before Arakita could dispute, another person appeared beside them, surprising them both.

“Hiya.” Yuuto said cheerfully, looking between the two older students. “Hayato looked really upset back there, so I’m guessing you guys were talking about me?” They asked, their smile never wavering. Kana had the audacity to look ashamed and even Arakita felt a pang of guilt, embarrased that they were caught so easily. How often did Shinkai make that face? It was obviously enough times if Yuuto could recognize it instantly.

“I’m sorry.” Kana said more quietly, looking up at Yuuto. “I was just curious… I guess I’m bad at phrasing my questions.” She admitted. Yuuto merely smiled at her, shaking their head.

“No problem Kana-san. I don’t mind answering any questions you have, but maybe later? The cake looks like its melting.” They said, eyeing the dessert with a glint similar to that of their older brother’s. The wax from the candles was melting onto the cake, leaving blotches of colour here and there. Arakita huffed at Yuuto’s unwavering appetite despite the situation. He grabbed the cake out of the box, holding it by the tray.

“Alright, let’s go.” He said, making his way to the living room, noting that Yuuto didn’t seem nearly as upset as Shinkai was. The kid was either really good at hiding their feelings, or they were legitimately untroubled. Either way, Arakita was glad Yuuto approached Kana. By doing that, they shut her up immediately, most likely forcing her to think about what she’d said and done. Arakita heard Yuuto say something else to Kana as he left the kitchen, but he couldn’t quite make out the words over the faint music they had playing in the background.

Mentally shrugging it off, Arakita started singing happy birthday as he placed the cake on the coffee table in front of Machimiya, provoking the others to join him as well. He looked up to see that Shinkai had claimed the corner of the couch, slightly away from everyone else. He was singing along, but was not being nearly as animated as the rest of the party. Shinkai had looked up briefly when he noticed Arakita enter the room, but quickly looked back down, suddenly finding the can of beer in his hand far more interesting. Despite there being more than enough room on the cushion for Arakita, the engineer stubbornly sat on the couch’s armrest, looking down at Shinkai. The redhead didn’t look up at him, even though Arakita’s thigh was brushing his arm and his foot was gently resting against his calf. Only after Yuuto and Kana walked in side-by-side, bringing plates and forks with them while cheering on Machimiya as he blew out the candles did Shinkai look up –first curiously at Yuuto, then questioningly at Arakita.

“They talked it out.” He mumbled, leaning down towards Shinkai’s ear as he said it so no one else could hear. Shinkai visibly shivered, but nodded, looking away as he did so. Arakita frowned at the response. Okay yes, he lied. He actually had no idea if Yuuto and Kana talked it out, but neither seemed angry or upset, standing beside each other and smiling as they watched Machimiya cut the cake. Arakita assumed things were fine between them, or that they at least came to some sort of agreement. But if that was the case, why was Shinkai still acting so strange? The beer had obviously calmed the redhead down, and Shinkai had witnessed firsthand that Kana wasn't bothering Yuuto, so why was he still being distant? Pissed off, Arakita reached for Shinkai’s drink right as the other went to take a swig, directing it towards his own mouth instead. They made eye contact as Arakita took a big gulp of Shinkai’s beer. He returned the can shortly after, curious to see how the other would respond. The pressure in the air was back, an energy that felt almost electric between the two, a tension that made the hairs on Arakita’s neck stand straight. Shinkai must have felt it too. The redhead didn’t look away as he brought the can to his own lips, his hand slightly shaking as he took a sip.

“Are you okay?” Arakita asked quietly. He was still leaning down, and they were still looking at each other.

“I’m fine.” Shinkai answered, his thick lips barely moving as he spoke.

“Are we okay?” Arakita mumbled, leaning closer.

“We’re fine.” Shinkai nodded, his bangs brushing against Arakita’s.

“OH MY GOD!” Machimiya screamed, making Shinkai jump, accidentally head butting Arakita in the nose. Arakita fell off the armrest, landing heavily on his back as he stared up at his own ceiling. Machimiya was unwrapping presents now, and had apparently received a highly anticipated video game. Arakita clutched his nose as he listened to Machimiya freak out a bit more, the birthday boy thanking Ibitani for getting him exactly what he wanted. Will my nose ever get a break from this abuse? Arakita wondered, noticing some movement in front of him. Shinkai had the nerve to look at him over the arm rest, a hand covering his mouth. The fucker was laughing at him.

“Are you okay?” Shinkai asked, echoing Arakita’s earlier question, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Arakita’s only response was to flip the other off as he repositioned himself on the floor, standing up moments after. Arakita learned to no longer be surprised or upset whenever their moments were interrupted, now being far too used to it to care. He accepted that whatever was supposed to happen wasn’t going to happen -so he merely dusted himself off, walking over to the couch while rubbing his nose, sitting down beside his sister.

After a few more minutes of unwrapping, Machimiya finished thanking whoever had brought him presents, the small group of friends falling into comfortable chatter while eating their cakes shortly after. It wasn’t until after everyone was done or closed to finish eating that Machimiya spoke up, a fiendish smile on his face.

“Why are we still in the living room when there are drinks to be had!” He announced, ushering everybody to the kitchen.

“Now we’re talking!” Natsuki exclaimed, jumping off the couch, dragging Yuuto with her, ignoring their pleas as they tried to finish their third helping of cake.

“What do you have in mind Miya?” Ibitani asked, knowing full well that Machimiya had a few things planned for the night.

“I asked Makishima to do me a favour.” He said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his gallery as he sat down on one of the chairs around the island. Ibitani sat on his right while Kana sat to his left. Yuuto and Natsuki sat across from them, leaving only one chair left for four individuals. “I got him to translate some western drinking games for me.” He continued, unaware of their little dilemma.

“Hold that thought you moron.” Arakita grumbled, looking at Kinjou. “Go grab the two chairs from the balcony.” He instructed while making his way to the bedroom. He had a fold up chair by his desk, which he had no choice but to bring out. Arakita quickly entered his bedroom, trotting towards his desk and swiftly picking up his chair, folding it closed as he turned around to make his way back towards the door –nearly smacking Shinkai in the stomach as he did so.

“Shinkai, holy fuck!” Arakita exclaimed, stopping himself just in time to avoid hitting the other.

“Sorry! Thought you needed some help.” Shinkai said with his palms raised, as if Arakita would still hit him if he said something stupid.

“I’m good.” Arakita reassured him, holding up his chair with a hand. Shinkai nodded, but didn’t move, instead taking his phone out of his pocket.

“Yasutomo, is it ok if I leave my phone here?” Shinkai asked, smiling sheepishly as he shook his phone in front of him.

“Suuuureee.” Arakita said, prolonging his answer as he arched an eyebrow. Was Shinkai the type to send out dumb drunken texts? The boy in front of him turned a shade darker but continued smiling his stupid smile.

“Don’t worry about it.” Shinkai said, seemingly reading Arakita’s thoughts, throwing his phone on Arakita’s bed like he fucking owned the place.

“Whatever.” Arakita grumbled, walking out of the bedroom. “Let’s go get shitfaced.”

***

It was only 7 PM, but Arakita took out the drinks, handing them out according to who bought what. He placed Natsuki’s drink down in front of her, glaring at her until she looked up at him.

“What?” She demanded, trying to wrestle her drink out from her brother’s grasp.

“Don’t fucking embarrass me tonight, okay?”

“Yasu if you didn’t want to be embarrassed you’d keep your mouth fucking shut for the rest of your li-IFE!!” She shrieked letting go of her drink, her arms swinging widely in the air. Arakita had pulled Natsuki’s chair as far back as he could, making it so that her ponytail brushed the floor.

“Arakita!” Kinjou shouted, forcing Arakita pull his sister back up into the sitting position once more. “I never thought I’d have to say this, but can you please refrain from trying to kill your sister for one night?” He chastised, handing out individual cups to everyone around the table as he lectured his friend.

Arakita merely kissed his teeth, sitting down on his seat once everyone had their respective drinks. He sat at the end of the island, farthest away from Shinkai, much to his aggravation. What was the idiot doing? Shinaki was sitting between Fukutomi and Ibitani, acting as if his earlier proposals of trying to get Kinjou and Fukutomi together never happened.

“Alright Machimiya, what’re the rules?” Arakita barked, trying to distract himself from Shinkai’s weird behaviour. The redhead was being distant with him for one minute, then flirty with him the next; at least, that’s what it felt like. God. He needed to get some booze in him to help clear his over-analyzing mind as soon as fucking possible. Arakita watched Machimiya place a cup in the middle of the table and throw a deck of cards around the cup, spreading them out randomly, all while looking at his phone.

“Okay, so this is called King’s Cup.” He read in English, looking at what Arakita assumed was Makishima’s translations for the rules. “Each card has a specific task you have to do.” He snickered, momentarily reading ahead to himself before addressing the impatient crowd. “Alright, so should I read the rules now or explain as we go?”

“Explain as we go.” Fukutomi said, shrugging at the questioning looks he got. “We’re going to forget the rules anyways.” He stated, looking across at Kinjou. “Might as well start drinking as soon as possible.”

Arakita quickly glanced over at his friend right on time to see Kinjou return the playful smile. Awww shit. Arakita thought, smirking at the two. Maybe they didn’t need to interfere after all.

“True.” Machimiya said, nodding at Fukutomi’s suggestion. “Alright guys! Pour your drinks in your cups!” Once everyone did as they were told, Machimiya continued. “Okay, who wants to go first?”

Variations of “the birthday boy!” “you, you fucking moron” and “the one who failed advanced calc twice because he forgot the date of the exam” were spouted by those seated around the table. Machimiya grabbed a card, glaring at Kinjou as he did so.

“Low fucking blow, Shingo.” He grumbled before looking down at his card. He laid his three of clubs flat on the table for everyone to see while scrolling down his phone. “Three is me.” He said in English, smiling at Makishima’s translation. “I have the devil’s fucking luck.” He grinned, taking a huge gulp of his drink.

Kana was next, drawing a four. “Fours are whores.” Machimiya read. Nobody recognized that English word, or at least Machimiya’s pronunciation of it. The birthday boy read the translation for a second, before looking up at Yuuto. “Basically if you draw a four, the girls drink, and if you draw a six, the guys drink.” He said, nervously twisting his hair. “Yuuto, you can do either or neither, or whatever..” He said, trailing off. Arakita saw Shinkai glance nervously at their sibling, but Yuuto only flashed the group a toothy grin.

“Then I’ll drink for both, obviously.” They said, taking a large swig from their cup. Natsuki laughed, joining their friend, and even Kana smiled as she drank. Arakita and Shinkai’s eyes momentarily met. Arakita gave Shinkai a tiny thumbs up, which the other responded to by giving a small nod. Next was Arakita’s turn. He drew a seven, showing his card to Machimiya expectantly.

“Seven’s heaven.” He read, pointing up at the sky. “Last person to point up has to drink!” He screamed, making everyone panic. The party scrambled to point up, screaming along with Machimiya as they did so.

“Fuku-chan was the last to point!” Arakita laughed, the blonde’s moment of hesitation making him the last to lift his finger skyward. Fukutomi sighed, having a sip from his cup.

“This is going to be horrible the more we drink.” He said, watching Kinjou draw a card.

“Yeah.” Machimiya sighed, smiling like he won the lottery. Arakita was glad Miya was having fun, observing his friend grinning contently as he looked up what the Jack’s rules were. “Ooh this is a fun card. Everybody, three fingers up!” He instructed, holding his own digits for everyone to copy. “Alright, so we go around the table asking questions just like in ‘Never Have I Ever’. First one to put down all three fingers takes a drink.” Since some of his friends weren’t familiar with what ‘Never Have I Ever’ was, Machimiya quickly explained the premise. Once the party had a vague understanding of the game’s concept, Machimiya asked Kinjou to start.

“Ah, okay. Uhh. Never have I ever… failed advanced calc twice because I forgot the-”

“FUCK OFF SHINGO.”

Everyone laughed as Machimiya lowered his ring finger, as well as slightly hiding his index finger so he could inconspicuously flip Kinjou off. Natsuki was next to ask a question, smiling sweetly as she said “Never have I ever been arrested.”

Wow. What a little shit. Arakita lowered his finger, glaring at Machimiya to do the same. The birthday boy lowered his index finger completely, now flipping Natsuki off instead. Everyone looked at Machimiya except for Shinkai, whose wide eyes were probably looking at the guilty boy across from him. Arakita refused to make eye-contact, glaring daggers into his little sister’s head.

“Okayyy Yuuto, you’re turn.” Machimiya coughed nervously, trying to ignore the expectant looks around him.

“Wait hold on. You don’t expect me to keep playing without some fucking context?!” They asked, turning to Arakita. “Why were you arrested?”

“She’s making it sound worse than it actually was!” Arakita argued, trying to save some face.

“There was a fight at a party and we just happened to be there when cops showed up!” Machimiya added, frowning at Ibitani, who had started bursting out into laughter.

“We were let out almost immediately.” Arakita added, feeling his face turn a shade redder as he accidentally looked over to Shinkai – and saw the fucker grinning at him. God damn it… Just how much shit was the asshole going find out about him today? Yuuto nodded, finally satisfied with their answer, staring intensely at Arakita for a moment. Arakita couldn’t help but sit up straighter. What? What was Yuuto about to do? The younger Shinkai looked away as they began speaking, a glint in their eyes despite the lack of food in their presence.

“Never have I ever gotten a boner in an inappropriate situation.”

Natsuki was the first to crack, laughing at the scenario Yuuto made. There was a pause before two fingers lowered. The first one was Machimiya, who cursed under his breath as he could no longer give his friends the middle finger. Everyone immediately jumped on him, demanding he disclose the where’s and when’s and why’s.

“It just happened okay? It’s totally natural!” He claimed, defending himself for the second time that night.

“Okay babe, but where did it happen that made it so inappropriate.” Kana asked, leaning forward to share a mischievous smile with Ibitani.

“..eral.”

“What was that?” Kinjou said, also grinning as he leaned forward.

“A funeral, alright?!”

“Dude.” Arakita said as everyone else burst into laughter. After what seemed like an eternity, the group finally calmed down, allowing Machimiya to speak again.

“Guess I get to drink again.” He said, reaching for his cup.

“Wait!” Arakita shrieked, getting everyone’s attention. Calm down dumbass! He scolded himself, sitting back in his chair as he cleared his throat, composing himself. “You lowered your finger.” He stated, making everyone follow his gaze to Shinkai curiously. “Spill.”

Shinkai glared at Yuuto before turning back to Yasutomo, doing his best to seem nonchalant even though his face was definitely a shade darker than it was moments ago. “It uh... happened during a group presentation –in second year.”

“Woah Shinkai, what was your presentation about?” Machimiya mocked, taking a much deserved sip of his drink.

“It wasn’t the topic!” Shinkai stammered, holding his palms up as he tried to explain to the once-again-rowdy group. “I had presented my part first so I just kinda zoned out during the rest of my group’s part.”

“Shinkai, what do you think about when you zone out?” Arakita asked. He couldn’t help himself. The other’s attempt at seeming calm and collected about his embarrassing story only made Arakita want to see him crack. Shinkai merely shrugged, keeping his mouth shut despite the others' attempts at prying some more information out of him.

“It was in Anatomy class.” Yuuto claimed, not wanting their brother to get away that easily.

“Oh yeah.” Fukutomi recalled, thoughtfully nodding at the memory. That was it. That was what made poor Shinkai crack –the redhead covering his face with his hands and resting his head on the table as he audibly groaned. When he looked up again to glare at Yuuto, his face was scarlet, much to Arakita’s delight. When Shinkai looked over to see that Arakita was grinning like a maniac, he buried his face in his hands again, begging that they move on please.

Fukutomi was next to draw, holding up an Ace. Shinkai laughed at the irony nobody else understood, quieting down to let Machimiya explain the rules of waterfall. Fukutomi started drinking, followed by Shinkai then Ibitani, going around the table until everyone had their cups to their mouths. Fukutomi could have stopped at any time, but the blond was side-eyeing Yuuto, smiling behind his drink as he watched the teenager struggle with their own, downing so much alcohol not an easy feat for the first-time drinker. Arakita concluded that the Ace was his favourite draw, Fukutomi refusing to put his drink down until he had drained his contents, making everyone else do the same. Those that finished their drinks got up to get more, friendly chatter filling the room as they took a brief pause from the game. Arakita got up to stand beside his sister and Yuuto, looking at the contents in their cup. It was basically empty, so he instructed they finish the rest so he could refill it with something else for them.

He went to the kitchen, pouring some Bepsi into their cups, asking Machimiya for the rum as he did so. He poured a bit into Natsuki’s cup first, taking a sip to see how it tasted. It was good, but he might have gone a bit overboard with the rum. Going easier on Yuuto, Arakita poured a fraction less into their cup before walking back to the table, returning their drinks to them and heading back to the kitchen counter to grab something for himself. Once everyone had their refills, the game commenced. Now it was Shinkai’s turn to draw a card.

“Eight! Eight is mate!” Machimiya said excitedly, looking up at Shinkai from his phone. “Choose a partner, and they have to drink every time you drink and vice versa.” Arakita sat alert at that, silently urging Shinkai pick him. He was half-certain the other could hear his thoughts, the redhead briefly looking at Arakita before looking back at Machimiya.

“Sorry, I accidentally picked up two cards.” He said, showing the king under his eight.

“King is… troublesome?” Machimiya read, an eyebrow raised as he read what Makishima wrote. “So fucking lazy…” Machimiya scoffed reading their friend’s translation. “Fucking Christmas tree said the King’s rule was too troublesome for a bunch of drunk kids. He says you should just pour a bit of your drink in the cup in the middle. Whoever draws the last king has to drink the concoction.”

“I guess you should choose which card you want and throw the other back in the pile.” Ibitani said. Shinkai nodded in agreement, throwing the eight back with the other cards and pouring some of his cup’s contents into the one in the middle of the table. Arakita deflated a little, upset at Shinkai for being cold again. He wasn’t the only one to notice it, both Natsuki and Yuuto simultaneously turning their heads and raising a brow at him. He just shrugged at them, shaking his head as he silently told him he had no idea what was wrong, trying to forget how creepily in sync those two had gotten.

The group played in a steady flow after that, Ibitani pulling another Ace and making everyone empty their drinks again. After a second round of refills, Machimiya pulled out an eight, and much to everyone’s surprise, chose Yuuto as his mate instead of Kana or Ibitani. They wanted the kid drunk, Arakita realized, smiling at the younger Shinkai. Yuuto’s face was already quite red, their eyes droopier than usual as a lazy smile plastered their lips. Yuuto was chatting leisurely with Natsuki, totally unaware of the fact that they were everyone’s target that night. Shinkai didn’t seem to mind said targeting, since it was all in good fun. Kana was next to go, pulling Arakita out of his thoughts as she showed everyone the six she picked up. The boys of the table (and Yuuto) were rowdy when they saw the card, cheering as they drank.

“Come on Nats, six is for dicks!” Arakita criticized, holding up his cup. “Why aren’t you drinking you asshole?”

“Is she a dick or an asshole Yasutomo?” Shinkai laughed, only to hurriedly look away. Arakita ignored Natsuki’s retaliation as he scrutinized Shinkai. This dumbass. Shinkai obviously wanted to talk to him, so why was he being so shy about it?

Fuck it.

If Shinkai was going be distant, then Arakita would just have to get closer. It was his turn to play, so Arakita leaned over the table, reaching for a card across from him –the card Shinkai had thrown back on the pile and didn’t bother reshuffling. Arakita held the eight up for only Shinkai to see, smiling when the other finally looked up at him.

“Eight is mate.” Arakita said, giving the other a toothy grin.

Chapter Text

“Eight is mate.” Yasutomo said, grinning maliciously at Shinkai, practically lying down on the island as he held the card up in Shinkai’s face. Fuck. Shinkai watched nervously as Yasutomo backed up, sitting down on his seat once more with a heavy thud, looking satisfied as he held up his cup, smiling at his newly acquired “mate”.

“Cheers Shinkai.” He said, bringing his cup to his lips. Shinkai lifted his own cup to his mouth, swallowing the cool liquid in one swift motion, trying to calm his beating heart. Crap. Yasutomo knew. He must have known Shinkai was avoiding him, otherwise why would he choose him as his mate? And I was so careful too.

Shinkai had done his best to hide any tells he may have had. He initially avoided Arakita so the other wouldn’t figure out the embarrassing little episode he had the night before, but as the party progressed, Shinkai realized that it was in his best interest to avoid the raven for a completely different reason.

Shinkai was a bad drunk.

Sure, he could down a good deal of alcohol and be totally fine, but when he saw Yasutomo’s stash in the kitchen, added with the fact that it was only 6:30 PM and he was already having his first beer, realization dawned on Shinkai. He was going to get absolutely plastered by the end of the night, guaranteed. Shinkai had gotten drunk only a few times before, around his first year of university, and it was around then that he had learned about his lack of self-control. He said whatever came to his mind, did whatever he felt like doing, unable to think ahead –unable to worry about the consequences for his actions until it was 9 AM and he woke up naked and passed out in somebody’s yard.

Shinkai let out a shuddery breath as Kinjou drew a ten. I’ll be ok. He thought, taking mental inventory of everything that could go possibly wrong. He hid his phone in Yasutomo’s bedroom, so no drunken texts would be sent out. He had Juichi and Yuuto with him, relying on them both to stop him from doing anything stupid, although Shinkai was sure Yuuto would be more or less useless in a few hours. All Shinkai had to do was pace his drinking and avoid getting too close to Yasutomo and things would be fine.

“Ten is ‘categories’.” Machimiya explained to the table. “Kinjou picks a category and we go around the table saying something from that topic until someone gets stuck. The person who can’t come up with something has to drink.” He read, gesturing to Kinjou to start. The bespectacled engineer chose “bike brands” pleasing half the table while making the other half groan.

Natsuki started with Ridley, Yuuto stole Cervélo, Fukutomi said Giant and Shinkai claimed Trek, the rest of the table easily able to come up with a brand, working their way to Yasutomo. Nobody had said Bianchi yet, so the redhead didn’t bother looking up at Arakita, glancing over at Kinjou instead, wondering what he would say since Shinkai had stolen his bike.

He never did find out what Kinjou had up his sleeve, as their little flow was disrupted by Yasutomo’s silence. Shinkai felt his heart pounding against his chest. No way. He looked down at his cup, refusing to look at Yasutomo. There was no way Yasutomo didn’t know a bike brand.

“Hayato drink!” Yuuto laughed, completely oblivious to what was going on. Shinkai glanced up briefly to see Arakita staring at him, smirking as he took a sip of his drink. Anxiety kicked in as Shinkai put his cup to his lips. I’m going to get drunk. He realized to his horror. I’m going to get drunk and make a fool out of myself in front of Yasutomo.

The game continued despite Shinkai’s internal freak out. Natsuki picked up a king, pouring some of her drink into the cup in the middle followed by Yuuto drawing a three, giggling when they realized Machimiya had to drink as well. At least Yuuto’s having fun. Shinkai thought, watching their sibling smile at Fukutomi as he drew a four. The girls and Yuuto drank, followed by Machimiya who smiled like he won the jackpot for choosing the right drinking partner.

“How’re you feeling Yuuto?” Machimiya asked, as he put his cup down.

“Like I’m floating.” Yuuto grinned before suddenly turning to Arakita, the smile disappearing from their face in a matter of seconds. “I don’t like this.” They complained, holding up their cup. “After I’m done with this I want the lemonade you bought.” They demanded, their voice slightly slurred as they spoke. Shinkai watched Arakita quickly hide his mouth behind his hand as he nodded to Yuuto, obviously trying to hold back a grin. Shinkai laughed, maybe a bit harder then he normally would have because of the slight buzz he felt, getting Arakita’s attention.

“You’re Yuuto’s bitch for the night.” Shinkai sniggered, grinning at the raven across from him. Arakita removed his hand from his mouth, showing Shinkai his wonderful smile, making his heart pound in his chest a little harder. He was supposed to be avoiding interactions with Yasutomo, but fuck him was it hard. Shinkai knew the more he drank, the more inappropriate he’d act around his crush, but he couldn’t help himself from wanting to talk to Yasutomo.

“I’m totally fine with that.” Arakita laughed, gesturing for Shinkai to pick up a card.

“Oh right, it’s my turn.”

“Dumbass.”

Shinkai winked at Arakita, doing his signature gun pose before picking up a card.

God damn it. I’m supposed to be avoiding Yasutomo not flirting with him. He shook his head, disappointed at himself as he picked up a Jack, much to his horror. There were cheers and groans as people raised three fingers, waiting expectantly for Shinkai to start.

“Never have I ever been held back a year.” Shinkai said, looking around the table expectantly.

“Does it count if you purposely took a year off?” Kana asked, Ibitani nodding enthusiastically to her words.

“Sure.”

Two fingers went down, Ibitani’s and Kana’s, both smirking at Machimiya who was shaking his head and laughing. Shinkai looked at Arakita’s hand briefly, noting that all three fingers were still up. He nodded approvingly to himself, turning his attention back to Ibitani to hear what the boy would ask.

“Shinkai, you ass!” Arakita exclaimed, pointing across the table at him. “I saw that look, you fuck. I didn’t fail school, I already told you this.”

Shinkai snorted, despite his best efforts of seeming serious.

“I just had to make sure, Yasutomo.”

“You do look like the type to fail Arakita.” Machimiya added.

“That’s funny coming from someone like you.” Kinjou countered, grinning once again as the birthday boy stuck up his middle finger at his classmate.

“Alright, Alright.” Ibitani laughed, getting everyone’s attention again. “Never have I ever… had sex with a girl.”

It was short, simple, and straight to the point, and three fingers were down instantly. Machimiya, obviously, grinning slyly at his girlfriend, Arakita, who Shinkai tried not to dwell on, feeling a knot in his stomach even though he knew his ex was a girl, and lastly…

“Yuuto?!” Shinkai and Yasutomo screamed at the same time, both simultaneously leaning forward in shock. The younger Shinkai only had two fingers up, smiling at everybody and nobody in particular.

“Yuuto! Y-you’re still so young what were you thinking?! Do you even know h-how to-?” Shinkai was a stammering mess, his own words being masked by Arakita’s panicked “You used protection right? She didn’t force you to do anything you didn’t want right?”

Yuuto held their palms up, trying to calm the two older brothers down from what could easily be mistaken for a mini-aneurysm.

“Guys relax.” They said, making the two university student’s stop their rambling. “We were just experimenting. We both knew what we were getting into.”

“You sure you knew what you were getting into?” Shinkai heard Natsuki mutter, earning herself a rough shove from Yuuto, the younger Shinkai finally having the audacity to look embarrassed.

“Shut up.” They muttered, turning to Machimiya. “Keep going.”

The birthday boy shrugged at the demand, running his hand through his bangs as he thought. “Never have I ever had sex with a boy.” He smiled, obviously wanting to keep the theme going. Four fingers went down this time, and Shinkai briefly took note of the three other people as he tried to ignore his own shame. He knew he technically didn’t have to admit it, he knew lowering his finger was going to invite unwanted questions, but some tiny part of him wanted Yasutomo to know. Shinkai felt heat rise to his face as he locked eyes with Arakita, seeing that the other’s face was red as well.

Good. Some very dark part of his mind thought, a part Shinkai had trouble silencing on more than one occasion after having one too many drinks. Let him know you’ve been fucked before.

Shinkai shook his head, attempting to physically stop his thoughts. Luckily for him, everyone else’s attention was on Fukutomi, who was caught with only two fingers up.

“Fuku-chan, seriously?” Arakita asked, having snapped out of whatever trance he was in. Fukutomi frowned down at his drink, shrugging, too embarrassed to say anything more on the topic. Wanting to help get his friend out of the spotlight, Shinkai turned to Kinjou, who had also lowered a finger.

“And you, Kinjou-kun?” He asked, feeling his blond friend relax beside him. Kinjou merely laughed, shaking his head.

“Aww come on Kinjou!” Machimiya complained. “Give us something.”

“He was really hot.” Kinjou said, leaving it at that.

Those sitting across from Kinjou tried to weasel some more information out of him, only successfully learning that the guy was his age and very good at what he did.

“Okay, alright.” Natsuki said, shaking her head and scrunching up her face as if she ate something bitter. “We don’t need to hear any more of that, please.” She requested. Everybody had already expected Kana’s finger to be down, so nobody bothered pestering her for details. Shinkai sighed, ready to move on, but again, right when he thought he was free from being targeted, Arakita stopped Kana from asking her question.

“Hold on.” He said, extending a palm to cut her off. “Shinkai.”

Arakita merely said his name, but Shinkai heard the demand in his voice and the small glint of desperation in his eyes. Everyone’s eyes were on him once again, but Shinkai was ready for it this time.

“It was at a party. I don’t remember much but...” He started, looking away from Arakita as he spoke. “I was really drunk and he was really...” He shrugged as he trailed off, as if it wasn’t a big deal. And it wasn’t. Not to Shinkai anyway. He wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t remember much, the guy’s face and name escaping him almost instantly after their little fling, the event happening over two years ago. He snuck a quick glance to the boy sitting across from him, noting that Arakita was frowning at his drink. Shinkai felt a pang of guilt through his buzz. Maybe he shouldn’t have disclosed such personal information the way he did. He didn’t want Yasutomo thinking he would just sleep with anyone when he was drunk.

Everyone else seemed satisfied with Shinkai’s response, however, turning to Kana for her scenario, the previous conversation already a thing of the past.

“Never have I ever gotten into a car accident.” She said, changing the topic to something more innocent –thank god. Arakita’s second finger went down, as well as Kana’s, causing Yuuto to laugh.

“Kana-san, why would you out yourself like that?” They asked, smiling at the girl in front of them. Kana returned the smile, winking at the teenager.

“Anything to expose Arakita.” She said, ignoring the middle finger that was being shoved in her face.

“Okay, asshole. My turn.” Arakita sneered at Kana before saying, “Never have I ever kissed Ibitani.”

Kana somehow managed to glare at Arakita while simultaneously looking embarrassed as she lowered her finger, unaware that her boyfriend had also done the same.

“I KNEW IT!” Yuuto screamed, startling everyone at the table. They were standing up now, pointing across the island. “You three are together aren’t you? It’s so obvious!”

“NO!” They screamed back, all looking flustered in their own unique way. Kana was shaking her head rapidly, Machimiya was running his hand through his hair nervously, and Ibitani straight up had his face buried in his arms as he put his head down on the table. Yuuto seemed to falter at that, allowing Fukutomi to pull them back in their seat.

“Wait... you’re not?”

“No Yuuto.” Machimiya confirmed, now shaking his head along with Kana.

“Why not?”

“What do you mean why? Three people in a relationship?” Kana asked, now gripping her cup as if it were the only thing anchoring her to the table.

“Yeah?” Natsuki joined the conversation, looking slightly irritated. “You’ve never heard of that before?” Machimiya and Kana shook their heads while Ibitani continued to play dead. To be completely honest, Shinkai didn’t know such a thing existed either.

“How would that even work?” He inquired, looking at their sibling. Yuuto merely shrugged and let out a hiccup.

“It’d work just like any other relationship.” Natsuki answered, looking from Shinkai to the two in front of her. They both looked to their right, observing Ibitani in his temporary coma, the boy refusing to look up until the conversation was over. Shinkai watched Kana and Machimiya exchange glances, communicating silently momentarily.

“Anyway, let’s move on.” Kinjou said, obviously sensing the tension in the room. “Kana.”

“Huh? Oh.” She quickly took a sip of her drink, realizing that she was the first of the table to lower all three fingers. When she was done, she leaned over the table, prodding Ibitani’s elbow. “Ryou, you can breathe now.”

“Also, it’s kinda your turn.” Machimiya added quietly. Ibitani raised his head at that, eyebrows furrowed and face completely red as he picked up a card. He briefly stared at his card before putting it face down on the table, raising a finger.

“Ibi, you should at least say what the card is.” Machimiya smirked, copying his best friend’s action.

“Yeah seriously, Ryou. People might not understand what this means.” Kana added, grinning as she also pointed up at the ceiling. Shinkai looked around the table confused as he saw everybody slowly raising a finger. Seven’s heaven! Shinkai recalled, quickly pointing to the sky in a panic, realizing Ibitani had drawn the card and didn’t bother announcing it to the party. Shinkai turned to see that Arakita sat there with his chin resting comfortably on his hand, his other hand lazily spinning his cup. Shinkai was about to scream at him to lift his finger, but it was too late, Fukutomi saving Yuuto’s ass by lifting their hand for them so the high schooler could point at the sky.

“Arakita, drink!” Kinjou demanded, laughing as the raven took a sip from their cup.

“Yasutomo, you suck!” Shinkai exclaimed, slapping the table angrily as he downed the remainder of his already-almost-empty cup of alcohol, getting up to grab another drink from the kitchen. Shinkai bitterly pinched Arakita’s nose as he walked around the table, mumbling “I give up” to the laughing boy as he made his way to the fridge. Avoiding his crush was too hard, he concluded as he grabbed his favourite bottle of Malibu, pouring the banana flavoured liquor into his cup. He’d just have to trust that he had gotten better at behaving appropriately over the last two years –that and he’d have to trust that Juichi would know when to cut him off.

Shinkai returned to the group, not noticing the small change at the table until he had already sat down at his seat. He turned to his right to see Arakita sitting where Fukutomi had been moments ago, the raven idly chatting with Yuuto as they all waited for Shinkai’s return. Arakita had pushed his chair much closer to Shinkai than Fukutomi had originally positioned it, much to Shinkai’s dismay. He had been keeping a physical distance for a reason! Why would Juichi trade places with him?

Machimiya continued playing, picking up a two, the first to be drawn in the game. “Two is you.” He read, looking up from his phone. “I get to choose someone else to drink, and since I can’t choose myself, I choose Yuuto.” He said, smiling at his partner. They both said cheers as they drank. Shinkai heard Yuuto take a shuddery breath, catching him and Arakita’s attention.

“You alright kiddo?” Shinkai asked, concerned.

“ ’mm gooood.” Yuuto drawled, trying to copy Shinkai’s gun pose, but failing miserably. “I just gotta pee.” They stated, looking expectantly at Arakita. The engineer stared back blankly until Shinkai leaned forward, maybe a bit too forward as he whispered, “You’re Yuuto’s bitch remember?”

“Oh right.” The raven mumbled back, tilting his head sideways as he did so, his nose brushing Shinkai’s cheek. He turned back around, sounding amused as he got up from his chair. “Alright buddy, up you get.” He said, extending his arms to help Yuuto stand.

“Arakita-san I can get up on my own.” They said matter-of-factly, disproving themselves the second they stood up and swayed rather violently to the left. Arakita caught Yuuto by the arm, dragging them towards the guest bathroom, telling the group to continue playing without them. Shinkai was glad Yasutomo was out of the room because he was an absolute mess. There was no way being in such close proximity with Arakita was going to end well. He wiped his brow, discretely taking a sip of his drink to cool himself off more than anything else. Every time he looked at Yasutomo’s lips, his mind automatically took him back to their little make out session in the staff bathroom. Shinkai licked his lips nervously, half-paying attention to the game as his friends continued playing. He wanted to taste Yasutomo again.

“Shinkai?”

“Hmm?”

Fukutomi held up the six of hearts, indicating he was supposed to drink along with the other guys. Shinkai took a drink, forcing himself to concentrate on the game. Only two turns had passed by the time Arakita and Yuuto returned, the two taking their respective seats just as Kinjou poured a good chunk of his drink into the king’s cup sitting in the middle of the table. Arakita looked a little more awake now, some strands of their hair sticking to the side of their face, indicating to Shinkai that the kid had probably splashed some cold water in an attempt to sober up a little.

“Did they throw up?” Shinkai whispered to Arakita only, glad the music in the background and everyone’s idle chatter drowned him out.

“Nah.” Yasutomo responded, leaning extremely close as he spoke to Shinkai. “Although by the looks of it, they might be close.” He said, smiling at the redhead. The good mood was contagious, and Shinkai couldn’t help but smile back, despite his nervousness. Arakita’s leg was resting comfortably against Shinkai’s own, and he littlest of movements made their arms brush off against each other’s as well. Shinkai didn’t bother moving away, appreciating the warmth Yasutomo provided, despite how hot his face felt.

Natsuki picked up an ace, quickly stopping her own chugging, sparing herself and Yuuto. Arakita, however, wasn’t as kind, guzzling down his booze until he emptied his cup, making the others follow suit. After another round of refills, Yuuto picked up a seven, and this time Shinkai was ready for it. He was the first to lift up his finger with his left hand while simultaneously grabbing Arakita’s hand with his right, forcing him to raise his finger as well. It was Ibitani who raised his finger too late this time, the boy taking a drink after a few seconds of mocking from Kana and Machimiya.

“Shinkai, come on now.” Arakita smiled, lowering the hand being held by Shinkai below the table. “I was definitely going to raise my finger just then.” He smiled, pulling his wrist out from Shinkai’s grip, readjusting his hand so that their fingers intertwined comfortably on his lap. Shinkai didn’t bother pulling away, his mind completely overwhelmed by what was happening. He remained silent as Arakita drew a King, much to Machimiya’s delight.

“THAT’S THE LAST ONE!” He exclaimed, getting up from his seat. “Pour your shit into the King’s cup Arakita!” He demanded as he ran behind the kitchen counter to grab something unbeknownst to the party. Arakita did as he was told, still holding Shinkai’s hand as he did so. They all watched Machimiya come back with two straws in his hand.

“Sorry Shinkai, Arakita’s taking you down with him.” He laughed, throwing both straws into the cup before pushing it towards their end of the table. “The person who draws the fourth King has to chug the King’s cup. Since you two are in this together, you get to drink together.” He smiled, looking pleased with himself for choosing such a good drinking game. Shinkai felt Yasutomo’s hand squeeze his. Looking over, he saw that the raven had positioned himself in a way to face Shinkai and the cup while still holding his hand under the table. Shinkai leaned forward as well, making his free hand guide one of the straws to his own lips. They stared at each other for a brief moment, the proximity making Shinkai’s chest feel tight and his hands feel clammy. Arakita didn’t seem to care, taking the first sip of the cup through his straw before immediately leaning alarmingly far back, coughing away from the table.

“Holy fuck, this tastes like shit.” He coughed, clearing his throat as he re-gripped Shinkai’s hand –this time for support. Shinkai laughed, pulling him back towards the table as they retook their positions in front of the cup. “Is that fucking banana Shinkai?” He hissed before wrapping his lips around his straw again. Shinkai merely nodded, smiling at the boy whose face was only a few centimeters away from his own. The last thing Shinkai saw was Arakita shaking his head disapprovingly before he looked down at the cup’s contents and started drinking. Fuck. The King’s cup was definitely a horrible concoction, there being a weird mix of fruits like banana and honeydew along with rum, vodka, and what was that? Beer? Shinkai watched the disgustingly brown liquid in the cup lower and lower, concentrating on breathing through his nose and the warmth of Yasutomo’s hand in his own as their friends cheered them on. They were leaning heavily on each other’s foreheads, their noses brushing slightly as they finished the cup. The two backed up momentarily to catch their breaths as everyone screamed and rejoiced at their success. Shinkai clutched at Arakita’s hand, his eyes never leaving the other’s lips as he watched the raven panting for air.

“That was fucking horrible.” Arakita muttered, his words drawing Shinkai’s attention to his bottom lip. It had almost fully healed from their fight over a week ago, and was currently shiny and slightly swollen from the drinking he just did. Shinkai didn’t hear Machimiya claim he had another game to play, nor did he notice the other’s getting up from the table, moving back into the living room or kitchen to take a break from King’s Cup. The entirety of Shinkai’s attention was drawn to the droplet of liquid at the side of Arakita’s mouth.

“Yasutomo… you didn’t drink it all.” He heard himself say, his voice feeling very distant –almost like it was someone else speaking. Before Arakita could respond, Shinkai’s free hand cupped Arakita’s cheek, pulling his face forward. Shinkai lapped the small bit of liquid off the corner of Arakita’s mouth before kissing his bottom lip, where the cut had previously resided. Shinkai felt Arakita inhale sharply through his nose, just as someone in the background let out a whoop of surprise. Shinkai caught Arakita’s bottom lip between both of his own, pulling back slightly to make the other’s lips part. He slid his tongue across Arakita’s teeth, causing another small gasp to escape the raven’s lips, the sensation forcing his mouth open. Shinkai’s tongue was in Arakita’s mouth in an instant, his body desperate to taste him again –to feel the heat between their mouths, the itch between their bangs, the pounding hearts between their ribs. And yet, as suddenly as Shinkai had flung forward was he pulled back again by Machimiya.

“Woah okay, alright you two. Try to keep it in your pants for a little longer, yeah?” He smiled down at Shinkai, patting him roughly on the shoulder. Shinkai briefly felt a flare of anger before it faltered instantly, the realization of what he had done hitting him like a punch to the gut.

“Oh god, s-sorry Yasutomo.” Shinkai stammered, releasing his grip from Arakita’s hand and shaking his head rapidly, embarrassed at what he had done. He wasn’t even drunk yet; it was way too early in the night for him to feel anything past a buzz. What had gotten into him?

“It’s fine.” Arakita croaked, his face scarlet as he got up from his chair. The only ones who had witnessed their little ordeal was Machimiya, Kinjou and Fukutomi. Ibitani had gone to the bathroom and Kana, Natsuki and Yuuto had retreated to the living room. Shinkai watched Arakita keeping himself busy by collecting the cards thrown messily across the table before following Machimiya to the kitchen to help him set up for the next game. Shinkai made sure Arakita had his back turned before he practically jumped Fukutomi, catching his friend by the shoulder and roughly turning him around.

“Shinkai, wha-”

“Juichi, you absolutely cannot let me be alone with Yasutomo okay?” He begged, uncaring that he had made his friend spill a bit of his drink in the process. “I don’t want to do anything stupid.”

“Shinkai, I think that ship has sailed…” Fukutomi commented, looking down at the small puddle he had just created on Yasutomo’s wooden floor.

“Juichi, seriously!”

“Shinkai I don’t see what the problem is.” Fukutomi sighed, looking up from the floor to face his friend. “You obviously like him right? You didn’t make such a big deal with that other guy.”

“It’s because I like him Juichi.” Shinkai whispered desperately. “I don’t wanna fuck things up between us! You get that don’t you?” He hissed, realizing a second too late that he just admitted that he liked Yasutomo out loud. Fukutomi didn’t seem to notice the red dusting his friend’s cheeks, nodding at Shinkai’s pleas instead.

“Alright Shinkai, but there’s only so much I can do before you two inevitably jump each other.”

“Thanks Juichi.” Shinkai nodded, ignoring that last bit of information even though he felt the tips of his ears burn.

At that, Shinkai decided to clear his mind by leaving the kitchen to go check up on Yuuto, who was now lying down on the couch with their legs sprawled over Kana’s thighs. She was sitting beside Natsuki, the two speaking quietly amongst themselves –all while fanning Yuuto with one of Arakita’s magazines. The two stopped talking the moment they saw Shinkai approaching them. He ignored the two girls as he crouched down near Yuuto’s face, poking their cheek to get them to open their eyes.

“You alive?”

“I’m alive.” Yuuto confirmed. Yuuto is definitely a light weight. Shinkai concluded, watching them as their eyes drooped close once more. Shinkai prodded them on the cheek until he got Yuuto’s attention once again.

“You feeling okay?” Shinkai asked, only slightly worried. As if he hadn’t caused enough trouble for the night as is –if Yuuto threw up on Yasutomo’s couch, Shinkai didn’t know what he’d do. Probably flee the country.

“Hayato, me being alive is about the only thing I have going for me right now.” Yuuto grumbled, slapping Shinkai’s hand away from their face as they turned their head towards the couch, away from their troublesome brother. Shinkai heard Kana laugh, turning to her to see that she had resumed fanning Yuuto.

“Hey umm. Thanks for taking care of Yuuto.” Shinkai said as he got up from his crouching position. “Let me know if you need anything…”

“Yeah, no worries.” She smiled. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were half-closed, indicating to Shinkai that Kana was probably drunk as well. Shinkai nodded, about to turn back towards the kitchen before Kana called his name. He looked over to see that her gentle smile was gone, replaced with a small frown instead. “Hey, I’m sorry about earlier.” She said, lazily tracing a flower from Yuuto’s pants with her finger as she spoke. “I didn’t mean to sound like an asshole. I just didn’t know…” She trailed off, unsure how to finish her sentence.

“But she’s all caught up now!” Natsuki exclaimed, giving Shinkai a very animated thumbs up and wink. So Natsuki was the noisy drunk huh? Shinkai thought, amused. He was about to give both Natuski and Kana a response but Yuuto had immediately extended their leg across from Kana, kicking Yasutomo’s sister in the thigh.

“Shut up! You’re too loud!” They complained, frowning across the couch to glare at their friend.

“Cover your ears if your sensitive ass can’t take it!” She countered, tickling Yuuto’s foot, making them retreat both legs off of Kana’s lap.

“Even if I did, your shrill fucking voice would still penetrate my titanic membrane!”

“Tympanic.” Shinkai corrected.

“Tympanic membrane!” Yuuto repeated, sitting up with their hands extended in a self-defense pose. Natsuki immediately jumped across Kana onto Yuuto, the two wrestling each other whilst arguing about absolutely nothing. Shinkai sighed, looking at Kana as he grabbed Natsuki by the waist, easily picking her up off of Yuuto as if she weighed nothing.

“Kana, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry too.” He said, resuming their previous conversation as he plopped Natsuki back down on her original spot of the couch. “As long as you know now, then it’s fine.” He said, smiling at her, feeling relieved when she smiled back.

He excused himself after that, letting Kana deal with the teenager’s drunken bickering as he walked down the hall towards the bathroom. Just as he went to grab the door knob did it open on its own. Yasutomo jumped in surprise when he saw Shinkai, but otherwise nodded in acknowledgment, turning the bathroom light back on to let the redhead enter.

“Those drinks are finally starting to kick in huh?” He asked as he left the bathroom, smirking at Shinkai.

“Yeah.” The redhead laughed, holding the doorknob as he went to close the door. “Hey Yasutomo, sorry about earlier.” He said, wanting to get the apology out of the way as soon as possible.

“Yeah, no. Don’t worry about it Shinkai.” He said, scratching the back of his head. “At least there was no bleeding this time.”

“Pfft.” Shinkai laughed, looking away from his crush, feeling his face heat up for what felt like the hundredth time that day. We’ve kissed twice now. Shinkai thought excitedly, unable to fight back his grin.

“Hey Shinkai?” Arakita asked, getting his attention. “You know that guy you were with?”

“Y-yeah?”

Shinkai watched Yasutomo turned a shade darker as he ran his hands through his bangs. At least he wasn’t the only one who had a blushing problem.

“Was he your boyfriend?”

“Nohoho.” Shinkai laughed, leaning against the door frame. “Yasutomo, I don’t even remember the guy’s face.”

Shinkai watched Arakita visibly relax at that, nodding to the redhead.

“Damn Shinkai. So you just fucked the guy and left without getting his name? That’s pretty harsh don’t you think?” He smirked, his playfulness making Shinkai want to jump him again. Instead, the redhead simply laughed, shaking his head at the memory.

“Yasutomo you’re making me sound like the bad guy here.”

“Was it good?”

Shinkai shrugged, looking away. “I was really drunk.” He mumbled, thinking back to that night. He honestly didn’t remember much, but the sex was surprisingly gentle and had inspired a few different masturbation techniques.

Shinkai looked up in horror, realizing that he had said that last bit out loud.

Oh shit.

Arakita was completely scarlet, as he stammered out an “Oh. Okay.” He looked really cute flustered, and for some reason, Shinkai decided that he might as well mess with him a bit more before they had to return to the group. He slowly started closing the bathroom door, getting Arakita’s attention once more.

“Right, I should –I should let you pee.” The engineer said, backing up from the bathroom.

“By the way, Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, leaning close to the frame as he spoke, making Arakita look up at him.

“I didn’t fuck the guy.” He stated, the door inches from being completely closed.

“He fucked me.”

Chapter Text

“I didn’t fuck the guy.” Shinkai said as he slowly closed the bathroom door. “He fucked me.”

Arakita lunged for the door a second too late, palms resting on the painted wood a fraction of a second after Shinkai clicked the door shut.

Arakita backed away from the bathroom slowly, taking a shuddery breath. Holy crap. The imagery of Shinkai being fucked was too much for him. He rested the back of his head against the wall opposite to the bathroom door, trying to collect himself. Sure, he had imagined giving it to Shinkai from the back a few times, but he never thought that Shinkai receiving anal was an actual possibility –that was, until now.

“…And had inspired a few different masturbation techniques.”

Holy fuck. Arakita felt his lower regions react to the imagery. Shinkai had not only been fucked in the ass, but had continued to fuck himself in the ass long after having sex with that guy.

“Arakita!” Machimiya bellowed from the kitchen, snapping him out of his lustful daze. Arakita sighed, pushing himself away from the wall he was leaning on, ready to re-enter the kitchen only after he was sure his shirt and vest covered his boner.

“What’s up?” He asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite his thoughts aggressively reminding him of Shinkai’s words.

“Where are your wash rags?” Kinjou asked, pouring soda into the 8 individual cups laid out in two rows of fours on the kitchen island. The chairs had been pushed to the side of the room, no longer surrounding the table, giving room for everyone to stand. Arakita walked over to a drawer, opening it to reveal a small pile of towels under some red oven mitts. He took one out and passed it to Kinjou, his thoughts still on Shinkai as he faced his friends.

“You alright, Arakita?” Kinjou asked, noting Arakita’s expression. “You look really red.”

“Yeah, and not like drunk-red either.” Machimiya added, leaning in closer to observe his friend’s face.

“I’m fine.” Arakita spat, pushing Machimiya back by pressing the palm of his hand against the birthday boy’s nose. Of course he was red god damn it! Not only had Shinkai made out with him for a second time –in front of his friends, mind you –but he had also gone and shared some really intimate details about his sex life to Arakita. Again, Arakita’s thoughts went somewhere dirty despite his best efforts to fight against it, feeling heat pool both near his face and groin.

“Actually on second thought, maybe I should go throw up.” He said, backing away from the kitchen. His friends looked concerned but didn’t have time to interject or offer any help as Arakita fled to his bedroom, instantly shutting the door behind him. He locked the door before walking into his personal bathroom, ever grateful that he had purchased such an amazing flat that came with such a convenient master bedroom. He quickly shut the bathroom door behind him as he entered, proceeding to lock that door as well, thankful for the second line of defense.

I gotta make this fast. He thought, hastily unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans before pulling it down to his ankles. He didn’t bother turning on the bathroom lights, extremely embarrassed at what we was about to do within the vicinity of his friends. He extended his arms out blindly as he walked towards the far corner of the bathroom, pulling the toilet lid over the seat once he came into contact with it. He pulled down his boxers as he sat down, reaching over to grab a giant wad of toilet paper with his left hand as his right hand started stroking his erection.

Fuck, did that feel good. Arakita leaned back as he pumped his cock, not bothering to tease himself, in a rush to climax as soon as possible without raising his friend’s suspicions. He worked quickly, tightening and twisting his hand around his penis, stifling his moan by biting his left hand as wave after wave of pleasure hit him.

Stupid fucking Shinkai putting that stupid fucking imagery in my head. He mentally cussed, failing to stop his hips from bucking up into his hand as he continued to jack off. He imagined how Shinkai would look lying on his bed, naked and with his ass in the air. Just how good would it feel giving it to his crush from the back? Against the wall? On his kitchen counter? Arakita let his imagination take over; fantasizing about all the different ways he’d fuck Shinkai had he been given the chance, all while his hand pumped his member furiously.

Arakita stifled another moan, doing his best to stop the little noises of pleasure that were starting to escape his lips with every shuddery breath. Even though there was music playing in the background to mask his embarrassing sounds, he did his best to remain silent, not sure if he’d be able to pull off a convincing “those were puking noises” lie if anyone asked.

After what felt like three agonizingly long minutes, Arakita only needed to stroke himself a few more times to the thought of Shinkai riding his cock before he came, quickly holding his left hand over his dick as he shot his load into the toilet paper. He violently leaned forward as he stroked himself through his orgasm, a small “Oh god” all he was able to squeeze out from between his lips as he convulsed to his climax, clenching his teeth at the pleasure.

Arakita sat on his toilet for a few seconds, breathing heavily through his nose as he felt his dick go limp in his hand. He blinked past his post-orgasm haze, shaking his head to wake up from the drowsiness overtaking him. The buzz he had going on didn’t help his current situation either, his movements slightly sluggish and clumsy as he got up from the toilet seat, lifting up the lid and flushing down the cum-filled toilet paper before making his way to the sink. He reached out to grab more toilet paper, wetting it under the running water before wiping his dick; throwing the wrapped tissue in the toilet as well. He promptly flushed it a second time, washing his hands and drying them on a towel before he finally reached down to pull up his underwear and pants.

Arakita leaned against the counter, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate on his breathing. He was going to have to go back out there, where Shinkai was, and act like nothing had happened.

I got what I wanted right? He thought, opting to wash his face with cold water to sober himself up a little before heading back to the party. I got close to Shinkai, and now he’s talking to me like normal. Arakita opened his bathroom door, letting his hand rest on the doorknob of his bedroom door as he tried to listen to the other side. Calling their last few interactions together normal was definitely an exaggeration on his part, but he didn’t really know what else to call it. Shinkai wasn’t talking to him before, and now he was.

Arakita sighed as he heard Machimiya’s howling laughter prevailing over everyone else’s. He should probably go out there and join the festivities, despite the weird knot he felt in the pit of his stomach. All I have to do is keep talking to Shinkai like nothing happened and I’ll be fine. He thought, finally opening the door to his bedroom. Some nagging part of Arakita’s mind told him he should probably stay away from Shinkai the more drunk he got, not wanting either of them to do something they might regret in the morning, but he pushed that thought aside as he stepped out of his room. He’d have to be careful when he was around Shinkai, but god damn it they were friends for a fucking reason! He enjoyed the other’s company, so obviously he wanted to hang out with him. Arakita entered the kitchen with stubborn determination. I’m going to chill with Shinkai and we’re going to have fun. Just act normal.

“Yasutomo!”

Arakita barely had time to observe the kitchen he had just walked into before Shinkai was on him, shaking his shoulders roughly.

“Yasutomo did you throw up? Are you feeling okay? Go drink some water! Wait no –lets go get you some crackers or something...” Shinkai trailed off, walking towards the kitchen pantry, dragging Arakita along with him by the wrist. The engineer scoffed, following behind Shinkai, watching the redhead as he attempted to coordinate his way through the other’s kitchen despite only visiting his apartment one time prior. Amused, Arakita wriggled his wrist out from Shinkai’s grip so that they could comfortably intertwine their fingers, giving him little hints as he got closer to the crackers, guiding him with very limited verbal clues.

“Aha!” Shinkai exclaimed proudly, eventually finding and holding the unopened box of crackers up for Arakita to see. He fumbled trying to open the box with one hand, his brows furrowed and tongue sticking out in concentration as he refused to separate his other hand from Arakita’s. It was cute. Arakita knew Shinkai wasn’t drunk, but he was definitely tipsy. That –and with the carefree atmosphere, Arakita sensed that the other was acting a lot less reserved than he’d probably be in the public eye.

“You know Shinkai,” Arakita began as he pulled closer to the box, running his thumb under the flap as Shinkai held it steady. “I didn’t actually throw up.” He stated, looking up at the other after successfully ripping open the packaging. Shinkai looked at him questioningly for only a second before his expression relaxed again, his gaze falling down on the box between them.

“That’s good. But I guess you don’t need this.” He mumbled, turning to put the box back. Arakita huffed, gently yanking Shinkai’s hand as he stayed glued to the spot.

“Give it to Yuuto you dumbass.” Arakita laughed, backing out of the kitchen, forcing Shinkai to come along with him. Arakita let go of the other’s hand when he noticed that everyone else had retreated to the couch with their own snacks, his small group of friends looking up at him as soon as he entered the living room.

“Hey! Did ya puke?” Machimiya asked from the couch, his arm splayed on the back of the sofa over Kana’s shoulders, a bowl of chips resting comfortably on his lap. He munched on a few whilst continuing to talk, manners thrown out the window long ago apparently. “We have the game ready –we’ve just been waiting on you.”

“No I did not puke you fuck.” Arakita spat, pissed that people took him for such a light weight, but also embarrassed that he had to lie so that nobody would know what he had actually done in his bathroom. “I’m here now. Are we gonna play or not?”

Arakita watched his friends sit up, all except for Yuuto, who was lying down on the couch with an arm draped over their face. Shinkai approached them with the crackers, getting Yuuto’s attention by shaking the box. They immediately lifted their arm away from their eyes and sat up, taking the food out from their brother’s hands. Arakita couldn’t catch what either were saying, both speaking in hushed voices, their conversation easily drowned out by the music, so he just stood there watching their little interaction.

Arakita repositioned himself, standing in a way so that if Shinkai were to get up, ready to return to the kitchen, he’d have no choice but to face him. After a few seconds of talking to Yuuto, that very scenario happened, and both ended up looking at each other for what felt like a very long minute. Arakita blamed his buzz, but his mind went completely blank as he stared at Shinkai. Without thinking, he took a step forward, only slightly surprised that Shinkai did the same. They were really close now, but Arakita didn’t say anything, sensing that Shinkai had something on his mind.

“Shinkai!”

Both hastily backed away and spun around as Fukutomi entered the living room once more, his neutral face looking slightly more irritated than usual. Arakita felt like his heart was beating out of his chest as Fukutomi called them both over, the three of them now entering the kitchen together. What the fuck happened to “Just act normal.”?!” Arakita chided himself, grateful that Fukutomi had stopped them from doing whatever it was they were about to do. Arakita shook his head, upset with himself. It was getting harder and harder to pretend that he didn’t want Shinkai. It was barely past 9 PM and he was already losing his self control.

Arakita approached the island, seeing that everyone was standing in a specific spot around the table, patiently waiting for the three of them to claim a space of their own.

“What is this?” Arakita asked, approaching an unclaimed cup at the far left of the island. There was another free cup directly across from him, as well as one on his row at the opposite corner. Arakita had expected Shinkai to go for the plastic dishware across from him, but Fukutomi was quick to walk around the island, claiming the spot instead. Arakita noticed Kinjou give the blond a questioning look, but didn’t say anything as he let the birthday boy speak.

“This is Flip Cup!” Machimiya explained, holding up a bottle of rum and vodka in either hand. “Which do you want with your soda?” He asked, waving the alcohol in front of Arakita’s face. Arakita yanked the vodka out of Machimiya’s hand, pouring a shot into his cup before returning the bottle.

“How do we play?” Arakita heard Shinkai ask from the other side of the island as he reached for the rum. God this sucked. He couldn’t see his crush past Kana and Ibitani, and even when he did, it’s not like they could easily converse with one another with two people standing in between them. Why the fuck did Fukutomi choose that cup instead of the one across from Kinjou?

“We start from one side of the room; say Arakita and Fukutomi, and both have to chug their drinks and flip their cup…” Machimiya knew he was only making things more confusing, so he quickly grabbed an empty cup from the kitchen, returning to the table to demonstrate. Apparently the game was a team game, where each person was to face off the individual across from them. The two who began the game would finish the contents of their cup as fast as possible before placing their cup down at the edge of the table, far enough so that the person could flick under the cup, making it so that the cup landed face down on the table. Machimiya showed the crowd how to place the cup along the edge, letting a small corner of it poke out over the table so that he could get his finger under it. He then tapped the bottom of the cup with enough force to make it do a flip. It teetered for a bit but successfully landed face down, much to everyone’s amusement.

“And if you fuck up you have to keep trying.” He added, putting the empty cup away. “The row that finishes first wins, obviously.”

Once everyone agreed that they more or less understood the concept, the game commenced. Fukutomi and Arakita were taught to do the ritualistic Flip Cup starter motion, where both tapped each other’s cups and slammed it on the table simultaneously before beginning. Arakita chugged his drink as fast as he could, feeling some soda drip from the side of his mouth as he did so. He emptied his cup and set it on the side of the table, hitting the bottom with too much force –the cup doing a flip and a half, falling on its side.

“Fuck!” He tried again, but this time with a lot less force. The cup landed face down with a satisfying clunk, making Arakita let out an excited whoop as he cheered Kana on, who was next in their row to drink. Fukutomi flipped his cup just as Kana downed her beverage, Machimiya now chugging his drink on their side. The couple battled for a few seconds, but the lost time for Machimiya made him lag behind as Kana successfully flipped her cup. Ibitani started drinking just as Machimiya landed his cup face down, now facing off against Natsuki. Arakita watched his sister as she downed her drink alarmingly fast for a minor, both individuals placing their cup on the edge almost simultaneously. With one swift flick, Natsuki landed her cup in the proper position, screaming at Kinjou to chug.

“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT NATS?!” Arakita screamed over the crowd, amplifying his voice over the cheers of his friends so that his little sister could hear him. Natsuki merely shrugged, looking away as she watched Shinkai and Kinjou battle it out, Ibitani having flipped over his cup a second prior. Natsuki’s hasty chug and single-flipped-success screamed experience. Had Natsuki played this game before? Arakita shook his head as he leaned over the table, watching Shinkai fail to flip his cup for the third time.

“Come on Shinkai!” Arakita bellowed, seeing that Kinjou was struggling as well. “We were ahead of them, don’t let them win!”

“It’s not my fault your sister is a fucking professional!” Shinkai hollered back, frantically repositioning his cup on the edge of the table. This time, his flip was successful, Kinjou being a mere two seconds away from winning it for his team.

“YES!” Arakita’s side of the table screamed, hands flying in the air at their win. High-fives were shared and some shit talking commenced, only further motivating the other team for the second round. Everyone refilled their cups while Kinjou wiped the table with the dish towel, soaking up any puddles that formed from insufficient chugging. Arakita made sure to grab some bepsi this time instead of the other soda they had lying around, opting to pour some rum in his cup instead of the vodka. He watched as Shinkai poured the soda and some of his Malibu into his own cup, carefully replacing the lid on both beverages before grabbing hold of his cup.

“Doesn’t that combination taste really bad?” Arakita inquired, picking up his own cup from the kitchen counter. Shinkai shrugged, holding his drink up to the other’s face. Arakita accepted the offer as he reached for the plastic, taking a hesitant sip. It definitely tasted weird, the banana and rum mixing with the soda in a way that reminded him of those candied lollipops he had when he was younger, but the flavour was surprisingly okay. He returned Shinkai’s drink to him before he spoke.

“I’ve obviously lost a few tastes buds tonight.” He noted, watching Shinkai spin the cup in his hand before taking a sip, lining his lips up with where Arakita’s had been moments ago. “Because that tasted pretty good.” He mumbled, watching Shinkai lick his upper lip, a flash of white teeth appearing momentarily before disappearing again behind his thick lips. Arakita reflexively took a gulp, his slightly intoxicated mind suddenly trying to come up with an excuse to kiss Shinkai. He needed that mouth on his as soon as fucking possible. Before Arakita could act, however, he felt a heavy pat on his back, pushing him around Shinkai, out of the kitchen.

“You ready to lose?” Fukutomi asked, guiding Arakita back to the island.

“In your dreams Fuku-chan!” Arakita laughed, silently thanking Shinkai’s stone-faced friend for getting him out of there. He could feel his self-restraint deteriorating with every second he spent alone with Shinkai. Exhaling, Arakita did his best to concentrate on everyone else, avoiding Shinkai’s gaze as he stood back in his original spot. The party eventually regrouped for a second round, everyone taking their respective places around the island after their refills. To change things up, everybody agreed to start from Shinkai’s end of the table, much to the redhead’s dismay.

“I suck at this game!” Shinkai complained, widening his stance as he prepared himself for what was coming. The cheering began the second the two banged their cups on the table before bringing it up to their lips, doing their best to down their beverage before the other. Shinkai slammed his cup down a fraction of a second faster than Kinjou, successfully flipping his cup over his first try.

“NICE SHINKAI!” Arakita exclaimed, along with Kana, Ibitani unable to cheer as he was in the midst of chugging his own drink. Kinjou was still struggling to flip his own cup, much to his team’s dismay.

“Come on Kinjou-san you can do it!”

“Kinjou you shithead! How dare you make me lose on my birthday, have you no decency?”

“Shingo you SUCK!” Fukutomi exclaimed last, his burst of distress actually making Kinjou laugh. The bespectacled boy choked on his own laughter as he flipped his cup one last time, the cup finally landing in the right position. Ibitani was having some trouble too, but managed to flip his cup before Natsuki could finish drinking. Arakita looked past Kana to Shinkai, noticing that the other had stopped cheering for a moment to take off his plaid shirt. He threw the blue and green checkered button up across from him at the chairs that were pushed aside to make room for the party game. Arakita watched Shinkai return to his original spot, rolling up the sleeves of his white t-shirt as he did so.

Oh fuck. This was the first time Arakita got a good look at Shinkai’s body. Usually, if the other ever wore a t-shirt, the fabric was either too long or baggy to show anything off. But now –now Arakita could see how Shinkai’s relatively tight t-shirt was accenting his broad chest; he could see how his rolled up sleeves showed off his seriously toned arms, even unveiling some unexpected tan lines.

How he’d love to run his hands up those arms and feel the muscle against his palms. Shinkai must look so fucking good shirtless –and pantless. Arakita noted, letting his gaze descend to Shinkai’s exposed calves. A warm pulse filled Arakita’s groin, making him audibly inhale as he tried to mentally fight his growing erection. He refused to get hard again –not a second time… at least not so soon after climaxing mere minutes ago.

“Arakita drink!” Kana was exasperate, having flipped her cup the same time Machimiya did. Flustered that he had been caught off guard imagining Shinkai naked, Arakita struggled to down his drink, making the mistake of looking at Shinkai as he did so. The other was leaning heavily on his arms, body hovering over the table as he tried to get a better look at the face-off, his biceps very much apparent as he did so. Arakita had trouble swallowing the last bit of his rum and bepsi, keeping the liquid in his mouth as he desperately tried to flip his cup. Unfortunately Fukutomi was able to flip his cup on the first try, resulting in a win for his own team.

“The hell was that?” Kana yelled, lightly slapping Arakita in the stomach with the back of her hand. Arakita managed to swallow his drink before gently slapping Kana back in the arm.

“Shut up! I need to go first next time!” He lied, glad Kana had the ability to distract him from his previous train of thought. “Go get me a bepsi and rum will ya?” He requested, handing her his cup. She took the cup while gracefully rolling her eyes as she did so, leaving Arakita to his own devices as everyone else followed her to the kitchen counter. The engineer grabbed the dish cloth and started wiping down the table, doing his best to cover all the corners of the marble table while his friends refilled their drinks.

“Yasutomo, you missed a spot.” Shinkai stated, the first to return with his drink, pointing at the very opposite end of the island from where Arakita was standing.

Why are both Shinkai’s so bossy under the influence?

“Then fucking clean it!” Arakita spat, throwing the towel at Shinkai, half-hoping the dirty rag would fall in the other’s drink. Unfortunately, Shinkai caught it midair, slapping it on the table and wiping whatever stain Arakita couldn’t see. He threw the cloth back alarmingly fast, catching Arakita off-guard. The sticky towel hitting Arakita’s face before falling onto the table, resulting in Shinkai bursting into a fit of laughter. Feigning anger, Arakita fought back his smile by scowling as he slammed his cup onto the table and grabbing the rag. Shinkai also put down his cup, still laughing as he backed away from Arakita.

The fucker was still laughing, tears forming in his eyes as he watched Arakita twist the towel in his hands, his arms extended forward as if to stop the engineer from getting any closer. Shinkai had backed up into the hall now, gasping “I’m sorry” as he continued laughing.

Arakita smirked at Shinkai, a glint in his eyes as he muttered “run”, making the redhead spin away from him in order to escape. That was the exact reaction Arakita was looking for; Shinkai’s panicked attempt to flee causing the redhead to expose his back to Arakita. In one swift motion, Arakita whipped the towel with as much force as he could muster, the fabric slapping Shinkai’s ass with a satisfying smack. The sound made Arakita’s groin pulse, Shinkai’s startled scream and jump only added to his arousal. Arakita was able to twist the towel again, slapping Shinkai’s ass a second time before the other was able to yank the cloth away, all while laughing and gasping for air, repeating “Stop, stop! I’m sorry!” as he tried to push away from Arakita.

They wrestled each other for a bit, Arakita trying to reclaim the towel while simultaneously attempting to push Shinkai back, away from the kitchen where he was trying to run to. The second Arakita felt that Shinkai was using a great deal of force in an attempt to push the raven forward, he immediately stopped fighting back, letting his arms give way and causing Shinkai’s momentum to send him forward into Arakita. Shinkai tried to back up but the engineer wrapped an arm around his waist in a tight embrace as his other hand went for Shinkai’s ass, smacking him in the same place the towel had hit him twice before. Shinkai let out a yelp, still giggling and apologizing in Arakita’s ear, his attempts to pull away a little less vigorous.

“You sorry?” Arakita asked, smirking into the side of Shinkai’s head, letting his lips brush the other’s ear as two spun in place in a poor attempt to wrestle free from each other. Shinkai nodded, but was still laughing as he wrapped his arms around Arakita’s shoulder, doing a very poor job at looking apologetic. Arakita clicked his tongue at Shinkai, slowly pushing them both down the small hallway towards the apartment’s front door.

“You don’t seem sorry at all Hayato.” Arakita murmured, spanking him again. Shinkai didn’t yelp this time –instead letting out a low moan, the sound setting every part of Arakita on fire.

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai panted, his laughter subsiding as he pulled closer, resting his forehead against Arakita’s. The two had stopped struggling against each other, now slightly swaying from side-to-side as they backed up closer to the door. Arakita let the arm wrapped around Shinkai’s waist slowly descend until both his hands were cupping the other’s ass. He lightly squeezed Shinkai’s ass cheeks, feeling the other leaning heavily on him as he did so, the redhead letting out another breathy moan at the sensation.

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai repeated, his voice barely audible over the sounds coming from the apartment. Arakita squeezed his ass again, relishing in the other’s reaction. Shinkai’s let out a small gasp; face pressed against Arakita’s, his lips brushing against the other’s as he inhaled. It felt as if Shinkai had literally taken his breath away. Somewhere in the distance, Arakita knew someone was calling his name, but he ignored it, the alcohol making his mind muddled and his thoughts scattered as he leaned back, attempting to get a better look at Shinkai.

He pushed Shinkai’s bangs away from his face, exposing his forehead as he ran his fingers between the unkempt locks, gently pushing further back until his hand rested comfortably on his crush’s neck. He watched as the other’s eyes droop close momentarily before slowly opening again. Shinkai’s mouth was parted, his tongue slightly visible behind his thick lips. Arakita navigated his hand from Shinkai’s neck to his jaw, his thumb brushing the other’s cheek as he did so. Arakita squeezed Shinkai’s ass again, watching his mouth form an O as he did so. His eyes were on the brink of closing again, and his face was flushed and warm.

Everything about Shinkai was driving Arakita crazy. He felt himself push closer to the other, his mouth parted and ready to kiss him when the sound of two consecutive smacks and a flash of pain made Arakita stop his approach.

“FUCK!” He bellowed, clenching his nose as he attempted to blink away the stars.

“Oh fuck! Sorry!” A familiar voice screamed from behind Shinkai. Arakita opened his eyes, looking forward to see his classmate’s head sticking out from behind the front door.

“Kouji you shit! Why the fuck would you slam a door open?” Arakita demanded, rushing to pull Shinkai away from the door, which was opening again, but at a far slower rate than before. Arakita saw that Shinkai was holding his own nose in pain, pulling back momentarily to check for blood. Arakita’s heart sank as he rubbed the back of Shinkai’s head.

“You okay?” He asked, worried that the other was seriously injured.

“I’m fine.” Shinkai sniffed, checking his hand again as he turned around to face the relatively large crowd entering Arakita’s place. He pulled Shinkai to the side of the hall so that his friends could enter his flat, not wanting anyone else to get hurt in the crowd. He knew his classmates were told to arrive around 10 PM, hence why he kept his door unlocked; telling them to enter whenever they felt like it, but holy shit was their timing bad.

Behind Kouji followed his other friends from their program, each person holding something either for the party or Machimiya. Arakita made them all take off their shoes before directing the majority of his friends to his bedroom, letting them drop off whatever miscellaneous items they ended up bringing with them. Jackets were thrown on the bed and backpacks were scattered across the floor. Arakita mentally sighed as he led everyone to the kitchen, noting that their game of Flip Cup had been momentarily put on hold as everyone said their hellos. He ignored everyone’s little socializing as he scanned the room for Shinkai, his party of 9 now becoming a party of 20.

Having no luck in the kitchen, Arakita moved to the living room to see that Shinkai was talking to Yuuto again. The younger Shinkai was sitting up now, the box of crackers empty, as well as the other bowls of snacks that were conveniently placed on the coffee table in front of them. Arakita plopped down on the couch beside Shinkai, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as he rested an arm on the sofa behind the other’s shoulder. The Shinkai siblings were arguing, not to Arakita’s surprise.

“Oh come on Hayato, it’s still so early! I haven’t even done anything yet!”

“Yuuto you’re already wasted. Besides, you promised you’d leave once people started coming in.”

“I’m not wasted!” Yuuto argued, trying to reason with their big brother. “Ask Arakita-san! If he says I should go home I’ll leave.”

Arakita exhaled, opening his eyes and lolling his head to the side to face the two.

“I don’t see what the problem is. Besides, it’s so crowded I don’t think anyone’s even gonna notice Yuuto for a while. What? What’s wrong?” Arakita hesitated as soon as he saw both Shinkai’s shocked expressions.

“Yasutomo your nose!” Shinkai sputtered, his hands cupping Arakita’s cheek, tilting his head to the side to get a better look. “You’re bleeding.”Arakita had ignored his nose’s condition, unfortunately far too familiar with the pain to pay much mind to it. He let his gaze fall on Shinkai, watching the redhead click his tongue in concern as he muttered “I think the bleeding’s stopped though…” his thumb caressing Arakita’s cheek as he spoke.

“I’m sorry I hit you Yasutomo.” Shinkai continued, letting his thumb stop around Arakita’s cheekbone.

“It’s not your fault Kouji is a fucking moron.” Arakita responded, not wanting Shinkai to feel responsible in any way for what had happened.

“No not that… the other time.” Shinkai said, looking at his lap guiltily. Arakita felt a flare of anger as he regarded the boy in front of him. Was he still worried about that?

“Shinkai!” Arakita warned, slapping his hand on top of Shinkai’s, pressing it hard against his cheek, his sudden outburst making the other jump. “I hit you too remember? I egged you on for a fight!”

Shinkai blinked at Arakita, slowly nodding as he let his words sink in.

“It’s fine! I’m fine!” Arakita added, removing his hand. “That’s all in the past now!”

Shinkai nodded again, smiling as he let his hand fall from Arakita’s face. Just then, Fukutomi walked into the living room, his hands on his hips as he regarded the two on the couch. Two? Arakita looked around, too late to notice that Yuuto had snuck their way out of the room while they were talking.

“You two ready to finish the game? The others want to start Beer Pong soon.” Fukutomi said, unmoving until they made to stand up. Is it my imagination, or is Fuku-chan really good at interrupting our little moments together?

Arakita didn’t bothering thinking too much about it, following the sound of laughter and loud chatter. The party was only just beginning, Arakita reminded himself, pushing past his friends to reclaim his spot at the table. He looked to his side to see Shinkai standing at his original spot, leaning over the table and winking at Arakita once their eyes met.

Just how much longer am I going to last?

Chapter Text

Shinkai walked back to the kitchen, pushing through the small crowd as he tried to reclaim his spot at the table, all while asking himself that one important question most young adults usually wondered after a few hours of drinking at a party.

Am I drunk? I’m not drunk yet am I? I can still think properly and stuff, its fine. He convinced himself, nodding to no one in particular as he mentally confirmed that he was, indeed, sober as fuck. He leaned forward to get a good look at Arakita, silently wondering if the other might have been drunk –unlike him. Arakita raised an eyebrow once he noticed Shinkai staring, but didn’t say anything, causing Shinkai to smile and wink at him before leaning back. Yasutomo looked really cute, regardless of what mental state he may or may not have been in.

“ALRIGHT ARE WE READY TO GO!” Machimiya screamed, earning a loud round of cheers from the newcomers crowding around the island. They started the match from Arakita’s side of the table once again, the taunting much harsher with the additional engineers surrounding their raven-haired friend. Shinkai looked around the kitchen, noting that everyone had bottles, cans or cups in their hands, and where either conversing excitedly amongst each other near the far end of the kitchen or watching the Flip Cup game unfold. Shinkai saw Yuuto only for a second before they hid from his line of sight again, disappearing behind Fukutomi and some other people whom he didn’t recognize. He sighed, turning to watch his team’s progress as he tried not to dwell on his younger sibling. Shinkai wanted Yuuto to go home, not because of what the others probably thought he was worrying about, but simply because the kid had school the next morning. They all did; but Yuuto had morning practice and lessons with teachers who knew their name and would recognize any odd behaviour such as a hangover –something university students were lucky enough to escape after graduating high school.

Shinkai pushed his thoughts aside as Ibitani successfully landed his cup face-down on the table. He downed his drink as fast as he could, but the other team had been a little ahead of his, resulting in Kinjou being able to get in a few more failed attempts than Shinkai before inevitably scoring first.

“Fuck!”

“How does it feel being absolute shit Arakita?” Machimiya teased from where he stood.

“Shut the fuck up Miya! It’s not like I’m the one losing us the win!” Arakita argued, leaning on the table and looking over his side to glare at Shinkai.

“Hey I’d say I was playing pretty well Yasutomo! Natsuki-chan just happened to be a game changer.” Shinkai argued back in an attempt to defend himself. He switched his gaze from Arakita to his little sister to see that her cheeks were painfully red and she was slightly swaying as she sported a lopsided grin. And yet, despite her drunken body language, Shinkai could see the fierceness in her eyes showing off a competitiveness in her he had never seen before.

“Okay I’m out.” Ibitani said as the others went for refills.

“Same. I feel like I’m about to burst.” Kana said, taking her cup with her, asking somebody else to take her spot. Shinkai worked fast, moving over to stand beside Arakita before somebody else could take his place.

“Hi!” Shinkai grinned at the raven, happy he was able to be closer to the other.

Arakita rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he pinched Shinkai’s nose rather roughly before saying hi back. Shinkai knew that that probably should have hurt more than it did, seeing as how the impact from his nose was the reason why Yasutomo’s own nose had bled in the first place, but the alcohol had made parts of his body feel numb, making the potential pain easy to ignore. That reminds me…

“Yasutomo… maybe you should wipe the blood from your nose?”

Fukutomi nodded in agreement, as did Natsuki and a few others who were standing on their end of the table.

“Nah, I’m gonna use this to intimidate my enemies.” He said, gesturing vaguely to his face while leaning forward with a fiendish smile. “Also, I need to remind Kouji why he’s an absolute dumbass.” He added, glaring at his guilty classmate, who also happened to be standing beside him.

“I said I was sorry, fuck!” Kouji half-heartedly apologized, hiding a smile behind his drink as he looked away from his friend. Arakita scowled, opening his mouth in a way that made him look ready to argue back, but Shinkai immediately intervened by roughly swaying his hip into Arakita’s side.

“Yasutomo don’t be mean.” Shinkai chided, grabbing both their cups and heading towards the kitchen counter.

“I wasn’t going to say anything!” He whined, but Shinkai ignored him as he left the island. The kitchen area was far more crowded than before, but also had a much larger variety of drinks, much to the redhead’s delight. Shinkai put both cups down and starting filling Yasutomo’s first, grabbing a new bottle of Bepsi that someone had brought as well as pouring in a small shot of rum.

“Hey, you playing that flipping game with them?” Somebody next to Shinkai asked. He looked over to see a relatively tall guy with short cropped hair and a friendly smile on what Shinkai would have assumed was a naturally angry looking face.

“Yeah, you wanna join us?”

“Sure, lemme just make a drink real quick.” He said, smiling at Shinkai as he poured himself some weird concoction. He must have noticed Shinkai staring, because after he had finished mixing his drink he turned to him asking “You want one too?”

Shinkai didn’t have a particular taste in alcoholic beverages. Besides his banana flavoured rum, he was usually down to try whatever his friends gave him, now being no exception.

“Sure.” He said, handing the boy his cup. Shinkai didn’t bother watching the other make the drink this time, instead looking around the kitchen for a paper towel. Once he found what he was looking for, he headed back to the counter, grabbing Arakita’s cup as well as his own.

“Thanks! I’m Shinkai Hayato, by the way.” He said, leading them both back towards the table.

“You can call me Suzuki.” The other said, taking an available spot across from Shinkai. The team arrangements had changed rapidly in the two minutes that Shinkai was gone. Kinjou had also dropped out, opting to pull up a chair from the wall and sit beside Fukutomi while Natsuki stood at the far corner of the island with Yuuto, who had apparently joined the game. Suzuki and Machimiya stood in the middle, along with one other person who Shinkai had never met before. On his and Arakita’s side of the table stood four other university students eagerly waiting to play, making it a total of 12 individuals playing instead of their previous 8.

“I gave them water by the way.” Arakita said, speaking directly into Shinkai’s ear, making the hairs on his neck stand on end at the sudden closeness.

“Huh?”

Arakita nodded his head towards Yuuto, eyes looking at their cup.

“Oh. Okay good. Thanks.” Shinkai smiled, bumping his hip into Arakita once again. “That reminds me…” He held up the paper towel he was holding, gesturing to Arakita’s nose.

“Shinkai the blood is all dried up now…”

“Yeah, and?”

“And so is that paper towel.”

Shinkai wiped under Arakita’s nose unsuccessfully for a second before his brain did them math, and a second longer before it registered Yasutomo’s words.

“Right…” He blushed, embarrassed that he had been so slow to understand. Then, without thinking, Shinkai licked the napkin before proceeding to wipe Arakita’s nose again, unaware that many pairs of eyes were on him.

“I fucking give up.” Shinkai heard Fukutomi mutter, confused as to why Kinjou had burst into laughter.

“Let’s start from Yamamoto’s side.” Machimiya suggested to the group, buying Shinkai some time to clean Arakita’s face. Shinkai personally didn’t bother responding, being far too preoccupied with the blood caking Yasumoto’s nose to say something, but the others around him agreed with Machimiya, so he continued wiping, slowing down his pace now that he had a bit of time before his turn.

“Yasutomo this feels nostalgic.” Shinkai said, cupping Arakita’s cheek as he swiped the paper towel in a downwards motion, putting a bit of pressure on his index finger wherever the dried blood was still apparent.

“Wiping blood off my face shouldn’t be something to fucking reminisce about, Shinkai.” Arakita huffed, raising his voice slightly so Shinkai could hear him over the cheers, as the game of Flip Cup commenced.

“But that’s how I learned that you were a sensitive guy who needed a more gentle approach.” Shinkai recollected, his smile turning into a toothy grin as he watched red blossom around his crush’s cheeks. Yasutomo is so cute. He thought, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on the other’s nose.

“Stop! Fuck Shinkai!” Arakita wailed, pushing Shinkai’s face away in a poor attempt to hide his own embarrassment. “Pay attention to the game!” He added when he saw that Shinkai was still grinning at him. Shinkai turned around to do as he was told, not wanting to be the reason his team lost. Luckily the teammate beside him had only started drinking his cup, so Shinkai had a few seconds to prep himself, his hand hovering near his beverage as the other landed a swift flip.

Shinkai saw that he was facing off against Machimiya, and didn’t want the other winning after all the taunting he did to Yasutomo and his team, so he drank as fast as possible, barely tasting the beverage as he poured it down his throat. It wasn’t until he was on his third gulp that the flavour kicked in, making it hard for him to take the final large gulp like he had initially intended to do. He flipped his cup, ignoring the tiny amount of liquid still in the plastic, glad that nobody else seemed to have noticed the relatively large puddle he had created on the table.

God what was in that drink? He thought, failing to flip his cup a second time. There seemed to be more alcohol than soda in his fucking beverage –and of different varieties too. Shinkai fought back a grimace, hoping the aftertaste wouldn’t be too bad. He successfully flipped his cup on the third trial, looking up to see that Machimiya had done the same a few seconds before him, leading to Fukutomi to be the first to drink between him and Arakita. And yet, even with the slight time disadvantage, Arakita was fast to down his Bespi, catching up to Fukutomi’s stage in the game instantly. Shinkai barely had time to give Arakita some words of encouragement before the other instantly flipped his cup, resulting in an onslaught of cheers from their team as well as their audience.

Shinkai and Arakita shared a hefty double-handed high-five, both simultaneously turning to flip Machimiya off as if they had practiced the act before.

“Wow, and you said I sucked.” Kinjou teased Fukutomi from his seat, his arms crossed as he smiled up at the blond.

“Shut up. I poured myself too much to drink this round.” Fukutomi argued, earning a laugh from the seated engineer.

“When you lose, blame the equipment, right?”

That earned him a gentle kick in the shin, momentarily distracting Kinjou from Fukutomi as the stone-faced scientist proceeded to sit on him, again telling Kinjou to shut up. Shinkai watched as bespectacled engineer laughed, wrapping his arms around Juichi’s waist and pulling him closer –the two continuing to throw half-hearted insults at each other in the process. Never in his life did Shinkai think he’d see Juichi so physically comfortable with somebody else, and he felt his insides howl with pride as he watched his childhood friend laugh warmly at the boy beneath him. Shinkai turned to Yasutomo, glad to see that the other had also watched the little scene unfold. Arakita turned back to face him, both smiling cheekily at each other, silently communicating that they were glad the party had successfully brought their two friends closer together.

“Well, I’m more or less done with this game.” Machimiya said, getting everyone’s attention. “Beer Pong?”

“BEER PONG!” Everyone screamed, making way for the set up. Some started explaining the game’s premise to others, while the majority of the crowd dispersed, moving to the living room. Among those that stayed around the island, it was decided that they’d make a tournament out of the game, that way everybody who wanted to play would get a chance to do so.

“Yasutomo, can you ask Yuuto to leave?” Shinkai asked, leaning heavily on the other to get his attention as he spoke. “I wanna take the kid home but I don’t think they’ll listen to me.”

“Suuureeee.” Arakita responded, leaning back on Shinkai before walking towards the two teenagers with Shinkai discreetly following close behind.

“Hey, you two.” Arakita said, wrapping his arms around both highschooler’s shoulders, not caring that he had interrupted their conversation. “It’s late. Time to go home.” Neither complained this time, both nodding drunkenly at Arakita as he led them towards the door.

“Wait! Hold on!” Kana called from behind them, making everyone turn to look at her. “If you two are going home I don’t mind taking you.”

“You really don’t have to Kana-san.” Shinkai interjected, not wanting two drunk girls and a fucking Yuuto walking home alone at night in the sketchy downtown area. Even though Yuuto was over a head taller than the two girls, their state was probably not optimal for fighting back anyone who may potentially harass them.

“Don’t worry Shinkai, I called my dad to come pick me up.” She said, punching Shinkai in the shoulder as she spoke, teetering a bit to the side as she did so. “I’m sure he doesn’t mind dropping these two off!” She laughed, dragging the two teenagers into a headlock.

“Kana-san, I don’t think pulling me into a 90 degree angle is a smart idea.” Yuuto croaked, looking pale under Kana’s grip. She immediately let go, allowing for Yuuto to stand up straight and lean against the door.

“Kid, if you throw up in Kana’s car…” Shinkai warned, but was cut off by their sibling raising a hand.

“I’ll be fine.” Yuuto promised, trying to reassure their big brother as they put their shoes on one at a time, using Natsuki’s shoulder to balance themself. “Just lemme have the window seat Nats.” They added after a second, speaking softly to the other. Natsuki nodded as they both waited patiently for Kana, who had left the hall to say bye to Machimiya, Ibitani and anyone else who she might have recognized at the party.

“Isn’t it a little early for her to leave?” Shinkai asked Arakita curiously. The other shrugged, stepping on his sister’s shoelace and dragging his foot back to untie the knot she had just created, looking more bored than concerned.

“Guess she has more important things to do than celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday.”

“That’s rude Yasu! She has an important test in the morning –don’t make her sound so evil!”

“Yeah! Kana-san is the nicest!” Yuuto added, frowning at Arakita. “She wanted to stay longer but she needs to sleep!”

“Okay I get it, I get it! Holy shit, calm down.” Arakita groaned, physically shutting the two up by placing the palm of his hands over their mouths. Both continued trying to speak for a bit before realizing their efforts were futile. Arakita removed his hands after a second, but the two exploded again, verbally attacking Arakita for being mean to Kana.

“She’s nice Yasu!”

“Yeah!”

“You need to stop seeing the bad in everyone!”

“Yeah!”

“Not every girl is like Riko!”

“Yea- wait who was that again?”

“Yasutomo do you really not like Kana-san?” Shinkai asked, interrupting what would most likely have been Natsuki’s explanation of Yasutomo’s ex –something he didn’t care to hear about.

“I dunno! I never really got to know her, but Miya always complains to me about her so I assumed she wasn’t that great...”

“Of course he complained to you! Who else would he complain to? His girlfriend?” Shinkai scolded. Arakita scoffed as he started kicking the shoes at the entrance in an attempt to organize them.

“I mean, I guess if Yuuto says she’s not a bad person, then…”

“She’s not!”

Before Arakita could slap his hand over Yuuto’s mouth again, Kana returned to put her shoes on, grinning happily as she did so, informing the two teenagers that they should go downstairs and wait in the lobby since her father would be there any minute now.

“Anyways, it was nice meeting you Shinkai.” She said, giving him a quick hug.

“Nice meeting you too.” Shinkai agreed, smiling as they pulled back.

“Bye Arakita.” She said, politely nodding to the raven. “Thanks for letting Eikichi have his party here.” She said, making her way towards the door.

“Oh my fucking God. Just come here already.” Arakita grumbled, pulling Kana into a hug. She laughed pulling back, obviously caught off guard by Arakita’s sudden friendliness. The three of them said their goodnights one last time as they headed towards the elevators, waving goodbye as they walked down the hall. Shinkai grinned at Arakita once the other had closed the door and turned to face him.

“She looked really happy that you hugged her Yasutomo.”

“What can I say,” Arakita smirked as he shrugged nonchalantly. “My hugs are the best.”

They were the best, Shinkai thought, recalling their hug on Friday. Yasutomo was warm and comforting and had rubbed soothing circles along his back just like he was doing now.

Hold on. Shinkai opened his eyes, unable to recall closing them in the first place, realizing that he was hugging Yasutomo. How did that happen? He wondered, tightening his arms around the other’s shoulders and breathing in deeply, mind momentarily going blank as he took in Yasutomo’s scent. Arakita smelled like shampoo, aftershave and alcohol, and Shinkai’s body reacted before his brain could catch up, his lips pressing against the other’s neck.

“Yasutomo you smell nice.” Shinkai mumbled into the other’s shoulder, dragging his nose across the flushed skin to plant another kiss on his throat before pressing his face against the crook of his neck. He felt Arakita tighten his grip on his back, pulling him closer until there was no space between them.

“Hayato, look at me.” Arakita said, resting a finger under Shinkai’s chin and gently pushing up. Shinkai did as he was told, straightening his posture so that their eyes met. Arakita’s lips were on his in an instant. There was no hesitation this time, no chance to allow for disruptions. Arakita licked his mouth open, forcing Shinkai’s lips to part, giving room for their tongues to twist and twirl around each other. Shinkai moaned into Arakita’s mouth, the engineer’s tongue warm and slick as it traced the insides of his cheeks. Shinkai tilted his head further to the side, dissatisfied with how their teeth was getting in the way of what could have been an even more intimate kiss. They both simultaneously licked each other’s tongues, this time Arakita being the one to moan as they backed up a fraction, both breathing heavily against each other’s lips.

Shinkai opened his eyes, his lids heavy as he felt one of Arakita’s hands descend, moving from his lower back to his ass. His eyes drooped shut again as Arakita squeezed, a tiny gasp escaping his lips at the sensation. They connected their lips again, noses slightly brushing before Shinkai corrected his position, letting his arms pull back so he could cup Arakita’s face in his hands. Their mouths moved rhythmically against each other’s, their chests pressing hard against one another as they kissed. Shinkai felt Arakita’s other hand trail up his arm, caressing his bicep as they parted a second time, their shared saliva slick and warm –forming a tiny string of drool that connected their lips as they panted, out of breath and aroused.

Arakita squeezed his ass again, and Shinkai automatically moved forward, the kiss sloppy this time, his mind hazy with lust and alcohol. When they backed up for a third time, Shinkai was a mess. He kissed anywhere he could access; Arakita’s cheeks, jaw, forehead, nose. He worked his way down the other’s neck, peppering kissing down his throat, his collar bone, over to his shoulder, licking and biting as he worked his way up again. The hand resting on his ass had travelled even lower, down Shinkai’s thigh to where his cargo shorts ended. Arakita then brought his hand up again, under the fabric, palm warm against Shinkai’s bare skin. Shinkai bit Arakita’s neck, trying to stifle what would have been a very loud moan as the other cupped his ass, his finger’s tracing the hem of Shinkai’s boxers teasingly.

“Arakita!” A voice called from the kitchen, snapping them both out of their lustful make out session. Before Shinkai could register what was happening, he was shoved into the bathroom, his head forced down by the sink, the rapid movement making his stomach churn. The lights were turned on a second later just as the person calling for Arakita said his name again, his voice much closer than before.

“Yasutomo?” Shinkai asked, straightening his posture, slow to understand what was going on. Before he could say anything else, however, his head was again shoved towards the sink, causing a second wave of nauseousness.

“Pretend you’re puking or something!” Arakita hissed, looking outside the bathroom door just as his friend approached him.

“Sure.” Shinkai said to nobody in particular, actually throwing up in the sink.

***

Shinkai inhaled deeply, painfully aware of loud music and noisy chatter filling his head. He exhaled, feeling a heavy pressure on his chest. He groaned, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to recollect the last few blurry hours at Yasutomo’s house. Okay, so there was that; he was at Yasutomo’s house.

What else though, what else? He felt brows crease and his forehead wrinkle as he racked his brain. Okay, he was at Yasutomo’s house because… they were having a party for Machimiya’s birthday. Shinkai swallowed, his mouth feeling extremely dry. He grimaced at the taste in his mouth, doing his best to ignore the sore, burning sensation in his throat.

I fucking puked. He recalled, groaning again. How did he puke? There was no way he drank that much. Maybe it was that weird mixture in his drink that that one angry looking guy gave him. What was his name again? Shinkai didn’t bother trying to remember it, his thoughts still muddled as he came to the conclusion that he was ready to open his eyes.

Shinkai opened his left eye first; half-expecting blaring light to penetrate his cornea, but instead there was only a soft glow coming from the distance. So far so good, he thought, opening his other eye, blinking up to see that he was staring at a ceiling. He turned to his left, observing that he was facing a crowd of dancing people. So I’m in the living room. He noted before looking down at his chest, wanting to see what was causing the pressure he had felt since waking up. After staring down at his torso for what felt like a very long minute, Shinkai came to the conclusion that the hand resting on his chest was in fact not his, but someone else’s. Before Shinkai could react, the hand moved, fingers lifting up only to come back down again, the gentle slap making Shinkai realize that he was resting on someone’s lap.

“Hey, you okay?”

Shinkai looked up to see Arakita looking down at him, the raven making a face Shinkai had come to recognize all too well; the I’m-really-trying-not-to-fucking-laugh-at-you face. Shinkai reached up, pinching Arakita’s cheek, forcefully dragging his head down so he could kiss his chin.

“I puked.” Shinkai noted.

“You puked.” Arakita confirmed, nodding down at the other.

“Even Yuuto didn’t throw up.”

“Even Yuuto didn’t throw up.” Arakita agreed, no longer able to hide his smile. Shinkai groaned again, closing his eyes as Arakita finally lost it and laughed at him. Now that Shinkai was up and alert, the music didn’t feel as painfully loud as it did before –but that may have been because his brain automatically drowned out any noises that weren’t Yasutomo.

“Shinkai, you look so fucking confused.” Arakita hiccupped, still giggling at the boy beneath him. “Do you even remember what happened?”

“We were making out and then I puked.” Shinkai muttered, now covering his closed eyes with the crook of his arm.

“Okay, so you do remember.” Arakita admitted, his hand now rhythmically tapping Shinkai’s chest with the beat of the music. “I wonder what it was that made you vomit. I know for sure that it wasn’t something you ate since you’re a fucking beast when it comes to food. Maybe it was the King’s Cup…” He speculated to himself more than Shinkai, his other hand absentmindedly playing with Shinkai’s hair. It felt really good, and Shinkai found himself rolling onto his side so that he could bury his face in Yasutomo’s stomach, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist. Arakita’s hand left his chest during the position change, moving up to Shinkai’s head to repeatedly tuck his bangs behind his exposed ear. Shinkai hummed at the sensation, feeling a dip in the couch on Arakita’s side of the sofa but ignoring it, far too busy relaxing to the rhythmic hair-stroking.

“Arakita you never told me you were dating a hot redhead.” Shinkai heard the voice say.

“Shut up! Why are you here? We still can’t play if that’s what you want.”

“Yasutomo you’re dating a hot redhead?” Shinkai interrupted, moving away from Arakita’s stomach to look up at him.

“Ye- no! What!?” Arakita stammered, looking down at Shinkai. “Shinkai shut the fuck up, you’re drunk.” Arakita complained, slapping his hand over Shinkai’s mouth. Shinkai obnoxiously licked Arakita’s palm, snorting as the other put more pressure on his mouth, slightly shaking Shinkai’s head in order to make him stop.

“Suzuki, we can probably play the next round, ‘kay?” Arakita continued, trying to ignore Shinkai as the drunk biologist successfully slipped his tongue between his fingers.

Suzuki. Shinkai mentally repeated, concentrating on the name despite Arakita pinching his tongue, playfully yanking it out of his mouth like a paper jammed in the printer. Suzuki….

“Ahh! Thoozooki! Yu azzho!” Shinkai exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that he needed his tongue to articulate his anger. He slapped the raven’s hand away as he turned to lie on his stomach, resting his chin on Arakita’s lap so he could look at the person sitting behind him, next to Yasutomo. Just as he thought, the angry looking stranger he had met moments ago sat beside Arakita, looking down at Shinkai with a sheepish grin.

“Hey.” He said, scratching his chin. “Sorry Shinkai.”

“Sorry? What?” Arakita asked, looked between the two of them confusingly.

“I may or may not have given him the Suzuki Special.” He explained to the host.

“You did what?!” Arakita yelled. Shinkai noted that not a single person dancing turned around, all his friends most likely used to Yasutomo’s random outbursts. He returned to his original position on Arakita’s lap, lying on his back after feeling the queasiness return from putting too much pressure on his stomach. Arakita’s hand automatically went back to stroking Shinkai’s hair as he yelled at his friend, asking him what he was thinking and why he thought anybody in their right mind would want his shitty cocktail.

“Hey! I didn’t know he had already been drinking with you guys!” Suzuki argued, his tone defensive.

“What’s the Suzuki Special even consist of?” Shinkai asked, saving Arakita’s classmate from another verbal assault.

“Honestly even I don’t know.” Suzuki answered, the only one to laugh amongst the three. “I just pour whatever alcohol looks good at the time. It’s my way of getting an insta-buzz.”

“You drank another King’s Cup”

“I drank another King’s Cup.” Arakita and Shinkai both simultaneously concluded in a comically similar monotonous tone.

“Yeah, again, sorry Shinkai.” Suzuki said, looking rather uncomfortable being glared at by Arakita.

“Get the fuck outta here Suzuki.”

“Yup, yeah. Bye.” He said, getting up and weaving through his dancing friends, back towards the kitchen.

“Fucking moron.” Arakita mumbled, watching his friend’s back as he disappeared behind the crowd. “You’re okay though, right?”

“Yasutomo are you drunk? You’re calling other people who aren’t me moron and its weirding me out.”

“Shinkai you’re fucking exhausting to talk to when you’re like this.” Arakita sighed, moving his hand away from Shinkai’s hair. Shinkai mentally whined at the sudden lack of petting, but kept his mouth shut as Yasutomo looked down at him. “Can you sit up? Or will you hurl again?”

Shinkai frowned, upset that Yasutomo took him for some weakling. Sitting up, he changed his position so that he was sitting on the couch like it was intended, leaning back heavily on the sofa. He felt extremely dizzy, but the moment passed as he concentrated on his breathing.

“I’ll go get you some water.” Arakita said, getting up and walking towards the kitchen. Shinkai rested his head back and closed his eyes, momentarily zoning out. What felt like seconds later, Shinkai felt a cold sensation on his cheek, making him jump. He opened his eyes to see Arakita sitting on his right, pressing a water bottle against his face.

“Thanks.” He mumbled, taking the bottle and opening it, pouring the cool liquid down his parched throat. Neither spoke, allowing Shinkai to drink his water in peace as both silently watched the small dance party in the living room. After a minute, Shinkai turned to Arakita nudging his arm to get his attention.

“How come none of your neighbours have made a sound complaint yet?”

Arakita scratched his head, wincing as he watched someone swing their arm painfully close to the television.

“I told ‘em ahead of time.” He said, his eyebrows scrunched as he scanned his living room. “Especially those living under me. Luckily, they’re out of town this weekend anyways, so…” He shrugged, trailing off.

“That’s good. Wouldn’t want you getting arrested again.” Shinkai teased, bracing himself for the punch he knew was coming. Indeed, not a second later did Arakita punch his arm, yelling him to shut up. Shinkai laughed, looking over at the other as he shook his head. “I still can’t believe you got arrested for getting into a fight. What did you do Yasutomo?”

“I didn’t do anything!” He argued, leaning closer to the other. “Miya and I were the ones trying to stop the fight.”

“Why did you get involved if you knew you were just gonna get into more trouble?” Shinkai snickered, wondering if Arakita was seriously the violent type.

“The fucker had a knife. There was no way I was going to let anybody else get hurt!” He huffed, looking over his living room again, eye’s jumping from person to person.

“Anybody else? Yasutomo, did that jerk end up stabbing somebody?” Shinkai asked, shocked that Yasutomo had faced off against someone wielding a weapon.

The next three seconds almost put Shinkai into cardiac arrest; the redhead absolutely stock still as he watched Arakita unbuttoned his pants and pulled down his fly instead of answering his question. The raven started pulling down the right side of his pants and boxers before Shinkai flew at him, grabbing both his wrists, stopping him before he could pull the fabric down any further.

“Yasutomo what are you doing!?” Shinkai hissed, faced burning as he spotted Arakita’s hip bone, fighting the urge to lean forward and trace his tongue over the protrusion.

“Relax dumbass, I’m just showing you the scar.”

The scar? Shinkai let go of Arakita’s wrists, allowing him to continue his previous course of action. Shinkai held his breath as the other turned slightly to the side, one hand holding down his jeans and boxers as the other held up the fabric of his dress shirt. Shinkai leaned forward, noticing a shockingly long scar on Arakita’s body. The pale disfiguration started right around the middle of his hipbone, running almost completely vertical to his body, down his right thigh.

“Holy shit Yasu.” Shinkai muttered, his hand moving on its own accord, inching toward the old wound. “You were the one the fucker stabbed?”

Arakita shrugged, tilting his body even further to the side to give Shinkai better purchase to his skin.

“He didn’t necessarily stab me. More like slashed.”

Shinkai clicked his tongue, letting his thumb outline the scar. He couldn’t believe someone had knifed Yasutomo. He could only imagine how much pain the other went through, the cut being in such a shitty spot. Arakita had probably fought off the guy and gotten wrongfully arrested first before he was given any medical attention.

“I wish I was there for you.” Shinkai whispered, his hand resting on Arakita’s warm skin, his thumb now unmoving as he regarded the other.

“You being here for me now is all that matters.” The other muttered, looking down as his scar, avoiding Shinkai’s gaze.

“Hey, if you two are done jerking each other off, care to join your friends in the tournament you both so rightfully claimed to be a part of?” Machimiya asked, apparently appearing out of butt-fucking nowhere, hands on his hips has he looked down at the two. Shinkai and Arakita immediately separated from each other, stammering their “It’s not what it looks like!”s and “I was just showing him the scar!”s, both trying to convince Machimiya that nothing sexual had taken place.

“Holy fuck relax you two. I’m just joking, I know you wouldn’t jerk each other off in front of 20 randos.”

Both simultaneously huffed and raised their middle finger at Machimiya, earning themselves a hearty laugh.

“Get up ya freaks.” He snickered, grabbing them both by the elbows. “You two are really fucked up for practicing flipping me off.”

“We didn’t practice Miya, it’s just a natural response.” Arakita said, readjusting his pants as he stood up. “I’m sure I’ve even seen some TA’s do it when you're not looking…” He trailed off, scanning the room again as a scowl tugged his lips.

“Was it Ueda? Fuck Ueda he can suck my-”

“Hey is it me or are there a lot of people here? Like 20 people?”

“Wasn’t there that much in the first place?” Shinkai asked, glad that Yasutomo had interrupted Machimiya, now looking around the room as well.

“Yeah but… there are about 20 more people in the kitchen.” Arakita said, glaring at the birthday boy as the three of them entered that very area. Indeed, Shinkai could see that the room was quite crowded, almost 15 people surrounding the island as they began setting up for the next round.

“Okay, listen Arakita. Some of our friends brought their own friends, and I wasn’t gonna be the one to tell them to leave after coming all this way.” Machimiya admitted, trying to look innocent but failing miserably.

“If anything breaks, it’s coming out of your pocket.” Arakita hissed, poking Machimiya in the chest before dragging Shinkai to the far end of the island, towards the walls where the chairs were still resting. They both sat down, watching Ibitani wipe the table as others refilled the cups with water and rearranged their positions on the marble.

“You know how to play this game Shinkai?”

“’Course.” He responded, glad that he had learned something in his first year of university, even if it had been a party game.

“And you’ll be okay to drink again?”

“This is Beer Pong not Suzuki Special Pong right?” Shinkai asked, laughing, partly at his own shitty joke and partly at Arakita’s mastered look of contempt. “I’ll be fine Yasu.” He added, playfully pushing the other by leaning heavily into him. Arakita huffed, leaning back.

“Good.” He said after a few seconds of light-hearted shoving. “I wanna kick every single ass I see here by the end of tonight.” He declared, getting up from his seat once the table was completely set up and ready to go. Shinkai could see a look in the other’s eyes, one not dissimilar to the kind Natsuki had sported earlier that night, making his insides churn in excitement. He always wanted to come out on top in Beer Pong.

Chapter Text

Arakita wasn’t necessarily in the mood to play Beer Pong, but he got up from his seat regardless, not wanting to disappoint his friends. Tonight was most probably the last night they could relax and have fun before midterms and important assignments would be thrown at them left and right, so he might as well make the most out of it. He eyed every last one of his friends surrounding the island, trying to remember each and every one of their weaknesses in this game. Beer Pong was the one game they all knew and played together often when they could, and Arakita wasn’t planning on losing the tournament and making a fool out of himself. Not this time –not in front of Shinkai.

“You wanna catch us up on what we missed?” Arakita asked, standing in front of the table, regarding the ten cups sitting in front of him, forming a pyramid. Each cup was filled one third of the way with water, and turning to his left, Arakita could see even more cups sitting on the kitchen counter, presumably containing the actual beer.

“Here.” Kinjou said, throwing Arakita a black marker out of seemingly nowhere. “Write your names on your cups.” He said, jerking his head towards two plastic cups sitting at the far end of the counter. Arakita handed the marker to Shinkai, wanting to hear what Machimiya had to say.

“We got through two matches while you guys were gone. Kinjou and Fukutomi faced off against Yamamoto and Miyazaki and won, and between me and Ibi, Kouji and Suzuki won.”

Arakita turned away from Machimiya to glare at his two fellow classmates. Suzuki gave a small shrug, still looking guilty for making Shinkai puke, and Kouji full out refused to make eye contact.

“So who are we playing first?” Arakita asked, noticing Shinkai write their names on the unclaimed cups from the corner of his eye.

“Us.” Fukutomi said, crossing his arms as he stood at the opposite end of the table, Kinjou moving to stand beside him. Arakita smirked. He knew Kinjou’s aim was bad if he didn’t bounce, and that he was rather quick to defend himself when taunted, often leading to his friend being distracted. Arakita didn’t know much about Fukutomi, but from what he could infer, his stone-faced friend seemed like the competitive type, which would more or less likely lead to his downfall.

“Yasutomo you look constipated.” Shinkai said innocently, standing beside the raven.

“Shut up!” Arakita scowled, the smirk gone from his lips. “Who starts?”

“You two can.” Fukutomi said, rolling two ping pong balls towards their side of the table. Arakita grabbed them both, handing one to Shinkai as he looked at the other. They briefly made eye contact, and Arakita could tell that Shinkai wanted to win just as bad as he did.

“Let’s fucking destroy them.” Arakita said, earning himself a lopsided grin from Shinkai, who nodded in agreement.

“Shinkai, do you know how to play?” Machimiya asked from the side of the island. He and Ibitani had both pulled up a chair from the wall and were seated in the middle of the table, getting the perfect vantage point for the game. Arakita moved aside, giving Shinkai room to widen his stance and take aim, knowing the other wouldn’t bother answering Machimiya’s question when he could just show him. Shinkai easily threw his ball into the opposing side’s cup in one swift motion before turning to Machimiya, grinning as he said “Yeah, I know how to play.”

Arakita smiled as he took his spot, aiming at a corner cup, wanting to make future shots easier by getting the more difficult cups out of the way while he wasn’t completely shitfaced. He flicked his wrist with what seemed like practice ease, the ping pong ball landing into the plastic cup with a satisfying plop.

“Rollback!” Ibitani announced, gesturing for Fukutomi to remove the two cups from the table and to return one ball to Arakita. Arakita handed the ball to Shinkai, too busy observing Fukutomi for any faults. The other was displaying his normal neutral face, but Arakita could see that his lips were starting to point slightly downwards in a small frown. Maybe a bad start would be enough to throw him off for the rest of the game. Shinkai landed the ball into a third cup, much to the other two’s frustrations. The game had only just started and they were already three cups down. Miyazaki passed Kinjou and Fukutomi their cups, and Yamamoto held up a can of beer, grinning cheekily, ready to dish out some refills. Kinjou offered to take the refill, their team now drinking three cups worth of beer.

“Fuku-chan! Don’t look like you’re about to die!” Arakita taunted, wrapping an arm around Shinkai’s shoulder and pulling him close, silently communicating that he should jeer his friend as well.

“Yeah Juichi! We’ll treat you to some beer when you lose, so don’t look so glum!”

“Beer is the last thing I want right now, Shinkai.” Fukutomi claimed, taking aim at their cups.

“Then stop being so bad!”

“I haven’t even played yet!” He argued, sounding agitated. That was the exact reaction Arakita was looking for, and he laughed as he pulled Shinkai close a second time, muttering nice to the other as Fukutomi took the shot. His ball hit the brim of a cup before bouncing off to the side of the table.

“Stop being so bad!” Shinkai laughed, repeating his previous words, much to Fukutomi’s frustration. Kinjou patted his shoulder before taking his spot in front of the table, looking determined to get his shot in. Arakita removed his arm from around Shinkai, ready to swat Kinjou’s ball away if his friend decided to bounce it. Unfortunately, Kinjou went for the lobbed shot, his ball landing into the middle cup, much to Arakita’s frustration. Since when could Kin-chan aim?

“I’ll drink it.” Arakita said, removing the cup from the table and handing it to Kouji, accepting his personal cup from Ibitani, who had gotten up to retrieve it for him. Arakita finished downing the beer before he looked down at his cup –and then up at Shinkai.

“Hayato there are about three too many hearts drawn on here.” He muttered, still astonished at Shinkai’s ability to make him turn scarlet at the smallest displays of affection. Shinkai shrugged, grabbing a chair and setting it beside them, placing his and Arakita’s now empty cup on top of it, as well as a few cans on beers, making their drinking experience a lot more efficient.

“I’ll keep it to two next time.” He acknowledged, filling Arakita’s cup with beer. Arakita shook his head, retrieving the two ping pongs. Shinkai’s going to be the death of me, I swear. He thought before turning back to the opposing side and taking aim.

“So when’s the wedding?” Suzuki joked at the worst possible moment. Arakita began sputtering a rebuttal just as he let go of the ball, causing him to miss the table completely, the ping pong flying over the cups in one fluid motion. Fukutomi caught the ball, smirking as he held it up for Arakita to see.

“Nice shot.”

“Fuck.” Arakita cursed, embarrassed that his self-consciousness had distracted him from scoring. “Sorry.” He added, refusing to look at Shinkai as he handed him the other ball.

“Don’t worry Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, trying to reassure the other. Apparently he hadn’t heard Suzuki’s comment, being able to easily land his ball in the other’s cup.

“You guys get 2 re-racks each, by the way.” Machimiya slurred, holding up his cup towards the center of the table as if he were making a toast. Arakita wanted to call the other out for being drunk despite it barely being past 11:30 PM, but he held back. He personally didn’t feel like he was all there, and he knew those who had come over earlier weren’t fairing any better. Ibitani was sitting down again, head on Machimiya’s shoulder as he attempted to pay attention to the game. Kinjou was sighing a lot, obviously exhausted, and even Fukutomi had trouble keeping his posture completely straight, swaying slightly whenever he attempted to stand erect and unmoving.

And then there was Shinkai. Poor fucking Shinkai was probably suffering the most out of everyone in their small group. From what Arakita could recall, Shinkai had had beer, his own rum, the King’s Cup, more rum, Suzuki’s alcoholic shitfest, and now more beer.

Arakita watched Shinkai as the other handed Kinjou and Fukutomi the ping pong balls, looking for any signs of discomfort or uneasiness. Shinkai’s face seemed to be suffering from the standard drunken perma-flush, and his eyes looked far droopier than normal, but otherwise, he seemed to be doing fine. Shinkai spewed another insult at Fukutomi, making the raven laugh. Arakita couldn’t help but think about how cute Shinkai was, the redhead still wanting to play with his friends despite his condition.

“Yasutomo, help me shit-talk Juichi.” He demanded, hooking his finger into one of Arakita’s jean’s belt loop and forcefully pulling him forward. Arakita held out a hand to stop himself from smashing into Shinkai, his palm resting on the other’s chest. Arakita turned to face the opposing team, trying to ignore how strong Shinkai’s pull had been despite his drunken state.

“Fuku-chan, I’ve taken shits with more personality than you!” Arakita exclaimed, earning himself a laugh from Shinkai. He automatically leaned into the other, wanting to feel his laughter vibrate through him, half-forgetting that he should probably hold himself back since his classmates where watching.

“Yasutomo I didn’t mean literally talk about shit.” Shinkai giggled, kissing him on the cheek. Arakita turned away in embarrassment just in time to see Kouji and Suzuki both look away bashfully.

Huh. Arakita thought, pushing himself out from Shinkai’s embrace, prepping himself to swat away any potential bounce shots Fukutomi may make. So Kou and Suzu aren’t good with PDA eh? We could use this. He speculated, just as Fukutomi lobbed a shot. The ball landed into the cup successfully, much to Arakita’s irritation. They still had to face off against the other team, and the less he and Shinkai had to drink, the better they’d perform. Before Arakita could snap out of his inner thoughts, Kinjou went for the bounce shot, the ball getting painfully close to the opening of a cup before Shinkai smacked it away at the very last second.

“Nice Shinkai!” Arakita exclaimed, high fiving his partner.

The two were able to slowly rack up points while denying the other team from their advances, Fukutomi and Kinjou only able to get 4 more cups by the time Arakita and Shinkai had gotten to their last cup. Arakita momentarily thought the other team would get all five redemption shots, but Kinjou missed their fourth cup, thus ending the game.

“YES!” Both Arakita and Shinkai screamed, their double-handed high five turning into a hefty hug.

“And the winner isssssss…” Machimiya started, prolonging his sentence for added dramatic effect.

“Miya they already know who the winn-”

“sssssssss ARAKITA AND SHINKAI!” Machimiya continued, ignoring Ibitani as he threw his cup’s contents at the winners.

“Miya, what the fuck!” Arakita screamed, lifting his hand a second too late, failing to protect his face from the droplets of beer that splashed off of Shinkai’s face. “You’re cleaning that up you shithead.” He continued, grabbing Shinkai by the arm and turning him around, wiping away the dripping beer from the other’s face using the sleeve of his dress shirt. Shinkai was laughing as Arakita wiped his cheek, his nose, his chin, the redhead apparently finding what Machimiya did amusing despite the mess he made.

“I don’t see how this is funny.” Arakita sighed, parting the other’s wet bangs so he could see the blue eyes hidden behind them. “You should probably go wash your face.”

“I probably should.” Shinkai murmured, grabbing both of Arakita’s wrists, slowly pulling them down and away from his face. Arakita felt his heart do a flip. He fought his eyes from automatically closing shut as he anticipated Shinkai’s kiss. The other leaned forward, a small smile playing on his lips before they were gone in a blur –the redhead shaking his head rapidly like a wet dog, splashing Arakita in the face with the residual beer dripping from his bangs.

“Shinkai stop! Fuck!” Arakita bellowed, failing to contain his laughter as he fought to break free from Shinkai’s iron grip. The redhead eventually stopped shaking his head, backing up alarmingly fast while laughing, nearly losing his footing. Arakita caught him before he could fall and hurt himself, pushing him past the sitting Ibitani and Machimiya, towards the kitchen.

“Miya get the fucking mop and clean that shit up.” Arakita demanded, pushing Shinkai towards the sink.

“Hey it’s still technically my birthday for a few more minutes.” Machimiya tried to argue, elbowing a passing out Ibitani beside him. “You do it.”

“What the fuck? Fuck you Miya clean up the mess you made.” Ibitani drawled, just as Kinjou appeared with a mop, handing it to the “still technically” birthday boy.

“Honestly you guys are all responsible for letting me continue to drink.” Machimiya muttered under his breath as he got up to mop the puddle he had created on the wooden floor. His friends cheered him on as he wiped the beer, some even breaking out into song, singing Happy Birthday and clapping condescendingly as he cleaned the spill. Arakita laughed at his friends’ creative display of disrespect as he washed his face, moving away from the sink to fish out a clean towel from one of the drawers once he was done. He wiped his face as he waited patiently for Shinkai to finish washing his own face, in no rush to get back to the others, knowing they’d still be in the process of setting up for the next match.

Arakita watched as Shinkai cupped a large amount of water in his hands before bringing it up to his face, washing his forehead, cheeks, mouth, and chin; anywhere that may have come into contact with Machimiya’s drink. He then lowered his head over the running water, letting the steady stream wash over his head. Concerned, Arakita turned off the tap, bending over to look at Shinkai’s face.

“You okay?”

“I feel like shittt.” He drawled, looking in Arakita’s general direction, his wet bangs curtaining his eyes. Arakita huffed, wiping Shinkai’s face with the towel, slowly working his way up to his hairline. Shinkai stood up straight at that, making Arakita hastily move the towel to the back of his head to stop his wet hair from dripping onto the kitchen floor. The sudden proximity made Arakita feel anxious and slightly queasy. He continued to towel Shinkai’s hair, unable to break his gaze from the other. He could barely think. His mind was blank from alcohol and static from Shinkai’s mere existence, his body moving in autopilot as he continued to dry Shinkai’s hair, a hand on either side of his head as he pulled the towel left and right, eyes never leaving the others’.

“Shinkai your eyes are amazing.” Arakita heard himself say, pulling the towel towards himself, forcing Shinkai to come along with it. He planted a soft kiss on Shinkai’s eyelid before resting his forehead against the other, feeling his cool face turn hotter at the lingering contact.

“Thanks. Yours are nice too Yasutomo.”

“Yeah fucking right.” Arakita scoffed in Shinkai’s face, wiping the spit he had accidentally spewed onto the other’s cheek before speaking again.

“They’re not blue like yours.” He said, planting a small kiss on Shinkai’s jaw.

“I just lucked out genetically.”

“Oh really?” Arakita smiled, amused that Shinkai didn’t seem to notice that he was steadily kissing his cheek without rest.

“Yeah! Apparently both my parents had heterozygous genes meanin-”

“Stop!” Arakita demanded, his kisses becoming more vigorous in an attempt to shut Shinkai up. “I didn’t. Ask. For a science. Lesson!” He said between aggressive smooches.

“But Yasutomo! It’s so interesting!” Shinkai argued, backing up a bit to get a better view of Arakita. “Getting the homozygous recessive gene is rare! Like a 25% cha- mmf!”

Arakita cut him off more efficiently this time by kissing him on the lips. He sighed against the other, feeling Shinkai relax against him. God. He would never get over how amazing Shinkai’s kisses were –how amazing his lips were. Arakita pulled back, letting the towel rest on Shinkai’s shoulders so he could cup the other’s face in his hands, his thumb brushing over his thick bottom lip.

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai mumbled, moving forward as he spoke, his lips brushing Arakita’s ear. Even though Shinkai’s breath was hot against his skin, Arakita still shivered at the sensation. The engineer sighed again; his eyes drifting close as he let his right hand travel to the back of Shinkai’s head, slightly pulling at the red and blue locks as he listened intently to the other.

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai repeated. Here it comes. Arakita thought, bracing himself. He was finally going to tell him what was on his mind all day –all week in fact. “You obviously don’t understand how amazing genetics is.”

Huh?

“Where’s the marker Yasutomo. I need to show you the punnett square. I’m sure you’ll appreciate it more when you see it.”

“Oh my fucking God Shinkai.” Arakita groaned, backing out of Shinkai’s drunken embrace and making his way towards the island again.

“Yasu come on! It’s so cool, right Juichi?” Shinkai argued, following the raven back to the table.

“Yeah.” Fukutomi agreed, now sitting on the chair Machimiya had abandoned.

“Fuku-chan, you didn’t even hear what he had to say!” Arakita spat, trying to get a good look at Fukutomi from behind Kinjou, who seemed to have taken residence on his lap. Ibitani was leaning heaving on his right arm, eyes shut, and even Machimiya was slumped against his other side whilst standing. Fukutomi looked like a fucking man-magnet, and if Arakita wasn’t trying to keep his agitated persona, he would have laughed at the sight.

“He’s probably talking about something genetics-related.” Fukutomi stated, much to Arakita’s surprise.

“Yeah… How did you know?”

“That’s usually his first topic of interest when he’s flat-out drunk.”

“Fuck me, who cares! Fucking start the match already.” Machimiya complained, resting his hand on the back of Fukutomi’s chair in an attempt to support himself.

They did start the game at that, not wanting to upset the drunken Machimiya anymore. Arakita and Shinkai were now playing against Suzuki and Kouji, both of which were probably still only recently dealing with a slight buzz. Arakita didn’t know if they could win, but part of him wanted to exact revenge on those two in particular, both of which had unintentionally stopped him from kissing his precious Shinkai.

My precious Shinkai?! Arakita mentally screamed, shaking his head vigorously and slapping his already reddening cheeks in an attempt to wake himself up. His thoughts were getting really fucking embarrassing, and it would only be a matter of time before he started saying them out loud.

“Let’s fucking do this.” He croaked, ready to get not only this stupid tournament over with, but the night as well.

***

Arakita was right to suspect that their performance wouldn’t be the best compared to the other two, and with every missed shot did he feel his frustrations grow. Suzuki and Kouji were able to ball 7 of their cups, causing two re-racks and a mere 3 cups remaining on Arakita’s side of the table.

Arakita cursed, checking to make sure his elbow didn’t hover over the table as he took aim. Shinkai had missed his own shot by a slight fraction and was now hovering behind Arakita.

“Yasutomo don’t miss!” Shinkai sputtered excitedly over the other’s shoulder.

“Shut up! Don’t mess up my concentration!” Arakita snapped, turning to Shinkai, about to ask him to sit down.

“Sorry Yasu.” Shinkai mumbled, kissing Arakita on the nose. The raven spun around quickly –mostly embarrassed, but stopped short when he realized that both Suzuki and Kouji had looked away again. Without taking aim, Arakita threw the ball, watching it bounce on the table once before landing in their cup.

“TWO CUPS!” Machimiya bellowed, taking on his self-proclaimed role as referee. Arakita ignored the cheering coming from the crowd of onlookers that had inevitably formed during the match. Kouji removed two cups from the table, making their side go from 6 cups to 4.

“Nice job Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, his palm out in anticipation for a high-five from the other. Arakita smirked as he slapped his hand against Shinkai’s, barely hearing the smack over the crowd suddenly Oohhhh!ing them.

What the fuck? He turned just in time to see Kouji going for a bounce shot.

“Fuck youuuuu!” Arakita hollered, slapping the ball away with such force that it went flying into the kitchen, hitting some unsuspecting person at the back of their head. He looked inside their cups to see a ball resting comfortably in one of them, much to his dismay. That fucking Suzuki had taken the shot while both he and Shinkai were distracted. He turned to the drunken referee, his eyebrow arched as if to ask what kind of shot it was.

“That was a bounce shot Arakita.” Machimiya answered, reading his friend’s mind. “You guys are down to your last cup.” He added from his seat. Fukutomi had returned Machimiya’s chair back to him, opting to stand and watch the final Beer Pong battle unfold. Kinjou had snagged a seat for himself, and so had a few other onlookers, making the island far more crowded than Arakita would have liked. Both he and Shinkai downed their cups, frustrated that they had let the other team score two easy points. Shinkai’s aim had gone to shit over the span of their match, and Arakita was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. After a few more minutes of playing, even though Arakita was able to score one more point, Kouji ended up getting their last cup.

Arakita cursed as the spectators cheered, chanting RE-DEMP-TION over and over again.

“You know the rules boys!” Machimiya roared, convincingly dropping the roll of referee to become the match commentator instead, explaining the game’s events for those who didn’t know the rules of Beer Pong and had difficulty following along. “Our losers get a chance at redemption! Arakita! Shinkai! All you have to do is sink all of your opponents remaining cups without missing and you’ll throw the game into overtime!”

Everyone cheered as Arakita rolled his eyes, wanting to tell half the strangers standing around him to get the fuck out of his house. Instead, he held his tongue, turning to Shinkai to hand him a ping pong ball.

“We can’t fuck this up.” He slurred, resting his hand heavily on the redhead’s shoulder. Shinkai nodded, his game face on as he backed up, giving Arakita as much space as he could so the other could shoot. Arakita asked for a re-rack, the three cups now in an organized pyramid, hopefully making it easier for both him and Shinkai. Arakita exhaled through his nose as he tried to clear his mind, focusing on a corner cup, wanting to leave the closer one in the middle for Shinkai. Somewhere at the back of his extremely dazed mind did Arakita know he was being ridiculous for taking a fucking party game so seriously, but he couldn’t help but fall victim to the competitive atmosphere. Arakita let go of the ping pong ball, watching it soar in the air and into the corner cup.

“Yes.” Arakita hissed, stepping back for Shinkai, not wanting to waste any more time. It was already a quarter past one, this final round of Beer Pong taking far longer than Arakita would have liked it to be. Interruptions like bathroom breaks, arguments over rules, and other general party-related disruptions constantly prevented the game from advancing. At one instance, Arakita had to stop himself mid-throw to prevent some random couple from sneaking into his bedroom to do God knows what. Arakita grimaced at the memory, instead forcing himself to bring his attention back to Shinkai, watching him push his bangs away from his eyes as he tried to take aim. Arakita held his breath as Shinkai let go of the ball. The ping pong hit the rim of the cup, bouncing off and landing into the cup adjacent to it instead.

The crowd was going crazy now, realizing that if Arakita got the last cup, then they’d still have a chance at winning the game. The pressure was on. Arakita wiped the sweat from his brows as he eyed the last cup. He was starting to feel sick, momentarily blanking out as he tried to battle the bile rising from his throat.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai began, massaging Arakita’s shoulders as slurred his pep talk, distracting the other from his internal freak-out. “You do realize if you miss this, you’re going to have to transfer schools.”

Arakita shoved Shinkai away, yelling for him to get off of him to mask his laughter.

“Shinkai you’re such a dick when you’re drunk!” He coughed, turning back to the last cup, the sick feeling completely gone thanks to the other’s bad attempt at lightening the mood. Arakita aimed, letting go of the ball a second later, watching it enter the last cup. Arakita turned around just in time to catch Shinkai, who had jumped him in his excitement. The crowd was chanting OVERTIME over and over again, some stomping their feet and banging the table for added effect. Arakita turned around, joining his hands together under Shinkai to hold him up as the other wrapped his legs around Arakita’s waist and his arms around Arakita’s head, cradling it as he mumbled good job Yasutomo. Again, Arakita caught the opposing team looking away, as did a few other strangers who were witnessing the party’s host getting rather comfortable with another boy for the first time. Having an idea, Arakita repositioned his head to rest on Shinkai’s shoulder as he looked at Machimiya.

“Hey.” He barked, grabbing the other’s attention from setting up the table. Machimiya looked up, an eyebrow cocked as he pushed three cups of water towards Kouji’s side of the table. “Two bounces in one shot?”

“That still counts as three cups in overtime, so its game over if you can pull that off.” Machimiya confirmed, looking amused at what his friend had planned. Arakita nodded, pulling back and releasing Shinkai from his hold.

“Hey listen Shinkai, we can win this in one move.” Arakita whispered to the other, half wondering if Shinkai was even capable of understanding his words at this point. “All you have to do is distract them while I shoot and its game over.”

“How do I distract them?” Shinkai asked, absentmindedly fixing Arakita’s shirt collar. Just like that. Arakita thought, looking over to see that both Kouji and Suzuki were extremely interested in the three cups of water in front of them.

“I don’t think those two are particularly big fans of public displays of affection.” He speculated, turning back to Shinkai to see the other furrow his eyebrows and let go of his collar.

“Sorry Yasutomo. Am I being touchy?”

Yes? But that wasn’t an issue for Arakita.

“It’s fine. We can use this Shinkai. Just uhh, keep doing what you’re doing, just while I’m shooting.” He said, his ears burning as he realized a little too late what he was asking his crush to do. Shinkai nodded in understanding, standing beside Arakita as their overtime match commenced. Three cups were set up on each side of the table, and after a quick round of rock-paper-scissors, the opposing team won the first play.

Suzuki was the first to shoot, missing the cups completely, earning himself a plethora of insults from the onlookers with Machimiya being –of course, the loudest and the meanest. Kouji was next to go, and although he was the more stable out of the two, Arakita was banking on him missing as well if he and Shinkai wanted a chance at winning.

Just then, right as Kouji had his shot lined up, Arakita felt Shinkai wrap his arms around his stomach, pulling himself closer to Arakita and the table. Kouji’s toss, which Arakita assumed was intended to be a lob not a bounce, hit the table first before smacking the side of the cup pathetically.

“Wow you weren’t wrong.” Shinkai muttered into Arakita’s ear, unwrapping his arms from around him a second later to grab the ping pong balls. Arakita laughed, accepting a ball and telling Shinkai to go first, deciding that he would be better at pulling a clutch if he had the last turn. Arakita regarded Shinkai as he took aim, wondering what he could do to distract the other team without disrupting his own teammate’s concentration. A simple kiss would probably be best. He thought, eying the back of Shinkai’s neck. The reddish orange locks were parted down the middle, exposing pale skin under the dim kitchen lights. Arakita took a step forward, but stopped himself. In the little bit of sense he had left, he knew kissing Shinkai on the neck would probably hurt more than help. If he learned anything about the other over the past month, it was that he was quite sensitive around his neck.

Arakita continued gazing at Shinkai, thinking back to the instances where his fingers trailed the back of the other’s head. He was able to make Shinkai moan a few times while they kissed just by squeezing the back of his neck. And now that he thought about it, didn’t Shinkai run out of the computer lab saying something about his stomach after Arakita traced his thumb over that area? What the fuck, that’s adorable. He thought, his epiphany disrupted by Shinkai turning to face him.

“Sorry.” He apologized, standing back for Arakita.

“S’fine.” Arakita said, realizing too late that he had completely zoned out during Shinkai’s turn, failing to distract the other team. Arakita ended up missing his own shot too, far too flustered now that the imagery of kissing a moaning Shinkai was fresh in his mind.

“Come on Arakita! What are you doing?” Machimiya complained while shaking Ibitani awake.

“Dude I’m fucking drunk! What did you expect?”

“Yasutomo you son’t deem drunk.” Shinkai slurred, failing to notice his own spoonerism.

“That’s because you’re even worse off.” Fukutomi said from where he stood.

“But even then, Shinkai is still doing better than you Arakita.” Kinjou added.

“You know it’s probably because Yasutomo has a mutation in the ALDH2 gene.”

“The fucking what now?” Suzuki laughed as he took aim for their cups.

“You hear that Arakita? You’re a fucking mutant.” Machimiya spat, howling with laughter.

“No, no! The majority of us here do! It’s a dominant mutation common in Asian individuals.” Shinkai continued excitedly, completely unaware that he animatedly swung his arm at the perfect time to slap away Suzuki’s bounce shot. The spectators cheered as Shinkai rambled on enthusiastically, continuing to explain how “Yasutomo probably feels the effects of alcohol more vigorously than me assuming he has that genetic mutation.”

“Fuku-chan, do you know what the fuck he’s going on about.” Arakita asked, wrapping an arm around Shinkai’s shoulders while placing his other hand over his mouth to get him to calm down before the redhead could start hyperventilating.

“Unfortunately, yeah I do.” Fukutomi said just as Kouji scored a bounce shot.

“FUCK!”

Arakita let Machimiya take two of their cups away and gesture for him and Shinkai to each drink their beer, now one cup away from losing.

“Fucking shit!” Arakita cursed, his burp tasting painfully like every bit of alcohol and soda he had that night. And what the fuck was that? He grimaced, smacking his lips in disgust. Was that cake? “Shinkai, please don’t fucking miss after all the hardships I’ve gone through.”

“You’ve gone through?!” The redhead complained, closing an eye in an attempt to aim down the imaginary sight. “You try explaining how genes work to a bunch of engineers! And to whatever that is.” Shinkai said, pointing to Miyazaki, who had somehow lost his pants within the span two rounds.

“Hey I’m not a thing okay? I’m a fucking enigma.”

“THAT’S A FUCKING THING MIYAZAKI.” Shinkai screamed, throwing his ball angrily across the table. There was of course too much force behind his throw, the ball ricocheting off Kouji’s forehead and hitting Miyazaki in the dick with a satisfying thwack instead of going anywhere near the cups. The crowd lost it, laughing and cheering as Miyazaki felt into the fetal position, cupping his crotch in pain.

“Shinkai –Shinkai look at me.” Arakita said, cupping Shinkai’s face in his hands, smooshing his cheeks together in an attempt to get his attention. “Shinkai if hitting Miyazaki in the dick was calculated, then I’m beating the shit out of you for wasting your aim on something so dumb.”

“Yasu, hitting him wasn’t dumb. I just did everyone in this room a favour.” Shinkai spoke through his forced fish face.

“Shinkai if we wanna win this you’re going to have to do that thing again.”

“Yasutomo I can’t shoot a second time… It’s your turn. Also as much as I wanna say I hit Miyazaki on purpose, that was totally an accide-”

Arakita cut Shinkai’s ramble off by squeezing his cheeks again, shaking his crush’s head side to side rapidly to get him to shut up.

“Not that thing!” Arakita hissed, getting close to Shinkai so nobody else could hear them. “The other thing.”

Shinkai stared at him blankly; giving Arakita what he assumed was the same expression he gave his exams after failing to study efficiently. Arakita leaned forward to kiss Shinkai on the lips, hoping the other would understand. To his a relief, a flash of understanding crossed Shinkai’s hazy eyes, the redhead nodding once to show that he knew what to do. Sighing, Arakita released Shinkai’s cheeks and turned back to face the table. He’d end it all with one shot –a double bounce shot.

The crowd was exceptionally rowdy, cheering and chanting as he held the ping pong ball steady. Arakita took aim but didn’t shoot, waiting for Shinkai. Not a second later did he feel warm arms wrap around his torso, and the familiar sensation of lips on his cheek, slowly trailing along the side of his face. Arakita ignored his pulsing groin, far too determined on winning to acknowledge the teeth teasing his ear lobe. He was milliseconds from letting go of the ball before he noticed the direction of the opposing team’s gaze. Even though Kouji and Suzuki were looking away from Arakita once again, their eyes were glued onto the cups. If I shoot now, they’ll still see the ball and slap it away! He needed another distraction –something within the range of their peripheral vision –something that would make them turn away completely.

“Shinkai, more.” He whispered at the other, too far gone to care about what he was asking him to do in front of the majority of his friends and classmates. Shinkai obliged, kissing and licking Arakita’s neck passionately. Still, Kouji and Suzuki’s gaze were stubbornly resting on the three cups in front of them.

“More.” He hissed, gritting his teeth at the sensation. The spectators were going insane at the suspense, everyone seemingly wanting to see a clutch play happen. Arakita didn’t know how much longer he could delay, and was on the brink of shooting just as Shinkai’s hand descended from his stomach to the front of his pants. Arakita’s gasp turned into a moan as Shinkai squeezed his crotch, the lewd act finally making both players look away in embarrassment. Arakita let go of the ball, watching it bounce once, twice, before landing into the middle cup with ease.

“TWO BOUNCES, THREE CUPS!” Machimiya screamed over the crowd. “IT’S GAME OVER! ARAKITA AND SHINKAI WIN!”

The kitchen went into chaos, the onlookers going ballistic over the change in events. Arakita and Shinkai had not only won the redemption shots after being four cups behind, but they ended overtime in a single move, the play almost unheard of in Beer Pong. Shinkai had let go of Arakita the second he scored, running around the room to high five anyone and everyone within the vicinity –except for Miyazaki of course, who he punched in the gut instead. Arakita watched amusingly, smiling at Shinkai as the biologist returned to him, both sharing a satisfying high-five.

“Yasutomo that was amazing! Is it just me or does your aim become better the more you drink?”

Arakita laughed as he watched Machimiya push through the dissipating crowd.

“It’s not just you!” He huffed after successfully squeezing through a few people to speak to the winners. “Arakita’s a fucking beast when he’s drunk! I swear the alcohol unlocks some part of his brain that makes him a genius.”

“Have you ever considered that I might just be a genius from the start?” Arakita retorted, slightly offended.

“No no –no way.” Machimiya and Shinkai simultaneously said, shaking their heads at the absurd scenario.

“Oh hey, since it’s not your birthday anymore…” Arakita said, pushing past Shinkai with his fist clenched. Machimiya immediately ran behind Ibitani, using him as a human shield, backing away from the kitchen with his best friend in tow. Arakita sighed heavily, suddenly feeling very exhausted. Would it be rude if he kicked everyone out of his place so he could sleep? He looked around the kitchen, realizing that even though the party game was over and people had scattered, there were still about 20 folks idly hanging out and chatting. He didn’t dare go in the living room to see how many people were there, but by how loud the music was, Arakita thought it was safe to assume that it was a big number.

“Yasutomo?”

Arakita turned around to Shinkai pulling on his sleeve.

“What?”

“I have to pee.”

“Then go?”

“There’s a line.”

Whoa seriously? Arakita peeked down the hallway to see two or three people hanging around the bathroom entrance, including Machimiya. Arakita was barely able to approach the other before he started running his mouth.

“Arakita, this is fucking ridiculous. As the no-longer birthday boy, I demand you let me use the bathroom in your room.”

“Why are you talking like such a prick?” Arakita snickered, his hand hovering over his bedroom door, which was poorly sealed off by his fold-up chair. “And I refuse. Nobody is allowed in my room but me.” He continued, opening the door for Shinkai to enter. Machimiya stared at him perplexed for a minute before punching him in the arm.

“You dick! I’m about to piss myself here.”

“Then fucking kick these people out!” Machimiya laughed but Arakita shoved his shoulder lightly. “Seriously Miya, someone is gonna make a sound complaint and something is definitely going to break.”

“Nothing is going to break Arakita.” Machimiya claimed, rolling his eyes just as a loud crashing sound and some Ohhs were heard from the kitchen.

“MIYA WHAT THE FU-”

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.” Machimiya urged, pushing Arakita back with too much force, the raven tripping over the chair and falling back into his bedroom.

“EIKICHI I SWEAR TO FUCKING GO-”

“I SAID DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.” He shrieked, locking Arakita’s door from the inside and slamming it shut.

“I CAN STILL UNLOCK IT FROM THE INSIDE YOU FUCKING MORON!” Arakita screamed, scrambling to get up just as Shinkai came out of the bathroom.

“Yasutomo, why are you humping your chair?” He asked, looking genuinely confused.

“Hey remember how I told you earlier that you were exhausting to talk to like this? Yeah, that’s still a thing.” Arakita grumbled, getting up from his place on the floor, using his chair for support. Shinkai merely shrugged as he starting patting down the jackets on Arakita’s bed.

“Shinkai, the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m looking for my phone.” He claimed, now lifting up coats and shaking them around. “I wanna make sure Yuuto got home okay.”

“Shouldn’t you stay away from your phone?” Arakita asked, moving to return his chair back to its original spot in front of his desk, slapping Shinkai’s ass as he walked by –unable to resist the temptation. Shinkai straightened his posture in shock, but immediately returned to his original task.

“The only person I’d drunkenly send a text to is you, and you’re here so…” He said, shaking another jacket. A loud thump was heard and Shinkai cursed, walking around the mattress to search the floor for where his phone had inevitably fallen to.

“Here.” Arakita said, turning on the lights to his bedroom. Both screamed in pain at the blinding light before Arakita hastily switched it off. “Okay, never mind.” He blinked, walking back to his desk. He spun his chair, positioning it so that he was facing Shinkai as he sat down, turning on the desk lamp behind him instead. The lamp provided enough light for Shinkai to search around the bags on the floor without going blind, as well enough light for Arakita to get a good view of his ass as he made suggestions for where the other should look.

“Found it!” Shinkai exclaimed after a minute of searching, holding up his phone triumphantly as he stood up straight and backed away from the mattress. Arakita was in the middle of congratulating him when Shinkai’s foot got caught in the straps of one of the backpacks sprawled across the carpet, making the redhead fall backwards onto Arakita’s lap.

“Whoa Shinkai!” Arakita snickered, his palms resting on Shinkai’s shoulder blades. “I don’t remember ordering a lap dance.”

“Yasutomo, I’ll have you know that my unexpected lap dances are lovely.” Shinkai joked, quoting himself from who knows how long back. Arakita’s laughter died in his throat as Shinkai began to move, swaying his hips to the beat of the muffled music in the other room. The sudden friction around Arakita’s crotch made prickles of pleasure course through his body. He grasped at the back of Shinkai’s shirt desperately, feeling his dick twitch at the other’s movements. Shinkai switched from swaying his ass side to side to rolling his hips forward instead. Arakita wrapped his arms around Shinkai’s stomach, pressing his face into the other’s back to stifle his moan as he thrust forward, his groin desperate for more contact.

Arakita sighed as Shinkai altered his pace, changing from the music’s rhythm to that of his own, his movements frantic on Arakita’s lap. Didn’t Shinkai have sex last time he was really drunk? Arakita thought in his lustful daze.

“Shinkai,” He mumbled, removing his arms from around the other but keeping his eyes pressed shut in the other’s back as he spoke. “Maybe we should stop.” They were both drunk and horny, but even in his current state, Arakita knew he didn’t want to be another nameless person who Shinkai just had a fling with in the heat of things.

Shinkai’s movements slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Arakita knew stopping while they were ahead was the smartest choice, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of loss as Shinkai stood up. Just as Arakita made a move to stand up himself was he brought him down again by a heavy force.

“Wha-?” Arakita was cut off by Shinkai’s lips. The redhead was straddling his lap, licking and biting Arakita’s mouth until the engineer parted his lips. Their kiss was messy and desperate and both university students tasted like beer, but the sensation went straight to Arakita’s dick nonetheless. When they parted to breathe, Arakita could see Shinkai’s eyes on him, his intense gaze moving from the raven’s lips to his eyes.

“Yasutomo, don’t for a second compare yourself to that other guy.” Shinkai said, kissing him again.

“It’s scary how you read my mind like that.” Arakita panted as they separated a second time. He felt Shinkai smile against his lips as he began rocking his hips once more. Arakita didn’t hold back this time. He grabbed Shinkai by his ass and pulled him forward, desperately rubbing his erection against the others’. With every thrust came a new wave a pleasure, but after a few minutes a dry humping, Arakita was fumbling with Shinkai’s pants, whispering more over and over again. Shinkai got the message and pulled away, getting off Arakita’s lap to unbutton his shorts. Instead of working on his own pants, Arakita watched, the dim lamp light behind him illuminating Shinkai’s bulge.

He gulped distractingly as Shinkai slowly unzipped his shorts, letting gravity pull them down to his ankles. Arakita grabbed the back of Shinkai’s thighs, pulling him closer as he leaned forward, kissing his cock through the fabric. Shinkai gasped at the sensation, bucking forward as Arakita traced the outline of his erection with his lips. Arakita let his hands glide up the back of Shinkai’s thighs until his fingers were trailing the hem of his shorts.

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai panted desperately, hips bucking forward once again. Arakita backed up, eyes never leaving the tented fabric in front of him, mind hazy as he regarded the wet patch of saliva and precum darkening Shinkai’s underwear. He moved his hands again, fingers now tugging at the waistband, pulling them down torturously slow. Arakita held his breath as he caught sight of the head of Shinkai’s cock. Without a second’s hesitation, he ran his tongue along the slit, momentarily forgetting to pull the rest of his underwear down, the need to taste the boy in front of him completely taking over his body. Shinkai moaned as he clutched Arakita’s shoulders, murmuring desperate “Yasutomo”s as the engineer ran his tongue along his member. Shinkai doubled over him, kissing and biting his ear as he ran his fingers through Arakita’s hair. Arakita pushed Shinkai back, his skinny jeans going from relatively-tight to unbearably-painfully-tight over the course of the night. He worked at pulling down his flier, his movements clumsy as he watched Shinkai step out of his underwear. Arakita barely had time to lift his hips and move his pants and boxers down to his knees before Shinkai sat on him again, straddling his legs. They both stared at each other, unmoving for a second –two seconds, before a blur a motion happened between the two. Shinkai was moving again, hips rolling as he rubbed his exposed member against Arakita’s, the friction almost too much for the engineer.

“God, ah- fuck.” Arakita moaned, hands automatically flying to Shinkai’s ass, squeezing his cheeks while simultaneously pulling him closer. He was sweating now –they both were, the close proximity and urgent movements creating heat between them.

“Fuck Shinkai.” He panted, one hand flying to the back of the other’s neck and squeezing as the other hand caressed his ass. The redhead predictably moaned at the touches, the sound low and deep; sending shivers down Arakita’s spine. Shinkai’s movements became desperate after that, the redhead practically bouncing on Arakita’s lap as he attempted to create more friction between the two, his lips missing Arakita’s mouth entirely in his hunger for more contact.

“Good aim.” Arakita laughed against Shinkai’s cheek. The other bit his jaw at the jeer, refusing to say anything as he continued to move against him. Arakita pulled Shinkai’s hair back until they were looking at each other. Their kiss was slow and sensual, their mouths moving rhythmically against each other as their desperate movements turned more leisure.

Arakita loved it. As long as they continued this pace, they’d be going at it all night. He was about to stand up –to drag Shinkai to the bed, but then the other did the unthinkable. Arakita gasped against the other’s lips as Shinkai brought his hand down between them, stroking their members together.

“Oh. Oh.” Arakita knew he was getting louder with every stroke, but he was past caring. He moved his own hand down, letting his palm cover Shinkai’s, helping him pump their members. Looking down, Arakita drew his thumb over Shinkai’s tip, biting his lower lip to keep himself from making a sound as he watched the other’s reaction. Shinkai moaned, head lulling back at the pleasure. One of his hands desperately clung to the back of Arakita’s chair while the hand touching their dicks let go. Arakita panted as he regarded the boy on his lap lean alarmingly far back as he continued to roll his hips, his lips parted and gasping as he continued rubbing their erections against each other. The raven let go of their dicks, his hands now grazing over Shinkai’s thighs, far too absorbed in watching Shinkai move in the dim lamp light to continue stroking them both.

The redhead’s movements were fucking lewd. He was still clinging onto Arakita’s chair, leaning as far back as possible while bucking his hips forward, his other hand clutching the raven’s knee in an attempt to balance himself. Arakita guided his hands along the other’s thighs, caressing them as his gaze moved from the other’s member –the tip shimmering in the light and bobbing against Arakita’s own cock, to Shinkai’s face. The redhead’s eyes were shut, his mouth slack and spewing tiny gasps, the steady stream of ah, ah, ah finally driving Arakita to move as well, the raven now bucking his hips along with Shinkai. After moving against each other for what seemed like an eternity, Arakita decided that he couldn’t take it anymore, opening his vest and pulling up his dress shirt to reveal his stomach.

“Hayato. Hayato come back.” He panted, urging the other to move forward again. Shinkai did as he was told, leaning heavily onto Arakita so they could reconnect their lips. Arakita proceeded to pull Shinkai’s shirt up as well, his other hand pulling the redhead forward until there was no room between them. The friction between their stomachs was intense –the dragging of their cocks against raw skin sending wave after wave of pleasure through Arakita, the sensation turning his feeble hics into vulgar moans. He was close –so painfully close to climaxing. The heat between them was becoming suffocating and their kissing had turned downright messy, saliva now dribbling down the corners of Arakita and Shinkai’s mouth as their tongues danced around each other. In one last frantic attempt at reaching his peak, Arakita dragged his hands to Shinkai’s ass, squeezing the other’s buttocks savagely, relishing in the reaction that got. Shinkai wrapped his arms around Arakita’s shoulder, screaming his name as he convulsed against the other. Arakita kept moving, realizing a second later that the slick feeling around his cock meant that Shinkai had just come on him. With that newly attained piece of information, along with Shinkai kissing and biting his neck, all it took was a few more desperate thrusts to push Arakita over the edge.

“Oh God.” Arakita cried, shuddering as the tension in his balls rose sharply before releasing. “Ah fuc-” Arakita cut himself off by biting Shinkai’s shoulder, moving against his orgasm as he released his load onto their stomachs.

Arakita continued tracing his lips along Shinkai’s neck, his movements slow and lazy as he attempted to catch his breath. The other still had his arms wrapped around Arakita’s shoulders, panting into his ear, tilting his head to the side to give the engineer better access to his sweaty skin. Arakita kissed Shinkai a bit more, relishing in the other’s taste and the comfortable silence that came with their post-orgasm.

“Yasutomo, can I borrow a shirt?” Shinkai asked after a few minutes, leaning back to show the other the trail of semen darkening the lower regions of the white fabric. Arakita nodded, his head spinning as the other weakly got off his lap.

The pressure on his legs was gone in an instant, and with it the heat was absent as well. Arakita almost pulled Shinkai back, realizing that he wanted to hug him for a little bit longer, but the sound of screaming and laughing outside brought him back to reality –the music in the background suddenly cutting off reminding him where he was.

His friends were in apartment. Strangers were in his apartment. No matter how drunk and boneless Arakita may have been, he knew he needed to get back out there to make sure everything was okay. He inhaled deeply as he moved to stand, pushing Shinkai towards the bathroom after retrieving the other’s shorts and underwear, not daring turning on the lights as he fished around for a towel. He wiped himself off before handing the cloth to Shinkai, pulling up his pants silently as he let the other clean himself.

“Lemme find you something to wear.” Arakita slurred, heading back to his bedroom, hastily looking through his closet for a white t-shirt, despite his room’s darkness. With every coloured piece of clothing Arakita shifted through, realization of what he had just done slowly hit him until he forgot about his task completely.

Shinkai and I seriously just did that. He thought, swallowing back his nervousness. Would things be okay between them? Would Shinkai even remember any of this in the morning? Would he remember any of this in the morning?! He got to the end of the closet before a knock on the door snapped him out of his mildly drunken panic attack. He hurriedly searched through his clothes a second time, carelessly selecting the lightest shirt he could find and running back into the bathroom, handing the material to Shinkai before making his way to the door. Arakita remembered to fix his hair right as the person behind the door knocked a second time. After unlocking and twisting the knob open, Arakita blinked at the hall lights, eyes in pain as he faced Machimiya. His friend looked a little pale as he twisted a strand of his hair guiltily.

“Okay so, some things broke that I promise I’ll take care of and the cops kinda paid us a little visit, but don’t worry! I took care of that too. I’m kicking people out now but there may or may not have been an accident or two in the kitchen regarding vomit but I’ll deal with that in the morn-.” Machimiya rambled on, speaking far too quickly for Arakita’s current state. The raven glared at his friend until he stopped talking.

“What the fuck broke Miya?” He said after a minute, realizing that his priorities were probably not up to par with his sober self.

Machimiya led Arakita to the kitchen just as the last group of kids walked out of his flat, his head hung low as he entered the now empty room. Arakita looked around, his nose scrunching at the smell of whatever that was.

“Ok where is it?” He asked his friend, who still refused to look up. “What broke?”

Machimiya’s eyes were glued to the ground as he said “That.” Arakita followed his gaze, his eyes widening as he finally noticed the gigantic chunk of wood missing from his kitchen floor.

“Holy shit.” Arakita mumbled, his knees suddenly going weak. He knelt on the floor, looking at the ugly gap in front of him. “Holy shit.” He repeated, at a complete loss for words. How the fuck could a few drunken kids break and dislodge the wooden tiling from his kitchen floor within the few minutes that he was gone?

“I’ll fix it all. I promise.” Machimiya assured, sitting down beside him. Arakita didn’t doubt it. Machimiya was a mechanical engineer for fucks sake –but still.

“Dude.” Arakita croaked, gesturing to the gaping hole in front of him.

“I’ll fix it.”

“What else is broken? You said some things broke.”

“Maybe we should leave it at this for now.” Kinjou said, appearing in front of them.

“Is it that bad?” Arakita whispered, terrified to go into his living room.

“Let’s just say it’ll be a while before you’re willing to host another party.” Kinjou admitted, sitting on the other side of the broken floor, removing his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. The silence, bright lights, and the sinking feeling of impeding doom sobered all three engineers up quite efficiently. They quietly sat in their little circle of regret for a few minutes before Arakita moved to stand again.

“Where’s Ibi and Fuku-chan?” He asked quietly, looking down at his friends.

“Ibi’s asleep on the couch.”

“And Fukutomi’s cooling off in the balcony.”

“Do you guys want the futon?” Arakita asked. Despite everything that had happened, he would never dream of asking his friends to leave.

“I’m good.” Machimiya said, also moving to stand up.

“Kin-chan?”

“I’m going home.” Kinjou declared, replacing his glasses on his face and extending his arms out. Arakita and Machimiya each grabbed hold of one of his hands, pulling him up effortlessly.

“And Fuku-chan?”

“He said he’s going home too.” Kinjou shrugged. Arakita nodded, battling to keep his eyes open. The day’s events were finally catching up with him and he was desperate to pass out.

“And all the backpacks and shit people left in my room?”

Machimiya sighed, scratching his head. “Guess they’ll fucking have to come pick it up tomorrow or something.” He huffed, irritated.

“Okay then.” Arakita droned, ready to put the conversation to rest. He extended his arms out expectantly, waiting for his friends to follow suit. They immediately copied his action, conforming to his small group hug.

“Goodnight,” Arakita said to his friends, before turning specifically to Machimiya. “And a happy fucking birthday you.” He continued, giving his friend a not-too-gentle head butt.

They said their goodnights, before going their separate ways, Kinjou going to the balcony to get Fukutomi, Machimiya going to the living room to join a sleeping Ibitani, and Arakita returning to his bedroom.

Arakita walked into his room quietly after shutting off the lights outside, first checking the bathroom to see if Shinkai was still hanging out in there. When he saw that it was empty, he moved silently to his mattress, noticing the faint sound of snoring. It took him a minute to realize that Shinkai had passed out on his bed, the redhead sprawled on his back and completely gone to the world. Arakita crawled onto the mattress, pushing Shinkai’s leg out of the way, momentarily waking him up.

“Move over.” He murmured, throwing a jacket off his bed as he positioned himself beside Shinkai. The other mumbled something completely unintelligible as he shifted away from Arakita.

The last thing Arakita remembered was feeling a light peck on his nose and Shinkai whispering Goodnight Yasutomo before passing out completely.

Chapter Text

Shinkai woke up to a faint buzzing noise, the steady sound making him inhale deeply as he came into consciousness. He had no idea what time it was, but he didn’t need to know specifics to come to the conclusion that it was way too fucking early for him. He tried to ignore the noise, and eventually it ceased, but after three minutes of blissful silence, the second Shinkai felt himself lulling back into a sleep-like state, the sound persisted again. His throat was sore and his head hurt like hell; the last thing he needed right now what whatever the fuck was causing that buzzing. He groaned, attempting to open his eyes and track the source of the noise, but stopped himself the second he felt movement in front of him. Did he let Usakichi out of her cage last night? Shinkai usually didn’t let his rabbit sleep on the bed with him, but it was known to happen from time to time when she was looking mopey in her cage or he himself felt a little dejected from school and work.

And then Usakichi sighed, her hot breath making Shinkai’s bangs flutter momentarily before they fell back over his head. That sigh was startling. Shinkai had never heard her sigh like that; never expected her tiny rabbit nose to produce that much hot air. Even though alarm bells were ringing at the back of Shinkai’s head, his brain chose to ignore them, his thoughts still trying to make the Usakichi is in my Bed scenario make sense. Maybe she just farted in his face, irritated by the noisy sound of what Shinkai finally came to realize was a phone’s alarm. Yeah. All those conclusions sounded about right.

I’d make such a good detective. He thought, lifting a hand to pet his bunny, still unable to open his eyes. The first pet went by completely unnoticed by Shinkai. Usakichi’s fur was smooth and radiating heat. It wasn’t until he pet her a second time –dragging his hand across her body, searching to scratch her ear that he stopped his petting, troubled by the sensation. Why did her fur suddenly end? What was this smooth surface he was caressing?

“Shinkai.”

Shinkai chuckled. Since when did his baby girl have such a deep voice? Since when could she speak in general? Since when…?!

His eyes flew open, realizing that he wasn’t home and that wasn’t his rabbit he was caressing, but rather, Yasutomo’s face.

“OH GOD!” He shrieked, startled, flying back off the mattress.

Shinkai’s landing was softened by the backpacks and jackets sprawled on the floor, and luckily for him, Arakita’s bed was close enough to the ground that he didn’t hurt himself. Unfortunately, that still didn’t stop the shooting pain from rising to his aching head as he landed on the floor with a heavy thud.

“Holy shit Shinkai.” Arakita said after a minute, crawling over to the edge of the bed to look down at the disgruntled boy. “Is this how you always wake up? Because if so, you should seek professional help.”

Shinkai groaned as he turned to his side, his back to Arakita. In that moment, he decided that it was in his best interest to just lay there and pray this was all a dream.

“Shinkai, get up.” Arakita demanded softly, leaning over his mattress to prod Shinkai’s shoulder. Okay, this was definitely not a dream, Shinkai concluded, his skin tingling where Arakita had just poked him.

“No I think I’m just going to sleep here, thanks.” He grumbled. There was no fucking way he was going to get back on that bed after accidentally molesting Yasutomo’s face with his hand. Just then, the phone’s alarm went off again, bringing both their attentions to the persistent buzzing sound.

“Fucking turn off your phone Yasutomo.” Shinkai complained, repositioning a backpack under his head, attempting to use it as a makeshift pillow. His words may have come out as harsh, but hangovers and embarrassment didn’t really make him a pleasant person to talk to in the mornings. Arakita grumbled at that, and Shinkai heard him shift through the covers in an attempt to find the source of the alarm. After what felt like far too long, the engineer eventually found his phone, turned off the alarm, and lightly dropped the cellular device onto Shinkai’s hip, making the redhead flinch.

“Seriously Shinkai, get up.” He repeated. Shinkai didn’t move, straining his ears, wondering what the other would do. He heard Arakita sigh as his feet padded softly on the carpet behind him. “I’m going to go shower. You can sleep on the bed Hayato.”

Shinkai felt his face grow hot and his stomach flip at the sound of his first name. He thought he’d be used to it by now. Yasutomo had said his name plenty of times before, but for some reason, Shinkai couldn’t help but notice how different it felt this morning –as if something had changed. He chose to ignore it, sitting up from where he was sprawled the second he heard the bathroom door click shut. He sat like that for a minute, blinking past the dizziness before making to stand up. Just as he had fully risen to his feet did he notice Arakita’s phone on the floor under him. He picked it up, turning on the screen to get the time. He huffed as he sat on Arakita’s bed again. It was barely 7 fucking AM. Why was Yasutomo getting up at 7 AM on a Monday? He knew the other had morning classes but he didn’t actually think the other would commit to them after the party they just had. Shinkai sighed, lying back down on the bed, pulling the covers over his shoulders. He immediately felt his eyes droop shut, the distant hum of running water lulling him to sleep. At the very far back of his consciousness, a small voice appeared, bringing to Shinkai’s attention the fact that Yasutomo had a picture of him set as his phone’s background, but the redhead passed out before he could make anything out of that little piece of information.

***

Shinkai woke up for a second time that day, this time to the feeling of his stomach rumbling and cramping in hunger. His pounding headache was still there, but not nearly as apparent as before, the dull throbbing masked by other aches and pains scattered throughout his body. He shifted his pillow so that his cheek wasn’t resting directly on the puddle of drool he had created, grimacing at the disgusting taste in his mouth. Shinkai felt like absolute shit. His throat was parched and in pain, his eyes felt dry, his stomach was in turmoil, and his thighs hurt.

After a minute of breathing through his nose, trying to hold back the bile threatening to make its way up his throat, Shinkai sat up and looked around. This time he wasn’t shocked to realize that he wasn’t in his own bedroom. Instead, Shinkai calmly did what he did every morning when he wasn’t in a rush to get out of the house. He rubbed his eyes, ruffled his own hair and stretched, grunting loudly as his back cracked. He slumped in his sitting position, tempted to lie back down, but the sound of loud laughter brought him back to attention. Shinkai slowly got off the bed, picking out the discharge accumulated in the corners of his eyes just as Arakita walked into the bedroom.

“Morning princess. You look like shit.”

“That’s incredibly disrespectful Yasutomo. I’ll see to it that you’re executed as soon as possible.”

“Can that wait ‘til after breakfast?”

Shinkai tried pushing past Arakita, the promise of breakfast cutting off any witty retorts he may have had.

“Whoa there, no. Stop.” Arakita scowled pushing Shinkai back. The redhead knew Yasutomo was trying not to smile, but he frowned back anyways, upset that he was being kept away from food. “I haven’t actually made any breakfast. I was about to go out and buy some now.” He said, guiding Shinkai towards the bathroom.

“Yasutomo didn’t you leave for class? Why are you still here?”

“I mean, I was going to go to class but then I remembered everything that happened last night and decided not to risk breaking down in front of the prof.”

“What the fuck happened last night?” Shinkai asked, confused. Arakita stopped at that, hesitating as he picked out clean clothes and a freshly laundered towel for Shinkai.

“Uhh… A few accidents happened last night. While we were gone…” He answered quietly; speaking in what Shinkai realized was a careful tone. What was Yasutomo being so cautious about?

“Anyways,” Arakita continued, snapping Shinkai out of his trail of thought by shoving the clean clothes into his hands. “Go shower. You smell like shit.”

“Again, this is no way to treat your princess Yasutomo.” Shinkai huffed, feigning loyal arrogance as he set his clothes near the bathtub. Arakita scoffed, taking out an unused toothbrush for the redhead before making his way towards the exit. “I’ll be back in 30 minutes or so. Machimiya and Ibitani are still here by the way. Don’t let them weasel you into cleaning, alright?”

“Yeah yeah, go get me food.” Shinkai droned, waving him off. He swore he heard Arakita mutter something about seriously acting like a fucking princess, but Shinkai ignored it, shutting the bathroom door and stepping under the shower. He washed the night’s sweat and grim away, sighing heavily as the warm water rained over him. The dull ache in his brain was still there, but Shinkai suspected it would be gone by the time he got some food in himself. He washed his hair first, borrowing Yasutomo’s shampoo, before cleaning his body. He worked quickly, scrubbing his limbs with soap, letting the bubbly suds cover his arms, his chest, down to his legs and privates. Shinkai’s brows automatically furrowed as he began washing the soap off, his brain throwing little pieces of memory at him as he worked his way down to his dick. Shinkai primarily remembered having a naughty dream last night, but had immediately dismissed it as his drunken desires taking over his mind. Still –that didn’t explain the other things he started remembering from that night.

He had kissed Yasutomo immediately after drinking the King’s Cup –that had been a certainty. Shinkai groaned, resting his head on the tiled wall of the shower, ashamed of his actions. It had been way too early for him to blame being wasted on that little stunt, even though Yasutomo didn’t seem upset about it.

In fact… Shinkai straightened up, finishing his shower and turning off the water. Didn’t we kiss more after that? The memories slowly started coming back; little flashes of a kiss here, a touch there, certain exchange of words… tiny events started bombarding Shinkai’s aching brain reminding him of last night’s party. He promptly dried himself off with the towel Yasutomo had lent him before grabbing clean boxers and putting on borrowed gym shorts. He opened the bathroom door after that, letting the cooler air come in and help clear away the foggy mirror before grabbing the toothbrush Arakita had taken out for him. He opened the package and got to work brushing his teeth, scrubbing away at the disgusting aftertaste. They had definitely kissed and flirted a few times, but nothing too extreme. And yet…

If that were the case, why was Yasutomo speaking so carefully around me just now?

Shinkai didn’t have to wonder much longer, the redhead making the mistake of looking to his left. There was a pile of dirty clothes thrown at the corner of the bathroom, adjacent to the bathtub, belonging to him, Arakita and what he assumed were Machimiya and Ibitani’s clothes. He had thrown his cargo shorts and light blue shirt on the very top of the pile, promising himself to take it home, not wanting to burden Yasutomo with laundry when he paused.

I didn’t wear that shirt coming into the party. He mused, looking carefully at the pile of clothes, all while continuing to brush his teeth. Shinkai glared at his shorts and the t-shirt, trying to rack his slow brain as he observed the dirty clothes thrown at the top of the pile.

Wait. Didn’t he take off his white shirt last night? He distinctly remembered Yasutomo handing him something to wear while he was in the bathroom… In the bathroom doing what? Shinkai started rummaging through the pile, trying to find his t-shirt. Maybe he was in the bathroom because he had to pee? He did recall doing that, but something didn’t match. Why would he need different clothes after peeing? Did he spill beer on himself? Shinkai stopped his questions the second he found his white t-shirt holding it up to get a better look. It took him a second, but he eventually noticed a small patch of wetness near the bottom of his shirt. Shinkai’s stomach did a flip as he carefully laid the shirt on the bathroom counter. He hastily finished brushing his teeth and drying his face before bringing his attention back to the shirt.

It’s not stained a specific colour, so why hasn’t it dried yet? He pondered, running his thumb over the stain. Oh. The stain had a slick and slimy feeling oppose to the standard wet feeling Shinkai assumed he was going to feel. Oh God. He threw the shirt under the pile again, feeling his entire body grow hot at the realization of what caused the stain.

I thought that was a fucking dream!

He rushed out of the bathroom, towards Arakita’s desk. If lasts night’s event truly happened –if they weren’t just some figment of his imagination, then his phone should be where he placed it… during their… while they were…

Uwahhh! Shinkai’s face was burning as he approached the table. He spotted his phone, reaching over Arakita’s chair to grab it, that very action being what made everything connect. Where he was standing, in front of the fold-up chair facing the bed, the way his hand was extended forward, it all brought flashes of memories from the night before. That explains why my thighs feel like I did squats the day before.

Shinkai zombie-walked back into the bathroom, one hand covering his scarlet face as the other clutched his phone to his chest. How desperate had he acted last night to get to that point with Yasutomo? He decided it was best not to torment himself over it, his pounding headache back and prevalent as ever as he pulled the clean shirt Yasutomo set for him over his head. He fixed his hair as best as he could, buying himself some time to cool off before leaving the bedroom to join Machimiya and Ibitani. He looked at his reflection, playing with his messy locks until his face looked a shade less red. That was; before he spotted it.

Shinkai just about head butted the large mirror in Arakita’s bathroom as he leaned forward, his eyes falling onto the marks along his neck.

“Shinkai! Are you taking a shit or something?” Machimiya called from the kitchen, his voice distant despite the bedroom and bathroom doors being wide open. “Come say good morning to your friends.”

Shinkai tried to adjust his shirt to cover the purple hickey on his shoulder, face hot as he looked at the other love bites on his exposed skin. Even though his shirt covered the growing bruise, there was nothing he could do to hide the reddened bite marks along his neck and jaw. He had to remember to tell Yasutomo to be more mindful of where he bit him next time.

Next time? Would Yasutomo even want a next time? Arakita probably just gave into Shinkai’s desperation out of pity, nothing more. He dismissed the sinking feeling in his stomach as he made his way to the kitchen, following the sounds of idle chatter until he found himself at the island where Machimiya and Ibitani were sitting.

“Look who finally decided to wake up.” Ibitani joked, his head resting on his arms as he watched Shinkai grab a seat across from him.

“Good mornin’.” Shinkai greeted the two, copying Ibitani’s posture, burying his face in his arms as he rested on the marble table.

“We were just taking a break from cleaning.” Machimiya said, resting his cheek heavily in the palm of his hand as he spoke. “Wanna help us with the cups?”

“Yasutomo told me not to get dragged into cleaning with you guys.”

Machimiya clicked his tongue as he stood up. “That guy is fucking spoiling you.”

Shinkai laughed, also getting up. He didn’t mind helping with clean up, desperate for a distraction. Besides, it was the least he could do after all the trouble he caused last night. Shinkai started walking around the island, picking up any stray cups and empty bottles or cans lying around, surprised at the lack of spillage on the floor.

“I already mopped the fuck outta this floor if that’s what you’re wondering.” Machimiya said as he handed him a garbage bag to place everything in, reading Shinkai’s mind. Shinkai nodded to other as he continued his rounds around the island, listening to Machimiya and Ibitani discuss how they’d deal with certian repairs.

“Repairs? Repairs for what?” Shinkai asked, just as he picked up a cup with his name messily scribbled on it.

“Go look at the floor in front of the fridge.” Ibitani said, unmoving from his spot on the island.

Curious, Shinkai walked around the table and entered the kitchen area, stopping to let of a low whistle.

“That’s an impressive hole.” He said, observing the missing tiling along other otherwise perfectly intact wooden surface.

“Is that what Arakita said to you last night?”

Shinkai found the nearest item, an empty beer can, and whipped it at Machimiya with all his might.

“We didn’t do that!” Shinkai bellowed, searching the bag in his hand for something else he could throw, his ears burning at the lewd joke.

“So you admit you guys did something.” Machimiya laughed, arms up in a defensive stance as Shinkai threw another can at him. Machimiya successfully swatted the can away, but some residual beer splashed onto his face, making him flinch while backing up, resulting in him losing his footing and falling on the floor.

“You can’t deny being all over him last night Shinkai!” Machimiya exclaimed, still laughing as he moved to stand up again. “Honestly I dunno what you were thirstier for –the alcohol or Arakita.” Shinkai threw a cup at him this time, the plastic hitting the engineer square in the forehead. Shinkai saying he was embarrassed would be an understatement. His entire being radiated heat at Machimiya’s words. The engineer had confirmed his worst suspicions; everyone at the party had seen how he acted around Yasutomo. Poor Arakita would probably have to deal with teasing at school for a long time, simply because Shinkai couldn’t properly control himself.

“Shinkai, you’re matching the cup here.” Machimiya teased, picking up the red cup off the floor.

“Miya stop teasing so much. He wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as you last night.”

Machimiya scoffed at that, handing the cup back to Shinkai to discard.

“I don’t recall groping anyone’s dick during Beer Pong Ibi.” Machimiya retorted, pointing at the cup now in Shinkai’s hands. The redhead spun it, looking at the word Yasutomo scrawled in his handwriting –and what was that? Were those hearts?

“Oh my fucking God.” Shinkai grumbled, hastily shoving the cup back into the garbage bag in his hands. “Okay to be fair, he asked me to do that!” He argued in a last ditch effort to save some face.

“He asked you to squeeze his balls?”

“Yea- no! Okay not specifically. But he basically told me to do PDA-related things to him.” Shinkai claimed desperately. “He noticed that Kouji and Suzuki-kun couldn’t handle looking at us, so he said we could use that to get bounce shots in!”

“Holy shit.” Machimiya muttered, turning to Ibitani. “Didn’t I tell you he was a fucking genius when he was drunk? He had that last double bounce planned Ibi.”

“Yeah and he got the bonus of his boyfriend kissing him.” Ibitani added, laughing.

“I’m not his boyfriend.” Shinkai said weakly. Why did he stay over? He should have just texted Yasutomo a goodbye and dipped. This teasing was making him feel light headed as blood rushed up to his face for the seventeenth time that morning.

“Sorry, husband.” Ibitani corrected himself.

“I’m done.” Shinkai grumbled, pushing past Machimiya to clean to living room instead, muttering a fuck you guys under his breath as he entered the other area. He didn’t get far, his eyes opening wide as he stared at Arakita’s lamp. Just then, the very owner of said lamp arrived home, calling for Machimiya to come help him with the food. Shinkai ignored Arakita’s appearance, instead choosing to place the bag down as his hand automatically reached into his borrowed short’s pocket for his phone.

“Holy shit.” Shinkai whispered, taking a picture of Arakita’s lamp, the household accessory sticking out of his HD T.V.

“Now you understand why I mentioned breaking down right?” Arakita asked, suddenly appearing beside Shinkai, making the redhead jump.

“Y-yeah. That really sucks Yasutomo. Sorry this happened.” Shinkai stammered looking down at his phone, pretending to observe the picture he had just taken. He had a lot of notifications on his phone, causing the knot in his stomach to increase tenfold. He was terrified to see what people tagged him in.

“It’s not that bad since I’m making Machimiya take care of it.” Arakita confessed, picking up the bag Shinkai placed on the floor. “And I told you not to let him weasel you into cleaning!”

Shinkai placed his hand at the crook of his neck, feeling bashful and frankly a little shy now that he was alone with Arakita.

“I was just buying some time ‘til you got back with breakfast.” Shinkai said, looking back up at the skewered television, the imagery suddenly making him crave shish kabobs.

“You mean lunch?”

Shinkai looked over at that, giving the other a questioning look as he lowered his hand from his neck.

“It’s almost 1 in the afternoon.” Arakita continued, his cheeks dusted red as he stared at where Shinkai’s hand had been moments ago. It took a moment for Shinkai to realize what Arakita was looking at, and another moment to realize that the raven was sporting similar marks along his own neck.

“Then let’s go have lunch!” Shinkai bellowed, rushing out of the living room, face burning. I need to get out of here as soon as possible! He realized, slightly shaking as he entered the kitchen. He would hurriedly eat his meal and excuse himself as soon as possible, claiming to have something important to do at home. There was no way he could last much longer in the other’s presence.

Shinkai went to the sink first, washing his hands as he waited for everyone else to situate themselves around the island. Arakita had also washed his hands by the sink, but Shinkai pretended to be busy with his phone until the raven went back to join the others. He eventually did approach the table himself, unintentionally becoming legitimately preoccupied by his phone, dealing with a very large influx of friend invites on Facebook.

“You’ve become mister popular Shinkai!” Machimiya exclaimed, handing Shinkai the takeout Arakita had bought them. He accepted the dish with one hand, the other still scrolling through his phone as he accepted a handful of friend invites. The redhead only half-listened to the conversation at the table while shovelling rice into his mouth as fast as possible, suffering from a severe case of the shaky leg. It was so hard trying to ignore Yasutomo’s presence. Even from the corner of his eye, Shinkai couldn’t help notice every movement the other made, the tiny gestures only causing more flashbacks of what they did last night to engulf him. Yasutomo had felt so good against him, and Shinkai’s only regret was that he was too drunk to suggest they do more. How amazing would it have felt to have Yasutomo in him? The dirty thought made Shinkai gasp in embarrassment, inevitably causing him to inhale and choke on his food. Arakita automatically started patting his back in an attempt to help, but Shinkai got up from his seat, shying away from the other’s touch. He controlled his coughing enough to say he just needed some water before escaping into the kitchen, happy to get away from Yasutomo, even if only for a minute.

I need to calm down. He chided himself, sipping the water slowly. There was no need to act so suspiciously. From what he could tell, Arakita had also remembered last night’s events, and didn’t seem deterred at all. All Shinkai had to do was act normal long enough to finish eating, and then he was home free.

Shinkai returned to the island with his cup at hand, the glass refilled with water as he sat down.

“You good?” Arakita asked, watching Shinkai place the cup down before grabbing a seat. Shinkai nodded as he reached for his phone, resuming his previous actions of scrolling through his friend requests, trying to look busy in an attempt to disconnect himself from any potential conversations. Some of the friend requests he accepted were from people he recognized like Kouji, Suzuki and Yamamoto, but there were some names he didn’t recall ever coming across. He didn’t hesitate to accept them however, deciding there wasn’t much they could do once they had him as a friend. The last friend Shinkai accepted before putting away his phone was Miyazaki, whose account he immediately reported just for shits and giggles.

“What’s so funny?” Machimiya asked, his question muffled by the food in his mouth.

“Just accepted a buncha your friends. I should probably block Miyazaki now though…” Shinkai noted, only slightly worried that he accepted his request.

“That would be the smart thing to do.” Arakita added, handing Shinkai another container of food, noticing that Shinkai finished eating his first dish.

“Thanks Yasutomo, but I should probably get going.” Shinkai said, staring down at the closed box in front of him.

“Shinkai I bought five things of food for the four of us with the notion that you’d be inhaling two of them. Fucking eat.”

Shinkai wanted to believe that he only slightly blushed at that, trying to ignore the flips his stomach was doing at Yasutomo’s kind gesture.

“You know what they say; the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stom- ach!” Machimiya choked, rubbing his ribs as Ibitani removed his elbow. Machimiya glared at his friend, but Ibitani was not deterred in the slightest as he continued eating. Shinkai was grateful the other was here, because any more teasing would probably have put him into a coma before he could make his escape. Just then, he locked eyes with Ibitani, and the other gave Shinkai the slightest of nods –the gesture saying “I gotchu” going completely unnoticed by the other two. Shinkai nodded back, realizing Ibitani knew exactly what he was going through, and was planning on helping him escape from the worst of it.

Lunch happened in a blur after that. Shinkai tried to converse as normally as possible, speaking mainly to Machimiya’s friend, who was patiently guiding him through the afternoon. Soon, Shinkai was able to throw in a comment or joke every once in a while as not to raise Yasutomo’s suspicion. He knew he was being quiet, but hopefully the other would assume he was just hungover or too busy inhaling his food to speak. It killed Shinkai knowing how awkward he was being, but the redhead prayed they would finish eating soon so he could say his goodbyes and leave. He was ashamed to realize that he was reverting back into his awkward teenage self, because no matter how hard he tried, he could not look Arakita Yasutomo in the eyes.

***

Shinkai didn’t see Arakita the next day, nor the day after that. Missing class on Monday had put him behind, and he needed to go home to where it was absolutely silent in order to get some studying done. June was a busy month and Shinkai needed to pull himself together for midterms, regardless of how badly he wanted to see his crush. That was the excuse Shinkai used to convince himself that he wasn’t just extremely embarrassed of his actions and hiding from the other. The truth was, Shinkai needed some time to himself, and found an easy escape, using school as an excuse to stay away from social events –even if those events were something as simple as meeting at the lab to work on assignments and reports.

Regardless of his attempts at fleeing and composing himself for the last three days, Shinkai wanted to believe that he and Yasutomo were still on okay terms. Shinkai had sent a text to Arakita early Thursday morning asking if the other could save him a seat in the computer lab, claiming he needed to work on his lab report while he still had Juichi within the vicinity to help him. The other was quick to reply to the text, agreeing only on the terms that: you bring me food. Shinkai had laughed at that response, feeling as if the weight of anxiousness had been lifted from his shoulders. He replied to the other, grinning like a moron as he asked him what he wanted to eat. The fact that Arakita was texting back and talking to him like normal confirmed Shinkai’s suspicions –he was totally over thinking his nervousness around the other for no reason.

When Shinkai had gone to the lab later that day, he expected to see Yasutomo sitting within range of Kinjou and Machimiya, as was the usual. What he didn’t expect, however, was seeing a large amount of familiar faces that he would never have recognized before the party. Shinkai was greeted by about seven different individuals as he walked through the double doors, the redhead caught attempting to navigate his way through the friendly hair ruffles and headlocks as he tried to make his way towards Arakita, who was typing away on his computer, earphones in as he worked on an assignment. If there was one thing Shinkai learned about the computer lab that week, it was that it was the engineering students’ second home, the computers containing all the specific programs and tools they needed to complete their course assignments.

Shinkai had eventually approached Arakita, barely able to hand the other his food and sit down before their friends started teasing them, asking how long they’ve been dating and other personal jokes that make Shinkai turn four shades redder than he was comfortable with. A glance towards Arakita’s direction told him that the other didn’t appreciate the teasing either, the scowl displayed on his face causing knots to form in Shinkai’s stomach. It was at that moment that Shinkai decided to scrap his confession idea. He had no idea how the other felt after the party, and he didn’t want to push Arakita away by stepping over any boundaries.

With the inevitable feeling of defeat, Shinkai was only able to work on his assignment for an hour before calling it quits. Even though the jokes had died down, Miyazaki that bastard had “been reminded” to tag Shinkai in a video on Facebook, causing a whole new wave of shame and embarrassment to hit the redhead, pushing him over the edge –the need to escape the lab his number one priority.

The video was of him wrapping his arms around Yasutomo during Beer Pong –kissing his cheek, biting his ear, lapping his neck and eventually… Shinkai almost threw his phone at Miyazaki, too embarrassed to watch the rest, knowing he’d get a clear view of himself squeezing Arakita’s dick through his pants if he did. He quickly said goodbye to the others before sprinting out of the lab, still going through the other pictures and videos he had recently been tagged in that he had yet to look at. The majority of the other images were almost just as bad as Miyazaki’s video. In every photo, Shinkai seemed to be caught continuously giving Yasutomo bedroom eyes or giving slight, inappropriate touches; small things that screamed “I’m really fucking gay for you.”

The only image Shinkai found endearing was one taken by Suzuki. The photo showed Shinkai lying on the couch, his head resting on Arakita’s lap, his arms wrapped around the other’s waist and his face planted comfortably in the other’s stomach. Shinkai remembered hugging Yasutomo as the other pet his hair, but he had assumed the raven had on his default scowl. Instead, the photo showed Arakita with a slight smile as he ran his fingers through Shinkai’s messy locks, looking very much at peace on the couch. Shinkai instantly saved the picture on his phone, setting it as his wallpaper without a moment’s hesitation.

Shinkai avoided the lab again on Friday, and was happy enough knowing that he didn’t have to deal with anybody over the weekend as well. He ended up spending the week after that exclusively speaking to Arakita via text messages, realizing that seeing him in the flesh always ended in disaster. He could barely formulate a sentence around the other, much to his embarrassment, and even when he did go to the computer lab on those rare occasions to work with Juichi, somebody seemed to always recognize him as “Arakita’s friend”. Shinkai was constantly greeted with coy smiles and eyebrow wiggles, all of which drove him insane. He thought it’d be safer to avoid seeing Yasutomo in person for a bit longer until things died down.

***

Things calming down took a bit longer than the few days Shinkai initially had planned. His ‘intentional avoidance’ had turned into ‘required absence’ as midterms finally began. He was only ever able to check up on Yasutomo through small texts and the occasional chance running-into-one-another on campus. The awkwardness Shinkai had felt before was almost completely gone, replaced by stress and anxiety for his grades. Shinkai was now able to enter the double doors of the computer lab with ease, no longer getting bombarded by bad jokes and party references. Everyone was too busy to fuck with Shinkai, and even the residual teasing were easily countered by the redhead, his brain finally regaining control over his witty retorts again after a two week absence.

Shinkai sighed at the memory of the last half of the month. He had been stupidly shy for no reason, he thought, looking over his shoulder to where he knew Arakita was sitting. Shinkai was currently situated in the corner of the computer lab, away from the rowdy engineers that seemed to have taken over the big tables. There were about twelve of them surrounding three computers, speaking animatedly over what Shinkai had come to learn was a very big design project. According to Yasutomo, their Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering required their third year students to get into large groups of fifteen and design one of the handfuls of mechanical design projects provided by the department.

Shinkai physically shuddered at the thought of working on something so important with such a large group of people. For once in his life, he was grateful his program required all lab reports and manuscripts to be completed individually. Shinkai quickly looked down at his phone, replying to a text from Juichi, who had promised he was on his way back to the lab. His stone-faced friend had stepped out for a bit, claiming he needed some fresh air after being stuck in the lab for “Six hours too long, Shinkai. Six hours too long...”

Shinkai himself had been stuck in front of his computer for quite a while as well, slaving away at his molecular manuscript. He had recently finished his discussion and was now working on the introduction, opening what felt like the thirtieth tab as he looked for valid, peer reviewed sources. Every so often, Shinkai would look over his shoulder to glance at Arakita, only to hastily turn back when he was caught. He knew he was being ridiculous, acting as if he were 17 again, but he couldn’t help but want to look at Yasutomo. The raven’s voice was loud despite the distance between them, and even though both were busy working on their respective assignments, Shinkai was craving the other’s attention. He turned around once more; promising himself that this would be the last time he’d look at him since Juichi would returning to him any minute now. Shinkai felt his stomach flip as he made direct eye-contact with the other. Arakita automatically flipped Shinkai off, which the redhead responded to with a wink and a finger gun. Shinkai felt his heart pound against his ribs as Yasutomo’s neutral face broke into a smile, the raven looking away, hiding his smirk behind the cubicle. Shinkai felt himself smile as well as he turned back to his work. Seeing Yasutomo grin like that would be enough to keep him going for a while.

“How’s it coming along?” Fukutomi asked, returning to his seat a few minutes later.

“Good. A lot better than before honestly.”

“Is that because you didn’t actually have anything done before?”

“Listen.”

Shinkai frowned as Fukutomi snorted, his friend ending the conversation by turning back to his own work once he realized Shinkai didn’t actually have a rebuttal. Fukutomi was right to laugh at him, Shinkai thought. He had come into the lab with nothing but the materials and methods done for his manuscript, all of which was just a summary of what was already given to him in his lab manual. The actual content of his manuscript, the hard stuff like the results and discussion, had gone completely untouched.

“How’s yours coming along Juichi?” Shinkai asked, fighting the urge to turn and look at Arakita, who was yelling at Suzuki for doing God knows what.

“I just finished the rough draft. Honestly, I don’t think I can look at this anymore Shinkai.” His friend grumbled. Shinkai looked over to Fukutomi’s computer to see that the other was in the midst of emailing himself his rough work. Shinkai continued staring until Juichi got the hint, his friend adding Shinkai to the list of senders before forwarding the email.

“Thanks Juichi.” Shinkai sighed, turning back to his own work. He needed a bit of help with the introduction, and reading Juichi’s lab would most likely push him in the right direction.

Shinkai saved his work and opened a new tab, ready to look up another key term before everything went black.

No.

There was a moment of silence in the lab before the sound of gasps filled the room, followed by swearing and even some screaming.

No no no!

Phone’s were taken out and flashlight apps were turned on, illuminating the otherwise pitch black lab.

“Juichi. Juichi, oh my fucking God. My manuscript.” Shinkai croaked, staring at his dead computer screen, stock still as he realized what just happened and how much work he just lost, pure fear sending a shiver down his spine.

The power had gone out in the computer lab.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure the lights will be back on any second now.” Fukutomi tried to reassure the other, not sounding convincing in the slightest. A second passed, and then another; the time slowly ticking away as the lab continued to remain powerless. Shinkai felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead as the gravity of the situation hit him. He was going to have to redo the entirety of his manuscript from scratch a day before it was due.

“I’m gonna throw up.” He mumbled, the anxiety making him feel sick to his stomach.

“Do you want me to drag the garbage can here?” A voice from behind him asked. Turning around, Shinkai saw Arakita standing a meter away, a hand holding up his phone, the flashlight bright in contrast to the darkness of the room.

“Yasutomo, I lost all my work.” Shinkai said weakly, his voice breaking at the very end of his sentence. Arakita was on him in an instance at that.

“Hey now, no you didn’t.” He said, rubbing soothing circles along Shinkai’s back. “Were you saving your work?”

Shinkai’s hands automatically went to his temples, putting pressure on them to stop his insta-headache as he nodded to Arakita. After a moment’s silence, he remembered that the other couldn’t actually see him in the darkness, so he said a small yes instead.

“That’s good! Don’t worry Shinkai, the second the power comes back you should be able to retrieve your stuff.”

Arakita was right, of course. As long as he stayed put, all Shinkai would have to do is log onto the same computer and his work would still be on the desktop.

“But all my tabs… I didn’t save a single reference.”

Shinkai got a gentle slap at the back of his head for that.

“That’s your own fucking fault you moron!” Arakita spat; and then, more softly. “I’m sure you’ll find those sources again.”

Shinkai exhaled, feeling far less stressed than he had minutes ago. He would have thanked the other, but he didn’t want to sound like he was dismissing Yasutomo. The warm hand on his back had worked its way up to his left shoulder and was effectively working out some of the tension that had build up over the course of the day.

“Fuku-chan what about you? Did you lose your work too?” Arakita asked. He had turned off his phone’s app and placed the device on Shinkai’s table as he waited for the other’s response. Shinkai listened intently as Juichi informed Yasutomo that he had emailed his work only a few seconds prior to the power outage, closing his eyes as the raven started giving him a proper two-handed massage.

“What about you Yasutomo? I expected your group to freak out the most.” Shinkai said after a minute, realizing he should speak before Juichi became suspicious of his silence.

“Nah we’re good. We more or less have the draft design completed.” He said, his hands working his way towards Shinkai’s neck, thumbs putting pressure on the stiff muscles. “I guess we were just having a small meeting.”

“Couldn’t you have had your small meeting somewhere else?” Fukutomi asked exasperatedly.

“Fuku-chan you really hate noise don’t you?”

“What gave that away Arakita? Me complaining about the noise or me complaining about the noise?”

Shinkai laughed at that, leaning his head back so that it rested on Arakita’s stomach.

“I’m getting the impression that Juichi doesn’t like noise Yasutomo.” He chuckled, looking up into the darkness.

Shinkai didn’t see it coming –couldn’t see it coming, but Arakita leaned down at that, pushing his bangs back to kiss him on his forehead.

“Yeah I fucking got the hint Shinkai.” He said, his voice distant again as he stood up straight to speak, his fingers continuing to run through Shinkai’s hair. Before the redhead could stammer a response, the staff behind the desk of the computer lab started speaking to the students in the lab, her voice loud enough to be heard asking people to pack up and leave the lab immediately.

“Wait, why?” Shinkai inquired, the cold feeling of stress immediately replacing the warmth in his chest. He stood up, walking closer to hear what she was saying.

“… and the entire building is being asked to evacuate for safety reasons. Fire personnel are on the scene and an investigation is underway.”

Shinkai felt his stomach drop at the news. It was already 8 PM. He was planning on finishing his manuscript by 9 and going home to do some editing! Not waiting at school just to see if he maybe had a manuscript to begin with!

“Well that fucking sucks.” Arakita said from behind him.

“Yasutomo that means the power won’t be back for a while!”

“Hey relax. It’ll be fine.”

Just then, the staff member approached the back of the computer lab, to where a few students were still sitting, relaying what she had just said at the front of the room.

“Maybe I should just hide in a corner…”

Arakita laughed at that, accidentally choking on his spit at the ridiculous imagery.

“Shinkai pack up. We’ll wait outside.” Arakita said, sounding way too nonchalant for Shinkai’s liking.

“Yasutomo the computers here automatically clear any files saved after a day.” Shinkai started, his realization adding to his own panic. “There’s no way I can redo an entire fucking manuscript in a day. It’s due tomorrow! This paper is worth a third of my grade and the late penalty is insane! I’m already doing so poorly in this class if we come back and the file’s not here-”

“Relax Shinkai!” Arakita bellowed, shaking the redhead roughly by the shoulders. Shinkai stopped mid-ramble, trying to catch his breath. It would be no good if he broke down now. He let Arakita guide him back to his desk, the raven demanding that he pack up. He did as he was told, following Fukutomi and the crowd of students heading towards the exit, waiting outside in the hall by the double doors for Arakita to join them. The engineer was barely able to approach them before security asked the students to exit the building entirely. The three followed the angry crowd through the lobby, out into the warm summer air. Fukutomi automatically leaned on the bike rack as Shinkai found the nearest wall to sink to.

“Hey.” Kinjou greeted the others, joining their small group waiting outside the building. “What happened? Was there a fire alarm?”

“Power outage.” Fukutomi answered. Shinkai knew his friend was looking at him, most likely concerned for his wellbeing, but he continued to crouch on the floor against his school’s wall, his face buried in his hands in melancholy.

“And Shinkai looks like he’s dying because…?”

“I LOST EVERYTHING!” He whined, momentarily lifting his face from his hands to look at Kinjou before resuming his initial self-loathing demeanor.

“Oh my fucking God.” Arakita grumbled, sitting on Shinkai’s shoulder to get his attention. “Shinkai you didn’t lose shit okay? Let’s say, worst case scenario, that the lab doesn’t open until tomorrow. And let’s say that you log into your computer and the file is gone-”

Shinkai groaned into his palms at the imagery.

“I’m saying hypothetically.” Arakita countered, putting more weight on Shinkai’s shoulder as he continued to speak. “If those things end up happening, just let me know okay? I know a way to get your files back for you.”

“I don’t believe you.” Shinkai muttered, finally looking up at the other. “It the computer sweeps the files, than it’s gone forever Yasutomo.”

“You shouldn’t doubt him Shinkai.” Kinjou countered. “Arakita has about every asshole-quality there is out there-”

“Oi.”

“Including hacking.”

“Are you serious?” Fukutomi asked from where he stood, his tone slightly amused as he crossed his arms.

“Yeah, you’d think Arakita’s reign of terror would end at bike stealing, but no. He could probably change the marks on our transcripts if he really wanted to.” Kinjou commented, moving to stand beside Fukutomi.

“Fuck off Kin-chan! I just happen to know some general coding…” Arakita trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed. “But that’s beside the point!” He expressed, scowling down at Shinkai. “The point is; stop shitting yourself!”

“I not shitting myself! I’m allowed to be distressed from time to time Yasutomo.” Shinkai emphasized, shimmying his shoulder to make the other get off of him.

“If you’re going to be distressed, do it after dinner.”

“I can’t have dinner! I have to fucking wait here to see if the power comes back.”

“You’re not gonna lose shit in the hour we’re gone okay? Let’s go eat.”

“Like I said I- wait what?”

“I said lets go eat. My treat.” Arakita said, prodding Shinkai in the forehead with his index finger.

“Yessss.” Kinjou hissed, much to Arakita’s aggravation.

“Not for fucking you Kin-chan.” He commented, scowling at his friend. Kinjou visibly deflated at that.

“Uhh, I wouldn’t mind…” All eyes went to Fukutomi. “Treating you, that is.” He added, scratching the back of his head as he glanced at Kinjou.

“Well, guess it’s settled then.” Arakita said, the first to recover from their group, extending his hand down for Shinkai to grab. “Let’s go visit Miya.” He grunted while lifting Shinkai from where he sat.

“Is he at school somewhere?” Shinkai asked, not recalling seeing their friend in the lab.

“Nah he’s at work right now.” Arakita answered, letting go of Shinkai’s hand to wrap his arm around his shoulder instead. “We might be able to get a discount.” He added, grinning cheekily at the other.

“That’s not gonna save you much Yasutomo.” Shinkai joked, looking over at the other. The sun was still out but in the midst of setting, causing the sky to burn a flaming orange and the clouds to take on a beautiful pink hue in the distance. Arakita was looking at Shinkai, his lips closed but tilting upwards in a slight smile. At that moment, Shinkai realized that any of the remaining awkwardness between the two of them from the party was gone. “Thanks though, for everything.”

Arakita squeeze his shoulder tightly before letting go, leading the group towards the small shop Machimiya worked at. The feeling of stress and anxiety were still there, but Shinkai decided to trust Arakita’s promise of retrieving his stuff if the worst case scenario came to fruition. He looked back at the school building for only a moment before turning around and following his friends towards the restaurant.

Chapter Text

Arakita trotted down the busy sidewalk with Shinkai, Kinjou and Fukutomi in tow, doing his best to hide his enthusiasm. Shinkai was here. Shinkai was here with him and he was talking to him and letting Arakita get close to him –all after what felt like far too long. The raven was glad he had pulled ahead of their little group, because hiding his smile was getting difficult to do.

The first day after the party had worried Arakita to no end. When Shinkai had asked him what happened the night before, Arakita couldn’t help but panic, thinking the other meant he couldn’t remember anything. He had been careful with his answer, as well as any other interactions with Shinkai for the rest of the day, terrified that if he got too touchy with the other, the redhead might flee again like he had done in the past.

So Arakita gave him space, trying to convince himself that he didn’t feel like dying on Tuesday and Wednesday when there were no signs of his crush. He used that time to meet up with Fukutomi at Yuuto’s school, asking the blond for reassurance. Fukutomi had sighed at Arakita’s concerns, telling him not to worry too much and that Shinkai would eventually come around. Yuuto had also agreed with him, telling Arakita that Hayato gets shy for the dumbest reasons. I’m sure he’ll snap out of it soon enough.

And sure enough, Shinkai had texted him on Thursday asking to meet up at the lab, which Arakita had responded to three minutes too quickly, the act making him look desperate, according to his friends. The engineer had ignored them at that, just happy to know that Shinkai wanted to hang out with him; albeit they would be working quietly on their separate homework –but still! Arakita took it as a good sign.

What he didn’t take as a good sign was Shinkai disappearing again after his stupid fucking friends started teasing them the second they came within a 2 meter range. Arakita had gone off on them after that, especially Miyazaki, but the damage was already done. Shinkai had gone missing in action once again, but this time for over a week.

Arakita sighed at the memory. At least they had consistently texted each other and randomly bumped into one another from time to time, both too busy with midterms to propose doing much else. Arakita turned around, making sure his friends were still with him as he entered the store, the words Okonomiyaki Okada written in big letters at the restaurant’s entrance. Although the place was small, it was full of life and possessed quite the inviting atmosphere. The dinner rush had died down as the four university student’s made their way towards the front, looking for one person in particular.

“Machimiya!” Arakita called from over the counter, ignoring the cook trying to greet them. Kinjou forcefully shoved Arakita aside, apologizing for the other’s rudeness just as Machimiya appeared from the back.

“Fuck you want?” Machimiya asked, grinning as he approached his friends.

“Hey you wanna cook for us?” Arakita asked, watching Machimiya throw on his apron as he walked towards one of the many diner-styled counters within the restaurant. The other four joined him, taking a seat as he started setting up.

“I’m technically supposed to ask if you want Kansai-style or Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki since...” He cleared his throat at this, puffing out his chest and speaking in a lower tone before continuing. “Our chefs pride themselves on their ability to cook whatever you desire.” He quoted, laughing at his boss who just so happened to have walked by during that little monologue, giving Machimiya a half-hearted I’m watching you gesture.

“So which do you guys prefer? I’m more or less a master of them all.” Machimiya asked, getting the ingredients for the okonomiyaki ready as he waited for a response.

“Hiroshima.” Shinkai said without a second’s hesitation. Of course he would go for the bigger variation of the dish, Arakita thought, mentally smiling at the redhead seated to his right. Machimiya cackled as he took everyone’s order and began to work, starting with pouring the batter on the grill in four even circles and throwing a generous pile of shredded cabbage on top of each.

“So Shinkai, where did you disappear to?” Machimiya inquired, skillfully placing specific toppings on everyone’s dish before beginning to work on the noodles and eggs at a different section of the grill.

Shinkai laughed at that, eyes never leaving his food. “Midterms.” He said simply, shrugging Machimiya’s question off as the engineer added the pork to the layered pancake.

“Well fuck me, if you disappear every time we have exams who’s going to babysit Arakita?”

“Fuck off Miya.”

“Seriously you shoulda seen him whenever Fukutomi came into his lab alone. Arakita literally deflated.”

“Literally.” Kinjou added.

“I’m ending this torture now.” Arakita said, standing up from his seat and leaning over the counter, bringing his face dangerously close to the grill. Kinjou pulled Arakita back by the collar of his shirt while Shinkai grabbed him by the arm, both yelling at him for different reasons; Kinjou for Arakita’s safety and Shinkai for the food’s safety.

“Shinkai! You’re priorities are seriously fucked up!” Arakita whined, looking at the other, who had yet to let go of him.

“Yasutomo what if you got a hair in my okonomiyaki? I’d never forgive you.” Shinkai countered, lowering his hands under the table, his left hand holding onto Arakita’s right while the other hand rested on the raven’s forearm.

“I fucking hate you Shinkai.” Arakita mumbled, his stomach doing flips as he gripped the other’s hand tightly. He fought every urge to drag Shinkai out behind the store and kiss him senseless.

“How does it feel knowing my cooking has more game than you Arakita?” Machimiya snickered, using his spatulas to pick up any scattered ingredients from the grill and throwing them back on the individual piles.

“Honestly, not that bad since Shinkai has horrible taste.” Arakita said, earning himself a pinch in the forearm for his jab.

“I’m a slut for food.” Shinkai agreed in a serious tone, making their small group burst out into laughter.

“Arakita is that how you drew him into your bedroom the first time?” Machimiya asked, smile as obnoxious as ever.

“Yeah, I fucking laid out a trail of his shitty power bars up ‘til the bed and he just crawled right in.” Arakita confirmed, voice dripping with sarcasm. Again, Shinkai pinched him before playing along.

“Hey you forgot the part where our clothes magically disappeared and Machimiya stopped your lamp from being used as a spear against your T.V.” Shinkai added, tone just as deadpan as Arakita’s.

“In a perfect world.” Arakita sighed, shaking his head in fake regret, trying to rub his aching arm but being pinched again for his efforts.

“Alright alright I get it.” Machimiya huffed, pretending to be busy with the food even though it still needed some time to cook. “I said I was going to take care of that shit and I did! So shut the fuck up –both of you.”

Arakita snorted but didn’t argue any further. He was glad he was able to brush off the sex joke his friend made at his expense, the two weeks of torture making him immune to the wisecracks. Any residual embarrassment he felt was not because people thought he and Shinkai did it, but rather because they actually didn’t do it –not in the way Arakita would have liked.

Not that what we did was bad. He thought, mind going back to Sunday night. Shinkai felt incredibly good against him, and if they both weren’t so fucking wasted, he definitely would have tried taking it further than just rubbing dicks. Shinkai looked over at him at that, and Arakita realized he was giving himself away, his firm grip getting the other’s attention.

“You alright?” He asked, and Arakita noted that the other’s ears were pink against the back light of the restaurant. Shinkai was now rubbing the spot he had abused on Arakita’s arm, his fingers slowly moving back and forth against the fabric of his sleeve. Did Shinkai’s mind go in the same direction as his? The engineer wanted to ask him, but kept his mouth shut, turning towards the grill instead. Maybe he could let his question slip later that night when no one was around. He’d been dying to know how Shinkai felt about their little hook up at the party and if the redhead maybe wanted to take things a little further. Unfortunately, Arakita could never find the right opportunity to mention his thoughts to the other, the two weeks of physical absence from one another making it quite difficult to communicate.

“Just hungry.” Arakita answered, trying not to mull over it. His running thoughts turned him silent as he watched their food cook, the fragrant smell only making the wait more difficult. He knew Shinkai was having just as hard a time, the hand clutching Arakita’s gripping desperately every time Machimiya flattened the okonomiyaki, giving the redhead the false pretense that the meal was done.

“Eikichi-kun it looks ready don’t you think?” Shinkai asked, leaning forward to look at the food.

“Three more minutes Shinkai.” Machimiya answered, using the spatulas to press on the okonomiyaki’s once again. Shinkai groaned at that, removing his hand from Arakita’s as he stood up.

“I’m going to go pee.” He declared, glaring at Machimiya one last time before heading towards the back of the store. Some idle chatter began as they waited for the food to cook, the small group catching Machimiya up on the events that took place at the computer lab.

“Well that fucking sucks.” Machimiya commented, pouring a hefty amount of sauce onto the now-finished okonomiyaki’s before looking up at Arakita. “Though I’m sure you know how to get his shit back.”

Arakita hummed, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone as waited for Machimiya to finish the final preparations. Kinjou and Fukutomi had excused themselves to the bar at the front of the restaurant to order some beer, leaving Arakita and Machimiya momentarily alone.

“You know part of me is wondering if you were the one that caused the outage just so you’d have an excuse to be with Shinkai.”

“I would never plan something so elaborate.”

“Then explain what you’re doing for his birthday.”

“For who’s birthday?” Shinkai asked, rejoining the table.

“Bye.” Machimiya said, leaving Arakita alone for damage control. That fucker.

“Uhh… a friend’s?”

“Oh, for Yuusuke-kun?” The redhead asked, eye’s focused on the food in front of him.

Arakita nodded at that but didn’t continue the conversation, realizing that this was probably the only time where he’d be alone with Shinkai.

“Hey, Hayato?” Arakita started, hesitating for a moment. Using Shinkai’s first name had immediately caught the redhead’s attention, the boy’s gaze leaving the okonomiyaki to look at Arakita instead. It was incredible how big an effect such a simple look had on Arakita. His palms felt warm and sweaty and his throat constricted in nervousness.

“After we’re done eating, we should go back to school and check to see if the powers still out.” Arakita said, turning in his seat to fully face Shinkai. He could see that Fukutomi and Kinjou had received their drinks and were moments away from heading back to the table, the act sending a different wave of anxiousness through Arakita. He needed to speak quickly –while they were still alone.

“Sounds good.” Shinkai said, nodding at Arakita, completely unaware of the other’s urgency. “Hopefully they’ll still b-”

“And!” Arakita interrupted, placing a hand on the other’s lap. “And if the power’s still down, you should come home with me.” He blurted, feeling his body heat up, his face most likely mirroring Shinkai’s in terms of redness. Shinkai opened his mouth respond, but Fukutomi and Kinjou returned to their seats forcing the redhead to remain silent.

Good. Arakita thought as the four began to eat their meals. At least now Shinkai could put some thought into his answer. Maybe he’d get a response after they were done eating, and maybe he wouldn’t. For now Arakita tried focusing on his food and whatever work-related story Kinjou was ranting on about. He tried his best to control his shaky knee, not wanting to give away his nervousness. Knowing his friends, it would take a good hour to finish eating and talking before they’d be satisfied enough to call it a day, so Arakita needed to calm himself down immediately if he wanted to survive the evening. He’d ask for an answer from Shinkai if he didn’t receive one after dinner –there was no point stressing over it.

Arakita tried his best to relax, to enjoy everyone’s company, expecting the wait to be long. What Arakita didn’t expect to see was the screen of his phone light up with a text message a minute into their meal. He hastily snatched his phone before anyone else could notice, keeping the device flat on the table, on the right side of his plate, away from Kinjou’s eyes, not wanting to seem rude for checking his phone while the other was talking.

Arakita glared at the message, fighting the urge to hit Shinkai as he typed a reply.

God damn it. What was this idiot making him type? Arakita was scowling at his meal, his face on fire as he waited for a response. He couldn’t look Shinkai in the eyes, but he could see the other typing out a reply from his periphery. Panicking, Arakita ignored Shinkai, opting to face Kinjou and ask a question, pulling himself back into the conversation despite his mind being anywhere but. If he saw the other’s response now, he’d probably die, so he decided to be a coward and delay the inevitable.

It wasn’t until they were halfway through their meal that Arakita gave in, checking his phone once again.

“Oh my fucking God Shinkai.” Arakita whined, burying his face in his arms, resting his head softly against the table. He knew it. He knew he shouldn’t have checked his phone. Arakita heard Shinkai laugh as Kinjou asked what happened, the redhead telling his friend not to worry about it, and that Yasutomo’s just being dumb.

“I’M being dumb?!” Arakita howled, sitting up straight and turning to his crush. Shinkai was sporting a shit eating grin, hand still bringing food to his mouth despite the risk of Arakita smacking it away. Arakita clicked his tongue once he realized the other’s mouth was too full of food to answer, so he went back to eating his own meal despite his stomach’s protests. The sooner we finish the sooner we can leave.

***

Dinner happened in a blur after that. Arakita for some reason had trouble wrapping his head around the fact that Shinkai knew what he was talking about but refused to give a proper answer. He didn’t prod however, deciding to keep his mouth shut as the group said their goodbyes to Machimiya and paid for their meals. The second they left the building, Arakita grabbed Shinkai by the crook of his elbow, slowly dragging him towards the opposite direction of where Fukutomi and Kinjou were headed.

“We’re gonna go check to see if the lab is still closed or not.” Arakita stated, answering the silent questions the other two were asking.

“Shinkai let me know if you need any help if things don’t work out.” Fukutomi said, facing Shinkai.

“Thanks Juichi.” Shinkai said, removing his arm from Arakita grip to pat his long time friend on the shoulder. “You’ve already done so much for me.”

Fukutomi nodded, and their group parted ways, Arakita and Shinkai heading back towards where they came from while Fukutomi and Kinjou began walking in the opposite direction.

“We should do that again.” Shinkai said, smiling slightly as they waited to cross the street. “It was nice forgetting about school for a bit.”

“Yeah I wouldn’t mind escaping that hellhole with you guys every once in a while.” Arakita agreed, turning around as he spoke. “And setting those two up on dates seems to be working.”

Shinkai turned around as well, and both watched Fukutomi rest his hand on the small of Kinjou’s back as they continued walking down the street, unaware that their friend’s were watching. The crosswalk flashed for pedestrians, but neither Arakita nor Shinkai moved, both engrossed in the scene unfolding ahead of them. Kinjou had said something, causing Fukutomi to shove him aside, but the bespectacled boy just laughed as he pulled himself closer to the other again. Arakita couldn’t tell if they were talking, but seconds later Fukutomi leaned toward Kinjou, planting a small kiss on the other’s cheek. Arakita winced as Shinkai clutched his arm, the redhead’s grip so powerful that it almost immediately cut off his circulation.

“Yasutomo! Did you see that?” Shinkai asked, letting go of Arakita’s arm to slap his shoulder instead.

“Shinkai fuck off with the hitting!” Arakita laughed, crossing the street with only seconds to spare, Shinkai right on his tail. “Yeah I saw.”

“Isn’t this great? They’ve made so much progress Yasutomo! My Juichi’s all grown up.” Shinkai fake sniffed, wiping an invisible tear from his eye.

“Please don’t talk about that mountain of a man like he’s your baby, Shinkai.” Arakita requested, visibly shuddering at Shinkai’s choice of words for his childhood friend. Shinkai laughed at that, but his mood immediately dissipated once they approached the school building again.

“The windows are dark. I don’t think the power’s back yet Yasutomo.” He said, voice quiet in contrast to his earlier animation. Arakita frowned but continued walking. It wouldn’t hurt to check.

He only got as far as the front door before the school’s security approached them, informing them that the building would remain closed for the rest of the night. Shinkai politely thanked the security, but Arakita could hear the dejection in his voice as the redhead walked around the corner towards his Cervélo. Arakita approached Shinkai slowly, placing a hand gently on his shoulder, making the other turn to face him.

“It’ll be there in the morning.” Arakita promised, letting his hand drop to rest on Shinkai’s waist when he realized the other wasn’t shying away from his touch like he had in the past. Shinkai remained silent as he leaned against the bike rack, making Arakita automatically take a step forward.

“Yasutomo, does your earlier offer still stand?” Shinkai asked quietly. Arakita looked up; trying to read the other’s expression, but Shinkai was looking down, his hair covering his eyes and the night sky masking his face. Shinkai was playing with the hem of Arakita’s shirt nervously, the adorable act making the raven want to jump him.

“Of course it still stands you dumbass.” He muttered, kissing Shinkai on the cheek, resting his forehead against the others’ as he waited for a response, stomach doing cartwheels. Arakita felt some shuffling from the other, and stepped back once he realized Shinkai was reaching into his pocket for his phone. After a second of typing, Arakita discreetly looked at the other’s phone screen to see that Shinkai was texting Yuuto, telling them that he wouldn’t be coming home that night. Arakita’s heart started pounding against his ribs at that.

Holy shit. Shinkai was going to come home with him.

“Let’s go.” Arakita demanded, grabbing Shinkai by the wrist, ready to drag him away from the school.

“Wait, what about our bikes?” Shinkai asked, pulling Arakita back.

“Shinkai,” Arakita huffed, getting right into the other’s face. Startled, Shinkai took a step back, but Arakita caught the back of his head and pulled him close again, keeping his mouth millimetres away from the other’s ear as he spoke. “You won’t be able to ride your bike in the morning after I’m through with you. Just leave it here.”

Shinkai inhaled sharply through his nose, clutching onto Arakita’s shirt collar as the raven began nibbling on the helix of his ear.

“Yasu you can’t just say that shit to me out of the blue. I need time to mentally prepare.”

“Well we can mentally prepare at the pharmacy.” Arakita said, pulling Shinkai away from the school once again, trying to ignore his throbbing groin. If Shinkai didn’t change his mind in the next few minutes, then he could address his half-hard dick soon enough.

***

Shinkai separated from Arakita the second they entered the drug store, saying something about getting a reading for his blood pressure so the other couldn’t yell at him if he fainted on their walk to his apartment. Under any other circumstances, Arakita would have mocked Shinkai for being such a baby, but he kept his mouth shut knowing exactly what the other was going through. He himself felt a little light-headed as he grabbed a box a condoms, realization of what he was going to do finally washing over him.

I’m going to fuck Shinkai.

He stared at the box in his hands for a long time after that, his absence most likely what forced Shinkai to come looking for him.

“Do they not have a size small enough for you Yasutomo?” Shinkai asked.

Arakita whipped the box at the redhead, feeling his face heat up at the question.

“You’re gonna regret calling my dick small when I’m shoving it up your ass Hayato.” Arakita hissed, picking up the condoms from Shinkai’s feet as the other rubbed his forehead. Arakita was about to say something else but stopped himself when he looked up to see an older woman in the aisle with them, looking both shocked and disgusted at the two students.

“Sorry ma'am. Were you looking for condoms too?” Arakita asked, containing his anger and embarrassment by doing what he did best –pissing somebody else off.

The woman huffed, looking offended as she muttered something to herself before leaving the two boys alone. Arakita glared at the spot where she previously stood, ready to fight if she came back, but Shinkai’s laughter drew his attention away. The other boy was doubled over, clutching his stomach as he gasped for breath.

“Yasutomo that was so fucking mean.” He choked, wiping the tears that had formed at the corner of his eyes. Arakita sighed, waiting for the redhead to calm down before speaking.

“Wanna go find some lube?”

“Don’t you have that at home?” Shinkai asked, hiccupping in small breaths as his laughter subsided.

Arakita did have some at home, but he had a feeling that they’d be running out soon enough.

“Not much.” He said, shrugging nonchalantly as he directed them towards the lubricant. He didn’t even have a chance to look at the bottles before Shinkai’s hand reached out; snatching what Arakita realized was banana flavoured lube.

“Absolutely not. Put that shit back.”

Shinkai slowly put the banana flavoured lube away, gaze never breaking from Arakita’s as he picked out a chocolate flavoured bottle instead.

“Get outta here!” Arakita yelled, doing his best not to laugh as he ripped the bottle out of Shinkai’s hand, urging him to go wait outside. Shinkai obliged, and Arakita hastily picked out a generic, non-flavoured bottle of lubricant before checking out his items at the register and rejoining Shinkai outside.

“You’re such a little shit.” Arakita spat the second he left the store, snatching Shinkai’s hand as they began walking towards the direction of Arakita’s apartment.

“Sorry Yasutomo.” Shinkai chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get kind of obnoxious when I’m nervous.”

Cute. Arakita thought, fighting the urge to straight up sprint home with the redhead. He did pick up his pace; however, once his building was in sight, worried the other might have second thoughts the more time he had to think things over.

The two were silent as they entered the elevator, both too engrossed in their own thoughts to bother forcing conversation. Only when they entered Arakita’s flat did Shinkai break the silence, letting out a small sorry for intruding as he took off his shoes. Another moment of silence passed before Shinkai spoke again, to Arakita’s relief.

“So did Eikichi-kun ever fix your floor? Or is there still a gaping hole in the kitchen?” Shinkai asked standing awkwardly in the hall. Arakita huffed as he took off his backpack and placed down the plastic bag from the drug store.

“Yeah, he fixed it. Go check it out.” He said, following the redhead towards the kitchen.

Arakita ended up giving Shinkai another tour of the place, this time pointing out what was replaced, repaired and removed from his flat. It was nice conversing with Shinkai after so long, but every time he mentioned something from the party, his mind would automatically think back to his private moments with the redhead.

By the time they got to the living room, the air was extremely tense between them. Their initial act of playfully bumping into each other as they spoke turned into faint touches and nervous glances.

“So you didn’t have to pay a cent for this?” Shinkai asked as he regarded the engineer’s new T.V, his voice cracking as Arakita’s hand went to grope his ass. Arakita didn’t answer immediately, appreciating the curvature of Shinkai’s backside against the palm of his hand. He leaned forward into the other, leaving a dry kiss on Shinkai’s cheek before moving his lips to the other’s ear.

“Not a cent.” Arakita murmured, nibbling the lobe of his ear as he groped the other’s ass again. Shinkai let out a breathy moan, facing Arakita after a moment of silence.

“Okay I can’t stand this anymore.” He said, pulling away from Arakita, walking out of the living room. Arakita’s stomach dropped. Had he been too pushy? Before he could even begin to formulate an apology in his head, Shinkai reappeared a second later, holding up the plastic bag Arakita had left by the door.

“Yasutomo hurry up.” He demanded before disappearing again.

Arakita all but ran into his bedroom, tackling Shinkai onto the mattress, the redhead letting out an oof as he fell on his back.

“Yasutomo, let’s try not killing me before we even do anything.” Shinkai requested against Arakita’s lips. The raven hummed as he repositioned himself on top of Shinkai, kissing the other’s jaw as he tried getting into a comfortable position. Arakita rested his palms on Shinkai’s chest as he kissed his bottom lip, holding it between his own for a second as he ran his hands down the other’s sides. He deepened the kiss, parting his own mouth to force open Shinkai’s as well before slipping his tongue in. Shinkai moaned against him as Arakita lapped the inside of his mouth, and the two were caught chasing each other’s tongues before breaking free momentarily to breathe. Arakita’s hands went for the hem of Shinkai’s shirt, trying to pull it up but to no avail, realizing the redhead was holding it down.

“Uhh Yasutomo. C-can we turn off the lights first?” Shinkai asked nervously.

“Why? Do you have an embarrassing tattoo you don’t want me to see?” Arakita teased, kissing Shinkai’s neck as he backed up a little. When Shinkai didn’t respond, Arakita sat up, straddling the other’s lap. Shinkai’s face was red as he looked away from him, his hands now gripping Arakita’s wrists, stopping the raven from pulling up his shirt. Curious, Arakita leaned down for another kiss, moving his hands up to rest on Shinkai’s arms. It wasn’t until he felt the redhead relax again that he made his move, shoving his hand under Shinkai’s shirt, groping at his stomach.

“Oh my God Shinkai.” Arakita said, sitting up again. Shinkai had been too slow to stop Arakita from reaching under his shirt, and had now opted to hide his face under the crook of both his elbows in shame. Arakita pulled Shinkai’s shirt up to his chest, looking down at his stomach. “I was honestly expecting a 6 pack but this is so much better.” He claimed, leaning down to kiss the exposed skin.

Shinkai wasn’t necessarily overweight, but his stomach was a little rounder than what would be considered flat for a healthy young man his age. Arakita had always assumed the other was all muscle, and his face obviously reflected his thoughts because Shinkai groaned in embarrassment as he tried to pull his shirt down again.

“Okay so I might have let myself go a little after high school.” Shinkai confessed, trying to wrestle free from Arakita’s grip, who was now laughing at the boy beneath him. “I don’t have nearly as much time to exercise Yasutomo!” He whined, actually pouting up at the other.

“You’re so fucking cute Hayato.” Arakita wailed, leaning down to kiss Shinkai’s stomach. The redhead protested, telling Arakita it was embarrassing, asking him to please turn off the lights but Arakita was having none of it, too preoccupied biting Shinkai’s belly.

“Shinkai. What. Is. This.” Arakita said between bites, running his hand along the chub, fingers pulling at the red happy trail along the other’s navel as he continued sucking his stomach. Shinkai whined beneath him, making Arakita straighten up a little to smile at him.

“I hate you Yasutomo.”

“No you don’t”. Arakita claimed, pinching Shinkai’s waist, making the boy beneath him flinch violently. And suddenly Arakita was tickling Shinkai, leaning forward to leave trails of kisses along his jaw as he pinched and poked the redhead’s sides. Arakita pulled back from kissing just as he jabbed Shinkai in the hip again, the force making the other turn onto his stomach violently while accidentally elbowing Arakita in the face.

“Oh God!” Shinkai screamed, sitting up to hold Arakita’s head in his hands. “I’m so sorry Yasutomo, are you okay?”

Arakita blinked past the pain, lowering his hands from his face.

“Shinkai look.” Arakita said, holding Shinkai’s protruding stomach between his hands as he spoke. “It’s even bigger when you’re sitting up.”

Arakita was thrown onto his back at that, Shinkai now the one sitting on top. Trying to control his laughter, Arakita blinked up to see the other’s bulge through his pants –feeling it against his own growing erection. And yet despite his horniness, Arakita found his eyes drifting to the other’s stomach once again.

“Hey, can you get off so I can kiss your tummy?” Arakita asked innocently, trying to wriggle free from under Shinkai.

“Fuck you Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, tugging Arakita’s shirt over his head.

“Yeah. That’s kinda why we’re here.” Arakita snorted.

“I’m leaving.” Shinkai claimed, getting off Arakita and shuffling away from the bed. Arakita laughed, getting off the bed as well, grabbing Shinkai by the loop of his pants and pulling him back.

“Sorry.” He murmured, working at unbuttoning Shinkai’s jeans. The redhead kissed Arakita’s nose, working at the raven’s pants as well, neither able to hold back any longer. Shinkai extended his arm forward as they kissed a second time, switching off the bedroom lights before Arakita pushed him back gently, guiding him to the bed once again.

“Lube.” Shinkai whispered against Arakita’s lips, hips bucking against the other’s groin. The raven gasped at the sensation, and suddenly he was off the bed again, grabbing the bottle and tearing open the box of condoms to grab a packet. In the darkness, Arakita could see Shinkai working at pulling off his boxers, the sight momentarily throwing him off. Were they really about to do this?

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai called.

That was all the convincing Arakita needed. He sat back on the bed handing Shinkai the bottle, unsure of how to proceed. He had done this before, but it had been over a year since he was sexually active with another individual.

“You have to prepare me Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, kissing the other as he opened the lube and squeezed the substance onto Arakita’s hand, lying down on his back and opening his legs to the other only after Arakita had a fair amount of lubricant resting between his fingers.

“Next time we’re doing this with the lights on.” Arakita grumbled, lying down beside Shinkai so they could continue to kiss while preparing, upset that he couldn’t get a proper view of the other in the darkness of his room. Arakita guided his hand along Shinkai’s buttocks until he found the rim of his anus, massaging the hole with his index finger. Once he felt that Shinkai was used to the sensation, Arakita pressed his finger passed the sphincter slowly, not wanting to hurt the other. Shinkai grunted at the sensation, the sound making Arakita stop.

“Don’t stop, don’t stop.” He panted, his lips brushing Arakita’s cheek as he spoke. “Keep moving Yasutomo, I’m okay.”

“Why’re you so fucking tight Hayato?” Arakita hissed, pushing his finger in shallow thrusts, his dick twitching at the sound of the other’s moan. “I thought you did this to yourself all the time.”

It was a minute before the other spoke, the silence giving Arakita time to fully slip his finger in and out of the other’s anus as he waited for a response.

“It’s been ah-a while.” Shinkai panted, arms desperately wrapped around Arakita’s shoulder as the raven pushed a second finger in. Shinkai sucked his teeth at that, the sound of pain worrying Arakita.

“If I’m hurting you, make sure you tell me.” Arakita demanded as he began scissoring his fingers in an attempt to loosen the muscles.

“You’re not hurti- ng me.” Shinkai promised, kissing and sucking Arakita’s neck while the engineer loosened him up. After a few more minutes, Arakita pushed a third finger in. Shinkai started moaning against Arakita’s mouth at that, and soon he was claiming he was ready. Arakita slowly pulled his fingers out, tearing open the condom packet as Shinkai rolled onto his stomach.

“Aww come on Hayato, don’t be like that.” He said lightheartedly, holding the tip of the condom between his index finger and thumb as he rolled the protective material over his fully erect cock. “I want you facing me while we fuck.” He continued, hand reaching under the redhead to squeeze his belly once he was done pulling on the condom.

“Yasutomo this fetish you have for my stomach is kind of weird.” Shinkai said, his words muffled by the pillow beneath him. Arakita snorted as he rubbed some more lube over his member, trying to play it cool even though he felt anything but. Shinkai Hayato was lying on his bed completely naked, ass in the air, awaiting Arakita to enter him just like the raven had envisioned weeks ago. How could he not freak out at the sight?

“We really gotta keep the lights on next time.” Arakita whispered, positioning himself behind Shinkai, squeezing his ass with both of his hands before forcing the other’s cheeks apart, pushing the redhead down slightly as he guided the other’s ass over his dick.

Words could not describe the sensation Arakita felt as he pushed the head of his cock through the other’s asshole, the tiny sparks of pleasure making the raven let out a breathy moan.

“Fuuucckk.” Shinkai swore, his shoulders arching up as Arakita’s cock rammed past his sphincter. He continued pushing forward, hands clutching Shinkai’s waist tightly as he tried to move slow.

“Oh-okay. Wait wait wait.” Shinkai panted, and Arakita could see the redhead clutching desperately at the pillow.

“You’re so fucki-ngh tight.” Arakita said between clenched teeth, doing his best to hold steady until Shinkai gave him the okay to move. Fuck. They hadn’t even done anything yet and Arakita was already having trouble controlling himself, his pelvis reflexively thrusting forward once or twice as Shinkai tried getting into a more comfortable position, the action unintentionally making Arakita fully enter him.

Arakita let a hand resting on Shinkai’s waist glide forward, squeezing his stomach momentarily before changing directions, sliding lower until he found the other’s member. He noted that Shinkai’s dick was only half-hard and he realized that the preparations were probably affecting his mood down there. Frowning, Arakita wrapped his fingers around the partially flaccid dick and began stroking it, wanting Shinkai to feel pleasure not pain. Arakita leaned forward, peppering Shinkai’s shoulders with kisses, the constricting feeling around his own penis almost going completely forgotten as he tried to make things more bearable for the other.

After what felt like a few minutes, Shinkai turned his head slightly, tucking his bangs behind his ear to get a proper look at Arakita.

“I regret calling your dick small at the pharmacy.” He said, tone serious although Arakita could spot the hints of amusement tugging at the corners of his thick lips. There were beads of sweat residing on Shinkai’s forehead and his entire upper body was flushed red.

“You can move, Yasutomo.” He added, pushing his backside up against Arakita, making the raven gasp. There wasn’t much Arakita could say after that, deciding to answer Shinkai’s request by slowly pulling out, only to push back in again.

“Fuck.” Arakita hissed, his sharp inhale becoming, two, and then three –his gasps matching his shallow thrusts, his breathing becoming laborious as he began to fuck Shinkai earnestly. All of Arakita’s senses were in overload, and he barely had the capacity to comprehend that Shinkai was talking to him, the redhead’s sentence broken up with every roll of Arakita’s hips.

“Yasu… ah-are you… even trying?” He mocked, slightly turning to face the raven. Arakita felt his eyebrow twitch at the jab. He had been going easy for him for fucks sake!

“Fine.” Arakita hissed, placing one hand steadily on Shinkai’s waist while the other hand rested on the back of his head. The moan Shinkai let out sent tingles down Arakita’s spine, making him tug at the red and blue locks. The raven pulled out fully, only to thrust into him again with all his might. The redhead’s moan turned into a scream at that, but Arakita kept going, too far gone to stop himself. “Just don’t… blame me… when you can’t… walk… in the morning.” Arakita demanded between thrusts.

“I wouldn’t… dream of it.”

“You’re not… sleeping tonight.” Arakita promised as he increased his speed. “Asshole.” He added, leaving a tiny kiss on the other’s shoulder blade as he continued to thrust mercilessly into the other. Shinkai was pushed beyond words now, the boy beneath him unable to form coherent sentences with the exception of “Fuck”, “Yasutomo” and the very rare “Faster you piece of shit.”

Anything else leaving the redhead’s mouth were either wails of pleasure or the conventional panting that came with being fucked in the ass and out of breath from cursing.

Fucking shit. Arakita had trouble breathing. Sparks of pleasure coursed throughout his entire body with every thrust; pressure building in his lower stomach as he fucked Shinkai against his mattress. Arakita hadn’t noticed when he had screwed his eyes shut, but he forced them open as he changed positions, no longer lying fully on top of Shinkai, but perpendicular to him –forcing the other’s ass up so he could fuck him while resting heavily on his knees. If Shinkai’s moans weren’t getting to him before, they definitely were now. The redhead was a mess underneath him; his back shiny in sweat as he began pushing against Arakita’s every thrust. He raven started twisting his hips upward every time he pushed deeper into Shinkai, relentlessly stimulating the other’s prostate.

“Fuck… Yasutomo… you feel-” It was hard hearing Shinkai over the sound of the creaking bed. The additional sound of skin slapping skin accompanied by the headboard of Arakita’s bed hitting the wall in loud, rhythmic thuds nearly masked Shinkai’s words. “You feel… so good.” He continued, his sentence drifting off into steady stream of oh- oh god, ohhh driving Arakita to clutch the other’s hips so tightly that he felt his fingers go numb.

“I’m close… Hayato.” He said, his voice raspy after all the moaning he had been doing on top of the other.

“Yeah… Ye -ah same.”

And then Shinkai was coming, his wails cut off by a sharp inhale as he twitched under Arakita, his ass tightening around the other’s cock as he released his load onto the blankets under him. With the new pressure around his erection, it took Arakita only a few more thrusts before he felt his balls tighten in tension and release, his load shooting into his condom as he convulsed against the other’s ass.

“Fu-fuck.” He moaned, hips reflexively bucking against Shinkai as he rode out his orgasm, mind going static as he let his body move to the pleasure.

“Fuck.” He repeated after a minute, breathing heavily through his parted mouth as he slowly pulled out, feeling his dick softening inside Shinkai. Arakita swallowed hard as he slipped off the condom and tied the top, throwing the latex into the tiny bin near his night stand before crawling beside Shinkai. The redhead was lying on his belly, arms resting on top of the pillow while his face was comically buried inside the cushion, unmoving. Shinkai looked dead.

“Hayato.” Arakita said softly, rubbing soothing circles along the other’s back. “Trying to suffocate yourself after having sex with me is kinda making me feel self-conscious.”

Shinkai snorted, facing the raven. Arakita moved even closer to Shinkai until their noses touched, gently brushing some of the other’s bangs away from his eyes as he kissed him on the lips. The kiss was slow, lacking any of the passion their bodies had shared moments ago –but Arakita felt something else in the kiss. And because of that –for the strangest reason, Arakita felt his eyes sting as they pulled apart.

“Yasutomo what’s wrong?” Shinkai asked in a quiet voice, his thumb tracing Arakita’s cheek, right under his eye.

“Nothing.” Arakita mumbled, kissing Shinkai’s sweaty forehead.

“Don’t lie Yasu.” Shinkai insisted, returning Arakita’s forehead kiss with one of his own.

“I’m just happy.”

“Were you sad before?” Shinkai chuckled, now wrapping an arm around Arakita’s waist to bring their bodies closer.

“Yeah a little.” Arakita confessed, closing his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. The unspoken topic of Arakita’s ex hung in the air for only a moment before Shinkai brought them back to reality by burping in the other’s face.

“Shinkai what the fuck?” He hollered, pushing the laughing boy away. “Good job ruining the mood asshole.”

“The mood was ruining the mood Yasutomo!” Shinkai laughed, keeping himself on the bed by resting his hands flat on the carpet as Arakita attempted to push him fully off.

“You fucking cum on my blankets and then -nrg” Arakita grunted, barely dodging Shinkai’s swinging leg as he pushed the other’s torso off his mattress. “-then you burp in my face?!”

Shinkai slowly slid off the mattress, choking on his laughter as he landed on the floor with a heavy thud.

“Ow, my ass.” He winced, rolling onto his stomach. That tiny action was what made Arakita lose it, the raven bursting into laughter at the sight beneath him. He wasn’t lying to Shinkai when he said he felt happy. Arakita was boneless and sensitive and felt at peace for once after what felt like an eternity.

He spent the greater deal of the night prodding Shinkai and throwing tiny insults until the other threatened to leave, but Arakita used the momentum of Shinkai getting up from where he lay on the floor to drag him back into the bed.

“You’re not going anywhere, asshole.” He murmured against the other’s stomach, resuming his earlier actions of kissing and biting the skin. He could tell the other was drifting off; his response a simple hum despite Arakita’s physical teasing. Arakita sat up at that, lightly slapping the other’s cheek until droopy blue eyes met his piercing black ones.

“Seriously Hayato.” He grumbled, lying comfortably on top of the other. “You’re not disappearing again, okay?”

Shinkai nodded, saying okay, eyes closing shut again. Arakita huffed at the other’s steady breathing, realizing a second too late that the other was asleep. Quietly, Arakita shifted off the mattress, locating his phone and setting the alarm before crawling back in the bed again. He had no idea how many times he had kissed Shinkai now, but the raven still felt his stomach flip as he moved closer to the other’s face, his nose barely brushing the other’s skin. Shinkai’s hair was a mess, his bangs unruly and disheveled, and his body was still hot to the touch. Arakita planted a soft kiss on Shinkai’s forehead before moving down to peck his cheek. The other stirred at that, mumbling something about trying to sleep in peace, so Arakita ceased his pestering kisses, choosing instead to gently rest his head on the other’s chest as he lazily rubbed Shinkai’s tummy.

“It’s not even that big.” Shinkai huffed, wrapping his arm around Arakita. It wasn’t –even Arakita could admit that. But that’s not enough to stop me from assaulting your stomach. He thought, smiling against the other’s chest.

“You’re the worst, Yasutomo.”

Arakita laughed at that, letting himself smile as he drifted to sleep.

Chapter Text

Shinkai woke up to the sound of an alarm; the persistent buzzing making the redhead groan into the pillow.

Why do I always wake up feeling like I never get the proper amount of sleep? Shinkai mused, scratching his eyebrow by muzzling his head into his pillow, groaning again when he realized the cushion was wet with his drool. He tried to flip over the pillow, but to no avail, realizing it had gotten stuck on something. Opening his eyes, Shinkai looked to his side to see the pillow trapped between the mattress and another head.

Shinkai held his breath as he let his brain relay the memories of last night, doing his best not to scare the other by flying off the bed again in panic. Arakita was lying on his back, idly typing on his phone with one hand while the other rested on the blanket covering his stomach.

The first thing that Shinkai remembered was; oh right. We had sex. And the second thing was-

“MY MANUSCRIPT!”

Arakita jumped, startled –Shinkai’s sudden outburst causing his phone to escape his grasp and land on his face with an audible smack.

“Hayato! Don’t fucking scream in my ear! Holy shit.” He lectured, rubbing his nose.

“Sorry Yasutomo. Are you okay?”

Arakita rubbed his nose a bit longer before answering. “Honestly I think my nose is a bit more crooked since I’ve met you.”

“Pfft.” Shinkai buried his face back into the pillow to muffle his laughter. Poor Yasutomo’s nose had gone through so much abuse, and Shinkai always seemed to be the main culprit behind the other’s pain.

“Don’t laugh asshole. Shit fucking hurts.” He mumbled, rolling over to lie on his stomach, similar to Shinkai.

“Sorry Yasutomo.” Shinkai repeated, leaning forward and pecking Arakita on the nose just for good measure. His stomach was doing flips and his heart was beating at an insane rate. Shinkai smiled at Arakita, feeling excited and nauseous and downright euphoric, knowing the other felt a similar way. Arakita’s scowl was gone, replaced with the tiniest hints of a smile as he leaned forward to kiss Shinkai’s shoulder.

They stayed like that for a bit –Arakita rubbing soothing circles between Shinkai’s shoulder blades while the redhead relaxed into the mattress, eyes fluttered shut as the shared warmth and comfort threatened to lull him to sleep again. After another minute of silence, Shinkai furrowed his eyebrows and let out an aggravated sigh.

“But I need to go to school.” He concluded, the feeling of stress back now that the initial tranquility with Yasutomo had subsided. The raven grunted, sitting up and swinging his long legs over his side of the bed, making to stand up. Shinkai watched the other, distracted by Arakita’s bed head and broad shoulders. With a huff, Arakita stood up; unaware that Shinkai’s eyes were following the trail of his spine down to the curve of his ass. His exposed ass. Shinkai’s face flushed as he realized they were both still completely naked –his sudden self-consciousness making him search the bed for his discarded yellow Lip Street t-shirt.

He found it on the floor by the mattress and retrieved it before sitting up and pulling it over his head. Shinkai winced right as he finished pulling the shirt over his stomach, clenching his teeth at the pain. That wasn’t good. He tried playing it off as simply sitting in a bad position, but the longer Shinkai remained seated on the bed, the more apparent the pain in his ass was.

“What’s wrong?” Arakita asked from where he stood, scrutinizing the redhead. “Does it –are you hurting?”

“No!” Shinkai lied, hastily standing up. “I’m fine!”

He didn’t want Yasutomo to feel in any way guilty for the dull ache he felt. The other had been so careful with him last night and Shinkai would hate it if he blamed himself. Arakita hummed, continuing to scrutinize the redhead. Suddenly, Shinkai felt self-conscious about his exposed lower half.

“Hayato, can you walk?”

I don’t know.

“Hold on Yasutomo –lemme… find my underwear.” Shinkai declared, trying to buy himself some time; hoping his buttocks would magically heal itself in the few seconds he spent searching under the covers for his boxers. Shinkai took his time patting the blankets as he crawled back on the mattress, resting on his knees to alleviate the pain in his lower back.

God. For once in his life, Shinkai regretted throwing out a certain sex toy he had gotten around his first year in university. Having it while he lived in the university’s residence was fine, but he didn’t dare risk taking it home with him once he moved back in with his parents the following year. And because of that, the back end of his body had gone neglected for a while.

I’m out of practice.

“Hayato?”

Shinkai looked up, realizing a second too late that Arakita had snapped a photo of him.

“Yasutomo!” Shinkai cried, feeling himself heat up as he quickly snatched his underwear from the end of the bed.

“Hayato you look really fucking hot in this pic.” Arakita said, backing up towards the far end of his bedroom, standing close to his bathroom door and shaking his phone with a devilish smirk.

“Yasutomo you better delete that.” Shinkai warned, finally retrieving his underwear from under the covers at the end of the bed.

“You can come here and delete it yourself.” He said, a fiendish smile still plastered on his face. Shinkai huffed, lying down on his back to lift his legs into his boxers before carefully sliding off the mattress. He winced again as he stood up straight, the dull ache now more uncomfortable than painful.

Arakita’s smile was gone at that, noticing Shinkai’s discomfort.

“Hayato, seriously. Can you walk? Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Shinkai promised, resting the palm of his hand on the wall for support.

“And my other question?”

Shinkai felt his face heat up as he took a step, and then another one. By the time he made his way across the bedroom to Arakita, Shinkai’s entire body was beet red in embarrassment.

He was limping.

Arakita was holding him at arm’s length, hands planted gently on either side of Shinkai’s shoulders.

“S-shit I didn’t mean to hurt y-”

“You didn’t hurt me Yasutomo!” Shinkai snapped. He sighed when he saw Arakita look taken aback. “I mean, it doesn’t hurt, it’s just uncomfortable? I don’t really know how to explain it but I’ll be fine in a bit.”

“You should rest then... You don’t have morning classes on Tuesdays right?”

“Yasutomo I need to go back to the lab and get my manuscript. It’s due later today and I still have a lot to do.”

“I’ll get it for you. You have your laptop right?”

Shinkai nodded, letting Arakita push him back to the bed gently.

“I’ll email it to you. Just tell me your password and shit.” He said, pulling the covers up to Shinkai’s chest, his dark bangs momentarily brushing the other’s nose as he planted a wet kiss on his jaw. Shinkai felt his chest swell with affection as he repeated his I.D. and password to the other, watching him type it quickly into his phone.

“Yasutomo I don’t want you being later for class, I’ll seriously be fine in a bit I promise.”

“Hayato, my dick was shoved repeatedly up your ass last night and now you can’t walk.” Arakita huffed, standing up from where he sat and resting his hands on his hips. “I don’t think things will be fine in ‘a bit’.”

Shinkai threw an arm over his eyes at the blatant imagery, doing his best to push his thoughts of how good Arakita gave it to him last night out of his head.

“No seriously Yasutomo, I’ll be okay. My anal muscles technically went through a workout last night so this morning I’m feeling the after-effects.”

“Ex-fucking-cuse me?”

“You know! The post-workout lactic acid build up?”

Shinkai could almost see the question marks emanating from Arakita as he removed his arm from his face, but he kept rambling, knowing how much the other hated it when he took discussions to the scientific route.

“You know that sore feeling you get in your muscles after a tough workout? Well, when the body can’t get enough oxygen to the muscles fast enough, the metabolic pathway switches from glycolysis to lactic acid fermen– Yasutomo?”

Shinkai cut himself off as Arakita left the bedroom to enter his bathroom, and seconds later the sound of running water was apparent. Shinkai laughed, rolling onto his stomach as he waited patiently for Yasutomo to finish his shower.

***

Shinkai woke up to the sound of his own phone alarm, and three consecutive text notifications. Groaning, he glanced at his phone realizing that he had fallen asleep for a second time, choosing not to dwell on the bad habit he was developing. Shinkai quickly did his morning stretches into the mattress before looking at his phone again, the act waking him up quite effectively.

Apparently, not only had Yasutomo set his alarm to an appropriate time, just like he had done in the past, but he had also texted Shinkai with a series of messages, informing him of his morning. Yasutomo had successfully retrieved his lab assignment without needing to do anything, emailed it to him, and printed his own lecture notes from Shinkai’s card because his own card was still lacking money. Shinkai felt a huge wave of relief wash over him as he exhaled; glad Yasutomo was able to find his work.

It’s been almost 2 months since his card was empty. Shinkai recalled, sitting up from the bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Just how long does he intend do mooch off his friends?

Shinkai caught himself smiling fondly at Yasutomo’s ridiculousness before deciding he had loafed around long enough. He’d take a quick shower and grab something to eat before completing his manuscript. It was only 8:30 AM, Yasutomo letting him get an extra hour of sleep, and his lab was at 2 PM. Knowing he still had over 5 hours to complete his work was reassuring despite the fact that he probably didn’t need to use all that time. He could do this.

Dead set on completing his work as soon as possible, Shinkai got off the bed and made his way to the bathroom, realizing that his limp was gone. The soreness was still there, but so faint that Shinkai barely noticed it, the pain a mere a memory of an hour ago. Feeling even more motivated to work now that he was feeling better; Shinkai searched the bathroom counter, easily locating his toothbrush and a change of clothes. If I keep this up, Yasutomo’s gonna own half of my wardrobe. He realized as he began brushing his teeth, promising himself to launder his borrowed clothes and return them to Arakita on Wednesday.

After he was done with brushing his teeth and washing his face, Shinkai took a quick leak before stripping out of his clothes, preparing to shower. He paused for a moment, noticing his own reflection in the bathroom mirror occupying a large portion of the wall by the counter. Shinkai walked up to his reflection, holding in his stomach and turning to his side. It wasn’t even big. Yasutomo was being plain rude about his belly, the pudge barely noticeable when he was standing up. Shinkai did a double take when he faced himself again, noticing dark marks scattered around his stomach. Looking down, Shinkai observed the purple bruises and red marks stippling his abdomen, fingers tracing over the bite marks still imprinted in his skin. Shinkai huffed, as he grabbed his phone from the counter, taking a picture of his stomach. He observed the photo, noting how easy it was to see the hickeys against his skin.

“Look at what you’ve done.” Shinkai typed, sending the text first, followed by the photo. He knew Yasutomo was in class now, it only being 8:40, so Shinkai didn’t expect to get a reply for another 20 minutes. Shinkai was just about to replace his phone on the counter and step into the shower when his device vibrated in his hand, stopping Shinkai mid-act. He looked down at his cell, seeing that he had received a text from Yasutomo.

“Hayato are you trying to give me a boner in the middle of class???”

Shinkai laughed, shaking his head. Yasutomo’s fascination with his stomach was strange, but Shinkai didn’t bother questioning it, knowing everyone had their own turn-ons. He himself had only recently realized and accepted that his weak spot was the back of his neck. Whenever Yasutomo grasped it or squeezed it or pulled at the locks of hair near it, his entire being would shudder with pleasure.

Shinkai raised his hand, allowing for the tips of his fingers to gently run over back of his neck, looking down so he could caress the faintly protruding vertebrae. How he’d love for Yasutomo to be here with him right now, to kiss and bite his neck mercilessly and mark him just like he had done to other parts of his body. Shinkai didn’t care that Yasutomo left marks where others could see it –that he said such lewd things so casually where others could hear him. It drove Shinkai crazy just thinking about it. He felt the hairs on his arms stand on end and a shiver run down his spine at the thought of Yasutomo.

After a brief pause, Shinkai exhaled slowly as he let his hand leave his neck, lowering it until it came into contact with his half-hard dick instead.

Am I really going to do this?

Shinkai wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock, slowly sliding his hand forward, inhaling slowly as he worked his way to the tip. He thumbed the slit for a moment, feeling the slick precum begin to form just as he brought his hand back down at the same excruciatingly slow pace. Shinkai pumped his cock until it was fully erect before he noticed his phone, remembering what Yasutomo had texted him.

Grabbing the device with his left hand, Shinkai prepared the camera again, extending his arm similar to the way he had done in the previous stomach picture. Shinkai then brought his right thumb back to the tip of his member, rubbing the slickness for a moment, biting his bottom lip as he removed his digit, seeing the string of precum still attached. He immediately snapped a picture, noting how the bruises along his stomach were still visible behind his erected member thanks to the angle he took the picture in.

Rereading Arakita’s text, Shinkai decided to answer him first, typing a simple “No.” before sending his dick picture.

“Now I am.” He added, staring at his phone for a bit before he slammed the device face down on the counter, realization at what he had just done hitting him like a ton of bricks.

I just sent Yasutomo a nude!!! Shinkai screamed silently at his reflection, face burning and ears matching a shade of pink similar to that of his roused dick. Shinkai barely had time to reflect on his actions before his phone vibrated loudly against the sink counter, making him jump. He hesitantly lifted his phone, peeking at the message with one eye closed, half expecting Yasutomo’s fist to pop out of the screen and smack him across his face for his dumbassery. Instead, Shinkai found himself reading Arakita’s text –trying to decipher the message; searching for a word he recognized in “dlhfsihsf”.

Shinkai was about to text Arakita an apology and ask him if he was having a stroke when his phone lit up and his ring tone went off.

Ah. Yasutomo was calling him despite being in class. Shinkai swiped the ‘answer call’ button and brought the phone to his ear, ready to be chewed out for his idiocy.

“Hello?”

“Hayato!”

“Yasutomo I’m sorr-”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was just about to shower an-”

“Don’t you dare step into that shower.”

“And then I saw the bite marks you left an-”

“Hayato…”

“So I thought, you know, what the fuck? And so I touched my neck an-”

“Neck? The fuck?”

“And my mind went somewhere dirty and I got horny a-”

“HAYATO.”

Shinkai stopped his rambling by slamming a hand over his mouth, letting the other speak without interruption.

“Do not step into that shower okay? I’ll be home soon.”

“What? Yasutomo don’t you have class right now?” He asked, his voice muffled behind his palm.

“I left, you idiot! Do you really think I’d stay in there after seeing that.”

“Seeing what?” Shinkai asked, knowing he was being insufferable but unable to stop his mouth from running.

“Shut up! You know exactly what I’m talking about –don’t make me say it while I’m still in school! I’m on my way so don’t you dare touch yourself.”

“What if my nose is itchy?” Shinkai whispered, doing his best to sound mortified even though he felt the exact opposite.

“Wow you really are obnoxious when you’re nervous.”

Shinkai bit his lip in an attempt to contain his growing smile, listening to the other half-lecture him for asking such a “dumb fucking question” as he made his way back to the bed. Yasutomo was coming home and he had specifically told Shinkai not to shower, which meant that they were probably going to do something a little dirty.

Locating the lube, Shinkai grabbed the bottle and jumped on the bed, keeping the phone glued to his ear as he worked the container open.

“Yasutomo where are you right now?” Shinkai asked, cutting of the other’s rant.

“At the bike racks. I’ll be there in six minutes.”

“Okay.” Shinkai said, putting his phone on speaker so he could squeeze some lube onto his fingers, the bottle making a nasty squelch sound.

“What was that? Are you about to brush your teeth?” Arakita asked, his voice harder to hear over the sound of rushing wind.

He’s probably on his bike now. Shinkai mused, coating two fingers in lube and positioning his fingers between his open legs, searching for the hole.

“Ah. They slid right in.” Shinkai noted out loud, able to squeeze two fingers in with only a little resistance, ignoring Arakita’s question.

“What did?”

“My fingers.”

“Your fingers?” Arakita huffed, slightly panting now as he continued biking home. “What are you doing right now?”

“Preparing myself?”

“WHA—”

There was a high pitched shriek from some woman in the distance followed by the sound of a bike crashing.

“Yasutomo?”

Shinkai stopped what he was doing, using his clean hand to pick up his phone and take it off speaker.

“Yasutomo are you alright?” He asked, bringing the phone to his ear.

Shinkai held his breath as he listened intently, hearing the crunch of gravel before Arakita spoke.

“And just why are you doing that?” Arakita hissed, his voice barely audible over the sound of him recovering his bike and resuming his ride home. “I thought you were hurting!”

“I said I was fine!” Shinkai countered, relieved Yasutomo wasn’t hurt. After a minute of silence, Shinkai got onto his knees, lying forward as he resumed his previous actions in the new position, taking note of how loose he was from the past night. He made sure not to get ahead of himself, stopping his movements once he could easily slide three fingers in and out of his asshole, wanting Yasutomo be the one to deal with the rest. By the time he pulled out only three minutes had passed, but Shinkai noticed a change in the sounds coming from his phone. The noisy wind causing static was gone, the only sound coming from Yasutomo’s end his panting.

“Yasutomo?”

“Hayato unlock the door, I’m on my way up.”

Whoa, already?

Shinkai hopped off the bed to do as he was told, clicking the lock back and undoing the chain at the top of the door, barely able to take a step back before the door slammed open. Shinkai gasped as Arakita barged into the hall, throwing his backpack aside none too gently and kicking off his shoes, not bothering to greet the other as he slammed their mouths together. Shinkai screwed his eyes shut as he let the other’s hands explore his naked body, feeling a shiver run down his spine as Arakita pulled away from the kiss to bite his jaw.

“Hi Yasutomo.” Shinkai murmured against the others’ shoulder, the raven now nibbling on his ear as his hands slid from his lower back to his ass, giving it a passionate squeeze.

“Hey.” He mumbled back, words muffled against Shinkai’s ear as he kicked the door close behind him. The redhead was rock hard, his erected member screaming to be touched every time Yasutomo’s pants brushed against the sensitive cock.

“Sorry I made you crash.” Shinkai said, smiling slightly as he got to work unbuckling Arakita’s belt.

“It’s okay. It’s worth it knowing that you…” He trailed off, his hand sliding between Shinkai’s buttocks, the action completing the sentence for him. Shinkai stopped moving as the other slid a finger into him easily, followed by another.

“Oh.” Shinkai moaned, hands leaving Arakita’s pants to grasp his shirt as he reflexively leaned forward into the other. Yasutomo’s fingers were long and boney, and blissfully pushing against the walls of his anus in a way that only fed Shinkai’s hunger for more. But Arakita pulled his fingers out, glancing down at his hand as his thumb trailed the residual lube on the side of his index finger.

“Wait here.” He said, leaving Shinkai butt naked and horny in the middle of the small hallway as he turned into his bedroom. Shinkai blinked, confused as to why Yasutomo hadn’t dragged him into the bedroom, but the other came out immediately before the redhead could question him any longer. Arakita was holding the bottle of lube and a condom wrapper, his shirt gone and pants undone. The other must have seen Shinaki’s puzzled look, because he leaned in close, kissing Shinkai on the lips before speaking.

“I wanna fuck you against the wall.” He said, making sure to lock the front door before pulling down his jeans and underwear simultaneously. Shinkai immediately attacked Arakita’s mouth with his own, the sight of the other naked making his dick hurt. Yasutomo was already hard –which was convenient because Shinkai didn’t think he could wait any longer. They kissed for a few seconds longer, the act wild and sloppy. When they separated, all it took was an exchange of glances before Shinkai turned around, resting his palms flat on the wall in front of him.

Arakita kissed his shoulder as the sound of the condom packet being opened and lube being applied filled the silence of the flat. Shinkai held his breath as he felt Yasutomo guide the head of his cock towards his ass, the erected member pressed against the rim of his asshole for only a moment before sliding in past the sphincter so blissfully slowly that Shinkai couldn’t help the small moan that escaped his lips.

“A-ah God Yasutomo.” Shinkai cried as he pressed back into Arakita’s cock just as the other pushed in. Even though Arakita’s dick filled him nicely, the position wasn’t enough for Shinkai. He tried to move back –to arrange himself in a 90 degree angle, but the other wouldn’t let him. Arakita started thrusting into Shinkai, the slow rhythm killing the redhead.

“Yasutomo move ba- ah ah.” Shinkai bit his lip to stop his moaning, the other’s hand finding his dick and pumping it to the rhythm of his thrusts. Shinkai tried to push back into the other again, searching for that spark of pleasure that he had felt the night before, wanting to be pushed over the edge from the inside not out.

“Yasutomo move back.” Shinkai hissed, slapping the raven’s hand away from his dick. The contact was missed for only a second before Yasutomo’s dick brushed against Shinkai’s prostate, the spark of pleasure now coursing though his body from the other end –the end Shinkai wanted.

Shinkai screwed his eyes shut as he tried to move back even further, but Arakita thrust into him hard, the force making Shinkai’s pelvis snap forward. Shinkai looked down to see the other take a step closer to him, the act forcing Shinkai to stand up straighter than he would have liked. The raven’s hands started trailing Shinkai’s thighs, the rough palms working their way up to Shinkai’s hips, followed by his stomach. The fingers tugged and squeezed for a bit before proceeding upwards, repeating the action to Shinkai’s nipples. Shinkai arched his back at the sensation, panting in frustration as Arakita’s thrusts turned shallow. He was about to yell at the other, to tell him to stop messing around and fuck him properly when Yasutomo started kissing his back, tongue trailing lazily along the skin, inching towards the outline of Shinkai’s spine. Shinkai’s words died in his throat when Arakita bit the skin just below his neck, tugging gently and kissing sloppily, hands still pinching his pert nipples.

Shinkai let out an impressive moan when the other finally reached the back of his neck, the kiss turning into a bite that sent a pleasurable wave to course through his body, the sensation travelling down his spine to his lower back and groin, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. Shinkai’s lower body was throbbing from the lack of attention, Yasutomo’s sex denial making Shinkai’s erection almost painful, his dick twitching and seeping precum even though very little action was going on in that region.

Arakita had almost completely stopped his movements now, focusing on kissing Shinkai’s neck and squeezing his pecs, showing an incredible amount of impulse control for someone who seemed to act solely on instinct. Shinkai’s hips bucked in the air, body searching for something, anything, the stream of pleasure coming from an unfamiliar place, but there nonetheless.

“Yasutomo, Yasutomo please.” Shinkai whined, pressing his ass back into the other’s cock, hoping the little stunt would push the other into moving again. Arakita moaned against Shinkai’s neck, the vibrations sending another wave of pleasure down his spine as the engineer backed up, pulling out of the other’s ass.

“Yasutomo please. Come on. Fuck me like you did last night.” Shinkai begged, palms no long resting flat against the wall, his fingers having curled up into a fist long after Yasutomo had first entered him. He heard the other chuckle against his skin, a low rumble that shook Shinkai’s very core, the sound far sexier than it should have been considering how irritated Shinkai was with Yasutomo’s teasing.

“But I’m thirsty.”

“You’re thir…? What?”

Shinkai turned around and suddenly Yasutomo was gone, making his way down the hall, towards the kitchen. Shinkai followed him, ignoring how his dick slapped against his stomach as he made his way to the sink where Yasutomo was standing. The other was drinking from a glass of water painfully slowly, letting some of the liquid trickle down the side of his mouth towards his chin. Shinkai instantly leaned forward and lapped up the residual water, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist, hoping that by pressing his erection against Arakita’s ass, he’d somehow convince the other to hurry up.

“Yasutomo you’re the worst.” Shinkai complained into Arakita’s shoulder, kissing and licking the sweaty skin, savouring the salty taste as he humped the other’s bare ass.

“Consider us even after your little nude stunt during class.” He murmured into Shinkai’s ear, his lips brushing the shell and notifying the redhead that he was smiling. The amount of teasing Yasutomo was doing to Shinkai drove him crazy, but he’d rather die than admit it to the other. Refusing to feed Arakita’s ego, Shinkai grabbed the glass of water out of the raven’s hand and dumped the remaining contents over his head before dashing away.

“Hayato, you fuck!” Arakita exclaimed, chasing Shinkai to the island. The redhead was laughing as he crawled on top of the table, rolling onto his back just as Arakita jumped on top of him, the raven’s arms caging him in.

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai sighed right as the other leaned down to connect their lips. Shinkai pushed him back, gently placing his hands on either side of Arakita’s cheeks, thumbs carefully caressing the lashes oh his lower eyelids. “Yasutomo I don’t think I can take this anymore.”

The other smirked, resting on his knees as he backed up, bringing his arms to Shinkai’s legs, caressing the sensitive skin of his inner thighs.

“What do you want me to do Hayato?”

Shinkai shivered as he brought his feet closer to himself while parting his legs, watching the other place his hands on his knees, rubbing them gently. The sight was eerily similar to what he had imagined when he first jacked off to the thought of Yasutomo, and Shinkai found himself unable to speak for a second.

“I…” Shinkai covered his face in his hands, mad at himself for suddenly feeling so bashful. He couldn’t believe how far the two had come in terms of their relationship. Shinkai steadied his breathing, slowly removing his hands even though he knew the other could see the red tinge covering his entire upper body. “I want you to fuck me senseless.”

Shinkai swore he saw something snap in Arakita, the raven opening his mouth as if to say something but letting out a small gasp instead. He cleared his throat as he looked away, face scarlet as he took purchase of the crook of Shinkai’s knees and pushed them forward, positioning himself between the redhead’s open legs.

“Well when you say it like that…”

Arakita pushed himself back into Shinkai with little effort, not bothering to go slowly this time. Shinkai gasped as Yasutomo brushed his prostate, and gasped again when the next thrust did the same.

“You’ve been, hah, holding back… Ya –Yasu…” Shinkai screwed his eyes shut as a long oh escaped his lips, the other hitting his prostate so wonderfully that any coherent sentences Shinkai planned on saying were cut short.

Things only went uphill from there for both university students. Arakita was thrusting into Shinkai with such ferocity –with such blissful vigor that Shinkai started telling himself he’d accept failing molecular bio; accept failing school so long as Yasutomo continued fucking him like that.

Shinkai knew he was close. He could feel the pulsing in his groin and the sparks of pleasure that made his eyes roll back and tongue loll out of his parted mouth –the pleasure taking him beyond anything he had ever experienced before.

“Yasu… I’m ahh.” Shinkai’s hands clung desperately to either side of the marble island, his grip so tight that his knuckles turned white. “Ah, ah.”

Fuck was it hard to speak.

“I’m close.” He panted, voice hitching right at the end as he came undone under the other.

“Yeah… yeah.” Arakita moaned, repeating his ‘yeahs’ with every thrust, fingers digging into Shinkai’s knee caps as he leaned heavily on top of the other, movements sped up and erratic, the need to reach his climax overtaking the steady rhythm he had initially started with.

When Shinkai reached his climax, the force of the orgasm was so strong that his pelvis snapped up and his back arched in such a way that the majority of his body momentarily hovered over the table before coming back down. Shinkai was screaming Yasutomo as his back slammed on the table, his sweaty skin hitting the marble with a satisfying smack as he came –his first load shooting onto his chin and chest, the hot liquid going unnoticed as Shinkai’s mind went blank with the pleasure. His second load ended up on his lower stomach, and his third was barely a trickle, the hot semen spilling onto his skin slowly as Shinkai hiccupped Arakita’s name.

The boy on top of him got four more strokes in after Shinkai’s climax before he came, first inhaling sharply through his nose before moaning to the orgasm, rolling his hips in bursts as he chased the pleasure within the redhead’s body. Shinkai watched the other come, etching Yasutomo’s “O” face into his memory, praying he’d never forget such an amazing site for as long as he lived.

Shinkai closed his eyes, his even breathing interrupted by the sensation of Yasutomo pulling out, the squelching sound making them both curse simultaneously. Shinkai relaxed his grip on the marble table, switching his breathing from his mouth to his nose as he watched Yasutomo pull the condom off his softening dick, the engineer catching the liquid by pinching the rubber and tying a knot.

Shinkai didn’t dare sit up and follow the other to the kitchen, knowing he’d come back after throwing out the used condom. Instead, Shinkai closed his eyes, lowering his legs on the island so that he was lying flat on the dining table, moving his hands up behind his head to act as a cushion against the hard surface.

We just fucked in Yasutomo’s kitchen. Shinkai noted, opening his eyes when the other returned, the engineer crawling on top of him to kiss his neck, his jaw, his cheek, and finally his lips. It was gentle enough that Shinkai didn’t feel the need to press for more, humming happily when the other pulled away. When Shinkai opened his eyes, he was greeted with the same expression Yasutomo had displayed yesterday, the sorrow in his eyes making Shinkai’s heart swell with sadness. He took Yasutomo’s head in his hands and pulled him close, kissing his eyelid softly before moving down to peck his nose.

“You’re not allowed to look so sad when you’re with me Yasutomo.” Shinkai warned, maneuvering the other’s face so they could kiss passionately. When they pulled away, Yasutomo was grinning stupidly down at him, his canines sharp in contrast the rest of his straight teeth, the sight taking Shinkai’s breath away. Yasutomo looked so fucking good when he smiled, Shinkai was starting to understand why the other was always snapping pictures left and right. If Shinkai had his phone right now, he would have done everything in his power to capture that smile.

“Yasu when are you gonna send me nudes back?”

Arakita sat up at that, extending his arms horizontally as if to ask “what the fuck?”

“Am I not nude enough for you right now?”

“I want it saved on my phone Yasutomo.”

“I’m…” Shinkai watched the other scratch the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m not that photogenic.”

“What are you talking about?!” Shinkai sat up at that, making the other jump. That’s a first.

“Yasutomo you look amazing in photos! You look amazing in general!” Shinkai babbled, crossing his legs and using his arms too scoot himself closer to the other, ignoring the heat rising up to his face. He was being really embarrassing right now and he knew it, but he wanted the other to know just how attractive he found him.

Arakita scowled while looking off to the side, eyebrows furrowed as he tried hiding his blush behind the palm of his hand. If Shinkai hadn’t known the context behind the action, he would have assumed Yasutomo was deep in thought or trying to hold himself back from snapping at someone –but the redhead noticed hints of a smile tugging at the corner of the other’s mouth, only further provoking Shinkai to keep going.

“Seriously Yasutomo.” Shinkai laughed, leaning forward to kiss the other’s ear. “Next time you’re hard, the first thing you’re doing is taking a picture for me, alright?”

Arakita snorted at that, his hand now gone from his face but his gaze still looking at something off to the side. He didn’t say anything as Shinkai nibbled on his ear, and merely laughed when the redhead started complimenting his looks again.

“Okay, alright. I get it.” He laughed pushing Shinkai away from kissing the crook of his neck and getting off the island as he regarded the other. “Now don’t you have a manuscript to finish?”

Shit. Shinkai had completely forgotten about his assignment.

“Not until you promise to send me nudes too.”

“You’re persistent.”

“Only because you’re sexy.”

Arakita lost it at that, his tough exterior gone as he crouched to the ground, covering his face.

“I promise.” He croaked, his voice muffled behind his hands from where he sat. Shinkai got off the island as he looked down at the other, feeling his stomach flip as he noted the blush covering the back of Yasutomo’s neck and even his shoulders. “Now shut the fuck up and go do your shitty science experiment.”

Shinkai laughed as he placed a hand on Yasutomo’s back and dragged his other arm under the crouching boy’s legs, picking him up with some effort.

“The hell?” He asked, wrapping his arms around Shinkai’s shoulder in panic, reflexively keeping himself from falling even though the redhead had no intentions of dropping him.

“First, let’s shower.” Shinkai said, smiling down at the other, kissing him on the nose as he princess-carried Arakita into his bedroom.

“You’re fucking unbelievable.” Arakita muttered, pushing himself out of the other’s arms. He made his way to the bathroom before turning back to Shinkai, waiting expectantly for the other to join him. Shinkai wasn’t sure how many times something as simple as Yasutomo’s glance caused butterflies in his stomach, but now, even after all they’ve done, the fluttering feeling was still there and prevalent as ever.

“You coming or not?” The other asked, scratching his stomach lazily as Shinkai finally walked into the bathroom.

“I already came, Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, gesturing to his soft dick.

“I fucking hate you.”

***

After their shower, the two quickly ate breakfast together before Shinkai began working diligently on his assignment, declaring to Yasutomo that he needed to get rid of any distractions that may have gotten in the way of him and his manuscript –the biggest distraction being Yasutomo himself.

“Aww come on now.” Arakita begged, planting his feet in the floor of the hallway as Shinkai proceeded to push him out of his own house. “I’ll be quiet I promise.”

“Yasutomo you lasted about 1 minute ‘being quiet’ before you started whining about being bored.”

When the other didn’t retaliate, Shinkai continued speaking. “Besides, it’s not good to be skipping so many classes before finals.”

Arakita huffed at that, silently agreeing with Shinkai by putting on his shoes and throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

“Fine, I’ll leave. You better get a fucking perfect on that manuscript Hayato.” We warned, opening the door and stepping out. Shinkai chuckled as he reached for the door knob, about to close it shut behind the other when Arakita abruptly spun around, grabbing Shinkai by the collar of yet another borrowed shirt and pulling him close, connecting their lips quite brashly. Arakita only got two sensual licks in the other’s mouth before he parted, grinning as he wiped the residual spit off the corner of Shinkai’s mouth.

“Your labs are three hours right?”

“Y-yeah.” Shinkai stuttered, thrown off by the kiss, the domestic feeling Yasutomo just provided making him blush.

“Then I’ll seeya at 5. We’ll grab some dinner.” Arakita declared before trotting down the hall, ignoring the elevator and disappearing behind the doors of the staircase. Shinkai gazed down the hallway for a minute longer, focusing his thoughts on Yasutomo, mentally urging him to return but to no avail. When the elevator door dinged and an older woman walked out, Shinkai immediately re-entered the apartment, closing the door behind him. He walked back into the bedroom and headed towards the desk, taking a seat on Yasutomo’s chair and opening his laptop, getting to work on his manuscript.

Shinkai reread his introduction, sighing heavily at the amount of bullshit he had squeezed into the first three sentences, realizing that he had to delete most of what he wrote in order to replace it with actual facts and observations from previous studies.

I fucking hate lab reports. Shinkai concluded, holding down the backspace button with contempt. At least he had dinner with Yasutomo to look forward to.

Chapter Text

Arakita ignored his burning elbow as he made his way back to school, pedalling at a far slower pace than he had initially done so on his way home to Shinkai. The redhead in question had chided him for failing to mention the scraped arm until after they had done it, scolding him for neglecting his own health and comfort for sex. When Arakita had argued that sex was good for his health and he was very much comfortable fucking Shinkai on the island, Shinkai proceeded to kick him out of his own house, spouting some nonsense about distractions and skipping classes. Arakita suspected that it was his choice of words that got the redhead flustered and Shinkai was simply hiding his embarrassment by pretending to be mad at Arakita, but the raven didn’t mind. He let Shinkai push him towards the hall and out the door, but not before kissing him one last time and setting up a small date for later that day.

Now, Arakita was on his way to said class, feeling much better knowing that the guilt he had felt in the morning was all for naught. He hadn’t hurt Shinkai; the other was just sore from the night before and things were still good between them. Arakita was worried that there would be a lingering awkwardness between the two similar to what happened after the party, but Shinkai showed no hints of shying away.

Arakita locked his bike in its usual spot, trying to conceal his goofy grin as he made his way across the quad and into the school building, entering the class with two minutes to spare. He found his way to the front of the class, spotting the seat between Kinjou and Machimiya reserved by a black backpack.

“Is everything alright?” Kinjou asked, removing his bag just as Arakita approached the chair.   

“Yeah yeah, everything’s fine.” Arakita assured as he began fiddling through his backpack, looking for his laptop and charger.   

“Did something bad happen? Are you sisters okay?” Kinjou asked, a look of concern scrawled across his face.

Sisters?   

“They’re fine, the fuck? Why would you even mention my sisters?”   

“The fuck you mean the fuck?” Machimiya chimed in, leaning over the table to scrutinize his friend. “You ran outta our last class like someone had died. And you did it after looking at your phone too.”   

“Oh. I just-” Got a dick pic from Shinkai. Arakita felt his face heat up at the memory of what caused him to leave in the middle of the class in such haste. How the hell was he going to phrase this without his friends figuring out?   

“Just what? Did you suddenly get the runs?” Machimiya asked, lowering his voice to a whisper as the professor began the lecture.   

“No! I just-” Arakita was cut off again, this time by a glare from the lecturer. He waited until she walked to the other side of him room before he continued speaking to Machimiya, making sure to keep his voice low. “I just forgot something at home.”   

“More like you forgot someone at home.” A voice from behind them said. The three friends turned around to face Suzuki, who was looking down at Arakita from where he sat, the tall boy sporting a cheeky grin. Arakita was about to sputter a rebuttal when the other gestured to the crook of his own neck, cocking an eyebrow as Arakita went to slap his own –the raven trying to cover what he assumed was a hickey left by Shinkai.

“You left in the middle of the class to see Shinkai?” Machimiya hissed. Arakita knew the other was trying to sound angry, but the toothy smile dispelled any attempt he may have tried to make. His friend was stupidly proud of him, and it was kind of embarrassing for Arakita to acknowledge that his love life was so shitty that even Machimiya had felt somewhat sorry for him. Arakita scowled at his friend, about to say something when he noted a change in Machimiya.

“Hey listen… ”

Machimiya trailed off looking troubled, which alarmed Arakita. Again, Arakita tried to respond, but the professor was slowly gravitating back to their side of the room, so he kept his mouth shut and glued his eyes to his laptop, intending on ignoring his friend for the rest of the class. If Machimiya had something important to say, he could text it to him. And yet, despite Machimiya refusing to continue the conversation during class, Arakita couldn’t help but take note of how his friend was boring his eyes into him. Surely he didn’t give that much of a shit about him and Shinkai right? So what was with that look?   

Trying not to be deterred by the action, Arakita did his best to forget his friend, doing everything in his power to avoid the other's gaze whenever he glanced up to look at his professor. It wasn't until fifty minutes had passed and a 10 minute break was issued that Arakita whipped his head to the side, slamming a hand on his desk and snapping a "What?!" at Machimiya. His friend didn't flinch at the sudden outburst; instead, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone with one hand as the other distractingly twisted a lock of his hair.    

"What? What is it Miya?" Arakita asked, his frustration growing into apprehension. His friend had a bad habit of playing with his bangs for a number of reasons, but the combination of twisting his hair, opening and closing apps on his phone with no purpose, and full-out frowning at his hand while avoiding eye contact made a tight knot blossom in Arakita's stomach.    

“Okay, sooo you're not going to like this,” He started, finally stopping his nervous habits by resting the palms of both his hands on his desk. "But Riko found us."   

Alarmed, Arakita swallowed back his dread, letting the other finish speaking.   

"She wanted to talk to you, so she asked me for your nu-"   

"You didn't tell her right!?" Arakita interrupted, words rushing out of his mouth in a fit of panic.   

"No of course I didn't fucking tell her!" Machimiya shouted, obviously on edge by the situation as well. Arakita held back his next question, not wanting to worry his friend into leaving out any important details.    

"She said she wanted your number so she could meet up with you." Machimiya continued, glancing past Arakita to look over at Kinjou. Arakita turned to his bespectacled friend, who was nodding solemnly.   

"Wait she found you as in found you? As in she's here?!" Another nod from Kinjou was all the confirmation Arakita needed. The raven sat back in his chair, feeling numb in a way that he hadn't felt in over a year.   

"What does she want?" He murmured, racking his brain. Why was Riko back home when the first semester of school wasn't even over? Was she transferring back to their university? Arakita felt his stomach churn at the thought. He didn't want to see her –he had made that very clear when they broke it off.   

"Are you gonna throw up?" Machimiya asked, no air of humor in his voice. Arakita shook his head, glad only a handful of people knew how his body responded to extreme stress. Kinjou patted his back reassuringly, leaning in close so nobody else could hear him speak.  

"She has no intentions of seeing you without letting you decide when and where."  

"And why the fuck is she being so respectful about this?"  

Kinjou shrugged, squeezing Arakita's shoulder.   

"She didn't look like she wanted to cause any trouble."  

"Yeah!" Machimiya chimed in, also leaning in close. "She looked -what? Apologetic? I think she just wanted to say sorry to you or something."  

That struck a nerve with Arakita. Why was she trying to apologize now of all times? Things were finally going well for Arakita. He had moved on, and he was hoping after transferring schools that she would have too. Riko was making this way more stressful and complicated than it needed to be. Arakita swallowed back the bile he felt rising in his throat.  

"I don't want to see her." He declared, shrugging Kinjou's hand off his shoulder. "So she's not moving back here right?"  

"Nah I don't think so. I think she was just visiting her family when she ran into us."  

Arakita nodded, opening his laptop as their professor walked back into the room and started setting up for the second half of the lecture.   

If Riko isn't moving back in with her family then I have nothing to worry about. Arakita thought, trying to clear his mind and ignore the nervousness gnawing at the back of his head like a persistent leech. He didn't have any more patience when it involved his ex, and he refused to see her despite how good her intentions may have been. Hopefully Riko'll take the hint and fuck off.  

***  

Arakita went through the rest of his school day unnerved. He was grateful that his friends had told him about their interaction with Riko immediately, but part of him wished that they hadn't said anything. Talking about his ex was tolerable when Arakita knew she was in a completely different region of Japan, but the mere notion of her being within range made Arakita's blood turn cold.   

Riko was his first and only girlfriend; someone who he had encountered during his third year in high school. Even though they had met in cram school, Arakita had initially taken her assertive personality as something rather charming. They both had the same university in sight, and there was a competitiveness in her that made Arakita study harder than he had ever done before. It was because of Riko that he had gotten into the engineering program he wanted, despite his high school teachers and even his own friends and family thinking that that goal wasn’t a possibility.

It wasn’t until first year began that Arakita really got a good look at the type of person Riko was. Although he had been the one to suggest the relationship, he had never expected it to go so bad so fast.

Riko was mean.

She was not the affectionate type at all. Arakita had been under the false pretense that Riko was merely shy and off put by small touches and kisses, but as their relationship progressed, Arakita learned that that wasn’t the case at all. Riko simply didn’t like Arakita –not in the way a girlfriend should like their partner. Every time Arakita went to hold Riko’s hand, she would push him away. Any surprise kisses made her grimace and any attempt at innocent conversation often turned into a lecture, which inevitably led to an argument. Deep down Arakita knew Riko was only with him for the sake of saying she had a boyfriend to her friends, but the raven still wanted to make it work.

And yet, no matter how much he tried to be good to her, it had gotten harder and harder for Arakita to tolerate her selfishness. She was extremely picky with where they had their dates, choosing expensive restaurants and inconvenient locations with the ideology that the “guy in the relationship should pay for everything.”

That was another thing that made Arakita’s blood boil. Riko had an extremely outdated idea of how relationships worked and believed that certain genders had to comply to certain roles, convinced that any behaviour that didn’t follow those ideologies were unacceptable. He had spent more money on her than he could afford and had gone many sleepless nights making sure she was satisfied, regardless of his own comfort and happiness. Despite all this, Arakita continued to ignore the alarm bells going off in the back of his head warning him about how unhealthy his relationship with Riko was, his naturally stubborn demeanor almost acting as shackles that restrained him from escaping.

Arakita frowned at the memory. If he ever acted unfittingly “over-sensitive” or “fragile”, Riko made sure to give her boyfriend a hard time about it. And with great regret, Arakita acknowledged that his past self had had a mindset similar to that of Riko’s in regards to roles in relationships, which kept him trapped in his sadness much longer than what was considered healthy for a young man his age. It wasn’t until he met fucking Toudou of all people that he opened his eyes to the bullshit he was dealing with.

Arakita made his way towards the science building, recalling the conversation he and Toudou had had almost two years ago.

“It’s abuse!”

“It’s not abuse. She’s right, I am being kind of an ass about it…”

“You’re not being an ass Arakita. You’re allowed to do things for yourself for once in a while!”

“Toudou, relax. It’s fine.”

“It’s NOT FINE. She’s horribly rude and selfish and never thinks about your feelings. The way she speaks to you isn’t how two people in love would ever speak to each other.” Toudou rambled, throwing his arms around as he spoke for emphasis.

“And how would you know how two people in love would talk?” Arakita snapped, briefly removing his eyes from the road to glare at Toudou. Toudou’s face went red; whether from anger or embarrassment, Arakita couldn’t tell, and frankly, he didn’t care. He just wanted the other to shut up.

Arakita had exited the highway after that, entering a small neighbourhood, trying to breathe through his nose to calm himself. They would grab a quick lunch at the coffee shop two blocks ahead and then head back onto the highway. Arakita would make sure Toudou stuck to his plan –his need to get rid of the other at the airport as soon as possible the only thing driving the raven forward.

“Couples get into fights all the time. It’s normal.” Arakita continued, knuckles going white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. He was tired of getting lectured –he was tired of being told how to think and how to act.

I’m fucking exhausted. Arakita realized, feeling his throat constrict. He just wanted to sleep for the rest of his life, he concluded, wiping the single tear forming at the corner of his eye with the heel of his hand.

When was the last time he felt at peace?

Arakita took a shuddery breath, well accustomed to the aching sensation in his chest.

When was he going to get a break from all the nagging and the yelling and what felt like a permanent wretchedness that had settled on his heart like a dark fog, obscuring any other feelings and emotions?

“You know Arakita, you might be brash and irritating and quite frankly a little repuls-”

“Where are you going with this Toudou?” Arakita snapped, gritting his teeth in agitation, his patience running so thin he could physically feel it being one stupid word from Toudou away from snapping.

“You’re a good person.”

Arakita scoffed, disregarding how his breath hitched, shaking his head at the declaration. Makishima had obviously fed Toudou false information so that the other would be more willing to accept a ride from him.

“Don’t laugh. You are! You agreed to take a stranger to the airport even though you had no personal obligations to do so. Thank you.”

“I’m just doing my friend a favour. It’s not a big deal.” Arakita said, heart beating rapidly and face heating up at the sincerity behind the comment. He moved his hands up so that both gripped the top of his steering wheel, feeling his shoulders hunch in sadness and apprehension at the other boy’s words. He didn’t deserve such kindness.

“Stop acting tough just because your girlfriend thinks that’s how you should act! You’re allowed to feel more than one thing you know!”

“I know.” Arakita nodded, praying Toudou would shut the fuck up. He blinked rapidly, his eyes burning.

“I’ve seen you with your sisters and your friends. It’s so easy to see how much you love them and how much they love you. Relationships should work in a similar way!”

“I know.” Arakita croaked, pulling his car to the side of the neighbourhood road, staying close to the curb, noting how his vision was beginning to blur. The car was quiet for a brief moment, and Arakita was certain the other was done talking, but then Toudou’s small voice was heard once more, barely audible but distinctly clear to Arakita’s keen ears, saying the words Arakita thought he’d never hear.

“You deserve to be happy Yasutomo.”

A sob escaped Arakita’s lips as he slammed on the breaks.

“I know.” Arakita choked, feeling tears stream down his cheeks as he buried his face into the hands still gripping the steering wheel, finally breaking down. “I know.” He hiccupped, unable to stop himself from sobbing.

He wasn’t sure how long he cried after that –he barely had the sense to realize that Toudou had pulled him into a hug despite his unpleasant state; Makishima’s friend holding Arakita steadily in his arms, disregarding the snot running down Arakita’s nose and the choked out spittle that was splayed on the side of his lips; letting the raven sob into his shoulder, overcome with grief.

I deserve to be happy. Arakita repeated in his head, his pitiful wails muffled by Toudou’s shoulder. I deserve to be happy.

Arakita snapped back into reality with the assistance of a lab technician rolling a noisy cart down the hall, the obnoxious squeaks of the wheels making Arakita flush in embarrassment. It’s been a while since he had been so completely immersed in the memories of his past that the world around him had completely disappeared. Arakita stubbornly rubbed his face, hoping some stress would dissipate through his ears as he pressed the palms of his hands into his eyelids. He had made it to the fourth floor and was now sitting by Shinkai's locker, waiting for the other to finish his lab so they could go out and grab something to eat.

Arakita sighed, taking out his phone and opening up the internet browser. He knew he was terrible at hiding his agitation, so he went out of his way to look up specific techniques used to de-stress, hoping something as stupid as putting pressure on the bridge of his nose or breathing deeply 10 times through his mouth would make him look a little less pale. Arakita was about to do some spontaneous yoga in the science hall when he spotted three doors almost simultaneously opening and students in lab coats beginning to trickle out. Standing up, Arakita moved out of a girl’s way as she tried to access her locker, the raven choosing to stand in the middle of the hallway where there was less traffic as he waited for Shinkai.

A few minutes later, a mop of messy copper hair and broad shoulders was sighted behind a shorter group of individuals, Shinkai looking almost comically gigantic behind his lab mates. Arakita inhaled so embarrassingly sharply that he was sure everyone in the hallway heard his pitiful gasp. Shinkai had smiled so brightly at Arakita that the raven’s mind went completely blank almost instantly. Even his autonomic system seemed to stutter for a bit, Arakita forgetting the basics like breathing, blinking, and pumping blood to his heart as Shinkai pulled him into a warm hug. Arakita bit his lower lip as he buried his face into the crook of Shinkai's neck, taking in the other's familiar scent and radiating warmth. What he’d give to stay in those arms forever.  

"Yasutomo what's wrong?" Shinkai asked almost immediately, pulling back to regard the other's face. I knew I should have done the yoga.    

"Nothing. I'm fine." Arakita assured, separating from Shinkai and walking towards the lockers so the other could follow him and pack up. His body had immediately gone cold from the lack of contact, but Arakita didn’t want to prolong the hug any longer in fear that Shinkai’s classmates would become suspicious. "Just the usual stress from school." He lied, hoping the other would leave it at that.   

Shinkai hummed in understanding as he took off his lab coat and replaced it on the hook inside his locker. Arakita stood beside Shinkai, placing his forehead on the cool metal locker as he watched the other struggle to stuff his lab supplies into a plastic bag before throwing it onto the top shelf of his locker, obviously exhausted from his class and in a rush to get out of their god forsaken school.

"Did you finish your manuscript?"  

"Yup. That's in the past now Yasutomo. I just have one more assignment from this lab and then I'll be free!"  

"And by free you mean in exam week hell."  Arakita stated, voice deadpan even though he felt little prickles of affection course through his body as he teased the other.

Shinkai looked over to glare at Arakita, refusing to acknowledge the raven's accuracy before turning back to his locker and collecting his bag. Arakita laughed at that, checking behind him to make sure no one was looking before leaning in to peck Shinkai on the cheek. Shinkai smiled so warmly at Arakita that the engineer immediately felt any last remnants of his anguish dissipate. Shinkai leaned forward to return the kiss on the other’s nose before facing his locker once more, now silently replacing his calculator into its rightful spot in his backpack.

"What do you want to eat?" Arakita asked quietly, feeling butterflies in his stomach as he rested a hand on the other’s elbow, doing his best not to grin as the other perked up at the mention of food. God Shinkai was cute.  

"Whatever is fine Yasutomo! Maybe something close to here?"  

Arakita snorted, as he backed away from the wall, giving the other room to close the metal door and replace the lock before they began making their way down the hall. Shinkai was so straightforward with what he wanted that being with him was close to effortless. Arakita had never gotten along with another individual so well before meeting Shinkai, and he had no plans on letting anything ruin that for him. 

“Then how about some burgers? The one by my faculty’s building.” Arakita offered, remembering how he had bought Shinkai food from that very same burger joint the first time they had met. Arakita felt his heart flutter at the memory, almost failing to hear Shinkai’s agreement to his suggestion.

“Sounds good Yasutomo.” Shinkai said, smiling at the other as they proceeded to walk down the crowded hallway towards the stairwell.

They made their way out of the science building, immersed in idle conversation as they took an alternate exit, the path they chose taking them that much closer to their destination. Arakita let Shinkai ramble on about how horrible his TA was and much worse his professor for that course happened to be, the redhead lowering his voice every time he suspected that someone could overhear his backtalk only to raise it animatedly to get his point across. Arakita laughed and teased at the other’s distress, feeling blissfully elated after having such an aggravating afternoon. The redhead ended up shoving Arakita aside every time the raven made a snide remark, only to pull him back again so they could continue walking side-by-side, fingers lightly brushing against each other with every step until they entered the burger joint.

After they ordered their food, the two made their way to the far corner of the fast food restaurant with their trays, opting to sit by the window. Neither spoke much as they began eating, far too invested in their thoughts and meals to break the prolonged silence. And yet, despite their mutual quietness, the two ended up communicating in other ways.

Arakita had initially dropped one of his own fries onto Shinkai’s tray, watching with amusement as the other proceeded to almost immediately grab and eat it, all while rubbing Arakita’s lower calf with his ankle to display his gratitude. Arakita continued doing this for a bit, personally appreciating the little action of footsies each fry initiated. It wasn’t until they were about halfway through their meals that Arakita decided he had sacrificed one too many of his own fries for such minimal entertainment. Deciding to change tactics, Arakita chose to drop portions from his burger in front of Shinkai instead, partially curious to see if other truly would eat anything put in front of him. Arakita started with the basics. He dropped a pickle, a tomato, a piece of lettuce or two; whatever parts of his burger that were easily accessible were plopped onto Shinkai’s tray. Every time Arakita did this, the other would pick it up without hesitation and throw it into his mouth. Part of Arakita knew that Shinkai was just humoring him by playing along, but the engineer wanted to see how far the other was willing to go for a bad joke. Arakita opened his burger, and using his bun, scooped some ketchup onto the paper resting on Shinkai’s tray. The other looked up at him briefly before looking down again. There was a piece of onion in the little smear of ketchup and what seemed to be a bit of mustard as well. Shinkai grabbed a fry, ready to dip it into the condiment staining his tray when Arakita stopped him by slapping the back of his hand.

“Nope, no cheating!” Arakita proclaimed, finally breaking their pleasantly silent dinner by scolding the other.

“What? How is this cheating Yasutomo?”

“You have to eat it the same way you ate the other stuff, moron.”

Shinkai huffed, squeezing Arakita’s legs between his own as he replaced his fry back in its respectful pile and scooped up the ketchup with his index finger. He brought out his wide tongue before placing his finger in his mouth, unwavering gaze never breaking from Arakita’s. The raven gulped, watching the other wrap his fat lips over his finger, letting the digit rest there for a second before pulling it out painfully slowly. Arakita felt his blood pump and his dick twitch, the redhead’s actions surprisingly arousing despite the context behind it. Shinkai really knew how to get him riled up over the simplest of things, it seemed.

“Finish eating.” Arakita croaked, too turned on to be embarrassed that his voice cracked. As much as he loved spending time outside of school with the other, the need to drag Shinkai onto his bed and have his way with him was too much for the raven. Shinkai didn’t need to be told twice, the redhead immediately scarfing down the remainder of his meal just as Arakita finished his own.

It wasn’t until they had finished dumping their wrappers in the garbage when Arakita saw her.

His heart dropped at the familiar sight of a petite figure with short, light brown hair standing in the restaurant. Riko was waiting in line, looking down at her phone as a way to pass the time as she let the person in front of her finish their order. Luckily for him, she seemed to have just entered the store and had yet to notice Arakita’s presence. The raven hastily put his tray in its rightful place, silently urging Shinkai to do the same, the anxiety he felt earlier that day back tenfold. He felt his stomach flip in fear as she looked to her side, but again, Riko missed Arakita as she regarded someone to her immediate right, eyes never wandering any further back in the restaurant.

“Yasutomo are you feeling okay?” Shinkai asked, placing his tray on top of Arakita’s. The engineer didn’t have time to slap a hand over Shinkai’s mouth, the other’s booming voice inevitably reaching Riko’s ears, who turned around so violently that Arakita physically flinched back at the action.

“Yasutomo!” She wailed, waving to get the other’s attention. Arakita felt the bile rise up in his throat at the sound of her voice. “Yasutomo, I’ve been looking for you.”

Arakita didn’t think twice before sprinting out of the store, the need to get away from Riko urging him down the sidewalk at a breakneck speed. It wasn’t until he had gotten to his apartment’s parking lot that he slowed to a stop, hands on his knees as he heaved and coughed.

“Yasutomo!”

Arakita didn’t look up to acknowledge Shinkai, who had been calling after him the second he had made a run for it. There were no additional sounds of Riko behind Shinkai, which was about as reassuring to the engineer as Machimiya promising to finish his half of their group work on time. Still, Arakita was glad Riko took the blatant hint and decided against following him.

“Yasutomo what was that about? Who was that?” Shinkai asked, tentatively placing a hand on the other’s back as if worried Arakita would dash away again at any second.

Arakita dry heaved, the immense guilt he felt for running away from Shinkai added with the panic he felt from seeing Riko making him cough violently.

“Sorry.” Arakita said, crouching closer to the ground as he continued panting, eyes closed and brows furrowed as he tried to fight back the bile rising in his throat. Shinkai continued rubbing his back, undisturbed by Arakita’s unexplained demeanor.

How fucking pathetic. He thought, swallowing back the accumulation of saliva threatening to escape his now closed lips. He wanted to tell Shinkai that he was fine; that the other should just leave him and go home. Riko didn’t seem like she was pursuing him, so he’d be alright on his own.

“Hayato.” He whispered, voice hoarse and burning from the acidic taste in his throat.

“I’m here.” Shinkai said, rubbing soothing circles on Arakita’s back.

No idiot. Go home!

“Hayato.” Arakita repeated, heaving again but keeping the vomit down long enough to get 5 words out. “I’m fine, just leave me.”

But Shinkai didn’t budge, the redhead whispering promises of never leaving him as he continued to rub Arakita’s back, undeterred as the disgruntled engineer finally threw up his dinner.

***

Arakita groaned, flipping the wet cloth scrawled over his forehead and eyes onto its cooler side, wishing he could melt into his mattress. After having hurled quite profusely onto the cement floor of his building’s parking lot, Shinkai had taken the poor raven up to his apartment and demanded he lie down and relax. Arakita first brushed his teeth before doing as he was told, even letting Shinkai persuade him into drinking a full cup of water despite his body’s protests. Arakita was normally so good at dealing with stressful things. A small trick that his mother had taught him during high school was to think up a “it could be worse” scenario every time he felt anxious, telling him that it was a good way to put things into perspective. And yet Arakita couldn’t seem to get the trick to work this time. Things like dropping out of school and becoming homeless or full out getting hit by a truck both seemed far more pleasant than the current situation he was in. So instead, Arakita laid in his bed, concentrating on his breathing and listening to the clangs of glassware echo from the kitchen, Shinkai most likely washing the dirty dishes Arakita had neglected to do so in the morning. The kind gesture only worked to further dampen the engineer’s shitty mood. He owed Shinkai so much for his endless supply of kindness, the other taking it upon himself to look after Arakita despite the engineer’s protests.

In a fit of anger, Arakita sat up, throwing the damp cloth across his room. Poor Hayato was supposed to have a dinner in good company, not deal with some emotional wreck who couldn’t keep his food down at the mere sight of his ex. He stubbornly got off his bed and trotted to the kitchen, slowing to a stop at the sight in front of him. Shinkai’s head was tilted down, the university student hard at work washing off the soapy suds from a mug he had just picked up from the sink. Arakita watched quietly, aware that there were zero hints of anger or irritation on the other’s face. In fact, Shinkai almost looked like he was enjoying himself washing Arakita’s dishes.

Arakita let out a weak laugh and shook his head at the view. He would have to tease Shinkai later about how much fun he looked like he was having doing such a mundane task. Shinkai turned to the sound of Arakita’s laughter, making the raven’s stomach do flips when the other turned to present him with a soft smile.

“Feeling better?” Shinkai asked, putting the mug away and rinsing his hands before shutting off the tap and toweling his palms dry. Arakita answered Shinkai’s question by hugging the other, the raven wrapping his arms around Shinkai’s shoulders and burying his face in the crook of his exposed neck. Shinkai kissed the top of his hair as he wrapped his arms around Arakita’s waist, swaying them both side-to-side as he embraced the raven.

“Sorry for being so troublesome.” Arakita mumbled into the other’s neck, kissing him apologetically.

“Yasutomo don’t say that.” Shinkai argued, pulling back to kiss the other gently on his lips. Arakita smiled against the softness of the other’s mouth, missing the warmth when Shinkai pulled back to look at him through his bangs. “Was that your ex?”

Arakita nodded, leaning back into Shinkai, not wanting to look the other in the eyes.

“What did she want?”

Arakita shrugged, letting Shinkai half-push-half-carry him away from the kitchen sink, towards the direction of his bedroom.

“Maybe you should ask her?”

“I don’t wanna see her.” Arakita claimed, pulling away from Shinkai so they could walk towards the bedroom in a more efficient manner, holding hands as the raven dragged the other to the mattress. Shinkai plopped down first, lying on his back as Arakita crawled on top of him, the act feeling peculiarly natural despite the two being very new to this –to each other. When they kissed, Arakita couldn’t help but go slow, caging Shinkai’s hips with his knees as he hovered over the other, letting their lips move gently against one another. Shinkai didn’t press for more; he didn’t pull Arakita forward or demand the other hurry up. The redhead simply smiled sweetly as the raven backed up and regarded him.

Arakita’s heart lurched at the sight. Shinkai was so different from Riko it was almost too good to be true. He was tolerant and kind-hearted and so very observant of Arakita’s ever shifting moods. Arakita was sure the detective novels had something to do with it, but the way Shinkai just seemed to know what to say and how to act depending on the situation was astounding. What was even more astonishing was how genuinely compassionate and humble the other was with his friends and family. Shinkai was an angel amongst humans, and Arakita couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of the other being even remotely interested in someone as flawed as him.

I don’t deserve him.

“Yasutomo why do you look so sad?” Shinkai asked, once again cupping Arakita’s face in his hands similar to how he had done so in the morning.

Arakita shrugged, finding it hard to meet the other’s sincere gaze.

“Yasutomo.” Shinkai whispered, gently pulling the other closer. Arakita knew he was frowning quite meticulously, his lips pulled down and his brows furrowed to the point of forming wrinkles on the bridge of his nose and across his forehead, but he couldn’t help it.

“What do I have to do to get you to stop making that face?” Shinkai whispered, kissing Arakita’s eyelid gently, thumbs rubbing against his cheekbones lightly as he pulled away, waiting for the other’s response.

“You’ve already done so much for me.” Arakita insisted, resting a hand on top on Shinkai’s.

“Then let me do more.” Shinkai said, pushing Arakita’s waist so that he was now the one lying on his back. Arakita exhaled through his nose as the other began kissing his neck, his jaw, his cheek –the redhead working his way up to Arakita’s forehead before coming down to reconnect their lips. It was Shinkai who darted his tongue out first, cautiously licking between Arakita’s lips. Surprised and a little excited, Arakita opened his mouth to the other, letting Shinkai lead the kiss.

Shinkai’s tongue was warm and slick and ran the insides of Arakita’s mouth with such fucking finesse that Arakita was already moaning beneath him, pushing forward into the other, hungry for more. Their mouths moved rhythmically against each other as Shinkai worked at Arakita’s pants, sensing the other’s arousal through their locked lips and pressed bodies. After struggling with the belt for a few seconds, Shinkai grunted into Arakita’s mouth with irritation before backing up and looking down at the article of clothing giving him such trouble.

Arakita laughed despite himself, refusing to lend the other a hand with the undressing. He wiped the spittle from his swollen lips as he looked up at the other, grinning when Shinkai finally unbuckled, unbuttoned, and unzipped his pants successfully.

“Good work.” Arakita mocked, even going as far as to give the boy on top of him a congratulatory salute.

Instead of responding to the jeer with words, Shinkai chose to move down the bed and off Arakita so that he was seated beside the raven’s feet. Without a moment’s hesitation, Shinkai gave Arakita’s pants and boxers such a violent yank that the engineer had to hold onto either side of his mattress to prevent himself from being pulled forward with his clothing.

Shinkai leaned down, licking the underside of Arakita’s cock with his fat tongue, drawing out another sinful moan from the engineer beneath him as he teased the slit, only to work his way back down to the base. Shinkai immediately began massaging the raven’s balls using his mouth, lips pressing hard against him and teeth lightly grazing the sensitive skin. Arakita swore he could feel the other smiling as he began peppering kisses between the crook of his balls and his dick, making his eyebrow twitch in frustration.

Shinkai’s indecent kissing ended there once Arakita threatened to fuck the other’s face, the heat pooling to his groin from the arousal and anticipation making the engineer a little harsh with his words, eager for more contact.

Arakita gave Shinkai a toothy grin as he watched the redhead sit back up and pull down his own pants, eyes glued to the other’s crotch as Shinkai threw his clothes off to the side. Shinkai’s powerful thighs were remarkably tan in contrast to the pinkness of his dick, his member already almost fully erect and attentive despite the lack of action received from Arakita.

“You’re pretty thick Hayato.” Arakita noted, lifting his arms to embrace Shinkai as the boy crawled back over him, both now completely naked from the waist down. Arakita caught his breath as Shinkai’s cock brushed against his own, a spark of pleasure coursing him through him from the sudden friction.

“Am I?” Shinkai asked, smiling against Arakita’s lips as they kissed again. Arakita tried to hum a confirmation, but the noise that escaped his mouth was more of a guttural moan, Shinkai taking purchase of his dick and rubbing a thick vein with his thumb. Arakita breathed deeply, seeing the rise and fall of his own chest as Shinkai sat up, pumping the raven’s dick.

“O-oh.”

Arakita gripped the blankets under him, lifting a knee as he started feeling his first sparks of pleasure.

“H-hey Hayato.” He panted, hips bucking up into Shinkai’s hand. “Wanna try something a little different?”

Shinkai lifted a brow, thumb teasing the tip of Arakita’s now fully erect cock.

“What do you suggest?”

Arakita lifted his other knee, opening his legs to the boy in front of him and slightly lifting his hips. Shinkai’s eyes widened briefly, one hand rubbing the sensitive skin of Arakita’s inner thigh as his other hand left the raven’s dick to slide between his buttocks instead. Arakita gasped at the sensation, realizing what he had just suggested to the other in the heat of the moment.

“Uhh ah-actually.” Arakita started, but Shinkai had stopped listening, cutting off Arakita’s sentence by crawling over him and reaching into the drawer to pull out their shared bottle of lube and condoms. When Shinkai returned to Arakita, he positioned himself between the other’s legs, holding the square condom package between his teeth as he squeezed a hefty amount of lubricant onto his hand. Arakita’s heart was pounding against his ribs at the site. Shinkai was still wearing Arakita’s borrowed t-shirt from the morning, sitting on his knees as he slathered the lube between his fingers, his dick plainly conspicuous as it stood erect against the white fabric. Even though Arakita was certain their cocks were the same length, Shinkai had a bit of girth behind his member that was rather intimidating to the engineer.

Shinkai sensed the distress on the other’s face, moving to lie on top of Arakita again so they could continue kissing -dropping the unopened condom beside Arakita’s head before reconnecting their lips. Shinkai met Arakita’s open mouth with his own, sliding and twisting his tongue along the engineer’s and drawing out another desperate moan from the boy beneath him. The kiss was so blissfully sensual that Arakita forgot his previous concerns for a moment. He lost track of the time as they continued to make out, the two accumulating saliva in their mouths and generating sweat between their bodies at the prolonged contact.

Arakita barely took note of Shinkai repositioning himself to the his side, too into their kissing to pay mind to the other’s hand, which had avoided contact until just now. Arakita bit Shinkai’s bottom lip in shock as the other’s hand worked between his buttocks and a finger teased his asshole, the lube cold against his skin.

“Hah- Hayato… I’ve never…” Arakita wish he had pulled back from their kiss seconds earlier, finding himself too busy trying to catch his breath to warn the other that that region of his body had gone unexplored. Fortunately for him, Shinkai seemed to get the message, nodding into Arakita’s neck as he planted wet kissing along the sweaty skin.

“I’ll go slow Yasutomo.” He murmured, licking a stripe along the raven’s jaw and biting his cheek, pulling back at the skin with his teeth before letting go and planting another sloppy kiss on the raven’s face. “I’ll be gentle.”

Arakita exhaled through his nose as Shinkai continued teasing his entrance, trying not to freak out under the other. The feeling was completely foreign to him, but Shinkai had promised to be gentle so Arakita clenched his jaw and let the other lead.

“Tell me if it hurts.” Shinkai said between his hungry kisses, pushing a finger past Arakita’s sphincter at last. Arakita gasped between his clenched jaw at the eerie sensation, hips snapping forward automatically. Arakita bit his own lip to keep himself from shrieking, the entirety of his thoughts encompassed by the feeling of Shinkai fingering his asshole.

“Okay?” Shinkai asked after a few minutes, pushing further into Arakita, changing the movement of his finger from shallow thrusts to something deeper.

“Ye –ah.”

Arakita slapped a hand over his mouth, feeling heat rush to his face at the sound of his own voice hiccupping between his ‘yeah’. Shinkai burst into laughter, sitting up again as he regarded the boy beneath him. The redhead’s other hand had moved to Arakita’s hipbone, his thumb lazily tracing the scar as he continued preparing him.

“Don’t fucking laugh.” Arakita managed to grumble, finding it hard to speak and breathe at the same time.

“But you’re so cute Yasutomo.”

Arakita groaned in embarrassment, momentarily distracted by his own shame to notice Shinkai sneaking another finger into him, stretching the muscles despite the raven’s bodily protest. He was tight –obviously, and his nerves definitely didn’t help his situation.

Arakita hissed in pain, every part of him screaming at the unnatural sensation of something being shoved up his ass. Despite the small sting, Arakita didn’t want to complain to Shinkai, trying to control his breathing and doing everything in his power to keep his mouth shut as best as he could –minus the small moans.

People do this all the time. I’ve done this to Hayato before for-

“Nghh– Ah.” Arakita own moaning cut off his thoughts momentarily, Shinkai teasingly rubbing the tip of his dick and spreading the precum down his length.

“Ah fuck. This fucking-” Arakita forced himself to stop talking, instead looking up at the boy working him open.

If there’s anyone I can trust with this it’s him. Arakita reminded himself, knowing Shinkai had no intention of making him uncomfortable.

“Take off your shirt.” Shinkai demanded, now easily sliding his two fingers into Arakita. The raven did as he was told; grateful Shinkai was giving him something to do to distract himself. Arakita lifted his shirt over his head, cursing as Shinkai forced a third finger into him.

“Fuck Hayato.” He whimpered, throwing his shirt off the bed so he could continue grasping desperately at the covers under him. “This is supposed to feel good?”

“Hah, fuck. You’re so hot Yasutomo.” Shinkai groaned, momentarily distracted by the boy beneath him. Shinkai’s brows were furrowed in concentration and his tongue rested comfortably between his lips, his red and blue hair slightly swaying as he worked his fingers between Arakita. Arakita could see almost a predatory hunger in Shinkai’s blue eyes that sent a shiver through his body and made the hairs on his skin stand on end. He had never in his life been so turned on by a look before.

“And yeah. Don’t worry Yasutomo, you’ll understand soon enough.” Shinkai promised, mouth parted and tongue slipping further out as he continued fucking Arakita with his fingers, stretching the raven further open.

“I really don’t see h- oh.” Arakita moaned the last bit, head snapping forward for a second only to fall back onto his pillow again. “Oh, oh fuck what was that?” he mumbled, feeling beads of sweat form on his forehead and his upper lip, his body shuddering at the aftershock. Shinkai had brushed a spot in him that felt so unbelievably good that his sentence was cut short at the sensation. And then the redhead was pulling out, jumping forward to hungrily kiss Arakita, murmuring promises of hitting him in that spot over and over again until he passed out from pleasure.

Arakita got to work pulling off Shinkai’s shirt right as the other snatched the condom from the pillow; the two moronically trying to do their own thing despite their rushed movements counteracting their actions.

“Fucking lift your arms Hayato.” Arakita demanded, hoisting himself up so he could remove the single fabric of clothing separating the two. Shinkai obliged, letting Arakita crawl onto his lap and remove the wretched article of clothing off of him, smiling at the other when his borrowed t-shirt was confiscated by the original owner.

Shinkai looked down between them, and Arakita did the same, noting how his own dick had gone a little soft during their preparations. Arakita gulped as he watched Shinkai pull the condom over his cock, wrapping his arms around the redhead’s broad shoulders as the other squeezed more lube onto his hand and coated his thick girth, zero hesitation in his actions as he did the same to Arakita.

Arakita moaned at the slick feeling around his dick, feeling the ghost of pleasure sneaking back into that neglected region of his body, the familiar sensation of heat pooling to his groin happening almost immediately. And then Shinkai let go, his dry hand grabbing Arakita’s ass and squeezing while the other hand returned to his own dick. Arakita closed his eyes as Shinkai lifted him up further onto his lap, guiding the head of his cock to the raven’s entrance. Arakita sunk slowly onto him, squeezing broad shoulders desperately as he slid over Shinkai’s penis.

“Ah s-shit Hayato.” Arakita whined as Shinkai started moving slowly in him. “Shit. Shit shit shit.”

The position was definitely not the most conventional type, Shinkai sitting on his knees –almost in seiza, while Arakita clung to his shoulders, legs on either side of the redhead as the other thrust up into him.

“Yasutomo… Yasutomo… Yasutomo.” Shinkai was chanting his name between thrusts, quickening his pace and wrapping strong arms around the other’s slick back as he began fucking Arakita. Shinkai continued to pant the engineer’s name against his cheek, fingers dinging into the raven’s ass with such ferocity that Arakita was sure the other’s blunt nails broke skin. Shinkai had started pushing Arakita up by his ass, only to pull him down again, further onto his dick, slamming against the engineer’s prostate with every other thrust.

“Oh God, oh –oh.” The sound of skin slapping skin was overwhelming as Shinkai continued to move him over his dick. “Hayato… harder, har- hah… ah, oh.”

Arakita had lost himself in the pleasure, words unintelligible as Shinkai continued thrusting up into him, the redhead somehow brushing that magical spot in him so inconsistently that spark after spark of pleasure coursed through him in random bursts, the sensation jolting his nerves so violently that Arakita saw stars.

“Yasutomo?”

Arakita blinked past the visual static, realizing that his hands were slipping from Shinkai’s sweaty shoulders. Shinkai had stopped moving, the look of concern sprawled across his face.

Did I just black out?

Arakita barely had time to accept what had happened before he felt his jaw clench and lips lift to bare his teeth in anger. Some animalistic part of Arakita seemed to come out, the lack of movement almost painful after what he had just felt. Snarling, Arakita forcefully pushed against Shinkai’s chest, the rough shove sending the other onto his back, the redhead now looking up at him.

Arakita kept his eyes glued onto the other’s expression as he slowly lifted himself up, only to slam himself down again, the action producing a satisfyingly long moan from the other. Encouraged to continue, Arakita lifted himself almost fully off Shinkai’s dick before slamming down again, blinking past the stars as he watched the redhead’s face contort in a look pure pleasure. Arakita continued his movements, picking up his pace as he began riding Shinkai, now in control of how often the other’s dick would hit his prostate –which was every thrust.

Both boy’s moaning had raised quite a few octaves higher, their screamed out “ohs” and “ahs” muffling the squelching sounds produced by the lube between Shinkai’s cock and Arakita’s anus. The bed was creaking with every movement, and every time Arakita lowered his head in ecstasy, he could hear the sound of his of own dick slapping against his stomach, his penis leaking precum like a broken faucet.

Shinkai was holding onto Arakita’s hips vigorously, trusting up to meet the other every time the raven pushed down. Arakita knew he was close, bouncing desperately on Shinkai to push himself over the edge, wailing the other’s name with every stroke.

When Arakita came, it was violent. His head snapped back and his spine arched as he reached his peak, his balls tightening before releasing the tension, his load shooting up vertically and hitting his chest. He convulsed against his orgasm, trying to ride Shinkai’s dick to completion has his second load sputtered pathetically against his stomach. Shinkai was still thrusting earnestly beneath him, close to orgasm but not completely there, Arakita’s sudden lack of movement slowing down his climb to the peak. The redhead groaned in aggravation, forcing Arakita off him and onto his stomach, the movement causing Shinkai to momentarily pull out. Even though Arakita had already come, he immediately got on his knees and lifted his ass to Shinkai, pressing himself back against the other’s hips. The raven’s thighs shook violently as Shinkai re-entered him and started slamming into his spent and oversensitive prostate relentlessly, the redhead moaning in pleasure with every thrust. Arakita buried his face into his pillow, letting the cushion beneath him soak up his tears and drool as Shinkai continued fucking him. It only took a few more pumps before Arakita heard Shinkai let out a strangled moan and convulse, rolling his hips against Arakita as he rode out his orgasm.

When Shinkai pulled out a second time, Arakita felt his knees give way and his body almost deflate at the lack of pressure pushing against the walls of his anus. Arakita collapsed on the bed, panting violently against his pillow as Shinkai got to work behind him, removing the condom from his rapidly softening dick and grabbing a shirt to clean up their mess. When Shinkai returned, he laid on his stomach beside Arakita, resting an arm on the other’s back, his hand stroking Arakita’s exposed and sweaty neck.

“Was that okay?” Shinkai asked after a minute of silence, having the audacity to sound unsure and nervous.

Arakita snapped his head to the side, his drowsiness gone as he looked at the other.

“Okay? Are you kidding me?”

Arakita pushed Shinkai onto his back and crawled on top of him, shivering slightly as his sensitive dick rested against the other’s warm and slick skin.

“Hayato you fucked me until I couldn’t see anymore.” Arakita informed the other, kissing his jaw and noting the tufts of stubble beginning to grow along the otherwise smooth skin. “I don’t think you understand how good you gave it to me.” He declared, rubbing his face against the other’s cheek, wanting to feel the coarse bristles scratch at his skin.

“Also, do you know how nice it feels to have a dick in you?” Arakita continued, resting his forehead against Shinkai’s so he could look down at him.

“I think I have an idea.” Shinkai murmured against his lips, smiling playfully before pressing up for a kiss.

When they pulled away, Arakita had trouble opening his eyes again. He was spent from the day and exhausted from the sex. The engineer was ready to call it a night a pass out.

“You know Yasutomo,” Shinkai started, holding Arakita close to his chest as a hand absentmindedly ran through his silky black hair. “This was really petty of me, and I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was really happy when you said you didn’t want to see your ex.”

Arakita let out something between a huff and a scoff, feeling his stomach lurch at the other’s proclamation.

“Hayato, what did Toudou tell you about her?” He asked, curious to see how much Shinkai knew. Arakita had initially avoided mentioning his friendship with Toudou simply because he didn’t want Shinkai learning how pathetic he had been in the past. Besides, he was sure Toudou would never admit they were close friends, despite the two of them constantly checking up on each other throughout the years.

“Jinpachi and Yuusuke-kun just told me she ruined the whole “relationship” thing for you.” Shinkai disclosed, squeezing Arakita tighter against him.

Arakita yawned into Shinkai’s chest, glad Toudou and Makishima had refrained from saying anything more about Riko. He didn’t want Shinkai fretting over his past, but at the same time, he was glad to know how much the other cared.

“Sorry for freaking out at dinner.” Arakita mumbled, feeling his eyes droop shut.

“Are you going to do that every time you see her?”

“No! At least not the barfing part.” Arakita added after a second.

“So you’re just going to run away every time you see her?”

Yes?

“She’s visiting family, so I doubt she’ll be here past the weekend.” Arakita said, trying to convince himself more so than the other.

“That’s still a few days away Yasutomo.” Shinkai noted, other hand now rubbing Arakita’s back.

“Then maybe you could…”

The raven trailed off, feeling heat rise to his face at what he was going to suggest. Shinkai didn’t say anything, but continued combing his fingers through Arakita’s hair and rubbing his back, informing the engineer that he was still awake and attentive.

“Maybe you could stick around with me? U-until Sunday?”

Arakita covered whatever part of his face that wasn’t buried in Shinkai’s neck with his hand, turning scarlet at his stuttered proposition.

“She knows where I live.” He added, not sure if there was any point giving him that last bit of information.

“Yasutomo, I have no intention of leaving you so long as you’ll have me.” Shinkai whispered, squeezing Arakita once more. Arakita recognized the additional context behind those words, and wanted so badly to address it, but his last string of dignity and pride kept him silent, the raven not wanting Shinkai seeing him cry as he turned his face away from the crook of the other’s neck to the pillow under him.

“Thanks Hayato.” Arakita managed to say, grateful that his voice didn’t falter as he spoke, giving him away. Shinkai hummed at the gratitude, his comforting back rubs becoming slow and sluggish as he began to dose off beneath the engineer.

Arakita breathed through his mouth, waiting for Shinkai’s soft snores to fill the silence of his room before he figured it was safe to resume his initial position in the crook of the other’s neck, sniffling twice and wiping his eyes before closing them shut and falling asleep.

Chapter Text

Shinkai woke up to Arakita shaking his shoulder roughly, the raven calling his name repetitively until the other slowly came to.

“Hayato. Hayato get up!” Arakita insisted, switching from shaking Shinkai’s shoulder to lightly slapping his cheek.

“Yasutomo? Yasutomo wha-”

“Someone’s at the door!” Arakita hissed, clamping his mouth shut right as a loud knocking reverberated through the house.

Shinkai blinked past his drowsiness right as Arakita crawled on top of him, and the redhead could see the look of worry plastered across the other’s face. Arakita was completely naked as he hovered over Shinkai and his skin was still shiny in sweat from their shared body heat the night before. Shinkai gulped and pushed past his rising arousal as he regarded the raven.

“What time is it?” Shinkai grumbled, hand automatically going to the back of Arakita’s neck to bring him into a hug. He was too tired to comprehend what the other had said moments ago, his need to hold the engineer close to him all that mattered at the moment.

If it’s early enough, maybe we can get another round of sex in before class. Shinkai mused, feeling warmth rush to his groin as he kissed Arakita’s neck.

“Dunno.” Arakita mumbled, inhaling sharply when Shinkai groped him. “Hayato can you see who’s at the door?”

Shinkai frowned as he flattened his hand on the curve of Arakita’s ass, palm gently moving back and forth as he rubbed the warm skin. The knocking persisted again, and Shinkai felt Arakita slightly jolt in his arms despite the otherwise relaxing atmosphere.

Why couldn’t Yasutomo just go see who it was and send them away?

“Please?”

Shinkai was worried now. Arakita’s tone didn’t have the certainty and determination it usually did. The raven lifted his head up to look slightly down at Shinkai, and the redhead felt his heart flutter in adoration and apprehension. Why was Yasutomo making that face?

Another stream of knocks seemed to trigger Shinkai’s brain into functioning, and he finally realized that Yasutomo probably looked pale and sounded worried because there was a very high probability that it was Riko at the door, recalling how the other had told him the night before that she knew where he lived. A violent flash of rage hit Shinkai as he slowly sat up on the bed, gently pushing Arakita off him as he did so.

“I’ll get it.” He muttered, seething in anger. Shinkai found his discarded boxers from where they had fallen off the mattress and hastily slid it over his legs, deciding this was about as much decency he was willing to offer Riko for interrupting his sleep and ruining his mood.

Hopefully she’ll see me and know to back off. Shinkai thought as he exited the bedroom door, ready to turn Yasutomo’s ex away. Whether her intentions were good or not didn’t matter to the redhead. Yasutomo didn’t want to see her so Shinkai would make it clear that she should keep her distance.

Shinkai felt a tight knot of apprehension form in his stomach as he began to unlock the door. He had only gotten a brief glance at Riko before he bolted after Yasutomo, but she seemed cute and delicate and worst of all, extremely apologetic. Shinkai knew he was being narrow-minded, but he was worried that if Riko ever successfully convinced Yasutomo to talk to her, they would eventually forgive and befriend one another, and inevitably become close again.

I don’t want that. Shinkai reflected dreadfully, hating how selfish he was being but unable to stop his stubborn thoughts.

Another knock snapped Shinkai out of his self-loathing, and he proceeded to unlock the front door, putting on his best "I'm not amused" face.

"Arakeeeeeeeeee-"

Shinkai opened the door to come face-to-face with a screaming Machimiya.

"-ta?"

Oh God.

"Shinkai!" Machimiya bellowed, tone playful and extremely suggestive. Arakita's friend shimmied his shoulders and wiggled his eyebrows as he stepped past Shinkai, grinning cheekily at the half-naked boy whilst kicking off his shoes. “Sorry man, didn’t mean to interrupt you two.”

Shinkai felt the heat rush to his face as he mumbled a forced greeting, trying to fight every urge compelling him to dash into Arakita's bedroom in hiding. Why did Yasutomo’s friend always find ways to make him feel self-conscious? Shinkai knew the majority of the riling and teasing was to produce playful banter, but he still couldn't help but feel like dying every time it happened.

"Hey." Another voice said, and Shinkai realized that there was still one more person waiting outside. He turned to look out into the building’s hallway to better scrutinize the boy holding a plastic bag in one hand and a bottle of Bepsi in the other. He had short brown hair, dark eyes and a soft smile that did very little to mask the red dusting his cheeks at the sight of Shinkai in nothing but his underwear. Shinkai immediately recognized who the person in question was, but no matter how hard he tried to rack his sleep-deprived brain, he couldn’t remember the other’s name for the life of him.

"Morning." Shinkai replied, backing up so that the other boy could also enter the apartment. "Sorry, what was your name again?"

"Kouji." He replied, taking off his shoes and handing Shinkai the plastic bag he was holding.

"Right right, door slammer guy." Shinkai recalled, taking the bag without question. "I'm getting horrible flashbacks of that night just by standing here."

"Yeah, so am I." Kouji muttered, trying to sound disturbed even though he had a playful smile on his lips. Shinkai returned the gesture and looked inside the bag, realizing the other had brought a carton of eggs and sugar.

What’s this for?

Shinkai never had to chance to ask, as Machimiya’s booming voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Arakita you better sheath your sword! I'm comin' in!" Machimiya announced at Arakita's bedroom door before walking in, ignoring the stream of protests and curses coming from his friend.

"Miya, what the FUCK!" Arakita shrieked, the panic apparent despite his voice being muffled by his friend's howling laughter.

"God, it fucking reeks of sex in here!" Machimiya wailed, his amusement cut off by a loud thump.

“Get out!”

“Arakita at least let me help you find some boxers.” Machimiya offered, his voice laced with false politeness as he inevitably raided Arakita’s underwear drawer, the sound of a wooden door being opened masked by the audible protests coming from the raven.

Shinkai cleared his throat, trying not to imagine a very naked and very flustered Arakita hiding cutely under his covers.

"What’s all this for Kouji-kun? For breakfast?" Shinkai asked, attempting to bring them back to their abandoned conversation as he led Kouji to the kitchen area.

"Ye-"

“ARE THOSE FUCKING BUNNY BOXERS?”

“MIYA. GET THE FUCK OUT!”

"Yeah..." Kouji continued, ignoring the ruckus in the background as retrieved the bag from Shinkai’s grasp to take out the eggs. "Arakita's one request was that we bring food whenever we chose to come in unannounced."

"That seems fair." Shinkai acknowledged, right as a pillow flew out of Arakita's bedroom door and hit the back wall with a muffled thud.

"Uhh, maybe you should stop them?" Kouji asked, tentatively placing the eggs into the fridge.

"I don't see the point," Shinkai sighed, flinching at the sound of something crashing. Did Yasutomo just throw a lamp? "They always do this."

"Yeah but I think you should try anyways." Kouji continued, scratching the back of his head nervously. "And you know... put on pants..."

"R-right." Shinkai sputtered, rushing into the bedroom to spare poor Kouji from seeing anymore than he already had.

God. When was he going to stop being so awkward?

Shinkai continued to chide himself for being so embarrassing as he walked into the master bedroom, too engrossed in his thoughts to react to the pillow being flung across the room and towards the door, inevitably hitting him in the face.

“Oh shit! Why didn’t you duck?” Arakita asked, throwing the covers off his legs, revealing black track pants as he rushed towards Shinkai.

“Oh, what the fuck? You were wearing clothes this entire time?” Machimiya asked, sounding disappointed. Arakita had walked up to Shinkai and proceeded to pinch his nose, lecturing him for having the reflexes of an eighty year old before spinning abruptly to face his friend.

“Yes Miya you fucking freak. Now why are you here? Get out!” Arakita retorted, snarling at his friend. Yasutomo had most likely thrown on his undergarments and a pair of pants when Shinkai had gone to confront the source of the knocking, the raven undoubtedly prepared for something like this happening if the person at the door wasn’t his ex.

“You said you’d work on the calculations with us today.” Machimiya claimed, having the audacity to sound offended of Arakita’s attempts at kicking him out. “Kouji even said he’d make us breakfast.”

“We can’t deny free breakfast Yasutomo.” Shinkai claimed, pushing past both engineers as he searched for his own pants.

“And you can’t argue logic.” Machimiya confirmed, bringing both hands to support the back of his head as he exited the bedroom nonchalantly, seemingly taking Shinkai’s words as an invitation to stay.

“Why is Machimiya so…” Arakita strangled the air before his shoulders slumped in what Shinkai assumed was relief and aggravation. He exhaled heavily as he retrieved his pillows, muttering something to himself along the lines of his smart friends being fucking dumbasses. Shinkai laughed as he whipped the cover off the bed violently, the motion causing his and Arakita’s shirts going flying off the bed, along with his pants.

“Found ya!” Shinkai exclaimed, grabbing his trousers and jumping on the bed, lying down on his back as he proceeded to pull them on.

“Don’t bother.” Arakita scoffed, throwing a pillow onto the bed and the other on Shinkai’s face, stopping the other from covering himself. “If Kouji’s making food, you might as well go shower now before its ready.”

Shinkai hummed, slowly pulling the pillow away, only to be greeted by a soft kiss on the lips. Shinkai’s heart fluttered as Arakita pulled back slightly, dragging his lower lip along with him before releasing the soft skin, the sensation of being bitten getting Shinkai’s blood pumping.

“Yasutomo why are they here?” Shinkai whined pathetically, pulling Arakita in for a vigorous hug. Arakita laughed into Shinkai’s ear, his exposed torso warm against Shinkai’s own as he let the redhead embrace him. When Arakita didn’t answer, Shinkai guided the other’s head towards his and reconnected their lips once more.

The kiss was so gentle that Shinkai almost didn’t feel it –he didn’t feel much of anything in fact. His vision went blank as he closed his eyes, his thoughts stopped, and there was a tranquil silence that befell Arakita’s household giving Shinkai the impression that he had gone deaf as well. It wasn’t until Arakita pulled away that his senses came back to him, the raven smiling fondly at the boy beneath him.

I love you so much. Shinkai realized, heart pounding at he regarded the other.

“I’ll go get you clean clothes.” Arakita stated, interrupting Shinkai from voicing his thoughts. He had shifted off the other to rummage through his closet, attempting to find something that would fit Shinkai’s larger figure. Shinkai continued to lie on Arakita’s bed in nothing but his boxers, watching the others struggle to find him a shirt, feeling as if his heart were about to burst. He swallowed back his nervousness, knowing the moment was gone and that he had lost his chance to say how he was feeling.

“Maybe I should bring a few of my own clothes over.” Shinkai mused, speaking up to prevent his own thoughts from destroying him. He sat up and turned towards the other, only to be greeted with Yasutomo’s perplexed look.

Did I just say that out loud?

“You sh-should.” Arakita stammered, pushing a clean shirt and shorts into Shinkai’s hands, pink dusting his cheeks.

“And other things you might need.” He added after a second, having retrieved black boxers from his drawer and placing it in Shinkai’s hands as well. “Now go brush your teeth and shower. You taste and smell like shit.”

“Yasutomo that’s rude.” Shinkai argued as he headed towards the bathroom, glad that the other pulled them back into a more natural conversation. “I’ll have you know that your breath isn’t that pleasant either.” He stated, picking out his orange toothbrush resting beside Arakita’s blue one.

Shinkai smiled as he heard Arakita bark a laugh whilst exiting his bedroom, saying something about checking up on Kouji and making sure the other didn’t burn his kitchen down while unsupervised. Shinkai exhaled through his nose as he began brushing his teeth, feeling his smile fade once Yasutomo left the room. He had been relieved that Machimiya had been at the door instead of Riko, but the guilt he felt with that relief made his stomach churn.

Why did he want so badly for the other to continue avoiding her despite the potential of a healthy friendship flourishing? Why couldn’t he just listen to his instincts and trust that Yasutomo didn’t have feelings for her?

Why am I being so petty?

Shinkai rinsed his mouth and frowned to himself in the mirror, realizing there was no point dwelling on it. He pushed past his doubts and he made his way towards the door, ready to shut it lock and get into the shower. Suddenly, Arakita re-entered his bedroom, waving for Shinkai to stop his actions.

“Don’t lock the door, I gotta brush my teeth.” He requested, turning away from Shinkai and disappearing further into his bedroom.

Shinkai did as he was told and kept the door slightly ajar for Yasutomo before walking towards the shower and turning on the tap. He adjusted the temperature to something tolerable and stepped out of his boxers, pushing back the curtain and moving under the warm stream of water, sighing contently at the comforting sensation enveloping him. Shinkai tilted his head back and let the water soak his head, his eyes automatically closing as his hair became heavier.

Just then, the sound of Arakita walking through the door got Shinkai’s attention. The redhead tilted his head and opened his eyes, coming face-to-face with the naked engineer.

“Fu- ” Shinkai jumped back, slamming a hand over his mouth to cut off his initial scream, his heart pounding at the sudden terror. “Yasutomo! Don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry,” Arakita commented, pulling the curtains back and stepping fully into the bathtub along with Shinkai. “I forgot you were more skittish than Usakichi.”

Shinkai blinked at the comment, fighting the urge to smile.

“You talk to Yuuto too much.” He said quietly, turning around to pick up the bottle of shampoo resting on the side of the bathtub. “And weren’t you supposed to brush your teeth?” Shinkai asked lamely, ignoring how Arakita had closed the distance between them.

“I was but…”

Shinkai straightened up with the shampoo in hand, knowing full well that he shouldn’t have bothered picking it up in the first place. Arakita had trailed off from his previous sentence, choosing instead to grab Shinkai by the waist and pepper his back with feverous kisses. Shinkai let the other pull him towards the wall, gripping the shampoo bottle tightly as the other pressed their bodies together, the sudden contact making Shinkai catch his breath. The contrast between the cold tiles behind him and the warmth of Yasutomo in front of him made Shinkai’s body shudder, the colliding sensations setting him on edge.

“Should we be doing this when your friends are on the other side of this wall?” Shinkai inquired, breath hitching as Arakita teased a pert nipple between his lips. Arakita hummed around the sensitive skin before moving his lips to the other one, nibbling gently despite Shinkai’s words. He grabbed the shampoo out of Shinkai’s hands and placed it on the floor, kissing down Shinkai’s body on his decent.

“We’ll make it quick.” Arakita mumbled as he sat on his knees, his voice barely audible over the sound of rushing water. Shinkai gulped and widened his stance as Arakita licked a stripe along his hipbone. Arakita’s shoulder slightly brushed the other’s growing erection, the sensation making Shinkai instinctively buck his hips. Shinkai looked down right as Arakita looked up, the raven playfully nipping at the other’s stomach. Arakita was smiling coyly at him, silently teasing Shinkai with his expression despite not uttering a sound.

“You know the moment I find more time to work out, this stomach is gone Yasutomo.” Shinkai threatened, feeling his face heat up as Arakita continued to lovingly kiss his belly.

“Don’t do that.” Arakita mumbled against the pudge, hands lazily trailing up and down Shinkai’s thighs as he continued kissing the skin.

Shinkai was about to make another retort when Arakita pushed his bangs back, revealing his forehead and arched eyebrows, giving Shinkai a look that immediately shut him up.

“I’m gonna suck you dry Hayato.” Arakita growled, all playfulness gone. His eyes were glazed over in lust and hunger and Shinkai knew he was mirroring Yasutomo’s expression. He gave a slight nod, and that was all the permission Arakita needed to go down on him.

The raven gave Shinkai’s balls a tentative kiss, his lips warm against the taut skin. Shinkai’s dick twitched and his groin pulsed in anticipation, blood immediately rushing to his lower stomach. Arakita proceeded to lick a stripe along the base of Shinkai’s thick girth, slowly dragging his tongue up to the head of the other’s cock. Shinkai braced himself as a spark of pleasure pulsed through him. Arakita’s upper lip encompassed the tip of Shinkai’s dick, momentarily teasing the head before he fully took Shinkai in his mouth.

“Ah –mph.” Shinkai immediately slammed a hand over his mouth as he trembled in pleasure, cutting off his own moan. It would be no good for him to be noisy in his current situation. Machimiya was merciless when it came to teasing and the amount of times Kouji was caught bearing witness to Shinkai and Arakita’s lewd interactions could be considered sexual harassment if he ever chose to press charges.

Arakita looked up at the sound of Shinkai’s muffled moan, an exposed eyebrow raised in curiosity. Arakita sucked gently, and again Shinkai pressed the palm of his hand hard against his mouth, try to muzzle the sound threatening to escape his lips. Arakita slowly moved forward, taking in more of Shinkai’s length. His tongue was pressed flat underneath the other’s cock and his top teeth barely grazed a throbbing vein as he pressed himself further into Shinkai.

“Oh Yasutomo.” Shinkai breathed, making the mistake of removing his hand momentarily to push back his dripping bangs, wanting to get a good look of the other sucking him off. Arakita hummed in response, and the vibrations from his voice sent another wave of pleasure through Shinkai. The redhead’s pelvis snapped forward again, but Arakita held his hips steadily, preventing Shinkai from fucking his mouth. Arakita pulled back gradually, leisurely swirling his tongue as he removed his mouth from Shinkai’s member. Shinkai shook violently, heart racing as he watched Arakita’s lips hover around his now fully erected cock. He felt his knees go weak as Arakita kissed the tip lovingly, trailing his pursed lips along his length until he reached the base. Shinkai shook again, fighting every urge to take the other by his hair and fuck his mouth savagely.

“Wanna sit?” Arakita asked, noticing another tremor run through Shinkai.

Shinkai nodded at the request, fully aroused and panting at the brief stimulation. He hastily repositioned the showerhead so that the water was hitting the side of the wall before he moved to the very end of the bathtub, sitting on the floor adjacent to Arakita. Shinkai opened his legs wide for the raven, who kneeled down in front of him and took purchase of his thighs before continuing his previous blowjob.

“Shit Yasutomo.” Shinkai hissed as he watched Arakita’s thin lips open around his cock and move down, the raven attempting to swallow as much of Shinkai’s member as he could. Shinkai pushed back Arakita’s bangs for him, keeping a hand resting on the engineer’s hallowed cheek as the other began bobbing his head, grossly turned on by what he was seeing. Yasutomo looked painfully sexy sucking his dick, and Shinkai knew if he had his phone on him, he’d snap a picture without hesitation.

At some point Shinkai felt his eyes droop shut as he let the pleasure take over him, forgetting his previous cautions towards being quiet. His subtle moans rose in volume every time Arakita slid his tongue skillfully along his slit or sucked with just the right amount of pressure, making Shinkai convulse where he sat and spew his name involuntarily.

Arakita had started stroking the base of Shinkai’s cock where his mouth couldn’t reach, making sure to move in rhythm with both his mouth and Shinkai’s now moving hips, almost tripling the pleasure.

“Oh, ohh fu- fuck.” Shinkai groaned, tilting his head back in bliss as he thrust into Arakita’s mouth. The pressure in Shinkai’s groin was building with every thrust –with every suck from Yasutomo, and it only took Shinkai four fevered strokes before he was coming hard.

“Oh God!” Shinkai blared loudly, his body seizing only to convulse violently seconds after. Shinkai felt his load sputter directly into Arakita’s throat as he rode his orgasm to completion, mindful of how the other’s tongue was still hard at work around his cock, gliding blissfully along his slit and lapping his cum.

“Shit Yasutomo.” Shinkai repeated, chest rising and falling heavily as he tried to catch his breath. “Come here.” He said after a minute, pulling Arakita up from where he was kneeling.

Arakita smiled as Shinkai brought their lips together, mouth already parted and accessible for the other’s tongue. Shinkai licked the inside of Arakita’s mouth passionately, conscientious of how he was tasting himself through the other. Arakita pulled back but hovered close enough so that the stringy saliva connecting their lips didn’t break, allowing both to briefly catch their breaths before going at it again.

Somewhere along the lines of making out, Shinkai had started stroking Arakita’s erection, pleased at how the other trembled on top of him. The redhead smiled against Yasutomo’s lips as the other began letting out tiny pleads of “more” and “faster” between sloppy kisses. Shinkai twisted his wrist tactfully and teased his thumb across the tip of Arakita’s cock with every stroke, thrilled at how the other screamed his name as he reached his climax.

Arakita bucked in Shinkai’s hand, fingers desperately digging into the redhead’s shoulders as he tried to steady himself, cumming onto the other’s stomach with little to no grace.

Shinkai couldn’t help but laugh as Arakita collapsed on top of him and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

“Yasutomo, your friends might have heard us.” Shinkai stated after a minute of silence.

“I fucking doubt it,” Arakita scoffed, heaving himself off Shinkai and extending his hands towards the other after successfully standing up. Shinkai took purchase of the offered hands, and allowed Arakita to hoist him up as well.

“But if they do, it’s their fault for coming here unannounced.” He continued, readjusting the showerhead and picking up the bottle of shampoo that had been previously neglected on the floor.

The two proceeded to wash the semen off their bodies and the oils from their hair, making sure to work quickly as not to raise any more suspicion. Arakita forced Shinkai out of the shower before him; telling him to leave the bathroom first and make sure Machimiya wasn’t misbehaving. Shinkai did as he was told despite wanting to do nothing but crawl into the safety of Yasutomo’s bed, unwilling to face the other’s friends and deal with the potential teasing alone.

Shinkai hastily put on his clothes and toweled his hair, entering the kitchen shortly after. Machimiya was sitting by the island, papers scattered across the marble despite his attention being focused on the phone in his hands. Kouji was hovering over the stove, frying something that smelled so delectable that Shinkai felt the beginnings of drool form in the base of his mouth and his stomach rumble in anticipation. Shinkai coughed awkwardly as he walked further into the kitchen, unsure of where to go.

“Shinkai! Welcome back buddy. I was starting to think Ara-”

“Shinkai come here for a sec.” Kouji called from the stove, cutting off what Shinkai assumed was Machimiya’s attempt at taunting him.

Shinkai obliged immediately, approaching the other boy to see what he wanted.

“Okay so I finished two batches, which is usually more than enough for the three of us, but I’m working on a third one right now.” Kouji explained, using his chopsticks to point at the kitchen counter, indicating to the two rolls of steaming hot tamagoyaki resting on a plate. “But Machimiya is saying I should make a fourth batch because you’re a beast.”

“A fucking beast.” Machimiya hollered from the table, eyes never leaving his phone. “Get it right Kou.”

“Sorry. A fucking beast.” Kouji corrected, smiling at Shinkai. “So what do you think? Is three enough?”

“Uhh, maybe a fourth batch would be a good idea.” Shinkai said sheepishly, scratching his cheek as Machimiya laughed in the background. Kouji nodded and proceeded to roll the omelet, instructing Shinkai to cut the other two plated on the counter while they waited. Shinkai mentally thanked the other for giving him a task, not wanting his prolonged silence to force Machimiya into unwanted conversation territory.

Shinkai removed the wet towel from his shoulder and placed it on the back of one of the chairs by the island before heading back to the counter and doing as he was told, falling into a leisure conversation about favourite breakfast foods with Kouji as they waiting for the omelette to finish cooking.

“Whatcha making?” A voice from behind them asked, making the two boys at the kitchen spin around alarmingly fast. Arakita instinctively raised his arms in self-defense, glaring at Kouji until the other moved the hot pan back to the safety of the stove.

“Tamagoyaki.” Shinkai answered after a moment, trying not to laugh at Kouji’s distraught expression. “He’s almost done the last batch.”

“You mean your personal batch?” Arakita asked, smirking when Shinkai refused to answer.

“Bring the food over already!” Machimiya exclaimed from the island. “I’m starving.”

Arakita rolled his eyes but brought the plates over anyway, and Shinkai insisted he take over the cooking from Kouji so that the other could eat too. The three boys at the table gave thanks for the food and began to eat, beckoning for Shinkai to come grab a piece too.

“This one’s almost ready.” He called, cleanly rolling the omelette and oiling the bottom of the pan. “I’ll join you guys in a minute.”

“Yeah well, you can have a piece while you cook.” Arakita claimed, grabbing a portion of the tamagoyaki between his chopsticks and entering the kitchen. Shinkai didn’t hesitate in opening his mouth as the other held the piece close to his lips, letting Arakita feed him.

Shinkai hummed in satisfaction, smiling contently at Arakita through stuffed cheeks. The raven snorted but pecked Shinkai lightly on the nose anyways, ignoring Machimiya’s hooting and playing off his scarlet face by nonchalantly telling the redhead his food was burning.

Shinkai spun instantaneously, hurriedly attempting to remove his pan from the oven top and roll the tamagoyaki onto a separate plate before the egg could surpass the golden brown exterior it had donned. Arakita laughed as he escaped back to the island, ignoring Shinkai chiding him for the distraction.

“Yasutomo if my food burned you’d be stuck making me a fresh batch, you know that right?” Shinkai lectured as he joined the other three at the table.

“I do fucking know that. That’s why I told you it was burning in the first place.” Arakita said matter-of-factly, stuffing another piece of food into Shinkai’s mouth to stop the oncoming retort.

“You two are actually an old married couple; I’ve just now concluded.” Machimiya declared, his voice muffled by the breakfast.

“What’s all this for anyways?” Shinkai asked immediately, changing the subject in hopes of sparing his burning face.

“Robotics.” Kouji said simply, too busy stuffing his mouth to add to his answer.

“Is that a course in your program?”

“I fucking wish.” Machimiya mumbled, taking out his phone once again, only this time selecting an image from his gallery to show Shinkai. “Here, look.”

Shinkai grabbed to phone and regarded the photo, making an impressed whistle at what he saw. Displayed in the picture was what Shinkai initially understood to be a box with wheels, sporting highly complex looking mechanical parts in the middle. After further scrutiny, Shinkai realized that he was looking at a fighting robot, the saw blade at the front helping him easily reach that conclusion.

“Keep scrolling back Shinkai. Those are old pictures, but that bot was basically the prototype of what we’re working on now.” Machimiya continued, gesturing for Shinkai to look at the other photos.

Shinkai continued swiping left, noticing the armored machine becoming less scratched up with every flick of his thumb.

“Did you guys get far in the tournament?” Shinkai asked, reaching a picture displaying a younger looking Machimiya posing coyly beside his bot while some of his teammates attempted to photobomb him in the background.

“Nah. We totally disregarded the fact that the arena had its own obstacles.” Kouji answered, gesturing for someone else to finish his sentence as he stuffed another piece of tamagoyaki into his already full mouth.

“Fucking Miya didn’t think having exposed wires at the bottom of the bot would be an issue.” Arakita drawled, somehow sounding simultaneously pissed and uninterested at the same time. “So of course we got our asses handed to us by the fucking arena, of all things.

“Hey listen. That was a learning experience Arakita. We’ve only improved since then.” Machimiya retorted, pointing his chopsticks accusingly at his friend.

“You’ve only learned how to fuck up in different ways.” Arakita commented, dodging the chopstick thrown at him.

“Say something else asshole, I have three more sticks to throw.”

“Don’t include mine!” Kouji complained, shifting away from Machimiya’s reach.

Shinkai barely heard their banter as he scrolled to another image of their bot. He hummed silently as the regarded the people in the image. There were three individuals in the picture, including Machimiya, a girl he didn’t recognized, and Yasutomo. Shinkai zoomed in on the picture, biting his lower lip to keep from smiling as he observed the younger Arakita. The raven had short hair, his bangs almost nonexistent back then, exposing his ears and forehead in a way that made him look 16 years old instead of the 19 he actually was at that time. Arakita had his usual scowl plastered across his face as he clutched the metal box protectively against his chest. Shinkai’s heart flipped at the adorable sight and he tilted Machimiya’s phone toward the owner, getting his attention. Shinkai didn’t say anything, but Machimiya grinned wickedly and nodded, having successfully received the other’s telepathic “Send me this picture” demand.

“So yeah, anyways,” Machimiya said after retrieving his phone and typing out a few things. “That’s why we’re here. The Robot Combat Tournament is soon and we still need to make a few adjustments from last year’s bot.”

“Miya only likes me for my smarts.” Arakita joked, dragging a piece of paper from the scattered pile and observing the messily written calculations scrawled across the sheet.

“So we agree that I don’t like you.”

Arakita was quick to whip his chopstick across the table, howling with laughter as the wooden piece hit Machimiya square in the forehead. Shinkai smiled at the two’s tomfoolery before discreetly taking his phone out of his borrowed shorts pocket, checking the text he had just received. Shinkai inhaled sharply as he regarded the photos; glad the other two were too busy arguing to notice his gasp. Machimiya had not only texted Shinkai the photo of Yasutomo he had silently requested, but he had sent a few other photos of the raven as well –photos Shinkai had never seen on Yasutomo’s profile.

There were only three other pictures sent to him, but Shinkai felt his stomach flip with each one. The first of the new pictures was similar to the robot one, consisting of a younger Arakita frowning in a group shot in what Shinkai assumed was their first year of university. The second picture was of Yasutomo in class with his head resting comfortably in his arms, mouth open in a half-snarl as he was most likely yelling at Machimiya –the beginnings of a middle finger being raised caught on camera.

And then there was the last picture.

Shinkai didn’t bother hiding his phone from the table as he observed the photo, bringing the device closer to his face so he could better see the image. The picture was of Yasutomo with a mischievous smile on his face. His arm was wrapped around Machimiya, who in turn had his arm wrapped around Kinjou. Yasutomo’s bangs were still short in the photo, giving Shinkai a good sense of how old and how strong the bond between the three engineers was, seeing as how they were still so close two years later.

“What are you looking at?” Arakita inquired whilst chewing his food, having resorted to eating his tamagoyaki with his hands. “What’s so funny?”

“Ah nothing. I just remembered a joke a classmate said.” Shinkai lied, brushing off Arakita’s question with a wave of his utensils, failing to realize that he had been smiling to himself.

Arakita hummed and went back to discussing something with Kouji, unaware that Shinkai’s phone had vibrated from an incoming text.

“The last pic is actually his Facebook profile pic.” Machimiya had texted, the engineer somehow keeping up with the conversation between his two friends despite continuously typing on his phone.

“The fucker cut me off on purpose just to spite me and has refused to change the pic ever since.”

Shinkai snorted, feeling his chest swell with affection as he looked at the photo again, recalling the first time he had ever met Yasutomo. This was the first picture of Arakita he had ever seen, the boy leaving his Facebook profile open for Shinkai to observe as he himself ran out of the computer lab to hand in his assignment before the deadline.

Another text snapped Shinkai out of his memory, and the boy looked down only to catch his breath a second time as he read the message.

“You know, I’ve seen Arakita smile more times this morning with you than he ever did in all of first year.”

“And it’s not even 9AM yet.” Machimiya said out loud, getting Shinkai to look up at him.

“What the fuck are you going on about?” Arakita asked, frowning at his friend.

“I’m just telling Shinkai all the dumb shit you said today even though it’s still so early in the morning.”

“I thought I taught you how to block spam numbers on your phone.” Arakita mumbled to Shinkai, who laughed in turn.

“Yasutomo don’t be mean to Eikichi-kun.” He warned half-heartedly, hoping his tone didn’t give away the constriction he felt in his throat. Had Yasutomo really been that sad in his first year of university? It was tough trying to imagine his usual scowling face being something so permanent. Did the other really smile more when he was with him? Or was that just an over exaggeration on Machimiya’s part, going hand-in-hand with his constant teasing.

Shinkai suddenly perked up, Machimiya’s previous words echoing in his thoughts.

“Wait, did you say it was almost 9?” Shinkai asked, rising up from his chair.

“Yeah, why? Do you have class?”

“No, no. I just need to go home before my mom leaves for work. I don’t have the keys.”

Arakita stood up too, following Shinkai as the redhead rushed to the door.

“Can’t you just go later tonight?”

“By the time I finish class it’ll be pretty late.” Shinkai sighed, staring at his naked feet. “I’d much rather get my stuff now and drop it off before classes start. That way I can come straight back here after I’m done… If you s-still want me to stay over, that is...” Shinkai mumbled as he trailed off, feeling his cheeks burn at the personal invitation.

“No, yeah. Of course.” Arakita said awkwardly, also staring down at Shinkai’s feet. “Let me get you some socks.” He added, hastily running to his bedroom before quickly emerging with a clean pair of socks in one hand and something else in the other.

“Thanks.” Shinkai said, promptly sliding them over his exposed feet before putting on his shoes.

“And here, take this.” Arakita added after Shinkai had finished tying his laces.

“What is it?” Shinkai asked, opening the palm of his hand to receive whatever it was the other was trying to hand over.

“Spare keys to this place.” He stated, uncurling his fingers and revealing the small piece of metal. “Don’t tell Nats I gave it to you. She’d be fucking livid if she found out.”

“Okay.” Shinkai said weakly, clutching the key tightly. “But is this okay? It’s only until Sunday so…”

“It’s fine. You can hold onto it.” Arakita reassured Shinkai, unlocking the front door for him. “Your house is pretty far from campus, so you can crash here whenever you’re not up for the commute.”

“Thanks Yasutomo.” Shinkai breathed, feeling his stomach flip for the hundredth time that morning. He exited the apartment before turning to Arakita, intending on saying a quick goodbye before making his way home. However, just as Shinkai faced the other did he feel his words get caught in his throat. Arakita was smiling gently at Shinkai, arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame.

“Seeya tonight Hayato.” He said softly, slightly blushing as he uttered his goodbye.

Instead of responding with words, Shinkai found himself leaning forward and bringing their lips together. He pulled the other close to him as he deepened the kiss, finding it difficult to separate himself from Yasutomo.

“Shinkai! Are you leaving us?” Machimiya’s distant voice bellowed from the inside of Arakita’s flat.

Arakita huffed in irritation against Shinkai’s mouth before pulling away, turning back into his apartment to yell at his friend.

“Bye.” Shinkai said once the other finished his unceremonious parade of curses, leaning in one last time to kiss Yasutomo on the cheek before making his way towards the stairwell.

“Bye.” He heard Arakita say softly in the distance.

***

Shinkai knocked on his front door for the third time that morning, feeling his patience grow thinner with every passing minute. It wasn’t until his fourth barrage of knocks that he heard the lock click open and the door swing open, revealing-

“Yuuto?”

“Hey.” The younger Shinkai said sleepily as they rubbed their right eye, backing away from the door and leaning against the wall so that their brother could enter the house.

“Yuuto why are you home? Where’s mom?”

“She’s out shopping.” Yuuto answered, looking down towards the main hall.

“Okay… and my other question?” Shinkai asked, wondering what they were looking at.

“Ahh well –I’m not feeling well so mom let me stay home.”

Shinkai knew immediately that the other was lying. Yuuto didn’t get sick often, and when they did, it was far more apparent than what they were currently letting on. A sick Yuuto would be slumped over, not standing up straight, they’d be coughing, not remaining perfectly silent, and they’d be looking Shinkai straight in the eyes as they asked for some petty favour, not looking away and adding further to the stillness of the house.

“What’s wrong kiddo?” Shinkai asked as he removed his shoes, trying to get a good look at the other’s face.

“Nothing! I’m just tired.” Yuuto said defensively as they moved away from Shinkai’s prying eyes, heading towards the stairs. “I’m going to take a small nap, so goodnight Hayato!”

“Not so fast.” Shinkai demanded, grabbing Yuuto’s arm and jerking them back, the forced causing the other to spin around and face him.

“Shit.” Shinkai hissed in shock, finally noticing the side of Yuuto’s face that they had been quick to cover up since his arrival. Yuuto turned to look away, but Shinkai brought his other hand up, roughly grabbing them by the chin and tilting their head to the side to get a better look.

“Shit Yuuto, what happened?” Shinkai asked, his voice breaking as he took in the swollen eye peppered in light purple and yellow bruises.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine.” Yuuto hissed, yanking away from Shinkai’s grasp.

“Yuuto that bruise isn’t nothing! What happened? Who did this?” Shinkai demanded, his voice getting louder with every question.

“Hayato! I’m fine! Seriously this isn’t your problem.” They retorted, storming up the stairs.

“This isn’t my problem? Yuuto who fucking hit you?” Shinkai bellowed, chasing the other up to their room.

“Hayato we worked things out between us okay? There’s nothing to worry about, we’re cool now.” They said calmly, trying to reassure the now panicking Shinkai.

“Yuuto.” Shinkai started, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “Yuuto what happened?” He asked again, unable to remove his eyes from the other’s bruised face.

Yuuto sighed heavily, their previous anger gone. They jumped on their bed before patting a spot beside them, silently indicating for Shinkai to join them. Shinkai approached the bed slowly, feeling as if he was walking through molasses.

Someone had hit Yuuto.

He sat stiffly at the end of the bed, stomach churning in unease and fear for the other. Who was it that did this? Was Yuuto home because the perpetrator was still after them? Why hadn’t they said anything?

“…ato.”

Shinkai’s breath came out in short bursts as he realized that the incident had probably happened a few days ago; in the short period of time where he had been too busy fooling around with Yasutomo to even notice something gone amiss. How shitty of an older brother was he to not check up on the other once during his little escapade?

“Hayato!”

Shinkai jumped, unaware that the other had been calling his name.

“Hayato lie down.” Yuuto demanded from where they lay, motioning for Shinkai to do the same. Shinkai let the other push him onto his back as he tried to force back the scream threatening to escape his lips.

“Hayato, breathe.” They added, noticing their brother’s discomfort.

Shinkai covered his face with his hands and did as he was told; mentally counting to ten whilst inhaling and exhaling excruciatingly slowly, trying to convince himself that Yuuto was fine. If anything serious had happened, his mom would have been the first to contact him.

He counted to ten 2 other times before he felt his heartbeat steady and his mind clear. When he removed his hands and opened his eyes, he stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what to say to make the other open up.

“Okay Yuuto,” Shinkai started, attempting to sound calm and collected. “Tell me what happened.”

“It was nothing big. I just heard some guy say something troublesome at school, so I confronted him.”

“What did he say?” Shinkai asked, knowing full well that Yuuto possessed the ability to talk around the truth. The younger Shinkai was a terrible liar, but they knew how to answer questions truthfully without disclosing what some would take as vital information. Yuuto might have said they heard someone say something, when in actuality the person in question might have been speaking to them the entire time.

“He said something that didn’t sit right with me, so I called him out on it.”

“So he hit you for the call out?”

“No, he hit me ‘cause I hit him.” Yuuto said in a slightly amused tone.

“Yuuto.”

“What? He pissed me off okay? I don’t usually go around school swinging my arms –you know this!”

“Why did you fight him Yuuto? You should have just ignored what he said and avoided all this!”

“I’m tired of ignoring it!” Yuuto snapped, sitting up on their side of the bed.

Shinkai felt his stomach knot in apprehension and confusion. Tired of it? What Yuuto tired of ignoring?

“So yeah,” They continued more quietly, nervously playing with their hands. “We fought and the principle came and we both got suspended for three days. He made sure we worked things out first, though –so there’s no bad blood between us anymore.”

“Three days?” Shinkai muttered in shock.

“I’ll be back this Monday.” They confirmed, finally looking at Shinkai. Shinkai blinked up quizzingly at Yuuto, noticing the hints of a smile tugging at the corner of their lips.

“I don’t see how this is funny Yuuto.”

“It’s just –I don’t know!” Yuuto began, shaking their head. “It felt nice finally doing something about it.”

There Yuuto goes saying ‘it’ again.

“Yuuto, doing something about what? You’re not telling me the full story.”

“Hayato forget it, things are good now. Trust me okay?” Yuuto begged, their eyes following Shinkai as the redhead sat up and moved off the bed.

“I’m going to check up on Usakichi, but this conversation isn’t over.” Shinkai claimed, making his way towards the exit of the room, needing time to let everything he just learned sink in. “I’m not going to school until I get a straight answer out of you.”

“Hayato, come on!”

But Shinkai ignored them, making his way down the hall and towards his own bedroom. Yuuto might have been alright physically, but the context behind their fight was fuzzy at best. Shinkai needed to know everything if he planned on properly looking after his younger sibling. He closed his door softly behind him before approaching his rabbit’s cage, quietly opening the latch and bringing Usakichi into his arms.

Shinkai buried his face into her soft fur, trying to find some comfort in his bunny as he closed his eyes shut against the sharp, stinging pain of oncoming tears. Yuuto’s health and safety had been the target of his concerns for years now, and his apprehension for the other’s wellbeing only grew as they began reaching adulthood.

Shinkai took a shuddery breath and relaxed his grip on Usakichi, letting her rest comfortably on his lap. It would be no good to breakdown now when things had already blown over. Shinkai needed to trust that Yuuto had told the truth and that they would be fine going back to school on Monday.

And yet, no matter how hard Shinkai tried to convince himself that things were alright, he knew the seeds of doubt and despair that had been planted in his mind so long ago were finally coming to fruition.

Yuuto was in trouble.

Chapter Text

Arakita waited by the open door until Shinkai was out of sight before heading back into his apartment, struggling to keep his shit eating grin in check. He straightened out the shoes scattered on the mat and closed the guest bathroom door shut as he slowly regained his composure, eventually heading back to rejoin his friends in the kitchen when he felt ready.

“Man, did Shinkai actually leave?” Machimiya asked as Arakita returned to his original seat across from him. “He didn’t even finish eating his breakfast.”

“He’ll be back in a bit.” Arakita grumbled, returning to his own meal. He hoped Machimiya mistook his grimace for the usual pseudo-discomfort that came with being in his presence –as was the usual– and not for the soreness he felt in his lower back. He had definitely gone a little rough on himself the previous night with Shinkai, and although he didn’t regret it, Arakita’s ass was adamant on reminding him that he had rode a dick for a good part of that time.

“He just needed to go grab some stuff.” He continued, noting that his silence would only raise suspicion to what he assumed was his reddening cheeks.

“By the time he comes back won’t we be in class?” Kouji asked, setting his plate aside and gathering some papers towards his side of the island.

“It’s alright, I gave him the key.” Arakita said without thinking, realizing a second too late that Machimiya had heard him.

“YOU GAVE HIM THE KEY?” Machimiya bellowed, practically crawling over the table to lean into Arakita’s face. “IS HE MOVING IN?”

“NO!” Arakita snapped, pushing his friend back by his face. “No Miya, fuck! Sit down you shit.”

Arakita scowled, mentally fighting back the flush creeping up his neck and physically fighting back his friend from clinging to his shoulders. After few seconds of struggling with one another, Machimiya eventually obliged and slowly crawled off the marble table, sitting back in his seat all while smirking at Arakita as he did so.

“It’s just so that he can drop off his stuff without me running around missing class.”

“I don’t care why you gave him to key to your fucking place, it’s the fact that you gave him the key to your fucking place that’s got me screaming.”

“Well fucking relax. You’re over analyzing this.”

Machimiya huffed at that but dropped the topic, knowing that he had pushed more than enough buttons that Wednesday morning to last a week. The two engineers ate silently after that, occasionally confirming something Kouji asked, their other friend far too busy looking over the rough draft of their battle bot to address the lack of conversation going on between the two.

“Alright, I think that’s everything.” Kouji said some time later as he gathered up the rough papers and finally glanced up from where he sat. “I did my part Machimiya, you better make this thing work.”

“It’s gonna work.” Machimiya scowled, snatching the papers out of his friend’s hand. “It works every year Kouji, it’s not making it that’s the problem.”

“Yeah it’s making the thing destructive that’s the problem.” Arakita interjected, setting aside the remaining tamagoyaki onto a single plate while collecting everyone else’s dirty dishes. “The bot needs more weapons!”

“Arakita we did that last year and it got us nowhere. Every piece weighs it down, you know this.”

“Well I don’t see how your stupid “pushing the enemy into the arena traps” is any better of a plan.”

“That plan could still work! We just need to-”

“Alright, alright! You two need to relax. We still have time to decide the strategy, but right now we need to figure out what parts Kinjou needs to buy.” Kouji lectured the others, making his way towards the front hall. “I’ll see you two in class.” He added, stepping into his shoes and heading out the door.

“Okay so he left kinda abruptly.” Arakita noted, setting the plate full of tamagoyaki into the fridge for Shinkai and the dirty dishes in the sink soon after. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah he’s fine, I kinda asked him to come with me this morning to check up on you.”

Arakita straightened up at that, turning off the tap slowly as he regarded his friend.

“Check up on me?”

“Well yeah,” Machimiya started, furrowing his eyebrows as he stood up from where he sat. “You looked so fucking sick yesterday after finding out about Riko being in town –I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Arakita huffed, turning away from his friend.

I’m too easy to read.

“Well I’m fine Miya, you didn’t need to do that.”

“No, I did.” His friend countered, resting his hands on his hips as he regarded Arakita accusingly. “I did, but I’m glad I didn’t actually have to console you, because I’m terrible at that shit.”

“Yeah you are.” Arakita scoffed, hating the warm feeling of affection bubbling in his chest. Machimiya could never know how precious of a friend he was to Arakita.

“Shut up.” The other snapped, shaking his head. “You’re lucky you have Shinkai or else you’d probably be spending the better part of your morning stress puking.”

“Yeah about the puking…”

“Holy shit Arakita.”

Arakita barked a laugh as he entered his bedroom to collect his things, not wanting to be late for class. After spending so much time in the kitchen and being surrounded by the sweet scent of their breakfast, walking into his room was definitely an experience. Arakita paused mid-step, unable to stop himself from inhaling deeply.

It really does reek of sex in here. He mused, slowly making his way towards his desk. He packed up for school at a snail’s pace, savouring the musky scent of Shinkai heavily embedded into his sheets. I should probably do the laundry soon. He realized as he lifted a t-shirt off his laptop, placing it on the back of his chair gingerly. Since the other would be over for a few more days, the amount of dirty clothes was going to double –and the amount of stink generating in his bed sheets was going to amplify.

Arakita bit his bottom lip as he closed the zipper of his backpack, attempting to contain the excitement he felt rising in his chest. Even though he had seen him barely an hour ago, Arakita already missed Shinkai.

***

“Fuck that class.” Arakita cursed as he pushed his way towards the exit with Kinjou in tow. “And fuck these people trying to get into the room! Can’t they see that we need to leave first? Holy shit this school is full of morons.” Arakita spat as he squeezed past the crowd of people attempting to force their way into the lecture hall.

“Arakita they probably have a midterm.” Kinjou commented as he clutched onto his friend’s backpack, letting Arakita be the one the pave the way for him.

“I don’t care if there was a fire outside and that room was the only source of safety! They can fucking wait a minute for us to leave.”

“Would you be leaving if there was a fire outside?”

Arakita stopped the single line of moving individuals to glare at Kinjou, causing a train of curses to be spewed in his general direction, followed by some unruly shoving.

“I fucking hate this school.” Arakita mumbled as he continued moving toward the front foyer of the building, finally making it past the initial crowd.

“You say that as if you didn’t intentionally apply here.”

“Kin-chan w-” Arakita started, ready to ask his friend why he was being such an asshole, but then he stopped himself. “Wait, where’s Miya?”

Both boys looked around the crowded school building, trying to locate their friend. Thirty seconds passed before Machimiya was spotted squeezing his way out of the residual crowd, half-jogging to where his friends stood waiting for him.

“Holy fuck guys, I nearly lost a limb trying to get out of that class.” Machimiya stated, leading his friends outside of the building. “What the fuck was with that crowd? It was like they were trying to escape a fire or something.”

Kinjou looked at Arakita, who merely shrugged in response.

“It’s a lot dumber when he says it.” Arakita growled as he followed his friends across the campus street towards their usual place of meeting.

The computer lab was full. Arakita should have suspected as much, seeing as how it was the afternoon and anyone who had a break between classes tried to get some work done while they could, but he still grumbled in contempt as he dragged his feet across the carpet. All the computers with the big tables were occupied, except for a few that had personal belongings scattered across them in an attempt to reserve the desktop, making Arakita seethe. It was fine when he did that, but seeing people claim computers and then proceed to not use it for an hour did nothing but sour his mood.

Arakita followed Kinjou and Machimiya across the room, unaware that they were approaching Fukutomi. The raven remained silent as he watched Kinjou gently place a hand on the other’s shoulder, getting the blonde’s attention. Fukutomi took off his headphones and smiled slightly at Kinjou before gesturing to the seat beside him, which had been deliberately reserved by him.

“Aren’t you saving this for Shinkai?” Kinjou asked, tentatively lifting the bag off the seat and placing it beside its owner.

Fukutomi frowned but shook his head as he met Arakita’s gaze.

“He never showed up to class today so I thought he was with you.” He said, raising an eyebrow in confusion as he regarded Arakita’s puzzled expression.

Arakita was taken aback by the claim. Hadn’t Shinkai gone straight to class after dropping his things off? Although he knew he was being ridiculous, Arakita couldn’t help but feel a pang of uneasiness run through him as he took out his phone. There were no notifications indicating anything had happened, but he still sent a quick text to Shinkai asking if everything was okay. Arakita proceeded to glare at his phone, urging the other to text him back soon so he could breathe again.

“What did he say?” Machimiya asked after a minute of silence, getting the raven’s attention. He looked up to see three pairs of eyes on him.

“The fuck? Since when was I on Shinkai duty?” He asked, lips curling into a frown at the use of the other’s last name. It didn’t feel right anymore.

When nobody responded, Arakita only deepened his frown and sighed as he checked his phone for the seventh time.

“He won’t respond.”

“When was the last time you saw him?” Kinjou asked from his seat, turning fully in his swivel chair to face Arakita.

“We saw him this morning.” Machimiya answered, scratching the back of his ankle with his other foot. “He said he was going home to pick some things up before heading back.”

“Then maybe he’s still at home?” Fukutomi suggested before looking to Arakita. “Have you tried asking Yuuto?”

“I’ll do that now.” Arakita promised, walking to the end of the room to sink down against the wall.

He proceeded to type a quick message to Yuuto asking if Hayato was there before looking up to see an approaching Machimiya frowning down at him.

“Don’t you wanna find a computer to sit at?”

Arakita wanted to agree to the other and get up, but his concern for Shinkai was keeping him rooted to his spot.

“Just let me make sure this moron is alright.” He requested, waving his phone weakly for Machimiya to see. The other simply nodded before heading towards the far back of the lab, attempting to find an unoccupied computer for himself. Arakita scowled at his phone, waiting impatiently for Yuuto to respond. After what felt like a very long four minutes, his phone lit up to show not an incoming text but a call instead. Arakita immediately swiped the screen and brought the phone to his ear, feeling his pulse in his temples.

“Yuuto? Is Hayato home? Is he okay?”

“Yeah yeah he’s here. He’s fine. He’s just being overdramatic.” Yuuto affirmed, sounding grumpy.

“Overdramatic? Wait shouldn’t you be at school?”

“Ahh well... about that,” Yuuto started, their nervous laughter drowned out by the ruckus being made in the lab. “So, something may have happened…”

“Yuuto.” Arakita drawled, hoping the other would be clearer with their words. Something told Arakita he should stand up and make his way out of the building, so he did just that, ignoring Kinjou and Fukutomi’s inquiring gazes as he exited through the double doors.

“Yuuto what the fuck happened?” Arakita asked when the other remained silent.

“Okay, so I might have gotten into a fight at school the other da-”

“Might have?”

“But it’s not even that big of a deal! I don’t know why Hayato is freaking out over it.” Yuuto huffed, their irritation apparent behind the phone’s speakers. “He refuses to go to school until I tell him everything, but I can’t…”

“I’ll go pick him up.” Arakita claimed, immediately understanding Yuuto’s situation.

“Thanks Arakita-san.”

“Yuuto, why didn’t you fucking say anything?” Arakita chided the other, rushing down the hall and out of the building. He didn’t bother grabbing his bike, ass still throbbing too much from the previous night’s activities to even risk the displeasure, the raven choosing instead to walk down the campus street towards his family’s house. Hopefully dads still home.

“Hayato kept sleeping over at your place, so I thought by the time he actually came home the bruise would be gone.”

Bruise? Arakita stomach lurched at that. How bad was this fight Yuuto had?

“You still could have told one of us.”

“No I couldn’t! If I told Hayato, he’d start freaking out –which is what he’s doing right now, by the way. And if I told you, you’d second guess your stupid plan!”

“So that’s what the fight was about?”

Arakita didn’t get an immediate answer, as a familiar voice in the background became apparent, asking Yuuto who they were talking to. Yuuto momentarily ignored them, choosing instead to address Arakita’s question.

“Yeah, but they’re cool now. A punch brought them to their senses.”

“Things don’t usually work that way kid.”

“Well I lucked out. Anyways, I’ll see you soon Arakita-san.”

A muffled “You’re talking to Yasutomo?” was heard in the background before silence encompassed Arakita’s ear, Yuuto having hung up on him before he could listen to more.

“Well shit.” Arakita hissed as he started dialing his house number, his call being picked up after the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey dad? Can I borrow the car for a bit?” Arakita asked, quickening his pace towards the familiar neighbourhood mere minutes away from the immediate downtown area. “I need to pick someone up.”

***

Arakita pulled up to the empty driveway and parked his car, pausing for a minute to brace himself. He knew Shinkai was going to be mad that he went through the trouble of coming to get him, and Arakita was prepared to argue with the other about skipping class over something as silly as Yuuto getting into a fight. Arakita’s stomach churned as he finally stepped out of his unmoving vehicle, remembering the last time he and Hayato got into an argument about Yuuto’s wellbeing.

Arakita exhaled through his nose before knocking thrice, swallowing back his nervousness as the front door to the Shinkai household swung backwards revealing Hayato.

“Hey.” Arakita said quietly, taking note of the other’s messy bangs and sunken eyes. Shinkai ran his fingers through his hair and took a step back for the other, mumbling a quiet “Hi Yasutomo” as he let Arakita enter the house and take off his shoes.

“You doing alright?” Arakita asked tentatively, blurting a last minute pardon for the intrusion as he followed Shinkai further into the house.

“I’m fine Yasutomo. It’s Yuuto you should be worried about.”

Arakita scowled at that, but quickly wiped it from his face as they approached the living room. Yuuto was sitting on the floor, back against the sofa and arms crossed in annoyance as they glared at their older brother. Shinkai returned the glare, putting his hands on his hips as he regarded his younger sibling.

“What the fuck is this stare-off.” Arakita asked, walking past Shinkai to join Yuuto on the floor. “Let me see your face.”

Yuuto obliged, turning their head slightly to the side for Arakita to see. The raven let out a low whistle, regarding the already healing bruise.

“That’s one hell of a shiner, but at least it’s getting better.” Arakita noted, allowing Yuuto to sit back in their original position. “So what happened? Some guy just decided to punch you… or?”

“Yuuto started the fight.” Shinkai stated, frowning profusely before joining them on the floor, sitting in front of Arakita, the three now forming a triangle. The raven nodded solemnly, sensing the tension between the siblings.

“The principle caught us and we talked it out. We’ll be back at school this Monday.” Yuuto droned with what Arakita realized was practiced ease. How many times had they repeated those words to the other?

“Yasutomo, what’s so funny?”

Arakita cleared his throat, trying to hide a smirk behind his closed fist.

“Nothing.” He started, but his voiced cracked with amusement, giving him away. “It just reminds me of all the times I got into dumb fights at high school.”

“Yasutomo, that’s so bad.” Shinkai commented, but Arakita could see the hints of a smile beginning to surface on the redhead’s face. Maybe he could use this to lift some of the tension threatening to suffocate him. Arakita thought back to his past, selecting one of the more memorable fights he had the displeasure of being involved with in his second year of high school.

“You know, one time some guy accidentally kicked a soccer ball down the hall and it hit my Bespi outta my hands and onto my uniform.” Arakita recalled, leaning back against the couch and gingerly placing his arms behind him to cushion his head. Without a second’s hesitation, Arakita swung his legs over Shinkai’s lap, hoping the other would mimic his relaxed demeanor and rid himself of his ridiculous stiffness.

“So of course I threatened him –told him to meet me at the basketball court after school so we could fight. He agreed but that didn’t stop me from being a fucking dick to him the rest of the day.”

Yuuto had turned to face Arakita, completely absorbed by the raven’s story, and even Shinkai leaned forward slightly, his hands placed gently on Arakita’s legs as he observed the other with interest, though he was already shaking his head in concern.

“So whenever I saw him between classes I would threaten him-”

“Yasutomo…” Shinkai began, but Arakita merely flashed him a toothy grin and shrugged his shoulders.

“I was an asshole in high school, it couldn’t be helped.” He stated matter-of-factly before continuing his story, ignoring Yuuto’s barked laughter and Shinkai’s sigh of distaste. “Anyways, there was only one class left before school ended and I see this guy again, on my way to the bathroom. Without thinking, I shove him against the lockers, promising not to hold back after school at the basketball court –you know, just to give him his hourly reminder.”

“Oh my God…”

“But the look of confusion scrawled across his face? I swear it was like that was the first time he had ever met me.”

“What, did you shove him so hard he lost his memory?” Yuuto asked, but Arakita was already shaking his head.

“Nah. So get this, I go to the court after school and he’s standing there in the middle of a small crowd, talking to some dude. I go in there and the crowd backs up, all except for the person he’s talking to.”

“Oh my God.” Shinkai repeated, the inflection in his voice revealing that he had connected the dots. Arakita grinned at him and nodded, appreciating how he was able to make the redhead generate both a look of amusement and a look of concern simultaneously.

“What? What happened?” Yuuto asked, still confused.

“Turns out the guy I initially started the fight with had a twin brother, who I also promised to fight with at the same place… at the same time.”

“Pfft-.” Yuuto immediately burst into an ugly laughter before turning around to bury their face in the edge of the sofa, attempting to muffle their howls.

“Yasutomo, please tell me you didn’t fight them both.”

“I fought them both.” Arakita confirmed, laughing at Shinkai’s disgruntled look. “And let me just say, I didn’t stand a fucking chance. I obviously broke my nose-”

“Obviously.”

“-and I fractured two bones in my right hand from not knowing how to swing prope-”

Arakita paused, turning to face Yuuto.

“Wait, show me your fist –like how you threw your punch.”

Still hiccupping from their previous bout of laughter, Yuuto closed their fist and showed Arakita. The raven grabbed them by their arm and rotated their hand to inspect the tucked in fingers.

“See look, you’re making the same mistake I made years ago.” Arakita tutted, forcing Yuuto’s thumb to lie across their curled up fingers in a certain position. “If you have your thumb running perpendicular to your fingers, not only are you reducing your risk of breaking it, but you can actually get more force behind your punch.” He explained, pointing out how Yuuto’s knuckles jutted out at the position change.

“Yasu, you shouldn’t be encouraging this kind of behaviour.” Shinkai warned, but Arakita merely dismissed his words with a wave of his hand.

“Who knows when Yuuto’ll get into another fight. They should be better prepared.”

“They shouldn’t be getting into fights in the first place!”

Arakita scoffed as he removed his legs from Shinkai’s lap and repositioned himself to sit cross-legged in front of the other.

“Fights are inevitable Hayato. I’d rather the kid be prepared than not, don’t you think?”

“Yeah but,” Arakita clamped his mouth shut as Shinkai hesitated with his words, the redhead wringing his fingers nervously as they collected their thoughts. “It’s not the actually fighting I care about, it’s the context behind it.”

Arakita felt Yuuto’s hand jolt in his, and he realized he was still gripping the other’s wrist tightly. Arakita cautiously let go of the other, choosing instead to focus entirely on the Shinkai in front of him. Hayato looked scared; that much was obvious. Although he had gained slight control over his unruly bangs, the red tinge behind his sunken eyes still spoke of the previous anxieties that had poured out. There was no gentle smile tugging his fat lips, and although he laughed mere minutes ago, Arakita recognized the front. Shinkai had tried to lighten up for both his and Yuuto’s sake, but he could do very little to rid the uneasiness and doubt most likely plaguing his thoughts.

“I don’t think the context really matters.” Arakita started, speaking carefully in an attempt to get Shinkai to see his perspective on the matter. “When a person is angry enough, they dig for any reason to initiate a fight.”

“Yeah but this reason is a bit more important than a dropped Bepsi bottle!” Shinkai asserted, his voice rising ever so slightly as he turned to his younger sibling. “Yuuto, if someone says something about you, you should ignore it.”

There was a strained moment of silence in the room, and Arakita swore that even the fucking parrot knew not to move less it wanted to be taken out by the intense stare down occurring between the two siblings.

“Hayato, if I recall correctly, you got into a fight yourself not too long ago right?” Yuuto asked, breaking the stillness that had settled over the household. Arakita silently exhaled, only to hold his breath again.

Where is the kid going with this?

“Yeah, but Yuuto that’s different.”

“How so? Do you want to explain to me the context behind that fight?” Yuuto asked politely, gesturing for their brother to clarify the reasoning behind punching Arakita all those weeks ago.

Shinkai opened his mouth to answer, only to clamp it shut pathetically. Arakita sympathized with the other, acknowledging that Yuuto had put him in a tough spot.

“Hayato I’m fucking nonbinary, not some fragile vase.” Yuuto whispered softly, their words making Shinkai flinch back in shock. “Let me choose my fights, the same way I choose what foods I eat and what clothes I wear and who I consider my friends…”

Yuuto trailed off, looking up expectantly at their brother, hoping they got the message across. Shinkai’s brows were furrowed and lips were set in a tense line, but Arakita could see the other slowly nodding in agreement.

“Of course,” Shinkai promised, his voice quivering slightly.

Arakita gritted his teeth, holding himself back from pulling the other into a hug, not wanting to disrupt the progressive conversation taking place. Who knew when those two idiots would talk so openly about this topic again? Shinkai’s eyes were glistening now, and again his voice shook as he spoke, but there was a fierce determination in his body language that indicated he was going to say what he wanted to say, regardless the tears threatening to escape his eyes.

“I don’t really understand your situation, and I don’t think I ever will Yuuto. I know I can get really annoying at times like today, but I just want what’s best for you.” Shinkai’s voice cracked, and he bit his bottom lip hard, attempting to keep himself together.

“I know Hayato. I’m grateful, honestly. I can easily say I have the best big brother in the world –next to Natsuki of course.” Yuuto added, giving Arakita a lighthearted wink.

Don’t fucking bring me into this convo! Arakita silently pleaded, trying not to pay mind to his own constricting throat. He blinked rapidly, ashamed that he was fighting back his own tears despite the lack of immediate involvement in their situation.

“I know I never really explained my situation, but think of it as me telling you you’re not hungry and that you shouldn’t eat even when you obviously are.” Yuuto started, smiling slightly at their big brother. “Even though you technically shouldn’t be hungry after a meal, you know better than anyone else how you feel right? Well it’s the same for me, just with gender.”

Arakita burst into laughter, clutching his stomach and leaning forward violently as he felt his throat relax and the stinging in his eyes subside.

“Why is it always back to food with you two?” Arakita panted, trying to regain control of himself. Yuuto shoved him none too gently in the shoulder, attempting to get the other to manage his spastic breathing.

“Shut up! It’s easy to explain this way.” Yuuto scolded the other, pouting slightly as Arakita broke into another fit of laughter.

“No, Yuuto’s right. I think I get it a bit better now.” Shinkai smiled, wiping the single tear that had escaped his eye and spilled down his cheek moments ago with the back of his hand.

Arakita immediately shut up at that, the sight of Hayato’s tear stained cheek making his heart lurch. He wanted to hold the other so bad. Instead, he remained silent as he watched the two siblings hug each other, feeling very out of place seated in front of both. When the two pulled away, they were smiling at each other, straight white teeth apparent behind genetically inherited thick lips. Arakita felt himself smile too, glad that they had worked things out. He stood up slowly from where he sat, using the sofa behind him as leverage.

“Well now that that’s settled, maybe we should all go to school.” Arakita commented, looking down at the two Shinkais.

“Uhh, I’m not allowed back til Monday.” Yuuto reminded him, earning themself a gentle shove in the shoulder via Arakita’s foot.

“Okay, and what about the older, more responsible Shinkai?”

“He might have skipped a class.” The redhead answered bashfully, accepting Arakita’s extended arms.

Arakita huffed ‘moron’ as he pulled the other up from where he sat, releasing his grip to help Yuuto stand as well.

“Okay so both of you have lessons to catch up on, huh?” Arakita noted, looking disapprovingly at both. The Shinkai siblings shrugged simultaneously, and Arakita found himself smiling as he shook his head.

“Get outta here Yuuto! I know you have homework to do!” Arakita exclaimed suddenly, shooing the other and chasing them out of the living room.

“You’re not my mom!” Yuuto bellowed as they proceeded to do what they were told, obviously grateful for the out Arakita had provided.

The two university students remained silent as they listened to the gentle thuds of footsteps heading up stairs, only turning to face each other once the dull sounds had diminished.

“Thanks Yasutomo.” Shinkai spoke quietly, grinning warmly at the other.

Arakita wrapped his arms around the other’s waist, locking his hands together as he brought the redhead close. Without saying a word, Arakita kissed Shinkai’s tearstained cheek, savouring the salty taste. After a small pause, Arakita tilted his head upward and pecked the other’s eyelid gently, appreciating how Shinkai’s long lashes brushed his lips and how his soft eyebrow hairs ticked his nose. Arakita kissed him on the same spot again, and again, and again, stopping only to switch to the other eye. Shinkai had brought his hands up to Arakita’s chest, his palms warm against their pressed bodies. Arakita descended his lips to smooch Shinkai roughly on the cheek, the act forcing a scoff to escape the other’s lips. Arakita opened his eyes at the sound, pulling his head back slightly to better regard the other. Shinkai’s cheeks were tinged red and his eyes were still wet despite the time that had passed. Regardless, he was smiling affectionately at Arakita as he brought his hands up to the other’s shoulders and gripped them firmly.

“Yasutomo what would I do without you?” He murmured, bringing the other into a hug.

“Skip school less.” Arakita claimed as he unlocked his hands and wrapped his arms around Shinkai’s back.

“That’s true.” Shinkai confirmed, his voice muffled against Arakita’s shoulder. “But I meant with Yuuto.”

Arakita remained silent as he swung them both side-to-side, unsure of how to address that comment. He had literally waltzed into the Shinkai household, blatantly ignored Hayato’s concerns and encouraged Yuuto to fight if need be.

“I’ve realized that I over think too much when it comes to Yuuto.” Shinkai continued quietly.

“Is this a new discovery?” Arakita asked smugly.

“Shut up.” Shinkai grumbled into Arakita’s ear, kissing it lightly. “I meant –I dunno. You’re really good at putting things into perspective for me.”

“I taught the kid how to throw a punch.” Arakita said perplexed, failing to see how he had helped Hayato in any way.

Shinkai pulled back to look at Arakita, searching for the joke that wasn’t there.

“Are you serious? Yasutomo you have weirdly good social perception.”

“What the fuck does that even mean?”

“Your social perception is good.”

“Don’t just rearrange the sentence!” Arakita spat, bringing his hands up to squeeze Shinkai’s cheeks.

Shinkai squinted at Arakita and made an attempt at speaking through his forced fish lips, the pathetic sight making Arakita smirk. He leaned forward and pecked the protruding lips in front of him before releasing his hold on the other’s face. The two regarded each other fondly as they stepped closer, holding each other with practiced familiarity as they leaned in –heads tilting instinctively as they pressed against each other for another kiss.

Arakita’s eyes fluttered shut as he felt big, warm lips press against his own, and he hummed contently when the familiar sensation of Shinkai’s tongue darted between his mouth and across the lower rim of his gums. Arakita made Shinkai fight for purchase into his mouth, his lack of compliance to the others’ advances encouraging more teasing and nipping from Shinkai’s end.

Eventually Arakita gave in and let his mouth open along with Shinkai’s, allowing the other access to the proper kiss he was battling for. Arakita moaned as Hayato slid his tongue along his own, savoring the feeling of Shinkai taking charge. Arakita wondered if he would ever reach a point in his life where kissing Shinkai became the norm –if every possible way of kissing the other would already be explored and experienced. Arakita leaned back slightly so they could catch their breaths before tilting his head the other way and pressing forward once more, feeling his heart pound against his chest and his lips throb against heat and friction of Shinkai’s mouth as they continued to kiss.

Fuck. Part of him never wanted this feeling to end. He loved the butterflies and the stuttered words and the continuous rise of heat he felt every time they so much as made eye contact. He loved being with Hayato. Arakita’s breath hitched in his throat at the realization.

I love being with Hayato. He repeated in his head, just as Shinkai separated their lips so they could breathe again. In the distance, dull thuds could be heard as Yuuto made their way downstairs, but Arakita paid them no mind as he pressed forward again, desperately chasing Shinkai’s retreating mouth.

I love Hayato.

He licked the inside of Shinkai’s mouth and dragged his tongue along the other’s, pulling a small moan with him as the redhead pushed him back. Arakita huffed in frustration as Shinkai held his shoulders firmly, the sound of distant thuds became clearer and Yuuto’s voice resonating down the hall from where they spoke.

“Arakita-saaaan.”

Arakita cursed in annoyance as he took a step away from Shinkai and sat on the couch in defeat, realizing that Hayato didn’t want to be caught making out shamelessly in front of their younger sibling.

“Whaaaat.” Arakita droned just as Yuuto walked back into the living room. They paid no mind to their brother as they faced the raven, holding up a piece of paper in their hand.

“You’re smart right? Like, surprisingly smart? –according to Hayato.”

Arakita shot the redhead a glare, which the other responded to with a simple wink.

“Depends on what you need help with.” Arakita started, hoping Yuuto had some sort of math related problem they needed assistance with, not English.

“It’s Physics.” Yuuto began but Arakita cut off their look with one of his own.

“Shouldn’t you ask the scientist for help with the science questions?” Arakita asked as he scrutinized Shinkai accusingly.

“Yasutomo physics is about as far from bio as one can get.” Shinkai countered in an attempt to defend himself. “Besides, didn’t you call yourself the King of Calculations at some point? That’s basically what physics is!”

Arakita blinked at him in surprise before groaning audibly.

“You need to stop talking to my friends.” He demanded, feeling his ears burn. What other embarrassing shit had they disclosed about him to Shinkai without his knowledge?

“Especially Kin-chan.” He warned as he wagged his finger at the redhead, choosing stand up and grab the paper out of Yuuto’s hand as he continued to speak.

“Why can’t I talk to them?” Shinkai asked him innocently, but Arakita knew it was an act.

“They know too much.” He muttered softly as he regarded the questions written on the sheet. It was nothing too hard, as third year physics in high school resonated with the curriculum taught in first year university, but some of the minor details within the equations escaped Arakita.

“Do you have notes on this?” He asked, feeling Shinkai’s gaze boring into his back as he inadvertently agreed to help Yuuto with their homework.

“Yeah! I’ll go get it.” They proclaimed as they turned around to head back upstairs.

Dumbass! Arakita scolded himself as he turned to face Shinkai’s knowing gaze. He should have just denied Yuuto so he and Shinkai could go back to swapping spit. With frustration and impatience building up inside him, Arakita roughly grabbed Shinkai by his shoulders and turned him around, pushing him towards the hall.

“The sooner you pack your stuff, the sooner we can go home Hayato.” He whispered in the other’s ear, ignoring the heat rising to his face as he uttered those words. Arakita felt Shinkai jolt under his hands and noticed the tinge of red blossoming along the other’s neck. Arakita kissed the flushed skin gingerly, unaware of the reaction that his kiss would cause.

Shinkai violently turned around and pinned Arakita to the wall, lavishly kissing his neck until the raven let out a small moan of pleasure. Encouraged to continue, Shinkai pressed his body in between Arakita’s legs and bit the other’s jaw, this time earning himself a groan of pain.

“Hayato-” Arakita panted as he tried to stop the other from nipping his cheek. He didn’t mind the marks Shinkai left on his skin, but he did mind being horny in a place where he couldn’t address the tightness in his pants. Shinkai hummed as he kissed Arakita’s cheek and licked the raw skin, ignoring how the other was trying to force himself out from under the pinned arms. Arakita knew he was making it easy for Shinkai to kiss him as he turned his head in certain ways, pretending to withdraw from the pecks when in reality he was just giving Shinkai more surface area to cover.

It wasn’t until Arakita had miraculously forced the other into a headlock and was kissing his auburn and blue-streaked hair that he managed to make Shinkai stutter an apology and beg for forgiveness. Arakita scoffed and swung his legs forward, the sudden lack of support bringing both boys down onto the floor with a heavy thud.

“The hell are you two doing?” Yuuto asked, appearing in the hall with their notebook, a textbook and some writing utensils in their hands.

“He fell.” Arakita lied, still holding the other in a headlock and fighting back against the blatant struggling. “Right Hayato?”

“Right, right! I fell!” Shinkai laughed, lying down in defeat when Arakita finally released his grip from his head.

“You two are ridiculous.” Yuuto muttered as they walked past the two, heading towards the dining room table.

Arakita watched them disappear into the kitchen from where he lay, trying to calm his beating heart. The sudden bursts of adrenaline he felt every time he was with Shinkai was doing a number on his body.

I love Hayato. He reminded himself, looking at the redhead lying on the floor beside him. Shinkai was gazing back at him, his messy hair splayed in every direction and a gentle smile tugging his lips. His blue eyes were strikingly bright in contrast to his red tinged face and Arakita found himself speechless as he stared at the other.

“I feel like I’m going to burst.” Shinkai whispered weakly, his voice hoarse from the kissing.

Arakita nodded rapidly, understanding exactly how the other felt. He shifted closer to Shinkai and placed a hand on the other’s cheek, rubbing his thumb slowly across the other’s flushed skin.

“Go pack.” Arakita murmured, bringing Shinkai’s face close to his. He wanted the other to grab his stuff so they could leave. The two had dealt with enough interruptions to last a life time, in Arakita’s opinion, and the sooner they were back at his place, the better. Shinkai undoubtedly sensed Arakita’s distress –the redhead smiling knowingly at the raven as he kissed the other lightly on the nose. Arakita sighed contently as he pressed their foreheads together, remaining silent and cherishing the other’s presence.

That was, until Yuuto impatiently called Arakita’s name.

“You gotta teach that kid some manners.” Arakita mumbled, as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

Shinkai merely laughed as he followed Arakita’s lead to stand up, shaking his head as he walked down the hallway towards the staircase, promising he’d be back in a few minutes to free him. Arakita cursed under his breath as he listened to the other retreat to his room before walking back to Yuuto, regarding the other twirl a pencil skillfully between their fingers as they waited for him.

“Alright, let’s do this shit.” Arakita muttered as he sat beside the younger Shinkai.

“Okay, quick question before we begin.” Yuuto proclaimed, setting their pencil down on the table and pushing their physics textbook towards Arakita. “Is Hayato moving in with you?”

Arakita scowled as he flipped open the book and searched the table of contents, attempting to locate the unit Yuuto was currently learning in class. He racked his brain as he distractingly flipped through the pages, trying to formulate a truthful answer that didn’t reveal how needy he was of Shinkai’s presence –while simultaneously trying to avoid implying that they were just going at it every night, even though they were.

“He mentioned something about grabbing a few clothes and toiletries ‘for Yasutomo’s’.” Yuuto continued when Arakita remained silent, unaware of where the engineer’s thoughts were as they puffed out their chest in order to better imitate their brother.

“Uhh yeah. It’s just for a few days.” Arakita explained, hoping his expression looked neutral despite the growing excitement threatening to expose his true feelings. “With midterms and assignments being thrown at us, I told Hayato he could sleep over and put the time normally wasted on commuting into his lab reports instead.”

Yuuto nodded at that, but Arakita could see them fighting back a knowing smirk. Embarrassed, he pinched the other’s nose roughly and slapped the textbook in exasperation.

“Yuuto, the second your brother comes back downstairs I’m leaving!” Arakita threatened, silently pleased at how the other’s teasing smile dropped at the revelation. “You better take advantage of my help while I’m here.”

“Right, okay. Waves and Light.” Yuuto stated, pointing at a problem on their homework sheet inquiring about diffraction in the water.

Arakita ran his hand through his bangs as he read the question Yuuto was looking at, refusing to acknowledge that he recognized which variables to calculate for and knew immediately which equation to use.

“Okay kiddo. What’s the first step?”

“Huh?”

“What would you do first?” Arakita droned, keeping his voice as monotone as possible.

“Don’t you know?”

Arakita gave Yuuto a fiendish smile as he messed up their hair.

“Of course I know! I’m not telling you shit though. You’re not gonna learn that way.”

“Hayatoooo. Arakita-san is being a responsible adult!”

“That’s weird!” Shinkai yelled from his room, his voice extremely muffled as it resonated through the house. “Check him for a fever!”

“It’s like he wants me losing an arm.” Yuuto muttered as they opened their notes and pointed at a messily scrawled equation. “Is this what I use?”

“Yuuto you don’t even know what you need. Fucking write down what you have first and then choose your equation from there.”

“So… no to the question I just asked?”

Arakita barely had a chance to glare at Yuuto before they formally apologized and bowed at him, promising to take things more seriously. After five minutes of watching Yuuto re-read the question and write what variables they had and what they were missing, Arakita glanced up to see Shinkai enter the kitchen with a large duffle bag in his hands.

“Wait wait, don’t go yet I’m almost done!” Yuuto begged desperately as they punched some numbers into the calculator.

Arakita watched Shinkai place the bag onto the table and head to the kitchen, searching for something in the pantry.

“There! Is it right?”

Arakita glanced at his own scrap paper where he had messily written down his own calculations and compared it to Yuuto’s.

“It’s wrong.” He confirmed.

“Fucking shit!”

“You shouldn’t swear Yuuto.” Arakita joked, snickering at the look of utter disbelief he received from the other. “And it’s just conversion.”

“Oh.”

Yuuto quickly scoured their calculations for the mistake and corrected the decimal place before showing the newly converted number to Arakita.

“Right! Good job kiddo.” Arakita confirmed, nodding approvingly at the other.

Just then Shinkai approached the table with a box in his hands, making the two seated look up at him.

“Are you seriously bringing a fucking box of power bars with you?”

“Sh-should I bring another box?”

“NO! Fuck Hayato, one box is enough.”

“Yasutomo I’m sensing some hostility. I don’t mind sharing with you, you know.”

“I don’t want your fucking power bars!” Arakita responded, laughing at the ridiculous argument. “I better not feel any crumbs in th-”

Arakita snapped his mouth shut a second too late, realizing that the damage had already been done. Both he and Shinkai looked at Yuuto shamefully, waiting for their response. Yuuto, however, was too busy working on the next question on their sheet to notice the lapse in conversation. After a pause, they looked up at Arakita, an eyebrow raised.

“Bed? Don’t get crumbs in the bed?”

“Don’t finish the sentence!”

“Then finish it yourself next time!” They complained, looking across the table to glance at Shinkai.

“Why are you two acting like I don’t know you fuck?”

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” Shinkai whined as he covered his ears and left the kitchen to go to God knows where.

“Finish your fucking homework.” Arakita groaned, placing his face into the palm of his hand.

“I don’t see why this is so shocking to you. People in Ukraine know you two are fucking.”

“Yuuto please.” Arakita begged, bringing his other hand up to his face just as Shinkai walked back into the kitchen.

“I’m just sayin’.” They mumbled as they continued to scrawl numbers across their rough paper.

“Can we go?” Shinkai squawked as he sat back down.

“One more question.” Arakita promised, quickly doing the calculations for Yuuto’s next problem so they could compare. “I just wanna make sure Yuuto knows what the fuck they’re doing before I leave.”

“Yasutomo you should join the school’s peer mentoring group.”

“Hayato I have better things to do than tutor some lazy kid.”

“It’s not tutoring! It’s mostly providing guidance to first year students.” Shinkai elaborated, taking a power bar out of his box and stuffing the rest of package into his bag. “You should sign up Yasutomo! I did it too.”

“Shinkai, you’d have to do a lot to convince me to sign up.”

“Sure.”

Arakita looked up at the redhead and cocked an eyebrow, earning himself a shrug from the other as he shoved the power bar in his mouth.

“I’d do a lot.” Shinkai responded nonchalantly, giving Arakita a look that made the hairs on his arm stand on end.

“Okay, fucking disgusting.” Yuuto commented, holding out their palm to get their brother to stop from continuing that topic of conversation.

“Yasutomo it would look good on your CV.” Shinkai continued, taking his laptop out of his bag. “They barely have any meetings and you only need to go to one training session –which they host multiple times throughout the year.”

Arakita crossed his arms as he considered Shinkai’s words. He really didn’t want to mentor some confused first year. It sounded troublesome and a waste of time; time he could be spending doing something else –like Shinkai.

“I’m doing this too, remember?”

Okay scratch that. Shinkai’s time would be occupied by someone else.

“You can sign me up, but I doubt I’ll do this.” Arakita warned the other only to have his words disregarded by the wave of a hand.

“Okay Yasutomo, would you prefer dealing with anyone, or students specifically in your program?”

“Program.” Arakita droned as he checked Yuuto’s answer. There was no way in hell he was going to deal with some communications design student talking about using mustard as paint when he could stick to a fellow engineer.

“Preferred gender?”

“What the fuck? Anything –is that seriously a question?”

Shinkai shrugged and clicked on the option appropriate to Arakita’s answer before scrolling down and clicking a few other options.

“Yuuto why did you use Earth’s gravity when the question fully states that they’re on Mars?” Arakita asked Yuuto, finally pinpointing the error in the other’s calculation.

“Why the fuck are they throwing bricks on Mars anyways?!” Yuuto exclaimed in irritation as they snatched their sheet out of Arakita’s hands to correct their answer.

“Yasutomo would you prefer helping through email or in person?” Shinkai asked, ignoring Yuuto’s outburst.

“Uhh.” Email was simpler because he wouldn’t have to physically go out of his way to meet someone, but the back and forth through emailing for a single question was not something Arakita was looking forward to. “In person.”

Shinkai continued filling in Arakita’s application form as Yuuto slowly worked through their homework problems, both Shinkais bombarding Arakita with questions throughout the afternoon. The three ended up having a late lunch together before Arakita rushed Shinkai out of his house, claiming that they’d both be late for classes if they delayed any longer. Shinkai hastily asked Yuuto to take care of his pets until Sunday, which the other simply took as punishment for being suspended from school for that time.

“Yasutomo I didn’t know you had a car.” Shinkai noted as Arakita threw his duffle bag onto the backseat.

“It’s actually my dad’s.” Arakita responded as he sat in the driver’s seat and pulled on his seatbelt. “I’m gonna drop you off and go return it.”

“Aww Yasutomo. Will I ever get to meet your family?” Shinkai whined as Arakita looked over his shoulder and pulled out of the driveway.

“God I hope not –for your own sake.” Arakita muttered as he drove down the empty road. “Though I’m guessing a meeting is inevitable since we’re together so much.”

“That’s true.” Shinkai agreed quietly.

Both went silent at that statement, and Arakita felt his heartbeat pulse rapidly against his ribs as he swallowed back his nervousness, wondering if the other had more to say. He snuck Shinkai a quick glance and exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Shinkai was resting his head on the car’s window and was gazing outside contently, a lazy smile plastered on his face as he regarded the outskirts of his neighbourhood. Arakita let himself smile too as he turned back to face the street, grateful for the comfortable silence. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the car that made Arakita’s chest swell with affection. Not once had he ever felt obligated to do a certain thing or act a certain way when he was with Shinkai, which was a luxury Arakita knew not to take for granted. Hayato was respectful of Arakita’s autonomy and the raven acknowledged that he would never feel any pressure from the other, for any reason.

Arakita relaxed his grip on the steering wheel and sat comfortably against his seat, pleased to know that there was no rush being with Hayato.

Chapter Text

“Just leave your bag by the door. You can unpack after your class.” Arakita said as he pulled into the front entrance of his building.

Shinkai hummed in affirmation as he pulled his duffle bag off the back seat of the car and over his and Arakita’s shoulders, inevitably hitting the raven in the head.

“Woops. Sorry Yasutomo.” Shinkai apologized, hastily leaving the car before the other could smack him upside the head for his clumsiness. “Tell your dad I say hi.”

“I’m not fucking doing that.” Arakita grumbled from where he sat.

Shinkai laughed good naturedly at the other’s irritable disposition and leaned forward through the open car door.

“I’ll see you tonight.” Shinkai promised, feeling his stomach flip at the small declaration.

Arakita nodded at the other, hand hovering over the gear stick impatiently. Shinkai stepped back and closed the door, standing a safe distance for the other to drive away. When Arakita’s car remained still, Shinkai pressed forward again, curious to see what was wrong. Arakita had pulled down the window and leaned forward, scowling at Shinkai.

“Did I forget something Yasutomo?” Shinkai asked as he stuck his head through the window, checking his seat to see if his phone had fallen out of his pocket.

“Yeah, dumbass.” Arakita muttered as he grabbed Shinkai by the collar and pulled him further into the car, leaving a sloppy kiss on the redhead’s lips.

Shinkai thoughts stuttered temporarily as his collar was released and his lips were freed from Arakita’s. He should have been used to kissing the raven by now, and yet for some reason his stomach did summersaults at the embarrassingly domestic action. Besides their drunken night at Machimiya’s party, the majority of their kissing happened in privacy or during brief moments in public when no one was around to bear witness to the act. Shinkai wondered briefly if they’d ever be this intimate in front of their friends, but then Arakita cleared his throat and Shinkai stopped his trail of thought to regard the raven haired individual in front of him.

“Oh.” Shinkai said at last, finding his voice with a bit of difficulty. “Right. How could I forget?”

Arakita scoffed and shook his head, scowling to hide what Shinkai had come to recognize was a growing smile. Again, Shinkai was caught feeling his chest swell and his lips quiver in affection. He contemplated saying “I love you” to the other, but he quickly decided against it. The kiss had been more than enough to display his feelings, hopefully; so instead the redhead merely waved goodbye to the other as he watched him pull out of the driveway. After a moment, Shinkai lugged his duffle bag awkwardly over his shoulder and backpack and sighed heavily as he headed into the building.

The lobby was surprisingly full of people, most of which were standing in pairs or small groups as they conversed about stuff Shinkai immediately considered ‘mom talk’. He did his best to look uninterested while waiting for the only functional elevator to descend from the very top level, but the slow moving lift gave him ample opportunity to eavesdrop on the closest conversation.

“They’re so loud. Sometimes it wakes the kids Satsuki! Last night the youngest cried thinking the two were fighting. I don’t know what to do. ”

“Have you tried talking to them? Young couples are always noisy but I’m sure they’d understand if you simply confronted them.”

“I’m not sure where the sounds are coming from, honestly.”

Shinkai felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead as the elevator finally reached the main floor.

“Call me next time it happens! Maybe I can track them down for you.” The lady Satsuki joked.

Shinkai pressed into the opening elevator and clicked on the close door button maniacally, praying that the two women weren’t talking about what he thought they were talking about. How could he have completely disregarded the thin walls that came with living in an apartment complex? Shinkai had lived in the university’s residence for a year and in the dorms of his high school for three. He of all people knew how uncomfortable hearing one’s neighbours getting it on could be.

I’ll have to tell Yasutomo about this. Shinkai mused as he unlocked the door and stepped into the empty flat. He really didn’t want to be dragged into talking to Arakita’s neighbours about the loud sex they were having. He’d die from embarrassment.

Shinkai sighed as he gazed into the eerily peaceful complex. This was a familiar sight to him, and he could now say that he had seen this place during all hours of the day. Shinkai placed his duffle bag by his feet as he looked down the small hall that opened into the kitchen. The rays of light from the late afternoon shone through the windows in a way that made the clean countertops shine and the wooden tiles glisten a fiery orange. Dust particles floated lazily in the pockets of light seeping into the kitchen, mesmerizing Shinkai with their intricate dancing. The redhead stood at the entrance of the apartment for minute, taking in the serene sight. He was going to officially live here for the next few days, but then what? Would Yasutomo extend the invitation for another week? A month?

A year?

Shinkai lifted his hand to his chest and clutched his t-shirt tightly, allowing himself to smile despite the constriction he felt around his heart. He felt sick and restless in a way that was not unpleasant –just unfamiliar.

Nobody had ever had such an effect on him the way Yasutomo did.

***

Shinkai entered the classroom with five minutes to spare, panting slightly as he scanned the room. He immediately spotted Fukutomi sitting at the very middle seat in the front row of the lecture hall, his laptop out and ready to take notes.

“Hey,” Shinkai greeted silently, sliding into the unoccupied seat beside his friend. “Sorry I missed class this morning.”

“What happened?” Fukutomi asked, ignoring his friend’s greeting and getting straight to the point.

Shinkai frowned as he pulled his own laptop out of his bag, placing it gently on the desk as he recalled the events that had taken place that morning.

“Yuuto got into a fight.” He disclosed at last, noting how his friend straighten in shock. “They had a black eye and everything.”

“Well fuck.”

Shinkai snapped his eyes away from his desk to look at his friend, shocked to hear the curse that had escaped Juichi’s lips. Fukutomi was frowning more than usual, his scrutinizing gaze penetrating the screen of his laptop in a way that indicated he was deep in thought. Shinkai knew his friend cared deeply for Yuuto. Although he was often awkward at carrying conversation with the younger Shinkai, the two of them had often gone on bike rides and casual races together –occasionally without even telling Shinkai.

Shinkai huffed at the memory of being left home to catch up on an essay he had neglected to do while Juichi and Yuuto rode off into the sunset. He was about to address the uncharacteristic swearing and obvious concern sprawled across Fukutomi’s face when his phone vibrated, drawing his attention away from the other.

“Did Yuuto mention what had initiated the fight?” Fukutomi asked a moment after collecting himself, unaware that Shinkai was too preoccupied with his phone to answer him.

Shinkai quickly typed out the name of his class, not wanting to ignore his friend’s attempt at carrying out a conversation. It had been a while since he had last spoken to Jinpachi. Toudou was quick to respond, asking if his class was in the stupidly hot building or the stupidly cold building, to which Shinkai let out a hearty chuckle.

“Stupidly… col…d.” Shinkai muttered to himself as he typed out the answer.

“Shinkai?”

“Huh? Oh right. Yeah I don’t really know. Yuuto doesn’t want to go into too much detail, but apparently some kid said something questionable that they didn’t approve of.”

Fukutomi grunted in response, apparently satisfied with his answer despite the deep crease of worry appearing between his furrowed eyebrows. Shinkai sighed knowingly, understanding exactly how the other felt.

“Both Yuuto and Yasutomo are convinced that things are fine, so who am I to disregard that?” Shinkai commented, earning himself a second grunt from Fukutomi. After a lapse in the conversation, Shinkai found himself looking down at his device again, wondering why Toudou hadn’t sent him an immediate response. It wasn’t like him to start a conversation when he knew he couldn’t continue it.

Wait a minute…

Didn’t Jinpachi already know that Shinkai was in class? His friend had been adamant on learning his and Fukutomi’s schedules so that he could avoid messaging them during their labs where they were prohibited from taking out their cell phones. Why was he suddenly texting him these questions? And around 6 AM in his own time zone too?

Hold on -texting?! Neither he nor Toudou had international texting. They usually used different phone apps to communicate.

But if that were the case –then…

Then…

Shinkai quickly swirled in his seat to face Fukutomi right as the door behind his friend slammed open revealing-

“SHINKAI!”

“JINPACHI?”

“FUKU!”

“T-Toudou?!” Fukutomi sputtered, whirling around to face the sudden outburst of noise behind him.

“Jinpachi!” A voice from behind Toudou exclaimed, followed by a hand slamming over Toudou’s mouth and inevitably pulling him back out of the classroom.

“That was Jinpachi right? That was definitely Jinpachi just now!” Shinkai stammered, feeling his entire being shake with shock and excitement. What the hell was his friend doing back in Japan!? Shinkai rose from his seat just as Fukutomi did the same. The classroom had burst into confused laughter and curious chatter just as the professor attempted to begin the lecture. Shinkai glanced at Fukutomi, and both silently agreed that there was no way they would to be able to concentrate during lecture when Toudou was a mere meters away from them. Both hastily put away their belongings right as their classmates calmed down and the lecture began, the two biology students sprinting towards the exit to chase after their loud friend.

Shinkai pushed past the door with fevered determination and proceeded to scan the building for his friend. Their classroom was in the basement of the building, but the space was excruciatingly open and inviting. Large staircases led to the main foyer, which loomed over the basement almost threateningly. Sunlight shined through glass handrails with wooden mounts, providing light to what should have been an otherwise dark and depressing area.

Shinkai scoured the spatial lobby while keeping his ears open for his friend, acknowledging that he’d efficiently detect Toudou through sound before sight.

“Over there.” Fukutomi noted, pointing to the opposite direction of where Shinkai was looking.

Shinkai glanced to his right and almost immediately spotted an individual with stunningly green hair and intricate red streaks standing in front of a whining Jinpachi. Toudou was down the hall, sitting on the floor a few rooms away from where Shinkai and Fukutomi were standing, his arms crossed and a pout ever present on his face as he looked up at a scowling Makishima, whose hands rested on his hips in contempt.

“Jinpachi!” Shinkai shrieked, laughing maniacally as he ran towards his friend and slid on his knees to embrace Toudou.

Toudou laughed as he opened his arms for Shinkai, letting the excited redhead tackle him further onto the floor.

“Jinpachi what are you doing here? You weren’t supposed to return home for another week!” Shinkai exclaimed, crawling off Toudou before he could suffocate his friend.

“We pulled some strings.” Toudou winked as he sat up and corrected his hair, unfazed that Shinkai had pounced on him like an excited dog reuniting with their long lost owner.

“You said the same thing when we asked you how you got a month off work in the first place.” Fukutomi muttered, finally catching up to Shinkai and the others.

Fukutomi proceeded to give Makishima a curt nod before turning back to his high school friend, offering the smallest of smiles to reciprocate Toudou’s beaming one.

“Don’t worry about it, Fuku. What’s important is that we’re here now!”

Shinkai smiled as Toudou laughed heartily. It was one thing to hear that laugh over the speakers, but it was another thing entirely to see the toothy grin that accompanied it. Man had he missed Jinpachi. Shinkai slowly stood up from where he had fallen, making sure to greet Makishima on his ascent.

“Hey Yuusuke-kun. It’s been a while.”

“It has.” Makishima responded, his frown instantly replaced with a smirk as he greeted Shinkai back. “Sorry about earlier. I told Toudou to wait until your break bu-”

“I couldn’t control myself!” Toudou hollered, laughing again despite Makishima rolling his eyes in disapproval.

Shinkai shook his head as he looked past his friends, regarding the duffle bags and luggage resting against the wall beside Makishima.

“Did you two come here straight from the airport?” Shinkai inquired, shocked that they had decided to surprise them with a visit instead of getting situated after such a long trip. “Aren’t you guys exhausted?”

“I’m dying.” Makishima admitted, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes to relieve some of the tension.

“Why didn’t you two go home first?” Fukutomi asked, shaking his head in wonder.

“Ahh well, truthfully Maki-chan made a little mistake with the tickets.” Toudou admitted, side glancing the other. “We apparently booked them a week earlier than we thought.”

Shinkai glanced over at Makishima, whose face turned from tired to neutral in the blink of an eye. Well that was strange. Was he hiding something?

“So our parents don’t know we’re back yet.” Toudou continued as he moved to sit on his luggage instead of the floor. “Maki-chan’s parents aren’t home and he doesn’t have the key.”

“Is your own home not an option?” Fukutomi asked.

“Apparently my sister brought her kids over and they’ve taken over for a week.” Toudou explained, sighing heavily as he rested his head against the wall behind him. “Plus, the ryokan is booked solid so we can’t even sneak in there unexpected. My mom actually forbade that type of behaviour years ago. She’d kill me if she caught us there.”

Tough.

“Exactly when did you figure out that you made a booking mistake?” Shinkai wondered, puzzled that neither had family capable of accommodating them. Even though they were a little early, surely there was room for the two somewhere.

“A few days ago.” Makishima informed them as he moved to sit on the luggage adjacent to Toudou. Toudou automatically shifted over so that he could comfortably rest his head on Makishima’s shoulder before speaking to the group again.

“Everyone was expecting us home a week from now, so nobody’s actually prepared to take us in.” Toudou sighed dramatically, the air escaping his lips making the flyaway strands flutter against his forehead. “All we need to do is find a place to stay at for the next seven days and then we’ll be set.”

“What are you two going to do?” Shinkai asked. He was seconds away from offering his own place when he promptly clamped his mouth shut. He couldn’t offer his home because he wasn’t going to be home for that week. He’d be with Yasutomo.

“Kinjou said he’d be fine with us staying over,” Makishima stated as he pushed his hair away from his face. “He said he just needed to print something quickly after his class and then we could leave.”

“So we decided to say hi while we waited!” Toudou added excitedly.

“When did he agree to that?” Fukutomi asked, immediately clearing his throat after asking his question.

“Maki-chan texted him the second we landed in Japan –so a few hours ago actually.”

“Oh.” Fukutomi croaked, and Shinkai immediately noticed the red tinting his friend’s cheeks.

“Actually, he should be finishing class around now.” Makishima noted, standing up a second after shrugging Toudou off his shoulder. “Do you guys wanna show us the way? Jinpachi says he knows this place well, but I don’t want to spend another 10 minutes lugging our stuff around.”

“That’s rude Maki-chan! I knew exactly where we were going!”

“Asking every other person where the “stupidly cold science building” is hardly counts as knowing where you’re going.”

“I could see the building in my head, okay?” Toudou argued, standing up and picking up a bag off the floor. “It’s not like I could ask Shinkai the actual name of the building without giving the surprise away!”

“That still doesn’t explain why you had to ask directions to get here.” Shinkai commented, earning himself a glare from Toudou and a choked out laugh from Makishima.

Without saying a word, Toudou shoved the bag into Shinkai’s gut and took purchase of the luggage he was previously sitting on.

“Just take us there.” He grumbled.

***

“Makishima!”

“Kinjou!”

Makishima hastily rushed to his friend the second he spotted him past the double doors, the tall boy throwing his duffle bag by his feet as he promptly embraced his friend. Everyone’s eyes were on Makishima. Shinkai understood the looks Toudou’s boyfriend was getting, with his mismatched clothes, lanky body and long, green hair; and yet he couldn’t help but appreciate how the other held himself. Makishima didn’t seem to care at all that every pair of eyes in the computer lab were on him. He nonchalantly caught up with Kinjou while Fukutomi, Shinkai and Toudou pulled in the rest of the luggage towards them, unaffected by the whispers and curious chatter that had erupted since his appearance in the lab.

“Are you ready to go?” Toudou asked Kinjou after everyone had gotten their polite greetings out of the way.

“I’m almost done. Give me five more minutes.”

“I’m stealing your chair.” Makishima claimed as he sat down on Kinjou’s seat. He pushed his friend’s papers to the side of the desk and rested his head in his arms, sighing contently at the new seating position.

“Maki-chan, if you get in his way he’ll only take longer finishing his work!”

“It’s fineeee.” Makishima droned, his voice muffled against one of his arms while the other waved away Toudou’s concerns.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind standing.” Kinjou reassured the other as he pulled the keyboard towards himself.

“What the fuck? Is the circus in town early this year?” A voice from behind them asked.

Everyone turned around to face Arakita, who was smirking playfully at his friends.

“What is that thing doing here?” Toudou asked with contempt, scrunching his nose in disgust as he regarded Arakita.

“Touudouuuuu!”Arakita suddenly hollered, making everyone within the vicinity jump. He reached out and pulled the terrified boy into a bear hug, disregarding the other’s verbal protests.

“Get off me Arakita!” Toudou screeched, the amusement in his voice giving away his disgruntled acting. “Why are you here?”

“What do you mean why am I here? I fucking live here.” Arakita laughed jovially as he squeezed Toudou tightly against him, ignoring the other’s frail attempt at wriggling free from his grip.

Around seven different individuals shushed Arakita for his boisterous laughter, four of which belonged to his own friends. Shinkai snickered at Yasutomo’s sudden scowl and scarlet face, an act which did not go unnoticed by the raven. There was no time to react as Arakita abruptly released Toudou to extend his arm out and pinch Shinkai roughly by the nose.

“I’m sorry, what’s so funny?” Arakita asked as he squeezed the cartilage between his thumb and index finger.

“Ow, ow, sorry Yasutomo!” Shinkai laughed, his forced nasally voice somewhat obstructing his apology.

“Just don’t let it happen again” Arakita muttered as he released his grip, and Shinkai could see the hints of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Shinkai smiled affectionately at Arakita until the raven bashfully turned around to face Makishima, the act not going unnoticed by Toudou. Shinkai blushed as he observed Arakita’s back silently, refusing to meet Jinpachi’s gaze. Crap. He had totally forgotten he had told him how he felt about Yasutomo. He never did get back to him on whether or not he confessed his feelings to his crush, and he sure as hell didn’t tell him about the marathon sex they had had over the past few days. Shinkai felt his heart pound and his palms grow warm at Toudou’s scrutinizing gaze, but still he ignored his friend as he watched Arakita somehow convince Makishima to stand up and return Kinjou’s seat.

I’ll deal with your questions later Jinpachi, I promise. For now he’d pretend nothing was happening between him and Yasutomo in order to save them from the bombardment of awkward questions most likely to come their way.

“How do you fuck up booking a plane ticket?!” Arakita yelled, snapping Shinkai away from his thoughts.

“Arakita, you’re being too loud.” Kinjou warned as he returned to his seat, hands never breaking contact from his keyboard as he continued to type.

“Don’t worry about it,” Makishima said unconvincingly as he regarded Arakita with a playful smirk. “What’s important is that we’re here now.”

“I’m a little worried!” Arakita guffawed as he clenched his stomach in pain. Yasutomo’s deafening laugh resonated through the lab, and this time Kinjou didn’t have a chance to ask the other to lower his voice before a girl sitting across from them sat up from her desk to give Arakita a dirty look.

“If you guys aren’t here to work, do you mind leaving?” She asked the group of friends surrounding Kinjou, visibly annoyed at their raucous conversation and Arakita’s intense laughter.

“Juichi?” Kinjou begged as he turned to face the blond standing behind him.

“Right, let’s go.” Fukutomi ordered as he picked up one of Toudou’s bag and directed everyone standing to leave the computer lab. “We’ll see you outside.”

“Thanks.” Kinjou sighed as he regarded the other.

Fukutomi smiled gently at Kinjou as he gave him a curt nod.

“Where are we going?” Arakita asked, breaking their silent exchange. Arakita had also picked up a duffle bag from Makishima’s feet and had lugged the strap over his shoulder as he demanded Fukutomi show him the way. Shinkai watched Fukutomi squeeze Kinjou’s shoulder reassuringly before guiding the noisy group out of the lab.

Shinkai noticed Toudou and Makishima exchanging questioning gazes, and both turned almost simultaneously to look at him expectantly. Shinkai immediately shrugged at the two. Hell no. There was no way he was going to be the one to tell Jinpachi about Juichi’s relationship with Kinjou. In fact, he wasn’t even sure there was a relationship to begin with. The two had left Shinkai with the impression that they were together, but neither had outright said anything to him about it. Fukutomi and Kinjou might have been in the same situation as him and Yasutomo, so Shinkai held his tongue at Jinpachi’s quizzical look, not wanting to disclose any false information.

Wait, what situation am I in with Yasutomo? Shinkai pondered as he grabbed the plastic handle of Toudou’s luggage and dragged it behind him, following Fukutomi and Arakita towards the exit of the lab. Shinkai let his gaze drift to the boy in question as he silently entered the dim hallway with Toudou and Makishima following close behind. Arakita was talking animatedly to Fukutomi, the nape of his neck observably flushed red behind the jet black strands of hair brushing his skin gingerly with every step. Shinkai knew the blush was from his earlier embarrassment of getting kicked out of the computer lab, and the redhead could do very little to fight the fluttering his chest did at the sight. Yasutomo was undeniably adorable when he was embarrassed.

The navy blue duffle bag Arakita was carrying bounced lightly against his thigh as he walked down the corridor, and Shinkai couldn’t help but notice how the consistent brushing against his leg had caused the hem of his shorts to ride up and expose more skin. Skin Shinkai had already mapped out with his eyes, memorized with his hands, and explored with his mouth. Shinkai licked his lips before clamping his jaw shut, feeling the muscles in his legs twitch in pseudo anticipation. He needed to calm down before he inevitably jumped Yasutomo in front of everybody.

Shinkai looked at Arakita with yearning. He wanted to be closer to him. He wanted to kiss him whenever he wanted, confess his love to the other without hesitation and proudly call the other his… his-.

Shinkai closed his eyes in frustration. He failed to fight back the heat rising from the base of his chest to the tips of his ears as he contemplated the rest of his inner monologue. The flush had crawled up slowly to his face and seared through his cheeks in a way that made him feel like he was on fire. He needed to talk to Yasutomo about them –about being-”

“…boyfriends?”

“What?!” Shinkai jumped at Toudou’s voice. How did he know?! Was he talking out loud just now? Oh god what if Yasutomo heard everything and was continuing to talk to Juichi because he didn’t feel the same way? What if-

“I said are they boyfriends? Fuku and Kinjou?” Toudou asked, his voice quiet as he scrutinized Fukutomi’s back.

Shinkai waited a moment for his heart to restart before answering Toudou’s question with a shrug. Fuck, had that scared him.

“I don’t know Jinpachi. He’s never said anything to me about it.”

Toudou hummed loudly as they exited the dim vestibule and headed towards the bike racks. Although they were in their last few days of June, the summer air was surprisingly chilly and Shinkai found himself hunching over from the cold. The redhead instinctively moved to stand beside Arakita by their bikes as they proceeded to wait for Kinjou, aware that he needed to put enough distance between them as not to raise suspicion. Luckily for him, Toudou was too preoccupied with Fukutomi’s love life to bother asking Shinkai about his own.

“Okay Fuku, spill.” Toudou demanded as he moved to stand in front of his friend. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“You know! That!”

“What the fuck is headband freak going on about?” Arakita muttered to Shinkai, leaning in closer to the other as he did so.

Shinkai shrugged for what felt like the thirtieth time that day, knowing there was no point answering the other when Jinpachi would make himself clear soon enough. His shoulder brushed against Yasutomo’s as he watched Juichi intently, wondering how long his friend would play dumb before caving in. Shinkai was partly aware that he had shifted much closer to Yasutomo than he had initially intended to, but the other’s arm was warm and inviting and it was difficult to find the resolve to move away.

“Are you seeing Kinjou?” Toudou asked, playing along with Fukutomi’s false naivety.

“I see him all the time. So does Shinkai and Arak-”

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!”

“Alright Jinpachi,” Makishima snorted as he pulled the other towards him by the arm. “If he doesn’t want to say, then don’t force him.”

Toudou sighed heavily as he leaned into the other, whining about something only Makishima could hear. A second later, the green haired boy leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on Toudou’s nose, making Shinkai turn away at the unexpected intimacy.

Shinkai was jealous.

He knew the sensation the second it hit him. His stomach churned and his face heated up in a brief flare of anger and shame as he observed Makishima wrap his arms around Toudou from the corner of his eye.

Why was he having such a hard time relaying his feelings to Yasutomo? Shinkai folded his arms against the chill that threatened to make his teeth chatter as he mulled over his question. Yasutomo obviously felt the same way about him, and yet their lack of verbal communication had created a barrier between them that seemed more and more difficult to break the longer they kept up the charade. Where they were intimate in private, they were constantly preventing themselves from being seen by their friends in public.

I don’t want that. Shinkai realized as he peeked a glance at Arakita. The engineer was idly scrolling through his phone to pass the time, remaining silent as Toudou started talking about their travels. Shinkai noted that though Yasutomo didn’t move away from their pressed arms, he didn’t move closer either.

He’s being respectful. Shinkai concluded as he shifted closer experimentally. Arakita raised an eyebrow as he turned to face Shinkai, but he still didn’t move from his spot.

“What’s up?” Arakita asked faintly as not to interrupt Toudou’s airport story.

“Uhh…”

Shinkai had no idea what to say. He just wanted to see if Yasutomo would make a move to kiss him if he closed the distance between them. Shinkai held his breath as he met Arakita’s steady gaze. Yasutomo’s narrow eyes looked soft in the sunlight shining low over the horizon, and yet his dark pupils held a fierceness in them that presented Shinkai with what he recognized was a challenge. The raven wasn’t going to budge; not until Shinkai was clear with his feelings.

“Are you cold?” Arakita asked after a few seconds of silence lapsed between them.

Shinkai internally deflated as he nodded his head. What was he doing testing Yasutomo like that? The other was obviously keeping his distance because Shinkai had fled in the past. The redhead had been irregularly bashful with Yasutomo when they were caught intimate in public.

No wonder he’s being so careful.

Shinkai would be too if he were in the other’s position.

“Wanna wait inside until Kin-chan’s done?”

Shinkai shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Arakita had begun rubbing his back for warmth despite it being his exposed arms that needed the attention. Now that Shinkai was aware of their situation however, it was easy to see why Yasutomo chose to rub his back. It was merely out of sight from the others. Despite knowing this, the pointless act made Shinkai burst into laughter.

“Yasutomo, you’re useless.” Shinkai chortled right as Kinjou emerged from the building. You’re hopeless.

“Okay, let’s go.” The bespectacled boy breathed as he walked towards the group.

“Can we get a taxi?” Toudou requested once everyone had picked up a bag or taken purchase of a luggage handle.

“It’s only a few minutes away Toudou.” Fukutomi reassured him as they began walking down the wide campus sidewalk.

“And you know this becauseee?”

“Kin-chan can we come over too?” Arakita interrupted, saving Fukutomi from further interrogation.

“Yeah, whatever.” Kinjou sighed, and Shinkai felt a pang of guilt for intruding unexpectedly. Their friend had already agreed to sacrifice his space and comfort to accommodate for two people over the span of a week. The last thing he needed right now was a bigger crowd adding to the chaos.

“Shingo-kun let me buy you some booze.” Shinkai proposed, wanting to help relieve the tension he sensed in the other.

“Yeah Kinjou, you should be celebrating our arrival. Leave the moping to me.” Makishima joked as he elbowed his old friend. Kinjou laughed at that and nodded, ultimately giving in to promise of alcohol.

“I could use a cold beer.” He mused as he led their small group of friends towards the crowded downtown area.

Shinkai and Arakita hastily entered the beer store and bought three 6 packs between them while everyone else waited outside. Shinkai assumed the amount they bought was a little too much given how Makishima was on the verge of passing out and Toudou didn’t particularly like beer, but he supposed Kinjou would need the remaining drinks for the rest of that week.

Once the two returned to their friends, the group of six headed towards Kinjou’s apartment complex; the ten minute walk feeling a bit longer because of Toudou’s occasional complaints. Shinkai sighed when they finally entered their friend’s flat and bellowed a synchronized pardon for the intrusion. He rested the luggage he had been pulling behind him by the side of the entrance before stepping out of his shoes and making way further into the apartment so that the others to do the same. Kinjou instructed they take the beer straight to the living room while he moved the luggage away from the front door, as not to be a safety hazard.

Shinkai barely had the mind to look around the little apartment. It was small but humble in comparison to Yasutomo’s. The front door led straight to the kitchen, and the living room was a mere 10 steps further in. A hallway to the left of the kitchen contained three doors belonging to a single bedroom, a bathroom and what Shinkai assumed was a storage closet.

The place was tidy but surprisingly full of stuff, namely electronics from Kinjou’s workplace. Shinkai followed Makishima into the living room and sat on the floor by the couch, which had been hastily occupied by the green haired boy. Shinkai had expected Toudou to scold the other for lying down on the sofa and taking up room, but his friend merely sat on the floor in front of Makishima and leaned his head back for the other to pet. Again, Shinkai turned away from the couple and busied himself by taking the beer out of the bag and placing it on the round table in front of him.

Arakita joined them seconds later with a knife in his hand, the engineer automatically reaching out for the beer and cutting open the plastic surrounding the cans. He handed a can to Shinkai, who passed it down to Toudou.

“I’m sorry liver.” Toudou muttered quietly as he opened the can with a satisfying hiss.

“Jinpachi you must be pretty tired.” Shinkai commented as he accepted another can from Arakita. “Usually you’d put up more of a fight for this kind of thing.”

“Shinkai, I’m a completely different person since you’ve last seen me. I’ve mellowed out.”

“Hah! I know bullshit when I hear it!” Arakita barked as he passed a can to Fukutomi, who had recently joined them on the floor of the living room.

“Then maybe you should stop talking so much!” Toudou retaliated as he pointed a finger at Arakita.

“You do say a lot of b.s. Arakita.” Kinjou commented as he too joined his friends.

“Hey, I’m not nearly as bad as Miya.” Arakita commented as he pushed the remaining beer towards Kinjou’s side of the table.

“Who?”

“Machimiya Eikichi,” Kinjou elaborated as he opened his can and took a swig. “The loud redhead I’ve told Makishima about.”

Everyone turned to face the boy lying on the couch, expecting him to add to the conversation. Instead, the five university students were welcomed to the site of Makishima snoring softly on the couch with an arm resting over his face to shield his eyes from the bright room. Toudou smiled fondly as he turned back to face the group.

“He had trouble sleeping on the plane.” He explained after taking a sip of his beer. “Hey Arakita, is Machimiya the one who essentially got you stabbed?”

“How do you know that?” Arakita emphasized as he leaned towards Toudou’s general direction.

“I hear things.” Toudou said simply, waving his hand for Arakita to sit back.

“Ekichi-kun got you stabbed?” Shinkai asked, sounding concern.

“No, God! Toudou’s just making shit up.” Arakita countered, ignoring Toudou’s bitter huff as he turned to face Shinkai. “Remember that party I told you about? The guy was being an angry drunk and people caught him wielding a knife. They called the cops but Miya tried to kick him out instead of waiting. I came in to break up the fight and that’s when I got slashed.”

“So Machimiya is the one who essentially got you stabbed.” Toudou repeated, sounding unamused.

“Kin-chan, you were there! Tell Toudou what happened.”

“I think I left that party early.” Kinjou muttered, scratching his cheek with his index finger as he recalled the night.

“No you didn’t! You left early for last year’s Halloween party, but not for the one in our first year.”

Shinkai hummed at that new piece of information. He and Juichi had also gone to a Halloween party in their first year of university. Shinkai had gotten rather wasted and ended up leaving early with his hook up, essentially leaving Fukutomi alone with a bunch of strangers.

I never did ask Juichi what happened after I left. Shinkai recalled as his friends started arguing about the events of the party. Shinkai recollected how Fukutomi had gone peculiarly quiet the week after, but he had assumed it was simply because he was upset that he had left him to fend for himself.

“You were there when the cops showed up! How could you forget?”

“Cops?! Okay this I didn’t know.” Toudou hollered, initiating another round of argument between himself and Arakita.

Shinkai partly wondered if the party he and Juichi had gone to was the same party Yasutomo was talking about. The redhead felt his stomach twist and form knots at the thought. If it was the same party, then he had blithely left with some rando while the person he actually liked was getting his hip cut open.

“I wasn’t in the room where the fight happened, Arakita.” Kinjou said through gritted teeth.

“Ohhh?” Toudou hummed obnoxiously, shuffling forward to sit between Shinkai and Fukutomi as he rested his beer on the table. “Why does this story sound familiar?”

Arakita looked confused, but Shinkai immediately noticed Fukutomi’s rigid posture hinting that he knew something they didn’t.

“How could this possibly sound familiar to you? You weren’t even in the country when it happened!” Arakita barked, slamming his palm on the table to demonstrate his irritation.

“Fuku told me about it!”

Everyone immediately turned to the blond except for Kinjou, who decided that his beer was a far more interesting sight to behold.

“Fuku-chan you were at that party?”

“No? Maybe?”

“Are you asking or telling?” Toudou teased.

“Jinpachi what’s this all about?” Shinkai asked curiously, wondering what Toudou was after.

“Fuku told me all about that party because it was very memorable to him.” Toudou confessed, shaking his head in wonder. Suddenly, he leaned in closer to his stone-faced friend, a devilish grin plastered across his face. “Hey Fuku, was Kinjou that guy?”

“Toudou! What the fuck are you talking about?!” Arakita demanded.

“Toudou, not another word!” Fukutomi demanded. Although his tone was serious, his face gave away to the embarrassment he felt at his friend’s claims.

“Fuku told me that a fight had broken out at the first university party he had attended.” Toudou continued, ignoring his friend’s warning. “Not that he knew about it until after it had happened… You guys were probably at the same party!”

“And what does this have to do with Kin-chan?”

“I can’t say anymore.” Toudou laughed, biting his lip a second later and shaking his head.

Shinkai blinked, observing the two friend’s currently under the spotlight. Fukutomi’s face had become beet red and Kinjou might as well have been making out with his beer with how close he was scrutinizing the words written across the can.

“Oh god you two have met before!” Shinkai exclaimed, connecting the dots. “Yasutomo, they’ve known each other before we even met!”

“That explains why you two were always so buddy-buddy in the comp lab.” Arakita mused out loud, crossing his arms and nodding as he glanced at Kinjou.

“And buddy-buddy at Eikichi-kun’s party.”

“And buddy-buddy after the power outage…”

Shinkai glanced at Arakita, who turned to him at the same time.

“Shingo-kun was at the party but he wasn’t in the same room as the fight…”

“And Fuku-chan didn’t know about the fight until after it had happened, which means that he wasn’t in the same room either…”

“Oh my God, they fucked! It’s so obvious.” A voice from behind them said.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Makishima, who had spun on the couch to lie on his side. He was frowning in disappointment at everyone seated in front of him, clicking his tongue as if he had caught them saying something really stupid.

“Are you guys boyfriends or not? Jinpachi won’t let the topic rest until you two answer him.” Makishima added.

“Define boyfriends,” Kinjou croaked. He had removed his glasses and placed them gingerly on the table, and Shinkai briefly wondered if it was so that he could avoid seeing everyone’s expressions clearly.

“Do you two see each other on and off campus a lot?” Toudou asked, beaming at how Makishima had inevitably turned the conversation towards the direction he had wished for it to go.

Fukutomi nodded, as did Kinjou; neither uttering a sound as they answered Toudou’s question.

“Do you two kiss each other, among other things?” Toudou inquired, his voice rising an octave as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“They’ve kissed! We’ve seen them!” Arakita blurted as he grabbed for a second can of beer. “And according to Makishima, they’ve done other things too.”

“Great! Now have you two confessed your undying love towards each oth-”

Toudou’s teasing was cut short by Makishima, who had smacked the back of the other’s head to get him to shut up.

“We’ve said… things.” Kinjou admitted, his scarlet face now matching Fukutomi’s.

“Did those things involve the word ‘boyfriend’?” Toudou sighed as he handed his beer to the now sitting Makishima.

“No.” Fukutomi confessed as he brought his hand up to his mouth; the blond now biting his thumb nail nervously as he glanced over at Kinjou.

For once in his life, Shinkai was shocked to realize that he had no idea what his friend was thinking. He looked over at Arakita, but the raven was too engrossed in the events unfolding in front of him to notice the pair of heavily lidded eyes on him. His cheeks were tinged a reddish pink, and his eyes lazily surveyed the two seated in front of him as he casually sipped his beer. Shinkai knew for a fact that a beer and a half wasn’t enough to make the other flush, and he couldn’t help but wonder if the blood rushing up Yasutomo’s face was because he was thinking about them.

“Well, you two should talk about it.” Toudou commanded.

“Later.” Kinjou promised, but Toudou was already shaking his head.

“Fuku.” Toudou said expectantly.

“Fuku-chan! Ask him!”

“Don’t talk like I’m not here Arakita!” Kinjou complained, but Shinkai knew Kinjou was beyond help with the way he was beginning to melt into the table.

Kinjou buried his face in his arms in an attempt to disregard the five other pair of eyes looking at him, unable to disguise the scarlet tinge residing on his ears and the back of his neck. Shinkai tensed as Juichi rested the palm of his hand gently on the small of Kinjou’s back. When the other didn’t move, Fukutomi leaned in closer until he was resting his cheek on Kinjou’s arm, attempting to look into the abyss that held the other’s face.

“Shingo?”

Kinjou turned his head slightly to peek at Fukutomi, who had closed any remaining distance there might have been between them. Shinkai clutched Arakita’s arm desperately, fighting back the urge to yell at his friend to hurry it up.

“Be my boyfriend?” Fukutomi asked softly, his voice barely audible despite the silence that had encompassed the room.

Shinkai held his breath as his grip tightened around Arakita’s arm. Toudou was beaming and even Makishima sported a toothy grin at the scene unfolding in front of him.

Kinjou nodded ever so slightly at Fukutomi’s request, his discrete ‘yes’ to the other all the confirmation his friends needed to celebrate. Shinkai and Arakita let out a whoop of joy and Toudou bounced in place, screaming “Finally!” at the two in front of him. Shinkai watched as Juichi pecked the other’s lips in amusement and delight. His childhood friend smiled warmly at his boyfriend despite Kinjou tuning back to bury his face in his arms once more. Shinkai observed the other in awe. He had never seen Juichi smile like that. Did verbally calling someone your boyfriend have that strong of an effect on the relationship? Surely nothing had changed between the two except their titles.

And yet…

And yet the air between them was different. A few seconds ago, the two were sitting a respectable distance apart, unable to make eye contact for anything longer than a few brief seconds. Now, the two were practically glued to each other. Fukutomi was resting his chin heavily on Kinjou’s shoulder as he rubbed the other’s back gently, trying to goad him out of hiding. Despite Toudou filling the silence with another story, Fukutomi and Kinjou were in their own little world, silently conversing with gentle touches and unwavering gazes.

It was at that moment that Shinkai realized how he desperately needed to tell Arakita how he felt. Once they were done with their friends and heading back home, Shinkai would do exactly what Juichi did mere moments ago and ask Yasutomo to be his boyfriend.

“Ahh, by the way Arakita. Do you mind if we stay with you instead?”

“What?”

“What?” Shinkai repeated, shocked at Jinpachi’s request.

“Well now that we know Fuku and Kinjou are boyfriends, we can’t just intrude on their privacy!”

“It’s fine Toudou. You make it sound like we’re automatically living together now that we’re… ah –together.” Kinjou noted from where he sat, the blush once again creeping up his face.

“Toudou, I still have a home to go to.” Fukutomi noted, regarding his friend’s confident smile with practiced skepticism.

“Yeah but are you really going home tonight?” Toudou mused, as he moved to stand up. “From how you reacted earlier today, I’m guessing your shock from finding out we were staying with Kinjou was because you were already living here.”

“I’m not- where are you going?” Fukutomi sputtered as Toudou slowly walked past him.

“To Kinjou’s room. If I find your clothes then I know th-”

Toudou was cut off by Fukutomi grabbing his friend’s leg and pulling him back towards the round table. Toudou hopped and teetered as he tried to keep his balance, but his exhaustion eventually led to his demise as he landed on the carpeted floor with a dull thud and a loud “oof!”

“Show a little more respect to your host, Toudou.”

“I am! By giving him the privacy he deserves!” Toudou countered as he faced Arakita. “Just seven days Arakita! I’ll pay for all the groceries.”

Arakita glared at Toudou, silently contesting the other’s pleads. Not once did his gaze shift to Shinkai’s, which the redhead realized was smart in retrospect. If the engineer were to even glance in Shinkai’s general direction, then Toudou would pick up on it and intervene with their relationship similarly to how had done with Fukutomi and Kinjou’s mere moments ago.

“If you have the money for groceries, why don’t you just book a hotel instead?” Arakita retorted, crossing his arms as Toudou laughed bitterly.

“I don’t have that much money, Arakita.” Toudou claimed. “And neither does Maki-chan. We’re both university students too you know.”

Shinkai bit his lower lip at Jinpachi’s defiance. His friend was making all the right arguments, and even Juichi had stopped trying to argue with him.

“You won’t even notice us! You’ll be at school all week and we’ll try to step out as much as we can too. We just need a roof over our heads until next Thursday!” Toudou continued.

Time seemed to stop for Shinkai as Arakita’s scowl broke into an exasperate sigh.

“Fine. But you have to wait outside for a few minutes so I can clean up.”

“Arakita a little mess won’t bother u-”

“That’s my one request or I’m not letting your ass in at all.”

“Just do as he says Jinpachi.” Makishima directed as he stood up from where he sat. “I need to sleep.”

“Babe, its 4 PM,” Toudou commented as he stared up at the other, but Makishima simply laughed as he headed towards their abandoned luggage.

“I guess we’re going now?” Toudou asked Arakita, both of which moved to stand up.

“Yeah, yeah. Go put your fucking shoes on.” Arakita drawled as he observed Shinkai, who had also chosen to stand from where he sat.

“Yasutomo my stuff.” Shinkai hissed as both slowly made their way towards the door.

“I’ll hide it, don’t worry.” Arakita started, but he stopped when he noted Shinkai’s expression. “You can still come over Hayato. I don’t care either way.”

Shinkai frowned at his offer. He didn’t want Jinpachi finding out. He wanted to talk to Yasutomo on his own terms, but that wouldn’t happen if he agreed to sleep over. Toudou was sharp despite what others might have thought, and his friend would undoubtedly get involved regardless of Shinkai’s protests.

“I’ll pass Yasutomo.” He said quietly as he stepped into his shoes. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

Arakita looked like he wanted to protest Shinkai’s words, but he haltingly clamped his jaw shut as their friends started crowding the front entrance.

“I called a cab.” Toudou informed them as he dragged his luggage towards the door. “It should be here soon.”

Shinkai’s friend proceeded to thank Kinjou for his hospitality and apologized for his rudeness, to which Kinjou brushed off with a wave of his hand.

“Thanks for coming by,” Kinjou smiled as he nodded toward both him and Makishima. “And for, you know.”

As if to complete his sentence, Fukutomi snuck up behind Kinjou and wrapped his arms around his waist. Nobody had time to react as Fukutomi proceeded to lift Kinjou off the ground and carry him away from the others.

“J-Juichi! At least wait until they’re gone.” Kinjou stammered while bicycle kicking the air pathetically.

“See you tomorrow.” Fukutomi said to the group before disappearing into the hall with his boyfriend in tow.

Shinkai gazed down the empty hallway in shock, unable to contain his growing smile.

“Juichi seems really happy.” He marveled as the group of four began leaving the apartment. The three boys hummed in agreement as they made their way down to the lobby, everyone too deep in their own thoughts to continue the conversation.

Shinkai ended up waiting for Jinpachi’s taxi to arrive in silence, feeling his thoughts crawl back to embrace the sadness he had felt finding out he wouldn’t be going home with Yasutomo. Although he was aware that they could see each other during their breaks and after school, he still felt disappointed in himself for wasting such precious alone time –alone time he could have used to talk to the other about where they stood.

“It’s here!” Toudou claimed, standing up from the lobby couch to point at the approaching cab.

Toudou immediately turned to Shinkai, grinning cheekily at his friend.

“You should come over tomorrow! We can have dinner and catch up.” Toudou chatted excitedly as Makishima began loading their possessions into the trunk of the cab.

“Toudou don’t go inviting others into my house without my permission!” Arakita argued, already sounding exhausted by the other’s presence.

“Its fine isn’t it? It’s just Shinkai.” Toudou argued back, his glare challenging Arakita’s.

Arakita gritted his teeth in defiance, but Toudou’s piercing gaze eventually won over the other. Arakita turned to look at Shinkai as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“You can come over to visit Toudou whenever you want.” Arakita mumbled to the other.

Shinkai nodded but remained silent, wondering what the other was thinking. Just then, the cab driver honked his horn, getting everyone’s attention.

“See you soon Shinkai!” Toudou exclaimed, waving frantically at his friend.

Shinkai waved half-heartedly at the group and waited until their taxi drove away from the vicinity before he started making his way home. Shinkai knew he was sulking, but he felt incredibly empty and abandoned as he walked towards the nearest train station. It wasn’t until his phone had vibrated in his pocket that he snapped out of his depressing thoughts. He took the device out of his pocket to see that he had received a text from Yasutomo. Shinkai’s heart hammered against his ribs as he read the message. He proceeded to inspect the text three times over, making sure he wasn’t misunderstanding the characters scrawled across his screen. Yasutomo had promised that they would get their weekend together, just a week later than planned.

He still wants me to come over!

Shinkai grinned at his phone as he typed a reply. He would see Yasutomo in due time. For now he would sit tight, concentrate on his studies and plan what he would say to the other when they were alone once again. Shinkai gripped his phone tightly in determination as he sent Arakita the obnoxious winking emoji he hated so much. In one week’s time, he’d be calling Yasutomo his boyfriend.

Chapter Text

“Fucking Toudou.” Arakita grumbled as he ran into his bedroom and surveyed the mess. All of the things to have happen to him, of all the people to come in out of nowhere, it just had to be fucking Toudou. Not that Arakita didn’t like Toudou, he just didn’t like the fact that Toudou had gotten in the way of him being alone Shinkai –even if it was unintentionally.

Arakita huffed in aggravation as he ripped his dirty bed sheets off the mattress and chucked them into the overflowing hamper. He had forced Toudou and Makishima to wait outside while he “made the place hospitable” for his two guests, when in reality he was just hiding any traces of Shinkai from his bedroom. Arakita wasn’t sure how much Toudou knew, but from the respectable distance Shinkai had suddenly put between them, he assumed it wasn’t much and that Shinkai wanted to keep it that way. Arakita held back on light touches and knowing glances with Shinkai in Toudou’s presence, worried that the ever observant stylist would catch him in the act and make the redhead uncomfortable.

“For fuck’s sake!” Arakita hissed in mild disgust as he flicked a used condom that had been resting on the edge of his garbage can into the bin. They needed to be at least a bit more discrete with this shit if they wanted the week to go by smoothly. Toudou had barely seen Fukutomi and Kinjou for an hour before he called them out on their relationship; if he so much as stepped into Arakita’s bedroom and noticed something off, then it would be game over for them.

Arakita hastily body slammed his laundry pile into the basket in an attempt to reduce the surface area it was taking up. He’d have to do laundry later, but for now, the less Toudou saw the better. Although he knew Makishima would gratefully pass out on his couch or on the floor of the living room, Toudou would most likely demand a bath, which meant that he would see the condition (and smell) of his bedroom. Arakita ran into his bathroom and did a quick survey to see if there were any extra clothes lying around that didn’t belong to him. After picking up a towel off the tiled floor and throwing it into the overflowing hamper, he hastily replaced his bed sheets with clean covers. Satisfied that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, he sprayed his room with air freshener before hastily jogging to his flat’s entrance and opening the front door.

“My, my, are we finally given permission to enter your humble abode?”

“Get your ass in here.” Arakita grumbled as he stepped aside for Toudou and Makishima, surprised at the small sensation of delight building in the pit of his stomach. After the initial shock of both his friends showing up out of nowhere and asking for a place to sleep for the next seven days, Arakita realized that he was actually pretty happy to see them both.

“Sorryforintrudin’.” Makishima muttered incoherently as he dragged his luggage into the apartment.

“You can leave everything by the door for now.” Arakita told the two as he grabbed their bags and carried them through the door. Arakita waited for Toudou to line their luggage by the wall before he threw the bags on top of the red sports bag already resting discretely behind the door. Toudou hesitated by the bags for a second, and for a moment Arakita feared that they had accidentally left something at Kinjou’s and would need to go back, but then he moved away from the pile to look over at Makishima.

“Goodnight.” Makishima said as he took off his shoes and made his way down the small hall.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Toudou called after him as he took off his shoes as well, his eyebrows knit with concern. “Maki-chan, if you sleep now you’ll wake up in the middle of the night you know! Plus, you skipped breakfast and had such a small lunch, I…”

Toudou’s voice trailed off as Makishima approached him once more.

“Goodnight.” He said softly as he pecked the other on the cheek.

Toudou gave him a look that Arakita couldn’t distinguish but understood was something that Makishima knew well. The two silently exchanged glances that were unknown to the raven, and then Makishima was off again, heading towards his living room to sleep.

“There’s a blanket on the couch, but I’ll get him a comforter later.” Arakita said as he locked his door and pulled out some slippers from behind the shoe rack for Toudou.

The other gratefully nodded as he gingerly stepped into the slippers and followed Arakita into his kitchen.

“Aren’t you tired too?”

“I am, but I don’t want to ruin my sleep schedule.”

Arakita hummed as he raided his fridge for a bottle of Bepsi and some food. From what he remembered, Toudou was not so much picky with his food as he was overly conscious of the unhealthy components attributed to each dish.

“Okay, what do you wanna eat Toudou? I’m all out of carrots, by the way.” Arakita commented as his eyes scanned his pathetically empty refrigerator. “So you’re gonna have to find something else to chew on.”

“I’m not a rabbit!” Toudou snapped as he shouldered the other aside to glance into the empty space. “Arakita are you eating at all?! The fridge is completely deserted!”

“I can make you some eggs.” The raven commented, deciding to ignore Toudou’s claims as he reached out for the carton of eggs Kouji had left in his fridge. “I make a mean omelette Toudou.”

The other glared at the carton in Arakita’s hands before huffing in defeat and muttering a small “sure”, obviously too exhausted and hungry to argue. Arakita quickly got to work making their omelettes, throwing in whatever vegetables that hadn’t gone bad in his fridge into the mix with Toudou’s approval. Arakita ate silently as Toudou caught him up on their day, and he slowly emptied his second bottle of Bepsi when Toudou started rambling on about school in London and how different the culture was overseas. It had taken Arakita all of his self-control not to pull out his phone and text Shinkai any more than he already had. The redhead had looked quite dejected when he realized their plans had changed, so Arakita let him know that their time together would just be postponed, not canceled. That in itself had been a risky text for the raven, considering the entire reason why he had had Shinkai agree to stay with him over the weekend was to help him avoid any potential interactions with his ex. Since Toudou was now with him –which was an even bigger force to be reckoned with when it came to Riko than Shinkai, there was technically no reason for the other to come over.

And yet.

Arakita grasped his Bepsi bottle tightly. And yet Shinkai had agreed to see him soon.

“What’s with that face? You look like you ate something really sour just now.”

“I’m gonna get Makishima that comforter before I forget.” Arakita snapped as he sat up from where he was seated to make his way to his bedroom.

Toudou rushed to follow Arakita as he started rummaging through his belongings for thicker blanket. Arakita held his breath as he felt the other silently inspecting his room, praying that he had concealed everything needed to be hidden out of the other’s sight.

“Do you want a futon or do you want to sleep with Makishima?” Arakita asked as he handed the comforter over to Toudou.

“I’ll take the futon.”

“Right,” Arakita said as he looked around his room, wondering where Natsuki had put the futon since last using it. He wouldn’t have minded sharing his bed with his sisters had not if been for Emi kicking and Natsuki possessing elbows sharper than his own. For everyone’s safety, the three Arakita’s had agreed that sleepovers meant the sisters would use the futon without complaints. “Go get that to your boyfriend while I find where the fuck the futon is.”

“Hey, are you alright?” Toudou asked quietly.

Genuinely surprised with the question, Arakita spun around to face Toudou’s look of concern.

“The fuck? I’m fine.”

“Okay, new question. Is Shinkai alright?”

Arakita’s jaw dropped, but he snapped it shut immediately. There was no way Toudou knew their situation just by looking at him, right?

“It’s just that he looked rather gloomy going home. Plus it’s around exam time for you guys and from what I remember, he always had the tendency to get overwhelmed during these stressful periods.”

“Shinkai’s not a child Toudou. From what I can tell he’s doing fine.” Arakita asserted as he dragged the futon out of its hiding spot. “Besides, you’ve been friends with him longer right? Why don’t you just ask him yourself?”

Arakita cursed himself for sounding much more hostile than he intended to. In his panicked attempt at sounding less acquainted with Shinkai, he had made it seem as if he didn’t care about the other. If Toudou noticed his aggravation, however, he didn’t say anything. The headband wearing man simply hummed in thought as he left the bedroom. Arakita rolled his eyes and followed him into the living room while grasping the futon tightly.

Arakita threw the futon on the carpeted floor and moved the small coffee table quietly aside as not to wake the sleeping Makishima. The green-haired boy was squeezed comfortably into the couch cushions with his back facing the room, his short, even breaths loud in contrast to the other two’s silence. Toudou gently placed the comforter over him, and without saying a word, helped Arakita lay out the futon on the floor beside the couch.

When Toudou’s sleeping quarters were set, the two headed back into Arakita’s bedroom to speak without fear of waking Makishima.

“You know Toudou, I’m surprised you didn’t make him sleep on the futon.” Arakita noted as he spun his desk’s chair around to face the other, who decided to sit cross legged on his bed.

“Why is that surprising?”

“I just assumed you two would want to sleep beside each other.” And cuddle.

When Toudou raised an eyebrow in confusion, Arakita was taken aback. Was he speaking to the right Toudou? The Toudou who suddenly appeared out of nowhere through a few mutual friends asking to get a ride to the airport just to be with his precious Maki-chan? The Toudou who opened Arakita’s eyes to his disastrous love life and demanded he take better care of himself? The Toudou who messaged him on occasion asking how he was doing in school, and wondering if he had pursued someone he actually liked?

“Don’t give me that look! You’re the one who was all lovey-dovey with Makishima before you even acknowledged the fact!” Arakita hissed when Toudou didn’t answer.

Toudou’s cheeks turned a remarkable shade darker, but he smiled at Arakita while shaking his head.

“When you’re with someone for as long as we’ve been together, you learn that you don’t always need to be together.”

“What the fuck is this responsible, adult-like answer I’m hearing from you?”

“Shut up! I’m just saying that we’re together a lot. Whether we sleep side-by-side or apart won’t really make a difference if we’re both unconscious by the end of the night.”

“But you seem like the clingy type.”

The sound of air rushing past him and the sharp sensation of a cushion hitting his face with a dull thwack cut Arakita off from the rest of what he was going to say. He managed to sputter a weak “oof” as his pillow fell on his lap, and he froze as he clutched the white casing surrounding the cushion.

His pillow smelled like Shinkai.

He was certain Toudou hadn’t notice the smell as it was hastily thrown across the room to hit him, so Arakita clutched it tightly, restraining himself from whipping it back at the other, or worse –taking a big wiff of the fabric in front of him.

“I’m not clingy!” Toudou snapped as he crossed his arms in frustration. Arakita stared down at the pillow, certain he had heard the other mutter “anymore”, but ignoring it as he fought himself from burying his face into the cushion.

What the fuck is wrong with me?!

He saw Shinkai a bit over an hour ago and yet he was already suffering from withdrawal-like symptoms. Physically, his palms were sweaty and his muscles felt tense. There was a tightness in his chest that he refused to acknowledge, and a weird sense of anxiety had settled over him like the calm before a storm. It was abnormal to miss someone so badly and so suddenly. Arakita ground his teeth, understanding that his idiotically remarkable instincts were kicking in, telling him that something was wrong.

“I just assumed that you two would want to be together every chance you had.” Arakita admitted softly.

“We have our entire lives to be together, Arakita. There’s no rush.” Toudou sighed, giving Arakita a pitiful look as if he were a child asking what made the world spin.

He knew there was no rush God damnit! He had thought the exact same thing himself. But if that were the case, why did he feel so anxious about his relationship with Shinkai all of a sudden?

Deciding not to dwell on something so ambiguous, Arakita faced Toudou’s perceptive gaze once more.

“So when’s the wedding?” Arakita joked, as he brought his knees to his chin so he could discreetly rest his jaw on his pillow.

Toudou’s mouth opened momentarily, but he closed it and looked away. When he looked back at Arakita, he had the smallest of smiles plastered across his lips.

“I don’t want to overwhelm him with that stuff yet.”

Arakita’s heart flipped at the statement.

“Holy shit, Toudou. That means you’re actually planning on marrying him!” Arakita hissed in shock. Marriage seemed so farfetched to him –so unrealistic. It wasn’t that Arakita was the type to leave his partner at the first signs of trouble, but being legally bound to someone always sounded like a hassle to his ears. If a falling-out happened, if things just didn’t work in a committed relationship, then separating from one another became a dreadful process costing time, money, and energy that didn’t need to be wasted in the first place. Ever since he was little, Arakita had always perceived marriage as a lifelong trap.

I wouldn’t mind being trapped with Hayato for the rest of my life.

Arakita inhaled sharply, shocked by his own thoughts, and his head snapped back when he unintentionally breathed in the scent of Shinkai through his pillow.

“Yeah, one day. I think that’d be nice.” Toudou said quietly. “Maybe I’ll ask him when we graduate from school.”

“Holy shit.” Arakita mumbled, both at Toudou’s claims and his own absurd thoughts. Did he just image himself marrying Shinkai?

“Yeah,” Toudou repeated quietly.

Arakita glanced at Toudou, not surprised to see the other intentionally avoiding his gaze.

“Have you talked to him about this before?”

Toudou lay down on Arakita’s bed at the question, and draped his left arm over his face. When he didn’t say anything, Arakita spoke up again.

“Did he seem against it?”

A negative hum made Arakita ask another question.

“If he’s not against it, why haven’t you proposed yet?”

Toudou removed his arm from his face and held it over his head. It took a moment for Arakita to realize that he was staring at his empty ring finger, a small frown on his face.

“Marriage is a scary thing and we’re young.” Toudou said more to himself than Arakita. The way he drawled the words made it sound like he was quoting somebody else, but before the raven could ask him about it, Toudou continued speaking. “I don’t want to stress him over something that shouldn’t even be at the forefront of his brain right now. You know, sometimes if the topic of proposals ever pops up, he ends up looking so terrified. I don’t want him making that face when thinking about us being together.”

“Good point.” Arakita mumbled. “Not to be rude Toudou, but I’m with seaweed head on this.”

“Don’t call him that.”

“Is kelp better?”

“Arakita.”

“Why aren’t you scared of marriage like a normal person?” Arakita snapped as he sunk his chin back into the pillow still resting on his knees. “What’s so good about getting married when you’re already with that person in the first place, huh?”

Toudou sighed heavily and dropped his hand onto his stomach.

“You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“Fuck off!”

Toudou laughed and pushed himself up into a sitting position once more. He looked over at Arakita and gave him a toothy grin.

“It’s good to see you again Arakita.”

Arakita rolled his eyes and kept his facial expression neutral as he brought his middle finger up for the other to see. Again Toudou laughed, his distinct voice echoing off the walls of Arakita’s bedroom and into his keen ears. Although he’d never admit it out loud, it was good seeing Toudou too. If he was being honest with himself, though, he was especially looking forward to a not-grumpy Makishima in the morning as well. In the few times the two had met, the banter Makishima created with a single comment always lifted Arakita’s spirits.

The raven could tell that Toudou was exhausted with the way their conversation had lulled. The two remained silent for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts until Arakita couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up and forced Toudou to gather his things and bathe so he could go to sleep.

“It’s only eight! I can still stay up a little longer and fight this jet lag!”

“Toudou, if you don’t go to sleep after cleaning up I’m going to do us both a favor and knock you out.”

“W…where is the bathroom.” Toudou caved as he removed himself from Arakita’s bed.

After Toudou gathered his things from his duffle bag and entered the bathroom, Arakita was at a loss for what to do. He had no assignments to work on and studying felt out of the question with where his mind was at. He jumped in his bed and stared at the ceiling until Toudou was done bathing, replaying the day’s events over in his head until he felt a headache blossoming and having to force himself to stop.

When Toudou emerged from his bathroom in a fresh set of clothes and his expensive shampoo and conditioner cradled in his arms to be returned to their proper place in his bag, Arakita jumped off his bed and wished him a goodnight as he prepared for a bath as well. After showering, Arakita sunk into his bathtub and tried to relax despite the feeling of agitation gnawing at the back of his mind like a persistent leech.

He felt uneasy. As if he was forgetting something important. Something involving Hayato.

“Nngh- fuck!” Arakita groaned in frustration as he punched the water surrounding him. Maybe after this bath he would go to sleep too. His mind worked best in the morning, so with any luck, he’d be able to figure out what the fuck was wrong with him by then. With a goal set in mind, Arakita tried to relax as much as possible into his bathtub and save his worries for another time. He let the warm water surrounding his skin work their soothing ways into his pores and soon he found himself…

Tch.

Just as agitated as before –but now more naked and wet.

Grumbling to himself, Arakita stepped out of the tub and dried himself off. He proceeded to do his nightly rituals despite it only being a quarter to ten, and soon he found himself turning off the lights and crawling under the covers of his bed. He tossed and turned for a few minutes before deciding to pull out his phone and set an alarm so he could head out early in the morning and do some grocery shopping. It was then that he noticed a text message, not from the Shinkai he was expecting.

Yuuto had asked him what was wrong.

Arakita sat up, and stared down at his device’s painfully bright screen confused and unnerved. Arakita sent Yuuto three consecutive question marks, which were replied to with another question.

“Did you and my brother get into another fight?”

Arakita immediately hit the call button and waited for Yuuto to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Yuuto what the fuck? Why would you think we got into a fight?” Is Hayato okay? He wanted to asked Yuuto so many more questions, but he cut himself short as not to overwhelm the other.

“Because he was supposed to be sleeping over with you but came back home alone and frowning?”

The way they answered the question with what sounded like another question made Arakita’s stomach lurch. The inflection in Yuuto’s tone meant that they were angry with him, which was something Arakita thought he’d never experience again. The younger Shinkai only seemed to get angry when Hayato was being negatively affected by something, and that knowledge made Arakita’s stomach churn.

“Did he tell you what happened?”

“No. He locked himself in his room to mope.”

Arakita frowned, not at the idea of Hayato locking himself in his room, but at Yuuto making him seem so pathetic. There was nothing for him to mope about. Toudou and Makishima’s early arrival was unexpected, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Hayato had been beaming when he saw his friend, so there was no way he was upset about that. The change in their plans might have been rather last minute, but Arakita assumed he wasn’t upset with that either. Hayato probably went to work on some shitty science assignment he always seemed to have, or maybe even went to sleep early. Arakita refused to believe that he was moping over nothing. The raven tentatively cleared his throat and spoke slowly for his own sake.

“Well basically what happened was that Makishima and Toudou ended up getting here a week earlier than planned.”

“Toudou-san is here?!” Yuuto voiced excitedly. Where the fuck did the anger go? “I mean –go on.” Ah there it was.

“They had nowhere to stay for the week, so Kin-chan was going to let them sleep over at his place.”

“So that’s when you and Hayato got into a fight?”

“What? No you moron! There was no fight!” Arakita snapped. He ran his fingers through his damp hair as he tried to calm down. Yuuto’s stupidity, plus the unsettling feelings he had been experiencing prior to the call was starting to make him doubt his own perception. He was starting to fear that something had happened between him and Hayato and that he had completely missed it. “Something happened and Kin-chan couldn’t have them over anymore, so Toudou just invited himself over to my place.”

“So? I don’t see why Hayato couldn’t stay over too.”

Because then Toudou would know we were seeing each other! Arakita personally didn’t care if Toudou knew, but Shinkai seemed very much against the idea.

Frustrated, Arakita groaned as he sunk back into his mattress. He had no idea what was wrong and his headache was back.

“You two have really weak communication skills.”

Arakita responded with another groan, his voice muffled in his pillow as he turned to lie on his stomach. Yuuto signed in response, their expelled breath creating static against the speakers of his phone. It was at that moment that Arakita realized how big an impact Shinkai’s mood had on the people closest to him.

“I’ll see him tomorrow and clear things up, okay?” Arakita grumbled, aware that Yuuto was waiting for a response.

“Yeah, okay. Just make sure you let him say everything on his mind.”

“Obviously.”

“No, I mean-” Yuuto went silent for a moment, trying to come up with a comprehensive way to explain their thoughts. “When Hayato is sure about something, he’ll let you know it without hesitation.”

Arakita scoffed at the imagery of the older Shinkai being a bossy big brother to Yuuto.

“But when he’s uncertain, he stays quiet.”

“Yuuto, you just described a normal person.”

“No! Well, yeah I know –fuck! What I mean is that sometimes Hayato doubts himself to the point where he totally reshapes the truth.”

“Huh?”

“Basically what I’m trying to say is that misunderstandings tend to happen with Hayato.” Yuuto explained, sounding pleased that they had been able to summarize their thoughts.

“Misunderstandings happen with most normal people Yuuto.” Arakita joked, hoping the other didn’t hear the tremor of nervousness in his voice.

“Yeah well, there’s a misunderstanding happening between the two of you so you better clear it up soon.”

“Yeah, I will.” Arakita promised, feeling a little relieved now had some sort of plan to act on instead of blindly waving his hands in the dark wondering why he couldn’t see where to go and not knowing what to do. “Now go to bed kiddo.” Arakita was about to tell the other that they needed to rest if they wanted to attend morning practice when he remembered that Yuuto was suspended from school. “Are you still attending morning practice by the way?”

“I am.” Yuuto answered, truthfully.

“And everything is alright?”

“Everything’s perfect Arakita-san.”

Arakita sighed in relief before wishing Yuuto a goodnight and hanging up. After a bit of contemplation, he sent Hayato a quick text asking him if he was free tomorrow evening. If Shinkai responded that he was, then he’d take the other out for dinner and clear things up. When the redhead didn’t reply right away, Arakita laid his phone on his pillow and stared at the dark screen, hoping to see it flash to life. When seconds turned into minutes, Arakita felt his heavy eyelids shut and his breathing even out until he dozed off into a restless slumber.

***

Arakita woke with a start as his phone’s alarm jolted him out of his sleep. He blindly groped his blankets until he found his device and swiped the alarm off; groaning in pain for ever thinking waking up so early would be a smart idea. He brought his arms above his head and stretched, grunting in pain as his back cracked and his muscles tensed. The sound of some shuffling in his apartment followed by the clicks of his front door being unlocked, opened, and closed once more roused Arakita out of his blanket cocoon. He sat up alarmed at the noises and shuffled out of bed to investigate.

“Toudou?”

Silence.

Arakita walked into his living room to see it abandoned. The futon and bed sheets had been neatly folded and tucked away to the corner of the room, and his coffee table had been moved back to its original position in front of the sectional couch. Arakita’s first instinct was to check his phone, so he trotted back into his bedroom to grab his device.

He inhaled sharply as he saw two names with notifications on his phone; one name being Toudou’s and the other Shinkai’s. Deciding to read Toudou’s message first, Arakita selected his name and read the text. Arakita huffed at the long ass message the other left him. Apparently Makishima had somehow gotten their bikes delivered to Hakone and the two had set out to ride a certain course again. Arakita skimmed through the message, the details lost to him and therefore ignored. Toudou said they’d probably be back later that evening, and apologized that they couldn’t have breakfast or lunch together. Arakita sighed as he switched to Shinkai’s message. He’d reply to Toudou later –right now he was antsy to see what the other had said.

Arakita snickered, feeling relieved at the other’s response. Hayato was talking to him like normal, which meant that he wasn’t mad at him. Regardless, Arakita knew not to rely on assumptions and asked the other whether he wanted to go out of come over.

The two texted back and forth while Arakita washed up and got ready to go shopping. Although he had initially suggested dinner at his place, he quickly backtracked, realizing that they wouldn’t have any privacy if Toudou and Makishima returned home by then. Luckily for him, Hayato seemed adamant on going out as well, so the two agreed on a place to eat without any trouble. Again Arakita found himself grateful for how agreeable and easy to get along with Shinkai was.

Arakita reread their conversation as he waited for the other to respond. He paused as he regarded Shinkai’s initial response that had sparked the rest of their conversation. Arakita’s thumb hovered directly under the time stamp, his eyes frozen at the number.

4:30 AM? Had Shinkai gotten up in the middle of the night? Or had he not fallen asleep at all? Arakita bit his lip in concern, hoping the other was fine.

Deciding not to dwell on it, he agreed to meet Hayato at the meeting place he had suggested before tucking his phone into his pocket and heading out, keen on buying food for his fridge before Toudou could lecture him again.

***

When Arakita saw Shinkai, his body reacted on its own. The redhead had been standing on the street corner they agreed to meet at, which was far enough from campus that nobody passing by would recognize Arakita as he tackled the other roughly from behind.

The startled cry of fear Shinkai produced made Arakita instantly release his hold so that he could clutch his stomach while letting out a hollering laugh.

“Yasutomo don’t laugh! You scared the shit out of me!”

Arakita proceeded to smack Shinkai’s ass with vigor, his laughter subsiding to a delightful chuckle.

“You’ve done a good job of concealing it.” Arakita joked as Shinkai spun around to face him.

The redhead’s mouth was open in shock, but his eyes shined with amusement.

“Yasutomo you’re acting like an excited puppy.” Shinkai noted as Arakita pulled him in for a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Arakita kissed him again, mainly to hide his burning cheeks from Shinkai’s accurate statement.

“Being in a confined space with Toudou made me realize how sacred normal human interactions are.”

“Is Yuusuke-kun not normal enough for you?”

“He left me to fend for myself while he slept!” Arakita complained with zero vigor in his voice.

Shinkai laughed as he led Arakita towards their intended destination. Arakita trailed behind for a moment, wanting to get a good look at Shinkai while he was unaware that he was under scrutiny. The redhead’s backpack did little to hide his large yellow t-shirt, and the way his jeans hugged his legs revealed the other’s powerful stride. Shinkai didn’t slouch or drag his feet as he walked, which Arakita took as a good sign.

Shinkai paused and turned to face Arakita, a knowing smile on his face as the raven caught up with him.

“Yasutomo, can you try being a bit more discreet when you’re checking me out?”

“Sure.” Arakita shrugged nonchalantly as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery, selecting the half-naked picture of Shinkai on his bed, resting on his hands and knees.

Huh. He was wearing the same shirt.

Shinkai did a comical double take as his eyes landed on the shameless picture on Arakita’s phone.

“Yasutomo!” He hissed as he tried to pry the device out of Arakita’s hand. “Delete that picture!”

“Hell no! Just be glad it’s not my home and lock screen.”

“Twelve year old me would be devastated.”

Arakita whirled around in Shinkai’s grasp to look at him in shock.

“Yasutomo… you know I can see your phone’s background every time you check the time right?”

“Well y-yeah, I just didn’t think you knew.” Arakita stuttered, feeling embarrassed for being caught. He had been so careful too. “Wait, when did you find out?”

Shinkai paused trying to wrestle the phone out of Arakita’s hands to look at him steadily.

“Why? How long has it been set as that?” Shinkai asked curiously as Arakita weakly pulled himself out of his grasp.

Since the first day we met. “Recently.” Arakita lied as he tugged the other’s wrist so they could start walking again. “You were cute.”

“Were?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” Arakita snickered as his grip loosened around Shinkai’s wrist so that they could comfortably intertwine their fingers. Although the streets were bustling with people, the crowd made it easier for them to conceal their hand holding. Their shoulders constantly collided and their arms continuously brushed one another, making it difficult for passersby to see the two university students walking hand-in-hand.

The uneasiness Arakita had felt the night before had been pushed to the back of his mind. The warmth of Shinkai’s hand in his own was nothing compared to the burning he felt in his chest. Arakita was embarrassed with how such a simple act of holding someone’s hand brought him such joy and happiness.

Without warning, Shinkai let go of Arakita’s hand and shoved it into his pocket wordlessly.

“Wha-”

“Jinpachi’s calling.” Shinkai answered as he held out his phone for the other to see.

Arakita gestured for him to answer it, fighting the urge to stand on the redhead’s other side so he could continue holding his hand.

“Hello?”

Arakita cringed as he heard Toudou’s booming voice from the other side of Shinkai’s cell. Despite Toudou’s enthusiasm, Shinkai didn’t seem phased in the slightest by the commotion.

“I’m out…”

Some static.

“Uhh…” Shinkai paused as he looked over at Arakita. “I’m not sure, why?”

Arakita glanced at Shinkai curiously, wondering what Toudou could possibly be asking him that he couldn’t do through texts.

“Here?!” Shinkai exclaimed as he looked around. “Right now? No I’m done classes. Yeah…”

Uh oh. That wasn’t good.

Arakita also found himself nervously looking around, interpreting the eavesdropped conversation as Toudou being within the vicinity and wanting to see Shinkai.

“Sure. Yeah I’ll call him. Of course Jinpachi, I’ll see you soon.”

Shinkai’s slowed his pace until he came to a full stop, and he turned to look at Arakita sadly. Without saying a word, Arakita dragged him by a store window and out of the moving sidewalk traffic.

“So, Jinpachi wants to see us. He says he has something important he needs to share.” Shinkai disclosed, clearly seeing the confusion scrawled across the raven’s face.

“Fuck that! Why couldn’t you tell him to wait?”

“He seemed adamant on telling us this ‘news’.” Shinkai sighed as he scratched his head. “They’re back at your place waiting for us. He wanted me to find you so we could have dinner together.”

Arakita frowned, knowing his lips jutted crookedly but being unable to control his half-pout despite himself. He had been excited to have dinner with Hayato –to have some alone time with the other. It felt like a day hadn’t gone by where the two weren’t interrupted by some unplanned event or oblivious friend.

Shinkai closed his eyes as he sighed loudly through his nostrils. He seemed to be deep in thought, so when his heavy lids fluttered open once more, Arakita couldn’t help but note the look of determination in his blue eyes.

“Yasutomo lets go see what Jinpachi has to say.” He concluded as he began leading them back towards the direction from where they came from. “We’ll try and find some time together after dinner –hopefully.”

Arakita’s stomach flipped at the declaration. For some reason, it was comforting knowing that Shinkai had been feeling similar frustrations as him.

“It better be fucking important.” Arakita muttered as he followed the other down the sidewalk and towards his apartment complex. He wanted to clear up whatever misunderstanding Yuuto claimed they were having, and he had a feeling it would take him longer than a breif walk home for them to figure it out.

“He better have the food prepared by the time we get there.” Shinkai threated, equally as aggravated but for an entirely different reason.

“Fatass.” Arakita cooed lovingly as he smacked Shinkai’s stomach and jogged ahead, avoiding the other’s complaints as he made his way through the crowd of people.

***

“There you are!” Toudou greeted excitedly as he ran up to Shinkai and Arakita, who had just entered the flat. “Dinner is almost ready Shinkai, stop looking like you want to murder me.”

“So you admit it’s not ready?” Shinkai challenged as he stepped out of his shoes.

“I… What was that Maki-chan? Did you say something?” Toudou asked his boyfriend as he stepped aside for Arakita, who was currently taking off his shoes and on the verge of pushing his way down the hall to see if his house was still in one piece.

“Yeah. I said dinner wasn’t ready.” Makishima answered with a smirk and earning himself a smack on his arm for not properly playing along with Toudou’s improv. Arakita grinned at the banter that followed at his front door while he made his way to the kitchen.

“Arakita-saaannn!”

“Yuuto?! Who the fuck invited you?” Arakita spat as Yuuto gave him a wink not too dissimilar from Hayato’s.

“Toudou-san did! Man I missed this place. Remember when-”

“Let’s not remember.” Arakita grumbled as he ruffled Yuuto’s hair.

“Hey Arakita, thanks for having us.” Kinjou greeted as he entered the kitchen from the living room.

“Kin-chan?” Arakita faltered as his friend gave him a small smile. “What the hell is going on? Am I forgetting someone’s birthday?”

“Makishima asked us to come over.” He answered while gesturing towards the living room, which revealed Fukutomi sitting on the floor and watching television with Emi and Natsuki, the three of which were too engrossed with whatever was on the screen to acknowledge the owner of the apartment.

“What the fuck are my sisters doing here?” Arakita spat as he whirled around to face Kinjou.

“Your mom called the house asking you to babysit.” Toudou answered as he entered the kitchen with Makishima and Shinkai trailing behind.

“I’m not a baby!” Emi suddenly screamed from the living room, making Arakita wince.

“Until you voice reaches an octave that doesn’t let you communicate with dolphins, you’re a baby!” Arakita hollered back.

“You hear that Jinpachi? You’re a baby.” Makishima whispered to the other.

Toudou roughly shoved his fingers into Makishima’s waist and shuffled his slipper-wearing feet into the kitchen, where Yuuto had been discreetly hovering over the food in anticipation.

“Anyways, she and your dad suddenly had somewhere to be, and didn’t want to leave the girls alone.” Toudou continued as he passed a large number of plates to Yuuto. “So I told them to come on over!”

Arakita scoffed at how the other had utterly taken over his household.

“Nats is old enough to take care of both herself and Emi.” Arakita grumbled in contemp. How could his parents suddenly drop their responsibilities on him just to spend a Friday night together? Arakita would have loved it if he could steal some private time with Hayato without worrying about people dropping in and out of his place unannounced. Sneaking away to have sex seemed impossible to the raven given his circumstances. Why would his parents do this?

Oh God.

“What’s with that face?” Natsuki asked as she walked by Arakita to wash her hands at the sink. “You look like you’re holding back a shit.”

“I just realized mom and dad are probably having sex right now.” Arakita claimed monotonously, his voice sounding distant even to his own ears.

“Ew!” Natsuki shrieked while hitting Arakita’s arm repetitively with the towel she had been using to dry her hands. “Why… must… you speak!”

“Do you see this?” Arakita laughed as he pulled Shinkai in front of him to use him as a human shield. “This violence is why I had to move out.”

Natsuki’s hits were unyielding, and even Shinkai became a target for her repetitive swings.

“Nats you idiot! You’re hitting Shinkai more than me.”

“Well, I am protecting the instigator.” Shinkai admitted solemnly, accepting his punishment.

Toudou whirled around at the commotion and screamed “NO FIGHTING IN THE KITCHEN!” while shooing Natsuki away from the other two. “Arakita don’t make your siblings hate you.”

“Too late!” All three Arakita’s blurted in unison.

Toudou shook his head in wonder and gave Shinkai a look that said “why are you friends with this guy?” before heading back to the stove.

“Toudou what the fuck is all this about anyways” Arakita asked as his friends started crowding the kitchen. Fukutomi and Kinjou had brought in extra chairs so that everyone could have a seat by the table, and Arakita wondered if this was going to be a common occurrence.

“Now, now Arakita. Have some patience and you’ll see soon enough.” Toudou advised while shaking a finger at the raven.

Arakita and Shinkai exchanged a look before the redhead suggested they wash their hands and join everyone else at the table. Having nothing better to do but agree, Arakita followed the other’s lead. Soon, his island/dinner table was packed with food and surrounded by people. The marble before him was nearly impossible to see behind all the dishes scattered about. Large plates containing grilled fish and pork caught Arakita’s attention momentarily before his eyes jumped to the tempura and tonkatsu plated at the opposite end of the table. Arakita assumed it was Makishima who had convinced the other to fry the foods, since everything else looked relatively oil-free. Despite everyone having a small bowl full of steaming white rice in front of them, the center of the table also had an impressive pile as well; almost beckoning for others to take a second helping despite nobody even starting their first. Pickled vegetables sat beside drained soba noodles that had been topped with chopped scallions and garnished with dry seaweed, and the sweetened soy-based broth sat in a sauce bowl beside it for anyone to pour.

“Jinpachi, my mouth is crying. Please get over here so we can eat.” Shinkai demanded weakly.

“That’s called drool Hayato.” Yuuto muttered despite looking just as fidgety as their brother.

Toudou had approached the table bringing over a bottle of soy sauce and small porcelain plates for everyone to have. Arakita silently thanked his parents for buying him glass and dinnerware sets that were intended for large families. Although he had found himself relatively alone in his first and second years at university, Arakita had to admit that having large company was refreshing. Without it being his intention, he had started opening up to those closest to him, and the result was him developing his own makeshift family.

Arakita blanched at his own thoughts. Viewing his friends as an extension of his family was embarrassing right? Despite this, Arakita found that he didn’t hate the idea. All they needed was a pet dog and they’d be set.

Where is Machimiya anyways?

“Everyone, please enjoy Toudou Jinpachi’s Specialty Dinner!” Toudou exclaimed happily as he sat beside Makishima, disrupting Arakita’s train of thought.

“We need to have a talk about the way you name things.” Makishima muttered to the other while grinning.

Toudou pretended he didn’t hear him as he clasped his hands in front of the table, rousing everyone else the mimic his actions.

“Itadakimasu!” All nine individuals hollered before digging in.

A flurry of hands flashed before Arakita’s eyes as food was taken and consumed within moments of it hitting the plate. The raven fought with Kinjou for the tonkatsu, with Emi for pouring herself too much soba tsuyu, and with Hayato for just about everything else.

“Hey! No stealing off my plate asshole!” Arakita chided as he smacked the back of Shinkai’s hand with his chopsticks, forcing the redhead to drop his tempura.

“Yasutomo, it’s such a small piece though.”

“Go get your own, there’s a plateful right there!”

“You’re closer.” Shinkai mumbled through a mouthful of food as he reached for Arakita’s plate a second time.

“What happened to those house rules you love to live by so much?” Arakita asked despite letting Shinkai take the lightly battered shrimp and stuff it in his mouth.

“’m nah home Ya-humo-oh.” Shinkai said through a mouth full of food.

“You’re such an animal.” Arakita chided as he pinched the other’s stuffed cheek, grinning widely at the sensation of Shinkai continuing to chew despite the restriction Arakita provided.

Idle chatter filled the room, and the sound of utensils hitting plates distracted Arakita long enough to forget why everyone was over at his apartment having dinner in the first place. It wasn’t until he noticed Toudou nervously glancing over at Makishima while his right hand uselessly opened and closed his chopsticks with no intention of grasping food that Arakita remembered the other had something to say.

“So Jinpachi, what was it that you wanted to tell us?” Shinkai asked, beating Arakita to asking the question on everyone’s mind.

“Ah, maybe we should finish eating first.” Toudou hummed apprehensively.

“Just spit it out already! I don’t see how telling us now versus later will make a difference.” Arakita chided, irritated at the other’s fidgeting more than anything else.

“We’re engaged!” Toudou announced while holding up his left hand, reveling the ring on his finger.

Fukutomi and Shinkai simultaneously choked on their food and entered a hysteric coughing fit. Yuuto and Kinjou’s mouths had opened in shock while Natsuki and Emi squealed simultaneously despite barely knowing Toudou and Makishima. Arakita had no idea what kind of expression he was making, but he knew the “Holy fuck” that escaped his lips summed up his emotions accurately enough.

Because, holy fuck.

“Engaged?” Shinkai sputtered as he slammed a fist against his chest in a poor attempt at dislodging whatever had slid down his windpipe. “As in you’re getting married?!”

“Yes! Well not right now –not anytime soon anyways.”

“What the fuck happened to that marriage is a scary thing and we’re young crap you were spouting about before?” Arakita asked as he rubbed Shinkai’s back, trying to help him prevent coughing up a lung.

“I know! I didn’t decide this!” Toudou laughed, his radiant smile contagious.

Arakita felt bursts of excitement pump through his veins at the other’s declaration.

“Makishima? You were the one who proposed?” Kinjou asked as he patted Fukutomi’s back similarly to how Arakita was rubbing Shinkai’s.

Makishima, who had done relatively well keeping a straight face, has slowly lost his composure under everyone’s scrutiny. He had brought a hand to his forehead, giving the illusion that he was going to move his bangs away from his face, but instead he sat hidden behind his palm.

“I thought you said he looked scared every time you talked about proposals.” Arakita mentioned as he removed his hand from Shinkai, who had gingerly taken small sips of water until his coughing had subsided.

“I wanted to be the one to do it.” Makishima said at last.

Makishima had removed his hand from his face, which revealed a ring similar to Toudou’s. The table went still as he continued to speak.

“Jinpachi has always been the one to push our relationship forward, so I wanted to be the one who took the next step,” he declared bashfully. “Whenever Jinpachi talked about proposals I got worried that he was going to beat me to it.”

Toudou was beaming at the other, his smile wide and his cheeks dusted red.

“Congratulations.” Yuuto said softly, breaking the silence engulfing the dinner table.

A few more silent congratulations turned to louder ones, which then turned to the kitchen erupting into chaotic cheers and screaming. Shinkai and Fukutomi both dragged Toudou out of his seat and pulled him into a tight hug while Kinjou and Arakita did the same with Makishima.

The inevitable distribution of celebratory alcohol followed soon after, and excited chatter filled the apartment once more. Dinner was finished and a few individuals stayed back to clean while everyone else migrated to the living room to continue their conversations. Arakita had just finished putting away the last of his dishes when he noticed Shinkai saying something to Yuuto before shuffling down the hall. Arakita assumed the other had gone to the bathroom, so when the sound of his front door clicked shut seconds after, he ran down the hall to see it empty and the guest bathroom unoccupied.

“What did you do?” Yuuto hissed as they ran up to Arakita.

“Me? I didn’t— Did Hayato just leave?”

“Yeah he left! He said he wasn’t feeling well! I thought you said you were going to clear things up with him.”

Arakita was taken aback. He had been given the impression that nothing needed to be cleared up in the first place.

“Did Shinkai just leave?” Toudou asked, joining the other two in the small hall.

Great. The last thing he needed was Toudou moseying in unannounced and listening in on a topic Shinkai probably didn’t want him hearing in the first place.

“Arakita-san, you need to talk to him.”

“About what though? Everything seems fine —I don’t understand where this is coming from.”

“I don’t know! Think!” Yuuto urged, looking worried for their brother.

“Arakita tell me something, did Shinkai ever confess to you?” Toudou asked, interrupting Arakita from racking his brain.

“What?! Confe— what?!” Arakita screamed, shocked by the other’s words and unable to formulate a more comprehensive question.

Toudou looked taken aback by his reaction, which set off alarms in his head. What the hell was Toudou going on about?

Toudou scrutinized Arakita carefully, his brows knit and his hands on his waist as he considered what to say next.

“He told me he was going to confess to you before that birthday party you were having for that Machi guy. I’m guessing he never got around to it…”

Arakita stared blankly at Toudou. Hayato had been planning on confessing to him? Even before the party had happened? For some reason Arakita felt his pulse race at the thought of Hayato liking him for that long —for wanting to be together so soon.

Wanting to be together…

Was there ever a proper confession? Had he told Hayato he loved him?

“Honestly I thought you two were together for a while now.” Toudou signed as he shifted his stance and folded his arms. “I mean, those party pictures on Facebook made it seem like you two were a couple —plus all the shameless flirting you guys did, and the fact that his bag was just sitting by the door…”

Arakita gulped. He thought they had at least been discreet with the flirting, and fuck; he had completely forgotten to hide Shinkai’s bag. Damn that Toudou and his keen eyes.

“So you’re telling me you’re not together?” Yuuto hissed at Arakita, their carefree demeanor gone. Yuuto looked ready to get into another fight that week, and Arakita didn’t blame them.

Everything was starting to click in Arakita’s head. With every new piece of information, if felt like a blurry photo was beginning to shift into focus.

“I thought I made it obvious that I liked him.” Arakita began, trying to get the other two to see his perspective. “We’re together all the time, I just assum—”

“That was your first mistake, Arakita.” Another voice said, causing the three to turn around.

Makishima was standing behind everyone with his hands in his pockets and a small frown on his face. Toudou automatically moved to his side, and that small shift had caused another piece of information to click in Arakita’s head. Being in the presence of two other couples was probably not the most pleasant thing to be exposed to while being so unsure about one’s own relationship.

“Sometimes actions aren’t enough. You need to use your words.” Makishima continued.

“Assumptions can lead to misunderstandings.” Toudou added solemnly.

Arakita clicked his tongue in aggravation. “I know that you assholes. You should be lecturing Shinkai not me.”

That fucking moron! Why hadn’t he said anything? All of this running around each other could have been cleared up in a second had the other just told him how he was feeling.

But he tried, hadn’t he? Hayato had probably tried telling him multiple times, but interruptions from their shitty friends and Arakita’s own fucking obliviousness had forced Shinkai to keep to himself. Just how bad was the redhead willing to torture himself for the sake of others? He was too caring for his own good, he was too polite to tell others to fuck off —to tell Arakita to keep his dick in his pants long enough to say how he was feeling. Shinkai kept his frustrations bottled up, and even now, instead of being an inconvenience to the others, he had excused himself from the group to be dejected in isolation.

Good social perception my ass! Arakita thought, remembering how the other had previously described his common sense and intelligence. I was the blindest of the blind!

Despite Toudou being in the middle of speaking, Arakita couldn’t hear him. His mind was racing and his blood was pumping rapidly through his veins. He promptly put on his shoes and carelessly flung his door open, unintentionally making the wood slam against the pile of luggage behind it. Without saying a word, Arakita sprinted down the hall and towards the staircase. He strode down the stairs 3 steps at a time, his clammy hands grasping the railing being the only thing keeping him upright with every flight down.

Shinkai had left his bike at school, which meant the he was currently walking to the station. Praying that he’d catch the other in time, Arakita strode to his Bianchi and hopped on the saddle. Kicking the gravel beneath him to gain some momentum, Arakita rode off, chasing his soon to be idiot boyfriend.

Chapter Text

Shinkai bit his bottom lip as he trotted down the empty sidewalk, feeling guilty for leaving everyone so unexpectedly. It hadn’t been his intention to head off so prematurely, but his thoughts were eating him alive and he didn’t want to dampen everyone else’s mood.

“What is wrong with me?” Shinkai grumbled softly to himself as he jogged across the empty street, wanting to be home and reunited with his warm bed as soon as possible.

When Yasutomo had texted him the night previous asking if he was free, Shinkai found himself unable to respond right away. Questions plagued his thoughts about whether or not he should see the other. How would Yasutomo act around him? Shinkai had been slightly distant so that Jinpachi wouldn’t get any ideas, but what if Yasutomo took it to heart?

Those worries lasted for about seven minutes before Shinkai laughed to himself. Yasutomo wasn’t going to be distant with him —that much was obvious. Shinkai realized that he could use this text as an opportunity to talk to the other about his feelings instead of waiting seven days like he had initially planned.

Hayato all you have to do is tell him you like him and that you want to be his boyfriend. It was so simple. The only problem Shinkai had faced in the past was getting the conversation to go where he wanted it to in the limited time he was given. Arakita Yasutomo was a distracting individual to be with. Whenever they were alone, his urge to confess was replaced with other urges, and when those feelings were dealt with, something else always seemed to come up and get in his way.

Shinkai had stared at his phone while his mind reeled at the memories, and he dozed in and out of sleep dreaming about kissing Arakita in front of his friends and saying with 100 percent confidence that they were dating. By the time Shinkai’s wondering thoughts calmed down enough for him to respond to Arakita, it was 4:30 in the morning and he was wide awake.

The chilly summer night forced a shiver down Shinkai’s spine and snapped him out of his dwindling thoughts. He looked around for a moment before cutting through an alleyway and onto another empty sidewalk. He was about 2 blocks away from the train station’s entrance, so with any luck he’d be home in another 40 minutes.

Shinkai sighed as he rubbed his arms for warmth. He had considered grabbing his bike, but he had no motivation to walk back to school. He had also considered forcing Yuuto to come home with him and keep his pathetic ass company, but he immediately decided against it. Yuuto had had a rough time at school and Shinkai knew being in the presence of understanding friends was what they needed to feel better right now.

“…ato!”

Knowing he wouldn’t have the opportunity to properly talk to Yasutomo with seven other people over at his place, Shinkai had called it a night and left early, painfully exhausted from the lack of sleep and upset at the ridiculous circumstance he had put himself in.

“Hayato!”

“Wh—”

Shinkai spun around right in time to be tackled by Arakita, who had carelessly jumped off his bike without letting it slow to a stop, the momentum causing both university students to land heavily on the asphalt.

“Yasutomo?! What are you doing?” Shinkai exclaimed as he rolled off his side to painfully lie on his back. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with ME?!” Arakita exclaimed as he crawled over Shinkai’s body to look down at him. He grabbed Shinkai’s collar and pulled, the act hoisting the redhead’s upper body forward until he was forced to make eye contact with the angry engineer. “Don’t leave without saying goodbye! What the fuck?”

“I’m sorry! I was ju—”

Arakita released his collar and slammed his hands over Shinkai’s mouth, cutting him off from finishing his sentence.

“It’s fine! Don’t bother explaining yourself right now. I’ll yell at you about your dumbassery later,” Arakita chided as he removed his hands and shifted so that he straddled Shinkai’s stomach. “Now listen closely, because I’m only going to ask you this once. If you have any questions —if anything is even slightly unclear, you tell me. Got it?”

Shinkai nodded dumbly as Arakita’s legs squeezed his waist painfully. His blood was pumping adrenaline to his limbs and his chest was rising and falling violently in anticipation and confusion.

“I love you,” Arakita claimed as he grabbed Shinkai’s cheeks roughly and gave them an affectionate squeeze. “I thought that much was obvious, but there, I said it.”

Shinkai’s mouth dropped at the statement. This wasn’t some lucid dream, right? Yasutomo had really just said he loved him, right? He clamped his jaw shut, hoping the other didn’t hear the strangled scream that had escaped the back of his throat.

“Hayato,” Arakita mumbled softly as he leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Shinkai opened his mouth to answer, but no sounds came out. Arakita waited patiently as Shinkai tried to collect himself. His hip and elbow hurt from the fall, and his head was pounding as his brain tried to make sense of everything that had just happened.

“You said if I have any questions, I should ask you right?” Shinkai muttered, the words flowing out of his mouth barely above a whisper.

“Yeah,” Arakita nodded, the act causing their noses to brush against each other.

“Okay, good, because I don’t think I heard you properly.”

Arakita scoffed against Shinkai’s face, but remained silent as the other continued.

“So my question is; can you please repeat yourself?” Shinkai asked Arakita, his voice cracking at the end of his question.

“I love you,” Arakita sighed as he fondly pecked Shinkai’s nose. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

“Wait, say it one more time —the first part.”

“Moron! I… Love… You!” Arakita asserted choppily while peppering sloppy kisses along Shinkai’s cheek. “You’re a fucking idiot you know that?”

“You’re going off script Yasutomo.” Shinkai managed to say despite his throat constricting.

“I sorry…” Arakita mumbled as he pressed his lips against Shinkai’s forehead. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize how upset you were. I’m sorry.”

Shinkai shook his head hastily. “It’s not your fault. I wasn’t sure where we were in our relationship, but instead of saying something—.”

“—you kept your mouth shut like a fucking dimwit!” Arakita screamed. The soft lips on Shinkai’s forehead were replaced with the hard skull of Arakita Yasutomo, who had proceeded to head butt Shinkai against the cement floor.

“Ow.” Shinkai groaned weakly despite the head butt being rather gentle.

Arakita forced his hands between the ground and the back of Shinkai’s head, his long fingers brushing through thick locks of auburn and blue hair and cushioning his head. “Yell at me when I ignore you Hayato! I’m not a mind reader! How was I supposed to know you thought we weren’t together?”

“You thought we were?”

“Obviously!”

Shinkai beamed at the other as he pulled him into a vigorous hug. “I love you too Yasutomo.”

Arakita clicked his tongue in distress, undoubtedly feigning aggravation to hide his embarrassment. “Now hurry up and answer my question before we both freeze to death.”

Shinkai didn’t feel cold —not anymore. Heat had enveloped his body and his limbs had gone numb where Arakita’s body weighed him down. But still, he didn’t want to keep the other waiting any longer than he had. He was done with holding off telling the other his feelings. No more running away.

“Yes, I’ll be your boyfriend Yasutomo.”

“I would fucking hope so after all the shit we’ve done,” Arakita mumbled as he kissed Shinkai’s cheek.

Shinkai laughed, feeling relieved and elated and so very tired. His back was starting to hurt from lying on his backpack, and despite Arakita’s hands cushioning his head, the boney fingers did very little to relieve the pain. Sensing his discomfort, Arakita removed himself from Shinkai and helped the other stand.

“Now what?” Shinkai asked as Arakita retrieved his Bianchi, which had rolled a few meters away from where they had been lying down.

“Now we go home.”

Shinkai stared at Arakita as he wheeled his bike towards him.

“What am I supposed to say to everyone after leaving them so suddenly?”

“Probably something along the lines of sorry for leaving so suddenly.”

Shinkai huffed as he followed Arakita down the street and towards the direction of his building.

“Besides, I’m sure with Toudou’s big mouth they’ve all been caught up to speed with why you left and why I chased after you.”

“That’s… more embarrassing than reassuring.” Shinkai admitted as he elbowed Arakita’s waist lightly.

“You won’t have to face them for long since I’m kicking ‘em all out.”

“Wait, don’t do that Yasutomo!” Shinkai laughed, feeling a pang of guilt blossom in the pit of his stomach as he slowed his pace considerably. “Maybe I should just go home tonight.”

“You are going home tonight.” Arakita claimed nonchalantly, unaware that his words had caused Shinkai to come to a complete stop.

Those words were it. Those words were all it took. That simple declaration was all Shinkai needed hear for everything to sink in.

Yasutomo’s my boyfriend.

The constriction in Shinkai’s throat was back, and no matter how hard he tried to focus on the raven in front of him, he couldn’t. Everything within his line of sight was beginning to blur.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai croaked, his voice sounding distant and hoarse.

After all his time spent falling for him and chasing him and running away from him when his feelings became too overwhelming, Shinkai was finally with the person he loved.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai tried again, his voice cracking with effort.

Arakita was on him in an instant. Without a second’s hesitation, familiar arms wrapped around Shinkai’s waist and held him close, inviting warmth and comfort and love to the shaken redhead. Shinkai tried to speak again, but his words were obstructed by a choked sob. He weakly wrapped his arms around Arakita’s shoulders and buried his face into the crook of his neck; feebly attempting to tell the raven haired engineer he had met on accident months ago how happy he was that they were together.

“Yasutomo, I love you so much,” Shinkai sobbed, unable to put his feelings into words.

Love was too simple a word to describe the warmth blossoming in Shinkai’s chest and the tears of joy pouring out of his eyes.

Arakita Yasutomo had been the first person to ever make him feel this way.

Shinkai was finally with someone who wasn’t afraid to call him out when he was being a moron while simultaneously making him feel like the most important person in the world. Yasutomo had taken care of Shinkai in the most unexpected of ways —whether it be through texts or touches or tough words. He peppered Shinkai with small displays of affection and never once demanded anything in return. Despite his crude front, Yasutomo was easy to get along with, and had been since the first time they met. He had opened Shinkai’s inadequate circle of friends into something much larger, and had effortlessly acquainted himself with the people Shinkai held near and dear. He brought excitement and joy to Shinkai’s life while enveloping him with a sense of amenity and safety that the redhead had never once in his life experienced before.

And now Shinkai could selfishly accept all of Arakita’s love by holding the title of his boyfriend.

Arakita let Shinkai gracelessly sob into his shoulder as he held him close, whispering soft words of affection like “why are you crying when nothing’s changed?” and “you’re getting snot on my shirt,” until Shinkai’s cries broke into hiccupped laughter.

“Holy shit Hayato, I had no idea this meant so much to you,” Arakita muttered after a few minutes.

Shinkai hiccupped every so often until his sobs had subsided and his eyes had dried. The biologist rested his chin on Arakita’s wet shoulder as he wiped away his tear-stained cheeks with the back of his hand, refusing to speak until his breathing evened out.

“I’m being ridiculous; I know,” Shinkai laughed meekly as he let his arms slide off the other’s shoulders so that he could clutch his collar instead.

“No, that’s not—”

Shinkai blinked at the sound of Arakita’s voice breaking. He slowly removed himself from the other’s shoulder and backed away slightly, wanting to read the other’s expression. Despite the darkness of the night sky, the lamppost shining over the two highlighted Arakita’s glistening dark eyes looking back at his sunken blue ones.

“I never thought I’d be this happy being called someone’s boyfriend again,” he admitted sheepishly.

In spite of blinking rapidly, a single tear rolled down Arakita’s cheek and onto the corner of his mouth, which had been stretched into a sad smile. Shinkai didn’t hesitate as he cupped the other’s face and kissed the tear drop away.

“Yasutomo…” but Shinkai didn’t continue his sentence. His body moved on its own as he pressed his lips firmly against Arakita’s.

Three chaste kisses were about as far as Shinkai got before his body burned for more contact. With practiced ease, Shinkai licked the engineer’s lips until they parted, allowing for a more intimate kiss. “I love you,” he managed to murmur right as Arakita’s tongue darted between their mouths. Shinkai tilted his head to the side as they simultaneously licked each other’s mouths, both fighting for dominance that neither truly cared to have.

Although their tongues twisted and turned around each other with similar enthusiasm, it was Arakita who was able to draw out a moan from Shinkai. His hand had furtively trailed up Shinkai’s body until it took purchase of and squeezed the back of his neck, causing a tremor of arousal to shoot down the redhead’s spine.

Shinkai felt himself melt against Arakita and heat pool to his stomach as they continued to kiss each other passionately, his mind going blank as the seconds stretched on to minutes.

“Fuck,” Arakita hissed as the two backed away a fraction to catch their breaths, panting hot air against each other’s mouths. “Let’s go home Hayato.”

Shinkai grinned widely at his boyfriend.

“Let’s.”

***

“Yasutomo wait!” Shinkai called right as Arakita’s hand hovered over his apartment’s door knob. “Wait, wait. What do I say to everyone?”

“You’ll figure it out,” Arakita shrugged as he pushed the key in and unlocked the front door.

Shinkai latched on to Arakita’s free hand for dear life as they stepped into the flat once again. The two silently took off their shoes and listened in on the sounds reverberating through the small hall. The TV was on, and judging by the distant sounds of screaming overpowered by Yuuto, Emi and Natsuki’s laughter, Shinkai guessed that they were watching a game show of sorts. There seemed to have been two different conversations occurring simultaneously, one being relatively closer to the front door while the other was muffled in the living room.

“Are you ready?” Arakita whispered as he gave Shinkai’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

Steeling himself for a bombardment of questions, Shinkai nodded confidently at Arakita and let the other lead. As they took a few tentative steps closer towards their friends, Shinkai instinctively loosened his grip on the engineer’s hand. Arakita spun to look at Shinkai with an eyebrow cocked and a fiendish smile plastered across his face. He tightened his grip and grinned amusingly at the redhead, silently reminding Shinkai that they didn’t need to hold back anymore.

Right. We’re together now.

“Arakita, Shinkai! You’re back,” Kinjou greeted, smiling at the two.

He and Makishima had been sitting at the island discussing God knows what when Arakita and Shinkai approached them.

“Hey,” Arakita greeted back as he pulled Shinkai to stand beside him.

“Sorry about earlier,” Shinkai apologized as he bowed slightly at the two before him.

“Are you feeling better now?” Kinjou asked Shinkai, his green eyes showing nothing but kindness and concern.

“A lot better,” Shinkai admitted as he gave Arakita’s friend a small smile. “Sorry for making you worry.”

“And are things cleared up between you two?” Makishima added, his unwavering gaze meeting Arakita’s.

“Crystal,” Arakita confirmed, giving the two seated at the island a curt nod before turning to Shinkai. “See? That wasn’t too bad!”

“Shingo and Yuusuke-kun are like level 1 in terms of difficulty.”

“Hey now,” Kinjou warned, but Shinkai wasn’t listening.

“Jinpachi is about level 50 and Yuuto is the fucking boss battle!” Shinkai hissed at his boyfriend, who was looking at him like he was speaking a language other than Japanese.

“Should we recruit a medic to our party before we —”

“Now’s not the time for bad jokes Yasutomo!” Shinkai chided the other as he peeked towards the direction of the living room, worried someone would walk into the kitchen at any given moment.

“Is Shinkai okay?” Makishima asked as Shinkai comically tiptoed towards the living room entrance and crouched slightly behind the wall looking into the open space.

“He’s just obnoxious when he’s nervous,” Arakita answered the other before joining Shinkai by the wall.

Shinkai stared into the room with a gaping mouth, completely dumbfounded by what he saw.

“What the absolute fuck am I looking at right now?” Arakita whispered in awe as he placed his hands on Shinkai’s shoulders.

Shinkai shrugged against the other’s warm grasp as he observed the sight before him. The first noticeable observation was that all five guests were sitting on the floor, three of which had their backs against the couch. The next observation was a lot more peculiar. Natsuki was sitting in front of Yuuto while Emi sat in front of Fukutomi, both of which were casually watching TV while the two larger individuals…

“Are they braiding your sisters’ hair?” Shinkai hissed in confusion.

Toudou sat beside Yuuto, instructing something to the other that seemed lost to Fukutomi. The large blond leaned over and watched Yuuto intently as they twisted a lock of Natsuki’s hair a certain way, attempting to mimic the action with Emi’s shorter locks.

“I guess?” Arakita croaked, sounding just as confused.

Shinkai felt some shuffling behind him, followed by Arakita’s phone sneaking it’s way under his arm. Shinkai observed the device’s camera app being selected and his friends and family coming into focus on the screen. A dull click followed by a painfully blinding flash reflected throughout the large space, and five heads simultaneously snapped towards the two university students peeking into the room.

“I’m so dead,” Shinkai whispered hoarsely, seeing red in Yuuto’s eyes.

“HAYATOOOOOOOOOOOO.”

“Shi—”

Shinkai spun out of Arakita’s grasp in an attempt to run away from his screaming sibling, who had jumped to their feet and leapt over Natsuki so that they could chase after Shinkai.

“Yuuto, wait!” Shinkai called as he ran around the island to stand behind Kinjou. “I can explain!”

“CAN you?!” They screamed as they stalked closer to Shinkai until the two only had a table between them.

“Okay, let’s relax.” Kinjou voiced as he held out his hands in front of him as if to stop an animal about to pounce.

Yuuto frowned and opened their mouth to say something, but Arakita firmly placed a hand on their shoulder to shut them up.

“So? What happened? Are the misunderstandings cleared? Did Shinkai finally confe—”

Shinkai glanced to the side to see Jinpachi entering the kitchen from the living room with everyone else following close behind. Shinkai was grateful that Juichi had elbowed Toudou in the arm to cut him off, but now everybody was staring at him in silence, expecting some sort of proper explanation.

“Sorry about earlier,” Shinkai began, instinctively smiling despite feeling rather nervous under everyone’s scrutiny. “I’m sure Jinpachi’s already explained what happened—”

“I haven’t!” Toudou claimed proudly as he placed his hands on his hips. Shinkai inwardly growled at the declaration. Leave it to Jinpachi to keep his mouth shut the one time I’d prefer it open.

“Oh-kaay. Where do I begin?” Shinkai mused as he scratched his chin nervously.

“Maybe give them a small summary of how messed up your thought process works,” Arakita suggested as he leaned heavily on his forearm, which was placed on Yuuto’s shoulder.

“Basically I’ve wanted to confess to Yasutomo for a while now but whenever I found the perfect opportunity to do it, something or someone would get in my way,” Shinkai explained bashfully. He could feel his cheeks burn as he tried to disclose his situation without making himself sound stupid beyond belief. The fact that he was talking about his feelings to a rather impressive group of people made him want to crawl into the kitchen, step into the fridge and never come out, but he continued to speak regardless. “Even though it seemed like Yasutomo liked me—”

“Seemed like?” Arakita sputtered.

“—I didn’t want to assume anything, so I convinced myself that I needed to properly tell him how I felt,” Shinkai continued despite Arakita’s interruption. “The only problem was, as more time went by, the more unsure I got; which resulted in me needing more time to think.”

“A.K.A running away!” Yuuto exclaimed as they pointed an accusatory finger at their brother.

“Like a Daphnia under stressful conditions,” Shinkai agreed while nodding his head solemnly.

“A what?” Toudou hissed angrily.

“It’s a water flea,” Fukutomi stated simply.

“Without dumping my guts, of course,” Shinkai continued.

“The fuck? Was that a jibe at me?” Arakita demanded in shock.

“No, that’s what they do in fight or flight situations,” Fukutomi noted.

Shinkai nodded enthusiastically at his friend, glad somebody understood his references.

“He’s doing it again! He’s using science to confuse us!” Yuuto shouted in anger.

“I’m not!” Shinkai laughed, mostly because the look of confusion sprawled across Yasutomo’s face was incredibly adorable. Maybe one day he’d sneak the other into one of his labs so they could look at the biology department’s microscopic water bugs together. That’s not very romantic though, is it?

“Hold on, what? That’s it? You were just confused and ran away?” Toudou demanded, his piercing gaze holding Shinkai rooted to the spot.

“I guess?” Shinkai croaked, feeling bad for his boyfriend once again. “I tend to go quiet when I’m unsure about something,” Shinkai admitted sheepishly. He noticed Yuuto and Arakita exchanged a knowing glance from the corner of his eye, and he was glad that the two seemed to understand where he was coming from.

“Well, its fine now right?” Makishima asked, cutting off everyone’s thoughts. “You two are together now?”

“We are,” Shinkai breathed, feeling his stomach flip and his chest grow warm.

“Then that’s that!” Toudou smiled happily. “Congratulations.”

Shinkai felt his face burn as everyone else congratulated them, and he looked over to see that Arakita wasn’t fairing any better. The engineer’s face was scarlet and his scowl was impressive.

“Hold on!” He screamed suddenly, cutting off the cheering and howling that flooded his dinner table. “That’s not that! Didn’t you guys hear Shinkai?”

Everyone looked at Arakita in confusion, including Shinkai himself.

“Whenever we tried being together, something or someone would get in our way; sometimes a lot of someones.”

“What are you trying to say Arakita?” Kinjou asked curiously.

Shinkai bit his lip in an attempt to keep himself from smiling.

“I’m saying get the fuck outta my house! I don’t care if it’s a Friday night, its midnight and way past this baby’s curfew,” Arakita claimed as he pointed at Emi, who probably would have shrieked at her brother had not it been for Natsuki covering her mouth with practised ease. “Take the party over to Kin-chan’s place! I want to be alone with my boyfriend!”

“I don’t mind,” Kinjou laughed as he sat up from his seat. “Although sleeping quarters might be a little tight.”

“Can we come over too?” Emi asked curiously once her older sister stopped covering her mouth.

“You’re going home,” Arakita demanded as he walked over to his sisters.

“Alone?” Natsuki asked while raising an eyebrow. “I’m seventeen but I don’t think I can take care of this ten year old on my own.”

“I’m… almost thirteen.”

“A toddler, basically,” Arakita commented somberly.

“I don’t see a problem with them staying over for the night,” Kinjou commented when Arakita couldn’t answer his sister’s question. Shinkai squeezed his hand, understanding that Yasutomo didn’t want his younger sisters going home alone into a presumably empty house, especially when his parents had asked that he take care of them.

“Yasutomo let your sisters stay. I’m not going anywhere either,” Shinkai promised, his words only making the other’s frown deepen. Sensing his distress, Shinkai excused them both and tugged Arakita’s hand toward the direction of the front door. He dragged Arakita away from the group and into the hallway until they were out comfortably of hearing range.

“To be honest Yasutomo, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Shinkai admitted as he held Arakita’s hands. “I’m most likely going to pass out the second I lie down, so if you’re worried about your sisters overhearing something, all they’re going to catch are my snores.”

“You stress over the dumbest things,” Arakita muttered as he squeezed Shinkai’s hands in his. “You were up until 4 AM last night weren’t you?”

“More or less.”

“Moron,” Arakita huffed as he stared down the hall towards the direction of the kitchen. “So I should just let everyone stay?”

“It’s up to you. But if you don’t trust your sisters staying over at Shingo-kun’s place, I’d rather they stay here.”

“I trust Kin-chan with my life. It’s him I’m worry about if I let my sisters go.”

Shinkai laughed as he imagined their excitable younger siblings running amok in the smaller apartment complex.

“So… is the idea of sex completely off the table tonight?” The raven asked as he let go of Shinkai’s hands to hold the redhead’s waist instead.

“N-not completely,” Shinkai admitted to the other. Now that they had become sexually active, Shinkai couldn’t imagine a day without feeling the other’s warmth against him.

Arakita scrutinized Shinkai for a moment, apparently deep in thought before nodding silently to himself.

“I’m kicking them out,” he concluded. Shinkai chuckled at the declaration and followed his boyfriend back into the kitchen. So the desire for sex had won over his friends and family. Not that Shinkai could blame him. He assumed Yasutomo wanted them to be alone for this very reason, and now that the thought of sex was at the forefront of his mind, he couldn’t help but agree with the decision. He was exhausted from the sleepless night, yes, but he could sleep in as much as he wanted the next day. Due to past circumstances, he worked extremely part time at the small pet shop near his home, and his boss had given him exam time off so he could study. He had nowhere to be tomorrow, so staying up one more night didn’t seem like too bad of an idea.

“Emi, if you go to Kin-chan’s do you promise you’ll behave?”

“I promise!” She repeated in a serious tone as short strands of her hair fell out of the poorly done braid and curtained the sides of her face cutely. “I’ll go to sleep right away.”

“So have you made your decision? Because she’s passing out and I need to know whether I’m carrying her home or not,” Natsuki inquired while holding her little sister’s shoulders.

Shinkai could tell that Emi was tired given how her eyes squinted under the bright kitchen light and how her head lolled slightly to the side as she waited for the adults to come to a decision.

“You can go with them,” Arakita sighed as he looked over at Kinjou to give him a grateful nod.

“Does that mean Jinpachi and Yuusuke-kun have to take their belongings back?” Shinkai asked, feeling bad for making his friends run back and forth between apartments.

“About that,” Makishima sighed as he stood up from his seat to look at Arakita. “We don’t actually need a place to stay anymore.”

“Come again?”

“I booked our flight a week early so that I could propose without our meddlesome families getting in the way.”

“Seriously? If you knew you were coming early why didn’t you call us ahead of time?” Shinkai asked, taken aback by Makishima’s confession.

“If I had a place prepared for us to go, Jinpachi would have caught on and ruined his own surprise,” Makishima explained as he combed his bangs with his slim fingers. “Sorry,” he added after a beat. “Jinpachi is just too perceptive for his own good sometimes.”

“So are you two are going home now?” Shinkai asked as the group started migrating towards the front door.

“Well it’s only fair we impose on Kinjou for one night before heading back,” Makishima answered as he playfully punched his friend in the shoulder.

With that, everyone began packing their things and putting on their shoes, ready to give Arakita and Shinkai the peace and quiet they had asked for.

“Yuuto,” Shinkai called quietly when he noticed everyone distractedly helping Toudou and Makishima slowly get their things out of the doorway. “Are you still pissed at me?”

“I’m not pissed,” Yuuto assured their big brother with a huff. “Just upset.”

Shinkai frowned, unsure of what to say. He knew he had worried Yuuto the night before when he came home without saying a word, and again tonight when he had left so suddenly.

“You need to stop thinking so much,” Yuuto continued when Shinkai didn’t say anything.

“That’s not usually what you’d want to tell a person.”

“You know what I mean!” Yuuto hissed in aggravation despite their lips twitching upwards momentarily. “I hate that you keep things to yourself and let them eat away at you until you’re sad or angry. At least you didn’t end up punching Arakita-san like last time,” they muttered quietly so that only Shinkai could hear them.

Shinkai’s frown returned at their sibling’s truthful comment. “Sorry for making you stress.”

“Just tell one of us what’s bothering you next time. Hayato seriously, if I knew you weren’t with Arakita-san, I would have made you guys clear things up in an instant.”

“I’ll be more open with my thoughts,” Shinkai promised despite a part of him knowing it wasn’t as simple as Yuuto made it seem.

Yuuto must have sensed their brother’s thoughts, because the younger Shinkai straightened their posture and turned to look at Hayato while in the midst of putting on their shoe.

“Hey, just out of curiosity,” they began hesitantly while forcing the heel of their foot into the sneaker. “If I hadn’t asked Arakita-san for help with physics the other day when he came over, would you have spoken to him about it then?”

“Probably,” Shinkai admitted.

“I had no idea I was getting in the way,” Yuuto mumbled more to themself than their brother. “Hey, how about on the day of your fight? After punching the shit out of each other you still ended up going out to eat together. Would you have confessed to him then?”

Shinkai hummed in thought as he shuffled through his duffle bag, which was still sitting behind the door for some odd reason. He handed a power bar to Yuuto while he mulled over the question. Would he have confessed to Yasutomo if Yuuto and Natsuki hadn’t shown up when they did?

“Probably,” Shinkai repeated, realizing that, yes, he would have confessed to Yasutomo had he been given the opportunity. Yasutomo had opened his eyes with how he was treating Yuuto that day. They had shared their first kiss that day. Shinkai had run home to Skype call Toudou that day, admitting to the other that he liked the loud engineer. If he had lunch alone with Yasutomo for that hour without Yuuto and Natsuki popping up out of nowhere, he might have reached out to the other right then and there.

“Well shit, sorry bro.” Yuuto apologized regretfully.

“It’s fine,” Shinkai laughed as he ruffled Yuuto’s hair. “Now get going, everyone’s waiting for you.”

Yuuto nodded and headed out the door to join the group waiting outside.

Shinkai follow suit, only to pause at the site before him.

“Hop on,” Fukutomi insisted to the person behind him, who Shinkai glanced over to see was an extremely sleepy looking Emi.

Shinkai watched as Fukutomi bent his knees slightly and held his arms straight out behind him. Without needing any further prodding, Emi wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let the tall university student lift her into a piggyback ride.

“Fuku-chan you don’t have to carry her,” Arakita commented while scowling at the two.

“But I’m tired,” Emi whined as Fukutomi hoisted her further up while correcting his stance.

“It’s fine Arakita. She’s light,” Fukutomi assured him with a serious nod.

Shinkai snuck beside Arakita and elbowed him lightly, sensing the raven’s distress. “I know you want to take a picture,” Shinkai whispered mischievously when Arakita turned to look at him.

The engineer opened his mouth as if to argue something, but then shut it tightly once again.

Bingo. Shinkai had guessed correctly.

“I’ll distract them,” Shinkai muttered as he gave the other’s shoulder a hefty pat. “Make sure you turn off your flash this time.”

Without saying a word, Arakita nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Shinkai grinned as he cleared his throat to address the group.

“Maybe we should get going huh? We don’t want to disturb the neighbours,” Shinkai suggested politely.

Toudou gave him a look that said you don’t actually care about the neighbours one bit, but nodded regardless. He and Makishima took purchase of their luggage and began leading the group down the hall towards the elevator.

“Giddy up,” Kinjou muttered to Fukutomi while shamelessly smacking his boyfriend’s ass in front of Shinkai and Arakita.

Arakita hastily snapped a photo of Fukutomi’s side profile as the blond turned to sputter something unintelligible to Kinjou.

“Look,” Arakita whispered as he held his phone out for Shinkai.

Shinkai hummed as he inspected the picture. Arakita had caught his sister peacefully asleep on Fukutomi’s shoulder despite the youngest Arakita being awake mere minutes ago. She looked extremely content letting someone else carry her, and Shinkai couldn’t help but feel a little jealous as his own exhaustion crept up on him while he regarded the photo.

“We’ll see you guys soon,” Toudou promised as he stepped into the elevator. “I’ll text you the plans for Maki-chan’s birthday!”

Shinkai returned Arakita’s phone and hastily pushed into the elevator to hug Toudou tightly.

“Sorry about causing you so much trouble Jinpachi,” Shinkai mumbled to the other as he held him close.

“Shut up! Don’t apologize for nothing Shinkai!” Toudou scolded the redhead as he patted his back reassuringly. “We’ll see you soon okay? I still haven’t asked you how you’re doing in school and stuff.”

“I thought it was a known fact that school was slowly killing me,” Shinkai chuckled as he separated from their embrace and stepped out of the elevator.

“Yeah well, don’t die before your own birthday,” Toudou laughed as he waved goodbye.

Shinkai waved weakly at his friends and Yuuto until the elevator door closed shut, and he held back from exhaling loudly once the hallway turned silent from the sudden lack of chatter. He stood and stared at the numbers hovering over the door as it counted down from 4 to 1 before turning to regard Yasutomo.

“Wanna head back?” Arakita asked softly.

Shinkai nodded and held out his hand for his boyfriend. Arakita smiled at him as he gingerly placed his hand in Shinkai’s and intertwined their fingers.

“So, today was an exciting day,” Shinkai commented as the two slowly made their way back to Arakita’s apartment.

“This entire week was fucking mess,” Arakita corrected as he opened the door and pulled Shinkai in behind him.

The two glanced at each other for a beat before simultaneously falling into each other’s arms.

“I love you. I love you so much Yasutomo,” Shinkai murmured as he firmly planted kisses along Arakita’s jaw and across his cheek.

He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders and nibbled on his skin while the other pushed him against the door. Shinkai let Arakita’s warm hand guide his face away from his cheek so that they could press their lips together eagerly. The two kissed against the door for some time —neither willing to breakaway long enough to suggest doing something else. Arakita’s hands had slid around Shinkai’s backside to cup his ass tenaciously while Shinkai’s hands did the same to him. Shinkai’s eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head to the side and squeezed Arakita’s ass, distracted by the reaction it had elicited. Arakita inhaled breathily as he mirrored Shinkai’s actions and squeezed his cheeks, and the raven quietly muttered “oh no you don’t” as he gave Shinkai’s ass a loving smack.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai mumbled against Arakita’s lips. “Can I top again?”

“Mmmm no.” Arakita responded straight away, his immediate reply defeating the purpose of his thoughtful hum.

“Aww, why not?”

“It’s just not my thing,” Arakita grumbled as he finally separated himself from Shinkai and pulled him towards the bedroom.

“But you rode me so well last time.”

“So you admit I still topped you in that situation?” Arakita grinned as he tugged the hem of Shinkai’s shirt upward.

Shinkai lifted his arms for the other and allowed Arakita to strip him.

“I admit you were bouncing on my dick like your life depended on it.”

Shinkai didn’t have time to dodge his t-shirt as it was whipped across his stomach with surprising force.

“Take off your fucking pants Hayato,” Arakita muttered as he squeezed Shinkai’s tummy between his fingers.

Shinkai’s face heated up in both embarrassment and arousal as he forced Arakita’s hands away from his pudge.

“You’re the worst,” Shinkai huffed as he stripped away the rest of his clothes and sat on Arakita’s bed, truthfully uncaring for which position he’d get to perform during intercourse. The only thing that mattered to Shinkai was that he was with Yasutomo.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” Arakita stated matter-of-factly as he threw his clothes carelessly on the floor beneath him.

Shinkai laughed as he lay down on his back and stared up at the very familiar ceiling of his boyfriend’s bedroom, feeling his chest burn in fondness and yearning.

“Obviously.”

Chapter Text

Arakita hastily stepped out of his clothes at the site of Shinkai’s naked body sitting on the edge of his bed. He felt dazed as the other lied along his mattress comfortably while admitting that he loved him. It still hadn’t sunk in yet. Shinkai Hayato was his boyfriend, but for some reason his brain seemed unable to do anything with that information. He was happy —he knew that much; but this sort of happiness felt foreign to him. It encompassed his entire being and burned within the fibers of his muscles. It felt as if he had internal goose bumps peppering the walls of his skin, invisible to outsiders but there nonetheless.

Instead of grabbing the supplies, Arakita gently crawled over Shinkai until he was lying on top.

“You forgot a few things Yasutomo,” Shinkai chuckled while smiling up at him.

Arakita didn’t respond as he tugged his arms under Shinkai’s back and buried his face into the crook of the other’s neck. The redhead’s skin was warm against his. Arakita breathed slowly until his heart beat matched in rhythm with his boyfriend’s. The two lay in each other’s arms silently until Shinkai spoke up again.

“I should call my mom…”

“Uhh—” Was it necessary to tell her now? They had barely gotten together hadn’t they? Besides, it was rather late and—

“And ask her to look after Usakichi for me,” Shinkai continued as he rubbed Arakita’s back soothingly. “You know, since Yuuto’s not home to do it.”

Arakita propped himself up so that he could glimpse down at the other in his dimly lit bedroom. The light from the hallway and kitchen shined through the open door and brightened the small space enough for him to see the detailed outlines of Shinkai’s silhouette. His eyes scanned over his boyfriend, noting how his hair was messily sprawled across his pillow; the reddish-brown and blue strands curled in every which way, some of which had fallen over the bridge of his nose and some of which invaded the corner of his eye. Arakita gently moved the pesky strands away as he looked down at the other, unable to ignore how Shinkai’s eyelids seemed to droop more than usual.

He’s tired.

“I’m sure Yuuto called her already,” Arakita mumbled as he kissed Shinkai’s eyelid.

He’s tired and worrying about his little bunny. Arakita huffed as he tilted Shinkai’s head to the side so he could kiss his cheek. And for the last few hours, he was worrying about us.

Arakita’s lips trailed Shinkai’s jaw line on their descent to his neck.

And on top of worrying about us, he was worrying about school. Arakita kissed the neck a little sloppily, finding it difficult to hold himself back from trying to leave a mark. His body had become accustomed to nibbling and biting Hayato’s skin —not the gentle kisses he was peppering him with right now. He worried about Toudou finding a place to sleep, and earlier about Yuuto getting into a fight at school.

Shit. Just how much longer was this moron going to let his worries eat away at him before he had a stress induced breakdown?

Arakita lovingly grazed Shinkai’s collar bone with his lips, the act causing the other to sigh blissfully —and then yawn a moment after, exhaustedly.

Arakita’s heart ached at the sound. Instead of dragging his hand across the other’s thigh like he had initially planned to do, he scooted off the Shinkai’s torso until they were lying closely beside each other; Arakita still on his stomach and Shinkai on his back.

Shinkai made a sound of confusion at the sudden lack of contact. Arakita chuckled as he reached forward and pinched his nose before letting go to grab his blanket instead.

“Uhh, Yasutomo weren’t we gonna…?”

Arakita draped the blanket over them both while hissing “shhhhh” until he connected their lips together. Shinkai burst into laughter at the sensation of Arakita hissing into his mouth, and he pushed the raven aside a moment after when he refused to stop.

“Yasutomo, seriously though. Why aren’t y—”

“SHHHHH,” Arakita demanded as he hissed hot air into Shinkai’s mouth once again.

Shinkai forced his fingers between their mouths to stop Arakita’s invasiveness. Arakita pulled the blanket over his shoulder as he looked down at the other, noting how Shinkai’s cheeks stretched upwards and how his eyes crinkled joyfully. Even though the redhead was covering his mouth with both hands, it was easy to see how he was beaming.

I love you.

Arakita leaned down to give the back of Shinkai’s hand a kiss, realizing that he had thought the confession instead of saying it out loud. I really need to work on that.

“I love you,” Arakita repeated, this time out loud for the other to hear. He leaned forward so that the blanket covered them both, and he resumed his position of lying beside the other.

Shinkai’s hands had ascended to cover the entirety of his face as he mumbled his feelings back, his voice muffled behind his palms.

Arakita melted at the sight.

“You should sleep,” Arakita instructed as he shifted closer to rest his head on Shinkai’s chest. His previous act of kicking everyone out might have implied that they wanted to have sex, but in all honestly, he just wanted to be alone with Hayato. He didn’t care how they spent their time together, he was just happy that they were able to acquire some peace and quiet.

“Are you just saying that to cover up the fact that your dick is soft?”

“It’s no— I’m not— Fuck you!” Arakita sputtered shamefully.

“It’s okay,” Shinkai laughed as he wrapped his arms around Arakita’s back and held him close. “I don’t think I’m any better off.”

Arakita shamelessly rubbed his thigh between the other’s legs and smirked against his chest as he confirmed that both their dicks were indeed, flaccid.

“We’re both exhausted, huh?”

“This entire week was a fucking mess,” Shinkai chuckled, repeating Arakita’s words from earlier that day.

Arakita hummed in agreement as he reached out to grab Shinkai’s hand. He grasped it firmly and pulled it towards his chest, holding it close.

“Goodnight Hayato,” Arakita murmured softly to the other.

“Goodnight Yasutomo.”

***

Arakita woke up to the sensation of something moving beneath him. He inhaled sharply as his senses returned to him and alerted him that some was rolling him onto his back. He groaned at being jolted awake so suddenly, but couldn’t find the strength to open his eyes. Moments later, he became aware that it was Hayato who had crawled out from under his grasp in an attempt to go to the bathroom, and he made a mental note to berate the other for carelessly waking him when it still felt too early in the day.

Arakita rolled onto his stomach and hugged his pillow tightly, missing his boyfriend’s warmth. He listened intently to the sounds of shuffling outside his room, followed by the soft click of his bathroom door shutting. Moments later, the sound of his shower turning on and the steady stream of water hitting the floor of his bathtub roused Arakita out of his drowsiness. He sat up and rubbed his eyes until his surroundings came into focus.

What time is it? Arakita pondered as he surveyed the floor of his room for his clothes. He had left his phone in his pocket but finding it seemed too troublesome, so he did what any rational thinker would do next in his situation —he’d ask someone.

Arakita twisted the unlocked knob of his bathroom door, waltzed into the room and pulled aside the shower curtain as he stepped into the bathtub.

“G-good morning to you too Yasutomo,” Shinkai sputtered as he jumped at the figure seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“What time is it?” Arakita asked as he wrapped his arms around Shinkai and kissed the small of his back.

“It’s around 12:30,” Shinkai answered as he resumed washing the soap off his chest, his soft chuckle causing his back to shake against Arakita’s lips.

Arakita hummed as he held the redhead close. Shinkai’s skin was slippery from the soap and warm from the temperate water.

“So we missed breakfast?”

“Yeah, both of them,” Shinkai answered seriously.

Arakita scoffed as he pulled away from the other. Where he was sleepy and unresponsive the night before, he was wide awake and very sensitive to the other now.

“Move over,” Arakita demanded as he gently pushed Shinkai aside to stand in front of the shower head. He turned off the faucet and stepped out of the bathtub, happy to see that Shinkai didn’t complain about him disrupting his shower. Arakita reached for the towel and dried himself off before handing it to the redhead, who had also stepped out of the bath to mimic his actions.

“I need a haircut,” Shinkai mentioned as he toweled his damp hair.

Arakita snorted as he walked towards the sink to reach for his toothbrush.

“Just don’t pull a Kin-chan,” he commented when his boyfriend held the messy clumps of hair in both his hands and presented the image of him sporting two pigtails. Arakita bit back a smile at the site in front of him as he got to work brushing his teeth. He would have deemed the action really cute had it not been for the other’s distracting body. When Shinkai stood with his perfect posture, his jutting hipbones outlined a rather flat stomach that lead up to perfectly conditioned pecs. Arakita loved Shinkai’s pudge, but holding the knowledge that beneath his stomach used to be hard muscle turned him on to no end. Regardless, Shinkai had an athletic build, rock hard abs or not.

“Yasutomo, you’re staring at me again,” Shinkai noted slightly bashfully.

“I’d be doing a lot more than staring if you’d hurried your ass up and finished drying your hair,” Arakita responded automatically after spitting and washing the toothpaste suds from his mouth.

“Does this turn you on?” Shinkai mocked as he did a horrible attempt at posing like a body builder. His arms were toned, that much Arakita already knew, but seeing the other intentionally flex did a number on his own body. Shinkai’s biceps bounced as he deliberately worked the muscle in different poses —the shadows casted along the smooth skin making him seem much more swollen then he probably was. Probably.

“The only thing turning me on is seeing the impact last night’s dinner had on you,” Arakita teased as he nodded his head towards Shinkai’s body and let his eyes fall below the other’s chest. Shinkai straightened his posture once more and let out a huff of embarrassment as he covered his stomach.

Arakita laughed at his boyfriend. Where most people would cover their privates when caught in the nude, Shinkai covered his belly. It was endearing to see, and although Arakita tried to keep a cool demeanor, he knew his self-restraint was wavering with every passing second. Shit. Hayato was a dork, which was adorable, but also totally hot, which was arousing as fuck.

“The second exams are done; I’m going to the gym every day.”

“I should join you,” Arakita commented as he leaned against the bathroom door and extended his hand out for the other.

“You don’t need to lose weight Yasutomo,” Shinkai chuckled as he instinctively stepped forward to take his boyfriend’s hand in his own.

“There’s no harm in weight training or increasing my stamina,” Arakita commented sheepishly as he pulled Shinkai into his arms. “You know, I still get really fucking lightheaded running up to your locker.”

“Yasutomooooo,” Shinkai whined as he wrapped his arms around Arakita’s head and forced his face into his chest. “That’s adorableeeeee.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Arakita laughed as he tried to push himself free from the other’s suffocating cleavage. When that didn’t work, Arakita dragged his hands around to squeeze Shinkai’s exposed ass, rejoicing in the reaction it had elicited.

Shinkai jumped at the sensation of Arakita kneading his butt, and he let go of the raven’s head during his moment of weakness. Arakita successfully separated himself from the other and laughed in his face, only to pull Shinkai close once again.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai whispered softly to the other. He had clutched Arakita’s shoulders with an iron grip as his boyfriend continued to squeeze his ass tenaciously. “Let’s make up for last night.”

That declaration in itself was enough to get the blood rushing to Arakita’s lower regions.

“Yeah,” Arakita managed to say before he clumsily pressed his lips against Shinkai’s.

The two awkwardly tried teasing each other’s mouths open to deepen the kiss, too impatient to act shy and reserved when the action failed. Shinkai backed away slightly to laugh, and Arakita planted a kiss on his shoulder to hide his grin. There was no class to attend to and no friends to worry about dropping in unannounced. They could be as enthusiastic and passionate and as fucking sloppy as they wanted to be knowing that they had the entire day to themselves.

Arakita leaned forward again, and lightly pressed his lips against his boyfriend’s. Besides clutching his ass, Arakita remained unmoving, silently telling the other that he could lead the kiss. Understanding the raven’s cue, Shinkai slid his tongue along Arakita’s lower lip and forced his mouth open.

“Yasutomo, you’re so hot,” Shinkai muttered as he bit Arakita’s lower lip and tugged it gently. Arakita held back a moan at the sensation of being bitten. His lip ached at the teasing and would most certainly swell after things had cooled down, but Arakita didn’t mind. In fact, he wanted more. Slightly upset that the redhead wasn’t making out with him, Arakita opened his eyes, only to catch his boyfriend winking at him as he pulled at his lower lip even more. Arakita growled as he pushed forward in an attempt to kiss the other, despising that Shinkai was still holding his lower lip tightly between his teeth. In an act of retaliation, Arakita squeezed Shinkai’s ass and spread the cheeks open enough for him to slip a hand between the crack, and the raven watched as Shinkai’s eyes widened and his mouth parted at the sensation of the intruding fingers.

“Kiss me properly,” Arakita demanded as he teased Shinkai’s rim with his middle finger.

“Ah —alright, alright.” Shinkai panted as he nodded slightly. He leaned forward to kiss Arakita like he had been instructed, but the raven pulled back, completely enthralled by the redhead’s current state. He squeezed his finger harder against the puckered entrance, and watched as Shinkai screwed his eyes shut and tilted his head back at the sensation.

Fuck. He was so attractive. Arakita felt heat burn his chest and blood rush to his dick at the sight. Shit, shit. He wanted to fuck Hayato senseless. He wanted to pound his boyfriend against his mattress like never before.

Arakita gripped the other’s ass to pull him closer, and lined his growing erection with Shinkai’s once their bodies came into contact with each other. Shinkai wrapped his arms around Arakita’s shoulders and rolled his hips slowly, creating friction between their sensitive regions. Arakita moaned as he kissed Shinkai’s neck and dragged his arms up to claw at the other’s back, desperately yearning for more movement —longing for more heat.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai moaned as he let his head loll onto the raven’s shoulder. “Let’s —shit!”

Arakita grinned as Shinkai’s pleasurable moan evolved into a hiss. The engineer had removed an arm from his boyfriend’s back and snuck it between their bodies in order to give Hayato’s member a tentative pump, the action evoking a rather lewd noise from the other.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Arakita pestered as he teased the tip of Shinkai’s cock.

Shinkai moaned loudly into Arakita’s shoulder as he began shamelessly grinding against him with newfound vigor.

Arakita closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the doorframe as he concentrated on savouring the small sparks of pleasure coursing through his veins. Shinkai had slowed his pace to match the stroke of his hand, and neither chose to continue their previous conversation as they silently enjoyed the modest flares of bliss riling them up.

Arakita removed his hand from the other’s member so that he could rest it on the nape of Shinkai’s neck. The redhead’s movement stiffened as he waited in anticipation, but Arakita held back on tightening his grip the way he knew Shinkai liked it. Instead, he gently guided Shinkai closer to him so that they could reconnect their lips once more. Shinkai’s movement returned as their kiss deepened, and his rhythm lost its tempo as their tongues danced around each other passionately.

“Hayato,” Arakita panted as he separated himself from the other.

Shinkai hummed against the crook of his neck as he licked a stripe along the sweaty skin.

“Let’s move to the bedroom,” Arakita continued.

Shinkai hummed once more as his thick lips glided along the raven’s neck so that he could kiss his lower jaw.

“You know… today?”

Another hum. Shinkai seemed insistent on getting off in the bathroom, apparently.

Arakita tugged at the thick locks of hair at the back of Shinkai’s head in an attempt to pull the other away from his body, only to feel the other’s teeth sink into his skin.

“Hey, stop biting!” Arakita hissed, startled at the throbbing pain pulsing along the crook of his neck. “I know you’re hungry, but try an— Ow!”

Shinkai bit his neck again, and if Arakita wasn’t so turned on he would have berated the other for his exasperate behaviour. The raven rested his chin on Shinkai’s shoulder in defeat and combed the auburn locks with his fingers as he let Shinkai kiss and bite and suck his neck, uncaring for the marks his boyfriend would inevitably leave. Arakita understood where the kisses were coming from. He had peppered Hayato with plenty the night before.

“I love you,” Arakita whispered softly as he trailed his fingers along the protruding bones of Shinkai’s cervical vertebrae.

Shinkai’s kissing stopped at that.

“I love you too,” Shinkai murmured against the skin.

Arakita squeezed the back of Shinkai’s neck, and felt the other shudder against him.

“Okay,” Shinkai snapped as he separated from Arakita. “Let’s go.”

“Wow!” Arakita laughed as Shinkai grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him hastily out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. “You’re so fucking weak to that!”

“Shut up,” Shinkai grumbled as he pushed Arakita onto the bed.

Arakita guffawed discourteously as he watched Shinkai reach into his drawer for the lube and some condoms —a few condoms, in fact.

Arakita sat on his pillows and crossed his legs as Shinkai threw the packaging towards him. The row of condoms gracelessly hit him against the forehead before falling onto his lap, and Arakita barely had time to lean back against the headboard of his bed as the other crawled over him while laughing.

“Nice catch,” Shinkai taunted as he sat heavily on Arakita’s lap. The redhead kissed him lazily while caging him against the wall, cutting off the raven’s chance at making a rebuttal.

“Here,” Shinkai muttered against his mouth as he pushed something into Arakita’s stomach. The raven blindly grasped at the other’s hand while continuing to kiss him until the bottle of lube came into his possession. Without needing further encouragement, he opened the bottle and squeezed a generous amount onto his middle and ring finger.

Arakita placed the bottle aside and dragged his dry hand down Shinkai’s back until his palm reached the curve of his boyfriend’s ass. The redhead arched his back at the sensation and moaned obscenely when Arakita grasped his ass cheek and gave it a vigorous squeeze.

“You want it?” Arakita panted as he wrapped his other arm around Shinkai’s back while dragging his hand against the plump skin, making sure to leave a trail of the cold lube along his boyfriend’s ass crack in hopes of eliciting another moan.

“Yasutomo, none of this painful dirty talk, please.”

“That’s so fucking rude,” Arakita howled as he smacked Shinkai’s ass, unable to hold back his laughter. “Your dirty talk isn’t much better.”

“And yet your dick is always pointing to the sky,” Shinkai hummed merrily as he kissed Arakita’s nose.

This asshole. Was Hayato seriously acting all high and mighty while also being the one desperately sticking his ass in the air?

“You know what? I’m not even gonna argue this,” Arakita stated as he forced his hand between Shinkai’s ass cheeks and guided his slick middle finger along the other’s rim. Shinkai clutched Arakita’s shoulders forcefully as the raven began teasing his entrance. “Where the fuck did all the bravado go, huh?”

“What happen —nghed t-to not arguing th— shit!” Shinkai could barely get his words out as Arakita forced his finger past his sphincter.

It was Arakita’s turn to uselessly hum into his boyfriend’s neck. Shinkai felt hot on the inside, and Arakita had to rub the other’s ass cheek with his other hand distractedly in order to prevent himself from jacking off. The goal is to have sex, not cum before you’ve even started. It didn’t help that Shinkai had begun to grind against his finger indecently, causing his erection to brush against Arakita’s own.

Arakita gritted his teeth as he pulled his finger out. This position wasn’t efficient at all.

“Wha—”

“Turn around,” Arakita requested as he directed the other’s body off his lap. Shinkai obliged wordlessly as he lifted himself off his boyfriend, and Arakita held his breath as the redhead proceeded to turn around and resume sitting on his lap, the only difference being the direction he was facing. Shinkai pressed back and tilted his head sideways to kiss Arakita’s cheek before leaning forward to lie flat on his stomach. Arakita desperately grabbed the back of Shinkai’s thigh with one hand while holding his lubey hand up in the air pathetically. Shinkai’s erection was pressing against his calves and his luxurious ass was right under his nose.

Without entirely meaning to, Arakita bent down and bit Shinkai’s ass. The redhead yelped and comically crawled off the raven while simultaneously looking behind to glare at him.

Like a cat… Arakita mused as he grinned mischievously at the other.

“Yasutomo, be gentle there,” Shinkai chided while putting the majority of his upper body weight on his forearms.

“Exactly how gentle?” Arakita asked as he left his spot to approach the other. Shinkai’s hair was still damp from the shower and hung low, curtaining his eyes quite seductively. Unfortunately for Arakita, he had already been pushed past the threshold of aroused, and the sight merely caused what felt like a dull itch compared to the pulsating heat he was already feeling. He crawled across the bed to lie beside a frowning Shinkai, and kissed his eyelid lovingly when the other continued to scowl at him.

“Gentle.”

“That made things clearer, thank you.”

Shinkai looked away and buried his face into the blanket beneath him at that, and Arakita’s heart clenched knowing the other was hiding his smile. I wanna fuck him so bad.

“Okay, should we cut this bullshit out?”

“Yeah,” Shinkai responded quietly, his voice muffled by the bed.

Arakita kissed his shoulder before guiding the other around so that his head was lying on the right side of his bed.

“You might need a bit more lube Yasutomo,” Shinkai commented as he lay on his stomach and rested his cheek against Arakita’s pillow.

Arakita reached for the bottle without argument, and squeezed more of the lubricant onto his hand. He began working Shinkai open slowly, adding an extra finger only when the other was cursing at him for his slow pace. By the time the raven had three fingers in his boyfriend, Shinkai was squirming impatiently.

“Yasutomo, hurry up.”

“What happened to being gentle?”

“What happened to having sex?”

“Okay, good point.” Arakita tore a condom packet away from the others and ripped the seal open effortlessly. He rolled the protective latex over his member and pumped his cock in an attempt to cover it with the residual lube on his hand while Shinkai rolled onto his back.

It felt as if time had slowed down for Arakita as he grasped the crook of Shinkai’s knees and placed them over his shoulders. He carefully observed to sight before him in awe. Broad daylight had shone through his bedroom window and clarified any obscurities that might have hidden small details of Shinkai the night before. In that warm, sunny afternoon, Arakita’s could see the redness of Hayato’s skin completely enveloping the upper half of his body. Although he was used to seeing the red tinted cheeks that occasionally ascended to his ears, today was the first time Arakita was able to regard just how red Shinkai became when he was aroused. The other’s chest was scarlet beyond belief. The slight collar tan line he had developed between his neck and chest over the summer was surprisingly difficult to make out beneath the red, and even his shoulders seemed like they were more sunburnt than flushed. Shinkai gulped audibly under Arakita’s scrutiny, and the raven fought back a grin as he surveyed the other’s neck. It was just as red as Shinkai’s currently searing face, and was peppered with even darker marks along the sides from Arakita’s persistent nibbling.

“You’re burning daylight,” Shinkai hissed at his boyfriend, no doubt unaccustomed to being examined for such a prolonged period of time. Usually Arakita would check him out while they fucked, not before.

“And you’re burning,” Arakita replied teasingly as he leaned forward to kiss Shinkai’s reddened chest.

Shinkai chuckled at the comment, and Arakita felt his own body heat up at the sight of his boyfriend’s smile and the sensation of him vibrating beneath him. To be so casual and playful during sex was something he was unaccustomed to, and Arakita’s mouth went dry as he realized that he’d never have to deal with feeling self-conscious or uncomfortable ever again.

“You look amazing,” Arakita breathed affectionately. All barriers were down. He could say what he wanted to say to Hayato without constraint.

Shinkai’s blush somehow deepened at that, and though his smile didn’t waver, the redhead seemed unable to hold Arakita’s gaze.

“So do you Yasutomo,” he mumbled blithely as his smile broke into a toothy grin.

“Shut up,” Arakita croaked bashfully, unaccustomed to receiving such genuine compliments. In an act of petty revenge, Arakita reached out and—

“Don’t you dare.”

—squeezed Shinkai’s stomach. The other tried to push Arakita back with his legs, but the engineer was quick to drag his hand along Shinkai’s erection, ultimately stopping the other in this tracks.

“Fuck,” Shinkai sighed as Arakita pumped his cock. The raven watched intently as Hayato closed his eyes and relaxed into the pillow, his mouth parted in bliss. Arakita slowly removed his hand from Shinkai to grasp his own member, and guided it towards the entrance.

Arakita hissed in pleasure as he pushed the head of his cock through Shinkai’s puckered hole.

“Oh God,” Shinkai murmured as Arakita slowly forced his way past his sphincter.

“Does it hurt?” Arakita asked stiffly, knowing the other was fine but needing to check regardless.

“Just g-go slowly,” Shinkai requested breathily as Arakita clutched the back of his thighs in order to lean forward heavily.

Arakita nodded despite the other’s eyes being closed. He gritted his teeth as he pressed further into Hayato, unable to hold the moan forcing its way out of the back of his throat. His boyfriend’s asshole was hot and tight and words could not describe how pleasurable the sensation of pressure exerted on his penis happened to be.

Arakita pulled out gradually, now understanding the pains of anal sex from personal experience. He worked slowly as not to hurt Shinkai, making sure not to thrust his full length into the other until he was ready.

“It’s weird feeling you being so tender,” Shinkai huffed when Arakita halted his movements to kiss the calf muscle hanging over his left shoulder.

On any other day, Arakita would have felt inclined to fall for the bait and snap his pelvis relentlessly into the other, but today was not one of those days. Instead, Arakita dragged his hands along Shinkai’s thighs and moved closer until Shinkai’s legs rested flat against his torso. Arakita squeezed the knees positioned on his shoulders reassuringly before guiding his hands down the warm skin over and over again, hoping to rouse Hayato into becoming more verbal. Arakita grinned wickedly at the redhead beneath him, who was writhing at the stimulation caused by both the palm of his boyfriend’s hands and from the thick hotness pushing further into him. Shinkai let out a broken moan as Arakita’s hands descended down his thick thighs to grasp his waist, and he sputtered a weak “please” when the raven thumbed his hip bones fondly.

Arakita slid the rest of his length into Shinkai, and paused a moment before pulling out again. He repeated the action once, twice, three times; each thrust causing him to inhale sharply in pleasure. Hayato’s tightness was overwhelming. Any blood that had initially risen to Arakita’s face had rapidly shot down to his lower stomach, leaving him light headed and oversensitive.

“Yasu… oh —oh,” Shinkai panted as he clutched Arakita’s wrists desperately. “Ha —ah, harder… harder.”

Arakita moaned as he leaned forward in pleasure, and balanced his weight heavily on his knees as he snapped his pelvis forward and back earnestly. He let go of Hayato’s waist to grasp his wrists as well, and the two held onto each other’s forearms desperately as Arakita proceeded to fuck his boyfriend eagerly.

With every fervent stroke, Arakita found himself losing his mind to the pleasure. He could barely comprehend the strangled moans escaping his slightly parted lips as he moved against Shinkai. The heat their bodies began to generate was exhilarating. The lewd noises two had started to produce was thrilling. Pleasure coursed throughout his entire body with every thrust, and the familiar pressure building in his lower stomach arose as he fucked Hayato relentlessly against his mattress.

“Shit,” Arakita managed to snarl as he rolled his hip in a way that made his boyfriend snap his head back and scream in pleasure. Hayato was a mess underneath him. His chest and neck were shiny in sweat and his breathy moans were escaping his lips in rhythm to Arakita’s thrusts. He began pushing against Arakita’s dick passionately; every thrust now causing his bed to squeak loudly in the room. He raven started twisting his hips upward every time he pushed deeper into Shinkai, relentlessly stimulating the other’s prostate until he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Fuck… Hayato… y—oh.” Arakita’s moan sounded ridiculously loud, even to his own ears. Shit. He was beside himself in pleasure. Slowing his pace a fraction and trying again, Arakita unscrewed his eyes to look down at his boyfriend. “You feel incredible.”

“Yeah,” Shinkai sighed as he released his grip from Arakita’s hands and lifted his arms to clutch the pillow beneath his head. “You —oh!... Oh God… you too...” Shinkai panted between thrusts.

Fuck. Hayato couldn’t form coherent sentences anymore. His moans were as prevalent as ever and only seemed to accent the lewd sounds of skin slapping skin. His hair was a mess as it fanned out beneath him; the sweaty strands of his bangs bouncing with Arakita’s thrusts and curling along his forehead in a way that revealed his knitted brows. Shinkai’s eyes were screwed shut and wrinkles had formed along the bridge of his nose as Arakita pounded him against the mattress over and over again, and the engineer was almost certain he was going to lose it right then and there just from the astounding sight before him.

“Hayato… I’m close,” Arakita whispered breathily, his voice raspy after all the moaning he had done on top of the other.

“Yeah,” Shinkai hissed in response. His white teeth were apparent behind thick lips as he clenched his jaw shut, and they parted a moment later to allow a sharp intake of air as he reached his climax. He twitched under Arakita as he gasped in pleasure, and his legs tightened around his shoulders as he violently came over his chest and stomach.

Arakita wasn’t able to keep his eyes open after that downright pornographic display. His lids drooped shut and his head lolled back as he continued thrusting into Shinkai zealously; the rising climb of pleasure building up in his lower regions completely taking over what little coherent thoughts he had left.

“Oh fuuuck,” Arakita moaned as his balls tensed before immediately relaxing. He clamped his jaw shut and groaned as he reached his climax a number of strokes after Shinkai. His knuckles had gone white from grasping Hayato’s waist tightly, and his knees were sore from his repeated movements.

“Fuck,” Arakita repeated hoarsely as he released his load into the condom; his hips bucking reflexively against Shinkai’s ass as he rode out his orgasm.

His mind had gone blank. His ears buzzed and he saw stars as he slowly came to a complete stop, panting and sweaty and delightfully drained.

“Holy shit,” Shinkai mumbled weakly.

Yeah, holy shit indeed. Arakita panted loudly as he hovered over the other, still in the midst of gaining back his vision. His sweat was dripping off his bangs and onto Shinkai’s stomach, and he leaned in close to kiss the other’s hot skin at the sight.

Arakita kissed Shinkai’s stomach a few more times as his mind finally started to clear up the static muffling his thoughts. His dick was beginning to soften within the other’s tight walls of muscle, and he was certain Hayato was starting to feel uncomfortable at the sensation.

Shinkai sighed blissfully as Arakita brought his hands under his knees and pushed him away by his legs. The sound of his slick cock sliding out of Shinkai was obscene to say the least, and both shuddered simultaneously at the sensation that resulted from the movement.

Arakita huffed as he pulled out of his boyfriend and backed away to give the other room. He watched as Shinkai spread his limbs across the bed like a starfish, looking utterly spent.

“You alright?” Arakita asked amusingly, the inflection in his voice rising in a way that made him sound close to bursting into laughter. He felt giddy as he pulled the condom off his dick to tie and discard.

“I’m starving,” Shinkai admitted as he stared up at the ceiling. Although his panting had subsided, the rise and fall of his chest was hard to ignore. His pectorals were flushed and his sweat shimmered against his smooth skin. Arakita tried not to fall on his face as he rolled off the bed, noticing how the sunrays shining through the open window subtly revealed the spunk that had shot across Hayato’s torso.

How dirty would it be if I licked it off? Arakita mused as he discarded his condom into the garbage bin and reached for a napkin. He proceeded to wipe the lube from his fingers and cum from his dick before taking a clean napkin to his boyfriend. Arakita wordlessly wiped the ejaculate off of Shinkai’s stomach and chest, and blithely left the redhead a chaste kiss on his lips before pulling away and throwing out the garbage.

“Are you going make us food?” Shinkai asked weakly from where he lay as Arakita began shuffling through the pile of clothes on the floor for his boxers.

“I’m going to heat up the leftovers Toudou left us from last night,” Arakita corrected as he headed towards the door. His hunger was beginning to distract him from his very attractive and currently very naked boyfriend, which meant that Shinkai wasn’t fairing any better. In fact, if Arakita was being honest with himself, his boyfriend was most likely doing worse.

“Look alive Hayato,” Arakita joked as he walked up to the other and slapped his stomach twice.

The biologist groaned as he rolled to lie on his stomach, and the sight almost made Arakita forget why he had put his undergarments on in the first place.

Almost.

The sound of the raven’s stomach followed by a distant thud spurred his attention away from the groaning Shinkai, who was now whining about having breakfast in bed.

“Yeah yeah, complain all you want but I’m not letting you eat in here,” Arakita lectured. “And, did you hear that sound?”

“You mean my stomach? People in France probably heard my stomach grumbling.”

“No, I mean—”

There it was again. This time there were three consecutive thuds, which were loud enough to reverberate through the room and make both university students snap their attention towards the bedroom door.

“Is someone knocking?” Shinkai asked as he shakily rolled off the bed to stand.

There was. The distant sound of someone rasping at Arakita’s front door was hard to miss now that he was fully aware of it. But who could it possibly be? Arakita hastily pulled on his pants as he contemplated the possibilities.

“I’ll get it,” Shinkai insisted as he searched the floor for his undergarments and pants. Arakita felt dread build at the pit of his stomach as he grabbed the nearest shirt —Shinkai’s— and pulled it over his head. He hesitantly peeked out of his bedroom door and down the small hallway as Hayato approached the front door.

The raven racked his brain as Shinkai started unlocking the door. His friends had been kicked out of his place with the knowledge that the two wanted to be left alone, and none of his neighbours usually bothered with Arakita knowing he was either at school or asleep; which could only mean one thing. Riko.

Shinkai opened the door slowly and Arakita held his breath as redhead stepped back to reveal another, even more obnoxious redhead screaming Shinkai’s name enthusiastically.

Machimiya?!

“CLOSE IT, CLOSE IT!” Arakita screamed as he waved his arms uselessly at Shinkai’s back.

“Araaaakitaaa, don’t be like that!” Machimiya whined as he forced his way into the apartment.

“What do you want?” Arakita barked as he pushed his friend back roughly by his shoulder, feigning anger to mask the relief he felt. Fucking Machimiya of all people! The raven could have laughed at the events unfolding before of him. The ridiculous sense of déjà vu he was experiencing would have been comical had it not been for his boyfriend’s expression.

“You said we were going to work on thermo together.”

“I never specified a time or date,” Arakita hissed as he caught Hayato looking at him expressionlessly, which meant that he wasn’t particularly happy. So much for not having to worry about interruptions. Arakita had completely forgotten that Machimiya hadn’t been among the group of friends and family that had gotten kicked out the night before. The raven totally overlooked Machimiya’s random tendencies to drop by unannounced. Although it had always been welcomed when he was alone, things were different now. “Besides, that shit’s not due for another week.”

Machimiya opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again as he scrutinized Arakita. After he had finished giving the raven a once-over, Machimiya met Arakita’s gaze and cocked an eyebrow as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Are you guys seriously going at it at 1 in the afternoon?”

“Hey, have you even been punched in the face at 1 in the afternoon?” Arakita asked through gritted teeth, feeling his cheeks burn at his friend’s spot on accusation.

“I have, actually.”

“I’m going to warm up the leftovers,” Shinkai muttered as he pushed past the engineers to attend to his hunger.

“What’s gotten into him? Besides your dick, obviou—” Machimiya didn’t get to finish his sentence as Arakita punched him in the gut. His friend doubled over and fell heavily onto his knees, winded at the sheer force behind the raven’s swing. Arakita huffed as he crossed his arms, and he tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Machimiya to stop his charades. He knew it took a lot more than a half-hearted punch to take him down.

“Fucking get up so I can talk to you properly.”

“Don’t knock me down in the first place!” Machimiya hissed as he outstretched an arm for Arakita.

“Listen, you asked for it.”

“Excuse you, all I remember asking is if your boyfriend was okay.”

Arakita blinked at his friend in confusion as he pulled him up. “How did you know he was my boyfriend?” Had Kinjou texted him the night before? That probably wasn’t the case, since if he had, Machimiya wouldn’t be here wreaking havoc in the first place.

Machimiya looked taken aback by the statement as he rubbed his stomach gently. “Because it was obvious?”

“But you walked into the exact same situation last time,” Arakita muttered skeptically. “What made it so obvious today?”

Machimiya jutted his head forward as if he had heard something incorrectly.

“Are you fucking telling me you weren’t boyfriends before?”

Oh. So even Machimiya had assumed we were together. Arakita shut his mouth tightly, refusing to answer.

“Holy shit, you’re both idiots.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you!” Arakita spat, embarrassed at how right the other was.

“So, what? Are you two finally together? Like officially?”

“Yeah.”

“Congrats I guess. Honestly it doesn’t seem like anything’s changed.”

“So you’re telling me you were barging in on us under the assumption that we were already together?”

“Yeah? Like I give a shit if you’re balls deep in his assh—”

Machimiya was winded once again as Arakita reconnected his fist with the other’s gut.

“Get the fuck outta my house,” Arakita snarled, forgetting why he was friends with the redhead.

“You bastard!” Machimiya coughed dramatically as he backed away towards the door. “And here I was, checking up on you again because you seemed off in class yesterday.”

Arakita strangled the air at his conflicting feelings, immediately remembering why Machimiya was his friend.

“Eikichi-kun are you staying? Should I warm some food for you as well?” Shinkai asked as he peeked around the kitchen area to face the hallway looking down at the entrance.

“Nah, I’m leaving.”

“You can stay if you want,” Arakita offered softly, genuinely feeling bad for worrying the other.

“Shinkai are you seeing this? Your boyfriend is only nice to me when you’re in the room.”

“Yeah I noticed,” Shinkai laughed as he joined the two. “That’s how you got him to host your birthday party remember?”

“Shit, you’re right!” Machimiya snickered as he opened the door behind him with one hand while twisting a strand of his hair with the other. “Hey Arakita —random question; can you lend me some money?”

“Out.”

“Shinkai, your charm is starting to wear off.”

“I’ll get right on fixing that after you leave,” Shinkai commented as he gave Machimiya a charming wink.

“Saucy,” Machimiya grinned as he waved goodbye at the two. “Well congratulations on becoming a thing. Come visit me at work today alright? Drinks are on me!”

Arakita shook his head in wonder as Machimiya shut the door behind him. Even though the other was rather deceptive with his words, Arakita had learned enough about the other’s mannerisms through the years to know that Machimiya had been holding back on telling him something.

“Let’s get shitfaced,” Arakita whispered in Shinkai’s ear at the promise of free drinks.

“Let’s not,” Shinkai smirked as he turned to face the other. Arakita grinned back as he took Shinkai’s hands in his and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips.

“Tipsy?”

“Let’s discuss this after we eat,” Shinkai chuckled as he led them towards the kitchen.

Arakita followed the other wordlessly out of the hallway and into the open area. Shinkai let go of his hand to return to the stove, where he overlooked a pan holding a hefty amount sizzling pork and fish. A kettle had been placed over an adjacent stove, and the rice cooker’s light was on and warming up what Arakita assumed was the rice and vegetables that went untouched the night before. He scoffed to himself as his idiotically shirtless boyfriend attended to the pan in front of him, seemingly unphased by the burning droplets of oil jumping out at his exposed skin. He watched in silence as Shinkai began scooping some green tea leaves Toudou had left as a gift into the small tea pot before returning his attention back to the pan.

Arakita examined the other fondly as he prepared their lunches, completely mesmerized by the sight in front of him. The sun’s rays shone through the windows and brightened Arakita’s kitchen in a way that made the engineer feel like he was looking at his kitchen for the first time in his life. The pockets of light illuminated his marble counters and wooden tiled floors such that the open space looked ridiculously picturesque, and the balcony door, that had been left open the night before, invited the calming sounds of slow moving vehicles and idle chatter of passersby into the room, adding to the peaceful scenery. Arakita leaned against the side of the island as he noted how the afternoon’s light shone over Shinkai’s pale back and copper red hair. His boyfriend was now pouring some of the boiling water from the kettle into the tea pot and setting both onto the stove before placing a few clean plates onto the counter for their food, unaware of the effect his domestic actions were having on a particular raven haired individual.

Arakita held his breath as he tried to grasp the feeling of contentedness enveloping him. Seeing Hayato like this —simply preparing food for them both, shirtless and carefree and so damn comfortable in Arakita’s apartment as if it were his own…

It was overwhelming.

He never wanted this to end. He didn’t want Hayato leaving to attend classes or going home to his own place of residence. No. Arakita wanted the other here with him. Here in his apartment where they could eat and bicker and make love freely.

“Yasutomo, could you please pour us some tea?” Shinkai asked as he turned off the stoves with two satisfying clicks.

“Sure,” Arakita answered shakily, hoping the other didn’t hear his voice crack as he approached the kitchen cupboard.

Shit. His chest was burning and his stomach was doing flips. He had expected this feeling to die down a little once he got used to being with Hayato, and yet the opposite was occurring. The love and affection he felt for the other only seemed to crash into him like an unforgiving wave, filling his lungs with exhilaration and peace of mind.

Chapter Text

Shinkai glared at the innocent wooden stool as if it had broken into his home and stolen Usakichi.

“There looks fine,” Arakita commented as he followed Shinkai’s gaze. “Why don’t you sit while I go get Machimiya.”

Shinkai’s ‘okay’ caught in his throat as Arakita slapped his butt with force. He jumped at the sensation and turned his glare from the seat to his boyfriend.

“What?” Arakita was looking at him with a straight face. His lips were set to their natural slight-frown and a single eyebrow was arched higher than the other, as if to question Shinkai’s glowering. Shinkai leaned a little closer as he noted the playful glint in Arakita’s eyes and the slight flare of his nostrils, giving away his amusement.

“Don’t play dumb,” Shinkai whispered to the other. “There’s no way I can sit on that for an hour.”

“You’ll find a way,” Arakita whispered back as he gave the other a fiendish grin.

Shinkai bit the inside of his cheek as Arakita gave his ass a light double-tap before squeezing it vigorously just for good measure.  He flashed Shinkai a toothy grin and headed deeper into the restaurant to find Machimiya; not giving Shinkai time to retaliate.

Shinkai sighed as he returned his gaze to the stool. It was almost 8 PM and the small restaurant was quite packed. Regardless, Machimiya didn’t seem to be serving any tables, which gave both university students the presumption that he was free to cater to them.

Shinkai slowly approached the free table, but refused to sit down. His ass was sore, to put it simply. After he and Yasutomo had eaten their lunch earlier that day, the other barely gave him time to finish his second cup of tea before dragging him back into the bedroom for another round. And what a round it had been. It was the first time Shinkai had experienced Yasutomo working him over at such a slow pace. His hips rolled at a steady rhythm, but with zero purpose. Shinkai’s sweet spot was hit only once every few thrusts and his hands were restrained from touching himself elsewhere, making him horny beyond comprehension and unsatisfied without a reasonable doubt. It was as if Yasutomo’s goal was to waste his day away moving against and within Shinkai, limbs tangled, burning, and glistening in sweat. It was like his intention was for them to never reach climax. But they did, eventually, when Shinkai was fed up and over stimulated —crawling out from under Arakita’s grasp and throwing him onto his back.

Deep inside, Shinkai knew he had no one to blame but himself for his sore ass, given that he had never ridden anything or anyone as hard as he rode his boyfriend that late afternoon, but it couldn’t be helped. He needed it. His body craved for that familiar brush against his prostate and the indescribable sparks of pleasure accompanied by each stroke. He yearned for the ever addicting heat that travelled up his spine and burned the back of his neck mercilessly. Shinkai’s body had never screamed as loud for Yasutomo as it had that afternoon —and neither had he. His voice had grown hoarse and raspy by the time they were done. His throat ached and his head felt empty. His body burned throughout and the soreness between his ass cheeks didn’t subside, even when he sluggishly pulled off the other. He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and the spunk from his chin, all while panting heavily and blinking away the stars from his eyes.

That late afternoon, when the sun had long past risen to its highest point and the warm wind of summer induced the fluttering of curtains, bed sheets and sweat-soaked hair, Shinkai had finally gotten his sight back only to see Yasutomo grinning up at him feverishly while slowly stroking his erect member, his lips wet from their sloppy kissing, his cheeks flushed from the stimulation and his eyes shining with vigor —with the silent demand for yet another round from Shinkai…

“Well if it isn’t my second favourite redhead!” A voice called from the distance.

Shinkai jumped at the sound of Machimiya and quickly turned to grin at him, praying that his expression didn’t give away where his thoughts had been mere seconds ago. Their friend was in the process of throwing an apron over his head as he approached their chosen table.

“Hey Eikichi-kun. Hope we didn’t catch you on break,” Shinkai greeted as Machimiya walked around to the cook’s side of the table.

“Nah, I was just washing up.”

Shinkai nodded before glancing toward the back of the restaurant.

“He’s getting your drinks,” Machimiya answered despite Shinkai’s lack of commentary. “By the way, I know I told you guys drinks were on me, but can we limit it to whatever gives you a slight buzz? I’m not working my ass off here just for Arakita to spend my paycheck all in one go.”

“Don’t worry,” Shinkai reassured the other. “I don’t plan on dragging a drunk Yasutomo home.”

Machimiya miraculously whistled while grinning at Shinkai. “Home huh?”

Shinkai merely wagged his brow at Machimiya’s words. Despite feeling sheepish, he had no reason to argue the fact.

“What are those foolish grins about?” Arakita asked as he joined the two at the table.

“We were obviously talking shit about you.”

“That hurts Machimiya,” Arakita sighed dramatically as he placed the two glasses of beer in his hands down on the table. “I wasn’t planning on drinking that much tonight, but now I’m going to have to drown my sorrows away.”

“Wait, I was joking.”

“Shinkai we might have to call a taxi tonight.”

“Wait, we weren’t actually talking shit.”

“I should have ordered two pitchers, not glasses.”

“Wait—”

Shinkai laughed as he finally gave in to his restless legs and sat down. A sharp sting shot through his spine, but the sensation was gone as soon as it came. Shinkai winced at the slight after effect throbbing against his buttocks, but it wasn’t nearly as unbearable as he thought it’d be. He silently began sipping on the beer Yasutomo had brought for him while letting the two bicker. Their quarreling seemed rather forced this time round, but Shinkai didn’t dare question what was causing the tension between them. Only an outsider would miss the subtle glances and glares exchange between the two amidst their conversation —harsher than the usual looks. If Shinkai were to guess based off of raw instinct, he’d suspect that his presence was disrupting the two from having a very important conversation.

“So Shinkai,” Machimiya huffed after his heated argument with Arakita died down. “I take it you want something similar to what you ordered last time?”

“That’d be great, thank you.”

“And Arakita?”

“Same as him.”

“On it,” Machimiya claimed as he got to work preparing the necessary ingredients. Shinkai took another sip of his beer as he regarded the food items before him. Déjà vu sent him back to the last time he sat in this restaurant, with Kinjou, Juichi and Yasutomo. Back to when he got the painfully indiscreet text from Yasutomo asking to hook up. Shinkai’s heart fluttered at the memory. That moment hadn’t been too long ago, and yet it felt like it had been a lifetime away.

“…uuto?”

“Hmm?” Shinkai snapped out of his thoughts to look at his boyfriend.

“I said have you heard from Yuuto? Nats wont text me back, but I’m assuming she just forgot to bring a charger and let her phone die.”

Shinkai glanced at his phone, but shook his head at the lack of messages.

“You don’t need to worry about them Yasutomo. Jinpachi would leave us both individual essays if something were wrong.”

“Obviously,” Arakita huffed. “But I’m wondering if they’re planning to stay over another night or go home.”

“Can’t you ask Kinjou yourself?”

“I don’t want to make it sound like I’m asking for a favour. Knowing him, he’ll misunderstand me and ask them to stay another day.”

“Since when were you so polite when it came to this sort of thing?” Machimiya asked while pouring the batter onto the flat grill.

“I guess Shinkai’s rubbed off on me,” Arakita shrugged nonchalantly.

“Yeah, in more ways than one.”

“One more round of beer it is,” Arakita snapped as he stepped away from the table to head to the bar at the back of the restaurant.

“Just get a pitcher!” Shinkai called into the distance, consequently making Machimiya groan.

“Don’t team up with him Shinkai,” Machimiya whined as he started sprinkling the kastsuobushi onto each even circle of batter.

“Sorry Eikichi-kun. I’m biased in favour of the guy I’m rubbing off on, according to you.”

Instead of replying back with a witty comment, Machimiya merely smiled and shook his head while silently placing a generous handful of shredded cabbage on top of the batter.

“How are things with you and Kana-chan by the way?” Shinkai asked to break the silence. Machimiya’s head snapped up at the question, unable to disguise the initial shock on his face from Shinkai’s observant gaze.

“She’s fine —we’re fine if that’s what you were wondering about.”

“And Ibitani-kun?”

“Fine,” Machimiya croaked as he began adding the chopped scallions and bean sprouts onto each hiroshimayaki.

Shinkai blinked at the other in wonder but didn’t pry. There was no need to fluster the guy handling his dinner. “I hope I get to see them soon. It’s been a while.”

Machimiya hummed whilst adding a few more ingredients before placing the thin slices of pork belly on top of each dish. Presumably calming down and gathering himself, he looked up to grin at Shinkai. “Well it’s almost the star festival right? If you’re planning to go, then you’ll definitely see them there too.”

“Great!” Shinkai chirped right as Arakita rejoined their table.

“Hayato, the fuck? You’ve barely touched your beer.”

“I like to savor th—”

“None of that bullshit,” Arakita lectured as he pushed the large pitcher of beer he had obtained toward him. “This pitcher itself isn’t nearly enough to get you buzzed, why are you holding back?”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to exploit his friend’s kindness by buying an obscene amount of drinks!” Machimiya argued.

“More like I don’t want an uncomfortable bladder while I eat,” Shinkai answered honestly. Just then, his phone began vibrating violently in his pocket, pulling his attention away from Machimiya’s counter argument.

“Yuuto?”

“Hayato! ‘Sup?”

Shinkai furrowed his brows in confusion while looking at Arakita, who had also looked at him in confusion.

“You tell me? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong! Well okay something is wrong but it’s nothing big.”

“You’re not helping me understand.”

“Ask them about my sisters!” Arakita hissed into Shinkai’s ear. Shinkai pinched Arakita’s nose as he reiterated what the other had asked.

“They’re fine. We went our separate ways after lunch. Kinjou and Fukutomi-san took them home.”

Shinkai repeated what Yuuto had said to Arakita while letting go of his nose. “And you? Are you home?”

“Yeah… and let me tell you, mom wasn’t too happy.”

Uh oh.

“Is she upset that you went out or because I haven’t come home?”

“Both and neither.”

“Yuuto.”

“She’s mostly pissed that you keep abandoning your pets without telling her prior.”

Shinkai’s stomach flipped in guilt. That wasn’t the response he was expecting, but it definitely made sense. Poor Usakichi… She was a social rabbit, and though his family members made sure to give her the time of day when Shinkai was at school, he had no excuse for neglecting her this past week.

“Granted she knows the parrot is the family’s so she’s not upset about that; but your bunny is getting restless and harder to care for.”

“Of course,” Shinkai mumbled in shame. Although she had become accustomed to his prolonged absence due to school, he still came home every day to see her. He could only imagine her anxiety as the past few days grew into a week. “Should I come home?”

“No!”

“NO.”

Shinkai turned to his boyfriend, shocked at his outburst.

“Gimme the fuckin’—” Arakita mumbled as he reached for Shinkai’s phone.

“Yuuto!”

Yuuto responded immediately to Arakita’s voice, but their words were impossible to make out over the static. They seemed to explain something to Arakita before demanding the phone be returned back to its proper owner, to which the disgruntled raven had no choice but to comply to.

If Shinkai wasn’t confused before, he sure as hell was now. He took his phone back from Arakita, but didn’t avert his gaze from the other.

“Hey. You were saying?”

“Mom pissed, bunny sad, Yuuto receiving the lectures Hayato should be getting instead. Do something.”

“Right. Sorry kiddo, I’ll come home tonight after dinner.”

Arakita shot Shinkai a look, but he ignored it to say goodbye to Yuuto. “Tell mom that too, so I can properly apologize to her tonight.”

“Uhh, wait! Maybe there’s something else you can do?”

“Not that I can think of,” Shinkai admitted solemnly. “But I’ll call you before I leave okay? I’m with friends right now.”

“Right... Bye.”

Shinkai glanced at his phone, slightly confused by the other’s abrupt suggestion.

“Are you actually going home?” Arakita asked after downing his glass of beer.

“I have to,” Shinkai nodded apologetically. “I’ve been a horrible owner.”

“And son,” Machimiya added nonchalantly.

“And son!” Shinkai agreed in distress as he flailed his arms in the air before folding them onto the table and burying his face into the crook of his elbow.

“Fucking relax, you’re not a horrible anything.”

Shinkai turned his head to pout at the other.

“Hayato,” Arakita sighed while leaning forward to comb Shinkai’s bangs away from his eyes. “Can’t you just bring your rabbit to my place?”

Shinkai’s heart nearly jumped out of his throat at the proposition. Sure, he had considered the idea many times in the past —usually through embarrassingly domestic dreams of him and Yasutomo— but he couldn’t bring himself to ask the other for such a huge favour. Staying over at Yasutomo’s already meant that he was compelling the other to accommodate his space, resources and personal time for Shinkai. Bringing his pet and the responsibilities that came with caring for one seemed rather inconsiderate and selfish on his part.

“I don’t want to impose,” Shinkai admitted. “It’s fine if I go back once a day to check on her.  Yuuto and mom usually take good care of Usakichi, but they’re right to be mad of me…”

But having her ten minutes away from the university would be amazing. He could visit her during his break between classes and stay with her for much longer in the mornings. Assuming Yasutomo is okay with me staying for a while… Shinkai’s ears burned at the thought of their (once again) dreadfully sloppy communication skills. How long was he staying over at Yasutomo’s? A week? A month? A year? Should he offer to pay half the rent or would that only serve to scare the other away?

“You’ve imposed since the second we met,” Arakita stated gruffly. He pinched Shinkai’s cheek before patting his face affectionately. “Don’t act all polite and formal on me now. It’s weird!”

“You two are just too dang cute,” Machimiya teased while preparing the noodles. “Also Arakita wouldn’t mind something like a bunny rabbit. He’s pretty cool about pets.”

“You are?”

“You know I have a dog!”

“Yeah but I’ve never seen how you interact with little Aki-chan.”

“Do you think I’m cold to my own puppy?!”

“She’s… not a puppy anymore,” Machimiya interjected.

“She’ll always be my puppy,” Arakita whispered harshly to the other as he clenched his heart. “Miya’s right though, I’m fine with pets.”

“It’s just a matter of whether pets are fine with him!” Machimiya hollered at the two as he burst into laughter.

“So you’re… not good with animals?”

“It’s more like animals aren’t good with me! I have no idea why though.”

“Have you seen your face?” Machimiya taunted, much to Arakita’s chagrin.                     

Shinkai frowned at the jab. “It’s true Yasutomo,” he stated seriously. “The animals probably hate you for out competing them in adorableness.”

Arakita screamed a hybrid mixture of “Hayatoooo” and “shut uuup” as he stood from his stool to punch Shinkai in the arm before hugging him. Laughing, Shinkai rubbed his aching arm while straightening his posture to receive the hug.

“Alright, okay,” Machimiya grumbled as Shinkai kissed Arakita’s chin. “You two just went from cute to disgusting.”

“Finally! We’ve reached The Machimiya Status!”

“Don’t name it!”

Shinkai laughed at Arakita’s joke and kissed his chin once more before letting him go. Arakita hopped back onto his stool with a toothy grin as he turned to face Machimiya. Shinkai watched as the other rested his chin on his hands while regarding his friend, the look screaming “you can’t make fun of me anymore now that I have Shinkai” and “you were saying?”

“Fuckin’ unbelievable,” Machimiya muttered as he completed the final steps in preparing the two Hiroshima okonomiyaki. “You laugh now Arakita, but what if his bunny can’t handle that loud voice of yours?”

Shinkai noted Arakita’s shoulders drop slightly at the statement.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Shinkai reassured him hastily. “You’d just need to spend some time together to bond.” If you’re seriously okay with me bringing her to your home, that is. Yasutomo’s never ending kindness was absurd to Shinkai. How could he offer him so much and think nothing of it?

“I don’t know the first thing about rabbits,” Arakita admitted after downing another glass of beer. “So you’ll have to be there with me every step of the way.”

“Of course,” Shinkai promised at once. “She has a lot of things though. Just her cage would take up a lot of room Yasutomo. And you’d need to move all your cords out of the way so she doesn’t chew them and hurt herself if we let her loose to roam the apartment.”

“You’re not really selling your case well there Shinkai,” Machimiya commented seriously as he used his spatulas to push the excess ingredients unable to fit in the okonomiyaki towards the far side of the griddle.

“I know! I just don’t want to burden Yasutomo with this stuff.”

“It’s not a burden!” Arakita countered heatedly. “I don’t own a lot of stuff so there’s plenty of space for her. Her cage can go in the living room close to the balcony door, now that I think about it. That big ass gap can finally be filled with something that isn’t a measly table with four shitty magazines. Plus there aren’t many electronics there for her to chew at so it should be safe for her to explore —I’ll have to move the lamp though, but that’s not a big deal. It can go to the…”

Shinkai observed his boyfriend pour himself another glass of beer from the pitcher while distractedly mumbling to himself.

“Well… While he contemplates life, why don’t you call Yuuto and tell them the change of plans? These should be ready in a few minutes.”

Shinkai tried to hold back his drool as he got a good look at the okonomiyaki sizzling almost right under his nose.

“What should I say?” Shinkai mulled out loud at he stared up at the ceiling of the restaurant to distract himself from the delectable looking food. “Even if both Yasutomo and Yuuto are willing to help me move things, it’d still be too much to carry —especially Usakichi’s cage.”

“Tell the kid that we’ll pick her up tomorrow,” Arakita suggested as he poured some beer into Shinkai’s still-half-full glass. “I can probably get the car from dad if it’s early enough.”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Shinkai commented politely. When Arakita exclaimed that it was the furthest thing from trouble as possible, Shinkai grinned and reached for his phone. Excusing himself, he exited the noisy restaurant to call his younger sibling.

“Hello?”

“Hey Yuuto, change of plans.”

“Yeah don’t worry, I already have her carrier ready.”

“Whoa there, I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“Oh,” Yuuto croaked. “Right well, Arakita-san just texted me saying she’d be moving to his place.”

Yasutomo texts pretty fast.

“Okay then…” Yuuto’s response was suspicious, but Shinkai decided to drop it for now. “Do you mind getting some things ready for me? You don’t have to worry about the cage or the clean up.”

Yuuto agreed with little argument. Why they weren’t questioning Shinkai’s sudden change in plans was beyond him. Giving Yuuto the benefit of the doubt, Shinkai began listing the things they would need to prepare for the morning. By the time he was done, five minutes had passed and his hunger was getting the better of him. Shinkai hurriedly wished Yuuto a good night and returned to the others, only to see Yasutomo downing his beer straight from the pitcher.

“You’re not getting another pitcher, you know that right?” Machimiya lectured as he wagged his spatula at Arakita.

“Don’t be so stingy!”

“I’m not! We don’t need you picking up old habits just because of some bad news. It’s not even bad news.”

“What’s not bad news?” Shinkai asked as he sat down.

“Riko’s going to Tanabata here instead of her hometown,” Machimiya answered.

“The star festival?”

Machimiya nodded as he gestured for Shinkai to enjoy his meal. Shinkai glanced worryingly over at his boyfriend, who slapped his hands together and bellowed a hearty Itadakimasu.

“Why do you know this?” Shinkai asked Machimiya, hoping his question didn’t come out sounding too aggressive. Indeed, the thought of Yasutomo’s ex made his stomach twist in apprehension, and walking in on the end of their conversation was not the most comforting, but Shinkai prayed Machimiya would tell him there was nothing to worry about.

“She told me.”

“And I told you to block her number!” Arakita snapped.

“And like I said, I’ll do that when you agree to talk to her!”

“Why are you on her side?”

“I’m not! I just want you to get this shitty convo out of the way. Don’t you want closure?”

“I want dinner,” Arakita grumbled as he began to eat. Shinkai frowned at the other’s stubbornness. Deep down he knew Machimiya was right. Yasutomo should speak to the other and clear whatever weird air was between them. He didn’t enjoy seeing his boyfriend running away at the mere mention of his ex. That being said, he also didn’t like the idea of him attempting to get on good terms with her either.

God.

He didn’t know what he wanted. Feeling conflicted; Shinkai clasped his hands together and prepared to do the only thing he knew how to do in stressful situations.

“Itadakimasu!”

***

Shinkai unlocked the front door and took a tentative step inside.

"I'm home," he whispered into the house. It was barely 6 AM, and though he understood that Yasutomo, and therefore he, could only get access to a car right as the sun was rising, that didn't mean he enjoyed being out and about so early in the morning. Shinkai could barely open his eyes and he was almost certain he had unhinged his jaw from yawning on three different occasions. How the hell did Yuuto do this almost every day? How the hell did he do this almost every day in his second year of university, when 8 AM classes were the only time slots available for the majority of his courses?

"Didn't you say your family was made up of morning people?" Arakita asked as he pushed past Shinkai to take off his shoes. "Why are you whispering?"

Because Yuuto said mom was pissed last night.

"I don't want to wake dad.” Shinkai lied, not wanting to let the other know how terrifying his mother could be when she was livid. “I'm sure he had a long day at wo—"

"You can fully hear him talking in the kitchen."

Crap. He could. He could hear his mom as well, making breakfast while chatting idly to her husband.

“Guess I’ll go apologi—”

“Hayato!” Yuuto hissed from the top of the staircase. The younger Shinkai was urgently gesturing for them to head on upstairs, but Shinkai shook his head in denial as he walked towards the kitchen. He needed to apologize to his mom for being so irresponsible.

What happened next was something Shinkai could only compare to seeing in action movies. Yuuto, seeing their brother heading towards the kitchen, threw their duffle bag at Arakita, pressed against the wall, sprinted down the stairs two steps at a time before twisting violently to the left and jumping over the handrail like they were a hero in pursuit of a villain.  

Shinkai didn’t have time to scream as Yuuto tackled him to the ground. Even though the other was far lighter than him, Yuuto was lanky. Their long limbs became twisted and tangled in Shinkai’s own, rendering him immobile as they landed on the ground with a dull thud.

“Yuuto! What are yo —mph?!”

Shinkai’s question was cut short by Yuuto’s hand forcing his mouth shut.

“Don’t scream so early in the morning,” Yuuto warned Shinkai as they untangled themselves from the redhead.

“Then don’t tackle me to the ground!” Shinkai hissed in rebuttal as he forced the other’s palm away from his mouth. “What was that for?”

“Uhh,” Yuuto blinked at Shinkai before glancing up at Arakita. “What was that for again?”

“You’re a fucking moron,” Arakita noted solemnly as he helped Shinkai stand. “Let’s just grab the bunny and go.”

“You’re making this sound like a heist Yasutomo.”

“Hey I’m not the one being apprehended like I’m part of one,” Arakita joked while gesturing to Yuuto, who had dusted themselves off and was now inspecting their painted nails as if they hadn’t just tackled their brother to the ground from a height of one and a half meters.

Shinkai sighed heavily, but allowed them to drag him upstairs. He’d question Yuuto’s motives later, but for now Yasutomo was right —they needed to pack things up while they still had access to the car.

“Anyways, the duffle bag I handed to Arakita-san h—”

“Handed?!”

“—had most of Usakichi’s toys and a bunch of hay. Also some treats? I couldn’t find the big bag you were talking about though.”

“If it’s not upstairs then I probably left it somewhere in the kitchen. I can go ge—”

“I’ll go get it!” Yuuto chirped while sprinting back down the stairs.

“Is it me or is Yuuto acting strange?” Shinkai asked while glancing at Arakita curiously.

“They seem fine to me,” Arakita mumbled while making his way into Shinkai’s bedroom. Both boys paused their conversation as they observed the large pile of items prepared for Usakichi’s relocation.

“How the fuck are we gonna do this?”

Shinkai scratched the back of his head as he regarded his bunny sitting in her little hidey house. Her nose twitched rapidly as Shinkai crouched before her, and he smiled warmly at her as she tentatively hopped out of the dark box to approach him.

“Hi Usakichi,” Shinkai greeted quietly as he placed his hand against the wired cage. Usakichi’s nose tickled his palm as she sniffed his skin, but the feeling lasted only a second as she pulled back, undoubtedly sensing her owner opening the cage.

“Hi,” Shinkai repeated as he carefully lifted her into his arms. Usakichi’s heart fluttered rapidly against his hand, but she otherwise remained motionless and calm. Shinkai petted her lovingly behind her left ear, just the way he knew she liked it. Usakichi’s nose twitched at the sensation, and she attempted to bury her face further into the crook of his arm as he cradled her, displaying her comfort and trust in her owner. Shinkai grinned as he kissed the top of her head, and he muttered a small apology against her soft fur. She was too forgiving. His neglect was nothing more to her but a distant memory.

“How the fuck are we fitting this in the car?” Arakita repeated after giving Shinkai a moment with his rabbit.

Shinkai pulled his face away from his bunny’s back as he considered Yasutomo’s question. It was true; Usakichi’s cage was quite large in both length and height. They’d have to dismantle it if they wanted any chance of fitting it into the trunk. Which means we need to clean it…

Damn. He was hoping they could somehow fit it in the car without having to take everything apart. Shinkai wasn’t in the mood to clean the cage to its store-bought condition.

“I’ll have to tear it apart,” Shinkai admitted as he moved to stand. “Can you hold her while I get started?”

“Uhh,” Arakita cleared his throat as he raised his palms defensively. “I’m not… I don’t want to give her a heart attack.”

“You won’t! She’s a social rabbit, Yasutomo! Don’t be shy.”

Arakita took a few tentative steps back and wore an expression not dissimilar to that of pure terror. It was as if Shinkai was holding a knife to his chest, not a bunny.

“Yasutomo, go sit on the bed.”

“Ah?”

Shinkai plopped onto his mattress and eyed Arakita until he did the same. Usakichi was sitting comfortably on his lap, unhindered by the other excruciatingly nervous individual.

“Hey, relax.” Shinkai wanted to laugh at Yasutomo’s stiffness. If he was this terrified of a bunny, how would he act if he ever visited Shinkai at work?

“I’m relaxed,” Arakita squawked anxiously.

“Just pet her lightly,” Shinkai instructed as he turned to face the other. Arakita crossed his legs on the bed and inhaled loudly through his nostrils before reaching forward. Shinkai cringed as Usakichi wriggled in his grasp. “Okay maybe not like that.”

“How the absolute fuck could I have done that wrong?”

“A lot of pray species have laterally placed eyes, Yasutomo. Approaching her from the side is startling.”

“Fucking say that beforehand!”

Again, Usakichi shimmied in Shinkai’s grasp. Arakita slapped both hands over his mouth before falling back onto Shinkai’s mattress. He kicked the air like a child before letting his limbs fall limp.

“Try again,” Shinkai insisted as he prodded Arakita’s leg with his foot.

“Miya was right,” Arakita complained. “It’s my face isn’t it? She probably thinks I’m trying to eat her. Or maybe it’s my voice. Check her ears Hayato —check for blood.”

Rolling his eyes and praying that his ever sociable Usakichi wouldn’t panic at what he was about to do, Shinkai plopped her onto Arakita’s stomach. He slammed his lips tightly together to prevent the laughter bubbling in his chest at the sight of Yasutomo’s facial expression. His boyfriend looked the most terrified he’s ever been. His arms were frozen to his sides, and his fingers stuck out in what Shinkai could only imagine was uncomfortable given his sudden stiffness.

“Yasutomo relax.”

He didn’t. In fact, Shinkai was almost certain he was turning red.

“Yasutomo, breathe.”

Arakita exhaled loudly, and Usakichi hopped a little closer to his chest to balance herself.  Arakita reached out to catch her, but hastily stopped himself. Shinkai’s chest swelled with pride at the other’s quick intuition and consideration. Yasutomo didn’t want to scare her again by reaching out towards her periphery. Instead, he slowly brought a hand between her eyes and petted her head as instructed by Shinkai.

“See? She’s pretty easy going.”

“Like her owner,” Arakita mumbled as he continued to pet her head, transfixed by her agreeableness.

Shinkai hummed as he lay down beside the other. “Am I easy going?”

Arakita couldn’t answer as Usakichi hopped a little closer to his face. He scrunched his eyes shut as the small rabbit sniffed his chin and neck curiously. Shinkai melted. Calling the scene unfolding before him cute was an understatement. The hand petting Usakichi’s head had been forced to rest tentatively on the brown fur of her back while the other hand was brought up to cover his eyes. Unable to grasp the innocence through thoughts alone, Shinkai instinctively reached for his phone and took a picture. He’d have to come back to the photo later, when his emotions died down and his thoughts were clearer.

“You’re beyond easy going,” Arakita mumbled at last. “I feel like I’m at my calmest when I’m with you.”

“Even now? After that stunt I just pulled?”

“I can’t tell if it’s my heart beating forty thousand miles per hour or the bunny’s,” Arakita admitted as he removed his hand to look at Shinkai. “But otherwise, yeah. It’s pretty peaceful having you in my life.”

Shinkai smiled as he leaned forward to kiss Arakita on the cheek. “And it’s pretty exciting having you in mine.”

Arakita failed to hide his sheepish grin as he returned his free hand to his face. Shinkai kissed his cheek once more before moving to stand, having heard Yuuto’s footsteps approaching his room. He’d let Yasutomo relax and Usakichi grow accustomed to his presence while he worked on cleaning and dismantling her cage. Though the extra pair of hands would have been helpful, Yasutomo’s unease from the night before didn’t sit well with him. Knowing his rabbit had comforted him through stressful situations several times in the past, Shinkai hoped she’d have a similar effect on his boyfriend.

A quick glance at the bed told him that she did. Though his lips were barely moving, it was easy to see that Yasutomo was muttering kind words to Usakichi as he pet her soft fur and played with her floppy ears. He held a serene smile and his cheeks were dusted pink with affection. Whatever troubles and tribulations bothered him before were off his mind, and Shinkai was glad for that.

Chapter Text

“I just don’t get it!” Arakita complained as he watched Usakichi explore the empty space beneath the coffee table. “Why is she trying so hard to talk to me?”

The rabbit sniffed the carpet by the leg of the table before hoping towards Arakita. Her nose twitched rapidly as he scratched the space between her ears before she lost interest and twisted out of his grasp to hop away. Stupid adorable bunny. In the week spent together, Arakita had grown weirdly attached to the brown little rabbit, and felt his heart crumble every time she left him to explore something else.

“Hey Usakichi help me understand,” Arakita wined as he lay down on the floor his living room, limbs outstretched like a starfish. “Why won’t she leave me alone?”

Usakichi turned to Arakita at the mention of her name. “Closure,” she answered in a deep, masculine voice. Arakita blinked at her before turning to look up at Makishima. His friend sat on the couch with his legs crossed, eyes glued to the television.

“That’s fucking stupid. We broke up two years ago, Makishima. If she hasn’t “moved on”, that’s her own fault.”

“Hey I’m not disagreeing with you,” Makishima commented monotonously. “When you ended it, you ended it well. From what I heard, the library is still recovering from your breakup.”

Arakita’s cheeks burned in shame as he glanced at the other. Makishima’s eyes left the television to glance at him, a slight smirk apparent on his sharp features. “Kinjou still complains about his banishment.”

“Right,” Arakita grumbled as he turned his attention back to the bunny. Usakichi had found her wooden play ball and was gnawing at it tenaciously. “What a mess.” Whether the comment was targeted at the rabbit’s endeavors dirtying his carpet or the mention of his past was up for interpretation.

The two sat in silence for some time, Makishima’s attention brought back to the television while Arakita’s was focused on the rabbit. Lost in thought, Arakita considered what would happen if he did agree to listen to what Riko had to say. Fuck. It would be horrible. Two years wasn’t enough time to iron out someone’s shitty personality traits, regardless of how much they “tried”. Knowing his ex, she would talk to him as if they were partaking in a job interview. She’d speak to him like he were an investment there to benefit her future. Her idea of closure would be pulling out a list of horrible things she’s said and done, apologize at the end of each incident, apologize over all, and then wait for Arakita to forgive her. She was going to make their “conversation” a formal essay paper with the expectation that she’d get a perfect score back. 0 red markings pointing out the flaws in her argument —because to Riko there wouldn’t be any flaws.

Just then, the sound of Toudou screaming in the distance pulled Arakita out of his thoughts. Both Arakita and Makishima glanced towards the direction in which the other’s voice came from and listened intently as the previously mellow conversation in Arakita’s bedroom exploded into a heated argument.

“Should we go see what they’re fighting about?” Arakita asked, only slightly worried for Hayato’s wellbeing.

“Probably,” Makishima sighed, his tone equally as concerned as Arakita’s. Neither moved as the sound of struggling became prevalent in the distance. Arakita couldn’t figure out how trying on a few yukata could result in whatever it was they were hearing, but he didn’t doubt Toudou’s ability to make a big deal out of nothing.

Tanabata preparations were underway, which meant that his more enthusiastic set of friends were planning the day in detail. And by friends, Arakita meant Toudou. Just Toudou. Toudou was planning the day with such deliberation that Arakita wouldn’t be surprised if bathroom breaks were scheduled for them as well. The week since Usakichi’s move happened in a flash. School, sex and sleep were Arakita and Shinkai’s main concern during that time, with a few hours in each day set aside for other things, such as eating and looking after one’s person hygiene. This summer festival was something both had looked forward to between excruciating classes and mind numbingly dull study sessions. This event would allow the two to unwind with their friends and take it easy. At least, that was the plan. Unfortunately for Arakita, his enthusiasm had been quick to diminish at the revelation of his ex’s attendance. He had begged Shinkai that they attend the festival closer to the redhead’s neighbourhood, but the other wasn’t having any of it.

“Yasutomo, I love you, but I haven’t properly interacted with a human being outside of school in several days,” Shinkai had argued. Arakita would have easily argued back had he not been tongue tied at the other’s use of the words I love you. No matter how often Hayato said it, no matter how accustomed he’d become to that particular phrase of endearment, Arakita still found himself weak to those words. He caved easily. The fear of running into Riko was overridden by his need to please Hayato, which in this case meant attending the festival at the shrine closest to the downtown area where the majority of their fellow university classmates and friends were going to be.

After a few minutes of mulling over the day ahead, the sound of the distant argument dying down and being replaced by the sound of running bath water peaked Arakita’s interest once more.

“Do people normally bathe while trying on clothes?”

“Honestly, I stopped concerning myself with what Jinpachi does in the bathroom long ago,” Makishima answered.

Arakita snorted as he outstretched an arm to block the ever explorative Usakichi from walking towards the open balcony door. The early afternoon heat was surprisingly staggering given that fans were strictly forbidden when the rabbit was out of her cage. The risk of her chewing on something or somehow getting her ear caught in the blades was too high. The open door provided some cool air, but Arakita was forced to prevent the tiny creature from accidentally stepping outside and plunging to her doom even though she was merely chasing the nice feeling of cool air.

“What’s the weather like later today?” Arakita asked as he pushed himself into a sitting position to carefully pick up Usakichi. He held his breath, praying that she wouldn’t try to wriggle away. Holding her was still terrifying —especially when Shinkai wasn’t in the same room to supervise.

“I thought we were past elevator talk,” Makishima scoffed as he changed the channel on the television to check.

Arakita huffed as he quickly placed the rabbit into her two story cage. Watching Shinkai dismantle this miniature fortress only to reassemble it a half hour later was heart breaking —but it was something Usakichi needed to live comfortably.

“It’ll be cooler after five, surprisingly.”

That was surprising, but good. Since they were planning to leave by then, Arakita wouldn’t have to worry about Hayato worrying about Usakichi, which in turn would make him also worry about the stupid bunny.

“I say it’s time we check up on our idiot boyfriends,” he suggested after locking the cage’s door.

“Unfortunately for me, my idiot boyfriend has recently been upgraded to idiot fiancé,” Makishima sighed. Arakita glanced up to see a genuine smile on Makishima’s face as he sat up from the couch and turned off the TV. Arakita grinned back as he headed into his bedroom with Makishima in tow.

“Toudou!” Arakita hollered as he knocked on the bathroom door. “If you’re indecent let me know now, or else I’m coming i—”

“Don’t come in!” Toudou shrieked from the other side of the door. “Give me five more minutes!”

“What the fuck are you two doing?” Arakita muttered in awe. Was he actually indecent in there?

Arakita didn’t get an answer until exactly five minutes later, when Toudou stepped out of the bathroom with an extremely satisfied smile stretching his facial features.

“Arakita! If you’re standing, might I recommend you take a seat!”

Arakita gestured wildly to himself to indicate his already-sitting-on-the-goddamn-bed demeanor.  

“Perfect! I’d like to present to y—Oh hi Maki-chan!” Toudou chirped as Makishima walked into the bedroom with his newly retrieved bottle of water and straw. Makishima wordlessly pinched the other’s cheek before joining Arakita on the bed.

“Maki-chan, the product you said didn’t work totally did,” Toudou continued, presumably forgetting his earlier announcement.

“I said I’d like to see it work,” Makishima argued.

“I will show you the text my darling,” Toudou articulated as he pulled out his phone.

“Toudou!” Arakita snapped impatiently.

“Oh right! Anyways, I present to you…” Toudou paused for dramatic effect as he waved his arms at the bathroom door like a hula dancer.

“Toudou,” Arakita growled.

“Shinkai Hayato!”

Shinkai stepped out of the bathroom and turned to face the bed. Arakita immediately perked at the site before him. His boyfriend was wearing a checkered blue yukata with each large square alternating between light and royal navy blue. His obi belt was maroon red and rested right at his hips, accentuating his broad shoulders and athletic torso. The icing on the cake, however, was Shinkai’s hair. Toudou had obviously been the brains behind the wonderful mess. The long auburn strands shined where they curled, deeply accented by the vivid blue locks layering his hair.

“Did you get your streaks touched up?” Arakita smiled as Shinkai waited expectantly for a comment.

“That and a cut,” Toudou answered for him. “I told you not to let your bangs grow past your nose!” He lectured as he turned to his friend.

“It wasn’t though! It barely hit the bridge of my nose.”

“Obviously I meant when you held it straight down.”

“Does it matter? It curls away of my eyes anyway.”

“Yes it does matter! Do you have any idea how terrible a shape the ends of your hair was in? I had to take an inch off!”

Arakita had trouble listening to the conversation. Shinkai’s hair was styled. There was no mistaking the way his normal waves curled up and outward more than usual. His bangs were slightly pulled back and guided to one side, exposing the blue streaks that started right as his roots. Arakita hadn’t realized how washed out and dull Shinkai’s streaks were until seeing the stark contrast provided by a fresh colouring. It was insanely attractive. His natural hair colour almost seemed redder because of the blue. His eyes shined brighter because of the lift in his hair.

“Well I think it’s about time for us to leave,” Makishima mentioned as he stepped off the bed to gather Toudou.

“We still have plenty of time,” Shinkai debated. Arakita held his breath as he watched the other turn to the side to look at Makishima, and his stomach flipped repeatedly at the realization that he could see Hayato’s ears. Toudou had apparently tucked the long locks of hair away while styling it, and whatever lose strands didn’t obey the hair product curled upwards regardless, exposing the ends.

“We’ll meet you there,” Makishima reassured Shinkai as he guided Toudou towards the bedroom’s exit.

Arakita took a step closer to Shinkai as his eyes followed the collar of his yukata down to his legs. The other had taken a step forward to stop his friends from leaving, which exposed the skin a little above his calves. The prospect that Hayato was wearing nothing but the thin fabric of his underwear under the summer kimono made Arakita’s heart beat rapidly. He took another step forward, barely having the mind to question when he had gotten up to stand in the first place.

“Why don’t we go together? I don’t mind walking around in this,” Shinkai argued.

“Listen Shinkai, I don’t know if you’re blind but…” Makishima informed him as he pushed Toudou out of the room. “I don’t think Arakita’s going to let you leave for a while.”

Shinkai turned to him curiously, and his cheeks flushed red at what he saw. Arakita gulped, unaware of what expression he was making, but slightly glad that Makishima had figured it out and offered to leave.

“We’ll meet up with you later,” Arakita promised as he took a final three step towards his boyfriend and rested his palm flat on his back, right below his collar.

“Okay! Try not to delay alright? We have a busy day ahead of us if we want to fit Maki-chan’s birthday celebrations along with all the festivities!” Toudou asserted as he waved goodbye. Arakita squeezed the back of Shinkai’s neck before leaving the room to bid the couple a quick farewell. He locked the door behind him before re-entering the bedroom and coming face-to-face with…

Shinkai’s frown.

“I’m sorry,” Arakita sputtered as he bowed at the other.

“Yasutomo, we were supposed to be with friends today.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Jinpachi was the first person I interacted with outside of school in over five days.”

“I’m sorry,” Arakita repeated for a third time as he bowed once again. “But to be fair, if anyone’s to blame here, it’s Toudou.”

“Oh?” Shinkai voiced in amusement. “How so?”

“He made you look unbelievably sexy,” Arakita admitted as he pulled himself closer to the other.

“You say I look sexy every day,” Shinkai countered as he helped to close the distance between them.

“Yeah but today I’d let you fuck me,” Arakita whispered as he leaned forward to kiss the other.

Shinkai backed away with such startling ferocity that any onlooker would have easily mistaken him for being punched in the face.

“Yasutomo what did you just say?!”

Oh shit, hold on.

“Uhh,”Arakita droned, hoping his brain would come up with something to save him. The two had gone the entire week without switching positions despite Shinkai’s urgent body language occasionally suggesting that they do. To avoid something that should have been a comfortable and fun interaction for the two was something Arakita wasn’t proud of. Despite this, he understood that deep down, giving someone else total control over his body was a scary feat to accomplish. Even though Arakita had technically bottomed before, he could argue that he was in control during that time as well. He was the one who decided he wanted to try anal, and during the sex, he ended up being the one moving on top of Hayato.

The past few days were different, however. Although he trusted Hayato vigorously, every time the other’s hand slid towards his ass, he’d pull it away. When the redhead somehow ended on top of him while they kissed, Arakita would forcefully roll the other onto his back. His brain knew he was being ridiculous, but it was as if his body had been conditioned to respond defensively at the mere notion that someone else was attempting to take charge of him. After being with her, he never wanted to deal with feeling submissive ever again.

“Yasutomo take off your clothes,” Shinkai demanded. Arakita felt his heart beat increase in pace. He had fucked up with his choice of words, but he still might be able to turn it around as things progressed.

Shinkai didn’t wait as he tugged Arakita’s shirt over his head and pushed him towards the bed. Arakita fell onto his back heavily, his legs dangling over the mattress for only a millisecond before Shinkai cupped his calves and pulled them upward. Arakita pushed himself onto his forearms as Shinkai propped his ankles onto his shoulders. Arakita’s stomach flipped numerous times at the sight before him. Calling his boyfriend sexy in his current state was an understatement. The way his hair was styled made him look far more mature than what his age would suggest. His deep blue eyes, dark, slanted brows, large, curved nose and thick, plump lips represented the features of a model, not your typical, everyday biology student.

Damn. Part of him was okay with this wasn’t he? Part of him was totally fine with handing over the reins.

Fuck. How am I still so infatuated? Just like that, all it took was Shinkai in a yukata with salon styled hair to make his self-control waver.

“Hurry,” Shinkai urged as he tugged at the fabric on Arakita’s thighs.

“What’s the rush?” Arakita asked despite hastily unbuckling his belt. His pants were beginning to feel more constricting than comforting, and Hayato hovering over him like an animal about to pounce on its pray wasn’t helping with his blood circulation either.

This isn’t good. Arakita figured he’d follow the plan he had been using the entire week and act more aggressive and heated than Shinkai in order to top.

“I don’t want you changing your mind,” Shinkai admitted as he tugged at the jeans getting between him and his area of interest. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now.”

“Sorry,” Arakita apologized. He deflated immediately after realizing that his plan wouldn’t work now that the other had been verbal with what he wanted.

“I won’t hurt you,” Shinkai promised while successfully removing Arakita’s pants.

“I know, I know. It’s not the sex I’m worried about.”

Shinkai cocked an eyebrow, questioning the declaration.

Shit. Arakita had no idea how to explain his feelings to Hayato, let alone himself. Maybe it was time he composed himself and let the other lead. Maybe this was something he had to grow out of. A bad habit that needed constant exploitation to nullify its effects. Shinkai leaned down to kiss Arakita’s exposed chest as he patiently waited for the raven to gather himself. Stubbornly reaching his conclusion, Arakita cupped his boyfriend’s face and pulled him close.

“You have to be gentle as fuck okay?”

Shinkai beamed down at Arakita and nodded enthusiastically. “Of course.”

“Seriously Hayato,” Arakita grumbled as he squeezed to other’s cheeks viciously. “Last time we did it, it took me a while to recover.”

“That’s your own fault Yasutomo.”

“Exactly.”

Please understand.

Arakita felt his eyes sting slightly in embarrassment as the look of pity and understanding flashed across Hayato’s features.

“We’ll go slow,” Shinkai reassured him as he pulled himself away from Arakita. The raven’s feet flopped to the ground, but a second later Shinkai was guiding him further onto the bed. “Forget what I said earlier okay? If you change your mind, just let me know.”

Arakita nodded weakly as Shinkai kissed his forehead.

“And if something doesn’t feel right, you tell me immediately, yeah?”

Another nod, followed by another kiss.

Shinkai backed away and smiled sweetly at Arakita as he pulled off the obi wrapped around his waist.

“You’re nothing like her,” Arakita breathed. Shinkai paused in the midst of unfurling his yukata at the declaration.

“Yasutomo…” Shinkai started as he slowly continued pulling apart his summer kimono. Arakita held his breath, realizing that mentioning his ex right before having sex was a shitty thing to do. “I’m always afraid to bring her up because I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but…”

But…?

“I’m obviously nothing like her!” He claimed while proudly placing his hands on his hips, his open yukata exposing his body in its entirety. Arakita tried not to grin as Shinkai curled his fingers around his cock; the member masked by his dark boxers. “First of all, I doubt she had this.”

He then pulled the corners of his yukata aside and turned his back to Arakita, exposing his body from the waist down. “And I don’t think she had this either,” he continued as he slapped his ass. As if to prove a point, Shinkai yanked the hem of his boxer upward to reveal a bruised and bitten ass cheek. Arakita wriggled uncomfortably at the site. How he’d love to dig his teeth into that plump flesh again.

“Also,” Shinkai continued as he crawled over Arakita so that their lips were millimetres apart. “I doubt she loved you as unconditionally as I do.”

Instead of kissing him, Arakita pulled Shinkai into a tight hug. He wrapped his legs around the other’s waist and buried his face into the crook of his neck, unwilling to speak in fear of saying something extremely pathetic and unromantic.

“So don’t ever feel the need to compare us, okay?”

Arakita nodded against Shinkai’s neck, still too afraid to speak.

“If you’re worried about me trying to permanently take over, don’t be. That’s too much effort on my part Yasutomo.”

Arakita chuckled at the joke. Whether it was the vast collection of detective novels stored into his brain or merely strong intuition didn’t matter. Arakita was simply grateful that Hayato had figured him out.

“Now, do you think you’ll be okay to bottom?”

Arakita peeled his face away from the other’s skin to look up at him.

“Fuck me up, Hayato.”

Shit there it was, the unromantic one-liner. Shinkai tilted his head back as he laughed at him. “I love you,” Shinkai huffed in amusement as he kissed Arakita on the nose, grinning widely at his boyfriend’s choice of words.

“Yeah, yeah. I love you too,” Arakita smirked as he kissed him back. “Now hurry up and take over before I change my mind and add another mark on your ass.”

Shinkai scoffed as he pulled away to take off his yukata and drape it carefully over the chair near Arakita’s desk.  He grabbed a packet of condoms from their newly bought box, along with an equally new, and still very much unscented and unflavoured bottle of lube (much to Shinkai’s chagrin), before returning to the bed.

“How do you want to do this?” He asked as he heavily put all his body weight against Arakita.

“In the butt, preferably.”

“I mea—”

Arakita snickered as he slapped Shinkai’s ass. “You’re in charge remember? Position me however the fuck you want.” His earlier hesitation was gone. A week’s worth of stunts just to avoid this exact scenario was up in flames. Hayato had single-handedly eliminated all his self-doubt and reluctance in a single move. His comparisons to Riko were obvious, but needed to be brought to Arakita’s attention in order for him to accept things and move on. He didn’t need any barriers up against Shinkai Hayato. He could put all his trust into the other with the understanding that things were different now.

Shinkai hummed thoughtfully as he leaned forward to kiss Arakita. His large lips were inviting against Arakita’s own, and the warmth radiated between the smooth skin and into his veins. Arakita felt his eyebrows crease as he sighed through his nostrils. Wow.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how amazing kissing you feels,” Shinkai murmured against his lips, voicing Arakita’s thoughts.

“Yeah,” he whispered back, unsure of what more he could say. Mutual feelings were easier to show than discuss. Arakita reached up and rested his left palm flat against Shinkai’s cheek. He dragged his hand along the skin and combed the auburn and blue locks of hair behind his ear before returning to his cheek. Arakita lightly caressed the crease right below Shinkai’s eye, awestruck by the other’s attractiveness.

“You look like you belong on the cover of a magazine.”

Shinkai snorted at the claim. “Yasutomo, if you ever saw my face it’d be on the cover of a newspaper blaming me for accidentally causing a disease outbreak.”

Arakita perked at the comment. Hayato talking science had become a very discrete turn on of his.

“And how the hell would you manage that, Mr. Biologist?"

“Poor lab technique.”

“What, like not wearing gloves while working with your specimen?” Arakita asked jokingly, making sure to emphasize the word specimen. It was something Hayato said a lot, and something he liked to mock him for. His boyfriend was cute but he was a nerd through and through.

“More like using my phone with the gloves on during lab... To text a certain someone.”

Arakita blinked up at the other sheepishly smiling down on him, his hand hovering near Hayato’s cheek but no longer touching it.

“You mean the same phone you shove in my face when you wanna show me a dumb video?”

“The videos aren’t dumb!”

“Hayato…”

“Maybe.”

“You’re killing me Hayato,” Arakita groaned as he covered his eyes. How many bacterial cells and toxic chemical compounds had he been exposed to just by being near Shinkai?

Shinkai laughed as he pushed Arakita’s hand away to kiss his eyelids.

“I’m not! Probably…”

“Probably?”

“Just let me know if you ever suddenly get severe diarrhea or shit out blood. Then I might be killing you.”

“My dick is the softest it’s ever been,” Arakita lied. Shinkai knew it too as he palmed the bulge tenting his underwear. Both grinned at each other as they connected their lips once again.

“You taste like bananas,” Shinkai murmured as he hungrily licked and nibbled his bottom lip. Arakita hummed in guilt, unable to articulate to the other that he had eaten the last one while waiting for him and Toudou to finish their business together. “That better have not been the last one Yasu,” Shinkai continued as if on cue before darting his tongue between Arakita’s lips and gliding the slick muscle against the raven’s own. Whether intentional or not, the thought of Shinkai being mad at him got his blood pumping and adrenaline running. Their mouths opened and closed rhythmically as their kiss deepened, with small moans and slick sound of lips parting peppering the otherwise silence of his bedroom. Arakita lazily tugged at the thick locks of hair on Shinkai’s head before squeezing the back of his neck, only to have his hand pulled away by the other.

“Not today,” Shinkai warned as he pulled the hand tugging his hair above Arakita’s head. Shinkai took purchase of Arakita’s other hand and did the same thing, holding both wrists tightly over his head while looking down on him. Arakita gulped as he glanced up at the other, feeling helpless from where he lay. Having no control would have been terrifying had it not been Hayato in charge. Now, however, with his boyfriend hovering over him with glistening swollen lips and a fierce look of desire in his eyes, Arakita couldn’t help but feel eager.

Shinkai leaned forward once again, but instead of kissing Arakita’s lips, he harshly bit the crook of his neck. Arakita gasped and twisted his head away, but Shinkai held him in place as he lapped the sensitive skin with his tongue. A shudder ran through Arakita’s spine as the other started peppering his neck with kisses, and a strangled moan escaped his lips when he was bitten once again.

“You’re going to leave a mark,” Arakita complained as Shinkai sucked the protrusion of his collarbone.

“Welcome to my world Yasutomo,” Shinkai growled against the skin. “Leaving marks on me never stopped you before has it?”

“Shit,” Arakita hissed as the other sunk his teeth gently into him once again. His body was reacting to the bites far too readily for his liking. How long before Hayato found out and exploited him for this weakness the same way Arakita often exploited the back of his neck?

“You’re starting to feel rather excited down there Yasutomo,” Shinkai teased as he trailed his lower lip along Arakita’s chest and over a pert nipple. “Should we move on from the kissing?”

“This isn’t kissing,” Arakita grumbled weakly.

“It’s not?” Shinkai asked innocently before sucking on the sensitive area.

Arakita didn’t respond in fear that his voice would crack. Instead he screwed his eyes shut and concentrated on his breathing, hoping not to sound too desperate for the other. There was some form of pride he stubbornly felt the need to hold on to, even when at his most intimate with his partner.

Shinkai kneaded his nipple between his lips before moving to the other one and doing to same. He alternated between lapping, sucking, and kissing the small protrusions before making his way up to abuse his neck again. After a few enthusiastic licks and kisses, Shinkai let go of Arakita and moved away, driving the raven to open his eyes. He nervously watched as the redhead squirted a generous helping of lube onto the tips of his fingers before returned to his side.

“Do you want to be on your back or stomach for the next bit?”

“Will you bite me less if I’m on my stomach?”

“No way.”

Arakita rolled his eyes as he opened his arms for the other. “Then this is fine.”

Shinkai smiled as he crawled diagonally over him and into his arms. They kissed for another minute before Shinkai slid his hand over Arakita’s bulge and down towards his ass. His fingers found their way under the hem of Arakita’s underwear and toward his ass crack.

“Don’t you wanna take off my boxers first?” Arakita grunted as Shinkai began guiding the cold lube between his cheeks, hoping to buy some time. He needed the other to talk to him or else this would go nowhere. There was no way Hayato would be able to get a single finger in him with how tense he felt.

“Hmm?” Shinkai hummed curiously while circling his finger around the raven’s rim. “Why would I want to do that?”

“For easier access?”

“I can reach you just fine,” Shinkai promised despite his fingers awkwardly curling into Arakita’s skin as a result of the constricting fabric.

“You’re so new at this,” Arakita snickered mockingly. Hayato’s childish pout was just the distraction he needed, however. His body immediately relaxed at the sight before him, which was good because a second later the other was forcing his finger between the tight ring of muscle in retaliation.

“I’ve done this to you before,” Shinkai warned as he bit Arakita’s cheek while slowly moving his finger in and out of him in shallow thrusts. “In fact, if I recall correctly, you lost your ass-virginity to me didn’t you?”

Arakita smacked his forehead rather harshly at the term ass-virginity.

Shit. The word kept replaying in his head, over and over again like a broken record. Arakita took mental note at how of all things, it was this dumb joke that helped him calm down. He had a feeling he’d need a way to relax his body just as quickly the next time he found himself in a similar situation.

“It’s a wonder how I keep my erection when you talk,” Arakita mumbled in amusement while trying to fight back his growing smile.

Ass-virginity.

His body had relaxed almost immediately after he caved to his bad sense of humor. Hayato’s finger was easy to ignore. In fact, he could barely feel it sliding in and out of him as he was far too preoccupied with his boyfriend’s shitty use of terminology to notice.

“I won’t keep you wondering long,” Shinkai whispered against Arakita’s ear, snapping his attention back to his boyfriend. Arakita felt his body burn at the declaration. He always wanted to know how it would be if he handed Hayato the reins, and now he was finally going to find out.

A second finger was pushed into Arakita moments later, and a third finger followed after many minutes of stretching and scissoring. Sometime during their preparations, Shinkai had impatiently pulled away to yank off Arakita’s boxers before resuming his fingering. Arakita had laughed at him at that, but Shinkai was quick to shut him up by kissing his lips.

Some time after the third finger was inserted, Arakita moaned into Shinkai’s mouth before pulling away and catching his breath. His ass stung from the stretching despite the other working slowly.

“More lube,” he huffed between deep breaths.

“How do you feel?” Shinkai inquired as he squeezed a generous amount of lubricant onto his hand.

“Good… Real good,” Arakita murmured blithely as Shinkai squeezed three fingers into him at once, his thick digits gliding effortlessly against his loosened muscles with the reapplication of lube. “Get another finger in there though.”

“Oh? Are you calling me big Yasutomo?” Shinkai asked playfully as he leaned forward to lick a stripe along Arakita’s neck.

“The only thing big about you is that egotistic tone,” Arakita grumbled while shuddering at the other’s tongue on his skin. Shinkai responded by kissing his chin, and Arakita gently combed his fingers through Shinkai’s auburn hair given the proximity. “And we’re basically the same size. You’re only slightly thicker.”

“I’ll take it,” Shinkai said with a grin. The redhead resumed kissing Arakita’s neck as he squeezed his pinky finger into the raven. Arakita’s back arched as the painful sensation shot through his ass and toward his stomach, and yet despite the dull throbbing, his dick was twitching eagerly to its full potential.

“Fuck,” he grunted as the added finger further stretched him open. Arakita pulled Shinkai closer to him as the other continued his endeavors, glad he had learned from his past mistake. Three fingers had definitely not been enough for him the last time they did it. He had been extremely sore for the next few days to follow, although Hayato’s girth was only partly to blame for his discomfort. Bouncing on someone’s dick without prior experience and a bit too much vigor was also to blame.

“Yasutomo I don’t think I can take much more of this,” Shinkai complained as he pulled out his hand. “How do you feel?”

“Ready,” Arakita answered shakily. Shinkai nodded as he pulled away to step out of his underwear. Arakita’s eye automatically followed the coarse happy trail and shadows cast by the other’s hipbones leading to his erection. Arakita’s eyes fluttered in delight at the sight before him. Hayato’s body was incredible. He had hard muscles and soft curves in all the right places, making his body extremely fuckable —to put it crassly.

“Lie on your stomach Yasutomo,” he instructed while sitting on his knees at the far end of the bed. Arakita did as he was told, but continued glancing at the boy behind him, slightly upset that he wasn’t the one being penetrated. Pounding Shinkai against his mattress sounded pretty good right about now. With a deep sigh, Arakita watched Hayato open the condom packet and pull the latex over his member.

“I can’t believe you’re letting me do this,” Shinkai admitted as he positioned himself behind Arakita.

“Make sure you write this in your diary alright?” Arakita teased. Truthfully, he couldn’t believe this either. Lying face down on the bed with his ass in the air was foreign to him. Having no task to accomplish felt weird. He had grown accustomed to always being on the move —to always be the one doing something.

“Alright Yasutomo! You ready to go?” Shinkai exclaimed as he slapped Arakita’s ass excitedly. Arakita yelped at the sharp pain before grunting in surprise as the other suddenly began pushing his cock inside him.

“Oh fuck. Oh fuck, wait. Wait, wait I wasn’t ready,” Arakita whispered as Shinkai’s dick exerted an incredible amount of pressure around his opening.

“Well you’re definitely ready now, right?” Shinkai asked as he grasped Arakita’s waist tightly with one hand while the other slapped his ass once again. The raven gasped in response to the pain, and he groaned weakly as the head of Shinkai’s cock forced its way past his sphincter. Fuuuuck. Asking for four fingers was a smart idea. Even now, with Shinkai barely in him, Arakita could tell how bad his morning after would be had he not prepared for this dick.

“Go slow,” Arakita asked as Shinkai pushed himself a little further into his ass. “Slower, slo—oooh ngh!”

Oh fuck did that feel good.

“Yasutomo that was an incredible noise you just made,” Shinkai hissed as he clutched his hips with both his hands and dug his fingers further into the skin as if to steady himself. “I’m not even fully in you yet.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Arakita hissed against his pillow. “Fucking do that again.”

So Shinkai pulled out whatever little of his length was in Arakita, and repeated the motion of pushing in once again. Arakita didn’t feel the incredible wave of pleasure that had washed over him like last time, and he cursed in frustration as he twisted his head to look at Shinkai.

“Go slower,” he demanded before turning back. Shinkai scoffed but did as he was told. He pulled out, only to push into Arakita once again, moving at a snail’s pace as he did so. Arakita gasped as the sensation of being filled sent sparks of pleasure to his groin. His stomach was burning at the rush of blood, and his dick twitched enthusiastically at Shinkai’s advances.

“Keep going,” Arakita muttered against his pillow. He lifted his head to repeat himself for the other to hear, but his voice caught in his throat as Shinkai obeyed his silent demands regardless. The sensation of something large slowly entering Arakita felt incredible. He couldn’t believe how addicting the feeling of his muscles being pushed past their limits could be.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai hissed as he leaned heavily onto the other. Arakita’s response came in the sound of a broken sob. Hayato had fully entered him. He had fully entered him, but in the process of doing so, ever so slowly mind you, he had continuously brushed against Arakita’s prostate until he was sheathed to the hilt. “I’m going to move.”

Arakita clutched the pillow beneath him tightly at the declaration. A second later, Shinkai pulled out almost fully before pushing against him again. He repeated the action over and over, his shallow thrusts growing deeper with every roll of his hips. He moved in a pace that made it hard for Arakita to catch his breath. The raven’s mind had gone blank from the pleasure. He could barely contain the choked sobs escaping his lips with every thrust. The friction between their bodies began generating heat and sweat between them, and the continuous movement began rocking the bed along with them.

“Oh… Oh… ngh—” Arakita moaned rhythmically between Shinkai’s thrusts, his voice weak and hoarse after only a few minutes of stimulation. Shinkai was pounding him against the bed now, each plunge accented by the sound of the headboard hitting the wall in successive thump, thump, thumps.

“Yasu… tomo… oh God—” Shinkai growled as he tightened his grip and quickened his pace. Arakita opened his eyes in shock as a violent wave of pleasure shot up his spine and back down to his crotch. His untouched erection was screaming in agony; sore, tender and begging for pressure. He had become accustomed to tightness surrounding his member. The lack of stimulation where it was needed the most made Arakita lift his stomach off the bed and balance himself on his forearms.

“Hayato,” Arakita whispered weakly. “Hayato, please.”

Shinkai wasn’t listening. He was in his own little world as he gave it to Arakita from the back.

“Hayato,” Arakita tried again as he curled his hand around the wrist holding his hip tightly. The raven gasped at a rather strong thrust, and took a moment to blink the stars out of his eyes before speaking again. “Touch me Hayato. Squeeze it out of me.”

Shinkai growled at the lewd demand as he forced Arakita to lie on his side. The raven groaned long and low as Shinkai pulled his leg up towards the ceiling; forcing his limbs apart and opening him more than he ever thought possible. Arakita desperately clutched the bed sheets beneath him as Shinkai began fucking him from the side. The new angle was insane. The other went from brushing his prostate to hitting it directly. Arakita felt his eyes roll back from the pleasure and drool escape the corner of his lips at the extraordinary stimulation.

Arakita screwed his eyes shut as his occupied mind realized two things. One, his desperate moans had grown into embarrassing shrieks every time Shinkai snapped his pelvis forward; which was out of his control, and two, he wanted to bottom for the rest of his life. He wanted this feeling of being on the receiving end to last forever. The sound of the springs in his mattress creaking rhythmically to Shinkai’s thrusts was music to his ears. As were the sounds of skin slapping skin and Shinkai’s guttural attempts at saying his name.

Arakita barely had the mind to process that fact that his boyfriend had begun stroking his dick as well. His body had long since entered sensory overload. The phrase hot and bothered put what Arakita felt to shame. His nerve endings were burning with pleasure and his sweat glands were secreting natural oils like never before. It felt as if all the blood in his body had gone straight to his dick, leaving him ridiculously numb and light headed.

At some point, Arakita had started begging for the other to pick up his pace. Faster Hayato, faster. Harder, harder, harder! They were the only coherent words he was able to muster among his insensible moaning. He was reaching his limit. His cock were throbbing as the other pumped him with vigor, and his balls tensed haphazardly every other stroke. He was nearing his climax.

“Fuck,” Shinkai sighed as he turned Arakita to lie on his back. The raven whimpered as the other pulled out and removed his hand from his member. He had been so close. Just a few more strokes —a few more thrusts! What was Hayato doing?

Shinkai mumbled a curt explanation, but Arakita couldn’t hear it behind his heavy panting. Not that it mattered. The redhead was on the move again. He lifted Arakita’s legs and had them rest on his shoulders as he guided his member back into Arakita’s entrance. Arakita inhaled sharply at the sensation of being filled again. His head tilted back into the pillow and his eyes fluttered shut as Shinkai began rolling his hips against him. The new angle had the redhead brushing his prostate less often, but the force behind each point of contact made up for the loss. Arakita was moaning again. His steady stream of ah, ah, ahs giving way to how amazing Shinkai felt in and against him.

Arakita tried to reach for his dick, but Shinkai beat him to it. The redhead curled his fingers around Arakita’s length once again, and resumed his previous rhythmic strokes. Arakita opened his eyes in time to see Hayato looking down on him. His pupils were fully blown and his large lips were parted and glistening. If he ignored all the other sounds coming from the room, Arakita could hear the feint moans escaping the other’s throat. Shinkai’s styled hair was a mess. His curls bounced and swayed with his every thrust, but many strands were stuck to his forehead, cheeks, and the back of his neck. Shinkai’s entire body shined in perspiration. His breathing was started to come out in short gasps and his movement was becoming more irregular —more desperate.

Arakita cursed pathetically as Shinkai hit his prostate head on. His eyes screwed shut and his head fell back against the pillow as he locked his ankles around Shinkai’s shoulders.

“I’m coming!” He gasped heatedly. “I’m coming, ohh Hayato, I’m coming,” Arakita sputtered through his orgasm. It had happened out of nowhere. Sure he had felt himself reaching close, but the sensation of his balls suddenly tightening, relaxing, and releasing his load had taken him by surprise.

Shinkai growled his name as he continued pounding the orgasm out of him. His fingers had curled tightly around Arakita’s member as they squeezed out load after load until the raven had gone dry. Arakita gasped in bursts throughout his orgasm, and his body jolted as if to complement each intake of air. Soon, Shinkai was fairing no better as he joined his boyfriend over the edge. The redhead moaned and twitched on top of Arakita, his head hung low as he filled the condom with his seed.

Neither were able to speak during Shinkai’s orgasm. It had been short but vigorous. Both shook after he had finished, overwhelmed by the strength behind it. Arakita’s ass throbbed from the abuse, and was screaming that he relieve it from the incredible pressure within. But pulling away was difficult. Neither had the energy to move. It was as if the intensity behind their collective orgasms had scalded their nervous system and short-circuited their basic motor skills.

“Fuck!” Arakita screamed at last. He gently unlocked his ankles from the other’s shoulders as he looked up at Shinkai. “Pull out slowly.”

Shinkai’s head was still lowered as he continued to catch his breath. Arakita watched the rise and fall of the other’s glistening chest before the other lifted his face to look at him through his bangs. Arakita automatically reached forward to brush some of Shinkai’s hair away from his eyes. The other kissed his wrist as he slowly began to pull out, and both groaned at the overstimulation.

After he had pulled out, Shinkai flopped onto the mattress with close to zero grace. Arakita would have given him a hard time about it if he hadn’t been completely spent.

“There’s no way I’ll be able to walk,” he claimed after taking a few minutes to gather his bearings.

“You will. You have to Yasutomo,” Shinkai insisted.

“You’ll have to carry me everywhere.”

“I don’t think I can do that,” Shinkai huffed as he rolled over to rest his head on Arakita’s chest. “Besides, you still have a couple hours to recover before we meet up with everyone. I’m sure you’ll be fine by then.”

“I fucking better be,” Arakita mumbled as he blinked against his heavy eyelids. “Can’t have you running around like a moron without my supervision.”

Arakita jolted at the sensation of Shinkai twisting his nipple. “I’ll wake you up an hour before we need to leave okay?” the redhead asked sweetly despite continuing to abuse Arakita’s body.

Arakita hummed. He was too lazy to speak and his body was spent to fight back Hayato’s harassment. After a few minutes of serene silence, Arakita succumbed to his exhaustion and drifted off, feeling far more in control of himself and his feelings than ever before.

Chapter Text

Arakita whistled as he and Shinkai entered the main area of the shrine. Food vendors, game kiosks and numerous stalls selling clothing, accessories and other goods made two even rows along the large stone pathway that stretched on for what felt like miles. The spacious area was beautifully decorated with paper lanterns and scattered bamboo shoots, and already packed with families exploring the many activities set up for the festival. Shinkai looked around in awe. He had never attended the festival outside of where he lived. His town was small enough to close off a street without traffic being affected, however here by his University, blocking a road in the core of downtown was almost unheard of. Instead, the area’s shrine held what Shinkai heard were some of the biggest festivals all year round, including Tanabata celebrations. Everything about the downtown area was bigger. From what Shinkai had heard from classmates in the previous years, the crowd was dauntingly large, the amount of food available was substantial, and the fireworks were astonishing. Despite Yasutomo’s resistance, Shinkai was adamant on attending Tanabata at the shrine. He understood that the other wanted to avoid his ex, but the chances of them seeing her were extremely low compared to the chances of them having a fun time.

And the chances of her talking to him are even lower, he thought as they made their way into the crowd. He wouldn’t let it happen. He wasn’t going to let her ruin his time with Yasutomo and their friends.

“Shinkai! Over here!”

Shinkai turned to see an excitable hand waving him over in the distance. He fixed the collar of his yukata and fluffed his hair hastily at the sight of Toudou before turning to Arakita.

“How do I look?”

Arakita grumbled something incoherent to Shinkai.

“Mind repeating that?” Shinkai asked as he fixed a fold in his obi belt.

“I said why are you being so anal about looking good for someone else when I’m right here?”

“Because if I don’t look presentable to Jinpachi he’ll kill me,” Shinkai stated matter-of-factly.

“You looked fine before.”

“That’s right. Before. Before you made me undress and before you messed up my hair while f—.”

“Shut up!” Arakita hissed while slapping a hand over Shinkai’s mouth. His desperate gaze met a young couple, only for them to glare back. Shinkai realized that they had a small child with them, and felt a little bad for almost letting something inappropriate slip.

“Sorry,” Shinkai muffled behind the sweaty palm. Maybe he should refrain from talking about certain things in public. When Arakita moved his hand away, Shinkai flashed him a quick wink. “I meant to say that I looked fine before we had that impromptu wrestling ma—”

“Shut up!” Arakita interrupted as he tried to cover Shinkai’s mouth again.

“—atch in your bedr—”

“Arlight! Alright,” Arakita laughed and he and Shinkai slapped each other’s hands away for a moment before pausing their stalemate advances. “I get it! But stop playing victim! I’m the one with the sore ass here,” Arakita hissed with a grin while jabbing an accusatory finger in Shinkai’s arm.

“Yasutomo don’t play that card in hopes of making me feel bad. I’m still not going to carry you,” Shinkai warned as he led them through the crowd and towards their friends. The other had complained about being in pain the entire walk there despite his even strides and quick pace.

“I’m not —I wasn’t!” Arakita stammered before kissing his teeth. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Like a book.”

“Ten minutes.”

Shinkai turned to face the other with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

“Carry me for ten minutes and I’ll stop asking.”

“Tempting,” Shinkai commented as he resumed his original pace towards Toudou. He really didn’t want to carry Yasutomo around. Even though the raven seemed thin and lanky, he weighed almost the same as Shinkai. “I’ll consider it, for a price.”

“Ohh?” Arakita voiced in amusement. He placed his palm flat on the small of Shinkai’s back as they tried to navigate their way through a family of seven. “What more could you possibly want from me today?”

“A goldfish,” Shinkai claimed with a grin. He loved Yasutomo, but the other was about as graceful as a guinea worm slowly expelling itself out of its host.  There was no way he’d be able to win in the goldfish scooping game, which meant that Shinkai didn’t have to worry about lugging his deadweight around the crowded shrine, even if only for ten minutes.

“You’re so fucking on,” Arakita hissed with a malicious grin.

“There you two are!” Toudou greeted from where he stood, interrupting Shinkai from saying any more to Arakita.

“Hey guys. Happy birthday Yuusuke-kun!” Shinkai greeted as he observed his friends. Makishima nodded his thanks while Toudou grinned from ear to ear. Toudou and Makishima were in yukatas as well, Toudou wearing a solid royal blue with thin, white stripes while Makishima wore what Shinkai could only describe as a circus tent. The kimono had long red, black, yellow and white stripes that ran vertical along its entire length. As if the stark contrast in colours wasn’t bad enough, Makishima’s green and red-streaked hair only added to the mess, making him stick out like a sore thumb. That being said, Makishima still looked extremely attractive. Shinkai stared at the couple in awe. Their confidence was inspirational.

“Holy shit Makishima,” Arakita sputtered as he stepped out from behind Shinkai. “You look like the human personification of hotdog condiments.”

“Thanks,” Makishima smirked as he tucked a few stray hairs behind his ear. “And you look like you’re walking with a limp.”

Shinkai snatched Arakita’s arms before the other could pounce. After a minute of struggling and attempting to curse Makishima over the sound of Toudou’s boisterous laughter, Shinkai somehow managed to calm his boyfriend down enough to get him to back off.

“Fuku says he and Kinjou are almost here, and I have no idea about the rest of your friends.” Toudou informed Shinkai after their initial conversation (fight) had ended. Shinkai hummed in understanding as they moved to a bench not too far from their designated meeting place. He watched as Toudou forced Makishima to sit down before circling the bench to braid his hair in an updo. Shinkai almost wanted to ask Arakita to sit as well had he not noticed the other frowning at the wooden seat. He didn’t dare ask him to take a seat lest he wanted to be on the receiving end of the other’s wrath, so Shinkai simply took a seat and guided his boyfriend to stand between his legs.

“I think I saw some chocolate covered bananas on our way here,” Shinkai commented while looking up at the other. “Can we get some when everyone’s gathered?”

“Some?” Arakita joked while swirling a lock of Shinkai’s hair around his finger. “How many are you planning on eating?”

“Well, we have all day so…”

“All your fucking money is going to the food stands today, isn’t it?”

Shinkai merely wink up at the other.

“Shinkai come on now! There’s more to the star festival than just eating!” Toudou lectured as he linked both braids on either side of Makishima’s head and pulled the remainder of his hair up into a tight bun. “There are games to be played and prizes to be won!”

“Weren’t you the one going on about how we should be celebrating Orihime and Hikoboshi earlier today? What happened to all that romantic talk?” Makishima commented from where he sat.

“There’s that too! But Shinkai’s been exposed to my amazing story telling in regards to these two lovers for quite some time!”

Here we go, Shinkai thought as he noted the change in Jinpachi’s tone. He looked up to Yasutomo for help, but the other seemed clueless to Toudou’s spiels.

“It’s quite tragic really. I’m sure he wishes he could re-experience this story from the very beginning.”

“Ah, Actually I—”

“This story about Orihime, a beautiful princess and extremely hard worker. Orihime-san wove beautiful clothes that were a—”

“Fuku-chan!” Arakita called as he spotted their friend approaching them.

“Thank God,” Shinkai grumbled under his breath as Arakita stepped away from his legs so the redhead could move to stand.

“Sorry we’re late,” Fukutomi apologized as he and Kinjou trotted towards them.

“What slowed you down huh?” Arakita asked in a suggestive tone. Shinkai shoved him lightly in the arm, but also cocked an eyebrow at his blond friend, who was blushing at the comment.

“These two,” Kinjou stated as he pointed behind himself.

Shinkai glanced over Kinjou’s shoulder to see two figures standing behind him. Both wore beautifully patterned yukata’s that accented their slim waists and tall figures. One wore a black yukata riddled with large pink flowers while the other wore a red one with white flowers. The two also wore masks over their faces, undoubtedly obtained from one of the many vendors scattered down the path. Shinkai blinked at the taller of the two suspiciously. They wore a girl mask and were suddenly very interested in the ground beneath their feet.

“One decided it’d be a good idea to fight a child for a mask,” Fukutomi mentioned, continuing Kinjou’s commentary.

“And the other thought arguing with the parent would somehow work in their favour,” Kinjou added as he glanced at the two behind him.

“Listen,” a shrill voice exclaimed from behind a generic anime boy mask.

“Oh my fucking God…” Arakita groaned at the sound of his sister.

“She saw that her kid was too short to grab it and didn’t do anything about it! It’s not our fault someone taller ended up taking the mask!”

“Nats why are you here? What happened to being with you other friends, huh?”

Natsuki removed her mask to frown at Arakita. Shinkai couldn’t help but grin at how similar she looked to her older brother. Although her hair was braided and tied up in a fashion similar to Makishima and her eyes were made to look more piercing with the help of eyeliner and mascara, Natsuki’s expression was almost a spitting image of Yasutomo’s.

“My friend ended up getting a date for the festival,” she complained while squaring her brother up. “And I didn’t want to be the third wheel.”

“I thought you had more than one friend, idiot. What’s stopping you from being with a big group?”

“Well I wouldn’t expect a loner like you to understand, but big groups tend to split up.”

“I know that!” Arakita hissed while pulling Natsuki’s mask away from her head before letting it snap onto her ear.

Shinkai and Kinjou quickly separated the Arakita siblings before things could blow up into a full-fledged fight, with Shinkai clutching his boyfriend’s arms once again while Kinjou lifted Natsuki by the waist and spun her to stand by her masked friend.

“Don’t make me pull you away from a confrontation for a third time tonight,” he lectured her in a serious tone. Natsuki frowned once again, irritated.

“I don’t know why I’m being put on the spot when it was Yuuto’s mask that started all this.”

“Yuuto?!”

As if on cue, Yuuto lifted the generic anime girl mask from their face to grin sheepishly at everyone crowding around them.

“I thought it was cute,” they shrugged while setting the mask to the side of their head.

“Yuuto you fought a child for this?” Shinkai asked in shock. It wasn’t like them to get confrontational.

“Not really! I hadn’t realized she was eyeballing this mask in particular, so when I bought it and put it on she burst into tears.”

“And that’s when the mom stepped in,” Natsuki added.

“Which is when Natsuki stepped in,” Kinjou said in an accusing tone.

“Yuuto you should have given her the mask,” Shinkai murmured sadly, disappointed in the other.

“I bought her a cuter one,” Yuuto stated simply while smiling at their brother. Shinkai shook his head but inwardly sighed in relief. He didn’t raise Yuuto to be rude and disrespectful to strangers. Although he felt a shift in the other’s growth —with more self-confidence and limited patience for ignorance— it was good to know that they were still kind and considerate to others.

“See Nats? See how good Yuuto is? Why can’t you be like your friend huh?” Arakita spat while walking up to two younger siblings. He snatched Natsuki’s wrist and inspected the hand before doing the same to Yuuto’s. He held them side-by-side for a comparison and shook his head in disappointment at his sister. “Look how shitty your nails are in comparison, Nats. Why are you such an embarrassment?”

Natsuki yanked her hand away while Yuuto doubled over to laugh at their friend.

“Shut it!” Natsuki screeched as she punched Yuuto’s arm none-too-gently.

“Now, now,” Shinkai commented as he placed a hand on Arakita’s shoulder to prevent him from instigating another argument. “Isn’t this what sparked your friendship in the first place?” Shinkai chimed in happily. Both Yuuto and Natsuki paused as they considered his words, and turned to each other to share a sheepish grin and shrug. “I’m glad you’re both here,” Shinkai added after a beat. “Maybe we older siblings should spoil you for today.”

“Who are we spoiling?” Machimiya asked from behind them. Shinkai nearly jumped out of his yukata at the other’s proximity, and was unable to hold back the small shriek of terror that escaped his lips. He cleared his throat and quickly composed himself, but apparently not quick enough to evade Yasutomo’s ever piercing gaze. His boyfriend had seen his jump and snorted at him.

“Hey you know Usakichi?”

“I know.”

“You’re way more—”

“I know.”

“—jumpy than her.”

“Hey Machimiya,” Kinjou greeted over their small banter, cutting the two off. “What’s that in your hands?”

“Water.”

“It’s not water,” Kana interjected from behind him. Both Shinkai’s perked at the sight of Machimiya’s girlfriend. She looked extremely radiant in her kimono. The quality shimmered against the sun’s rays and the vibrant colours almost distracted one’s eyes from the intricate patterns. Her shoulder length hair was curled and set into an updo, and a large flower accessory was clipped to the side of her head, complimenting her look.

“It’s water.”

“Yeah Miya, and this is an intervention.”

Shinkai grinned at the sight of Ibitani. Both he and Machimiya were wearing jinbei’s, with Ibitani tying his long hair back in a small ponytail as well.

“Isn’t it a little too early for alcohol?” Shinkai joked as Yuuto and Natsuki were pulled away by Kana.

“It’s never too early for alcohol.”

“This is exactly why we’re having an intervention.”

“This isn’t actually an intervention is it?”

“It’s not but I’m still confiscating this from you,” Arakita stated as he took the bottle of questionable substance of out his friend’s grasp.

Shinkai took the bottle out of his boyfriend’s hands immediately after he had retrieved it.

“I don’t think it’s any better off with you.”

From there, the bottle of alcohol was snatched, grabbed and passed on until it reached Fukutomi’s capable hands. Nobody tried to wrangle it out of his grasp after that, and everyone agreed it was time to put aside their alcoholic tendencies and commence with the festivities.

***

“There it is Hayato! Over there!” Yuuto called out to their brother. Shinkai grasped their shoulder tightly as if to balance himself.

“You were right Yuuto… It’s beautiful.”

The Shinkai siblings stared in awe at the giant food stand displaying almost every food item imaginable on a stick. Meat, vegetables, fruits, candies, you name it. It was here. On a stick. Shinkai tried not to drool as he eyed the wide selection. He wanted one of everything, but he also wanted to go the day without Yasutomo yelling at him. So, instead, he bought Yuuto cucumber with miso on a stick and himself a chocolate coated frozen banana topped with blue and white sprinkles.

“How’s it taste?” Shinkai asked as they searched for their friends through the crowd. Straying away for too long made it difficult to reconvene whenever they split up.

“So good… shoulda bought two…” Yuuto mumbled between mouthfuls of cucumber.

Shinkai nodded in agreement, and almost suggested that they head back and quickly grab something else to try, but stopped himself as he noticed Arakita trotting towards them.

“Hey, there you two are!” He called as he approached the two. He looked to be in a rush, and Shinkai was immediately curious about why he was approaching them instead of it being the other way around.

“Where’s everyone else?” Shinkai asked as he handed over his chocolate banana popsicle for the other to taste.

“Uhh,” Arakita droned while observing the half-eaten frozen fruit. “We decided to split up because it was too crowded.”

“Well, I’m gonna go find them,” Yuuto voiced while waving the two off. “Seeya later!”

Shinkai waved at Yuuto before turning to see his boyfriend frowning at the banana on a stick.

“I can buy you your own if you want,” Shinkai offered while taking the food back and grasping the other’s wrist. He was hoping it was simply the bright rays of sunlight making Yasutomo look as pale as he did. When the other didn’t deny getting food, Shinkai took it as a good sign and dragged him to the stall he and Yuuto had previously made their purchase at.

Shinkai had no idea what kind of meat Yasutomo selected, but it smelled incredible enough for him to buy his own. Shinkai hummed blissfully as he took a bite out of the first cut of meat. It was lamb; perfectly seasoned, marinated and cooked. The second section of meat was pork, and the pattern seemed to repeat itself until the end of the kabob.

“Doesn’t that taste weird mixed with your dessert?” Arakita asked eventually, when the two had moved quite a distance away from the center of the crowded street.

“It wouldn’t taste any different if I ate the banana after,” Shinkai stated simply. He took another bite out of his meat stick before turning to see Yasutomo grinning at him, his cheeks flushed where the paleness had resided minutes ago.

“You’re really cute,” he muttered while returning to his own food. Shinkai felt heat flash across his cheeks at the statement. Of all the things for Yasutomo to call him cute for, he chose this? Of all the things to blush at, his body chose this?!

“I’m still not carrying you,” Shinkai grumbled pathetically to disguise his embarrassment.

“Hah! I have to win you a fish right?” Arakita scoffed while looking around. Shinkai grinned while sidestepping two small children running excitedly down the path.

“Yeah. No fish, no piggyback. That’s the agreement,” Shinkai claimed as he too looked around for a goldfish scooping vender. He flinched at the sensation of Arakita elbowing him, and followed his gaze to a stand not too far ahead of them.

“Perfect,” Shinkai mumbled while chewing the last bit of pork on his stick. “How many tries do you want before you admit defeat?” He asked while throwing out his garbage.

“Oh? You’re granting me more than one?” Arakita asked mockingly while they approached the booth.

“I want you to have a fair chance Yasutomo,” Shinkai admitted. He had personally never been able to capture himself a fish despite his numerous attempts as a child. They were far too fast for him and escaped his grasp well before he could get his paper net into the water. Yuuto had been successful a few times in the past, but that being over the range of seventeen years showed how pathetic both Shinkai’s were at the game.

“Okay, how many trials do I have?” Arakita asked while rolling up the sleeves of his yukata to his shoulders. Shinkai hummed distractedly as he watched the other clutch his shoulder and rotate his arm like a baseball player warming up to throw a pitch.

Three nets is too many, but one is too few, Shinkai thought as he observed a small boy fail to capture a goldfish by being too rough and breaking his net.

“Do you think you can do it in two?”

Arakita whistled as he glanced at Shinkai. “You’re being generous.”

“Are you implying that you want a disadvantage?”

“I’m saying I can most definitely do it with one —but I’ll accept the two nets just in case.”

Shinkai grinned at Arakita, charmed by his confidence. But still “confidence can only get you so far.” Shinkai made sure to utter his thoughts out loud, goading Arakita to smile maliciously at him.

“If I get this two nets max, you carry me around for ten minutes right?” Arakita asked as he paid the vendor and received his paper scoop and bowl.

“That’s right…”

“What if I get a fish in one try?”

“One try or net?”

“Try. One scoop.”

Shinkai almost offered to carry him for the entire day but stopped himself. Some part of him was thrown off by his sureness.

“One hour.”

Arakita grinned as he crouched down in front of the tank, squeezing himself between a teenage boy and a very small girl. Shinkai stepped to the side to get a better look at his boyfriend. Arakita glanced at what looked like a three or four year old girl, who let out a tiny eep! at the sight of him. Shinkai’s hand went for his phone before he could comprehend what he was doing. He swiped to the camera app and began recording a video right on time to capture Arakita giving the tiny girl a small wave. She looked terrified when she waved back with her paper net, which Shinkai didn’t blame her for. Yasutomo can look quite intimidating from an outsider’s perspective.

“Your kimono is very cute,” Arakita complimented evenly. He looked like he was actively trying not to look like he was part of the yakuza, which made Shinkai cover his mouth to hold back his laughter.

The small girl looked to her mom for guidance, and Shinkai realized he should probably put his phone down, but the mother was too preoccupied encouraging her daughter to reply to notice. So Shinkai bit his lower lip and kept his phone steady as the small girl bowed and mumbled her thanks in broken Japanese. Arakita flashed her a toothy grin, gums and all, and again she looked at her mom for help.

“Yasutomo stop ruining her concentration,” Shinkai joked to the other. Arakita glanced up to frown at Shinkai after noticing the camera aimed at his face.

“And what exactly is this for?”

“To commemorate you losing a bet,” Shinkai claimed. Truthfully, he just wanted to capture more moments like these. Moments of him and his boyfriend sharing their time together, enjoying each other’s company, keeping one another entertained. Arakita growled something in his general direction, but probably felt the same as he didn’t demand the phone be put away.

“So, Yasutomo? Are you ready to lose a bet?”

“Lose a bet huh?”

Shinkai grinned as he also crouched to get a better angle of the other speaking to him.

“Hayato,” Arakita said while spinning his paper net gracefully in his hands. “I’d like to remind you that I have two very pretentious little sisters.”

“And?”

“And,” Arakita huffed while placing his bowl in the tank and filling it with water. “I’ve been getting their self-entitled asse— uhh,” Arakita hastily cleared his throat as he glanced at the little girl beside him. “I’ve been winning them prizes for as long as I can remember.”

“Really?” Shinkai inquired good-naturedly. He didn’t want to sound nervous, but part of him realized Yasutomo was probably not bluffing.

“Which fish do you want?” The raven asked him daringly.

“This one!” The little girl chirped. Both Shinkai and Arakita glanced at her while she stuck a pudgy finger in the water to point out a particular fish. She tried to grab it with her hands, but her mom was quick to hold her elbow and pull her away.

“Sorry Risa but we have to go,” her mom explained calmly as she handed the broken net to the owner. “Papa is waiting for us!”

Shinkai felt embarrassed for capturing the child’s shoulders sag in dejection on camera, but he didn’t dare stop himself from recording his boyfriend. Arakita’s eyes were intense and focused. They followed a fish through the dense crowd of several others. Wordlessly, he stuck his net vertically into the water, blocking the fish he was capturing, and guided it gently onto the thin paper and into his bowl.

“Risa-chan!” Arakita called to the girl leaving the vicinity with her mom while handing the bowl to the shopkeeper to bag.

Shinkai held his breath as the little girl’s mom turned to the sound of her daughter’s name being called by a stranger.

“You forgot something,” Arakita continued. He nodded a curt thanks to the man as he received his fish and turned to the little girl. She was clutching her mom’s leg as Arakita sat on his knees in front of her as he presented the plastic bag containing the fish Shinkai assumed was the one she had eyed. She stared at the fish momentarily before understanding and shock flashed across her small features.

“T-thank you very much!” the mother stuttered in surprise as she took the bag in her child’s stead. “Risa, what do you say to the nice man?”

The little girl didn’t say anything as she pounced to hug Arakita. Arakita froze at the act; his expression terrified and his arms outstretched but untouching. Shinkai grinned maliciously as he zoomed in on his boyfriend awkwardly patting the girl’s head. Although his creased eyebrows and defined scowl made him look angry, Shinkai knew Yasutomo was simply holding himself back from pulling her into a vigorous hug.

Eventually, she let go and spun back to her mom excitedly, her energetic jumps accented by outstretched hands trying to snatch the bagged fish out of her mother’s hands. The two watched them go before glancing at each other.

“Edit that out,” Arakita commanded as he returned to the tank. Shinkai shifted his position as well, never once taking the camera off Arakita.

“Absolutely not Yasutomo, that was too adorable.”

“Tch. Whatever. At least I won our bet,” Arakita grumbled as he looked at his broken net.

“No you didn’t.”

Arakita glanced up at him in shock. “Yes I did! You even recorded it!”

“The bet was to win me a fish in your first try, not someone else.”

Arakita sputtered something unintelligible as the vendor outstretched his palm for more money in exchange for another net. Shinkai shrugged tauntingly, and Arakita shook his head in wonder as he shoved more money into the vendor’s hand. He grumbled something under his breath while taking purchase of his bowl and eying the fish tank once again.

“I can still get those ten minutes,” he stated while effortlessly scooping a fish into his bowl. Shinkai laughed at how ridiculously simple the other made it seem. This would be the last time he’d make the mistake of doubting Yasutomo’s ability to be gentle whilst being competitive.

Shinkai sighed in as he stopped recording the other and shoved his phone into the safety of his obi. Balancing on one knee, he twisted around and extended his arms behind him, indicating for the other to hop on. Instead of Arakita’s weight on his back, Shinkai merely felt the other kicking his ass lightly.

“Not yet,” Arakita snickered as Shinkai looked up at him in confusion. “I’m gonna hold onto those ten minutes for when I need it.”

“Resourceful,” Shinkai grumbled as he stood up. A moment of silence passed between the two as they stared at the fish in Arakita’s hands. Neither wanted to address the fact that the prize was simply won as an excuse to settle their bet.

“Okay, choose which kid you want to give it to,” Arakita grumbled as he tried to push the fish in Shinkai’s hands.

“But you won it Yasutomo. It’s your responsibility.”

“Don’t give me that shit!” Arakita hissed as he grabbed Shinkai’s wrist and forced the bag into his hand. “Give your fi—”

Arakita paused mid-sentence, and Shinkai straightened his posture, slightly startled by the other’s reaction.

“Nevermind,” Arakita muttered as he patted a random kid’s shoulder. The boy turned in time to get a bagged fish shoved in his hands before Arakita was out of sight with Shinkai in tow.

“Yasutomo?” Shinkai asked worriedly while staring at the hand tightly grasping his wrist.

“Miya said there was a cork shooting game down where we came from,” Arakita explained as he dragged Shinkai behind the scattered kiosks instead of the conventional way through the center. “I know a shortcut.”

“Okay…” Shinkai agreed evenly. He’d let the other’s strange behaviour slide for now, but he couldn’t help but feel the beginnings of doubt gnaw at him. He was hoping they wouldn’t have to be on guard so early in the day. Yasutomo’s outlandish actions suggested that Riko was here and actively looking for him.

Crap.

Chapter Text

Arakita cursed a stream of obscenities in his head as he dragged Shinkai around a few trees situated behind the long row of stalls set up for the festival. He was certain he saw Riko with her friends, all of which were casually making their way towards them. Luckily for him, it didn’t seem like she had spotted him, which made for an easy escape.

“Yasutomo?” Shinkai asked worriedly. Arakita frowned at the tone. Although he knew Shinkai was aware that Riko was in the area, he didn’t want to raise the other’s suspicions over the fact. Subconscious or not, Shinkai always made a face at the mention of Arakita’s ex, so Arakita assumed it would be best to avoid not only any verbal contact with her during this event, but any sightings of her as well.

“Miya said there was a cork shooting game down where we came from,” Arakita explained as he dragged Shinkai behind the scattered kiosks instead of the conventional way through the center. Hopefully going in the opposite direction as her would buy them more time together. “I know a shortcut.”

Shinkai remained silent as he let Arakita drag him through the back of the booths. Feeling a heavy air between them, Arakita dragged the other further into the forest and pressed Shinkai’s back against the trunk of a tree, out of the public’s sights.

“This cork shooting range looks a little lackluster to be honest,” Shinkai joked as Arakita cupped his cheeks.

“We should make another bet,” Arakita suggested on the spot. A little competition between them would make for a good distraction. Shinkai grinned between Arakita’s palms, and the raven mentally sighed in relief. He’d do everything in his power to prevent the other from worrying about Riko, even if it meant dragging them from place to place with more purpose than usually deemed necessary at a festival. “Whoever knocks down the most costly prize wins.”

“Alright,” Shinkai nodded thoughtfully. “What are we betting this time?”

“An on the spot hand jo—”

Shinkai hastily pressed the palm of his hand against Arakita’s mouth to shut him up while hissing his name as he did so.

“There are children here,” he whispered defensively. Arakita looked around the dense forest and feigned shock at the distinct lack of children.

“Where?” Arakita asked the other, his question muffled by Shinkai’s hand.

“You know what I mean!” Shinkai exclaimed as he moved his hand away. He was grinning at Arakita despite himself. “Let’s bet something a little less risky.”

“A hand job is pretty safe compared to the other shit I was gonna suggest.”

Shinkai let out something between a sigh and an amused chuckle at Arakita’s claim. Arakita took a step forward to sandwich himself between his boyfriend and the tree. Shinkai licked his lips nervously, and the beginnings of a red tinge dusting his cheeks made him look all the more delectable. It would be a waste not to take advantage of this moment. Working slowly as not to startle the other, Arakita gently placed a hand under the hem Shinkai’s yukata until his palm was flat against his exposed thigh.

“No…” Shinkai warned Arakita as if he were speaking to a puppy who was misbehaving.

Arakita ignored him as he guided his hand to the back of his thigh and up to the curve of his ass.

“Loser has to kiss the other’s ass.”

“You’d lose intentionally,” Shinkai muttered against Arakita’s mouth. Shit. He was right. Arakita scowled as he felt his nether regions begin to react to the proximity of his boyfriend  —more importantly, he felt his body react to the mere thought of his mouth near Shinkai’s ass.

“Hey, random question…” Arakita asked while squeezing himself between the other’s legs and pressing their crotches together. “Have you even been fucked against a tree before?”

“No,” Shinkai hissed as Arakita groped his ass tenaciously. “And I don’t plan on it either.”

“Shame,” Arakita mumbled before kissing the other’s lips. Shinkai hummed as Arakita darted his tongue along the soft skin before forcing it into his mouth. Arakita hummed back as he slowly began to kiss the other. Both moved at what felt like a snail’s pace. Neither wanted to take over and dominate the kiss, but neither wanted to stop the act either. Instead, their kissing consisted of a lick and pause; both refusing to move forward to deepen it but adamant of continuing instead of pulling away. The kiss lasted a serene few minutes before Arakita gave in and moved away, grimacing as he did so.

“Chocolate, banana, and meat don’t mix at all dude,” Arakita complained while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“You need more variety in your life Yasutomo.”

“What I need is a fucking toothbrush,” Arakita joked as he brought his hand under the other’s chin to cup his face. Shinkai frowned against his fish lips and Arakita automatically kissed the pout, thankful that the other was with him. He wouldn’t be caught dead here if he were single. He had skimped out on the majority of festivities last year and for part of the year before. It just wasn’t fun alone. Even with friends, he always ended up being too negative and narcissistic to enjoy himself. Even now, if Hayato hadn’t insisted that they go out, he would have much rather stayed at home, or go somewhere less crowded.

“There you guys are!” Machimiya called from the distance. Arakita and Shinkai didn’t bother pulling themselves away from each other. Before Machimiya had showed up, their small conversation had somehow progressed to Arakita squeezing Shinkai’s cheeks with both his hands while Shinkai hooked his fingers into the sides of the raven’s lips to stretch his mouth.

“Can you newlyweds stop flirting for two fucking minutes?” Machimiya huffed as he caught up to the two hiding behind the tree.

“Leave us aloooone,” Arakita droned as he buried his face in Shinkai’s shoulder.

“Fuck off and listen,” Machimiya lectured Arakita as he poked his shoulder blade repetitively. Arakita snapped and turned around to come face-to-face with Machimiya’s cheeky grin.

“Two things,” Machimiya stated as he held up his index and middle finger. “One, there’s a fucking PS4 up for grabs at the shooting range.”

Oh fuck.

“And two,” Machimiya was snickering now as he tried to speak to his friends. “We told Fukutomi to finish the bottle and he’s fucking doing it man. He’s going at it!”

“Bottle?” Arakita asked as he finally pulled away from Shinkai so the two could follow Machimiya as he led them away from their make-out tree. “What bottle?”

“Remember the sake I brought earlier that you guys decided to confiscate? Well w—”

“That bottle had sake?” Shinkai asked, perplexed. Arakita shook his head in wonder as well. He thought the bottle had something like white wine or a mixture of soda and rum. Something stupid. Not pure sake.

“It’s watered down... enough…” Arakita and Shinkai exchanged a glance as Machimiya continued. “I wasn’t planning on drinking all of it —it’s something you pass around. But you shitheads decided to ban me from it completely.”

“And you somehow managed to convince Juichi to drink it himself?” Shinkai questioned.

“Look, all I said was nobody besides me was going to bother drinking it because only I could handle its intensity,” Machimiya explained while twisting a lock of his bangs. “I might have hinted that a bottle was no problem and wouldn’t affect me in hopes that Fukutomi would give it back, not take it on like a challenge!”

“So he’s currently drinking the bottle!?” Shinkai exclaimed as they trotted back into the middle of the crowd.

“He’s already gotten a quarter of the way into it!” Machimiya hollered excitedly.

“You ever seen Fuku-chan smashed before?” Arakita asked Shinkai.

“No… never.”

Arakita grinned at Shinkai, unable to stop himself after seeing the other’s concerned expression. The only time he had seen Fukutomi close to getting drunk was in his apartment during Machimiya’s party. But even then, the stoic looking blond only became slightly red-faced a little sleepy by the end of the night.

“I wonder if he’s ever gotten to that point before,” Arakita mulled out loud. Forgetting why he had dragged Shinkai behind the stalls in the first place, Arakita and Shinkai navigated their way towards the cork shooting range. The area was rather crowded, but further scrutiny revealed that the majority of people standing near the game were merely onlookers. Only three individuals were playing the game, and all three were avoiding the big prizes and going for the lighter, more easily obtainable toys.

“He must have,” Shinkai commented as they joined their friends standing off to the side of the game kiosk. “There’s no way he’d lose his virginity while sober at the part—”

“Shut up!” Arakita hissed in both embarrassment and amusement. He didn’t want to imagine a piss drunk Kinjou and Fukutomi getting it on. Fuck… He sorta did wish that he wasn’t too busy getting stabbed to see the two flirting with each other enough to get to that point.

 “There you two are!” Ibitani greeted as the three rejoined the group. “Fukutomi said he’d let you have a sip, Miya.”

“No I didn’t,” Fukutomi stated gruffly while taking a swig from the bottle in his hand as if to prove a point. Arakita didn’t miss the knowing glance exchanged between Ibitani and Machimiya, and shook his head at their obnoxiousness.

These sly bastards. They were going to egg Fuku-chan into getting as far into the bottle as he could by the end of the night. Arakita quickly glanced at Kinjou to see him glaring at Machimiya, but otherwise remaining silent.

“Come on now Fukutomi!” Machimiya expressed while patting the larger man’s shoulder. “You gotta drink it like its water or people will grow suspicious.”

“Alright Eikichi, enough!” Kana laughed while pulling her boyfriend away. “Don’t you have prizes to win for us?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Machimiya grinned while facing everyone crowding around him. “Alright guys, here’s the plan. We slowly start using the guns ‘til it’s only us playing. Then, when all of us are at the counter together, we aim for the PS4 on my signal.”

“Wouldn’t it still be too heavy to take down? Only six of us can be up there at once,” Yuuto noted.

“We gotta volley shots kiddo. Rapid fire! It’s not like the actual console is in there, so it’s easier to knock down.”

“Huh?”

“I know this booth very well Yuuto,” Machimiya whispered as he huddled closer to the younger Shinkai. “Whenever that old man has a big prize, he leaves it out of the box so people actually have a chance of winning it —he just keeps the other components inside so there’s still some weight.”

“That makes sense… I guess…”

Yuuto didn’t sound convinced in the slightest.

Despite this, the large group of friends agreed with the plan, as preposterous as it may have seemed, and after learning what the signal and general strat was, everyone began infiltrating the shooting game for a spot at the counter.

Arakita sighed as he slid the owner some money and loaded his rifle with the corks. He eyed all the prizes on display and shook his head at all the useless shit. Who in their right mind wanted to play for any of this? The only good prizes were the ones too huge to knock down like the PS4 case sitting right in the middle of the upper row. He had never seen such an expensive prize like this sitting so leisurely in a carnival game booth. At least this explains the large crowd surrounding the stall.

“Yasutomo,” Shinkai called over two random players.

“Ahh?”

“Get me that!”

Arakita followed the other’s finger to see… a flute? No. It was a recorder. A painfully neon yellow plastic recorder.

“No.”

“Why not?” Shinkai asked while aiming for the prize he had requested Arakita to win for him. He hit the box straight on, but the recorder barely budged. He’d have to aim higher is he wanted a chance of winning it, but more importantly, he needed a better angle.

“Because I know you. If you won that shi— thing, you’d definitely use it.”

Shinkai simply smiled his standard close-mouthed grin and winked at Arakita in response before taking aim for the recorder once again. He had adjusted his aim too high and missed the box completely, much to Arakita’s amusement.

“Hey kid, you gonna play or not? There are other people waiting to go.”

Arakita jumped at the game owner’s small outburst, and hastily aimed for the recorder; his thoughts far too preoccupied over the fact that he had gotten scolded at to comprehend that he had just won Shinkai the prize he had asked for.

“Fuck!” Arakita screamed as the recorder was handed to him. The shop owner scolded him again for his profanity, and reminded him that he still had ammo and could attempt to go for another prize. Arakita gritted his teeth but didn’t respond as Machimiya gave out the first signal. Part of him wanted to throw the recorder at his friend while the other, more cooperative part of him wasted his last three corks before requesting for more. He waited for his friends to buy their ammo and load their rifles, and on Machimiya’s second signal, he, Shinkai, Kinjou, Makishima, Ibitani and Machimiya began simultaneously lobbying their corks at the upper part of the PS4 box.

An eerie silence befell the small area around the carnival game booth. Onlookers were shocked by the sudden precision and coordination befalling the game. As if snapping out of a trance, a loud cheer erupted from behind them. Arakita grinned as he paused his shooting. The box wobbled back, only to move forward once again. Everyone else apparently had the same idea, as they didn’t shoot the consol box until it was teetering back once again. The box’s momentum was amplified by the sudden force of six corks hitting it, and the crowd of onlookers began “oohhhh”ing  in anticipation as the box slowly fell backwards.

The cork shooting game owner looked appalled as his most prized possession was snatched away by three engineers, a biologist, a mechanic, and a kid with green hair. The box landed lightly on the cushion behind it, and the crowd cheered animatedly at the spectacle.

“I can’t believe that fucking worked,” Machimiya murmured in awe. Arakita glanced at his friend to see him shaking his head in wonder.

“It was your plan you moron,” Arakita hissed as the game owner retreated to the back of the stall the retrieve the console.

“Exactly! I had no faith!”

Arakita rolled his eyes as he grabbed the recorder he had won. He scoured the crowd behind him for a little kid, hoping to give the prize away before Shinkai noticed.

“Thanks Yasutomo,” Shinkai stated as he snatched the plastic instrument out of Arakita’s grasp. Arakita opened his mouth to argue back, but Machimiya was suddenly shoving a PS4 in his stomach.

“The fuck am I supposed to do with this?” Arakita spat as he tried to give it back to Machimiya.

“Keep it! We’ll just come over to your place whenever we wanna play.”

“Fuck off! I don’t want you guys over!”

“Arakita, you live in a very convenient area. Don’t be selfish,” Machimiya said.

“So does Kin-chan! Go ask him!”

“No,” Fukutomi stated. Everyone turned to look at the stoic individual. He stood rigid and held an expression revealing that he’d be crossing his arms if it weren’t for the bottle of alcohol in his grasp.

“What do you mean no? Kin-chan lives just as close to the school as me!” Arakita continued. People who weren’t Shinkai were getting too comfortable claiming his place as their own. He really didn’t need another reason for his friends to visit.

“I’m banning him from taking home any more electronics,” Fukutomi continued in a serious tone. Arakita wanted to pull his hair out. He knew Kinjou had a knack for taking things home from work, but he never thought it’d be a problem worth Fukutomi’s concern.

“Fuck!” Arakita cursed under his breath.

“Don’t worry Yasutomo. I don’t mind if we keep the console,” Shinkai commented from beside him. Arakita twisted his neck to come face-to-face with the brightly coloured recorder. Shinkai blew in the instrument, and a devastatingly sharp pitch escaped the recorder. Arakita suddenly got a childhood flashback to when he was 10, with little Natsuki and Emi blowing that awful instrument all throughout the day and evening until he buried both in his backyard one warm summer night. In a sudden fit of anger, Arakita tried to snatch the recorder away, but Shinkai skipped out from his grasp and hid behind Kana, his expression somehow both neutral yet taunting.

“Yasutomo, I’ll give you this if you take the console,” Shinkai promised.

“I don’t want the fucking console!” Arakita hissed aggressively as he approached the other. Kana was smiling at their conversation, but didn’t stand down as Shinkai’s human shield.

“Why not?” Shinkai asked as he placed a hand gingery on Kana’s shoulder.

“Because I don’t want to give these assholes any more reason to pop up unexpectedly.”

“I’m sure Eikichi and Ryou would warn you whenever they planned on coming over,” Kana said reassuringly.

“Still! What would I do with a PS4? I have maybe one game for it and it’s not even co-op,” Arakita explained irritably.

“So? You play and he sucks you off or something. Isn’t that what you two would normally do?”

Arakita’s mouth flopped open at Kana’s obscene claim. His face instantly burned at her words and he staggered backwards in shock. He barely had time to process Shinkai crouching weakly behind Kana and covering his face.

“What? Why are you two acting like you aren’t nasty together on a day to day?”

“Miya!” Arakita called weakly. He turned around to his group of friends and outstretched his hand weakly to Machimiya, who was slowly approaching him at the sound of his name.

“’Sup?”

“I’ll take the console but you gotta carry it with you all day.”

“Oka—”

“And remove Kana from my sights. She’s saying atrocious shit.”

“You got it boss,” Machimiya mocked while saluting Arakita. He walked past Arakita with a toothy grin and muttered “since when were we part of a yakuza gang” under his breath while pulling Kana into a hug and lifting her in a princess carry.

“I didn’t do anything!” She argued while glaring at Arakita.

“You brought dishonor to the Arakita family name,” Arakita stated solemnly as he waved Machimiya to take her away. Kana sputtered a rebuttal, but she had already been carried far enough that Arakita couldn’t respond without his voice being overpowered by the surrounding crowd. Deciding to let the incident slide, Arakita turned to his crouching boyfriend to see how he was faring, and laughed at his obvious discomfort. He crouched as well, prepared to make a joke and spur the other out of his embarrassment, only for Shinkai to rapidly turn and blow the screeching recorder in his face.

"GAHYOU FUCK," Arakita screamed as he fell onto his back. He tried to snatch the toy instrument on his way down, but Shinkai interpreted his outstretched hand as a plea for help, and grabbed the other's wrist to slow the momentum in his fall. Regardless, Arakita fell onto the stone pathway with a heavy thud, and winced at the pain shooting up his spine.

“You alright?” Shinkai asked as he pulled Arakita up into a sitting position.

“I told you those things were dangerous,” Arakita grumbled as he let Shinkai hoist him into a standing position.

“Yasutomo, you have never said anything even close to that before.”

“It was implied,” Arakita joked as he pinched Shinkai’s cheek. When the other was distracted with trying to pull Arakita’s hand away from his face, he quickly snatched the recorder out of Shinkai’s grasp and made a break for it through the crowd.

“Yasutomo!” Shinkai called from the distance. Arakita didn’t need to glance behind him to know that he was being chased. He pushed though his friends and continued down the path, wondering what exactly to do with the toy recorder. Should he throw it in one the many garbage cans scattered throughout the pathway like a decent human being, or chuck it in the air like a shot put?

Duh. Arakita thought as he winded up and pitch, side-stepped on the path, and whipped the plastic with all his might in the air, aiming for the dense forest behind the festival vendors. Arakita shaded the sun from his eyes as he watched the recorder disappear.

“There it goes,” Shinkai sighed as he caught up to Arakita.

“It’s for the best,” Arakita consoled the other while patting his back reassuringly.

“That was an impressive throw Yasutomo,” Shinkai chuckled as the two began walking through the festival again —the recorder already forgotten. “Your baseball player showed just then.”

“Did it?” Arakita asked bashfully. He tried to forget about baseball. It was a sport he adored when he was younger. He obsessed over becoming stronger —being the best there was; before the incident happened. “It’s been a while since I’ve played.”

“Well it certainly didn’t show with that throw. You should pick up the sport again some time.”

Arakita felt warm. His baseball career had gone to shit in high school, hence why he applied for a university without a baseball team. It was too painful to look at.

“I’ll think about it,” Arakita muttered softly. He clutched his elbow as he stared straight ahead. The prospect of returning back to something he had thought he permanently dropped just because of Shinkai was rather terrifying. His boyfriend’s reassurance and unconventional support was astonishingly impactful to say the least. “Maybe I should start small.”

“Play with kids?”

“Be able to sit through a game on TV.”

“That bad huh?”

Arakita shrugged at Shinkai and paused. Shit. He heard a familiar laugh just then.

“Hey, check this place out,” Arakita began as he shoved Shinkai to the side. Shinkai laughed as he went along with Arakita’s sudden change in topic. The two explored what the stall had to offer for quite some time before Arakita found it safe to leave.

Similar instances happened a few more times throughout the evening. He and Shinkai would walk down the main middle path while idly chatting —then Arakita’s fear and paranoia would kick in with thoughts that his ex was too close for comfort, and he’d hurriedly shove Shinkai aside in hopes to avoid any sort of interaction with the other.

It was bad. Arakita knew he was no longer being discreet. He knew Shinkai’s mood had dropped substantially over the course of a few hours. With every conversation that went interrupted with a hey let’s check out this stand neither of us have any interest in! or let’s suddenly turn back the way we came from for no apparent reason, came Shinkai’s apparent distress and discomfort. So when Arakita grabbed Shinkai’s hand after spotting Riko steadily approaching him for a fifth time, he wasn’t surprised to feel the other yanked his arm violently away.

“Hayato…” Arakita began as he grasped his right elbow tightly in pain. Fuck.

“Yasutomo, enough.”

An overwhelming sense of dread hit him at the sight of Shinkai’s expression. Arakita had never seen the other look at him that way. His eyebrows were knit and the bridge of his nose creased in frustration. His lips, which were normally curled upward in a gentle smile where set in a straight line. Arakita took a step forward anxiously. Shinkai was pressing his mouth closed tightly to prevent him from seeing the slight quiver and he looked at Arakita’s chin instead of his eyes to prevent him from seeing the glisten around his pupils.

“Hayato, come on.” Riko was closing in on them. Her diligence was annoying as fuck. She had gone from making it seem like their close encounters were coincidental to dropping the act and flaunting her persistence as something tactful and calculated. Arakita felt like a cornered animal. “She’s getting closer. I don’t want to talk to her.”

Shinkai stepped back and avoided Arakita’s outstretched hand.

“Yasutomo this isn’t fun anymore. She’s ruining our da—”

“Date? The same date I thought I made pretty fucking clear that I didn’t want to have here because of this very reason?”

Shinkai looked taken aback by Arakita’s aggressiveness, and Arakita took a mental note to apologize for his outburst later, but for now, he needed to get them both away from Riko. With every step she took forward, Arakita’s brain reiterated the phrase “I don’t want to talk to her. I don’t want to talk to her,” over and over.

“Can’t you say a simple greeting and move on with your day? Why are you making this more difficult than it needs to be? I didn’t think you’d be this bad!”

“You saw me puke the last time she was close!” Arakita was desperate now. Why couldn’t Hayato understand things from his perspective? There were some people you just didn’t like. There were some people in the world where he would rather not see let alone interact with.

“Well, try to control it this time,” Shinkai hissed as he got close. Arakita felt his stomach drop at the anger radiating from the other. “You need to fucking talk to her so that this—” he pointed at the space between them, “—doesn’t happen again.”

“I… what?”

He couldn’t comprehend what Hayato was saying.

“Talk to her,” Shinkai growled in Arakita’s face. “Come get me when you’re done.”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know!” Shinkai bellowed. He paused to catch his breath and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know,” he mumbled in a softer tone. “I’ll text you when I figure it out.”

“Wait!” Arakita exclaimed as he reached out for his boyfriend’s wrist. The other yanked his hand away once again, and Arakita felt his resolve waver as a sharp pain shot up his arm. It was the usual ghost pain he’d experience every so often —a reflexive pain on his arm caused by abrupt strain; he knew as much— but it felt all too real at the moment. Unwarranted flashbacks of his high school life falling apart hit him like a ton of bricks. Then did the horrible memories of his first year at university as he watched Riko close the distance. And then finally, the stomach churning notion of a future without Hayato shook him to his very core as he watched Shinkai angrily trot away and into the crowd.

I can’t lose him.

This new mantra took over what his head had been repeating multiple times previously. He couldn’t afford to lose the one person who kept him sane and content in the few short months that they’ve known each other. After two years of being alone and bitter, Shinkai Hayato had fucking body slammed his way past every single wall Arakita had put up as if he were walking through thin sheets of paper. He was the only person who made his heart hammer with limitless affection and the only one capable of making his stomach churn in torturous excitement on a daily basis. For the first time in his life, Arakita woke up feeling happy because he knew he’d open his eyes and see him, drool and all, planted comfortably on the pillow adjacent to his.

“Yasutomo!”

Arakita gritted his teeth at the sound of his ex using his first name. A name that was reserved only for Shinkai.

I absolutely cannot lose him.

“Yasutomo please! I just want to—”

“Talk?” Arakita interrupted.

“Yes, please. Just briefly. I’ll only take twenty minutes of your time!”

Arakita had trouble looking her in the eyes, but Shinkai’s voice rang out in his head, deep and desperate and indignant towards the situation thrust upon him.

Talk to her.

He’d do it for Hayato.

“Follow me,” Arakita grumbled as he walked towards the same direction Shinkai had disappeared to mere moments ago.

 “Tell me where you’re going,” Arakita texted Shinkai. “I’ll talk to her if we’re in the same place.”

“Plum Café.”

Arakita sighed in relief. Hayato had replied right away. He was pissed off but receptive. Arakita glanced behind him to make sure Riko was following as he made his way through the crowd and toward the busy streets of the downtown area. He’d listen to her apology, pretend to forgive her and go on with his life hoping he’d never have to deal with her again. It was a shitty plan, but Arakita would much rather pretend to be on good terms with the person he resented than be the reason behind such a pure look of anger and distress on his partner’s face.

Chapter Text

Shinkai’s stomach was in knots. He entered the small café nervously, unsure of what to do. He had lashed out on Yasutomo for no reason —he knew that, but part of him also knew that he couldn’t help it. He had put his faith in too many things for that day. He hoped Riko showing up was a lie Machimiya had created as a sick joke. He hoped that if it was the truth, then she wouldn’t show up until later. He hoped she’d be impossible to spot in a dense crowd. He hoped Yasutomo would…

Do what exactly, Hayato? Yasutomo had been against going to the shrine in the first place upon learning that his ex would also be attending, but Shinkai had been stubborn and dragged them into this mess regardless. Their day had been ruined the instant they saw her, and Shinkai had no one to blame but himself.

He looked around the café nervously. He needed to sit, but he also didn’t want to loiter. His appetite had been ruined, but he approached the front register while reaching for the cash hidden in his obi belt. Glancing quickly at the menu board, Shinkai ordered a strawberry smoothie and placed the money onto the change tray as he waited for the cashier to input his order. He wriggled his fingers anxiously against his sides of his yukata, contemplating what to do next. His anger with Yasutomo had dissipated the moment the other texted him asking where he was going. He had made an enormous compromise in such a simple text; he’d talk and make amends with the person he resented the most so long as Shinkai was there as a witness.

The sound of the glass door opening at the front of the café jostled Shinkai out of his thoughts. He turned to see his boyfriend pausing a beat to glance around the interior before turning to say something to his ex.

Shinkai grasped the sides of his Yukata tightly. There she was, in all her glory. It was weird seeing someone whose entire personality had been determined through negative context provided by a small handful of individuals. It was the thing he dreaded the most about Riko. What if Yasutomo and Jinpachi had skewed her image based off of their bad experience with her? What if, overall, she was a nice person? What if she was pleasant? What if her relationship with Yasutomo had just been a bad moment in her life? It would be terrible to associate her personality with a single short coming.

I would know...

Shinkai felt lost as he inspected Riko. Her short brown hair was pulled in a small up-do and her curled bangs were a little messy from walking at what Shinkai assumed was a brisk pace to catch up with Yasutomo’s long strides. Her kimono was radiant and shimmered as she looked up at Yasutomo and nodded, and a pang of jealousy wretched Shinkai’s gut at the sight. They were an attractive pair when standing side-by-side. Yasutomo looked large next to her. His manliness was amplified thanks to Riko’s petite figure. He stood a head and a half taller than her rather than a single centimeter. His shoulders looked broad in contrast to her small, curved ones, and the low tone he chose to speak to her with sounded deep and masculine.

This is what a couple should look like. This is what they did look like —sometime in the past.

Why wasn’t Yasutomo dating a cute girl? His gaze didn’t discern gender —so surely he thought about it before.

You’re being reckless with your emotions, Hayato, Shinkai scolded himself wearily. He took the smoothie offered to him and tentatively approached the two with a forced smile. He was going to sit through his pettiness and jealousy for Yasutomo’s sake. Besides, after selfishly forcing the other to speak with his ex, the least he could do was be there for him during the confrontation.

“Hi there,” Shinkai greeted Riko exclusively. “I’m Shi—”

“This is Shinkai,” Arakita interrupted hurriedly. “My friend.”

“Oh? Hello…” Riko greeted with a confused expression.

“He’s sitting with us.”

“What? Absolutely not. This is a private matter Yasutomo—”

Don’t call him that.

“I don’t want your friend listening in.”

Boyfriend.

Shinkai was seething. It took all of his self-control to keep the plastic cup in his hand intact.

“Shinkai knows everything between us,” Arakita explained monotonously. “Either he stays or I’m leaving.”

Shinkai… Arakita was using his surname exclusively. A pang of sadness wretched Shinkai’s gut. He had hoped Yasutomo would use his first name when introducing him to his ex, but it looked like the other didn’t want Riko knowing that they were dating.

But why…?

“That’s ridiculous Yasut—”

“I won’t be in the way!” Shinkai interrupted with what he hoped was a pleasant tone. His stomach was roiling in abhorrence. “I promise. I definitely want you two to talk this through.”

Shinkai ignored his “friend’s” weary glance as he guided a reluctant Riko to a small table at the corner of the café. His thoughts were muddled and his entire being felt cold with panic. Why hadn’t Yasutomo introduced his full name? Why hadn’t he corrected his ex for calling him a friend? It hadn’t occurred to him in the past, but hearing the two interact made him realize that they were still on first name basis. What the hell was going on?

“Let me properly introduce myself,” Shinkai voiced as he sat in the chair opposite of Riko. “I’m Shinkai Hayato. I go to the same school as Yas— erm, Arakita-kun.”

Shinkai clutched his knees tightly as he bowed politely to Riko. It was hard ignoring Yasutomo’s piercing glance, and dread in the form of perspiration began stippling his forehead as he accepted that he was fueling the fire between them. But his pettiness had taken a hold of his tongue. If Yasutomo wanted them to be friends in front of Riko, so be it.

“Ah, it’s nice to meet you Hayato-kun. I’m Imamura Riko.”

She immediately used my first name…

“Nice to meet you Imamura-san.”

“Please call me Riko,” she corrected with what Shinkai recognized to be a strained smile.

“Is there any particular reason why you prefer your first name?”

“I don’t like being associated with my family,” she admitted boldly. Shinkai snuck a glance to his left, and spotted Yasutomo’s knit brows behind long, dark bangs.

“Did something bad happen?”

“Shinkai!” Arakita snapped. Shinkai jolted at the outburst.

“Sorry,” Shinkai mumbled to Arakita more than his ex. That’s a rude question Hayato! He scolded himself. Where the hell had his manners gone? Things like politeness and basic human decency shouldn’t be off the table just because he wasn’t particularly fond of someone.

“It’s fine,” Riko reassured him. “My parents weren’t the nicest people,” she explained. Shinkai waited for further explanation, but nothing came. Shinkai bowed again, understanding that he had been told more than he ever deserved to know.

An awkward lull passed between the three before Riko chose to speak again.

“So, how have you been Yasutomo?”

“Good,” Arakita answered quickly. Another pause, then a side glance at Shinkai enticed him to ask the question; “You?”

“I’m good. The shrine here is beautiful. I forgot how lively this place could be during festivals.”

More silence.

“You used to go to school with Ya— Arakita-kun, correct?”

“Yup! We were both in the engineering department.”

“What happened?”

“We broke up,” Arakita stated coldly. Riko frowned at him, but then turned her gaze sheepish as she glanced back at Shinkai.

“That’s basically it. I decided to move to a different school after that.”

“That’s… a pretty bad breakup, huh?” Shinkai admitted.

“Yeah,” both agreed simultaneously.

The tension at their table was suffocating. Shinkai took a sip of his drink just to have something to do. He knew he wanted Yasutomo to talk things through with Riko, but it hadn’t occurred to him how complicated this was going to be.

“Actually… That’s why I’m here,” Riko began after a moment. “I wanted to apologize to you… about all that.”

Shinkai wearily glanced at Yasutomo. The other was silent, but looking at Riko expectantly.

“I was a horrible girlfriend,” she admitted solemnly. “I was blindsided by my ambitions and jealously, and took my frustrations out on you. I’m so, so sorry for all the pain that I’ve caused.”

Shinkai’s heart was hammering in his chest. If it were any other person, he would have silently urged that they accept the apology and move on with their lives.

But relationships were never that simple.

“You pulled a lot of shit on me Riko,” Arakita said at last. His voice sounded weak. It sounded like he didn’t want to forgive her —like he couldn’t.

There was an intense air of anger, pain and regret emitting from both parties. Shinkai stubbornly wanted to help the conversation, even if it meant making himself look bad.

“Like what?” Shinkai asked. He clamped his mouth shut tensely. He was seriously invading on some private matters right now.

Riko was working her jaw, knit brows indicating that she was uncomfortable disclosing her private matters to some stranger.

“Why don’t you tell him about the time you left me waiting in the cold for hours while you were out with your friends?”

Riko’s face turned scarlet.

“You decided that returning my calls or texting me was ‘such a hassle’. You told your friends I was overbearing and controlling, even though I was just picking you up!” Arakita’s voice became more animated as he recollected the past.

“I’m sorry…”

“Every time, Riko. Every time I was worried about you, it turned out you were intentionally ignoring me.”

“I know. I’m sorry Yasutomo, I understand how horrible I was. It’s all I think about. That’s why I’m here.”

“No, it’s not,” Arakita laughed humorously as he leaned forward. Shinkai clutched his drink nervously. He was definitely not good with witnessing confrontation.

“You’re here to make yourself feel better. You don’t actually care about how many times you fucked me over for you own personal gain. You don’t care about how much of my time you wasted by being elusive and verbally inept. You don’t care that you demanded the world from me, received it, and didn’t show an ounce of gratitude. You expected it. You used pity from your bad situation at home to be a shitty person—”

“That’s not true! I—”

“IT IS!”

Shinkai automatically placed a hand on Arakita’s shoulder —partly to keep him from making a scene in the café, and partly because he wanted…

What did he want?

Shinkai straightened his posture and squared his shoulders as he came to a simple conclusion: he wanted to remind Yasutomo that he was there. He squeezed harder when the other didn’t back up, and silently tried to pull him out of the past. You’re with me now. You’re safe. Arakita glanced at him, but kept silent. He slowly relaxed back against his seat, and only when his expression shifted from hatred to sadness did Shinkai let go.

“You really fucked me over Riko,” Arakita continued in a solemn tone. “I was financially ruined. I worked two part-time jobs just to keep you happy.”

“I know…”

“And it turned out you were loaded,” Arakita claimed accusingly. “You knew I was struggling but you still had the most ridiculous requests. I was about to drop out of university to work full-time for you and all you did was sit back and watch while spouting sexist nonsense! Boyfriends should do this and that! The man pays for everything. The man carries the heavy things. Men are perverts, right? They always want sex, right?”

Riko’s head hung low in shame, and all Shinkai could think was: Good.

He wanted to join Yasutomo and lash out. His face burned in anger and his stomach felt queasy at the unsettling remarks. She had almost ruined Yasutomo’s future for her own gain, and yet expected to be forgiven? Shinkai felt like an absolute idiot. In his self-absorbed haze of pity, he had requested that Yasutomo should try to talk to her —to relive all his painful memories and simply… let things go?

“I’m not here to ask for your forgiveness.”

Shinkai held his breath at her response.

“I know what I did was horrible. I know who I was was horrible.”

Arakita was silent.

“When I said I just wanted to talk, I meant I wanted to let you know that I’ve changed.”

Arakita scoffed, but Shinkai lightly tapped the other’s ankle with his foot. This could be something big. She was willing to admit that she had been terrible. She had stated that she wasn’t expecting forgiveness. If she told Yasutomo that she’s changed, and the other accepted it, then maybe she’d be satisfied and leave him alone.

“How so?” Arakita asked.

Shinkai inwardly sighed in relief. Yasutomo probably had a thought process similar to his own.

“Well for starters, I decided to stop relying on others for help.”

“Must be difficult considering how rich you are,” Arakita voiced sarcastically.

“Including my parents’ help.”

Arakita’s eyes seemed to widen slightly at the declaration. Shinkai had no idea what was going on anymore, and his face must have shown it because Riko flashed him a look of pity.

“Like I mentioned before, my parents are bad people, Hayato-kun.”

“Okay…”

“I was hypocritical with how I acted with them, however, and our breakup made me realize that the most.”

Shinkai was lost. He looked to Yasutomo for guidance, but the other seemed lost in his thoughts.

“Yasutomo made me realize that I acted just like the people I hated the most. I was deceiving and manipulative to get what I wanted. I asked not to be associated with that name, but used it when it was to my advantage. I was a foolish girl, and you didn’t deserve to suffer because of it.”

The last bit of her comment was targeted to Arakita. She had finally leveled her eyes with his, her piercing brown irises unwavering.

“I regret that I couldn’t see what I was doing until it was over between us.”

Shinkai watched Yasutomo open his mouth, but no sound came out. Arakita was deep in thought, but he seemed calmer. Upon the silence, Riko decided to continue.

“I looked up a few schools immediately after our fight. I knew I needed to leave. Your words really stuck with me Yasutomo —they really opened my eyes.”

“I hate you?”

“No…”

“Stop making a scene in the library?”

“No!” She slapped the table but a large grin had broken out on her cute features. Though Arakita’s mouth was set in its neutral form, his eyes twinkled in amusement, and Shinkai was astonished. Was their break up really such a fond memory? Or was this interaction showcasing the better side of their relationship? The part that brought them together in the first place?

“You said ‘It’s not your future if you’re stealing it from others,’” Riko continued. “Those words were like a slap in the face.”

“You sure it wasn’t the book?”

“It might have been that,” Riko admitted as she rubbed her cheek.

Shinkai’s jaw dropped. “You hit her with a book?” He hissed in shock.

“No! No, no Hayato-kun, he didn’t hit me… his friend did.”

“What?!” Shinkai gasped.

What the hell was going on?

“Shit, maybe we should give you some context, huh?” Arakita whispered.

“Yeah…” Riko agreed, having heard the raven’s words.

“Our famous breakup happened at our school library,” Arakita explained to Shinkai. His tone had turned sullen almost instantly. He obviously had more to say, but his mouth shut tight and his thin lips turned white as he expressed deep thought.

“He was meeting with his friend to study. Shingo was his name —I don’t know if you know h—”

“—I know him,” Shinkai interrupted. Kinjou was the one who hit her? Shinkai turned to Arakita in apprehension, but the other shot him a sad smile in response.

“It was an accident on his part,” he whispered solemnly.

“I was being a bitch.”

"Don't—" Arakita scowled. He scratched the back of his head while looking down and grumbling the rest of his sentence, "...say that word." It caught Shinkai off guard. Why was Yasutomo so on and off about his kindness with her? Why was he scolding her for speaking poorly of herself when she was finally admitting to being horrible? Shinkai answered his own question with his simple understanding of his boyfriend. Arakita Yasutomo, as crude as his language was, never used the word "bitch" to describe Riko. He never used that word, ever, now that Shinkai thought about it. Neither did Machimiya or Kinjou or Toudou. Shinkai briefly wondered if Yasutomo was the one who instilled that rule, having some deeply-rooted reasons for forbidding the use of that word. He never had a chance to explore that thought as more pressing matters took the forefront of his attention. The conversation continued.

“No. I was,” Riko stated sadly. Both parties looked distraught as they recalled the unpleasant memory. Riko briefly flashed Shinkai a sad smile as she collected herself and continued to speak. "I was the jealous type."

Arakita had gone silent. No more did he interrupt his ex with unnecessary one-liners agreeing with or debating against her words.

"Initially, I took my behaviour to be competitive; but even then, it was an extreme level of it."

Shinkai hummed to indicate that he was listening. He had no idea where she was going with this. He had been confused this entire conversation, if he were being completely honest. He relied on the fact that Yasutomo would eventually explain things to him in the future. When he was ready to do so, that is.

"Yasutomo and I became close through competing. Studying, homework, our test results... we made each other stronger by being motivating factors."

Shinkai nodded, still totally lost.

"But my competitiveness... No. My jealousy ruined us."

Riko combed a strand of her soft, brown hair behind her ear with a delicate finger, eyes downcast and makeup prominent against the café's dim lights.

She's very pretty, Shinkai thought distractedly. A pang of unease crawled across his skin as he imagined Arakita making love to her.

"I didn't want Yasutomo to do better than me. My goal had always been to be at the top of the class to ensure myself a high paying career when I graduated. In my mind, my happiness and freedom was priority, and he was to cater to me."

Shinkai's skin crawled for a completely different reason.

"He was doing well in school. He was catching up to me. He made friends with his classmates and would leave me to study with them. I was irrational with my way of thinking."

Shinkai swallowed.

"I essentially sabotaged him. Multiple times. I stole his time and energy on countless days and nights; only when convenient for me... and I was aiming for his resources too."

Shinkai hated this woman. Anger boiled his blood as she spilled her guts. He couldn't believe someone so nasty existed. How could someone hurt their significant other for personal gain? For reasons so petty? It didn't make sense. Hearing only a fraction of the inner mechanisms of her brain; of how she treated their relationship made him want to grab Yasutomo by the arm and run. He had heard enough.

Why did I think they could "talk this out?"

"It was the day before our calculus midterm."

I'm a fucking idiot.

"He was in the library, studying with Shingo-kun."

I didn't listen to him. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to talk to her. I forced him here.

"I tried to distract him. I put him down when he answered questions incorrectly, I teased him for being slow. I even started flirting with Shingo-kun to press his buttons."

Shinkai's fingers curled into his palm. He never wanted to see this despicable woman again.

I'm an idiot, he repeated to himself, over and over as the story progressed.

"Shingo lost it first," Riko admitted. "He was reading. He yanked his hand away from mine, which caused the book to go flying into my face. I escalated things."

Arakita's silence was deafening.

"There wasn't a person in the library who didn't hear our argument."

Shinkai's knuckles turned white against the curled fists.

"That was the first and only time Yasutomo ended things with me. We argued before, but never to that caliber."

"It's a lot less scary standing up for yourself when you're not alone."

Shinkai's heart was in his shoes. He never heard Yasutomo sound so small. So fragile. The meaning behind those words were a double blow. Had he not once tried escaping his situation alone in the past?

Just how isolated were you, Yasutomo?

Arakita's comment elicited an uncomfortable silence between the three.

"We were kicked out. Banned. I was charged for property damage," Riko eventually mumbled.

Shinkai cocked an eyebrow. "For the book?"

"Books. Plural. The table too. I threw more than just a hissy fit."

Shinkai shook his head in wonder. They were sitting across from an absolute mad woman.

"I'm glad it happened."

This time the silence in the air was that of shock. Even Arakita, whose eyes were dull and downcast, widened at her words.

"Not what I did to you," she backtracked. "I'll never forgive myself for that. But the entire argument —our relationship ending the way it did... It was a wake-up call I deserved.”

"Why are you here Riko?" Arakita asked weakly. Despite the strain in his voice, his shaky tone firmly demonstrated his impatience. It implied his thoughts: What do you what from me?

"I wanted to tell you what happened when I left," Riko replied. Her posture straightened and her eyes flared with determination.

Why should he care? Shinkai wondered moodily.

"Why should I care?"

"You shouldn't. You're not supposed to. I simply want you to listen."

Arakita's posture turned rigid. His arched eyebrows were scrunched together behind his bangs, but Shinkai knew Riko couldn't see the creases from her angle.

"Quite demanding of you, isn't it?" Shinkai said evenly, a fake smile tugging the corner of his lips only a fraction.

Riko seemed to have faltered at that, and Arakita's shoulders drooped very slightly. Good. He reminded Yasutomo that he was here —that he was on his side.

"I'm sorry, but please," Riko asked softly. "Just hear me out."

Arakita didn't say anything, but his nod was enough for Riko to continue.

"I cut my credit card the day after. I was completely on my own."

Arakita perked at this.

"I still applied for school. I transferred my credits and took out loans from the government. I've been living in the dorms for the last two years too," Riko pointed out. "It's very scary, being on your own. But I realized nothing was more terrifying than living a life relying on my scumbag parents."

Whoa, Shinkai blinked, holding back from letting out a low whistle. The terminology she used to describe her parents was a little shocking. I'm obviously missing a lot of information. Just from pure observation, Shinkai made the assumption that Riko was wealthy. Rather, her parents are wealthy and she used their money without much repercussion. But she had also implied that her parents weren't great... To the point that she cut ties with them entirely, with the exception of using her full name to formally introduce herself to others. And she was telling Yasutomo this because...?

"That's great..." Arakita commented.

Okay… so this was obviously good news to Yasutomo…

Riko paused at his words. She nodded once. Twice. She continued nodding like a student goading their professor to continue the lecture. She abruptly stopped the act, having caught herself in her thoughts, and continued speaking while staring at the table instead.

"I learned a lot about myself. About how selfish I was. How manipulative... With the money gone, I learned who my real friends were." She wriggled his fingers nervously. "No one stuck around."

Shinkai frowned. Ouch.

"New school, new home, no money, no friends. I had to do it all over again. It was like a new life after death."

“That must have been hard for you.”  

Arakita’s voiced dripped sarcasm. There was no remorse in his tone. He too had it rather difficult after their break up —that, Shinkai was certain of. And upon inspection, Arakita wasn't doing too hot in his current situation either. Shinkai felt horrible for not noticing his boyfriend's state earlier. Arakita was pale. And not his normal pale. He was as white as a vampire and the way he shook his leg made him seem testy in the light of day just as a vampire would. More accurately, he looked sick and uncomfortable. Riko's words, as he had predicted minutes ago, were about herself. She was trying to validate her past with revelations of her present, and though she wasn't verbally asking for his forgiveness, her intentions were heavily implied. Whether she was fully aware of what she was doing was unknown, but the fact of the matter was, she was pursuing the act. 

"It was," Riko insisted. "I deserved it; after all the pain I've caused. It was in due time —the karma..." 

Shinkai noticed Arakita's eyes squint as Riko trailed off. 

"...but?" he asked. 

Riko looked torn. She obviously wanted to continue, but Arakita's coolness was deterring. 

"I've only recently been able to pull myself out of the slump the breakup caused. I was just wondering if you've been able to do the same?" 

Has he? 

Would Yasutomo claim that he was better off now? Now that you've met me? 

"I'm fine now," he declared. 

Riko nodded. She obviously wasn’t going to get much of an in-depth answer from the raven, so she continued. 

"What about relationship-wise? Have you met anyone?" 

Shinkai's turned rigid at the question. How much would Yasutomo disclose? 

"What's it to you?" 

"I w-was just wondering! Don’t get the wrong idea!" Riko quickly stammered with her palms out. Arakita didn't answer her. Shinkai didn't know how to interpret the other's silence. First Yasutomo introduced Shinkai as a friend, and now he was unwilling to share the status of his relationship. Was he ashamed? Did he not consider what they had real compared to the commitment he had shown Riko in the past? 

Those are all stupid questions, Shinkai stubbornly concluded. Yasutomo definitely had another reason for his behaviour. 

"What about you Riko?" Shinkai asked. Both individuals jumped at Shinkai's question, implying that they had forgotten his presence while mulling over their thoughts and memories. 

"Uh, no. I'm not seeing anyone." 

"Not currently, but have you been able to date again?" 

Riko looked torn. 

"I'm scared to pursue a new relationship," she mumbled with her head hung low. "I'm scared I'll hurt someone again." 

Shinkai realized that the best course of action for everyone was to encourage her to move on. 

"Every time someone got close, I pushed them away in fear." 

"But you've changed, haven't you? Surely your conscious would allow you to move on." 

"Guilt is a haunting thing, Hayato-kun." 

Shinkai felt goosebumps pepper his arms. He could sympathize with her on that one. 

"That fear of hurting someone... every time someone showed interest in me, I wondered; do you get like that too? Are you scared someone will hurt you again?" 

Arakita stared hard at her. His eyes were piercing but his expression softened immediately. He looked sad.  

"I was scared." 

"Not anymore?" 

Arakita looked like he didn't want to disclose any more information, but he nodded. Relief washed over Shinkai. Yasutomo was no longer scared. He could only take that to mean that he was happy and openly comfortable in his current relationship. 

"You shouldn't be scared anymore," Arakita added. "If I can move on, you should be able to move on too." 

"I don't think I deserve to, honestly."  

Riko had placed the palm of her hand on her temple, her fingers flat on her head as she leaned on her elbow for support. She was staring at the floor past Arakita, expression that of someone distraught. "I don't think I could ever—" 

"—Cut the bullshit!" Arakita snapped. He had slammed his hand on the café table, making Riko jump out of her dejected slouch. "Move on! If you're being true to your word, and you're no longer the shitty person you were in the past, then it's fine, isn't it? Go find someone!" 

Arakita words streamed out of his lips at an amazing rate. All Riko could do was stare at him with wide eyes as he continued. 

"What's stopping you from being in a new relationship? Me?" 

Riko slowly nodded. Just once. Shinkai's heart lurched for her. She looked so very frail just then. 

Arakita sighed. It was loud, long and exasperate; reflecting him in a nutshell.  

"I'm fine. Like I said, I've moved on. You don't have to worry about me." 

"But—" 

"Riko! Our relationship sucked, but you can't regret it. We both came out of it learning a lot. It's time to take what you learned and put it to practice." 

Riko's lips formed a straight line. Her eyebrows creased substantially and her eyes were glazed over with tears threatening to escape at any given moment.  

"If you're telling the truth, then don't hold back," Arakita exclaimed. "It's good that you cut off your shitty family. It's good that you made new friends and are at a new school. Your next the step is to find someone who loves you and doesn't bat an eye when dealing with your bullshit." 

Arakita had shot a glance at Shinkai when he said the last part and Shinkai instantly reached under the table to grab his hand. It was cold and shaking. Shinkai squeezed it tight. He hadn't realized how perturbed Yasutomo had been. His steely mannerisms had misled Shinkai. 

Riko's sniffed as tears ran down her face. Shinkai felt bad. He didn't have a handkerchief or napkin to offer her. He was just a stranger that invaded her personal life and offered nothing but prompts to continue an uncomfortable conversation. 

"You’re right," she squeaked while wiping her cheeks with her delicate fingers. She tried to thank Arakita as well, but a small, choked out sob broke her sentence.  

"Excuse me," Riko apologized with a bow. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "Please give me a moment to wash my face." 

Shinkai gently voiced that she go ahead while letting go of Arakita's hand. Once she had retreated behind the doors of the women's washroom, he reached out to intertwine his fingers with his boyfriends' once again. 

"Is she faking it?" Shinkai asked. His instincts told him she wasn't, but he didn't know her well enough to make that say. He knew nothing about Riko besides what had just been expressed to him.

"No..." Arakita mumbled, not entirely making eye contact with Shinkai. "Riko doesn't cry. She’s telling the truth." 

"Are you okay?" Shinkai asked quietly. He squeezed his hand and leaned forward. 

Arakita nodded. 

"Why didn't you introduce me as your boyfriend?" 

Arakita visibly deflated at the question. "Sorry," he mumbled. "It's a stupid reason." 

"I'm all for stupid reasons over my own assumptions," Shinkai admitted. 

Arakita smiled as he elbowed Shinkai's arm. "Don't overthink things, idiot." 

Shinkai smiled back. Who knew hearing words idiot would be such a comforting thing? 

"I just didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing my personal life," Arakita admitted with a shrug. "I walked in thinking; she doesn't need to know your name. She doesn’t need to know that you’re my boyfriend. Not right away, at least. Not unless her end goal was trying to ask for a second chance," he added with a humourless chortle. 

Shinkai nodded in understanding, regardless. He’d jump at the opportunity to say; “This angry little engineer is mine!”

"But Arakita-kun? You're pretty vengeful Hayato," he added with smirk.

"I'm sorry!" Shinkai exclaimed while twisting in his seat to bow while facing his boyfriend. "I told you! My assumptions are radical." 

"I called you my friend because I wanted to know what she wanted first," Arakita explained quietly. His eyes were on the door of the women's washroom.  

"She would have held back telling you what she wanted if she knew," Shinkai agreed. “She wouldn’t have opened up as much.”

Arakita nodded, then sighed heavily.  

“Well I’ve heard everything I needed to hear,” Arakita commented. “And I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”

“Really?”

Arakita nodded. Shinkai didn’t believe him, only because it seemed like so much was said in so little time. Did they actually conclude anything? Riko admitted that she was in the wrong in the past, and that she’s changed.

“Do you forgive her?”

“No,” Arakita slouched. “Would you?”

Hell no. She sounded horrendous. And he only really heard about the break up in detail. He couldn’t picture the other stuff she might have put Yasutomo through.

“No way.”

“But I’m over it,” Arakita added. “I’ve heard enough. She’s fine now. We’re fine. I’ll see her off and we can probably go our separate ways.”

Shinkai immediately picked up on the emotional exhaustion. Yasutomo was spent. 

"Then, let's call it a night when she comes back," Shinkai suggested. "We'll find Jinpachi and everyone and explain that we'll have to skip out of the rest of the night's plans."

Arakita nodded in agreement as he pulled his hand away from Shinkai's. Although he no longer looked sickly, his pale features still shone in the small café. The sun had set a few minutes ago. The employees were starting to clean for the day and undoubtedly rush to join their friends and family at the shrine. Riko had exited the restroom and pardoned herself as she walked over the mopped tiles to rejoined Arakita and Shinkai, face now free of tears and eye-makeup touched up ever so slightly.  

"It looks like they're closing," she mentioned as she stood in front of them both. She hovered behind her chair as if debating whether to take a seat again or not. 

"We should leave," Shinkai suggested. Riko nodded in agreement, but she didn't move. She obviously had something more to say. 

"Yasutomo?" She asked quietly. Shinkai felt Arakita tense. "I know its impudent of me to ask, and I know the answer is no but..." 

Shinkai stiffened at the pause. 

"Are we okay?" 

That was a very loaded question. Were they? Did a few minutes of talking about the past and present in a more or less civil manner deem them to be 'okay' now? Shinkai clamped his jaw shut and waited for Arakita's response. The other simply sighed. He didn't look angry or upset anymore. The worst of the conversation had passed. He simply seemed ready to say goodbye. 

"We're okay," he confirmed.  

Riko's shoulders drooped in relief.  

"Do you think we could be friends?" 

Shinkai was certain Yasutomo would agree. It was the natural way to go, according to the flow of the conversation. Forgiveness and friendship. That's what the underlying theme of this talk had been about. Even though an uncomfortable pang wretched Shinkai's gut, he ignored the overbearing and possessive feelings he had towards Yasutomo. This was the right course of action. 

"I don't think so," Arakita admitted.  

Shinkai inwardly howled in relief.  

"Sorry Riko," he added. "I just don't see us being friends." 

"That's fair," Riko said with a small smile. "Classmates?" 

"Classmates," Arakita agreed. 

Riko's smile widened. She had gotten more than she deserved, and she knew it.  

"Thanks for hearing me out Yasutomo," she said. "And thank you Hayato-kun, for being our mediator." Riko laughed as she bowed in Shinkai's direction. Strands of her brown hair fell over her cheeks, which she corrected as she straightened.  

"You're very pretty Riko," Shinkai mentioned. Both Arakita and Riko looked at him quizzically. Shinkai wanted to reassure Riko that she would find someone willing to take care of her, but he hastily altered his sentence based on the context he had received that evening. "You'll definitely find someone you'll want to protect." That had been her issue, right? She only took without giving back. If she really changed, then this was what she was looking for; to be in a mutual relationship with someone she could look after and shower with love.

Riko tilted her head to the side, a soft smile forming on her cute bow lips. Her eyes shined as she looked at Shinkai. Her mouth formed the words thank you very much, but her voice was caught in her throat. Tears threatened to escape her eyes, but she stubbornly blinked them away and gave Shinkai another bow as she collected herself. 

"And you're incredibly kind-hearted Hayato-kun," she mentioned. "Are you seeing anyone?" 

"I am." 

"I'm sure whoever your partner is, they're quite lucky to have you." 

"You hear that Yasutomo?" Shinkai asked, risking a glare from his boyfriend for what he was about to do. “You’re quite lucky.”

"Quite lucky is an understatement," Arakita commented evenly.

Guess he doesn’t care about keeping it a secret anymore.

Shinkai grinned as he watched understanding flash across Riko's expression. 

"That... explains a lot," Riko mumbled. "I had no idea." 

Arakita stood up and opened his arms to Riko. Shinkai watched with a smile, no longer feeling perturbed as he witnessed the two embrace. He couldn't hear Arakita clearly, but he caught the other reassuring Riko that she was strong for standing on her own legs. Riko left the café after that. She had flashed the two a genuine grin and waved goodbye before disappearing into the distance, the last thing she said being "If we run into each other again, please just nod or say hi like you would a classmate. Don't change your entire course just because of me." 

"I'll keep him accountable for that," Shinkai had promised. 

When Riko left, the two loitered in the café for a little longer. Shinkai insisted Arakita have the rest of his smoothie while he rubbed soothing circles along his back. That entire ordeal had taken quite a bit out of the raven. 

"Yasutomo, I'm sorry I dragged you into this." 

"Nah, it's fine. You were right. It had to be done. At least now I won’t be looking over my shoulder every four minutes in paranoia." 

"Still," Shinkai murmured. "You'd think I'd understand how complicated relationships are by now." Shinkai scratched the back of his head as he mulled over the more unpleasant bits of the conversation. "I shouldn't have forced you into that situation the way I did. I was acting childish." 

Arakita punched Shinkai in the arm. 

Hard. 

"Don't sulk! I said it’s fine didn't I?" 

Shinkai rubbed his arm in confusion. 

"I'm tougher than you give me credit for. I'm not going to go home and mope about our little fight." 

"Little?! I felt so bad the moment I stormed off! I was so sad..." 

Arakita squished Shinkai's cheeks together and kissed his lips quickly before any employees within the shop looked in their direction.  

"Sorry," Arakita smiled as he backed away. "I guess I'm desensitized." 

Shinkai smirked and shook his head. It looked like he was worried for nothing. 

"So, no make up sex tonight?" 

"Nah. Just normal se—mph!"  

Arakita hadn't been given the chance to finish his poorly executed joke as Shinkai pressed their lips together.  

"Let's say bye to the other's and go home," Shinkai voiced in a raspy tone. He wanted to spoil Yasutomo that night after all the discomfort he had caused. 

"I like that plan," Arakita nodded. 

Shinkai stood up and discarded the empty plastic cup into the garbage before walking back to Arakita. He shot the other a puzzled glance when he didn't move to stand. 

"Everything alright?" 

"My legs are jelly," Arakita grumbled. 

He’s shaken.

"Confronting Riko took more out of you than you want to admit, huh?" Shinkai stated softly. He reached out for Arakita's arms and hoisted him off the seat. Arakita's cheeks were rosy at the comment, but he kept to himself, letting Shinkai guide him out of the store instead.  

“Suddenly letting go of the grudges you held in the past is a difficult feat,” Shinkai acknowledged. "You're amazing Yasutomo, you know that right? If it were me, I wouldn't be able to do it... now that I have a better idea of what she was like." 

"I wouldn't have been able to do it either," Arakita admitted as he pushed open the glass doors of the café. "If you weren't there, I would have called it off. I'm pretty good at avoiding things I don't like." 

Shinkai laughed —not at the idea of Yasutomo running from Riko, but at the memory of him avoiding mundane tasks like laundry and returning Kinjou's notes to him he came looking for them.  

"That's a pretty well-rounded yet accurate claim," Shinkai smiled. 

Both young adults breathed in the warm, summer air in unison as they stepped out into the night. The streets were lively. People crossed the main road to follow the lanterns snaking up stone steps towards the shrine. Most were in their regular clothes, but some went traditional the way Shinkai and his group of friends had. Shinkai was sad that the missed the sunset, but the fireworks were soon approaching. Their date could still be salvaged, even if for a few minutes before they called it a night and returned home.  

Shinkai strutted ahead for a moment before he noticed Arakita lagging behind. The other’s head was hung low, and he was dragging his feet. He was obviously deep in thought, given that he immediately stumbled over a step he hadn’t noticed despite it being right under his nose.

"Hop on," Shinkai ordered as he crouched in front of the raven, his back facing the other. 

"Sorry," Arakita mumbled. "I can walk, don't worry." 

Shinkai didn't move. "You won a bet remember? I carry you for 10 minutes. Or do you have the memory of a goldfish too?" 

Shinkai gritted his teeth as he anticipated the kick landing in the small of his back. He held steady, arms outstretched behind him and beckoning Arakita forward. 

"This is so... dumb..." Arakita grumbled in defeat as he wrapped his arms around Shinkai's shoulders. 

"You get ten minutes!" Shinkai grunted as he locked his arms under the other's knees and pulled himself into a standing position. "Take this time to think," he added gently. “I’ll deal with the hand-eye coordination.”

Arakita didn't say anything. Shinkai made his way to the shrine's entrance —the bright red torii gate towering over them making him feel rather small and insignificant at that moment in time. He couldn’t do anything to alleviate Yasutomo’s pain. He couldn’t do much to alleviate his own uncertainties and emotions. All he could do was trudge forward with Yasutomo in tow and hope that they’ll figure it out with time.

"I love you..." Arakita voiced gently. Shinkai almost missed a step at the sudden confession. He twisted his head around, but Arakita had buried his face in Shinkai's shoulder. 

"I love you too," Shinkai murmured back. He kissed Arakita’s hair and continued his way down the stone path, heading to where he knew their friends would be. 

Chapter Text

Arakita waited for Shinkai to throw out his garbage while he mulled over the conversation that had taken place moments ago.  

Riko... Riko was a complicated case. When they had first met, things were fine. They were competitive but flirty. They appreciated each other's presence at school, and enjoyed each other's company outside of it. As Arakita got closer, he learned more about her. About the issues at home. The pain. Being the recklessly stubborn and compassionate person that he was, Arakita thought he could fix her problems. He offered a lot of himself to her unaware that he was conditioning her to expect such treatment while giving nothing in return. 

Recollecting the details of their experiences together hurt. Even though he let her go knowing that she understood her wrong doings and would leave him be, the entire ordeal had still shaken him. 

“Everything alright?” 

“My legs are jelly,” Arakita admitted. It was something he would never have confessed in the past. Not to friends or family members. And definitely not to his partner. Weakness and vulnerability had been taken advantage of in his former relationship. 

"Confronting Riko took more out of you than you want to admit, huh?" Shinkai stated softly. Arakita allowed strong arms hoist him off his seat. His cheeks grew warm at Shinkai's comment, but he kept to himself. Shinkai hit the nail on the head. 

“Suddenly letting go of the grudges you held in the past is a difficult feat,” Shinkai acknowledged. "You're amazing Yasutomo, you know that right? If it were me, I wouldn't be able to do it... now that I have a better idea of what she was like."  

"I wouldn't have been able to do it either," Arakita confessed as he pushed open the glass doors of the café. "If you weren't there, I would have called it off. I'm pretty good at avoiding things I don't like."  

"That's a pretty accurate claim,” Shinkai laughed. "But I’m proud of you for pushing though," he said with a soft smile. Arakita smiled back. He liked that Hayato praised him. He liked that the other understood that he had done something out of his comfort zone and commended him for his efforts. Arakita almost lost himself to his anger, but Hayato had brought him back. He had reminded Arakita that he was no longer in that relationship, and that he already had moved on, and didn't need to hold onto the past anymore. Arakita knew that if Riko ever did show up again, he could always run into the safety of his boyfriend's arms without feeling ashamed of the fact. He was no longer alone. 

Arakita felt his balance return to him with each passing stride, Shinkai’s flattened palm on the small of his back acted as a source of comfort and strength. He inhaled the summer air deeply as they made their way back to the shrine, happy to be free of the recycled air within the café. The street they were on was buzzing with excitement. Along with individuals rushing to the shrine to celebrate the festivities was the familiar sound of cicadas chirping and frogs croaking loudly in the forested corners of the area. 

It's finally over. 

Arakita slowly took it all in. He could walk down this street without looking over his shoulder. He could go to school knowing he'd do well so long as he put in the effort. He could go out with his friends and his partner simultaneously, knowing they got along with each other. His commitment wasn't a chore. His time wasn't stolen, it was used by choice.  

Arakita stumbled over a step, and again a few seconds after. Soon found himself slowing to a stop at the sight of Shinkai crouching in front of him. 

"Hop on," Shinkai ordered. 

"Sorry," Arakita mumbled, realizing that he had been dragging his feet to the point that Shinkai thought he needed assistance. "I can walk, don't worry."  

Shinkai didn't move. "You won a bet remember? I carry you for 10 minutes. Or do you have the memory of a goldfish too?"  

Arakita grinned maliciously as he lightly kicked the small of Shinkai's back. The other held steady, arms outstretched behind him and beckoning Arakita forward.  

"This is so... dumb..." Arakita grumbled in defeat as he wrapped his arms around Shinkai's shoulders.  

"You get ten minutes!" Shinkai grunted as he locked his arms under Arakita's knees and pulled himself into a standing position. "Take this time to think," he added gently. “I’ll deal with the hand-eye coordination.” 

Arakita held Shinkai tightly. To hear such comforting words... Shinkai always seemed to know what to do or say to make Arakita's heart squeeze. He was in control of his life again, and after spending over two years being uptight, distant and carefully hidden behind the walls and barriers he had created, Arakita realized that he could finally be himself in front of others. He could be vulnerable and weak, and goofy and stupid whenever the situation deemed fit. He didn't have to worry about being judged or hurt. Shinkai was his support system, and just like now, Shinkai would carry Arakita over any hurdles he might come across in his life. 

"I love you..." Arakita voiced gently. Arakita felt Shinkai twist his head around, but he had buried his face in the other's shoulder. He was certain if he looked at Shinkai, he would cry. 

"I love you too," Shinkai murmured back. He kissed Arakita’s hair and continued his way down the stone path. 

*** 

"There you two are!" 

Shinkai let Arakita hop off his back at the sound of Toudou's voice. Everyone had retreated to the edge of shrine overlooking a field below. The hill was sectioned off with wooden posts to prevent people from losing their footing and falling down, and additionally acted as seating for visitors of the shrine. Currently, only Ibitani, Kana and Makishima were sitting on the fencing. Everyone else was either standing or sitting on the grass. 

"What's wrong with Fuku-chan?" Arakita asked upon seeing the other sprawled on the floor. He was keeping himself in a sitting position by using his palms to prop himself up, but his head was lulled to the side as if he couldn't be bothered using his neck to support it. 

"Sake finally got to him," Machimiya grinned from where he stood.  

Arakita tried not to smile back as he observed Fukutomi looking up at Kinjou. He didn't want to laugh at the blond for being coaxed into such a poor condition, and he sure as hell didn't want to give Machimiya the satisfaction of thinking that his little stunt was amusing.... 

But god damn was it amusing.  

“Shingo, are you mad at me?” Fukutomi asked. 

“No,” Kinjou grumbled. “Not at you.” 

His glare was directed at Machimiya, but the cheekier engineer simply shrugged at him. 

“Shingo…”  

Fukutomi outstretched his hand to Kinjou, and the other took it without hesitation. 

“Why can’t we be this cute?” Arakita asked Shinkai. 

“Because if I naively got drunk off of sake under Machimiya's coaxing and asked to hold your hand, you’d smack me.” 

“I would,” Arakita confirmed. 

The two watched as Kinjou crouched down beside Fukutomi. He combed his fingers through the blond locks and patted his flushed cheek twice, all while listening to the other's drunken mumbling. Fukutomi looked painfully in love and Kinjou's expression was comically stuck between looking irritated at Machimiya and affectionate at his boyfriend's current state. 

"Here," a voice said from behind Arakita, pulling his attention away from the sitting couple.  

Arakita and Shinkai turned to see Toudou handing them two small pieces of tanzaku, the blank strips of paper clear of writing and sporting colourful ribbons at the top for hanging purposes.  

"Use this," Toudou mentioned as he handed Shinkai a black marker. "We just did ours." 

"Where did you hang them up?" Shinkai inquired. 

Toudou pointed to a cluster of bamboo shoots a little ways away from where they sat, closer to the stone walkway than the wooden fence. It was full of wishes tied to the branches. 

"I'll go first," Shinkai commented as he strolled toward the shoots.  

"Hayato has a stupid superstition for Tanabata," Yuuto commented. 

"Where the hell did you come from?" Arakita jumped. He clutched his heart, ready to scold Yuuto for scaring the crap out of him when the other's comment sunk in. He immediately followed his initial question by asking; "Please, do tell." 

Yuuto smiled while chewing off a piece of barbequed pork from a stick. "He thinks his wishes won't come true if someone he knows sees what he writes." 

"That's silly," Toudou scoffed. 

"That's adorable," Arakita mumbled at the same time. Toudou shot Arakita a look that said Who are you? to which Arakita responded back with a shrug that said Your friend owns my soul; what do you want from me? 

"Sometimes I think it's a joke, to be honest." Yuuto admitted. "He'll make you believe he's writing something meaningful, but then you actually peek over his shoulder to see that he's wishing Usakichi would stop eating his shoelaces." Yuuto said the last part of their sentence with a bit a malice in their tone. "He's messing with me, I know it," Yuuto muttered to themselves as they walked away angrily.  

Arakita laughed at Yuuto. He couldn't imagine the discreet pranks Hayato played on his younger sibling. 

"Hey, speaking of getting messed with..." Toudou started. Arakita cocked an eyebrow as the other continued. "I was looking for you earlier. When you and Shinkai split away from us. I followed because I wanted to take a group picture while there was good lighting. But then I saw her..." 

Arakita frowned. 

"I didn't see Shinkai anywhere, but I saw you walking off with her." 

Arakita clenched his fist, hoping Toudou didn't dare have the wrong idea. 

"Are you okay?" 

Arakita paused for a moment before nodding slowly. 

"Good. She didn't say anything to throw you off, did she?" 

Everything she said threw me off. 

"She just wanted to tell me she changed," Arakita explained. 

"You didn't buy it, did you?" 

"Not particularly," Arakita lied. Though Riko seemed different and better off, Arakita figured Toudou wouldn't believe him. "But she'll leave me alone from now on. Today was the first and last time she'll actively looked for me."  

Toudou studied Arakita closely, baby blue eyes piercing in the night. 

"Hayato was with me during that entire conversation," Arakita added. Toudou cocked an eyebrow, but nodded at the statement. 

"Good. It's good that he was there." 

"And she knows that we're together." 

Toudou threw his head back to laugh. "She didn't stand a chance!" 

Arakita shrugged. Riko wasn't trying to get him back, which was a relief. He was glad that she didn't want anything from him. It was why he was able to let things go. She wasn't forgiven, just excused. 

"Thanks for looking out for me," Arakita mentioned. He'd figured he say it now since he never voiced his feelings before. Even though Toudou had been a complete stranger to him, he had still helped him in the past. And even now, though they started off as friends of mutual friends, Arakita appreciated knowing the other was adamant on protecting him. 

Toudou smiled kindly at Arakita. He pulled Arakita into a hug and patted his back while reminding him that he was always there if he needed to talk, which Arakita took to heart. The two parted ways about as awkwardly as possible, with Toudou retreating to Makishima and Arakita stiffly walking towards Shinkai, his movements now comically robotic after briefly displaying his more sensitive side to someone who wasn’t his boyfriend.  

Arakita silently watched Shinkai tie his tanzaku to a lower branch. Keeping his eye on the paper, he quickly memorized the whereabouts before Shinkai could catch him looking. 

“You done yet? I have a wish that needs to be fulfilled,” Arakita chided. 

Shinkai smiled at him while passing over the marker.  

"And what might that be?" He asked. 

So the superstition only works for you, huh? 

"I won't say," Arakita mumbled. "Now turn around and lend me your back." 

Shinkai spun around and straightened his posture. Arakita smoothed out a creases in Shinkai’s yukata before placing the paper on top. He wrote his wish, a stupid grin prominent on his features as he did. When he finished, Shinkai seemed antsy with curiosity. 

Arakita tied his wish to a branch away from Shinkai's, and tried not to laugh as he felt the other's eyes peer over his shoulder and read the words: Please stop Usakichi from eating Hayato’s shoelaces. 

"Yasutomo be serious!" Shinkai exclaimed as he smacked Arakita's back.  

"I am!" 

"I refuse to accept this," Shinkai grumbled. "I'm getting you another paper." 

Arakita laughed as he watched the other storm off. Using Shinkai's distraction to his advantage, Arakita crouched down to look at the tanzaku he had been eying from the distance. The characters were a little messy given Shinkai's haste, but legible nonetheless. The words read; "Give me the power to protect the ones I love." 

Arakita hung his head low at the sight. Stupid Hayato. 

A small flash of memories invaded Arakita's thoughts: Shinkai worrying about Fukutomi and wanting to help him reach out to Kinjou. Shinkai worrying about Arakita's hardships with Riko and wanting them to talk things through. And biggest of all, Shinkai worrying about Yuuto. He worried about Yuuto being accepted at school; he worried about Yuuto being accepted in society. The younger Shinkai hid it all, and Hayato worried about how it was affecting them. 

What a waste of a wish, Arakita thought as he cleared the constriction from his throat and stood up from his crouched position. You're already more than capable of doing that. 

All Shinkai did was protect the people he loved. Day in and day out, Shinkai Hayato did everything in his power to care for those he held close to his heart. 

"Try again," Shinkai mentioned as he approached Arakita with a new piece of paper. Arakita snatched the tanzaku and placed it flat against Shinkai's chest, not giving him the chance to spin around. He uncapped the marker with his teeth and carefully wrote: I want the sense of safety and security I feel today to last me for the rest of my life. 

It was wordy, yes. But Arakita wanted to make sure he got his message across. It was because Shinkai protected him that was able to feel safe and secure. And so long as they were together, Arakita would continue feeling that way. He removed the paper from Shinkai’s chest and waved it in the air to dry the ink. He proceeded to crouch down and tie his wish on the same branch as Shinkai’s, and waited. 

As predicted, Shinkai’s self-control immediately wavered, and he couched beside Arakita to read his wish. Arakita smiled at the other’s childish behaviour, and held his breath as he sensed deep blue eyes scan the sheet.  

"Lame," Shinkai eventually murmured.  

"Excuse me?" Arakita scoffed. 

"You're really lame Yasutomo..." Shinkai sighed. "Kissing up to me like that." 

Arakita grinned and twisted his head to face the other. Shinkai was pouting.  

Moron. 

Arakita kissed his cheek. "I'll be in your care," he whispered. Shinkai stiffened for a moment before nodding slowly.  

"I just hope I don't disappoint." 

"You've gone beyond my expectations just by existing." 

"Lame!" Shinkai cried. He kissed Arakita's cheek and ran off to Fukutomi before the raven could rebut his comment. Arakita scratched the back of his head and grinned as he watched his boyfriend crouch beside Fukutomi while pulling out his phone as he did; his intentions to record a video and use it to make fun on his childhood friend very clear. Arakita huffed at the sight. Shinkai was a dork with a huge heart. He shouldered a lot of responsibilities while excepting nothing in return.  

Arakita glanced at Yuuto talking to Ibitani. The younger Shinkai was munching on a power bar, their barbecued pork now digested and forgotten. Arakita didn't dare question where they could possibly have pulled the snack out of. In fact, Arakita stopped questioning the power bar craze in general. Hayato left trails of its wrappers in every which way, but Yuuto was even worse. In the weeks Arakita spent exclusively with Yuuto, he learned that an intervention might be needed. Eating to mask their nervousness and anxiety at school could have been a reason for the nibbling, but things were resolved now, so what gives? 

Arakita shook his head at the thought. Maybe Yuuto just really liked the taste. Sighing, Arakita gave the two wishes on the baby bamboo shoot one last glance before making his way back to his friends, a new thought now pestering his mind: 

I hope Hayato likes what I have planned for his birthday.  

*** 

"Do you see them setting up?" 

"Not really… Are you sure it's supposed to happen soon? Isn't it a bit early?" 

"They do it early for the kids, Yuuto! Trust me!” 

“As a child, you would know right?” 

Natsuki would have shoved Yuuto off the wooden fence had Kana not been seated between the two high schoolers. 

“How are they getting home?” Shinkai grumbled in a low tone. Arakita performed a half-shrug, half-shudder at the unexpected hot air tickling his neck. 

“The same way they got here, I hope.” 

Shinkai opened his mouth to respond, but a loud whistle caused him to clamp his jaw shut. Arakita watched a small ball of light explode in the night sky; the tinier sparks of colour it produced dancing away from the middle and slowly falling like rain. 

Conversation turned eager as the first firework disappeared. It's begun! Parents whispered to their children. A small wave of excitement cemented itself into the crowd of onlookers. Even though their group of friends had been under the impression that they had gone somewhere secluded, Arakita realized that there would be no such thing as privacy in a popular shrine on the night of Tanabata. Locals and foreigners all crowded the area. Languages unheard to Arakita bubbled between fireworks.  

There was little said between his friends. Everyone seemed content silently watching colourful flowers bloom in the sky and disappear. Arakita couldn't find anything to say himself. The most he was able to muster was a jibe at Shinkai —commending him for not jumping at every loud explosion, but Shinkai brushed off the joke easily. He sported an easy-going grin as he viewed the spectacle above, and Arakita found himself growing more and more distracted as the minutes passed. Shinkai looked exceptionally handsome that night. His hair was set ablaze against the backlight of the festival's lanterns, and his large blue eyes reflected the scenes above. Sparks of reds and greens exploded across his retinas, and flashes of light displayed his pleasant features. 

Without thinking, Arakita leaned forward and kissed Shinkai's cheek. Shinkai pulled his eyes away from the light show to look at him, which led Arakita to kiss his lips. 

Arakita expected Shinkai to smile at him. He expected the other to peck him in response and return his attention to the sky, but he didn't. Shinkai kissed Arakita lightly on the lips, but lingered. Arakita let his eyes flutter shut as he connected their lips again. 

And again. 

They started with chaste kisses. Warm lips softly brushing against warm lips. But then Arakita took a step forward and his hands found their way to Shinkai's figure. He flattened his palms on the other's hips and grasped them tightly, pulling him close, and Shinkai parted his lips in response. Arakita slid his tongue into the other's mouth at the act. He licked the inside and felt Shinkai moan wistfully before the other pulled away. Arakita didn't let go of Shinkai's hips, but he didn't pursue him either. He watched the rise and fall of Shinkai's chest and noted the warmth in his cheeks upon the next firework that flashed across his features. 

Arakita felt his insides churn at the sight. He was aroused. 

"This is definitely not the place, Yasutomo." 

Arakita kissed him again. "No one's... paying attention," he argued between each slip of his tongue. Although Shinkai was verbally arguing his advances, his body language was inviting. His hands were tightly grasping Arakita's shoulders and his mouth parted easily every time the raven leaned forward for a kiss. 

"People are definitely paying attention," Kinjou whispered. Arakita spun around in shock. 

"Ki-Kinjou!" He stuttered while doing a very poor job at looking innocent. "What are you doing here?" 

His horrible joke-question elicited everyone in his friend group to turn around and look at him in judgmental disbelief.  

"Maybe try keeping it in your pants for a few more minutes, eh?" Machimiya asked. 

Arakita felt his face burn as everyone turned their attention back to the fireworks. 

"To be fair," Kinjou whispered as a hand appeared over his shoulder and worked its way under his yukata and towards his chest. "You're not the only one having trouble controlling yourself." The last bit of Kinjou's claim was targeted to Fukutomi. Their drunken friend was hugging Kinjou from behind, one arm wrapped around his stomach and the other reaching over his shoulder and decending to cop a feel. Kinjou grabbed Fukutomi's wrist and pulled it away from him, which only caused the blond to start kissing his neck instead. 

"This is a disaster," Kinjou mumbled. 

"I can only imagine how terrible it must be having your boyfriend kiss you." 

Kinjou shot Arakita a glare that said I'll bury you, but Arakita wasn't worried. Kinjou was too busy trying to stop Fukutomi from ripping his summer kimono off his body to follow through with his threat. But Arakita understood the looks he received from his friends. Even though he returned his attention to the fireworks, Kinjou and Fukutomi's wrestling was quite distracting. This definitely was not the time or place for them to kiss. Instead, Arakita held Shinkai's hand, gave him one last peck on the cheek, and chose to focus on the dark night peppered with fiery blooms amongst the stars. 

*** 

"Yuuto just texted me saying they got home fine," Shinkai mentioned right as they entered Arakita's apartment. 

"That's good," Arakita hummed. Natsuki hadn't bother letting him know that she made it home safely, but Emi texted him confirming as such. Shinkai sighed as he entered the home. He made a beeline for Usakichi and opened the cage door to let her out. The room was cool, thankfully. It was as Makishima had said. The temperature had dropped quite a bit after 5PM, which meant the unbearable heat turned into a more comfortable warmth. Though it was late at night, Shinkai and Arakita had surprisingly been the first to leave their friend group.  

Although Toudou still had plans to celebrate Makishima’s birthday that night, he let Arakita off easy. It was one of the two good things that came out of his interaction with Riko. One was that she helped cement the fact that he was totally head over heels in love with Hayato and had completely moved on; and two was that her appearance elicited Toudou to be more forgiving with him. Normally, an "I'm not really in the mood to karaoke" would not have sufficed. Arakita didn't need to know Toudou for long to know that the other would have raised hell on any other day. But today was different. Today, Toudou saw Arakita's shaken unease and knew only Shinkai's presence was keeping him in relatively good spirits. Arakita was able to wish Makishima a happy birthday, say goodbye to their friends and siblings, and head on home right after the fireworks display. 

"How's she doing?" Arakita asked as Shinkai let Usakichi explore the living room.  

"She's good," Shinkai sighed.  

Arakita crouched beside the other. "Why the sigh?" 

Shinkai decided to lie down on the floor upon the question. "I don't know," he sighed again. Arakita cocked an eyebrow as the other rolled onto his stomach. "Today felt long," he admitted. 

"Yeah," Arakita agreed. He lied on top of Shinkai's back and buried his face in the crook of his neck; unbothered by the hairs tickling his nose. The two lay together in silence, the only sound in the empty living room being Usakichi’s pittering around the outskirts of her cage. 

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess," Arakita mentioned after a while. He pulled his face away from the other's neck; deciding to rest his cheek between Shinkai's shoulder blades instead. The muscles on his back felt tense. He could only imagine Shinkai's exhaustion. They went from Arakita making them avoid Riko for hours only to end up sitting across from her and hearing the things she had done for several excruciating minutes. If Arakita had learned anything about Shinkai, it was that he was awfully empathetic. He must have felt Arakita's pain the moment his past situation became a clearer to him. It must have drained him just as much. 

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one who did the dragging," Shinkai replied. 

Arakita guided his left hand up to hold Shinkai's shoulder. He dug his thumb into the muscle and began kneading the area, hoping to get rid of some of the tension.  

"It's definitely my fault for being so elusive about her." 

"It's no one's fault," Shinkai said in a small voice. "Even if you explained things to me, I feel like I would have still had the same temper tantrum." 

"You child," Arakita smiled. 

"I know! I'm sorry Yasutomo, I noticed your cues but chose to ignore them because of my jealousy. I saw how much her presence was affecting you, yet all I could think was; Well you're with me now. Why are you letting her get to you?" 

Arakita chuckled, but remained silent as Shinkai continued to ramble. 

"Well now I know. I wish I could have met you earlier. I wish I could have dragged you out of that horrible situation." 

"You wanted to be a homewrecker?" 

"Yes! I'd do it too."  

"I know you would," Arakita mumbled. He moved wisps of Shinkai's hair away from his face so that he could kiss his cheek before resuming his initial position on his back. "But you don't have to worry about her anymore." 

Shinkai didn't say anything. Arakita rolled his eyes and sat up. He straddled the other's back and began massaging the tension out of his shoulders. 

"You're overthinking things again, aren't you?" He asked. He rubbed his palms along Shinkai's shoulders to warm the muscles —a trick he had learned through physio. Warm up the tissues to perform deeper work.  

"I just... I hate how easily I let my emotions get to me. First with Yuuto, and now with Riko. I don't like how I became angry with you when it was so... unwarranted." 

"I think both instances were pretty warranted," Arakita noted. Shinkai had been right to be angry with him about Riko. He let things blow out of proportion and made the situation more complicated and awkward than it needed to be.  

And with Yuuto... 

Shinkai didn't know it, but he had been right about Yuuto. Arakita had been under the impression that everything was fine —that Hayato was overthinking things. But the truth was, Hayato had seventeen years of experience and exposure to Yuuto over him, and his gut was right to have him worry over the other.  

But that problem is solved.  

It took a bit of digging and meddling, but Arakita found out what Yuuto's issue was and how to resolve it. And Hayato will learn about it in due time. 

"I don't like fighting with you," Shinkai murmured. 

Arakita continued massaging his back. "It's sort of inevitable in a relationship." 

"I can't believe you're being the voice of reason right now." 

Arakita smacked the back of Shinkai's head. "I can be reasonable!" 

"If we fight in the future, can we promise to try and make up immediately after." 

"Why do you think I'm straddling your ass right now?" Arakita asked. Shinkai twisted around to grin at him, and Arakita leaned down to peck his lips.  

"To massage away the tension, right?" 

“Are you implying that your ass is tense right now?” 

“It might be.” 

Arakita grinned as he pushed himself off of Shinkai’s back. 

“I’ll get the lube.” 

“We’re doing it here?” Shinkai croaked. 

“Why not?” Arakita mentioned as shifted off Shinkai with the thought of swiftly grabbing what he needed from his bedroom and making his return. Shinkai hastily reached for Arakita’s ankle, preventing him from following suite with his plan.

“I’m not really in the mood,” Shinkai mumbled. Arakita lowered himself onto his knees and eyed the other suspiciously. He understood why the other wouldn’t be in the mood to have sex after everything they went through that day. However, he also understood Shinkai’s body well enough to know that his initial touches around the neck had definitely riled him up.

He also knew that their kissing during the firework display had influenced a spark in his eyes that still twinkled as they currently gazed at each other.

“Not in the mood for what, exactly?”

Shinkai flashed Arakita a sheepish grin. “Penetration,” he croaked.

Arakita scoffed, caught off guard by the declaration. “I’m the one who took it in the ass earlier today.”

“I know,” he sighed solemnly. “Which means you wouldn’t want to take it again, right?”

“Hell no. I need more than a few hours of recovery time.”

Shinkai laughed humorously. “You never give me that same window.”

Arakita smirked as he slapped Shinkai’s ass, appreciating how it bounced beneath the thin fabric of his yukata. “But you’re more durable.”

Shinkai let out a small chuckle but didn’t counter him. Arakita grinned as he dragged his palm along the curve of Shinkai’s ass. He gave it a hearty squeeze and continued caressing it, deciding to change his tactics. They could find that sweet release another way.

“Hey,” Arakita whispered. He placed his hand on Shinkai’s ankle and dragged it along his leg, causing the other’s kimono to crumple over his waist. “Are you on a zero-penetration tolerance diet?”

“What a weirdly phrased question,” Shinkai squawked, his laughter shaking his body. Arakita grinned and squeezed the other’s ass with both hands, causing Shinkai’s chuckle to die in his throat. Arakita continued kneading the plump skin, briefly satisfied with the sensation before his lower stomach reminded him that he was pursuing something a little more...

A dirty image flashed across Arakita’s mind, which only caused his smirk to deepen.

If you knew what I had planned, you’d be crawling away right now, he thought menacingly while dragging his hands to the other’s hips. He silently maneuvered Shinkai onto his back, the other’s flushed cheeks and confused expression tugging at his heartstrings. Arakita moved swiftly at the sight. He pushed as much of Shinkai’s yukata over his waist as he could, revealing the other’s tented underwear.

“So,” Arakita began after removing the other’s boxer briefs. He cupped the underside of Shinkai’s knees and pushed them upward. “Zero penetration?”

Shinkai’s eyes widened as he watched Arakita’s mouth hover over his ass.

“Huh?” He croaked dumbly, caught off guard by the direction Arakita’s lips were going. Arakita smooched Shinkai’s ballsack lovingly, appreciating the way the other’s erection twitched upon contact. He continued his menacing descent, moving his lips along the other’s taint and lower and lower until Shinkai clued in on his plan.

“Wait wait wait. Yasutomo, h-hold on!” Shinkai blubbered as Arakita pushed Shinkai’s legs further back and wider apart. “What are you doi—NGH!”

Arakita tried to keep a straight face as he licked a stripe along the other’s rim. Had he not been horny beyond comprehension, he would have stopped everything in favour of laughing at the other’s horse-like whinny.

“I’m asking you a question,” Arakita stated calmly. He didn’t feel calm. His erection was pressing uncomfortably against his boxers and the way Shinkai’s yukata fell open… the way his flushed, broad chest rose and fell upon his ragged breathing made Arakita want to ravish him. “Are you sure you don’t want any penetration tonight?”

Shinkai couldn’t answer him. Arakita took the opportunity to licked another stripe along the other’s rim, thrilled at the sight of the other covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Arakita proceeded to lick, kiss, and nibble Shinkai’s inner thighs, eliciting tiny moans of pleasure and resistance from Shinkai. Yasu, that’s nasty. Don’t put your mouth there. God, stop teasing it. Please. Please don—

Shinkai’s whispered pleas fell on deaf ears. Arakita was focused. He imagined himself in Shinkai’s position. What would feel good? What would make his skin shudder and his hairs stand on end? He moved his tongue lightly across the other’s anus. He teased the entrance a few times, each instance making Shinkai flinch and hiss in anticipation. And although his body language presented him as willing for more, Arakita continued the insufferable teasing until he got his point across. Shinkai would have to beg for more.

“Okay, I get it!” Shinkai hissed between clenched teeth. His forearms fell over his face, hiding as much of his desperate expression as possible from Arakita. “Just get on with it.”

“Hmm?” Arakita hummed menacingly. He sunk his teeth into the other’s inner thigh, pleased at the moan generated between Shinkai’s full lips. “Get on with what.”

“You know what,” Shinkai snapped. He had removed his arms to glare at Arakita, which only made Arakita fight harder against himself from giving in and giving Shinkai what he wanted.

“You need to use your words.”

Shinkai’s bangs were messy from his initial hiding. His eyebrows were furrowed cutely, accenting his contempt. “You can… s-stick it in.”

Arakita eyed Shinkai amusingly as he circled the other’s ring with tongue. Shinkai was a mess and he had barely done anything yet. He pressed his mouth closer, and carefully guided his tongue into Shinkai.

“Shit,” Shinkai hissed. He reeled his head back, eyes screwed shut as he tensed around Arakita. Arakita pulled out and returned to licking the other’s entrance gently. He couldn’t believe his tongue was eliciting such a strong reaction from the other. He took a mental note to eat Shinkai’s ass more often as he pressed forth again, his erection ignored in favour of making his boyfriend squirm beneath him.

Shinkai hissed another curse as Arakita stuck his tongue deeper in him than before. He moaned loudly when Arakita pushed his legs further back, essentially folding them over the redhead’s body. Arakita licked in a steady rhythm at first. He tried to imitate the feeling of being fingered as best as he could, wanting Shinkai’s muscles to relax as quickly as possible. Only when the other’s moans transitioned from whining to wanting did Arakita change his pace.

“Hold,” he instructed hoarsely, too aroused to construct an entire sentence. Shinkai reached out for Arakita, and the raven grabbed his wrists and guided them beneath his legs. Shinkai’s fingers dug into his own skin as he took over Arakita’s job. Cupping the bend of his knees, Shinkai forced his legs as close to himself as possible, his feet hanging over his head in the act. His yukata was barely holding onto his body. Sweat glistened along his exposed skin, taunting Arakita to mark the blank canvas.

Arakita ignored the urge.

Now that Shinkai was propping himself up for him, Arakita had more flexibility to maneuver as he willed. He pulled as close to Shinkai as possible, knees aching from sitting in seiza against the hardwood floor but erection aching more from the lack of immediate stimulation. Putting aside his discomfort, Arakita guided his hands towards the other’s cheeks and pulled them wide open, revealing much more of Shinkai than he thought he’d ever get the chance to see mere months ago.

“I love you,” Arakita mumbled, feeling a brief surge of affection for the other.

“That is the weirdest thing you could have said to my butthole,” Shinkai whispered back.

The moment of affection was gone. Arakita forced his tongue into the other without any warning, which earned him a shrill yelp from Shinkai. Arakita’s original technique was thrown away in favour of chaotic stimulation. He rolled his tongue within Shinkai in whichever way he deemed fit, acknowledging the placement of his tongue in relation to the other’s loud groans of pleasure.

Shinkai was breathing heavily. His labored “hah, ah, ah—”s were loud against the silence of the night. Every few strokes of Arakita’s tongue made Shinkai’s breathing hitch in pleasure. Every lap against his prostate made him moan in bliss. He’d whisper Arakita’s name in broken syllables, unable to say Yasutomo in one succinct motion.

Arakita loved every second of it. He loved the way the other tossed and turned his head whenever he brushed his prostate. He loved how Shinkai’s sweaty fingers eventually slipped from beneath his legs in favour of returning to cover his face. He loved how his legs instinctively opened as wide as possible for Arakita’s easy access.

Arakita kept up with it for as long as possible. His mind felt far away from his body. His thoughts and feelings muddled together as Shinkai became louder and louder beneath him. He didn’t stop until the other was screaming in pleasure. As if on cue, Arakita opened his eyes right as Shinkai desperately called out his name. Arakita watched in utter glee as his tongue single handedly made the redhead come onto his own chest and stomach. The ropes of semen created a broken line from his collarbone downwards, a fraction of which spurted onto the belt of his yukata.

Arakita removed his tongue with a wet squelch; the likes of which made his dick throb with anticipation. Arakita caught Shinkai’s legs before they could land on the floor with a heavy thud, and momentarily wondered if initiating intercrural would be highly inappropriate given the other’s current state. Shinkai was breathing heavily. His eyes were shut and his large lips were slightly parted, allowing oxygen to enter his deprived lungs.

Arakita crawled over the other and kissed his soft lips tenderly.

“Ew,” Shinkai grumbled.

Arakita cocked an eyebrow at the audacity. Shinkai had just had the time of his life thanks to Arakita’s proactiveness and his response was ew?!

Arakita pulled his boxers below his ankles and crawled over Shinkai’s chest, ignoring the spunk as he exposed his erection to the other.

“Here,” Arakita presented with a haughty grin. “Since my mouth is dirty, you can kiss this instead.”

Shinkai didn’t argue it. Arakita knew he wouldn’t. Despite their endless teasing, Shinkai was never one to leave him hanging. He wanted Arakita experiencing just as much pleasure as he did. Without uttering a word, Shinkai wrapped his lips around Arakita’s member and rolled his tongue around the head of his cock. Given their position, it was up to Arakita to guide himself against the other’s mouth with care. He canted his hips gently; chasing the pleasure while making sure to keep himself in check. After a minute of pure bliss, Arakita found himself nearing his climax. Feeling a little adventurous, Arakita pulled out at the last possible minute, and rubbed out his orgasm against Shinkai’s face.

“God Yasutomo,” Shinkai grumbled as he screwed his eyes shut against the semen spurting onto his face. He waited for Arakita to finish climaxing before he continued speaking. “I’d rather swallow then get it in my hair.”

“I know,” Arakita said with a cheeky grin. He repositioned himself to lie comfortably on Shinkai while kissing his cheek, unconcerned that his lips made contact with his spunk. The two lay in post-orgasm bliss for several minutes before Arakita was roused out of his slumber at the sensation of Shinkai looking around the living room.

“Whuz wron’?” he asked sleepily, mouth dry and brain whirling as Shinkai spun him onto his back.

“Usakichi needs to get into her bed. It’s past her bedtime.”

“Mine too,” Arakita yawned as he watched the other call for his little rabbit. Shinkai disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, and quickly returned with Usakichi in his arms. He placed her into her bedding and wished her a goodnight before turning to Arakita.

“My turn,” Arakita smiled as he lifted his arms in the air for his boyfriend.

Shinkai chuckled and lifted him up. “I’m not carrying you,” he added as he began dragging his feet towards the bedroom.

“Stingy,” Arakita muttered as he followed closely behind. The two didn’t need to exchange their intent with words. Both headed straight into the bathroom and stripped off their clothes. Shinkai adjusted the shower water while Arakita rubbed shampoo between his fingers. He combed the slick digits between Shinkai’s red locks followed by his own. Shinkai washed the semen off his body while letting Arakita take care of his hair. The two washed each other’s backs and towel dried each other’s bodies when finished. Arakita spent an extra minute making sure Shinkai’s hair was dry before allowing him into the bedroom. Neither bothered putting on clothes. The room was warm and the two were lazy.

It wasn’t until Arakita lay down next to Shinkai and got comfortable that he realized that he forgot to do something important.

“Where’re you goin’?” Shinkai mumbled sleepily.

“Forgot to brush my teeth…” Arakita muttered. “And tongue.”

“You’re disgusting, Yasutomo.”

Arakita ignored him as he headed back to the bathroom and cleaned his mouth thoroughly.

“You know,” Arakita began as he crawled back into Shinkai’s inviting arms. “I realize now that this would have gone a lot better if I had used your stupid flavoured lube.”

“Just be happy I didn’t fart in your face.”

“You’d never.”

“Give me a year to get really comfortable with you Yasu.”

Despite the very plausible, very terrifying threat, Arakita found himself grinning at his boyfriend. The promise of spending an entire year together made his heart swell.