Work Text:
Gunji sat alone at a table in the cafeteria, fidgeting with a strand of slightly overgrown hair while halfheartedly listening along to Makoto chattering cheerfully into his ear.
“Akira-kun, why not go get some food? You look like you’re on the verge of collapsing.” His friend’s usually high voice drops lower in concern, shaking Gunji out of his stupor.
“What? Oh, that’s fine. I’m not…” His weak protest was cut off by a growling in his stomach that sounded oddly whiny. Makoto let out a puff of laughter as if saying, what did I tell you?
Gunji trudged to the cafeteria line in defeat, hugging his manga to his chest. He stared at the long line of students, their chatter and laughter blending together into white noise. His eyes caught on a tall figure with bluish hair standing in line, looking awkwardly out of place in the throngs of girls surrounding him.
Oh, it’s Tenkuubashi-kun.
Tenkuubashi was still ignoring him at school and acting as if their partnership in the AMO didn’t exist. So, that’s how it’s gonna be, huh? It had been going on for a couple of months now, so completely disregarding each other’s existence was already a common occurrence. They were from two different worlds, after all.
Apprehension thrumming through his bones, Gunji slowly walked towards the sparking ball of chaos that surrounded Tenkuubashi, which unfortunately also happened to be the end of the line. He flipped open his manga, planning to read until it was his turn to get lunch.
He managed to get in a few pages before he felt a burning gaze coming the front of the line. A sense of nervousness slowly started to rise in his chest— who would stare at him that intensely? Was there an alien with a killing intent at school? A small bead of sweat rolled down his temple, and he slowly looked up from the page that he hadn’t turned in five minutes.
Green met blue, and suddenly he found himself staring straight ahead at Tenkuubashi Sho.
The paparazzi seemed to have dispersed and went back to their own lunch tables, leaving a swath of empty space for him to walk forward into the line. Gunji could already feel the people lining up behind him getting annoyed, and hurriedly stood next to Tenkuubashi while instinctively snapping shut his manga.
Shit, I forgot to bookmark the page.
He...couldn't be bothered to open it again.
One second passed.
Then two.
Gunji could still feel the burning stare, except this time it was targeted to the top of his head. He tentatively raised his head a bit higher, and stopped just when his neck was about to start straining.
Tenkuubashi was still staring at him.
Why does this guy keep staring at me?
Gunji’s thoughts were a mess in his head, and it definitely didn’t help that the students behind him kept letting their friends cut into the line, pushing and jostling him closer and closer to Tenkuubashi. After what felt like hours of contemplation, Gunji opened his mouth.
“...Hi.”
The second the word left his mouth, he dropped his gaze straight to the floor, heart jumping in instant regret. Holy shit, my voice came out wrong. I should have just ignored the guy. His eyes widened comically, and the sweat rolling down his temple increased its pace.
However, if Gunji hadn’t been contemplating his life choices and looking down at his feet during that moment, he probably would have noticed Tenkuubashi’s lips twitch for just a fraction of a second.
“Hi.” Tenkuubashi’s voice made Gunji’s head jerk back up in a panic.
“How was your day?” Gunji’s response shot out of his mouth like a knee-jerk reaction and passed through the air like a bullet. Except it completely missed Tenkuubashi’s ears, because Gunji had just pretty much just said it to his arm. The bastard was way too tall for his own good.
Gunji could almost feel his face muscles contracting in mortification.
“What?” Confusion (and mild amusement) was evident in Tenkuubashi's tone.
This was his chance! Gunji cleared his throat. I’m not embarrassing myself any more after this.
But before he could repeat his question, Tenkuubashi leaned down. To face him.
He had stepped a little closer to Gunji in those two seconds in which he had been panicking, and Tenkuubashi’s face was now level to his.
And so very. Very. Close.
Close enough so that Gunji could count every single one of those bottom lashes and observe all the little glittering details in his aquamarine eyes that made girls giggle and swoon. Close enough that he found himself actually agreeing with them.
All thoughts of not embarrassing himself flew out the window as his heart started beating faster, way faster than it had in years. Heat traveled up his neck and fused into his spine, making the small amount of space in between them seem charged with unknown tension. Dimly, he recalled that Tenkuubashi was still expecting an answer.
“Uh- nothing!”
Thankfully, the line had already moved so it was Tenkuubashi’s turn to get his lunch. He broke the eye contact and went to get the food, saving Gunji from having to hear his response. He let out a small breath of relief.
What was that?? I mean, I know he’s good looking, but… Gunji snuck another look at the boy in front of him, ordering his food and displaying his unfairly attractive side profile. He felt his cheeks heating up.
Oh fuck.
Tenkuubashi looked at the rapidly shrinking figure speedwalking towards a bored looking Makoto, precariously balancing his lunch tray in one hand and manga book in the other. Gunji’s hair was moving from how fast he was walking, and his ears flashed a bright red before disappearing under grey once again. The corners of Tenkuubashi's lips turned up slightly, and he turned back to his friends.
Cute.