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Warm summer afternoons weren’t entirely uncommon in the apartment he shared with Rantaro, though they seemed to bother him more than they did Rantaro. Seeing as Shuichi always got too hot in their dingy apartment, it wasn’t too foreign for Rantaro to come home and see him perched in front of a fan while fidgeting with his phone. Shuichi knew it thoroughly amused the other seeing by the small huff of laughter he’d always get from Rantaro as he stood in the doorway with his backpack still on.
No matter how many times Shuichi complained about getting a new air conditioner unit it’d always be brushed off much to his dismay. This time was no different as he was fanning himself with his hand in front of a fast-running fan when he heard the distinct noise of keys unlocking the front door. The same small huffed-out laughter gave Rantaro away as soon as the boy entered the room before he murmured, “Don’t you have work to do?” The slight jab at Shuichi’s work ethic not going unnoticed. “Aren’t you supposed to be quote-en-quote looking for a new AC?” Shuichi jabbed back, no real malice behind his words.
Despite that, he earned a small exhale from his green-haired roommate as he dropped his bag near the door before joining Shuichi on the floor. No words had to be exchanged between the pair before Shuichi was leaning against the boy. He deeply appreciated moments like these where a comfortable silence was exchanged between the two, so unlike the uncomfortable ones Shuichi always managed to find himself in. Rantaro was the first to break the silence by asking, “So is this just your favorite hobby now?” the teasing earned him a sharp exhale from the blue-haired boy. Shuichi didn’t have to look over to the other to know he was wearing that same lopsided grin on his face at the moment.
As much as he could mentally complain about the small teases he got from his roommate, he could never really complain about the smile the other wore when he did so. It drove him about mad when he had the opportunity to look at that perfect face which seemed to be personally made by whatever higher being there was to personally drive Shuichi insane. He would never forget the first time Rantaro smiled at him, really smiled at him. It was a genuine smile, not one warning him to tread lightly, instead, it was a lazy lopsided smile that just seemed too sweet.
“Well?” Shuichi nearly flinched as he was brought back down to earth mumbling something incoherent for a moment before settling on, “Sorry, daydreaming again,” his words were nervous despite his seemingly calm composure. Another light chuckle emerged from Rantaro before he curiously asked, “What do you even daydream about anyways?” his words still having hints of laughter to them. You. This is what Shuichi ideally wanted to say instead, “Random stuff, dinner actually,” his answer was a little white lie that he could tell Rantaro saw through. He felt like the other could read him like a book.
Rather than call him out for his lie, Rantaro nudged him off and stood up saying, “Well I was thinking we order takeout because if I’m not mistaken we don’t have anything to cook with,” and knowing Rantaro, he was more than likely right. “Come on let’s sit on the couch. You’ll hurt later if you stay hunched over that fan, and I don’t want to hear you complain about it later,” another joke that Shuichi admittedly laughed at. It was dumb and honestly wouldn’t be that funny to anyone but the pair of them, but it made him laugh.
It wasn’t long at all before they were sat next to each other on the couch watching something random on TV. Not that he could bring himself to pay attention to whatever was on at the moment. No, what he got to focus on was how their knees slightly brushed against each other every so often. It was silly to be so focused on something like that when he was practically draped over Rantaro earlier. Physical contact wasn’t even uncommon between the pair, so it was honestly a mystery to him as to why he got so worked up over something so simple.
Of course, that was him kidding himself. He knew exactly why he go so hung up over the small things Rantaro said or did. He still wasn’t over how Rantaro complimented how his hair looked one day earlier in the week for crying out loud! It was a little pathetic in his eyes, how hopelessly in love he was with the boy next to him, and no matter how many times friends suggested he’d just admit his feelings to Rantaro he seemingly couldn’t muster up the confidence to do so. How could he when he was met with that knowing look that seemed to read his mind before he even said anything? He was doomed.
“Y’know I was wondering,” Rantaro started as he turned his attention from the show in front of them to the blue-haired boy, “You never actually tell me what’s going on inside that head of yours. Care to explain?” He really was doomed, wasn’t he? Shuichi took a moment to process the question asked of him gaping at Rantaro for that moment. It was embarrassing how easily Rantaro said that compared to how much it affected him. “Well-,” a pause ensued after Shuichi started finding that he had no idea how to cover for himself. “Well?” Rantaro encouraged, a semi-amused expression on his face showing he was even ever so slightly amused by Shuichi’s inability to explain himself. “Ah, well mainly just random stuff as I said. Books, movies, stuff like that yeah?” the words came out slowly showing how cautious he was being. He would give anything to be able to play something off casually.
There was a shared silence between them as Rantaro simply smiled at him. He wanted to hate that smile so badly. It was so knowing, it was like he was picking Shuichi apart with just a look. He sees it so often and it drives him crazy. Crazy in a way he can’t decide is good or bad or not.
“Well,” Rantaro started an obvious play off what Shuichi started his faulty explanation with, “I don’t believe you.” The statement was so simple, yet so very good at making Shuichi want to jump out the nearest window. “In fact, I think you daydream about me, no? You seem to get nervous when I ask,” there it was. Rantaro was correct of course, it was no wonder that he was considering how badly Shuichi wanted to see the boy smile in his direction every single day.
Instead of a proper reply, Shuichi just sighed sinking into their couch some more and mumbling, “I hate you so much, do you know that?” That earned a small laugh from Rantaro, who looked just about ethereal in the dark only lit up by the TV which he had long forgotten about. It wasn’t very long before the boy next to him composed himself with a hum and questioned further, “Well now that I know I’m right, care to tell me what was stopping you from just saying that?” After hearing that he couldn’t decide whether Rantaro had no shame or was simply teasing again, maybe both. “It’s embarrassing,” Shuichi soon replied in a huff which got another small chuckle out of Rantaro who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying Shuichi’s probably red face. “That so, huh? I don’t think there’s anything to be embarrassed about personally. It’s okay if you think I’m pretty, I think you’re pretty cute yourself y’know?”
Wait what? Shuichi felt his face burn as he tried and failed to find any type of reply to that. How do you casually reply to that?! Despite his silence, Rantaro continued with that beautiful stupid grin, “Especially when you blush like that. I mean it’s just cute! Man, this is embarrassing to say I get where you’re coming from now. Do you ever want to go out on a picnic or something? Like a date?” The words fell bashfully from Rantaro’s lips that just seemed so kissable at the moment. Shuichi was quick to accept with a short, “I would love to go out with you!” His words quickly caught up to him, only making him want to sink into the couch beneath him more.
Another silence followed his words, one he couldn’t gauge the mood of. Rantaro had always been hard to read though. It wasn’t until he felt plush lips against his that he realized Rantaro had moved from his spot next to Shuichi. Oh.
Oh! They were kissing, woah. Okay! He was soon kissing back realizing his lips were probably chapped in contrast to Rantaro’s gentle ones. He felt almost enveloped by a smell that was probably Ranatro’s too-expensive shampoo that the other insisted on getting anyways. He couldn’t possibly say no to that shampoo now when he could smell it so closely with it being so very much on brand for the boy he was currently kissing.
The kiss didn’t linger too long before Rantaro pulled away laughing softly and murmuring to Shuichi, “Your lips are chapped,” to which he replied with a scoff and a mumble of, “You were the one who kissed me unexpectedly.” His smile betrayed him as he spoke joy bubbling inside him so rapidly he almost couldn’t keep up with it. “Sorry couldn’t help it when you looked like that. I just really wanted to kiss you,” Rantaro huffed out with an embarrassed smile that was so rare to see.
Shuichi couldn’t help but laugh softly at the confession, his laugh soon follow by Rantaro’s own. It was cheesy, sure, but it was also sweet. It was so sweet how Rantaro was holding him like he was the most delicate flower in the world. He couldn’t help but laugh when he heard the boy admit to something like that after pining for him for so long.
Yeah, he was doomed from the beginning.