Archive of Our Own

"Hey, Yusuke!" Ryuji Sakamoto, one of Yusuke's closest friends, waved his hand energetically in the air. "Where were you, man? We were supposed to meet up twenty minutes ago!"

They stood outside of the bustling city of Kichijoji. Akira Kurusu had arranged to meet both Yusuke and Ryuji to get lunch in the city and then go sightseeing and shopping. It was one of the first times Yusuke had been invited to spend a Sunday with anybody, so he happily accepted. Naturally, Ryuji agreed to meet them there too.

"You'll have to forgive me. I got off the train a station early to save some money."

Akira, who stood next to Ryuji, frowned. "Please tell me you didn't walk here from Inokashira Park."

Yusuke looked down at his leather shoes. Unfortunately, it had been quite the long, uncomfortable walk.

"Dude, seriously?" Ryuji gasped, "D'ya even have money to get some lunch today?"

"I should have some left." Yusuke replied, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his light leather wallet. He opened it gingerly and leafed through a few 100 yen banknotes. "Yes, I still have 600 yen."

"Don't you need those to take the train home, Yusuke?" Akira asked.

Oh dear.

He hadn't thought about that.

"I. . . I apologize. How careless of me! I didn't account for that."

"You don't need to apologize, man." Ryuji replied. "Lemme pay for your lunch."

"I couldn't possibly ask you to do that."

"You didn't. I offered to."

"But-"

Akira nudged Yusuke's side teasingly. "He's gonna do it even if you protest, you know."

Yusuke did know.

That was just the kind of person Ryuji was. He was kind and considerate without condition. He would do anything for his friends; Yusuke had seen it several times.

Ryuji gave Yusuke an affirming smile. "Don't even worry about it, 'kay? Just think of it as my treat."

"If you insist it's alright." Yusuke replied, "I appreciate the kindness, Ryuji."

Ryuji met his gaze, looking straight at him with beautiful hazelnut eyes. "It's nothing, really. I care about you, dude."

He cared about him?

Something about the statement was oddly comforting. Though he already knew it to be true, it made Yusuke's heart race. Warmth crept up his neck to his cheeks and the tips of his ears, burning his skin. It felt like a fever, but it didn't hurt.

Yusuke quickly looked away, covering the lower half of his face with his hand. "R-right, yes, of course. I share those sentiments." He stuttered, uncharacteristically flustered.

"Now that that's settled," Akira grinned, "who else is hungry?"

"I'm starving!" Ryuji whined, "C'mon, let's get some grub!"

Yusuke's stomach rumbled in agreement.

-

After a great deal of walking around and weaving in and out of crowds of other citygoers, the trio decided on a restaurant selling Chinese buns called Houraku.

Yusuke had never tried nikuman before, but evidently, Akira had. It was his recommendation, after all.

"Mmph," Ryuji mumbled with a mouth full of napolitan nikuman, "So good!"

Yusuke took a bite of his own nikuman. It was juicy, warm, and tender! The flavor of the meat was savory, yet subtly sweet due to the bun around it. He gasped. "This is. . . wonderful!"

Akira was correct; the food was absolutely delightful!

"Wait, lemme try some of yours!" Ryuji took one of Yusuke's buns off of his plate.

"Hold on-" Yusuke protested as Ryuji shoved it into his mouth.

Akira laughed. "I mean, he did buy it."

"Yeah!" Ryuji agreed as he swallowed the bun. "Akira's right! It's technically mine too."

Yusuke didn't miss how Ryuji's eyes sparkled as he enjoyed the flavor of the meal. Just that bright sight alone made losing a bun more than worth it. It was nice to see Ryuji happy.

"That's quite right, I suppose." Yusuke took another bite of his food. "What did you think?"

"It's so good, man! I wish this place was a chain!" Ryuji replied.

Akira laughed. "I'm afraid that's not going to happen. I've heard that Houraku is a family-owned restaurant."

"Really?" Yusuke mused. "How intriguing!"

"Yeah, one of the employees told me that all of the food they serve is made from passed down family recipes."

"Dude, seriously?" Ryuji gasped, swallowing a large bite of nikuman, "That's kinda sweet, ain't it?"

"That's what I thought too. Sojiro tells me that the recipes he serves at LeBlanc are also passed down."

"How charming!" Yusuke agreed. "It tastes better when it's made with love, I tend to find."

"My mom has some family recipes too. They're sorta fun to cook, honestly."

"Oh?" Yusuke smiled, "I wasn't aware you cooked, Ryuji."

"Huh?" Ryuji took a drink of water, "Oh, yeah. I mean, I'm not a professional or anything, but my mom's got so much on her plate that I usually end up helping a lot around the house. Most nights, I cook dinner to make life easier on her."

"That's very considerate of you."

"Hey, it's not a big deal. I just do what I can to help her out. Besides, sometimes the recipes can be entertaining to follow."

Akira grinned. "I get you there! Sojiro's been teaching me how to make curry and brew coffee down at the cafe and it's been really cool."

"It certainly sounds rewarding." Yusuke replied.

"Wait, Yusuke. . . have you never cooked before?" Ryuji asked, blinking slowly in shock.

Yusuke thought for a moment. It was such a normal skill, but yet, he never recalled using it. "I don't believe so."

"You should try it sometime," Akira recommended, "You might really like it."

"Perhaps, but the only kitchen at my disposal is the dorm kitchen at Kosei, which is a poor, unsanitary environment."

"Come over to mine, then." Ryuji blurted out. Surprised, Yusuke whipped his head around to look at his friend. Ryuji scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "You know, we've got a kitchen and I could probably teach you how to cook. I don't think my mom would mind."

Yusuke bit the inside of his cheek. His palms felt sweaty as he took a small, steadying drink of water.

Why was he so nervous? Why was his heart drumming loudly in his chest?

Yusuke cleared his throat. "I would be delighted, however, I cannot promise that the end product will be as. . . edible as this meal."

"Don't sell yourself short, man! You helped us make that hotpot that one time, remember?" Ryuji gave him a fierce smile.

He meant the hotpot they had as a celebration of stealing Madarame's heart, Yusuke assumed.

"I only helped pick out and purchase groceries." Yusuke reminded him. The actual meal itself had been assembled by Ryuji, Akira, and Ann.

Akira snorted with laughter, however, once he observed that neither Yusuke or Ryuji were laughing, he turned it into a rather obvious fake cough. He cleared his throat and then said, "That's a first step, though! You can't cook without ingredients, can you?"

"I suppose so," Yusuke replied. He felt oddly nervous as he said, "Very well, then. Teach me all you know about cooking."

The tips of Ryuji's ears slowly turned red as he clapped his hands together loudly. "That, uh- yeah, okay! I'm sure you'll learn something!"

"Oh, I can't wait to see how this goes," Akira lightly chuckled.

"Just text me and let me know whenever works for you, 'kay?" Ryuji asked.

Yusuke gave him a sincere smile. "Of course."

He took another bite of his juicy nikuman. Distracted by food, he didn't notice the way Akira nudged Ryuji's side with a eyebrows raised. He also didn't see Ryuji pump his fists in the air in happiness.

-

Yusuke gently smoothed down his shirt, attempting to smoothen the creases in the fabric. He'd never met Ryuji's mother, but he did know she meant a lot to him, so a good first impression was vital. With luck, the lobster-print hawaiian shirt he chose to wore gave character and personality to his rather usual appearance.

Once finished, Yusuke swallowed hard, trying to erase the nervousness from his body. What was he so worked up about? He wasn't quite sure. Calmly, he knocked against the front door of the house with balled, shaking fists.

He hoped that he'd gone to the right house. Ryuji had given Yusuke his address over text, but it was such a new experience that it gave the latter some anxious pause. He'd never gone to a friend's house so casually before, so his mind was overthinking everything he could possibly mess up on.

There was an audible "I'll get it!" before the door unlocked and opened, revealing a kind-looking, short woman with short black hair. She wore a pair of square-shaped glasses on her hooked nose, framing her dark brown eyes.

"Hello!" She said with a bright smile, "You must be Yusuke Kitagawa!"

"Yes, indeed." Yusuke extended a hand, but the woman ignored it in favor of pulling him into a tight, warm hug.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you! I'm Camila Sakamoto, Ryuji's mother."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Sakamoto."

"Well, aren't you polite? I've heard a lot about you, so it's nice to put a name to the face!"

"All good things, I hope?" Yusuke asked.

"Only the best of things, I promise." They both pulled away, allowing Yusuke to get a better look at Camila.

She bore a strong resemblance to Ryuji. They had the same coffee-colored eyes, the same smile, and the same cheery disposition. However, she was shorter and stouter than him. He must have gotten his height from his father. Camila wore a beige turtleneck sweater, a pair of black pants, and moccasin house slippers.

"Oh, excuse me! Please, come inside!" Camila motioned for Yusuke to enter the house. He did so after slipping off his threadbare sandals.

It was warm in the Sakamoto apartment. There was a faint smell of cinnamon in the air, which was refreshing and calming. Yusuke set his sandals down and gently closed the door.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable, Yusuke. I'm terribly sorry to say that Ryu isn't home yet. He ran out to get some ingredients to cook with, but he'll be back soon."

"That's no trouble at all." Yusuke walked into the small living room of the apartment and sat in the thick armchair in its corner. Camila sat down on the couch across from it, crossing one of her legs over the other. "This is a lovely home."

"You're too kind!"

"No, no, truly, it's very warm and. . . dare I say homey?"

Camila chuckled. "I must thank you, Yusuke."

"What for? I was being honest."

"You're a very respectful, kind person." Camila fumbled with her finger for a moment before adding, "I'm very glad that a person like you is Ryu's closest friend."

His. . . closest friend?

It was odd, that. Akira was definitely much closer with Ryuji than Yusuke was. For starters, they'd known each other far longer than they'd known the artist. Surely, the phrasing was a slip of tongue.

"He said that I'm his closest friend?" Yusuke asked.

"No need to be modest! He's talked about you so many times, dear. I'm always hearing stories about things you two do together."

Was that so?

How unexpected.

The thought of it made Yusuke's heart flutter.

"To be honest, it relieves me to know that he's putting himself out there and meeting new people. Ryuji. . . hasn't always made friends easily in the past, but the fact that he's got such a sweet, dedicated one now is comforting."

"He doesn't make friends easily?" Yusuke asked, bouncing his leg. To him, Ryuji's extroverted, happy-go-lucky personality made him a friendly face. How could others not see that? "Who wouldn't want to be his friend?"

Camila laughed lightly at that. "That's what makes you different, Yusuke. You didn't listen to the rumors about him, you made up your own opinion."

Right, the rumors that Ryuji was dangerous. He'd mentioned that at his school, most kids preferred to keep their distance due to rumors that he was violent.

"I'd heard about the rumors. They aren't correct in the slightest." Yusuke took a deep breath, trying to steady his bouncing leg. "In fact. . . I'd say he's my most treasured friend-"

The door to the house swing open and in walked Ryuji, holding a bag of groceries under his arm. Yusuke froze swallowing his unspoken words. It made him quite happy to see Ryuji.

"Yo! 'm home!" Ryuji shouted. He turned and noticed both Camila and Yusuke sitting in the living room. "Oh, hey Yusuke!"

"Hello," Yusuke replied with a smile.

"Geez, sorry I'm so late. She wasn't bugging you, was she?" Ryuji asked Yusuke, gesturing to his mother. "No telling embarrassing stories or asking you weird questions, right?"

"Weird questions?" Camila jokingly put a hand to her heart, "You wound me!"

"And that's what I'm talking about," Ryuji shook his head as his mother stood up from the couch.

"Well, I'll leave you two to your cooking. If you need anything," Camila said, making her way out of the living room, "just call! I'll be in my bedroom."

"Yeah, yeah," Ryuji watched her leave, then offered Yusuke a hand, helping him out of the chair. "Mom wasn't weird, was she?"

"Of course not! Your mother is a very kind woman." Yusuke replied as Ryuji guided him to the small, cozy kitchen in the apartment.

Ryuji sighed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to hear it. Sometimes, she shares really humiliating stories about me to Akira."

Yusuke laughed in reply. "What are we cooking?"

"We're not cooking anything, actually. You're gonna want to start out small, so we're just going to be baking a simpler cake recipe."

Ryuji produced coffee beans, chocolate chip cookies, cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk from his grocery bag, setting the out in an unorganized heap on the kitchen counter.

Curious, Yusuke asked, "What kind of cake are we baking?"

"We're making Chocotorta! It's basically an icebox cake that originates from Argentina. Mom's from there so the recipe we're going to use is her grandmother's."

"I didn't know that. How exciting!"

"Dude, it's so easy and delicious! I make it for my mom's birthday every year." Ryuji laid the ingredients out in an organized way. "So, uh, first we wash our hands."

He walked to the kitchen sink and ran the water. The duo took turns washing their hands and then quickly toweled them dry. Once finished, Ryuji took out a saucepan and set it on the stove.

"Alright, so you'll make dulce de leche while I brew coffee, alright? The basic idea is that we're going to soak these chocolate chip cookies in coffee and line them in the bottom of a pan. Then, we'll whip together dulce de leche and cream cheese and put half of it on top of the cookies. After that, we just add another coffee-soaked cookie layer and then another layer of the dulce de leche and cream cheese."

"Ah. . . shall I preheat the oven?" Yusuke asked.

"Nope! Once we finish, we just cover the cake and pop it in the fridge. It needs to chill for a few hours, so I figure that if you're available tomorrow, we can meet up and give it a taste then. Akira also said he wanted a piece."

"I'm perfectly fine with that."

"I told you it's super easy, didn't I? We just have to prepare the ingredients, that's the only difficult part."

"I see. Before we can start on the recipe, we must make the coffee and dulce de leche." Yusuke repeated to himself.

"You got it, man!" Ryuji turned the stove on to low heat and opened the can of sweetened condensed milk. "It takes longer to make the dulce de leche than the coffee, so I'll get you started here before I start brewing. Take this," he handed Yusuke a silicon whisk, "and just stir the milk around until it's thickened."

Ryuji poured the can of sweetened condensed milk into the saucepan. Yusuke stood and observed him with a focused look. "How do I stir it? How will I know when it's thickened?"

"Don't worry, I'll help determine when it's done simmering. So, you're gonna wanna stir in a circular movement like so," Ryuji put his hands atop Yusuke's and guided the whisk to the saucepan. They were smaller and warmer than his, which was comically adorable. Yusuke felt his unoccupied hand fidget with the hem of his shirt.

Ryuji was only helping him cook! Why was he so flustered?

"Just, uh, you know, whisk in a circle," Ryuji said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "and whisk regularly so that the milk doesn't burn."

"Thanks," Yusuke choked out as Ryuji let go of his hand.

"I'll be over brewing coffee if you're confused on anything else!" Ryuji chuckled.

From the stove, Yusuke watched him operate the coffeemaker sitting on the kitchen counter. Ryuji stuck his tongue out as he pressed a few buttons and adjusted the carafe to be under the machine.

It was cute.

Was Ryuji always this cute?

-

"Wanna add the last layer of cream cheese and dulce de leche?" Ryuji offered, holding a large mixing bowl of the mixture out to Yusuke.

"I would love to." Yusuke took the large spatula out of the bowl and held it over the clear glass pan they were using to hold the cake.

It had been an hour since Yusuke arrived at Ryuji's apartment and they were making nice progress on the Chocotorta. Though Ryuji had helped Yusuke do practically every step in the recipe, they'd made two layers of coffee-soaked cookies and spread out one layer of the dulce de leche and cream cheese between them. One more layer of the spread and the cake would be ready to be made.

Though the process was plenty rewarding, the best part was, without a doubt, the fact that they'd done it together. If he were alone, Yusuke would likely dislike baking. But he wasn't. He had Ryuji with him and the latter had an amazing way of making anything fun and exciting.

Yusuke used the spatula to scoop the rest of the dulce de leche mixture out of the mixing bowl and on top of the second cookie layer of the cake. Then, he twisted his wrist and evenly spread it across the top until none of the cookies below it were visible.

"Is this sufficient?" He asked as he set the mixing bowl and spatula on the counter.

Ryuji clapped him on the back. "Looks fantastic, dude! You did that."

"We did that." Yusuke corrected.

Ryuji stumbled on his words for a moment before simply replying, "Yeah. Yeah we did."

"Do we put it in the refrigerator now?" Yusuke asked.

"Let's cover the cake with plastic wrap first." Ryuji suggested. He took some out of a cabinet and carefully covered the pan with it. "Alright, now let's put it away."

Yusuke gently picked up the cake and carried it over to Ryuji's fridge. However, with both hands on the cake pan, he couldn't open the door.

"Ah, lemme get that for you!" Ryuji opened the door and moved a few cans and containers to make room for the dish. Yusuke set the cake down on a low shelf in the fridge and then Ryuji closed its door.

"So, I gotta know," Ryuji leaned against the fridge, "How was your first cooking class?"

"It was very enjoyable, Ryuji." Yusuke admitted.

"Trust me, it'll be more enjoyable tomorrow night when you actually get to taste the Chocotorta! This shit is amazing!"

Yusuke laughed at that. "I will be looking forward to it all day tomorrow."

"Me too, man!"

"So, what do I owe you for the lesson?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"How much should I reimburse you for the ingredients and for the lesson?" Yusuke clarified.

Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "What? Dude, you don't gotta pay anything. It was totally for fun!"

"But I feel terrible just-"

"Hey, it's fine. Seriously."

Yusuke looked at the kitchen sink with sadness. This was it, huh? Once the dishes in the sink were all cleaned and the counter was wiped down, Yusuke would be walking back to his dorm alone.

The thought of the lesson ending brought him more sadness than he expected.

"Uh, Earth to Yusuke?" Ryuji waved his hand in front of Yusuke's face.

"What if I gave you a lesson on painting?" Yusuke blurted out.

"Huh?"

"You taught me how to cook, you see. Allow me to repay the favor by teaching you how to paint." Yusuke repeated.

Ryuji's eyes widened and his cheeks reddened. "You really want that?"

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have asked."

"I- of course! Sure!" Ryuji grinned. Yusuke's heart drummed loudly in his chest.

"You will!?"

"Yeah, dude! Why wouldn't I? It's fun to hang out like this."

Yusuke fidgeted with his fingers. "It's very fun." He agreed.

"And hey, I know you're living in a dorm, so if you wanna bring supplies over here, I'd love to host again."

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you for the kind offer."

"Great, great! If we're having the Chocotorta tomorrow night, you wanna come over again the night after tomorrow and teach me? If seeing me three nights in a row is too much, though-"

"The night after tomorrow works well for me." Yusuke nodded. "I'm excited to see how you do at painting."

"Really? 'Cause I'm gonna be honest, I'm a little terrified!"

"I'm sure you're a wonderful painter, but you just aren't aware of it yet."

Ryuji tilted his head. "You always see the best in me, Yusuke."

-

The moment he reached his dorm room at Kosei, Yusuke pulled his phone out of his back pocket and quickly dialed Akira.

Luckily, his friend picked up right away. "Hey Yusuke, what's up? How was your cooking lesson?"

Yusuke took a seat on his dorm bed. "About that. . . Could I confer with you for a moment?"

"Yeah? You good?"

"This conversation needs to stay between the two of us, if it's alright."

"Yusuke, what the hell happened?"

"I desperately need your advise."

Akira laughed at that. "Desperately? Did your cooking really turn out that poorly?"

"The lesson went very well, that's the core of the issue!"

"Oh?"

Yusuke sighed. "It seems I'm quite fond of Ryuji."

"Never met someone who isn't, honestly."

"No, I. . ." Yusuke's leg started bouncing once more, a nervous tick of his. "I wish to ask him out."

". . . Huh?"

"While baking, I found myself really cherishing his presence. So, I want to ask him on a date so that we might spend more time together. Truthfully, I think I've always felt this way towards him, but I mistook the romantic feelings for platonic ones."

"Wait, that's so cute! Oh my god, I could so see you two together." Akira gasped, "What's stopping you from asking him out?"

"I. . ." Yusuke weakly laughed, "I think I might have the perfect set-up to do so, actually, but I want your advice on whether or not I should. Considering you currently have a boyfriend, I assumed you would be the best person to turn to."

"Alright," Akira chuckled, "But just so you know, asking Akechi out is different than asking Ryuji out since they have different personalities."

"I'm fully aware. However, your relationship experience is more valuable than Futaba's, considering all she knows of romance are those relationship simulators she plays."

"You can always come talk to me, Yusuke. I just wanted to make sure you knew that it's not always the same."

"I do."

"Okay, so what's the situation?"

"I suppose it started before the baking happened. Ryuji was still buying ingredients to bake with, so I spoke with his mother while we waited for him to return from the store. She told me that he speaks often about me and calls me his closest friend. That makes me feel very happy, but I wouldn't want to jeopardize our friendship by confessing to him, since he views our relationship very highly."

"I see that, but. . . maybe he sees you as his closest friend because he likes you too?"

"I suppose that's one possible explanation, albeit an optimistic one." Yusuke agreed, "Once we started baking, Ryuji confided in me about his personal life and how the recipe we baked is his family's specialty. He also guided me through every step in the process of baking."

"That's good, right? It's a step in the right direction!"

"And so, after we finished, I asked if he would allow me to teach him how to paint. He accepted my invitation with a smile. On my way back to the dorm, I considered. . . I considered confessing to him while we painted. However, if he only accepted because he values our friendship, I don't want to jeopardize. Ryuji's mother told me how happy he was to have such a good friend, so I suppose I'm afraid I'm going to cause issues by being selfish enough-"

"Let's stop there. First of all, you're not being selfish for wanting to ask a guy out. You're being honest and telling him how you feel. Second, you shouldn't spend your time worrying about 'what if'. I know Ryuji. Regardless of how he feels towards you, he will respect the shit out of you for being brave enough to talk to him about it. If you're really his closest friend, he won't just abandon you over a love confession. Likely, if he rejects you, he will offer to stay friends."

"You think so?"

"I know so. All I'm saying is that if you want to let him know how you feel and you have the perfect opportunity to do so, you should do it. Yusuke, make the best decision that you can right now, given all the information you have. You don't know how he will respond or how it will go, do you should just focus on right now."

"Ah," Yusuke murmured.

"So, what do you think is the best thing to do?"

"That's quite a difficult question." Yusuke paused for a moment and wrung his hands out. "But I don't think I can just go out and continue to pretend I don't have feelings for him. It feels dishonest and deceptive."

"Right, there's your answer." Akira replied. "And, not that you asked, but that's what Sojiro told me to do before I asked Akechi out. You and I responded in the same way. It's cool that we thought the same thing."

"How shall I go about it?"

"Yusuke, I honestly can't tell you. That's for you to decide. If I help, it won't be from your own heart."

"Understood." Yusuke stretched his arms out outexhaustedly, "I will give it some thought. Thank you for your advise, Akira."

"No problem! But, please keep me posted. I'm rooting for you two!"

"I can do that."

"Cool. Sleep well, Yusuke."

"You as well. I'll see you tomorrow night."

Yusuke hung up the phone and tossed it to the side of his bed.

-

Ryuji laid awake in his bed. He couldn't sleep, even though the lights in his bedroom were out. Frustrated, he turned to his bedside table and picked up his phone. The bright screen was blinding. It painfully reminded him that it was one in the morning and he still wasn't sleeping.

After a minute of tiredly fumbling around, he opened the messenger app and sent a quick text to Akira.

You: hey, you got a second?

He turned the phone off and set it down again. Akira was quite likely asleep. Morgana could be such a bitch about his bedtime.

Ryuji closed his eyes for a moment, but he couldn't get the image out of his head.

"Looks fantastic, dude! You did that." Ryuji had told Yusuke while the latter stood back and admired the Chocotorta they'd made with a sparkle in his eye. It made Ryuji happy that he enjoyed baking.

"We did that." Yusuke corrected him immediately.

Ryuji remembered how sweaty his palms felt as he stuttered out a flustered "Yeah. Yeah we did."

To be honest, Yusuke was cute in that way. He was awfully eccentric, but he was charming and soft, like a prince. Physically, he was an attractive guy, but his gentle, caring, and sometimes oblivious personality was just as endearing.

The more Ryuji spent with Yusuke, the more his brain wandered. First, it was about how nice it would be to get dinner with the artist. After they'd gone for beef bowls one night, his mind made a new scenario: having a movie night at Ryuji's mom's apartment. Then, after that, he started imagining how surprisingly pleasant it would be to introduce Yusuke to people as 'my boyfriend'.

But the issue was that Yusuke was very kind. He truly was a good friend of Ryuji's. If the latter confessed and the former rejected him, their friendship wouldn't be the same.

Was it better to just ask him out or cherish the nice friendship they already had?

Ryuji wasn't sure.

He was sure they were going to be painting together, though. Yusuke had asked to paint with him. Wasn't that basically like a second date? If so, would it make more sense to ask him out? But people do things together all the time and it doesn't make them partners.

His attention was distracted as his phone dinged.

Akira had replied.

Akira: sure, what's up?

Ryuji took a deep breath before he typed out his reply.

You: yusuke asked if i wanted to paint with him

Akira: fr??

Akira: when's the wedding?

Akira: unless

Akira: god please tell me you accepted the invitation.

You: i did, but. . .

You: do you think that's an sign that he likes me or is he being friendly?

You: fuck i hate feelings

Akira: brb telling ann

You: you wouldn't

Akira: you're right, i wouldn't

Akira: but can i just remind you that this guy accepted your invitation to get beef bowls, watch movies, go to the arcade, and go see Kichijoji w/ you?

Akira: plus, he shared his lunch with you willingly, he agreed to a cooking lesson with you, and he even invited you to do something with him after. . .

Akira: i love you king, but even i wouldn't do all that

You: what the hell does that mean?

Akira: it means he probably likes you too, ryuji

That was a possibility Ryuji hadn't even considered before. Maybe Yusuke did care for him? It was an optimistic possibility, but still a possibility.

Akira: im being honest here, he's really sweet on you ;)

Akira: hey man, please respond to my text

Akira: your silence is making me nervous.

Akira: ryuji?

Ryuji looked at his phone with a smile.

You: dude, what if i asked him out when we met up to paint together?

You: you said he probably likes me back, right?

Akira: shit

You: ?

Akira: sorry, typo :(

Akira: meant to say shit that's a good idea haha

You: you really think so??

Akira: yeah go for it king

Akira: based on how you were both being at lunch a few days ago, im manifesting good results

You: okay so how do i do it

You: you asked akechi out so maybe help a bro out?

Akira: everyone keeps saying that

Akira: listen, if yusuke has a thing for you, he likes the real you. if i tell you what to do, it won't be genuine. just be yourself and be honest. if he cares about you, he will be touched by your vulnerability and honesty. he wants to see you, not some guy who's so romantic he can't even be identified as you.

Akira: in my opinion

You: damn

You: that's some surprisingly good advice

You: thanks man

You: so i really should go for it?

Akira: ryuji.

Akira: have some faith in your wingman, alright?

You: k, i trust you

You: literally trying to get ideas of how to confess now

Akira: maybe get an idea of how to get sleep?

Akira: it's a school night, bae <3

You: YOU'RE UP TOO THO?

-

Akira, Yusuke, and Ryuji sat in a circle around Ryuji's kitchen table, the pan of Chocotorta sitting in the middle.

"Oh man," Ryuji rubbed his hands together, "this looks effing fantastic, dude. Good job!"

"You're certainly modest." Yusuke teased.

Beside them, Akira's stomach rumbled loudly.

"Cake time?" Ryuji asked teasingly.

Akira nodded. "It's always cake time."

"Alrighty!" Ryuji stood up and got a spatula, three forks, and three plates. He set one plate and one fork down in front of the seats occupied by himself and his friends.

Yusuke smiled as he made himself seated again. "Thank you."

"What for, man?"

"You set the table."

"Yeah, sure, but it's not a big deal or anything. I just got some plates."

"And I'm simply saying that I appreciate it."

"Oh," Ryuji stuttered trying to find the right response, "Then, you're welcome."

"Aw, sweet," Akira deadpanned in a sarcastic manner that closely resembled Futaba's. "While you two chat it out, lemme serve my cake."

Yusuke turned around and gave Akira what he hoped was a fierce glare. What about 'this stays between us' didn't he understand?

"I call second slice!" Ryuji sighed as he passed the spatula to Akira. The latter carefully carved a square into the cake with the edge of the spatula and then pried it out of the pan and onto his plate. With a slice cut out, Yusuke could see how clean and crisp the layers on the Chocotorta had turned out. There were two beautiful, straight, distinct cookie layers and two thick, fluffy, neat cream layers.

It was impressive, he had to admit.

"Want me to get you a slice, Yusuke? The cake's hard to cut since it's so soft." Akira offered.

"I would, thank you," Yusuke replied at the same time Ryuji cried out a betrayed "But I called second slice!"

Despite Ryuji's protests, Yusuke handed his plate to Akira, who cut him a reasonably large portion of the Chocotorta. It smelled amazingly sweet, a fact he noted as his plate was handed back to him.

"C'mon traitor, hand me the spatula." Ryuji laughed as Akira gave it to him. Then, the blonde dug in and cut a big slice of the cake, plopping it down on his plate. "So, Akira and I have had this before, but you haven't, right?"

"No, I don't believe so." Yusuke said.

"Oh my god, dude!" Ryuji gasped, acting jokingly offended. "Give it a try already! I wanna hear what you think."

Akira, who had already started eating his slice, added "You're going to fall in love with it."

His word choice was incredibly poor, considering the occupants of the room.

Yusuke used the side of his fork to cut a small piece out of his cake slice. It was soft, fluffy, and easy to cut. He took a slow, cautious bite.

They weren't kidding! The Chocotorta was absolutely delightful! The coffee softened the chocolate chip cookies wonderfully while subtly enhancing its flavor. The addition of the dulce de leche and cream cheese added a delightful caramel taste. It was rich and simple, a combination that was rather hard to make. Not to mention, since the texture of the cake was so soft, it tasted like eating a sort of dessert yogurt.

Yusuke gasped. Ryuji clapped his hands. "I think he likes it!"

"Indeed," Yusuke swallowed his bite of cake, "it is an absolute delight."

"I knew you'd like it! Lemme get a taste and see how we did!" Ryuji scooped up a corner of his square piece of cake and popped it in his mouth. His eyes lit up like fireworks as a large smile formed on his face. "Dude, what the hell? This tastes amazing!"

Yusuke felt his cheeks grow warm. "I'm relieved it turned out well."

"Seriously, it's really tasty," Akira said, scooping up another bite of the cake, "you'd never guess it was your first time baking!"

"What can I say? I had a wonderful teacher." Yusuke replied, looking at Ryuji.

The look of pure happiness and pride in the blonde's eyes made Yusuke rather glad he had accepted the cooking lesson.

-

Ryuji was laying lazily in his bed when his phone vibrated beside him. He turned it on to see a new text from Akira.

Akira: you're down bad for yusuke

Akira: it's worse than i originally thought

You: was it that obvious?

Akira: do you want a comforting lie or a hurtful truth?

You: i'm not subtle, am i?

Akira: not really, no

-

"Okay," Yusuke passed Ryuji a small, square canvas and set a few different acrylic paints of various colors between them. "The first step in the creative process is to determine what you want to paint."

"And how do you usually figure it out?" Ryuji asked, fidgeting with a paint tube absent-mindedly.

The two of them sat on Ryuji's bedroom's wooden floor, a small quantity of newspapers spread out below them to protect the floor from wet paint.

With a paintbrush tucked behind his ear, Ryuji looked peaceful and casual tonight. He wore a yellow tank top and a pair of loose, grey sweatpants. His hair was fluffy and styled rather messily, which gave off a relaxed vibe. Yusuke thought it was rather cute to see him looking so carefree and comfortable.

"Well," Yusuke rolled a paintbrush between his slender fingers, "I tend to draw things I find beautiful."

Ryuji chuckled to himself.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, that's just a total you thing to say." Ryuji coughed, attempting to clear his throat and stop the coughs. "Not in a bad way or anything, it's just. . . I dunno. It makes sense."

"Is there anything you find particularly inspiring or wonderful? As for myself, I am quite amused with Mementos, so I find myself painting it often. The hardest part of being an artist is finding a muse."

"Really?" Ryuji raised a brow, "It seems easy to me. I've already got something in mind."

"Oh? What do you plan to paint?"

"It's a surprise, dude. And hey, don't get your hopes up. I feel like this painting is going to make preschool art projects look like the Mona Lisa."

Yusuke shrugged. "I doubt that, honestly. It will be beautiful."

"Don't gas me up just to humble me with your art expertise!" Ryuji laughed.

Yusuke had to laugh as well. Ryuji's joy was of the contagious sort. "I assure you that there will be no 'humbling' as long as you try your best."

"Alright, I trust you." Ryuji ran a finger along his canvas. "So, uh, what do I do after I figure out what I wanna paint?"

"You're going to take one of these," Yusuke lifted up a white paint pallete, "and pour a small dollop of every paint color you wish to use in your art. You can pour one color in each hole in the pallete to keep them separate."

"Oh, that's easy." Ryuji reached out and picked up a peach, indigo, cyan, navy, and dark purple paint tube. In addition, he took one of the paint palletes and rested it on his knee. "These should work."

"Ah, good choices." Yusuke took a series of various yellow paints, as well as a brown paint and a red paint. He set them beside his palette. "These shall be mine."

His 'muse', so to speak, was Ryuji, this time. Yusuke was never terribly fond of drawing people, as it was much more difficult than drawing a landscape or an abstract piece. However, he was fond of Ryuji, so he ignored his reservations.

The plan was truly a simple one. Yusuke would paint Ryuji on his canvas and then confess his feelings after showing the latter the finished product. He'd never confessed before, so he honestly felt decently nervous. However, Yusuke tried his best to swallow his fear and focus simply on painting, not what would come after.

Sitting in a comfortable silence, they both poured their paints onto their palletes.

"Now that we know what we want to paint and the colors for the creation, we can begin. There are no rules or guidelines on how to paint. Express yourself. Paint your feelings!" Yusuke said happily.

"It's really that simple?" Ryuji asked, "It always looked so difficult to paint."

"It can be difficult to produce the results that you want." Yusuke explained, "However, at its core, art is a way of visualizing who we are and how we feel. Let your creation do the talking."

"Sure, I can do that."

Yusuke dipped the edge of his paintbrush in the vibrant brown paint and began to spread it across his canvas. It was relaxing and mindless to paint, he often found. Then again, Yusuke was one who threw himself into projects to distract himself from his anguish.

"Whatcha painting?" Ryuji leaned over, attempting to catch a glimpse.

Yusuke tilted his canvas away. "It's a surprise."

"Damn, great minds really do think alike!" Ryuji said with a grin, "I can't wait to see what you're choosing to paint! I bet it's something all elegant and beautiful."

"You'll have to see to find out." Yusuke replied. However, Ryuji had hit the mark. The subject of his art certainly was beautiful.

-

"And. . ." Yusuke gently set his paintbrush down on the newspaper, finished and satisfied. "I have finished."

"Y'know, considering it took you longer to finish than it took me, I think I know how this is gonna go." Ryuji looked down at his canvas and winced. "Oh god, I'm almost ashamed to show you this abomination."

"Then, if it's no trouble, permit me to present to you my painting first?" Yusuke asked.

"Go ahead, man! Let's see it!"

Yusuke slowly, gently turned his canvas around to face Ryuji. As it was still wet with paint, this proved to be a difficult task. However, the moment his friend laid eyes on it, the difficulty paid off.

"H-hey, is this. . ?" Ryuji stuttered, examining the artwork.

The painting was of Ryuji in his kitchen, standing over the stove in the way he had when he was showing Yusuke how to make dulce de leche. Although Yusuke struggled to capture the energy, spirit, and virtue of his friend, he had done a good job in depicting his likeness. In the painting, Ryuji had large, wide brown eyes, a sea of freckles across his face, and a soft look of concentration with his tongue slightly sticking out of his mouth. In addition, he was gently holding a whisk and a saucepan in the same calm demeanor that he had two nights previously.

"It's you, Ryuji." Yusuke replied, voice dropping to a nervous whisper as he watched his friend take it all in.

"Dude. . . This is amazing! I mean, seriously! It looks just like me! I-I don't even know what to say, man." Ryuji looked up at Yusuke. Their eyes met. "But, I gotta ask. Why would you paint me?"

Yusuke tentatively raised an eyebrow. What an odd question. Was it that he didn't see his own natural beauty?

"You'll recall that earlier in the night I mentioned that I primarily draw things that I find to be beautiful?"

"Yeah?"

"There's your explanation, then." Yusuke replied calmly. He watched as Ryuji looked down at knees and processed the compliment.

"You think I'm. . . beautiful?" Ryuji asked, uncharacteristically quietly.

"More than you could imagine." Yusuke stated, so lightly it was almost a whisper. "Everything about you I find beautiful."

Ryuji took the canvas from him, careful not to smudge the paint on it. He was silent, but his upturned lips said all.

"May I continue?" Yusuke asked as Ryuji looked over the painting in closer detail.

"Y-yeah!"

"You have been dealt a hard hand in life. Despite that, you are the most radiant person I know. You bring happiness, pride, and joy into my life. I like myself most when I'm with you. It would be easy for you to lose yourself in your sorrows, but you don't. You showed me how to live my life, how to use my burdens as a tool for self rediscovery. Truly, without you, I don't know where I would be."

"Yusuke?"

"When I'm with you, I feel so happy, it's like I'm the only person in the world. This week has been the best of my life, Ryuji. Every morning, I woke up with a smile on my face because I knew I'd see you again. Your presence is like a lighthouse, guiding me to safety and contentment. Is it not only natural that I find you beautiful and intreguing?"

"I had no idea, man."

"But it's more than that. I care very deeply for you. At this current moment, I can't imagine life without your light. So, I suppose that what I'm trying to say is. . . I like you. A lot, as it happens." Yusuke's heart was racing with embarrassment and fear, but he just managed to say "Will you go out with me?"

Ryuji's eyes widened in shock as he burst out laughing, first in surprise and then in genuine joy.

"What's so funny?" Yusuke asked nervously.

Ryuji attempted to clear his throat. "Can I show you what I painted?"

Yusuke nodded, calmly trying to recollect himself and stop his cheeks from blushing.

Ryuji turned his canvas over to reveal a rather. . . amateur sketch of a tall, lanky man with elegant blue hair and pierced ears. Though his figure resembled a stick in many key ways, the guy wore a shirt that read 'I ♡ LOBSTERS'. He had pale skin, semi-circular eyes, and a paintbrush in his stick-like left hand.

With a shaking hand, Yusuke pointed a finger at himself. "Did you draw me?"

"Hey, you got it! Yeah, that's you, Yusuke."

"It looks just like me! Look at my shirt! I do 'heart' lobsters! And, might I add, the attention to details, such as the shading of my hair and the addition of my earrings is exquisite!"

"I'm glad you like it, because, honestly, I thought it looked kinda shitty."

"Nonsense, it's perfect! They'll put this in a museum some day."

Ryuji sighed. "Y'know, for being a prodigy, you're kinda oblivious, dude."

"How so?"

"I painted something I found beautiful, just like you recommended."

Huh?

"But you painted. . ." Yusuke trailed off.

Oh.

*Oh*.

"You mean to say-"

"I find you beautiful too. And, yeah, I'd love to go out with you." Ryuji smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Funny enough, I had this whole confession speech thing prepared to give to you and everything, but you beat me to it. That's why I was laughing- the sheer irony of it all."

"Well," Yusuke moved closer to Ryuji, "I would still like to hear it."

"Oh geez, it's so sappy."

"I hoped so."

"Okay, okay," Ryuji cleared his throat, "Yusuke, the time I've been your friend has been some of the best in my life. You're empathetic, unique, and very understanding. There's nobody I trust more than you."

"That's not sappy, that's adorable!" Yusuke protested.

"I've never dated anybody before, but I know what it feels like to have feelings for someone. Whenever I'm around you, I'm full of those romantic feelings. I really, really like you, Yusuke. I don't wanna be dishonest and pretend I don't! You don't deserve that. I dunno what our relationship is or what it's gonna become, but I know that I want my future to be with you. So, uh. . . yeah."

Yusuke felt his eyes fill with tears, his vision blurring.

"Woah, woah, don't cry-" Ryuji frantically exclaimed.

"That's the kindest thing that anybody has ever said to me!" Yusuke sobbed, wiping a tear, "I want my future to be with you too."

Ryuji set his painting aside and pulled Yusuke into a tight, warm embrace. "I'm so relieved to hear that."

"I love you, Ryuji." Yusuke gently replied, happy tears falling onto his friend's- no, his boyfriend's- shoulder.

"Love you too, babe!"

-

Ryuji laid down on his bed, a large smile on his face. He turned his lamp off and climbed under his sheets. Before drifting off to sleep, he opened his phone and sent a quick text to Akira.

You: akira, i may have rizzed a little too close to the sun

You: call me icarus or whatever

Akira was definitely awake, but Ryuji didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he powered his phone off and plugged it in to charge.

Sleep came easily to Ryuji that night.