Work Text:
"- Bet on Heli."
"- Bet on Solon."
"- Nonsense, she's obviously gonna end with Heli, look at them." Jakah nods at where Heli and Sooha were talking with each other, smiling dumbly and blushing from time to time.
Ugh, did it look like that? Two people in love? It was the first time Jakah witnessed a real-life love story unfolding before his eyes.
He felt like the minor character of a drama with the love triangle (?) happening between Sooha and some of his friends.
"- That's the trick. They make you think it's Heli, then BAM plot twist, she falls for Solon."
Jakah laughs.
It was funny, really. Him and Jaan were sitting on the bench nearby the Ice-cream parlor, looking at their friends, all, except Noa, gathered around Sooha, bickering about who should pay for her icecream.
Poor girl seems so lost.
They were casually talking about mundane stuff when the oldest had brought up the famous "Heli-Sooha-Solon" subject. They all thought that something was definitely going on between Sooha and Heli, yet Jaan believed Solon was just being the tsundere he was.
"- Okay, right. Why didn't you bet on Shion?" Jakah asks instead.
"- Naaaah." Jaan answers, leaning back on the bench. Jakah does not miss the way he stretches his arm behind his shoulders. If he wants to put them around, he can, Jakah will not bite him.
He does not think a lot about it.
"- Why not?" He asks instead, raising an eyebrow.
"- Shion will probably be heartbroken if he falls in love with her. She won't choose him." Jaan mutters, stating at the blonde, deep in thought.
Jakah knew this look; Jaan was worried. His features hardened and Jakah had always hated how he almost looked angry in this kind of situation.
"- Yah, don't overthink it." He says, pressing his thumb against the crease between Jaan's brows.
When he is about to pull back his hand, Jaan is quick to hold his wrist. They lock eyes.
Soon, Jaan's hand slides from his wrist to his hand and they are suddenly holding hands. They both intertwine their fingers together, at the same time. They smile at each other and let their linked hands drop between their thighs.
"- And Jino?" Jakah continues, looking at the red-haired boy trying to calm down Solon and Shion's heated bickering.
"- Maybe, he'll fall for her too, but I don't think she will." Jaan says, shrugging. "- It would be an interesting plot twist if they ended up together instead of one of the other two. But it would be illogic."
"- You're talking about it as if it's a love story someone is writing." Jakah chuckles, playing with Jaan's fingers.
"- Not my fault if it looks like it." The silver-headed smiles.
"- Hmhm." Jakah hums softly. "- And what are we in all this?"
"- Probably something like Jino, minor characters who are falling for Sooha." Jaan explains. Jakah finds it amazing how he had an answer for everything, not even blinking at his questions, answering right away.
Did he anticipate the questions? After all, he was the one who started this conversation. Maybe, he wanted to share his thoughts about the whole thing with someone else?
"- Are you?" Jakah asks, this time more shyly, his voice feeble.
"- Hm?" Jaan turns his head to meet his eyes.
"- Are you falling in love with her?"
Against all expectations, Jaan snorts, throwing back his head.
"- Oh please, she's the one falling for me."
Jakah giggles.
"- Nonsense! Who would fall for you!"
"- Everyone. I'm attractive as hell." Jaan answers, voice low, tone flirty and suave, leaning slightly in Jakah's personal space, smiling charmingly and raising one eyebrow.
Jakah draws back a little bit, surprised. He feels his cheeks warming up as he looks in his best friend's eyes.
"- You have such pretty eyes, Jakah." He whispers softly, voice raspy and husky.
Jakah follows how his eyes dart lower, tracing the line of his nose to settle on the curve of his lips.
"- Jaan?" Jakah tries.
The elder draws back as quickly as he had leant in seconds ago, offering a sheepish smile.
"- Let's go join them, hm?" He asks, getting up from the bench.
"- Yeah." Jakah nods.
"- What do you want as a flavor of your icecream?" He asks, stretching a hand in Jakah's direction.
"- I think I'll take basic chocolate." He says, grabbing the other's hand to pull himself up.
Jaan intertwines their fingers as soon as the white-headed is on his feet again.
"- I think I'll go with avocado." Jaan muses.
"- Oh. You'll let me taste it right?" He asks, smiling cheekily.
"- If you let me too." Jaan smiles back, playfully swinging their linked hands between their bodies.
When they are finally standing in front of the rest of the group, Noa is still leisurely choosing the flavor he wants while Heli is finally paying for his and Sooha's ice-cream.
Shion somehow tricked Solon into paying him his while Jino, trying to calm the two, had already paid for himself.
"- Oh, Sooha, what did you pick?" Jaan asks.
"- Um, I think it's cherry." The girl answers, frowning at her icecream.
"- Good choice." Jakah smiles, raising a thumb up.
She smiles back before turning around to talk to Heli.
"- C’mon sunshine, let's choose too."
Jakah cannot hold back a smile as he walks closer to where the different flavors are displayed behind the glass, tugging Jaan with him.
"- Having difficulties choosing?" Jaan asks, referring to Noa.
The youngest is looking skeptically at the icecream, chin held between his index and thumb, staring at it as if it was a problem of mathematics.
"- I'll just take cinnamon." He sighs, addressing the man the counter.
Jakah frowns at his final choice but does not say anything.
Him and Jaan proceed in getting their orders, and soon, they are all walking aimlessly under the shinning sun and the cool weather.
Noa is glaring at his icecream as if it had personally offended him.
"- It's disgusting." He mumbles.
Shion laughs at his misery, patting his back in some kind of comfort.
"- You can always give it to Solon." The blonde smirks.
"- Mind your business!" Solon exclaims. "- I hate cinnamon!"
"- You hate everything!"
Jino sighs at yet another round of a Solon/Shion bickering.
At least, Sooha seems, despite clearly confused, quite amused by their interactions.
At one point, her eyes settle on him and Jaan, then she blinks at her interlaced hands. Jakah brusquely withdraws his hand, basically shoving it away.
Jaan, who was immersed in a conversation with Jino, looks at him questioningly.
"- My hand is sweating because of the hot weather." Jakah lies, wearing his best sorry smile.
"- Oh, right. I think mine too." Jaan says, wriggling his fingers.
Instead of holding his hand, Jaan puts a hand on Jakah's shoulder while they walk.
Okay, nevermind.
🍨
"- It's too hot outside, let's go inside." Solon groans.
"- What are you talking about? It's even hotter inside, they didn't start the ACs yet." Jino mutters, yawning. "- This weather makes me wanna sleep all day..."
"- It just gives me a headache." Solon mumbles, laying back on the grass.
"- Well, at least don't communicate your headache with all of us, I thought Heli was the only one able to do telepathy here?" Shion jokes.
He earns a slap on the knee.
Jakah does not join their conversation. He looks around at the students lounging lazily in the four corners of the main yard of the academy, just like them.
His gaze stops on Heli and Sooha. They were sitting side by side, talking with each other about whatever, laughing and smiling, those starry eyes in place and pleased relaxed expressions gracing their faces.
Does it look like that? Two people in love?
Intense eye-contact, enamored and passionate atmosphere enveloping them and making them feel... Special, not like the rest of the world.
Two people in love had their own world.
Heli and Sooha were in their own bubble. Everyone could feel it, that is why they looked so...
In peace.
Jaan stirs in his sleep and Jakah looks down at his lap.
Jaan's eyelids flutter softly and Jakah is soon met with a pair of beautiful orange eyes looking at him lazily.
Jakah stares back at him, drowning in his gaze.
"- You really have beautiful eyes..." Jaan whispers.
"- You too." He answers instead of a 'thank you'. Jaan smiles at him and Jakah grazes his fingertips on his forehead.
He pushes aside some of the feathery stray silver locks covering his brow and Jaan's eyelids are heavy again, closing gradually.
Jakah stares at his lashes absently as he threads his fingers through Jaan's fluffy hair, gently massaging his scalp.
That is when Shion decides to let out a loud shriek.
Jaan tenses in his lap, waking up again, but this time brusquely.
"- Hush! You woke him up!" Jakah scolds, whisper-shouting as he glares at Shion, pressing his forefinger against his lips.
The blonde rolls his eyes at his remark, clearly not giving a /shit/ about Jaan's nap.
Solon tosses a cucumber at him.
Huh?
The cucumber lends on Jino's face. The red-headed sits up again, confused, upset and surprised.
"- What the heck dude! Why d'you have a cucumber on you!" Jino exclaims, cucumber in hand, looking incredulously at the vegetable.
"- Why not!"
"- Bro what! You're such a weirdo."
"- It's a weapon." Shion points out.
"- Why are you suddenly agreeing with Solon- and It doesn't even hurt!"
"- It does. Proof is that you woke up."
"- I was surprised, not hurt!"
"- They are so loud..." Jakah sighs.
"- I know right." Jaan chuckles, eyes closed, probably trying to find slumber again.
"- Hm... Do you want to go back to your room? I can bring you." Jakah proposes softly.
"- Depends." Jaan opens his eyes, smirking. "- Would you stay with me?"
"- Depends." Jakah plays along, sending him the same smirk, raising one brow. "- Would you be able to sleep?"
"- Yes and no, pretty sure you can keep me awake." Jaan replies, tone a bit lower than moments ago.
Almost /flirty/.
Jakah is pretty is sure his cheeks are flushed as he leans his head back, suddenly realizing that he kept on leaning it over Jaan's face through their conversation.
"- C'mon, get up if you wanna go now." He states, shoving the other boy away from his lap to get on his feet.
He feels a dull numbness throbbing in his legs because of the position he was sitting in for so long. So, he starts shaking his feet.
"- Ouch, rude." Jaan hisses dramatically, but he is smiling.
Jakah rolls his eyes and holds out both hands for Jaan to take them. When he does, the younger pulls him up.
"- Where are you going guys?" Heli asks, looking up at them in confusion.
"- Sleeping."
"- Jaan's room."
Both of them answer at the same time.
The whole group blinks at them.
Jaan lets go of his hands to wrap an arm around his shoulders.
"- I can't sleep here, you're making too much noise." He points out with a wide smile, looking particularly at Shion.
The latter turns his head away, whistling.
"- Why are you taking Jakah with you, though?" Noa asks, looking up from his book. He looks as bored as usual.
"- Why not?" Jaan frowns, and Jakah smiles at his answer.
"- Nevermind." Noa sighs, giving up the conversation to go back to his reading.
"- Can I come too?" Jino asks, getting up as well.
"- Uhh..." Jaan says.
Him and Jakah exchange a look, searching for the answer in each other's eyes.
"- Right, I see, I won't join then." Jino sits back on the grass, laying on his back and covering his eyes with his arm.
"- Right, see you guys." Jaan waves, pulling Jakah with him.
The last thing Jakah catches is Sooha's pink eyes, big, curious and... Worried? Or confused?
He does not think about it for long. Jaan's hand slips from his shoulder to his hip as soon as they step inside the building. Jakah flushes closer to his side.
"- Who's gonna tell them."
🍨
"- They're always the last one to walk out from the class, really..." Jino sighs, standing like a guard beside the door of the classroom.
"- Anyone would think they're the top students." Jaan snorts.
Jakah leans a little bit more, his back meets Jaan's chest. He rests his chin on his shoulder as his arms wrap themselves around Jakah's middle.
"- What's taking them so long..." Heli pouts.
"- You just want to see Sooha." Jakah smirks.
"- That's not true..." Heli mutters shyly, blushing a rare shade of red.
It is really fun to tease someone about their crush. He thinks.
Sooha walks out of the classroom first, greeting them politely with a sweet smile, and blushing at Heli's attention. Her gaze lingers on Jakah and the boy tilts his head questioningly.
"- Ah, Jaan, I noticed you never wear your uniform's jacket?" She asks instead, looking at Jaan.
Jakah turns slightly his head to see his reaction.
"- Ah that, yeah, I don't." Jaan replies, scratching the back of his neck.
He does not give further explanation and Sooha blinks at him, waiting, lips forming a small o.
"- That's because he always lends it to Jakah. It's basically his now, lol." Shion giggles, popping out of thin air.
"- That's why it always looked like a mantle on you..." Sooha muses, and Jakah laughs.
"- What? It doesn't suit me?"
"- It does, you look perfect."
"- It doesn't, you look ridiculous."
Jaan and Solon, who also walked out seconds after Shion, answer simultaneously.
"- Where is yours, though?" Sooha asks him when they all start walking in the busy corridors.
"- In my closet." Jakah shrugs, playing with Jaan's fingers which are hanging from his shoulder.
"- Does it have any problem?" She adds, frowning.
"- What? No, it's perfectly fine." Jakah frowns as well.
"- Then, why don't you wear it?" She asks, confused.
"- 'Cuz I am wearing Jaan's?" He tries.
She looks very lost.
"- What she means, you dummy," Shion starts. "- Is why are you wearing Jaan's instead of yours."
"- Because it's nice." Jakah answers simply. "- It's big and comfy." He explains with a little smile. He strokes the fabric of the sleeve. "- And it smells like Jaan!"
"- My god." Solon groans. Jakah does not think it is meant for him, but if it is, he does not care at all.
"- Here, can you smell it?" He asks the girl, practically shoving the sleeve in her nose.
"- Jakah not like this!!" Heli exclaims, eyes wide.
"- Uh... I-I guess?" She stutters, drawing back from him.
"- Stop that, you're freaking her out." Jaan laughs softly, playfully poking Jakah's cheek.
He pushes his finger away, pouting, trying very hard to hold back a pleased smile.
"- So now, I'm a freak."
"- Yeah, but a very cute one." Jaan chuckles, slightly squeezing his shoulder.
"- Yeah?" He beams at him.
"- Yeah, very cute and pretty."
Jakah blushes.
He is sure he is blushing this time.
The world disappears around him, only Jaan lasts as he plunges in the bright orange of his eyes.
🍨
"- You like Sooha, right?"
Heli drops the pilot light he was holding. The lamp lends softly on the carpet, fortunately not breaking anywhere. Heli stares at it for a moment, without moving at all, before bending down to grab it.
"- I think so." He answers gently.
Jakah was this afternoon in Heli's room, sitting on his friend's bed while the other was trying to tidy up the mess in his room. He did this every weekend, going through everything in his room, filtering and throwing things that needed to be thrown away.
Heli's room was one of the cleanest, together with Jaan's.
Jaan's room was very well kept as well, everything in his place, clean, neat, clothes folded perfectly, it smelt nice and was always warm and cozy. At lease, in Jakah's personal opinion.
"- You think so? What do you mean?"
Jakah had thought that maybe, Heli needed to talk about his feelings with someone, so here he was.
"- Well, I've never liked someone before... Not like this." He whispers, putting the lamp back on his nightstand.
"- You don't really know if it's love what you're feeling for her?"
"- I do believe I am catching romantic feelings for her." Heli states. He looks at Jakah for a brief moment before sitting beside him on the bed. "- I... When I'm with her, I just feel so... Dizzy, but in a very nice way. I miss her a lot when I'm not with her, I like talking to her, I always seek her presences and I enjoy spending time with her. I never get enough of spending time with her. I just always want to be with her, try things with her, when I see something, I want to show it to her. When I look at her, I feel so happy and I can't stop smiling when she looks my way. I always want to talk about her to other people, a lot of things make me think of her and I... Suddenly want to mention her even if it's not about her and she's not even there. I care about her, I feel down when she's in a bad mood, I always want to make sure she's feeling the best... I know it may seem very weird. Sometimes, I feel like it's more of an obsession and I really get worried about myself."
Jaan.
Jakah does not say anything back. He does not reply. He just stares at Heli, wide-eyed.
He should probably say something, reassure Heli, tell him that it is alright, that it is normal to feel this way about someone, that he, himself, feels exactly the same about-
About-
Jaan.
No.
He does not feel this way about Jaan.
He feels more, so much more than all what Heli mentioned.
Heli might like Sooha.
But Jakah is, for sure, in love with Jaan.
🍨
He is in love with Jaan.
Now, what is he going to do with this information.
"- Ew, there isn't any free spot in the shadow." Jaan winces as he looks around the little park they stopped at. "- Bet the benches are as hot as a heating frying pan."
"- It's okay, we can just sit in the grass, if you want to..." Jakah snickers. "- But there are too many families gathering there, we would stand out." Jakah had struggled a lot the first few minutes in which he was with Jaan's company. The two of them, just the two of them, alone, since the day Jakah realized he was in love with the boy.
Jaan had asked him if he wanted to go do some shopping with him today.
Shopping with Jaan was always fun, but with the new information, Jakah felt a shift in their relationship, even though he was the only one who realized something new.
Nevertheless, his distress and agitation were quickly forgotten when Jaan started dragging him from shop to shop, showing him stuff, talking about mundane things but sometimes drowning in long philosophical explanations of whatever concept. It was hard to think about his burdens when he was with him. He has always felt comfortable and free.
Right now, they were having a little break. Jaan decided that they should sit somewhere to rest a little bit before going back to exploring different shops. They have not bought anything since this morning and it was almost noon. Jaan had promised to buy him something and told him that he can tell him if something appealed him. Jakah is not very sure, just spending time with Jaan is already very nice, he does not think he needs anything.
"- Yeah, let's just go fry on a bench then. I wanted my skin to be a little bit tan anyway." Jaan jokes in the end. He takes Jakah by the wrist and pulls him to a free bench.
"- I think my skin would just burn."
"- Did you put some sunscreen before going out?" Jaan asks as they sit down on the bench.
Jakah blinks at him before offering him a big innocent smile, shooting him two gun fingers.
"- Yes!"
"- Okay, give me your arms right now." Jaan instructs sternly, pulling out a small orange tube of sunscreen from the pocket of his shorts.
Jakah throws out his arm over the other's lap.
"- You're the one with super fair and pale skin-
- Vampiric~" Jakah sing-songs.
"- And you still forget to put some protection when the Sun is that blinding." Jaan continues, but at least, he is now smiling.
Jakah watches as he applies a little bit of cream on his forefinger and middle finger.
"- I'm sorry. But really, it's fine, I'm fine." Jakah tries to reassure him.
"- You're not. If the sun hits your skin too harshly, it's gonna go red and it will sting as hell, you're gonna have a terrible headache and won't be able to do anything but lie on your bed for four days." Jaan sighs, patting gently his fingers on his forearm before spreading the rest of the substance on the rest of his arm, taking his time in applying a second and third layer and covering his wrist as well as the back of his hand.
"- I will remember next time... I promise." Jakah mutters.
"- You said that last year, to Jino, except he didn't have a tub of sunscreen on him." Jaan chuckles as he proceeds to his left arm.
Jakah does not reply anything for a moment, just watching as Jaan puts carefully and meticulously the protection on him, his touch gentle and very soothing, almost massaging his skin.
"- You know, when I sat on this bench, it was so hot I felt a cold shudder." He says instead.
"- Yeah, from my ass to my nape, me too." Jaan snorts.
"- Lord, that detail was very unnecessary, Jaan!" Jakah shoves him playfully, yet he is laughing as well.
Jakah honestly does not know how Jaan controls his power. If it is easy, if it is not, or if it happens automatically.
He imagines that it must be tough to use a certain degree of his strength at times, and not all of it.
However, he had it for a long time, it is part of him, so he must not understand how it feels not to be strong, and thus, his idea of strength must be completely different from the others'.
Right now, he is being so gentle and careful with Jakah that Jakah would not have guessed his power at all if he was not his longtime friend.
His touch was like the soft caresses of a rose's petals. He always touched him like Jakah was the most precious thing on earth. Jakah has always felt cherished with him. He has always felt like he had a great value.
Like he was worth it.
Whatever the 'it' was or would be.
Jaan squeezes his fingers one last time before letting go.
Jakah stares at his arms. They do not look a tad more different from without the sunscreen.
"- Now, your face."
"- Hm?" Jakah looks up at him.
"- Your face. Come closer." He motions to Jakah to come closer, leaning in with his right hand's fingers dripped in white cream.
Oh.
Jakah tries to push aside the white locks that are in the way and can bother Jaan.
"- You should have brought a cap too... Your face is already reddening in some spots." Jaan murmurs, frowning as he dots the cream over his face.
The feeling of the texture on his face is cold and refreshing. It feels nice with all the heat suffocating them.
Jakah focuses on the other's face as well, his eyes cannot look away from the glistening orange of Jaan's eyes.
Under the sunlight, the orange is lighter, shades of honey dancing around the edges of his irises.
Jaan's gaze flickers to his for a very brief moment when he starts massaging the tip of his nose as well as the bridge. He drags his thumbs over his eyelids, then under his eyes, pressing gently.
"- You're gonna have a headache, I'm telling you." Jaan says as he drags the tip of his fingers along his temple down his jawline until he reaches his chin.
He knocks the side of his head playfully and Jakah fake winces.
"- 'M not..."
Jaan strokes his cheeks and cheekbones after that and it is Jakah's favourite part so far. He giggles.
"- What, what?" Jaan asks, smiling.
"- Nothing, it just tickles." He reassures him, straightening up again and trying to keep a straight face.
He concentrates back on Jaan's very focused face. He likes that expression on him; it makes him look very attractive.
Jakah slaps himself mentally, hoping his warm cheeks does not mean they just flushed.
"- You have really beautiful eyes, Jakah." Jaan adds to his misery.
His hands are still subtly covering his cheeks as he looks into Jakah's eyes.
"- You always say that."
"- It's true. They remind me of those of a cat, and their colour... Apple green."
"- Yours are orange orange then." Jakah smiles.
"- We match then."
Jakah laughs.
"- How so?"
"- We're fruits."
"- Fruits." Jakah muses.
"- Fruits." Jaan nods.
"- That's sweet." He smiles.
Jaan offers him one last dazzling smile while gently taping his cheeks two times before withdrawing his hands.
"- Are you hungry?" He asks, shuffling inside the paper back of pastery they bought earlier.
"- Not that much, but I want to taste those elderberry cupcakes we bought." Jakah answers, peeking inside.
"- Those pomegranate cookies also are curious." Jaan states. He fetches out one cupcake for the youngest and gives it to him.
"- Yeah, if they are inedible, I'm choking you with them." He threatens jokingly.
Jaan snorts, clearly not taking him seriously.
As he should.
They eat in silence, Jaan frowning at his first bite on the suspicious cookie. He does not comment anything, however, and Jakah does not press it either.
He starts fiddling with his cupcake. It tastes good.
Being in love tastes good.
Jakah braces himself for a heartbreak.
What are the odds.
"- I shouldn't have taken a cupcake, it's kinda dry, clearly not for this kind of weather." Jakah says, trying to busy his mind with talking.
Jaan liked talking. Jakah loved hearing him talking as much as he loved talking to him.
"- Ah, take this then." He replies, holding out a can of Coke after cracking it open.
"- Thanks."
Their fingers brush when Jakah takes the can. He suppresses the urge to just take the other's hand in his.
He always craves Jaan's touch. It always grounds him. It always makes him feel like gold, or even more.
Much more.
Priceless.
Being close to Jaan is such a blessing.
Jakah glances at his best friend for barely a second.
He was drinking green apple juice.
The irony.
When he looks at him, Jakah wants to tell him. He always wants to tell him everything about himself.
Right now is not an exception.
How was he supposed to tell him?
'Thank you for today, I enjoyed' As an introduction.
A simple 'I like you'.
A sweet 'I love you'.
A sincere 'I'm in love with you'.
A desperate 'I've always loved you'.
No. Maybe not words. Jakah thinks he should rather start with testing the waters.
A gesture. A small one. A sweet one. One which could be mistaken for a 'thank you' rather than understood as an 'I love you'.
A kiss on the cheek? Friends do that, right? It would not give the hint right away, right?
Jakah peeks at Jaan. The boy is drinking his juice, now done with the cookie.
Jakah looks down at his unfinished cupcake and huffs.
He does like those girls in the anime shojos.
He closes his eyes, turns around, props himself slightly up, pressing his lips against the soft skin of Jaan's cheek, putting one hand on his shoulder.
Wait.
That is too soft to be a cheek.
When Jakah opens his eyes, he jumps six feet back, getting up from the bench and almost falling on the ground.
Jaan is staring at him, shocked, lips slightly parted.
Those lips Jakah just kissed.
"- W-Why did you turn your head! Weren't your lips busy drinking!" Jakah stutters, face hotter than the bench he was sitting on.
"- I... Did you just kiss me or was it just another one of my daydreams?"
Jakah is about to reply a heated and clearly not slightly meant "I hate you so much!" When his mind process the meaning behind Jaan's statement.
"- Your- why would your daydreams be about me kissing you!"
"- Uh, take a guess."
"- Oh my god, why did you turn your head!" Jakah repeats instead, dropping the other matter for now.
"- I was about to ask you if everything was okay because you seemed troubled." Jaan explains calmly. "- Then your lips hit mine."
"- Fu- curse you." He sighs, crossing his arms on his chest.
Jaan has the audacity to smile his blinding smile.
"- I was aiming at your cheek."
"- It clearly didn't work." Jaan nods.
"- I'm leaving." Jakah says neutrally, turning on his heels already.
"- Hey no!" Jaan is quick to call out. "- Come here." He catches his wrist and easily pulls him back on his seat.
Jakah stares at his lap, refusing to look him in the eyes, for the first time.
Jaan's hand travels from his wrist to his hand, settling inside, the lines on their palms kissing each other harmonically, their fingers sliding so perfectly between each other.
Jakah stares at them, squeezing lightly Jaan's hand.
"- Jakah, look at me." Jaan says, voice soft and low, and tone gentle.
And Jakah does. Apple green meeting orange.
"- I like you, okay?" He confesses.
He does it so simply, looking at him so fondly.
"- Stop worrying about it." He whispers. He does not give him time to answer anything back, he just puts a gentle hand on his cheek and leans in, slowly grazing his lips against Jakah's before pressing.
Gently, always so gently.
Jakah closes his eyes.
It was so sweet. Pomegranate melding with elderberry, lying on roses' petals under golden sunlight, surrounded by apple green grass and sprinkled with bright honeyed orange zest.
It feels so familiar.
It does not last very long. Jaan pulls back after barely two seconds.
His eyes are shinning with so much hope.
"- I like you too, dummy." Jakah smiles, hiding his face in the other's shoulder.
Jaan heaves a deep sigh of relief.
"- God, you scared me. You were just staring at me, freezed."
"- Sorry. I... How long?" Jakah cannot help asking, curiosity getting the best of him.
"- Hm?"
"- For how long did you like me?"
Jaan looks up, thinking.
"- About two years now."
"- Holy shi- that's a lot!"
"- Yes," Jaan chuckles. " - what about you."
"- I... I realized a week ago."
Jaan raises his eyebrows in surprise, then he lets out a pained groan.
"- That's unfair, I've been suffering for two years, but you struggled only one week..."
Jakah throws his arms around the eldest shoulders, pulling him in a hug despite the heat already killing them.
"- Wanna take back your words and postpone your confession? I'll pretend I don't know anything." Jakah teases, resting his cheek on his firm shoulder.
"- Brat." Jaan snorts, poking him on the hip.
Jakah pulls back. He looks at Jaan, smiling.
"- Next time they ask me why I'm wearing your jacket instead of mine, I'll answer that it's because you're my boyfriend."
He smirks when Jaan blushes instantly.
"- Sounds so nice." He whispers shyly.
Jakah hates to admit it, but they are probably looking like Heli and Sooha right now.
He pecks Jaan one last time on the lips before resting his head on his shoulder. He grabs his cupcake again, half-eaten. He examines it from different angles, turning it around in his hand.
"- You know, cupcakes are not cups."
"- You're so weird."