Chapter Text
Working in an office wasn’t something unusual for Byakuya. It honestly reminded him of the past, when he would have to fill endless amounts of paperwork, sign endless contracts, attend multiple conferences and manage multiple companies at once. It was expected of him, as the heir of the Togami corporation, to do such things and be an expert.
While it was hectic before, Byakuya had things under control. No people were bickering about the world needing to be saved. There was no constant reminder of the killing game. No one dared to bother Byakuya while he was working.
But now it was different.
Byakuya guessed it was due to Junko’s malicious tactics in the killing game that made him lose his focus. He wasn’t as hard-headed as before, it took him longer to focus, and his mind seemed to wander back to being held hostage at Hope's Peak at times. The thoughts that entered his mind when it came to that were always negative and they irked him when they managed to throw him off his productivity streak.
But he couldn’t blame it all on the killing game. He would have to blame it on Makoto.
Or he would have to hold himself responsible for thinking about Makoto.
The lucky student was a force to be reckoned with in the killing game. Byakuya used to be indifferent to him and rather cruel, but he slowly realised that perhaps he felt differently towards him as the killing game neared its end. Once they saw the light come out from those doors, Byakuya glanced at Makoto briefly and when he saw how happy and how bright Makoto looked, he knew it was over.
Byakuya had acquired feelings for Makoto that he never thought he’d feel. And it took him months after they had escaped to properly consider them.
When he confessed, Byakuya was ready to return to his hostile self for protection if Makoto rejected him, but surprisingly the young man felt the same.
And now he was here, in his office, thinking about his significant other:
Who was Makoto Naegi.
Byakuya let out a small grumble as he pushed away another thought of Makoto smiling at him. That was something that always got Byakuya. His smile. He would’ve thought he’d get accustomed to it due to them having dated for around a month by now, but he couldn’t.
It still had its dizzying, swooning effect on Byakuya.
The sound of the door managed to get Byakuya out of his trance since he looked up and saw no one else but Makoto enter.
“Makoto,” Byakuya blinked, a little surprised to see the lucky boy enter his office. He eyed the two coffees the young man was holding and felt his mouth slightly water. He already knew that he really enjoyed his coffee, but nowadays it seemed like it was something he could not live without. He brought his eyes back up to Makoto. “What are you doing here?”
“I can’t say hi to my boyfriend?” Makoto smiled at him as he approached him.
“Boyfriend?” Byakuya felt his face slightly flush up with warmth as a blush crept in once he voiced that out loud. Every time Makoto addressed him as such made him feel oddly giddy, which was childish. He wondered if it was normal to be affected by such a silly word for so long, especially because he’s been involved romantically with Makoto for at least a few months. Shouldn’t he be accustomed to it by now?
“Yes, boyfriend,” Makoto said. He stopped in front of Byakuya’s desk and settled down on the seat in front of Byakuya, where his clients or visitors usually sit. Makoto removed the cups of coffee from their holder, but as he did so he repeated his question with a smile Byakuya couldn’t help but find adorable. “Can’t I say hi to my boyfriend?”
“You can,” Byakuya cleared his throat and put the pen away as he watched Makoto open up one of the cups and pour a whole, an ungodly amount of sugar into his coffee. If he was anyone else, Byakuya would most likely mouth his criticism of it, but alas it was how Makoto liked it. “I just did not expect you to come at this time.”
“Are you just here to greet me?” Byakuya asked him as Makoto took a small sip of the coffee he had put sugar in. His boyfriend recoiled and pulled the cup away from his mouth as he stuck out his tongue and expressed pain. Byakuya wondered whether it was out of pain or disgust at the coffee (he would not blame him if it was the taste, this coffee was not anywhere close to good).
After clearing his throat and putting the coffee down, Makoto looked at Byakuya. “Well,” Makoto shrugged then smiled again. “Yeah? Why not? I'm here to chat too.”
“Don’t you have work to occupy yourself with?” Byakuya asked him as he leaned back on his chair and tilted his head slightly to the side.
“I’m on break,” Makoto answered him quickly. He leaned forward, placing his head on his hand as he gave Byakuya a smile which could only be described as flirty. Unfortunately, it was working on Byakuya, since he was finding himself a little too flustered at it. “Why are you asking so many questions? I can’t give you company?”
Byakuya didn’t reply immediately, he just took in that smile of Makoto’s. His lips twitched into a smile of his own and he let out a sigh before moving forwards with his chair. “You can. But there’s nothing much to do here.”
Makoto chuckled and then grabbed the other cup of coffee. He slid it towards Byakuya with a grin. “You’re plenty.”
“This is for me?” Byakuya raised a brow as he reached out to grab the coffee. To his surprise, as his hand neared the coffee, Makoto quickly grabbed his finger and tugged at it playfully. Byakuya blinked in surprise and was about to move his hand away but Makoto let go. The action was rather adorable, but Byakuya pushed it away since he thought everything Makoto did was adorable. It was insane how many things Makoto could get away with doing to Byakuya.
“Yeah it’s for you,” Makoto grinned playfully as he let go of Byakuya’s finger and pushed the coffee closer to him. “I’m sorry I can’t get you any premium coffee. I would if I could.”
“There’s practically no premium coffee left in this world,” Byakuya muttered as he rolled his eyes with amusement when Makoto mentioned even trying to get it. “I’m not sure how you’d get your hands on it if you looked for it.”
“Well I mean you never know, do you?” Makoto shrugged and brought the cup up to his lips. He cringed as he took a sip which made Byakuya softly let out a huff of laughter. “There are still multiple people out there alive, at least I hope there are. Maybe you can find yourself an Ultimate Coffee Bean Harvester.”
Byakuya let himself laugh this time. A small chuckle left his mouth. “That would be ridiculous.”
“Well I am prettyyyy lucky,” Makoto leaned forward with a cheeky grin. “Maybe I can find you one?”
“I believe you are overestimating your luck,” Byakuya took a sip of his coffee as he said that, looking at Makoto challengingly. He didn’t cringe at the taste of the coffee but did click his tongue slightly in disgust as he put the coffee down.
“Premium coffee is long gone,” Byakuya took the pen he had put down in hand and started to subconsciously play with it as he reminisced about the absence of delicious coffee. He frowned as he remembered the times when he would wake up and have a good, delicious cup of coffee with a book in hand. “One of the worst things I have to deal with.”
Makoto let out a ‘hmm’, which brought Byakuya’s attention back to him. Those pretty green eyes pooled with sympathy, and Byakuya found it amusing that Makoto would feel bad for him not having his coffee. Especially when he was
being semi-sarcastic. Makoto smiled softly and leaned in even closer. “If I found you either an Ultimate Coffee Bean Harvester or a bag of premium coffee, what would you give me?”
Byakuya spun the pen around in his hand as he looked at Makoto with a slight smirk.“I wouldn’t give you anything because it wouldn’t happen.”
“Augh c’mon,” Makoto rolled his eyes and put his chin on the table. “Be hopeful! Maybe it could happen.”
Byakuya sighed and tapped his pen against his finger. He decided to go by the easy option, one that he’s always gone for. “Well by the off chance that you get your hands on any of the two, I could give you a grand amount of money to pay off the trouble you went through.”
“Money?” Makoto raised a brow. The answer seemed to disappoint him because Makoto’s face turned dull and his lips turned downwards a bit. “Not very creative.”
Byakuya stopped spinning his pen as he thought about what exactly he could give Makoto besides money. At this time it wasn’t very useful either, so Byakuya wondered why he’d even offer that to Makoto. He could’ve thought more rationally instead of just choosing the quickest option. Even if it was useful, Makoto wasn’t the type of person to take money from him just like that.
Which…Byakuya liked. Makoto wasn’t simple.
“Nothing?” Makoto pushed, his eyes weren’t on Byakuya but the table. He moved them upwards to glance at Byakuya. He raised his brows. The look he had on his face seemed similar to the ones he used to give the people he questioned in the trials. Byakuya thought he just had something close to a flashback. “You’ll just give me money and tell me to leave?”
“N-No,” Byakuya stammered. He bit his tongue after that. No one has made him stammer except Makoto. Now and back then. This boy was the only person who could get him to stutter. Slowly, Byakuya cleared his throat and looked away with furrowed brows.“I’m thinking…”
Makoto’s mini frown turned into a smile as he watched Byakuya think. The heir resumed tapping his pen against his finger as he continued thinking.
What would Makoto enjoy? This was just the beginning of their relationship and Byakuya had yet to explore things that Makoto enjoyed a lot. It seemed like the man was easily pleased with anything, but Byakuya knew there was more to it than that.
Ever since the relationship between the two started, Makoto had complained about not having enough time for the two of them alone. It wasn’t frequent, but Byakuya would catch him sighing and wishing there was more time for the two of them in all this work they have. Even if they were together, they rarely had time for a proper date.
A date. Byakuya concluded. That was what he was going to give Makoto.
Perhaps a date where they could enjoy the coffee. Talk. Be…romantic. And be alone.
Byakuya cursed himself for not being experienced in romantic situations. Would that even suffice as a proper date? He figured it would be good to try.
“A date,” Byakuya finally said. Makoto perked up in surprise. Well, it was too late to back out now, so Byakuya cleared his throat and pushed on. “I’ll prepare the nicest area in the cafeteria just for the two of us. And we can enjoy the coffee you brought, alone and just us.” Byakuya shrank a little after saying that since Makoto didn't reply right away. He had a sense that this date wasn't a 'proper' date and was about to add that they could do something else but he stopped himself as Makoto's lips curled upwards into a smile.
“Wow I thought you’d just give me a kiss or something,” Makoto chuckled and then turned even more red as he leaned backwards. “A date sounds lovely.”
Byakuya wondered how he was turning red at the date and not at what he had just said. Just the thought of kissing Makoto made Byakuya’s whole face turn flush with colour.
“Ah but even if I can't find the coffee…could we still have it?” Makoto requested shyly. “That sounds…well, it sounds lovely.” Byakuya blinked at him in confusion.
“Lovely?” Byakuya looked away, not wanting to admit he was nervous. “Does it not sound similar to what we are doing now?”
“I think it’s romantic,” Makoto chuckled and then stood up. Byakuya watched him go around the table and stand by his side.
“We would just be doing what we’re doing now, however,” Byakuya told him as he looked up at Makoto, who was leaning on Byakuya’s chair. “That doesn’t bother you?”
“No,” Makoto shook his head. His smile was intoxicating. Byakuya wondered if Makoto really was the lucky one in this relationship. “I think it’s lovely.”
His boyfriend then lowered himself and kissed him on the cheek.
Byakuya felt the world stop for a second. His heartbeat rose a slight bit and he felt his breath leave his body once Makoto’s lips made contact with his cheek. The lucky boy pulled back and smiled lovingly at him. “I’m really hoping I can get that coffee for you.”
Byakuya was a little too dazed from what had happened to really return the smile or do anything to acknowledge it. Byakuya held back a smile, a smile that would definitely surprise Makoto had he seen it. Once Makoto left to go back to work, Byakuya covered his face with his hand and then smiled. He hadn’t smiled like that ever since he was a toddler, he believed. He hadn’t smiled so hard like this that his face hurt for so long.
He figured this ‘romance’ thing wasn’t such a bad feeling.
Weeks went by. Byakuya had grown so accustomed to Makoto coming on his break that he had already placed a chair next to his own by the time the clock struck 12:30. Makoto would come in, they’d drink horrendous coffee and they would talk. Byakuya often wondered if this would ever bore Makoto, but it didn’t. The boy kept coming back, kept giving him the same loving smiles all the time as well as the same horrendous coffee they both shared. It was the only time they could see each other during the day and Byakuya took every single chance he had to see Makoto during his break.
What also crossed Byakuya’s mind was if this was proper ‘couple’ behaviour. He knew it was still early on in the relationship, but he often wondered if they should just be going for coffee and talking in an office setting. Oddly enough this worried Byakuya.
He wasn’t experienced in anything romantic as he hadn’t thought that he would ever feel anything close to romance or love. The Togami family did not need such things, especially the heir. Byakuya was ready to just follow through with his family’s expectation of having multiple children with multiple women with no romantic attraction to them at all. Which was still a horrendous thing to think about having now realised Byakuya wasn’t attracted to women at all.
He wasn’t attracted to anyone.
But Makoto made himself an exception.
An exception that surprisingly, made Byakuya want to learn all about love and how couples work. And how he could be better. And not want to follow through with the Togami family tradition anymore.
Certainly just having coffee and talking wasn’t quite such couple behaviour was it?
One day Makoto didn’t show up at 12:30.
Byakuya was tapping his pen on the table as he watched the clock. Maybe he’d give him five minutes.
12:35 came along and there was still no sign of him. Perhaps he was caught up with work? He wouldn’t be surprised if he was. But a notice beforehand or now would have been preferable. Byakuya decided to give him ten. Perhaps he was too used to being on time for Makoto's tardiness. Maybe he'd come after ten minutes.
12:10 came along and Byakuya stopped tapping his pen and dropped it on the table. He wondered if he should just let it go and stop acting so…childish or check on Makoto.
Part of him wanted to stay where he was. He could say that the ‘old’ part of him wanted him to stay but his body was so tense and ready to spring up that he couldn’t listen to that part of him. Byakuya cursed under his breath as he felt himself get up and start worrying about a boy who he had been dating for a month. Was it common for him to feel so…melancholy about Makoto being late to their usual meetings? Makoto could miss whichever day he wanted and that would be his right, but why would he miss anything? Byakuya didn’t want to waste his time scolding him and complaining to Makoto about missing a break with him, it would feel too…ugh.
Byakuya hated the word ‘clingy’ especially since he’s never used it before. And right now he despised it more than ever, especially since it was directed at himself.
Byakuya walked over to the door and opened it to look out the hallway in the wing he was in. The only faces he recognised were those of the workers who worked with him in this part of the wing.
With a huff, Byakuya approached one of his many assistants assigned to him, who turned around in a snap and looked up at him.
“Mr Togami!” She squeaked, she had been caught off guard for certain. With a clear throat, she stepped a little closer. “How can I help?”
“Have you seen Naegi?” Byakuya asked with narrowed eyes. He didn’t call him by his first name since no one else knew about how close they were except a select few people that Byakuya already thought were too many.
“Around here, sir? No,” The assistant told him quickly. It seemed Byakuya let his disappointment show on his face, even if he didn’t want to, which made the woman bring out her tablet and look at him expectantly. “I can contact him for you if you’d like—“
“Leave it,” Byakuya grumbled quickly and then walked back to his office before she caught him properly expressing disappointment. Once the door was shut behind him, he took a small deep breath and tried to compose himself.
What was keeping Makoto up? Had it finally bored him? Did he find these ‘breaks’ with Byakuya boring?
Byakuya scoffed annoyingly. He should be grateful Byakuya was even giving him his time during those breaks. But then he thought again…wasn’t it ridiculous on his part to even be so caught up about Makoto not showing up to one of his breaks?
Byakuya let out a loud sigh and placed his head in his hands. This was pathetic. Truly pathetic of him to even be so distressed over Makoto not showing up to see him. To let someone make him feel so…obsessed.
He decided to just drown himself in work. Which usually works.
Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work as well anymore, which proved to Byakuya he was too far gone.
About two hours later, Byakuya heard the door click open. He almost dropped his pen and snapped his head up to look, but he fought against doing so because if on the off chance it wasn’t Makoto, he did not want to embarrass himself further.
“Byakuya!” Makoto’s voice entered his ears, which made Byakuya stop writing and slowly look up. About damn time, Byakuya thought angrily.
“Hi! I’m so glad you’re still here,” Makoto stepped into the office, holding a container. “I was afraid maybe I couldn’t reach you on time or you left by now—“
Byakuya couldn’t hold back his scowl and the irritated whisper of a question he let out. “Where were you?”
“Oh,” Makoto’s smile dropped. His gaze looked a little guilty, which had Byakuya on edge. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t contact you to tell you—“
Byakuya didn’t like how hurried and dismissive Makoto’s apology felt, which made his scowl grow only bigger.
Makoto paused, he took a small inhale and cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry for not showing up at our usual time,” Makoto apologized, more seriously this time.
Byakuya hated, absolutely despised, feeling this childishly awful for something that wasn’t even that bad. It was pathetic behaviour. He didn’t say anything to Makoto, just kept his eyes on the papers in front of him. He was angry. Childishly angry that Makoto hadn’t shown up on time. Usually, he wouldn’t let such things let him get angry and waste his time, but for some reason he was angry. For such a small thing.
Byakuya clicked his tongue angrily and decided not to say anything. If he wasn’t dating Makoto, if Makoto wasn’t someone who could make him stammer and flustered, he’d have chewed out Makoto right away right now. But he didn’t.
He couldn’t. Byakuya wondered why he wasn’t able to unleash his usual hostility against Makoto anymore.
“Byakuya,” Makoto was right beside him out of nowhere. Byakuya couldn’t help but glare at Makoto with a scowl.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I wouldn’t be here for my break,” Makoto apologized again, his green eyes sincerely sorry. Byakuya knew he wouldn’t be able to be upset at him for long. “I couldn’t contact you where I was and by the time I got back it was too late.”
“So then,” Byakuya grumbled, he turned to face Makoto fully. “Where were you that was so far you say you couldn’t contact me?”
Makoto took a deep breath in and then pulled back a little. Byakuya watched him with a glare, that he hoped was as icy as it felt it was. Makoto then pulled out a container, wrapped in paper sheets, from his bag.
“Here,” Makoto handed it to him. Byakuya stared at it, wondering what the hell was in the container that Makoto had brought. Would it be the answer to why Makoto had come so late? He sure hoped so because Byakuya wanted a reason from his boyfriend. Especially because it would make the wretched, awful, ‘clingy’ feeling go away.
Byakuya took it slowly and then unwrapped the papers around the container with a scowl. Once the papers were off, Byakuya found himself in front of a card. Somewhat similar to a business card. It had the full name of someone he presumed to be female, due to her name, and a number underneath.
“Who is this?” Byakuya asked as composed as he could, his eye twitching in annoyance and hope that this wouldn’t make the feeling of silly anger turn into jealousy.
“Just open the container,” Makoto pushed, with a growing smile on his face.
Byakuya frowned at Makoto for not answering his question and turned back to the container to open it fully. Inside was a small bag made out of the reflective wrapping. Almost tin foil-like. Byakuya opened the bag and froze for a second at what he saw inside. It was a small, circular container filled with coffee beans. When Byakuya brought it out of the bag to properly read it, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes slightly as he read the name on it.
It was a premium brand. One that Byakuya recognised effortlessly. Miraculously, it was the one Byakuya used to drink back when the Togami corporation was still functioning. Back when he was calm and not trying to fix a world of despair. One that he would drink before going to Hope’s Peak.
Trying not to sound as shocked as he truly was, Byakuya shook the container in front of Makoto as he asked the question hurriedly. “How did you get these?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Makoto’s smile turned into an excited grin and he softly took the container from Byakuya’s hands. He tapped at the container and kept his grin on his face. “I met a coffee harvester! And Ultimate one at that!”
Byakuya blinked, “How?”
“Well I had to visit another branch for today since they asked me to meet some newly found survivors,” Makoto explained. “She recognised me as the Ultimate Hope and asked me what she could do for me,”
“I had no idea what to tell her though since I wasn’t sure how she could help me, but then I remembered what I offered you and she happened to be growing some premium coffee in the small greenhouse the ward was building!” Makoto yipped excitedly. He looked so proud of himself, so happy. Byakuya wondered when was the last time he saw him so cheerful.
Maybe Byakuya was being too silent. Since he was so shocked at the fact that Makoto had managed to acquire premium, high-quality coffee without much difficulty. He was being too silent since Makoto’s excitement died down slowly. Makoto cleared his throat, his tone changing to a more cautious one. “Uh well, of course, I didn’t know which coffee bean type you liked specifically so I just asked for the most premium one she had,” Makoto then handed the container over to Byakuya, who took it back slowly as he listened in silent awe. “And it was this one so I do hope it’s still good…”
Byakuya could only truly stare at him. His eyes would move to look at Makoto, then down to the coffee beans in his hand, and then back up to Makoto.
It used to be an impossible thought for Byakuya to see these coffee beans again, but Makoto brought them to his hands with such ease and luck.
Maybe he shouldn’t have underestimated him. Or his luck.
He kept proving Byakuya wrong.
Makoto Naegi kept proving him wrong…
“Byakuya…say something, you’re freaking me out a little bit,” Makoto mumbled, twiddling with his thumbs.
With no words at all, Byakuya did what his body told him to do.
He put the coffee beans down and then reached out swiftly to grab Makoto by the collar and pull him in.
Byakuya knew that the clash of their lips was a little too hard to be considered a proper kiss, but it was what he did at the moment. Makoto let out a small noise of surprise, which made Byakuya pull back and look at him in stunned silence. Whether he was stunned at what he just did or at how Makoto found those coffee beans would be a mystery to Byakuya.
“Woah,” Makoto blinked. His face turned pink slowly. The lips that Byakuya just harshly kissed turned upwards into a smile. A cheeky, adorable smile. “You just kissed me…”
Byakuya debated on whether to say ‘obviously’ or ‘naturally’. Both were similar so it didn’t matter. They would both just mean that Byakuya kissed Makoto because the young man deserved it for bringing such precious coffee beans to his hands.
Huh, he just kissed Makoto. He just kissed someone for the first time.
“I did,” Byakuya mouthed, now just taking in what he had done. The flush of colour on his face was quick and he tried to move his gaze away from Makoto’s lips. Damn it, if he opened his mouth right now he would be a stammering mess, but he was desperate to excuse himself and dismiss the situation out of pure embarrassment. Maybe that kiss should've been reserved for a better, much fancier and more romantic situation. But Byakuya's body acted on its own and that was all he could think of doing at that moment. He prayed Makoto miraculously forgets about what happened.
Makoto’s smile didn’t falter, in fact, it just grew. The young man looked away and let out a giddy chuckle, before turning back to Byakuya. “We just had our first kiss.”
Right.
Byakuya still wondered if he should’ve had their first kiss happen like this, but he didn’t have time to properly think about it since Makoto pulled him in again and placed his lips on his.
Byakuya kept his eyes open in surprise at the action. It was soft, much softer than what Byakuya had done previously and less rushed. Makoto’s lips were slightly chapped, perhaps due to the fieldwork he usually had. But Byakuya found himself not caring. He just closed his eyes and kissed Makoto back. It was slightly longer than a peck, chaste and lacking much movement, but it was still a proper kiss.
Byakuya found himself wanting more of these. He finally figured out why ‘commoners’ indulged in such a silly thing.
Once Makoto pulled back, and when Byakuya opened his eyes he was met with a smile that reminded him why Makoto was the reason he wanted to reject the Togami tradition. And why he even called this man his boyfriend.
“This means you also owe me that date, right?” Makoto asked with a grin.
“Right,” Byakuya cleared his throat and pulled back. He knew his face was fully pink, there was no point in hiding it right now. “I suppose I’m obligated to give you that date.”
Makoto smiled. Byakuya smiled back slightly.
Makoto asked, “This weekend?”
“This weekend,” Byakuya confirmed.
After a giggle, Makoto pulled Byakuya in again and gave him another kiss.