Chapter Text
Heizou sighs heavily as he flops onto his back. He's awfully tired and would do anything to stay laying on this couch but- he heard a knock. It doesn't take too many brain cells to guess who's knocking but, why, is a different equation.
"Heizou, you bastard! Open the door!" Heizou groans in annoyance, he has to forcefully lift himself from the comfort of the couch to straggle tiredly over to the front door. He opens the door, revealing a snappy, intimidating Scaramouche - so... just typical Scara.
"You're glaring as if I'm the one who made you forget your key." He tells the boy in a deadpan. Scaramouche knows the rough translation of that statement is; "don't be mad at me because you're an idiot" which ticks him off further. "Who the hell said I forgot my key?" He sneers. Heizou gives him an unimpressed look.
"Well," he huffs, "contrary to popular belief, Scara - mainly yours - I'm not a complete idiot." Scaramouche pushes past him into their shared apartment with a small mumbled "idiot" being all that escapes his lips. He would start teasing Scaramouche about how much he "actually loves him" and is "just a tsundere" but he's still too tired from having just taken his exam earlier. He instead sighs, "After all this time you still act as if you dislike me." He puts on a show of putting a hand over his heart and feigning offense. Scarmouche doesn't grant him a look at his face as he keeps his pace to his room,
"...Because I do."
Oh yeah.
How silly of him to forget.
-
Being told he's disliked usually doesn't get to him - he's heard it plenty of times already after all, but being disliked by someone you wish to love you back cuts ten times deeper. He feels as silly as he did half a year ago when he first realized his feelings for Scara. What was the meaning of loving something you can never have? How did this even happen? But most of it all, why did everything have to hurt so damn much?
He's spiraling again. He knows it and knows better than anyone where this leads. He forces his gaze up from mindlessly staring at the table, oh, he'd almost forgotten; he's still in class. To be on the brink of tears in class... How pathetic-
"Heizou, you alright?"
Heizou looks up to see the one responsible for the interruption of his thoughts.
"Kazu.. ha?"
Kazuha gives him a soft smile in return, "That's my name."
Man alive. Scara's boyfriend is the last person he wants to see right now.
Kaedehara Kazuha, he thinks to himself. Scara's childhood friend and in the same major as the other. An all-around 'pretty boy' and gentleman that has a way with words, everyone loves him, and...
Hm. Did he forget to mention pretty?
"Class ended a while ago but you've still been sitting here spaced out." The white-haired boy tells him and he can't help but think that Kazuha's too good to him, the way his eyebrows are scrunched as he looks at him with such concern is nothing less than adorabl—
"I-I'm sorry to worry you!" He says, surprised by his own thoughts, why must they always betray him? "I'm just, you know, worried about.. grades..?"
Kazuha blinks in confusion. That was such an obvious lie, his cheeks redden in embarrassment. Kazuha lets out a soft laugh at his response, causing him to redden further because god, his laugh is so adorable. He never knows what to say around Kazuha. Mainly because the first thoughts that come into his head were never very... pg? Especially towards a man in a relationship.
He sighs heavily.
A six-month crush on Scaramouche and three months on Kazuha. How absurd.
He smiles at Kazuha. "I really am fine." He tells the other softly, "was just thinking..." Kazuha returns his smile and he swears he felt his heart skip several beats. "We still on for lunch?" The white-haired boy questions as he gestures to the clock. Heizou doesn't even have to look up at it before he's packing his things up in understanding.
"Of course!"
-
Scaramouche comes out of his room, hands in his hoodie pocket and headphones on. He catches sight of Heizou standing in front of the couch before they make eye contact causing him to swiftly turn back and try retreating the way he came. "H-Hey come on," Heizou says, a pout evident in his tone. "Staying in the same room as me isn't gonna kill ya, you know?" Scara groans internally. Oh but it will, he wishes to and does say. (For more reasons than he'd like to admit right now.)
Heizou comes to his side and leans over to peer up at his face "Eh? How?" He asks with that adorable annoyingly curious expression. "Shouldn't you be out partying with Aether and my boyfriend?" Heizou gives him another pout, this time in view for him to see. "And how would you know where I should be?" Scaramouche stares back at the other before turning his head away and pushing away to head to the kitchen. "Stop being an idiot." He says sternly, "If you keep asking dumb questions then I won't listen." He says, vaguely referring to the headphones he still has on. Heizou looks startled at his response before huffing a laugh, sad or bitter, he couldn't tell.
"I was kidding. Kazu told you that, right?"
Scaramouche looks up and sees the troubled look on Heizou's face. "Yeah." He answers cautiously. Heizou hums noncommittally and plops himself onto a nearby barstool. "What a horrible roommate you are to not hear my very apparent arrival," Heizou tells him with a smirk. He once again points out the headphones that are on his head. Heizou pouts, unimpressed.
Scaramouche promptly turns his head away again because it feels criminal just not getting turned on by the pretty pout of Heizou's lips—plump and flushed a pretty pink, he has no doubt they would look beautiful stretched wide around-
Fuck.
Irresistible...
He knows he and Kazuha both agreed to this but he still feels bad for feeling like this toward Heizou. He would usually leave all the advancing to Kazuha because he truthfully felt as if Heizou wouldn't be so open if it was him doing the approaching.
But... What if that hypothesis wasn't... completely right?
As if on instinct his eyes become lidded as he leans closer to Heizou, palms planted on the countertop as he rests his weight on his hands. "...Hei," He says, breathes, tilting his head slightly.
Heizou looks up at him with wide, green eyes, gazing at him as if he'd just turned into an entirely different person. His curiosity, that of a student detective, shines through though, as he gives him that same questioning look from earlier. "W-What." He looks at him with so much suspicion Scara can't help but find it cute.
Scara hums, giving him a small- dare he say fond— smile. "You know you're really pretty, right?" He speaks in an almost mutter.
Heizou blinks.
Several times.
His response takes a while as he stares at Scaramouche, beyond flustered. His cheeks redden furiously, turning a beautiful vermilion as he turns away, taking the back of his hand and pressing it to his lips to hide half of his face.
"Scara... what-"
Scaramouche shrugs, turning his back so Heizou can't see his smug, shit-eating smirk. He knows he's gotten him with that one. "Just wanted to say it." Scara casually states.
"I'm going to go study." Scaramouche takes his leave right after, leaving Heizou wishing so badly to bang his head on a wall repeatedly because- oh gods, Scara is so hot.
His face is so uncomfortably warm, just thinking back on the low rasp of Scara's voice as he said his name- a nickname at that. He rarely uses that nickname... Just a compliment and he's already thinking about how badly he wants Scara over him...
His phone buzzes, vibrating slightly on the counter and making him startle out of his thoughts.
He needs to get a grip.
...oh.
Kazuha really has the worst timing.
Kazuha [Scara's]
"Beloved."
He looks down at the screen in bewilderment. ...This text, he refuses to hope that this came from a sober Kazuha.
He sets his head down on the counter with a thud. He refuses to hope... and yet, his traitorous heart stutters and his traitorous mind is reeling.
He has it so bad.
He picks up his phone and reluctantly responds. "I'm not Scara," he types plainly, giving nothing away. A buzz comes in almost immediately after.
"I know." The simple message reads. Heizou reads it over and over, turning the words over in his head continuously as if the meaning of these simple words would suddenly... not be. "Are you drunk?" Heizou quickly types out in his state of denial.
"No." Kazuha texts back after a moment. "Kuni's contact is different, he has "Boyfriend". You're the one that has beloved." He explains it as if it's the most sensible and simplistic thing in the world, yet- Heizou really can't keep up right now.
Maybe Kazuha's kidding around..? He tends to say or do unintentionally flirty things; (Like earlier that day at lunch Kazuha pulled out his chair for him, leaving him confused for ten straight minutes.)
(Or last week when he, Scara, and Kazuha went shopping for Kazuha new shoes and Kazuha told him that he'd make a nice husband because of his great clothing advice, and when told that he'd need a bride first Kazuha responded with "I'm here.")
Maybe it was in his nature. He couldn't remember the boy being this flirtatious when they first met, but that's not saying much since it wasn't till Scaramouche left them alone that Heizou finally looked at Kazuha. He remembers the feeling. The way he felt the same way he felt when he first saw the indigo-haired boy all over again.
Awestruck and suddenly a stuttering fool.
Kazuha [Scara's]
2 Photo attachment.jpg
Heizou stares at his phone- which now shows the photo proof of Kazuha's earlier claim, in shock. He groans loudly because, sure enough, Scara's contact is exactly what he is; "Boyfriend" while Heizou has a simple- (not in the slightest) "Beloved."
Heizou's face is so red right now it's practically glowing.
Unfortunately (read, fortunately) Kazuha doesn't seem deterred by Heizou's lack of responses.
"Kuni told me that he's studying and that I should bother someone else and Aether went back early so here I am." Heizou gazes at the message in confusion; He feels that the difference in topics is hot and cold, maybe Kazuha is drunk.
"Where are you?" Heizou decides to ask.
Kazuha [Scara's]
Photo attachment.jpg
...
Kazuha looks downright sinful...
He's splayed on top of his bed, disheveled and tiredly looking up at the camera with a half-grin. The selfie doesn't reach that far down but Heizou can see Kazuha's bare shoulders and it shouldn't turn him on as much as it does.
"Home." The simple text under the photo reads. Suddenly Heizou has an urge to further check that claim-
"What'cha you looking at?"
Heizou's eyes widen as he startles, almost throwing his phone out of his hand from the surprise. He whips his head around and looks up at Scara in shock. "Weren't you studying!?" He stammers. Scara shrugs, still peering over his shoulder looking at his phone in curiosity.
"...Shameless." Scaramouche comments with a tsk.
Heizou quickly puts his phone down, flushing red. Scara hums offhandedly, "If I send you a photo post-nap, will you react the same I wonder," Scara goes over to the sink, feeling up himself up a glass of water, as Heizou...
...
Heizou promptly slams his head onto the counter. He will not dwell on the mental image—why must the Archons torment him? He's smart, a student detective for-archons-sake, he's being bullied or something and he knows it!
Scara looks at him questioningly, as he groans once again. He distantly registers a buzz coming from his phone but chooses to ignore it.
"I'm going to bed." He announces, and stands abruptly, borderline running to his room.
Scaramouche smirks silently to himself.
-
Heizou's had enough. He glares at the two men in front of him menacingly.
It started a week and a half ago. Scara and Kazuha have been teasing him all week, or bullying- he couldn't tell at this point. Kazuha casually sips on the tea he ordered prior, glancing between him and Scaramouche innocently whiles Scara has that same indifferent expression he's so known for.
"What is you guys' deal?" Heizou accuses, folding his arms.
Kazuha gives him a smug smile as he shoots Scara a side glance.
He leans in, covering the side of his face so his words are out of view from Scaramouche, "Kuni thinks you're pretty." He half-whispers with a smirk. Heizou flushes brightly, and Scara gives Kazuha a hard shove. "You do too, dumbass!" He tells the white-haired boy with a frown—Kazuha gives a hearty laughter at his reaction, he notices that the tip of his boyfriend's ears are dusted a light pink.
Heizou's gaze darts between the two in flustered confusion, his face practically emitting question marks. "Wai— I'm pretty?" Heizou questions, interrupting their banter. Scaramouche and Kazuha both look at him with surprised, raised eyebrows, "Yes." They answer seriously, leaving Heizou to search their faces in confusion.
Kazuha rests his chin in his hand and smiles smugly up at Heizou, "We like you, Hei." He says, simply.
"W-We?" Heizou echos in question, and his gaze trails over to Scaramouche. Scara looks at him in a deadpan. "You're an idiot." Kazuha gives his boyfriend a shocked look. "Kuni." He scolds lightly. Scaramouche rolls his eyes, then stubbornly crosses his arms. "We like you, Hei." He repeats just as sincerly.
Heizou's face reddens all over again. "Go out with us," Scara says, earning him a look of dissatisfaction from Kazuha. "Consider it, please," Kazuha adds.
Heizou places his hands on each of their own. He doesn't have to thik befor he's speaking, "Okay." He answers softly.
Kazuha gives him a bright smile in return, Scara tilts his head curiously, "Okay to considering it or..?" Heizou pouts, "You're an idiot." He tells him back.
Scara shoots him an unimpressed look, "Shut up." He says, lightly hitting his hand before taking it back into his own before Heizou can take the action as rejection.
Heizou laughs at the blatant contradiction while Kazuha stares quietly, a fond smile plastered across his face at the two's display.
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