Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In this world, everyone is born colorblind. It wasn't until you met your soulmate that you started seeing in color.

Of course, it wasn't as simple as "Hi, nice to meet you– oh I can see colors now." The universe wasn't nice enough to hand out freebies like that. You had to spend time with your soulmate and get to know them before colors would appear. You could know your soulmate for years and not even know it because you haven't had that once crucial moment with them. That aspect of it was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, people lucky enough to briefly encounter their soulmate on the street randomly wouldn't have to spend forever searching for that person again. However, on the other hand, the wait could be agonizing for some people.

One of those people was Kagiura Akira.

His entire life he would hear his loving parents speak about how colorful their lives are together. How the sky would change from blue during the day to a palette of orange, purple, and pink in the evening. How the trees would change from shades of green full of life to warmer shades of yellow and red as the seasons progressed. From literal things to symbolic things, his parents loved speaking in color. It was a love language of sorts for the two of them.

Of course, he couldn't see it. Everything was just different shades of black, white, and gray to the boy. He couldn't tell you which color was which if he were asked to identify them. Kagiura just had to take other people's word for it when it came to colors.

Other people… who were lucky enough to already know and love their soulmate.

Kagiura already knew that he wanted to have a relationship similar to the one his parents have. He dipped his toes into the dating pool back in middle school, but it wasn't fulfilling. It wasn't what he wanted in a relationship, it didn't fit in with his ideals towards romance, and most importantly, nobody made him see the colors he yearned for. Those memories just left an empty void inside of him as dark and bleary as the blacks he was used to seeing on a daily basis.

The black haired boy stared out of the train window into the city. Today was the day he was moving into his high school dorms. He had wanted to continue living at home with his close-knit family, but they just lived too far away that it wasn't possible for him to make the daily commute to early morning basketball practice. He was nervous about what was to come, but at the same time, he was excited in an anxious way.

Living with a roommate he had never met before was certainly a first, but hopefully it wouldn't be horrible. It was normal for senpai's to be nice to their kouhai's, right? There was no way he would be bullied by the guy or anything like that! Despite the few doubts he had, he was more so ready to take on this new phase of his life.

When he arrived at the dorm, the busybody dormhead was called over to attend to business elsewhere, so he gave Kagiura his room number and sent him on his way.

"This must be it." He mumbled to himself as he knocked on the door. After a few seconds, the door swung open, startling the young boy.

"Huh?!" The guy in the doorway nearly growled.

So that… was his roommate? Kagiura nearly jumped out of his skin. The guy had this menacing glare in his eyes that could certainly scare away entire crowds if they ever tried to mess with him. A punk? A delinquent, maybe? The next year was about to be extremely rough, wasn't it?

"U-Um, I'll be rooming with you…" He squeaked out.

Realization hit his new roommate as his eyebrows raised and his expression softened. "Oh, you're Kagiura-kun, then? Sorry, I overslept." On second thought, maybe this guy wouldn't be as bad as Kagiura's gut reaction thought.

Kagiura stepped into his new room and placed his bag down. Maybe it would be overstepping to ask someone he literally just met a minute ago, but there was one thing he absolutely needed to know.

His roommate, Hirano Taiga, if he recalled correctly, had hair unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Everyone around him had hair in different shades of black and gray, but not this guy. His hair was much lighter, looking almost white in his eyes. Obviously he knew that this most likely wasn't its real color, but even in the eyes of the colorblind, it distinctly popped out.

"Hirano-san." Kagiura's voice was nervous yet firm. "Is it possible… that you can see colors?"

"Hm?" Hirano looked over at his new roommate. "Oh, is this about my hair? No, I can't."

"Is that your natural hair color?"

"No, I bleached it. Apparently it's blond, or yellow, depending on how you look at it." Hirano answered with a shrug. His parents had told him what color his hair was so that's what he told people.

"So, if you can't even see the color, why bleach it?" Kagiura thought over his words for a moment. "D-Don't get me wrong or anything, I'm just curious! I'm not judging you or anything like that, so…" He waved his hands in front of himself in defense.

Hirano laughed; the sound tickled pleasantly at Kagiura's ears. "Nah I figured you weren't. I just think it looks cool, even if I can't properly see it." He smiled at the younger boy. He seemed carefree about the topic, kind of like he wasn't in a rush to see the world in color. Knowing himself, Kagiura wouldn't be able to do something like that. He was barely even sure what his natural hair color was, so he definitely wasn't going to change it to something he couldn't see.

—--------

It had been a few months since high school started and since Kagiura met Hirano.

And of course, he was still unable to see color.

Despite that, Kagiura was starting to feel this weird optimism towards the topic. Like this internal gut feeling was telling him that he was closer to grasping it than he ever had been in the past. He could very well just be him being silly, but he didn't think that was the case.

While he couldn't put a name on exactly what emotion this feeling was, he still knew that Hirano was quickly becoming one of the most important people in his life. Of course, it was natural to think differently towards those you live with versus those who are simply just classmates or teammates; people you don't really see outside of designated hours.

Summer vacation was just about to start, which meant he'd be apart from Hirano for a month. The shared room the duo breathed life into would be left empty as they both returned back to their respective homes for the season.

Kagiura didn't want to go so long without seeing the older boy, so on near impulse, he invited Hirano to come travel with him for a few days up to his grandpa's house in the countryside.

Luckily for him, Hirano accepted his offer.

Knowing that Hirano's birthday would overlap with the trip, Kagiura knew he had to bring a gift to celebrate.

While walking around the shopping district, he glanced into the display windows of each store he passed. After a lot of internal debate on what the best gift would be, Kagiura decided that he would buy Hirano a new pair of earrings for his birthday. Recently, the lighter haired boy lost his only pair. Maybe he had since found them and he just never told Kagiura, but even so, he wanted to make sure Hirano had a nice pair to continue wearing. Piercings looked good on him, and it would be a shame if the holes closed up after not being used for so long. While he didn't have piercings himself, he still knew that it didn't take much time for the holes to close up and heal.

Shopping without being able to see color has always been a challenge. What if he picked out a pair that didn't match Hirano's complexion at all? Maybe buying a black pair would be a safer bet than having to roll the dice and hoping that the gray earrings he grabbed were a nice color in reality. His parents had always said that black looked good with just about anything, but even knowing that, it still felt like a boring choice. Black was the norm for colorblind people, and honestly, Hirano wasn't normal in the best way possible.

At first glance, one would assume that Hirano was a scary delinquent who demanded respect via different fear methods, but that was far from the truth. Kagiura had heard from his roommate's friends that he could be hard on them when it came to studying and sometimes their attitudes, but from listening to their stories, he knew that Hirano wasn't like that towards Kagiura at all. Hirano was always willing to help him with his homework, always willing to listen to his problems no matter how silly or insignificant they could sometimes be, always willing to spend breaks with him playing a game or just relaxing together, always willing to finish the food he didn't like (even if he did make Kagiura take a few bites of it first). He was all around just a really great and caring guy that he could spend hours with and not even notice that so much time had passed. He really did cherish the unique relationship he had with Hirano.

Lost deep in thought, Kagiura continued searching for the perfect pair of earrings as his mind flooded with thoughts of his roommate. A smile grew on his face and he didn't care that he was in public where other people could see his emotions; even just the thought of Hirano made him happy and he wasn't afraid to let it show. He wore his heart on his sleeve; even when the other guy wasn't around.

Just then, a pair of earrings caught his eye. They were round gems that gave off a white sparkle as they reflected off the midday sun. As an added bonus, they were inexpensive too, which was good for his struggling wallet.

Kagiura couldn't tell what color they were, but yet, he knew that they were perfect for Hirano.

—--------

Hirano glanced at the clock in the room they were given to share while at Kagiura's grandpa's. It was approaching midnight and he really was starting to feel a tiny bit tired.

"Not sleepy, Kagi-kun?" He asked knowing that the younger boy had gotten more sleep than usual that day.

"Ehhh." He shrugged as he gave it some thought. "I took it easy this morning, so I'm all right."

"I think we oughta turn in soon anyways." Hirano knew that they still had to wake up at a normal time in the morning. Even if he didn't fall asleep right away, still just having his eyes closed was better than nothing.

"No, give it a moment longer." Kagiura turned down what Hirano just said.

Slightly confused by being denied, Hirano's eyes followed the black haired boy as he shifted over to his bag to pull something out. After giving the clock one final look, Kagiura turned around and held up a small paper bag in front of Hirano's face.

"Happy birthday Hirano-san!" He cheered with a radiant smile that could rival the sun.

"Huh?" He gave a shocked gasp as his eyes widened at the scene set before him. Hirano nearly forgot that it was his birthday. He happily laughed as he accepted the present from his roommate. He wasn't gonna admit that he was surprised out loud, but he was sure that his reaction had given him away.

He pulled out a small, velvet box that was inside the gift bag and quickly opened it up.

A new pair of earrings.

Kagiura smiled as he watched Hirano stand up to try them on in front of a mirror. "My parents told me that they're a deep blue color. Of course, I don't know if that's true or not." He knew that his parents wouldn't lie to him, but he also didn't know what blue looked like.

"Is that so?" Hirano examined himself in the mirror. "My parents say that I have blue eyes." He really liked how they looked on him and how they reflected the moonlight; giving them a slight twinkle within the gemstone.

Kagiura felt his cheeks warm up upon finding out that he chose the perfect pair. Both boys were laughing and giggling at each other like little kids. If they weren't careful, they were sure that one of Kagiura's relatives would come tell the teenagers to hush down and that they shouldn't be making so much noise at this hour, but neither of them cared about that.

It was just them alone in their own happy little bubble.

—--------

Before starting high school, Kagiura doubted that he would be seeing colors anytime soon. He picked out his school based on the basketball team, and it just so happened to be at an all-boys school where he'd be living at an all-boys dorm.

While none of his middle school relationships with girls ever made him feel anything special and really just left him feeling awkward, he had also never thought about dating another guy. He was never against the idea, it just never crossed his mind beforehand.

Well, that was starting to change.

While yes, it wasn't a guarantee that dating someone would lead to seeing colors, he still wanted to date Hirano. It felt as if ever since day one, the feelings had been planted and were blooming just a tad more each day. It wouldn't be long until those feelings blossomed into a beautiful flower overflowing with love.

Kagiura changed shoes and placed his sneakers into his shoe locker as he talked with his friend and classmate Niibashi. "They wake me up every morning and eat the food I don't like and help me with my homework and are really nice and have this amazing smile, so don't you think it'd be weirder for me not to fall in love with them…?" He reflected on his relationship with Hirano as the words poured out.

Niibashi rolled his eyes. "Ugh, are you bragging about your girlfriend first thing in the morning? You know that's a death-wish at an all-boys' school." He warned the taller boy before he could continue these dangerous waters.

"They aren't my girlfriend!" Kagiura defended himself.

Niibashi probed Kagiura for an explanation as they walked to their classroom together. "If they're not your girlfriend then who are they?"

"My roommate."

Oh yeah, that guy. Niibashi had met him in passing once or twice before, but they've never had a real conversation. Kagiura had mentioned him a few times, but up until now, he had never opened up on what exactly he was feeling.

He raised an eyebrow. "Did you start seeing colors because of him?"

"Nope." Kagiura answered right away as this longing expression plastered onto his face. "But… I really want him to be the one who makes me see them." His voice lingered for a moment at the end.

There was no way to change or influence fate. Kagiura couldn't magically ask the universe to make Hirano into his soulmate just because he wanted it. Fate already had a plan all set out for the boy and he had no way of knowing if Hirano crossed that path or not. He knew very well that there was a chance he could get hurt in the end, but it was a risk he was willing to take.

Niibashi wasn't sure how to put this politely, so he just had to be blunt. "You've known the guy for months now and have had plenty of moments with him, so don't you think you would've seen color by now if he was your soulmate?"

Kagiura sighed as he flopped over onto his desk. "You know how stubborn the universe can be sometimes. My sister said she knew her partner for almost two years before seeing colors, so I can't give up after just a few months." He pouted as he spoke.

Despite being friends, Kagiura had no idea if Niibashi could see colors or if he was still colorblind. Physically, those who can see in color are no different than those who are colorblind. Niibashi simply never opened up about the topic personally and Kagiura wasn't gonna push the guy for answers. He could very well be speaking from experience and maybe Niibashi gained the ability rather quickly after meeting his soulmate, or he could still be colorblind just like him.

"Why not ask this Hirano-san his thoughts on the whole soulmates thing?" Niibashi offered up an idea.

Kagiura lifted up his head. "Huh… I never thought about doing so before." The closest the two of them have had to a conversation about colors was back on the first day when he asked Hirano about his bleached hair.

"Good luck with that." Niibashi commented right as the teacher walked into the room ready to start class.

—--------

"Hirano-san, do you ever think about what it'd be like to see in color?" Kagiura asked while the two roommates were taking a study break.

"Where'd that come from?" Hirano asked; wanting to know more about the sudden change of topic.

Kagiura pondered his next words carefully. "Well you see, my parents love speaking about how colorful everything is when they're together, so I've always wanted to experience that. Just knowing that the world isn't really black and white, but not being able to experience it any other way can be so… frustrating!"

Hirano had a fond smile on his face; Kagiura really did admire his parents' relationship. He had never met the couple in person, but from listening to the black haired boys stories about them, he could tell that they were fun and that they really did cherish each other and their family more than anything else.

"Guess I never gave colors much thought. It's not like I need the ability to be able to read a book. I can still study just fine without it."

"Is there anything you want to see in color?"

"Well… I wanna see the sky." Hirano answered honestly. "I know that clouds are supposed to be white, so I can already see that much." He felt his cheeks warm slightly as a hint of embarrassment hit him. "That's a childish answer, isn't it? There's gotta be more interesting things out there." There was sheepishness laced into his unsure voice.

"No, that's not childish at all!" Kagiura's eyes glimmered as he listened to the light haired boy talk. He already knew that Hirano dreamed of one day becoming a pilot, so of course he'd wanna properly see the sky he'd be soaring through in the future.

Hirano chuckled. "Do you think the sky really changes colors as much as people say it does?" He glanced out the window. It was still just the usual shade of gray in his colorblind eyes.

"My mom said that the sky looks like a watercolor painting whenever it sets." Kagiura's expression softened as he joined Hirano in staring out the window.

"That so? I hope I can see it someday."

Kagiura wanted so badly to reach his hand out and take Hirano's hand in his own, but he held off. He wanted to continue the conversation to move into talking about soulmates, just like Niibashi had suggested, but he couldn't. He didn't wanna interrupt this moment as they fantasized together about what the sky was really like. Even if they weren't soulmates, he genuinely hoped that Hirano would be able to see it someday. It didn't matter if he had his heart broken in the process, Hirano's wish was what was the most important in the end.

—--------

Hirano absentmindedly stared out of the dorm's cafeteria window as his dinner sat untouched in front of him. He rested his head in the palm of his hand as he looked up at the white clouds dotting the sky.

In this world, everyone is born colorblind. It wasn't until you met your soulmate that you started seeing in color. Hirano knew this and had long since accepted the reality of it. His main focus was his studies, and his inability to see color wasn't a hindrance in that aspect of his life. Schools never tested on colors since it was completely out of their control when or if students would see them.

However, lately, his feelings towards the topic were starting to shift a little.

His roommate was so passionate about colors and so eager to see them that he couldn't help but hope that he'd be able to see them too! Maybe Kagiura was just rubbing off on him slightly, but when he looked into those glittery gray eyes, Hirano yearned for colors as well. He had no idea what he even expected them to look like, but if they were anything like the idealizations the younger boy talked about all the time, then maybe they would be worth seeing.

Hirano didn't know what he expected out of a soulmate. He had never dated anyone before, so he didn't even have a solid idea of what a relationship was like, much less what one that made you see colors would be like. He kinda just assumed that it would happen when it happened, and he left it at that.

"Not hungry?" Hanzawa asked as he sat across the table from the light haired boy.

"Huh? Oh yeah…" Hirano had nearly forgotten about the food in front of him that was starting to become cold.

Hanzawa chuckled at his friend. "It's rare to see you so lost in thought. Did something happen?"

Hirano didn't exactly want Hanzawa prying into his personal life. He knew exactly how nosey the guy could be, so he had to piece together his words extra carefully.

"I'm just… thinking about colors." While it was the truth, it wasn't the full extent of it. He certainly wasn't about to open up about the deep conversations he's been having with Kagiura about them.

"Never heard those words come out of your mouth before. I guess you do have a soft side after all!" Hanzawa teased. Hirano stared down at his dinner and poked at it with his chopsticks. "I'm not being soft." He denied. "Everyone has thoughts about it; it's totally normal!"

Hanzawa rested his head in his hands as his signature knowing smile formed on his face. "Did you find someone who makes you wanna see color?"

Hirano felt his cheeks warm up at the question. If his face changed color because of that then he really hoped it wasn't noticeable to the colorblind. "I haven't. Can't a guy just think about colors in peace?" He rolled his eyes at his friend.

Hanzawa hummed as he started eating his own dinner. "I guess so. You're free to think whatever you want."

Hirano resumed staring out the window; not really wanting to continue this conversation with Hanzawa. Something about talking about colors with someone who isn't Kagiura just felt… off… to him. Like it was a secret reserved just for the two of them whenever they were alone in the comfort of their room. He had never really been one to open up about his deeper emotions with his friends; why would he? It usually just left him feeling awkward and vulnerable, two feelings he didn't particularly enjoy. So to avoid that uneasiness, he just avoided putting himself in those situations in the first place.

But… something about how open and honest Kagiura always was made him want to learn how to open up and express himself. He wondered how it always came so naturally to the younger boy. Hirano was used to bottling everything up and dealing with his emotions when he was alone. More and more as they spent time together, the light haired boy was allowing himself to speak freely about what he was feeling, what he imagined about the world, and let himself listen to other points of view and mix those into his own views. Talking with Kagiura didn't make him feel sticky and awkward, it made him feel invigorated. Like the two of them could take on this colorless world as long as they were together.

Hirano wasn't sure what he would label his bond with Kagiura as. He was obviously closer to him than he was with any of his other friends, but what was that emotion called? He considered saying that they had a sibling-like relationship, but Hirano was an only child, so it was another type of relationship where he had no idea what the real deal was like. The more he thought about it lately, the more of a headache it gave him.

—--------

Do you want to kiss him?

Niibashi's words from earlier that day echoed throughout Kagiura's mind. While the two of them were at a sweets buffet together, he opened up more about what exactly he was feeling towards Hirano and his friend left him stumped with that question.

Honestly… he wasn't sure.

It wasn't something he ever really thought about before.

Obviously he knew that kissing was a natural part of any romantic relationship, but it just somehow skipped his mind. Even with his parents, he had never really seen them kiss all that often. Just being with Hirano was enough to leave the young boy overflowing with joy.

But… what would the physical aspect make him feel?

Back with his ex-girlfriend, any physical touching didn't make him feel as much as a tiny flickering spark. Something always felt like it was off or like it was missing, but he could never put his finger on what exactly that was. In the end, he was never able to relax and ease into the relationship.

He had touched Hirano plenty of times before, and he loved how the older boy's cool skin felt against his warmer skin. It both calmed him down and exhilarated him at the same time. It was a way of knowing that Hirano was present with him and that this wasn't all just a dream. It was as if he could float through the clouds his roommate admired so much.

Whether he wanted to kiss Hirano or not, he was really more focused on discovering if he would be the one who made him see colors. He could kiss anyone, but only one person would ever make him see the colors he dreamed of. Regardless of the extent of his romantic feelings towards his roommate, Kagiura still wanted Hirano to be his soulmate.

It was the end of the year, and Kagiura didn't want to spend it overthinking his feelings towards Hirano.

Luckily for him, the two of them made plans to spend New Year's Day together. He didn't have to think too deeply into it, he already knew that being with Hirano was what felt natural to him. They had only known each other since the start of April, but yet, it was almost as if Kagiura couldn't remember a time when he didn't have Hirano around.

—--------

Happy New Year's!!!

Kagiura read over his fortune while he waited for Hirano to get his. He wasn't fully sure what "don't cross that line" was referring to when it came to the romance section on it, but he happened to overhear two ladies laugh about how it sounded like school rules; he had to agree with them in a way.

He was still thinking over what he wanted his relationship with Hirano to be. Of course, him being his soulmate was the best outcome, but even just having the chance to date him would make him unbelievably happy. Even if he couldn't literally see colors, maybe dating Hirano would bring something akin to that into his life. Feelings of love, warmth, joy, and everything of the sorts was something that everyone was capable of feeling regardless of what they could see.

"Kagi-kun, did you tie yours off yet?" Hirano asked as he approached the taller boy.

"No, not yet!" The two of them headed over to where you do that.

Upon comparing their fortunes, they both found that they had received great luck for the upcoming year. "Sounds like we both are gonna have a lucky year. Maybe we'll get the same fortunes next year too!" Hirano smiled fondly while he figured out how to tie the piece of paper off.

"Let's do hatsumode together next year too, then!" Kagiura brightly offered on impulse.

"Sure thing." Hirano accepted immediately, but then he actually thought it over logically for a second. "Oh wait, next year is…" his voice trickled off for a moment. "I'll have exams to prep for. I won't be able to go." Reality could be so harsh sometimes.

"Use it as a study break!" Kagiura looked into Hirano's eyes with a serious and longing expression. He knew very well that these exams were important to his roommate, but he also didn't want the poor guy to be cooped up inside all the time and missing out on what the year would have to offer. Was it slightly selfish on his part? Maybe. But he genuinely wanted Hirano to have some fun outside of his studies.

Hirano looked back into the black haired boy's determined eyes as his own expression softened. He really did love spending time with the boy, so there was no way he was about to turn him down. His future self could figure out a good study schedule when the time came. "...Yeah, I guess so. I'll make it a study goal, then: to be able to come back here with you."

Kagiura froze up slightly as he was striken with emotion. "...It's cause you say stuff like that…" His shaky voice was barely legible. Obviously he was happy that Hirano had accepted his offer to come visit the shrine again next year, but also…

Because you keep on saying… nice things like that…

Kagiura wanted Hirano to be his soulmate more than anything else. If given the offer, he would gladly trade anything to make his dreams a reality. He knew it could take a long time for colors to appear, but sometimes, all the hoping and all the longing was just too much to handle. His heart ached as he daydreamed about the slim possibility. Part of him wished that you saw colors the second you met your soulmate. That way, he would already have his answer. He wouldn't have to be going through any heartache if that were the case.

Fate was sneaky and cruel way too often.

"Ah!" Hirano exclaimed; dropping his fortune while he was attempting to tie it off.

In unison, both boys bent down to pick up the piece of paper.

Their hands brushed together as Kagiura grabbed the fortune.

Wordlessly, Kagiura stared into Hirano's light gray eyes as they looked down at the ground in front of him. For a split second, Hirano didn't even notice that he was being stared at so intently. Kagiura's own eyes widened as he admired the light haired boy's beauty; his heart clenched simultaneously. If he moved in just a tiny bit closer, then maybe… he could close the gap between them.

When they made eye contact, Kagiura went stiff again. That thought was still in the forefront of his mind, but he wasn't going to act on it. He couldn't.

Hirano stood back up first. "Are you good at tying these things, Kagi-kun?" He asked; seeming unaffected by the moment that just went by in slow motion to the other boy.

"Eh?" He was still replaying what just transpired over and over again in his head.

"I can't manage to get mine tied properly."

"Oh, um… I think if you do this…" Kagiura showed Hirano the ropes while trying to keep his cool.

"Thanks." Hirano chuckled, satisfied with the help. "Well, I guess that's that. You done, Kagi-kun?"

"Just… a bit more…" Kagiura slowly tied his fortune off too.

Do you want to kiss him?
.
.
.
.
.
.
Just now, I did want to kiss him.

Kagiura had accepted it at long lost.

At that moment, his vision went blurry. He held his head as he closed his eyes, hoping it would go away.

"You ok?" Hirano noticed that something seemed off with his roommate.

Kagiura took a deep breath to collect himself. "Yep, all…" He opened his eyes.

"All good…" His voice was breathless.

The first thing he saw was Hirano's eyes.

They weren't the light gray he was used to seeing.

In fact, nothing looked like how it usually was.

"Kagi-kun?"

Kagiura darted his eyes in avoidance and looked up at the sky.

Oh… Hirano-san's eyes are the same color as the sky.

Chapter Text

There was one last condition with seeing colors and finding your soulmate: You didn't always have your crucial deciding moment at the same time.

Kagiura could see colors.

Hirano was Kagiura's soulmate.

And from the looks of things, he was the only one of the two that could see them.

His whole life, Kagiura always thought he'd be jumping for joy and running up the highest mountains imaginable with unlimited energy when he gained the ability to see colors. He thought he'd be wanting to announce to the whole wide world that his lifelong dream had finally come true at long last.

But instead, he kept it to himself.

He couldn't tell Hirano; not yet. The light haired, no, the blond boy didn't seem like his world was expanding. He was just going about his day in the usual colorless world he was used to. Kagiura didn't want to risk scaring the older boy off. He wasn't sure what exactly the extent of Hirano's feelings were for him, so of course he couldn't blurt out that they were soulmates and that he was the reason he could now see color. What if he was repulsed by that?

He couldn't force a moment to give Hirano the ability; it would happen when it happened. That's how it was for everyone on the planet.

Whether it took a day, weeks, months, or even something longer, neither of them had any way of knowing when it was coming.

When Kagiura returned home that day, he immediately started researching everything there was to know about colors. He could finally put a face to all the color names he learned throughout the years. For someone who was a known hater of studying, he sure was deeply invested in his learning right now. He was like a kid in a candy store able to have everything he wanted.

Red was the color of Hirano's personal notebook.

Orange was the color of the frames on Hirano's sunglasses.

Yellow was the color of Hirano's bleached hair.

Green was the color of the peppers he hated so much that Hirano always ended up offering to eat for him.

Blue was the color of the earrings Hirano wore daily that he had gifted him for his birthday.

Purple was the color of Hirano's oversized sweater he wore on cold nights.

Pink was the color of Hirano's cheeks whenever he was with Kagiura.

Every color he learned about, he found a way to connect it to Hirano. The world really was as colorful as he had been told all his life, and now, Hirano was his entire world. He wanted nothing more than to share it all with his soulmate, but he knew that he had to wait for him to catch up.

During the early evening, he decided to take a walk around his neighborhood by himself. Brown trees stood empty of their leaves as they waited for the weather to warm up again, golden furred dogs playfully barked at him as he walked past them, patches of green grass poked out from under the white snow, the pavement of the sidewalk was still a shade of gray he was used to, but now if he looked closely, he could see rainbow twinkles within the gems buried in the cement.

He looked up at the sky as the sun began to set. Different hues and shades of oranges, purples, and pinks swirled together as a send off to the day. A melancholic feeling flooded the brunette as he stared up at it; unable to take his eyes away from such a sight.

It really did look like a watercolor painting.

He really wanted to show this to Hirano. He wanted to watch the sky change throughout the entire day with him.

—--------

School started up again.

And Kagiura still had not told Hirano he could see colors.

He wanted to, but he was still unsure how the blond would handle the news.

However, it wasn't the only thing on his mind. There were only three more months left in the school year, which also meant the two of them only had that much time left living together under the same shared roof.

Despite now knowing they were soulmates and that they would always be connected, Kagiura hated the idea of living apart from Hirano. While, yes, they would both still be living at the dorms next year, not being in the same room meant they'd have less time to spend together. From the moment Kagiura returned home in the evening to the moment he left for basketball practice in the early morning, the two of them were always together. It wouldn't be like that anymore. Things would change, Kagiura would be assigned a new roommate, and Hirano would have his own private room.

He tried not to think about it and to just focus on the here and now, but the depressing thought was always there lingering in the back of his mind. It was nearly impossible to ignore it sometimes in all honesty.

The new room assignments came out in mid-March, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Day-by-day, his feelings for his roommate were only growing stronger. Ever since he started seeing colors, it was like everything with Hirano simultaneously moved at the speed of light while also moving at a snail's pace. It didn't make sense, but that's the only way Kagiura knew how to describe the sensation. Nothing about love and romance was supposed to make sense, but that was part of the intoxicating thrill of it all.

"Niibashi… how should I go about telling Hirano-san?" Kagiura asked his friend during their lunch break. He already filled him in on everything that happened on new years. "I've gotta tell him before we switch rooms, but I don't know how. I don't even wanna stop rooming with him in the first place." He took a deep breath. "Every time I've tried to, I just chicken out and run away. I feel terrible…"

"Aren't you usually pretty open with him about your feelings?" The pink haired boy raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Well, yeah… but this is so much different! There's so much weight on this!" Kagiura took a large bite of his sandwich in hopes of eating away his problems. "What if he never wants to see my face again?!" His mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

"You know that won't happen! Geez, I'm not even gonna entertain that thought!" Niibashi sighed before continuing. Despite his attitude on the surface, he was always willing to listen to his friends' problems; even if he wasn't going to admit that part out loud. "Honestly, just from what I've heard from you, I'm more so surprised that Hirano-san isn't your boyfriend already. Of course, I only know your side of the story, so I couldn't tell you what's going through that guy's mind. Look, even if he isn't on board initially, he's bound to come around eventually. You're literally tied together by fate! Just don't force him into anything he doesn't wanna do, understand?"

"I wouldn't do that to him!" Kagiura protested. "But you're right. Thanks Niibashi, I feel a bit better now." He smiled at his friend.

"Yeah? Well, that's good. Let me know how it goes." He paused for a second. "Oh who am I kidding, we all know you already will without me even having to ask." Niibashi deadpanned.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Extremely!"

—--------

Hirano walked into his classroom with a death glare on his face.

"Yikes, what's with you?" Sasaki asked as he looked up from his phone.

"It's nothing." His voice nearly snapped.

"I'm pretty sure it's something. Your face is scarier than usual."

Hirano directed his glare at his friend as he sat down at his desk. He looked out the window; the sky was covered in gray clouds. He couldn't tell if it was stormy out or if it was just the lack of color in his vision making them look that way. Regardless of which, he resonated with them.

"...Kagi-kun's been avoiding me lately." Hirano muttered out.

"Huh? Roommate-kun? Did something happen? What did you do?" Sasaki already figured that Hirano saw the younger boy in a different light than everyone else, but he never expected to see his friend be so bothered and upset by him.

"I didn't do anything!" Hirano actually snapped at him that time. He considered punching him just to let some steam out, but he held back.

It was true though.

Ever since the two of them visited the shrine together, it was like the younger boy became much more jumpy around him. Everytime Hirano would try to say something to the boy, Kagiura would panic and make up a half baked excuse to run away.

He had absolutely no idea what was going on.

Nothing about that day seemed wrong to Hirano. It was just a normal first shrine visit to kick off the new year. He never did anything to make Kagiura uncomfortable, they didn't have a fight, and if anything, Kagiura seemed overjoyed to be spending the day with him.

So… what happened?

Hirano couldn't figure it out.

"It's true." Hanzawa cut in to join their conversation. "Just yesterday, Kagiura-kun ran out of their room screaming." He just so happened to witness that scene go down.

"You definitely did something." Sasaki was direct with his words.

"I'm telling you I didn't do anything!" Hirano snarled. "Did you have to make it seem like I harassed him?!" He directed his attention to Hanzawa.

"I'm just reporting what I saw." Hanzawa said in his teasing voice.

Hirano rolled his eyes. He didn't want to be the center of this conversation. Those two didn't even have the full picture.

"You can be scary sometimes, Hirano." Sasaki commented as he resumed scrolling away on his phone. Those words stung, but he knew it was true. Bleached hair combined with his naturally occurring glare could make him look like a delinquent. Plus his rough way of talking certainly didn't help his cause. He didn't want to change a thing about himself though. Kagiura had told him that he likes him how he is, and aside from their first few seconds of knowing each other, he had never been scared of the older boy.

Well… up until now.

Maybe… he really did unknowingly do something to scare Kagiura away from him.

He didn't want his roommate to start avoiding him all the time; he meant too much to him.

—--------

This was getting out of hand.

Kagiura walked back to the dorms alone after basketball practice that ran late. He was already starting to lose sleep from worrying so much over what to do, so adding on long, intense practices in the early morning and late evening certainly wasn't helping.

For the past few nights, the brunette laid awake at night trying to put together the perfect plan to tell Hirano about everything. He wanted nothing more than to be open and honest with his soulmate, but that was easier said than done.

Maybe if he did this…?

No, maybe that would be better…?

Or would doing these beforehand be better…?

None of his ideas were good enough. Time was ticking and the more he put it off, the more it would eat him alive.

He definitely knew now that he had feelings for Hirano; and being soulmates fully supported that. Being so close to him all the time made him want to pour the rainbow of colors in his heart out to the other boy, but everytime he tried, the words chained themselves away inside of him, refusing to be revealed. Even just the tiniest brush of his hand sent electrifying sparks through his entire body that could energize him through multiple intense basketball practices with ease. It was such an overwhelming sensation that he had never experienced before.

He wanted to make Hirano his.

He felt a few drops of rain on his head as he walked. He looked up at the sky; dark storm clouds covered up the late evening sky as rain began pouring down fast and heavy.

He pulled his jade green umbrella out of his bag before he could get soaked and continued on his way.

—--------

"Welcome back." Hirano greeted when he heard the door open. He stood up from his seat and walked over to the younger boy. "Is something wrong? You don't have your usual smile." It was clear from his voice how concerned he was. While he was very annoyed at Kagiura for avoiding him so much lately, he wasn't about to let it show. He didn't want to scare him off anymore than he already has, so he kept his emotions at bay.

Kagiura squeaked as Hirano approached him. He was so close! "I-I'm fine! Just… had a long practice!" He snaked past the older boy and went to his closet. "You don't wanna be c-close to me right now, I'm all gross and sweaty. I'm… gonna go take a bath now! Don't wanna catch a fever from being out in the pouring rain!" He awkwardly laughed as he rushed to find the first pair of pajamas he could grab.

"But, you aren't even wet!" Kagiura was already out of the room before Hirano could get a response.

He really was avoiding him…

Hirano sat down defeated on the edge of his bed.

What did I do wrong….?

—--------

Niibashi walked into his classroom the next morning. Immediately, he noticed that something was off.

Kagiura was slumped over on his desk, hoodie covering his head, and he had the absolute worst dark bags under his eyes. He barely looked alive. The doom and gloom engulfing him was tangible.

"You look like shit!" Niibashi placed his bag on his desk as he looked over at the empty shell left of his friend. "What's your problem?"

"Hey Niibashi…" Kagiura's voice sounded awful.

"...I'm horny for Hirano-san."

Niibashi immediately smacked the boy across the head. Did he seriously have to say that out loud in the middle of class?! Other people heard him! He grabbed the taller boy's arm and dragged him out of the classroom, bumping into their other classmates in the process. He was not about to have this conversation with so many people potentially listening in.

"Kagiura, c'mere!" He was so ready to give him a piece of his mind.

"Wait, Niibashi… I think I feel sick…" Kagiura nearly collapsed as he spoke. The lack of sleep had finally caught up to him.

"Huh?!"

—--------

Kagiura laid down on a bed in the nurse's office as he apologized to his pink haired friend for making him go through so much trouble for him.

"So… what the heck is going on?" Niibashi wanted to get to the bottom of all this. "Are you unwell or something?"

"I think maybe I just haven't been getting enough sleep lately." That explained a lot. "I've been having trouble sleeping, see…"

"Why?" Niibashi raised an eyebrow.

"Niibashi, before… you asked me if I wanted to kiss Hirano-san."

"...Yeah, I did." He took notice of just how exhausted his friend looked. Part of him was surprised he didn't pass out immediately upon putting his head on the pillow.

"...I did want to kiss him. And right as I had that realization, I started seeing colors. The very first thing I ever saw in color was Hirano-san's face. It's all been so overwhelming and everything just happened so fast…" He sat up as he buried his face away in his hands, not wanting to be seen by the world. "I'd get so lost in remembering how colorful he is and what it feels like to touch him." He clenched his cardigan in his fist. It hurt so much to talk, but he had to spill everything out. There was no bottling it up anymore. "And now whenever I'm around Hirano-san, my heart hurts so much! I can't even talk straight around him. We'll wake up in the morning and I'll see him and immediately want to kiss him."

"But… the more I realize how much I want him… the more I realize… that he doesn't want me!"

Kagiura trembled under the blanket. "I know that we're soulmates, and like you told me, we're tied together by fate, but even so… even so… he's not gonna want it to be me! We only ever get one soulmate and I ruined that experience for him! What if he never sees color because it's impossible for him to see me as his soulmate?"

He's never going to see the sky…

Kagiura shakily exhaled after taking a short moment to catch his breath. "...How can I get him to really look at me? I always thought I just wanted someone I could laugh with, like my parents… but now I'm so overwhelmed with the urge to touch Hirano-san, I can't even be in the same room as him! And I know it's wrong of me to–"

"It's not wrong!" Niibashi immediately cut Kagiura off from self-deprecating himself any further.

"...It's normal to feel that way when you're in love."

Kagiura's expression relaxed a bit as he listened to his friend talk. Maybe he had been too hard on himself, but all these overwhelming feelings were as new to him as colors were, and he didn't know how to handle it on his own anymore. He needed someone to guide him, and Niibashi seemed to know what he was talking about.

"I'm behind you all the way, so just get some rest."

"Ok…"

As Niibashi walked back to his classroom after leaving his friend to get some long overdue sleep, he ran into Hirano of all people in the hallway.

"Good morning, Hirano-san." He greeted as the older boy climbed up the stairs.

"Ah, 'Niibashi' wasn't it?" Hirano managed to recognize his roommate's best friend. "Morning." Hirano yawned.

Niibashi wore his unamusement all across his face. Seriously? You are NOT the one that's tired here. He frowned.

"Kagiura's in the nurse's office right now, you know."

"Huh?" Did Hirano hear that correctly?

"Apparently he hasn't been feeling well lately." Niibashi scolded him. "Did you not rea–"

Hirano ran off past him towards the nurse's office before he could even hear what the younger boy had to say to him. Kagiura mattered much more than whatever he was about to say.

"That was fast."

—--------

Hirano swung open the curtain to Kagiura's bed to find the boy fast asleep. When he was stopped by the nurse for barging in without permission, he cleared up who he was so he could stay with him. When the nurse left Kagiura to him, he sat down on a spare stool next to the bed and flopped his head down.

Hirano beat himself up for not noticing how sleep deprived the younger boy was. He was already well aware that he was being avoided, but he hated himself even more for making the athlete lose sleep too. It didn't matter what he did wrong, Kagiura was hurt by it… he had never felt this awful before. It was as if that world was turning even bleaker than it normally was in his colorblind eyes.

Hirano couldn't see color. But yet… Kagiura's presence brought so much light into his life.

And now… he was about to lose all that.

The school year would end, they wouldn't be roommates anymore, and at this rate, Hirano assumed that Kagiura would never speak to him ever again once it was all over.

"Don't go avoiding me all of a sudden, damnit…" Hirano's pained voice spoke even though Kagiura was fast asleep right in front of him; unable to hear his hurting plea.

"Hirano-san…?" Kagiura groggily sat up; still with his eyes closed.

"Ah, sorry! Did I wake you up?" Hirano internally smacked himself for messing up again. "I'm going back to my classroom, so just get some rest, ok?" He pushed the younger boy back down against the pillow.

Kagiura opened his eyes just a sliver.

Hirano really did look so beautiful in color.

He wanted the blond to experience the colorful world too.

"Hey, Hirano-san…?" His voice was quiet; only meant for the two of them to hear. He reached his hand up to take Hirano's hand in his own.

"Hm?" Hirano took Kagiura's hand when he noticed.

"You're my soulmate."

As quickly as he awoke, Kagiura was back to sleep before he had a chance to elaborate.

"I'm your… what…?"

Chapter Text

You're my soulmate.

Kagiura slowly blinked his eyes open and stared up at the nurses office ceiling. He combed his hand through his messy bed head as he took a moment to wake up and become aware of his surroundings.

That morning was all a blur at this point. He remembered being dragged here by Niibashi, spilling his troubled heart out to his friend (not quite remembering exactly everything he said), and then falling asleep basically right after all that.

He then had this really realistic dream about finally telling Hirano the truth.

Too bad it was just a dream though. Telling the blond came so much easier to his dream self than it did to his real self. Maybe it was a sign that he should just rip the band-aid off and do it. Get that weight off his shoulders for good.

After confirming that he was feeling all good to go now with the nurse, he made his way back to class.

In the hallway, he ran into Niibashi. "I was about to go check on you. I'm heading to the school shop, what about you?"

"I'll tag along." Kagiura smiled at his friend.

As they walked, he stared out the window. Sunny blue sky with a few clouds here and there. It must be mid-day or early afternoon now. How long was he out exactly?

"Did you get a decent nap?" Niibashi wanted to make sure his friend was feeling much better now. He certainly looked way more alive than the last time he saw him.

"Yeah. I even dreamed I told Hirano-san he was my soulmate." He hummed as he thought back to it again.

"Eh?!"

Wait… why was that so shocking?

"I think… that might not have been a dream…" Niibashi's voice was a little unsure, but even so, he seemed like he knew something important to the story.

"Huh?" Kagiura waited for an explanation. He was so sure that it was all just one big wonderful dream! There's no way that telling Hirano was actually that easy and there's no way that he did it while he was feeling half dead! Well… looks like all that time he spent agonizing over coming up with the perfect plan to tell him was all for nothing.

So… Now what?

"It's just, when he heard you weren't feeling well, he took off running for the nurse's office." Niibashi explained the brief encounter he had with Hirano earlier that morning. Though, he held off on telling Kagiura about the part where he was about to give the older boy a piece of his mind for being so blind; seniority be damned!

"He ran to see me…?" Maybe this was all just a dream too. Hirano running, breaking school rules, all to make sure his soulmate was doing ok when he heard that he was just overtired? Nah, that was too good to be true!

But… but maybe….

Niibashi was an honest guy. He wouldn't make up lies like that to mess with his friend. He knew how important Hirano, colors, and soulmates were to Kagiura that he would never play a cruel prank on him like that.

Niibashi began muttering; analyzing what had happened and his take on it. "He seemed really worried, so I feel like he thinks of you as… at least more than a friend." He wasn't quite ready to make his call on if Hirano could see Kagiura as his soulmate yet or not. That part was still up in the air. "Though all I know of him is what I've heard from you, so don't take my word for it…"

"So it wasn't a dream then…" Kagiura's heart pounded in his chest as his cheeks dusted into a light red. This was all so exciting, but yet, all so terrifying at the same time. His eyes sparkled brightly at the thought of Hirano accepting that they were soulmates.

He knew he had to ask Hirano directly when he got back home that night.

In that case… just how much hope… am I allowed to have?

If only the school day would finish faster.

—--------

After making a mad dash as fast as his long legs would carry him back to the dorm, Kagiura calmed his breathing back to steady before opening the door to their shared dorm room.

As expected, Hirano was already back and sat at his desk studying.

Hirano leaned back in his chair with a massive shiny grin on his face when he heard the door open. "Yo! Welcome back!" He greeted the younger boy.

Kagiura stood there and blinked for a second.

Ok. So far so good.

As he took off his jacket, Hirano chimed in. "Feeling better? Did you get some sleep in the nurse's office?" He asked. "I heard from Niibashi."

Kagiura smiled. Everything was going as usual. Hirano didn't seem put off after the bombshell that was dropped on him that morning. "Oh, yes. I napped until the afternoon periods."

"So what brought on this sudden bout of sleepiness? Just some growing pains?" He still seemed oblivious.

I'm sure I told him the truth… but he's acting like normal. I want to see his reaction.

"...Hirano-san" Well, here goes nothing. It was now or never.

"Do you remember what I told you in the nurse's office?" Kagiura gripped onto the back of his desk chair to prevent his hand from visibly shaking. Unless it was noticeable in his voice, he didn't want his nerves to show.

Hirano knew that they were soulmates.

There was no way things could go back to the way they were before if he didn't communicate everything.

Everything was different now.

"Huh?" Hirano scratched at his hair as he figured out his next words. "Ugh, you sure do like to go right for the throat, huh? I mean, I can't say it wasn't a bad thought; knowing how important colors are to you. But you already know it's not as simple as just saying that someone is your soulmate." He sighed, avoiding eye contact. Hirano had assumed the whole thing was just something Kagiura said in a half asleep daze. Part of him was surprised the younger boy even remembered what he said in the first place.

"It wasn't a random thought." Kagiura's firm voice cut through the room.

"Huh?" Hirano was lost.

Kagiura had tons he wanted to say. In the heat of the moment, he finally poured it all out. "I'm saying that you're my soulmate. After realizing that I'm in love with you, I started being able to see the world in color." He clenched his fists at his sides. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you all this sooner, but I wasn't sure how you would take it. I grew overly conscious of everything that was happening in such a short period of time; seeing colors, having you as my soulmate, and sharing a room with the person I'm in love with and started having trouble sleeping."

"...Seriously?"

"I wouldn't lie to you."

Hirano's face was blank; still needing a moment to take in and process everything that was said to him.

Kagiura… could see colors.

Kagiura… was in love with him.

Kagiura… was his soulmate.

Hirano wanted to pinch himself to make sure he was still awake. Maybe he just studied so much that evening that he fell asleep at his desk and right now he was dreaming of Kagiura.

He swallowed hard.

Nope, this was all real.

This was way too serious to just be a silly little dream made up by his dumb mind.

"So you…" Hirano trailed off again.

"Sorry, but I don't see how this is all possible."

Kagiura stared down at the ground in defeat. This didn't go the way he wanted to, but he also knew that getting everything he ever wanted just like that wouldn't be so easy.

He pouted hard. "...Well I don't accept that." He rejected his rejection.

"Huh? Uh, it doesn't matter if you 'accept it' or not?" Hirano looked annoyed, but not totally pissed off.

The blond thought to himself for a moment.

"How do you even know that it was me who made you… who's your…" He gestured between the two of them instead of finishing his sentence; not quite ready to say the words or to accept reality yet. "Are you sure it's not someone else?" He gripped his arm as he asked that part.

Kagiura's face lightened up slightly as he thought back to how it all happened. "It happened when we visited the shrine together."

Hirano raised his eyebrows. "On new years?" That lined up exactly with when Kagiura started acting off around him.

"Yeah." He nodded. "The first thing I saw in color was your eyes; they're blue, the same color as the sky."

Hirano huffed. "Pretty sure I've told you my eye color before."

"You have, but now I know that it's true. Your eyes, your earrings, the sky: all such a beautiful shade of blue." He chuckled. "Out of all the colors, it's my favorite."

Hirano's face heated up instantly.

Kagiura's eyes widened. "You're blushing." His voice was quiet. "Your face is completely red."

"Shut up! I am not!" Hirano's blush only deepened as he denied it. He had always assumed that faces change color whenever they warmed up, but knowing that it was true and very noticeable was so embarrassing. Kagiura resisted the urge to reach out and cup his soulmate's face in his hand.

Kagiura thought about this all the time, but Hirano was absolutely gorgeous. He already thought so back when he was colorblind, but wow, the older boy really was absolutely breathtaking. His deep red blush stood out framed against his bleached yellow hair. His blue eyes darted around the ground as his eyebrows furrowed; still desperately trying to avoid eye contact. Hirano was currently wearing comfy loungewear, which made Kagiura imagine lazy nights in the future where the two of them wrapped themselves up in a fluffy shared blanket, enjoyed each other's presence, and whispered sweet nothings to each other under the soft lighting of the moonlight. They'd both be able to tell each other all about the color they brought into their life's as they held each other close.

Hirano grumbled; snapped the younger boy out of his daydreams. "I know I already asked, but you're definitely not lying about this?"

"I would never lie about this topic, Hirano-san." When Hirano looked into Kagiura's eyes, he knew he was telling the truth.

"So that's what fate picked out for me, huh…?" He turned around in his chair and faced his desk again. His tone of voice was nearly impossible to read.

"Are you… disappointed…?" Kagiura's voice was pained.

"No, no… it's just… well… I can't see colors, so I guess it's just…" He was really struggling with what to say. "Gimme time to think about all this. I need time, it's a lot to handle."

"Of course!" Kagiura felt better.

Hirano turned his head to look out the window. The sky was a dark gray in his eyes as the evening was transitioning into night; not quite fully black yet.

"What… does blue look like?"

Honestly, Kagiura hadn't even thought of how to describe color yet. Even when people would tell him what colors looked like when he was a kid, he never fully grasped it. It wasn't until he got to see them for himself that he was able to understand what they were saying.

"It's like… um…" Kagiura sat down in his own desk chair as he pieced the puzzle together. "Imagine you're standing on the beach in late spring. Blue is like… when you stare out at the ocean and a gentle breeze hits you. You feel like you can take on the world." Kagiura was never the most poetic person; not exactly having stellar grades in the topic to write home about. But if it was for Hirano, he was willing to learn and do the best he could.

Hirano snickered. "What does that mean? Well, I think I see where you're coming from."

Kagiura took a deep breath, he still had more he had to say while he was being open and honest. "Hirano-san, even before I found out that we're soulmates, I've been in love with you. Even if we weren't tied together by fate in this way, I'd still want to date you. So… if it's possible, I hope you'll also think about whether you could see me in a romantic light." He reached out across the gap between them and softly took Hirano's hand. The blond tensed at the touch, but Kagiura began rubbing small circles with his thumb in an attempt to help him relax. "Think about it for me please."

Hirano opened and closed his mouth a few times in failed attempts to speak. He wanted to see color, and now he had the first step of the mystery solved. It would be so easy to say "ok we can be soulmates" since fate laid out this easy path for him, but even so, he wanted to figure this out for himself. He didn't want some invisible force telling him the way to go. He wanted to be absolutely positive about everything before he gave an answer so he didn't give his roommate-turned-soulmate any false hope that would hurt him eventually. He never wanted to hurt Kagiura; that much he was definitely sure of.

He opted to avoid the question for now to focus on something else.

"Will you be able to sleep properly now? I don't wanna be the reason you nearly collapse again." Hirano sounded like he was blaming himself for that whole situation.

Kagiura paused his thumbs movement. "I'll… be fine. I was just overwhelmed and confused. If I just get used to it, yeah, I'll be fine. Truth is… I don't want to change rooms. I want to stay here with you no matter what. It's better than you avoiding me, so…"

Hirano sighed with a small smile on his relieved face. "I'm not gonna avoid you, geez."

Kagiura felt his heart skip a beat. He wasn't going to lose Hirano after all.

"I mean if we're talking about people avoiding others, I think you've got a lot to answer for!" Of course he noticed. Kagiura nearly jumped out of his chair and onto the ground after being exposed like that.

Hirano slumped down in his chair after everything was said and done. "Y'know, you had me worried that I had done something."

"You were worried…" Kagiura's voice went quiet as he pouted again. "Are you sure you don't see how us being soulmates is possible? Maybe it's subconscious and you actually accepted it right away! It happens all the time."

"Huh? I already told you that I still need to think about it." Hirano rolled his eyes. "It's just that I never had trouble sleeping last year when I was rooming with a senpai, so I had no idea what was going on! I was about to lose my mind here!" He explained himself.

"You're ridiculous!" Kagiura whined loudly.

It was gonna take awhile for Hirano to process reality, wasn't it?

He was willing to wait as long as he needed.

Chapter Text

When Kagiura left to go take his bath, Hirano was alone in their shared room.

At first, he tried to resume his studying.

But…

"Ugh, this is impossible…" He complained out loud to himself. Three major bombshells were just dropped onto him at once; there was no way he was gonna be able to casually go back to his routine studying as if nothing ever happened tonight.

He still needed time to process everything he had just learned.

Hirano's face was still on fire; feeling like it would leave a nasty burn if he tried to touch it. Kagiura said his face became red when he blushed like this, right? He wondered what he must look like right now. Probably an embarrassing mess.

So… he had a soulmate.

And that soulmate… was none other than his kouhai, his friend, his roommate, and so much more to him: Kagiura Akira.

His soulmate could already see colors.

His soulmate… was in love with him.

In all honesty, Hirano had never even thought about dating another guy; much less having his soulmate be another guy. Well, seems like that was all set in stone now.

There was no changing fate. The universe decided that Kagiura would be the one who would someday free him from his colorblindness and would show him just how colorful everything really was.

For pretty much all his life, he thought he was content with maybe never seeing colors. He wasn't rushing to find his soulmate, and the lack of color in his eyes wasn't making his life unlivable, so he just put it all aside and focused on himself.

There was no changing fate, but Hirano didn't want fate to decide his life for him and he didn't want to blindly follow that path. He wanted to have the chance to experience things for himself and to figure out if he could actually see Kagiura as his soulmate or not on his own free will. He knew the end goal, but he didn't know if he would arrive there or not.

There was no rush. Kagiura gave him all the time in the world to figure himself out. That boy would gladly wait until the end of time if it came down to that.

Hirano combed a hand through his crispy bleached hair and scratched at his head as he was lost in his own thoughts. He stared out the window; the sky was black now. He knew that it would always be black at night, so that much would never change. Tiny white stars dotted the sky as the universe unraveled itself.

Oh universe…. Why do you have to be so sneaky?

—--------

The next morning, Hirano woke up early as usual to wake his sleeping roommate up for basketball practice.

With a big yawn and a stretch, he made his way across the small room. Before he could reach his hand down to shake the younger boy's shoulder, he took a second to admire how peaceful he looked when asleep. His face looked so relaxed; the complete opposite of how it was last night when he was confessing his heart out. Hirano's cheeks warmed a tiny bit as a fond smile grew.

Looks like Kagiura was finally able to get some long overdue sleep after all that suffering in silence. If only he didn't have practice; Hirano would happily let him snooze for longer if that was the case. Relief washed over Hirano now that he knew for certain that his roommate was feeling better.

"Kagi-kun, wake up." His sleep-ridden voice said with another yawn.

He's got bed head. Hirano took notice of the few strands sticking out in every random direction. He brought his hand up that soft dark hair and started working on smoothing them out.

As Kagiura slowly blinked awake, he felt a hand running throughout his hair and in an instant, he quickly awoke and bolted to sit up.

"Eh?!" His startled voice squeaked out.

That took Hirano off guard, but he played it cool with a playful laugh. "Oh, you're finally awake! Don't you have practi–"

His voice disappeared immediately when he noticed the wide eyed hesitant stare Kagiura was giving him. It had always been tough for Hirano to notice blushes due to his colorblindness, but even so, he was certain the other boy must be sporting one right now. A bead of nervous sweat ran down Kagiura's cheek as his heart started pounding fiercely in his chest. He took deep breaths in through his nose in an attempt to calm himself down quickly.

Hirano's mouth went the tiniest bit agape when he looked at that view.

That… wasn't the reaction he was expecting. At all.

He decided to pick up what he asked a moment ago. "You've got morning practice, don't you?"

"Oh, um, we have today off." Kagiura tried to keep his voice steady. He was hoping that Hirano would just pass it off as him just needing to wake up more.

Kagiura knew that last night, he layed everything out clear in the open and that he kept his temper and his passion steady as best as possible.

But now… Hirano knew everything.

And things didn't go as smoothly as he wanted it to.

The blond rejected it all, but even so, he still asked him to think it over.

When he asked Hirano to especially think over his romantic feelings, he noticed that the boy conveniently dodged the question. Kagiura opted not to comment on it, but it remained in the forefront of his mind and it stung.

He was willing to wait as long as needed, but that wait was really going to suck. Plus, the end didn't promise anything. Hirano could think everything through, but still end up rejecting him for good.

Even so, Hirano would always be dazzling in eyes. Colors or not, he always thought that the older boy was beautiful. He never knew that another person could look like a work of art that you'd find in the finest museums across the world.

Hirano apologized for waking him up so early and that he didn't know it was an off day for the team. He suggested that Kagiura should go back to sleep, especially after all the insomnia he suffered recently, but he shot him down. Too many thoughts had flooded his mind first thing in the morning that there was no way he'd be able to fall back asleep right now.

Instead, Kagiura opted on going for an early morning jog. Even since he started seeing color, the brunette found that being outside and seeing all the colors nature had to offer helped him relax in a way. He still, of course, wanted to share these sights with Hirano, but for now, he'd have to take them all in by himself. If there ever came a day when Hirano started seeing colors too, he'd need a tour guide to reintroduce him to everything in the world after all. Kagiura wanted to learn and experience all the shades of colors out there for Hirano's sake.

Hirano stared at the door long after Kagiura left.

That was way too awkward.

Things couldn't stay that way. He needed to do something about it before Kagiura could potentially start avoiding him again.

—--------

When Kagiura returned from his jog, Hirano was standing right at the door waiting for him.

"Hirano-san?! What are you doing….?" He couldn't get a read on the older boy.

"We need to talk, Kagi-kun." The firmness in his voice told Kagiura that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He didn't have any more escapes; he just had to listen to what Hirano had to say.

Hirano took a deep thought as he collected his thoughts. He figured out what he needed to say while Kagiura was out, he just had to voice them out loud now. "Things are pretty awkward between us right now, aren't they?" He asked as a question despite both of them knowing the answer all too well.

"Yeah…" Kagiura wasn't exactly sure what to say.

"I know you told me everything last night, but even so, it feels like you're still trying to avoid me." Hirano clenched his fists by his sides. "I hate it! This'll eat away at me for the rest of my life if things stay this way!"

Kagiura nodded as he listened; feeling twinges of guilt for his panicked actions. He really hated avoiding the blond, but his heart was in so much of a frenzy that his fight or flight response kept telling him to run away no matter what.

Hirano grabbed Kagiura's wrist while looking down at the ground; his socks were suddenly so interesting. "Kagi-kun… Please don't avoid me anymore." He basically begged the younger boy. "It just isn't the same without you around me all the time…"

Kagiura shifted their position so that they were now holding hands. "I'm so sorry for how I've been acting, Hirano-san." His voice was pained. "I thought I'd be back to normal after laying it all out, but I still panic inside… I'll get over it quickly; I promise."

"I'm holding you to that." Hirano let out a sigh of relief. A smile returned to his face. "C'mon, the cafeteria should be open now; let's go have breakfast together."

—--------

"Who's idea was it to put green peppers into breakfast foods?!" Kagiura complained while poking at the last few bites of his food.

Hirano snickered. "What? Does now knowing the color not make it more appetizing?"

Kagiura pouted at the question. "Colors don't change the flavor. They're still disgustingly bitter and I hate eating them!" He sighed in defeat. "Hirano-san can you please take them?

Hirano hummed for a moment while thinking it over. Normally he would tell Kagiura to take at least one bite before he took them off his hands, but today, he wanted something different.

"Tell me what green looks like and I will."

"Green?" Kagiura was slightly shocked at the different request. "The color of gross peppers." He whined.

Hirano rolled his eyes. "C'mon, be real, Kagi-kun. That doesn't tell me anything."

"Ok ok…. Well, if blue is the color of the sky, then green is the color of the earth. Lots of things in nature are green; leaves, grass, bushes… wait haven't you learned all this before?"

"I have, but I wanna hear it from you." Hirano smiled.

Kagiura couldn't refuse that smile, so he continued. "Green is when you're going on a walk through a nature trail on a bright sunny day. You don't have a map, but that's ok since you're following the path up to the top of the mountain."

The words he was saying didn't totally make sense to the colorblind Hirano, but that was fine. After all the months the two of them had spent together, the blond came to really enjoy it whenever Kagiura talked about colors. Now that he could actually see those mysterious colors, their conversations became even more exciting. The younger boy had always been so passionate about the topic, but it's like that passion had been amplified hundreds of times since the start of the year. Hirano listened intently with a smile on his face as Kagiura compared colors to different things throughout the world.

Hirano wanted to experience it too.

Man… I really want to stay in the same room as him…

Before Hirano even had a chance to process what he had just thought, Hanzawa sat down next to him with his breakfast, completely interrupting their conversation.

"Good morning you two." He smiled.

Hiding their annoyance at the dormhead just suddenly welcoming himself into their bubble, the two said good morning back to him as the conversation died and they resumed eating. Hanzawa had interrupted their moments before, but it was never not irritating when he did. Kagiura was low-key convinced he was doing it on purpose sometimes; his timing was always suspiciously perfect.

"Dormhead… there's something I need to ask you." Hirano's voice was firm as he placed his chopsticks down onto his tray.

"Yes, what is it?" Hanzawa was ready to answer anything.

Hirano took a deep breath. He knew he just had to be forward.

"Is there any way Kagi-kun and I can stay roommates next year?"

Pure shock covered Kagiura's face when he heard what Hirano said. He slapped a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't accidentally shout out something stupid in the middle of the cafeteria.

Hanzawa raised his eyebrows; that certainly wasn't what he expected to hear from his friend. "Why do you ask? You know that incoming second years are expected to be with an incoming first year."

"Of course I know that!" Hirano immediately replied. "It's just that there's usually a few more people in one year than the other, right? It's never exactly the same amount of residents per year."

"That's true… But as an incoming third year, wouldn't you want to have the private room that's offered? With your high grades you'd have no problem securing one." Hanzawa explained.

"I don't care about the private room." Hirano mumbled out the next part. "It would be suffocating anyways…"

"What was that? I missed that last part." Hanzawa teased; he definitely heard his friend.

"I didn't say anything! So, is there any way possible?"

Hanzawa thought it over. "Well…. The applications for the incoming first years were lower than normal. That just happens sometimes, some years are more packed than others. The dorm manager and I were thinking about asking around for some people to remain roommates, but we were worried about some people feeling obligated to do so if we asked them. The incoming second years who aren't rooming with a kouhai would still be expected to help out in other ways, right Kagiura-kun?"

"H-Huh? Oh, yes, of course! I'll do my best!" Kagiura seriously couldn't believe the conversation he was hearing right now.

Hirano… wanted to remain roommates with him?!

He knew that he had expressed wanting to stay together next year when he spilled his heart out, but in all honesty, this doubtful part of himself never expected it to actually happen.

Hanzawa was sitting right in front of him; Kagiura had to control his emotions to not let his massive blush show in front of him. He did not want the dormhead to be able to read his emotions like an open book right now. His heart pounded intensely as the conversation continued on. He didn't trust his words right now, so all he could do was keep listening.

"Y'know… Lately it seems like there's always some drama between you and Kagiura-kun." Hanzawa thought back to the few scenes he witnessed since the start of the month. "You'll be busy studying for entrance exams next year, are you sure you wanna stay with him? Maybe rooming with another third year instead would be better for you, Hirano."

Something inside of the blond snapped when he heard that comment.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you don't know the full story?! I know what I'm asking for!"

The three of them went completely silent. The tension hanging in the air could be cut with a knife.

Hanzawa was the first to speak after a few long moments. "Oh… I'm sorry for making assumptions." His voice was sheepish. While he certainly did have some… concerns… about Hirano and Kagiura potentially remaining roommates, there was no way he could turn them down after that display. He really didn't want to become a villain in their eyes.

"Well, I'll talk to the dorm manager about it later on and see what we can do." Hanzawa rested his head on his hands. "But I make no promises; I am just a normal student after all."

"Thank you very much!" Hirano and Kagiura replied in unison.

—--------

When they returned to their shared room after their meal, Kagiura immediately spoke up.

"Hirano-san, are you sure about this?"

Hirano looked up at the taller boy. "Yeah, I'm positive. I mean…" He scratched at the back of his deck, a habit he often did whenever he was slightly nervous.

"I mean… how else am I supposed to think things over if we're apart?"

The blond wasn't ready to admit it to himself yet, but he wanted to see colors too. He wanted Kagiura to show him how colorful life really is. The more he listened to the boy speak, the more he yearned to witness it all for himself. He was so close, but he didn't have a key to unlock the gate.

But for right now, he needed time to think about everything; colors, them being soulmates, and seeing Kagiura as a potential romantic interest.

Chapter Text

In this world, everyone is born colorblind. It wasn't until you met your soulmate that you started seeing in color.

Hirano Taiga was colorblind.

For his entire life, he's only known the same bleary shades of black, white, and gray. No matter what color something was supposed to be, Hirano couldn't see it. All the clothes in his closet were the same grayscale of colors, all the food he ate, no matter how decadent, were the same bland grays, everything he saw while outside was the same grays, almost as if it was all made out of cement.

For the longest time, he was unbothered by this aspect of his life. He simply wanted to focus on his studies and his future, and not seeing color wasn't preventing him from doing anything. He could still read his textbooks, do his homework, and navigate his life regardless of all that. Sure colors seemed cool, but it wasn't anything worth losing sleep over. Fate had already decided when or if he would see colors and he wasn't going to try to rush anything. Things happen when they happen for a reason.

But, as all things do in life, things change. People learn and grow as they discover more things about the world and about themselves.

Recently, Hirano learned who his soulmate was.

And… his thoughts towards colors had changed.

In a way, he was so close to seeing them, but also, he was still hesitant about it all. Hirano wanted to think about and consider everything for himself instead of taking the easy map the universe had handed him. His soulmate, Kagiura Akira, was already special to him in the first place, but even still, Hirano had no experience in this field. Just like with any topic he's interested in, he wanted to learn more. You can't just jump right into action without knowing what the hell you're doing first after all; that's how people get hurt.

Hirano wanted to see colors, but he couldn't plunge right into the deep end.

For starters, it wasn't just figuring out if he could see Kagiura as his soulmate, there were more layers to it all. Kagiura was also in love with him. That part was getting to him that most.

When the younger boy started avoiding him after new years, Hirano automatically assumed he did something wrong to scare him off. That's what he was used to after all. People constantly told him that his face, his way of talking, his piercings, his taste in fashion, and especially his hair were scary, intimidating, fear inducing, and every other synonym in the thesaurus. So naturally, he believed that Kagiura now belonged in the boat of people who thought that about the blond. For once in his life, he was actually considering possibly changing all that if it meant getting Kagiura back.

Well, Hirano couldn't have been more wrong.

It was the opposite actually; not fear, but it was love.

It wasn't that Hirano ever thought he was unlovable, it was just that… well he never really expected someone to be all that passionate about him. He spent most of his time at his desk studying and wasn't the type of person to hit the town looking for a partner. Sure he would hang out with his friends if invited, but he rarely made the first move. Back in first year, one of the guys in his class invited him to join a mixer he was putting together with some girls from the nearby school, but he turned the offer down. Going out in a large group, hooking up with people he had never met before for an afternoon, and hoping there would be a second date just wasn't for him. It just didn't feel like a genuine way of looking for a date in his eyes.

Love would find him, and it did.

Before the start of the new year, Hirano and Kagiura had a comfortable relationship. They were both open and honest with each other and there was never an awkward silence in the air whenever there was a lull in the conversation. They existed peacefully in each other's spaces. He was already well aware that the two of them were closer than your average roommates, and he was proud of that fact. Hirano's goal when he was assigned a kouhai roommate was to make his life as easy and as comfortable as possible, and his hard work all paid off.

Maybe it worked a little too well.

Don't get him wrong, Hirano wasn't upset that his roommate was in love with him or that he was his soulmate. The whole thing just felt so unexpected to him. It was something he never even considered could happen in the year they would spend together. As long as Kagiura wasn't losing more sleep and he didn't start avoiding him again, the older boy was fine with him being in love with him. Kagiura wasn't trying to force him to do anything and he wasn't being pushy about their relationship potential; he just asked Hirano to think about everything thoroughly.

So, that's exactly what Hirano did.

He thought about everything the two of them had between them; good and bad. What he wanted out of a relationship, the potential challenges, if he would even be happy to have Kagiura as his boyfriend, what it meant to have a soulmate, and so much more.

He couldn't put a label on his feelings at the moment, but the important part was that he was thinking.

.
.
.
.
.

"What're you staring at?" An unamused Niibashi snapped Hirano out of his thoughts and back into reality.

"Huh?! How long have you been standing there?!" Hirano's heart nearly shot out of his chest from that jumpscare. He thought he was all alone in that hallway.

The two of them were up on the top floor of the school. Hirano was carrying a box of supplies back down to his classroom, but when he caught a glance out the window, he got a bit distracted. He paused to watch a group of boys playing basketball down in the courtyard, and of course, that group featured a certain somebody.

"About a minute maybe?" The younger boy looked out the window too to see what was going on. When he had spotted Hirano, he immediately noticed how soft his face became as he stared down outside. Was this the Hirano-san that Kagiura was used to seeing? While he hasn't had many interactions with his friends roommate and soulmate, he had certainly never seen him look this fond and easygoing. The image Niibashi had of Hirano in his head was a lot more stuck up despite appearances with the same focused expression on his face at all times.

Niibashi raised an eyebrow as he waited for the older boy to answer his question. Hirano turned his head away so he wouldn't have to make eye contact with his roommates' judgemental little friend.

"I just…. thought I saw a cat outside…" Hirano lied. If that wasn't already obvious enough, his higher tone of voice gave him away.

"Uh huh, sure. This has absolutely nothing to do with the group of guys, including Kagiura, playing basketball down there?" Niibashi saw right through him.

Hirano felt his cheeks warm up. "Well from this distance, and with my colorblindness, it's hard to tell who's who!" He put up his defenses.

"Sure…" Niibashi mumbled as he rolled his eyes. "So, how are things going with Kagiura? Y'know, with you two being soulmates and him being in love with you?"

"It's… Wait, how much do you know?!" Hirano knew that Kagiura would often tell things to Niibashi, but he didn't know how much detail he would give to his friend.

A singular hollow chuckle escaped Niibashi's throat. "You're his favorite topic to talk about… even more than basketball." That was the look of a guy who knew too much information he didn't want to know.

"Wow…" Hirano didn't know how to respond to that at all.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. The only thing the two really had in common was Kagiura, so they didn't exactly know how to continue the conversation. However, Niibashi had something to say before the older boy could find an escape. "Hey Hirano-san, can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

That certainly caught Hirano off guard, but no harm in hearing the younger boy out. "Sure, what is it?"

Niibashi thought over how to best word his question for a second. "Say we lived in a world where people weren't tied together by fate as strongly as it is for us. Say that everything else was the same. If you and Kagiura weren't connected by being soulmates, but he was still in love with you, would you want him to fall out of love with you?"

Hirano opened his mouth to speak, but the words froze up inside of him. All that came out of him was a weak, confused squeak of sorts.

He… didn't know how to respond to that hypothetical.

He wasn't sure what his feelings were exactly, and he certainly didn't want Niibashi of all people prying an answer out of him. He had turned down Kagiura, saying that he didn't feel the same, saying that he couldn't see them as soulmates, but…

But…

Hirano couldn't say it. He couldn't say that in any universe he would want Kagiura to fall out of love with him. It just felt so wrong on so many levels, even if he couldn't explain it.

When he didn't get a response after many, many long moments, Niibashi started walking away from the confused mess.

"You don't have to answer that if you don't wanna." He turned his head around to make eye contact with Hirano one last time. "Oh, and I won't tell Kagiura about this."

"Uh… ok then." He finally managed to say something as he continued standing there completely stunned.

Even though he didn't have to give an answer, Hirano still knew that he had to process that question before his mind could start spiraling out of control. He did not wanna be the next person to lose sleep and ultimately end up in the nurse's office.

—--------

"I'm back!" Kagiura's smile radiated when he returned from basketball practice; making the room light up in an instant.

"Welcome back." Hirano matched that smile with his own fond one as he looked up from his textbooks. "How'd it go today?" He needed to ask anything mundane before he could ask the important question lingering on his mind.

"Great! I set a new personal best during our shooting practice drills." The younger boy looked proud of his accomplishment as he sat down across from his roommate. A welcoming warmth spread out inside of Hirano's chest as he listened to the other boy talk about basketball. While he didn't know all that much about the topic, only the bare basics, he could still easily listen to Kagiura go on and on for hours.

"How about your day, Hirano-san?" Kagiura was curious.

"It was good…" His voice went quiet and slightly shy. "Hey, can I uh… I need to ask you something."

Here it goes.

"Anything!" Kagiura assured him.

Hirano took a moment to collect his thoughts for one last time. Ever since his unexpected encounter with Niibashi, a certain question popped up in his mind.

He ran his hand through the back of his bleached hair. "How long have you been… in love with me?" Part of him was sort of afraid to say that last part out loud, but he just had to man up and ask.

"Where did that come from?" Kagiura's eyes widened; that question certainly wasn't what he was expecting.

Hirano groaned, wanting to be anywhere else low-key, but this needed to be done. "How am I supposed to think about something if I don't have answers?" Truly a model student brain at work.

"So you have been thinking about it." Kagiura said quietly as a small, warm smile formed on his features.

"Well… yeah… you asked me to and it would be rude not to!" Hirano sarcastically rolled his eyes in an attempt to distract himself from the burning felt on his face. "Can you answer the question or not?" His heart started to pound.

"Right, right! Of course!" Kagiura waved his hands in front of him as he sat up straight. "Hmm, let's see… I don't think I really had one major defining moment. I think I loved you from the beginning, and as time went on, that 'I think' turned into 'I know I love you'. Being with you feels so natural and I never want to be apart from you. I know we'll always have our soulmate connection, but even if we lived in a world where that wasn't a thing, I'd still want to be with you."

In all honesty, what Hirano expected to hear was a quick and concrete answer to his question. Something like "oh it was when we took that trip together" and that would be it, simple as that. When he had envisioned this conversation, he wasn't expecting Kagiura to pull out the big guns, say that it was all natural, that he fell more and more as time passed, and that he would wanna be with him even in a world where the soulmate connection everyone has wasn't a thing.

Does that mean that the Kagiura Akira that Hirano was already fond of, has always been the one who's been in love with him…?

His heart pounded even harder, almost wanting to burst out of his weak chest. He let the response marinate in his mind.

"O-Oh… is that so…" Hirano mentally punched himself hard for so obviously stuttering.

Kagiura took a good, close look at Hirano's face. "I've never seen you this red before." The blush on his own face started to match that color. "It's all the way up your ears and down your neck." He described it to his colorblind soulmate.

"Shut up! I look perfectly normal!" Despite his growls, he could still feel how hot it was. For someone who didn't even know what red looked like, he was certainly very familiar with what it felt like whether he liked it or not. "Don't you have homework to do or something?"

Kagiura adorably pouted. "Do I have to?" He drew his whine out like a needy puppy. "I wanna keep talking about how much I love you Hirano-san!"

Hirano was so lucky he was currently seated because his legs would have definitely given out by now if he had been standing. "Well I want you to not fail your classes." He huffed. He wasn't sure how much more his poor heart could possibly handle in one day. Between Niibashi's question and Kagiura's answer, Hirano's entire being was about to explode.

Before Kagiura could get too deep into his homework, Hirano had one more thing to ask.

"Hey Kagi-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"What does red look like?" Hirano buried his face into his textbook; too embarrassed to look up.

"Red?" Kagiura pondered. "It's the color of love."

"Love has a set color?" Hirano was curious. He had heard love described in many different colors, so he had just assumed it was all of them.

"Well, love can be any color, but red is the color it's most commonly associated with. Pink too, but that's pretty much light red. It's the color of hearts and going on dates; stuff like that. Whenever you wanna give your partner a romantic gift, you give them red roses, and in return, they blush bright red. Red is that comforting heat you feel whenever you're with the person you love."

Hirano knew exactly what that comfortable heat felt like. It was the heat he felt on his face and throughout his entire body whenever he was with Kagiura.

For once in his life, despite not knowing what the color even looked like, he felt like he understood someone's description.

"Is that so…?" Hirano scribbled down Kagiura's words onto a piece of scrap paper; he was not risking forgetting even just one word of that.

"Of course, whenever I think of love, I think of you!" Kagiura's playful laugh filled up their shared room.

Hirano felt his burning red blush deepen even more. "How are you able to say these things so easily?!" He still refused to make eye contact; face still hidden away in his textbook.

"Why would it be hard to say the truth?" Kagiura tilted his head like a little puppy.

Hirano grumbled an inaudible response before telling Kagiura to go back to doing his homework. His heart was pounding like crazy and he knew he wasn't going to be able to study for the rest of the night.

Could it be…?

—--------

"You look dead." Sasaki deadpanned as he walked over to his desk.

Hirano had his face buried in his arms as he let one eye poke free to stare up at the sky. It was a clear, cloudless day outside. Normally he would spend his free time between classes sneaking in some extra studying, but today, he just wanted to fade away.

"I look fine." Hirano mumbled. While he had managed to sleep last night, it wasn't the best quality sleep. He was tired, but it wasn't the same level of nearly passing out tired that Kagiura had previously gone through.

Sasaki sighed as he sat down at his desk behind Hirano's. "Ok what happened with Roommate-kun this time?"

"What makes you think this has anything to do with Kagi-kun?" Hirano kept the emotion in his voice to a minimum.

"Easy; he's the only person who makes you feel any strong emotions." Sasaki didn't hesitate with this answer.

Hirano slowly turned himself, head still on the table, so he could get his friend into view. "How much do you know?"

Sasaki blinked a few times. "Wait, was I actually right?"

"Yeah…"

Sasaki scratched the top of his head awkwardly. "I don't know exactly what's going on between you two so it was really just a guess."

Was Hirano really about to have this conversation with Sasaki? He knew this risked the chance of the other boy spilling the details to Miyano; who would be way too over thrilled to know even just a crumb of information. It was a double edged sword, but he needed to open up to somebody, and it certainly beat having to have this conversation with Hanzawa. After that breakfast between the three of them the other day, he definitely didn't want to give the dormhead any more light into his private personal life.

Hirano sighed in defeat as he picked himself up and faced the boy sitting behind him. "If I tell you, you absolutely cannot tell Miyano anything!" He used his intimidating looks to his advantage to drive home how serious he was about this.

"I won't, I won't!" Sasaki backed down into his seat slightly. "I don't want Myaa-chan to know this either!"

There was a drawn out pause between the two boys.

"So? Is Roommate-kun scared of you now or something?" Sasaki was the first to speak again.

"Why do you always assume it's something negative?" Hirano raised an eyebrow. "It's the opposite actually…?"

"The opposite?" This wasn't the direction Sasaki thought this would go.

There were a few other students in the classroom minding their own business, but even so, Hirano didn't want the others to hear. He scooted in closer so his friend could hear his whisper.

"Kagi-kun's my soulmate."

Sasaki's eyes widened. "Seriously? So… you can see colors now?"

"I can't." Hirano pathetically groaned.

"But you just said–"

"It's just Kagi-kun who can see them."

"Ah." Sasaki started to put the puzzle pieces together. "So you're in denial."

"I-I am not!" Hirano snapped back. "I just… It just… came out of nowhere…" He said that despite knowing Kagiura's side of the story now; which made sense in his mind.

"Right… So if you know who your soulmate is then why not just accept it already. What, do you not want it to be him? You can't change fate."

Hirano was starting to doubt his decision to open up to an outside party about his problems. Kagiura did it so easily, but it seems like this just wasn't for him. He wanted to bite back at every question thrown his way.

"That's not the problem! I want it to be–"

Hirano immediately cut himself off as his face heated up on the spot. His hand shot up to cover his mouth as an extra measure to prevent any more words from accidentally spilling out.

He couldn't finish that sentence out loud; not in front of Sasaki. Not in front of anyone who wasn't named Kagiura Akira.

He swiftly turned back around and slumped back onto his desk; an eye once again going back to looking up at the colorless sky.

"Conversation over." He grumbled into his arms; voice muffled as a result. "This is too awkward."

Sasaki certainly didn't oppose that idea. He too wasn't used to having open conversations like that. He stared at Hirano's back as he sat there buried away in denial.

Yep… Definitely not telling Myaa-chan that Hirano's gonna be the first of us the see colors.

—--------

Hirano lifted his head up towards the sky as he walked home that evening.

At this point, it was frustrating not being able to see colors.

A few spots in the sky did look slightly darker or lighter than others, but nonetheless, it was all the grays he knew all too well. Even without seeing the colors, looking up at the sky had always been a comfort of sorts to the boy, but as of late, that comfort was replaced by this feeling of intense longing.

He paused walking and lifted his hand up towards the sky, wishing he could grab it in the palm of his hands. He thought back to what he nearly admitted out loud earlier in the day as he stared up, not caring about his surroundings. A melancholic sigh escaped from his lips.

How much longer is this going to take…?

There was no rushing fate. Things happen when they happen and Hirano knew that was a fact of the universe. He just had to accept his predicament and keep going on with his life.

"Hirano? What are you doing?"

The boy snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Hanzawa's voice approaching him. He lowered his arm back down to his side as he turned to face his friend when he caught up.

"Oh, it's nothing." He brushed it off.

At first, the two walked back to the dorm together in silence. It wasn't necessarily awkward or uncomfortable, it was just that neither of them knew what to talk about.

When they turned the corner where the dorm building came into view, Hanzawa finally spoke.

"So I spoke to the dorm manager about your request." His voice was unreadable; unable to determine which direction the incoming news would take.

"Yeah? How'd that go." Hirano felt his heartbeat pick up in pace. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but they were already starting to rise.

Hanzawa paused for dramatic effect.

Then, he smiled.

"He said you and Kagiura could keep rooming together. Just don't let your grades drop and everything will be fine."

Hanzawa still had his own personal doubts about Hirano and Kagiura staying together for another year, but those two seemed to know exactly what they wanted. Hirano was right when he said that he didn't know the full picture, and he understood the truth behind those words so he wasn't going to push his own beliefs onto them.

Relief flooded Hirano's body as he felt a heavy weight of stress he didn't even know he had shed off of him at long last. "Really? That's great! Thank you for talking to him and the two of us will go personally thank him later."

Hirano felt a sudden spring in his step. While it would still be a little while longer before Kagiura returned home from practice, he wanted to return to their room as soon as possible. He picked up his pace, leaving Hanzawa behind.

"I just remembered something important I have to do." He called out as an excuse. "I'm gonna go ahead, thank you again!"

Hanzawa waved goodbye as the other boy ran towards the dorm with an enthusiasm he had never seen from him before.

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When Hirano made it back to their room, he put his bag away, changed out of his uniform, set out his homework on his desk, and…

He fell asleep.

Now that he was free from those stresses, all his exhaustion hit him all at once like one big punch to the gut.

His eyes grew heavy, and his vision was starting to turn blurry, so he took it as a sign to take an overdue nap. He was out before he could even process that he needed to sleep.

.
.
.
.
.

When Hirano woke up, before he even opened his eyes, he heard the sound of the closet across the room opening and clothes ruffling around.

Kagiura must be back.

After doing a needed full body stretch, Hirano finally blinked his eyes open.

"Oh? You're awake, Hirano-san! How was your nap?" Kagiura asked with a smile as he pulled his pajama shirt down to his hips.

The blond blinked a few more times. Something looked different… Was he going crazy?

No.

He knew what this was.

His eyes widened as his jaw dropped as far as it could physically go. Without even taking a chance to answer Kagiura, he quickly scrambled to his feet and ran over to their small balcony.

Kagiura stood there confused as he watched his roommate. What had gotten into him all of a sudden?

Hirano opened the balcony door; the cold evening winter air hitting him full on instantly, but he didn't mind.

He stared up at the sky; his eyes glued onto the canvas laid out before him.

"Kagi-kun." His voice choked.

He turned his head around to face the younger boy with a shaky smile on his face and tears trailing down his face.

"The sky is beautiful!"

Kagiura knew exactly what had just happened. His own tears started falling down his face as he walked over to his soulmate, wrapping him in a tight hug from behind. Hirano tensed slightly at first from the new sensation, but that was quickly replaced by him melting into the younger boy's strong arms.

"It is." Kagiura's tender voice was just above a whisper in Hirano's ear.

"Just like you are."

In this world, everyone is born colorblind. It wasn't until you met your soulmate that you started seeing in color.

For Hirano and Kagiura, they were each other's soulmates.

They brought the missing colors into each other's lives. No longer was the world just the same blacks, whites, and grays. The world was a palette full of endless colors they got to explore together.

For the rest of that first evening, the two soulmates held each other as they watched the sky change colors.