Work Text:
“Ran-senpai, he still hasn’t gotten up…”
“…It would appear so. Is he okay?”
“AUGHHH…!” Kaoru wallowed in misery. His blanket covered his entire body as he tried to suffocate himself into the mattress. It felt like his entire world was ending, and he just wanted to disintegrate.
“…Yuta-kun, his condition seems to be deteriorating. Should we call for assistance?”
“I already did,” Yuta sighed. “But don’t worry about him, he’s just overreacting.”
I’m not being melodramatic. At least, that’s what Kaoru felt better thinking.
“Hakaze-senpai!” Yuta called. “Can you get out of bed? You’re gonna regret not doing so~”
Kaoru only gave a noncommittal groan, still faceplanted in his mattress.
“…Who’s coming to help?” Ran inquired. “And when are they coming?”
“Ah… well… he kinda left me on read… but I know he’s gonna come here! …I think!”
Seconds after, a knock on the door sounded, followed by a demanding voice. “I’m giving you five seconds to open this door before I kick it open.”
Kaoru’s stomach filled with dread. Oh God, please no. He listened to the sounds of Yuta’s scrambled strides and Ran’s casual yet graceful steps making its ways over to the door. Following the sound of the door swinging open forcefully, Kaoru heard a pair of footsteps stride over to the side of his bed. “…Heyyy, Senacchi…?”
“Don’t ‘Heyyy,’ me, Kao-kun. Are you going to explain why I got a call that you were acting pathetic, and that for some reason, I was the only one who could drag your ass out of bed!?” Sena’s annoyance was palpable, causing Kaoru to somehow sink even further into his bed.
“Mmph,” Kaoru responded. He knew that Sena would probably get him out of bed sooner or later, but he was determined to put up a fight nonetheless.
An exasperated Sena clicked his tongue. “Oh my- You should already be grateful that I even have time in my busy schedule to come here and put up with your bullshit! The least you can do is act like you want to cooperate.”
Kaoru adamantly remained unresponsive, and he heard Sena grumble in annoyance.
“I’m giving you three seconds to get out from there.”
Pfft, or what? Kaoru taunted him in his head. He knew fully well the consequences of saying that out loud.
“One.”
Kaoru refused to move.
“Two.”
Okay, he was getting nervous.
“Three.”
He really hoped he didn’t regret this.
“Kao-kun, don’t blame me for what happens next.”
Suddenly, the sheets were pulled out from beneath him, and in an impressive show of strength from Sena, Kaoru was flipped off the bed, landing on the blanket that fell under him. Kaoru lifted his head to see Ran observing him with interest. Safe to say… he regretted it.
Yuta looked down at Kaoru with woe before turning to Sena. “Sena-senpai, maybe you should be more delicate with him. He’s already going through it.”
Sena scoffed, waving Yuta off. “If you’re going to call for my help, we’re doing this my way.” He stared down Kaoru intimidatingly. “Now, Kao-kun, explain yourself.”
Kaoru sat up, fidgeting. “Uh… pass?”
Sena only raised an eyebrow at him.
“You really aren’t going to let me walk out of this, are you?” Kaoru sighed.
“Really?” Sena asked disbelievingly. “You’re always so eager to bother me, and yet the one time I give you the opportunity to, you’re trying to leave.”
Kaoru pouted. “Yeah, because I like being with you, Senacchi. Just… not when I actually have to face…”
Sena expectedly watched him. “Yes?”
“I-I mean, like… I just kind of didn’t really expect it to be like this, so…”
“Huh?” Sena asked more impatiently.
“Well, it all felt like it came out of nowhere, y’know what I mean?”
“No, I don’t, Kao-kun. Stop beating around the bush.” Because of his continued concern for his friend, Sena sounded slightly more aggravated than before.
“Wait, just give me a sec! It’s kind of embarrassing, well, not in that way, but—”
“Kao-kun, oh my God, just spit it out already!”
“Alright, fine!” Kaoru whined. “I think…” He swallowed deeply. “I might… not be completely straight.” He closed his eyes as he awaited his judgement.
“…”
Kaoru opened one of his eyes to see Sena staring blankly at him. Did he mess up? Did he say something he shouldn’t have? He knew that he was taking a risk outing himself, but he trusted that—
“ARE YOU FUAUGHH- I- THIS!? THIS IS WHAT I GET CALLED ALL THE WAY HERE FOR!? BECAUSE THE GAY THOUGHTS FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO YOU!?” Sena bellowed. If Kaoru looked closely enough, he would notice that Sena’s nostrils flared up as much as his mood did.
“HUH!?” Was that supposed to be a good reaction or a bad one!?
Sena took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose so hard that it looked like it would bruise. He glared at Kaoru, unimpressed. “Kao-kun, I’m sorry, but what school did you think you were going to? Did you really think you could go to Yumenosaki and come out cishet?”
“Uhhh…” Kaoru blanked. Wait… “Wait, you mean, you…”
“Yes, Kao-kun. Me.” Sena confirmed, exasperated.
Kaoru turned to Yuta and Ran. “W-Wait, even you two!? I thought you two were…”
Yuta made an X with his arms and Ran only stared blankly back at Kaoru.
His head was beginning to spin from all the revelations he was experiencing at once. “Why didn’t you guys ever tell me!? Did you think I wouldn’t…” Kaoru clenched the blanket he was sitting on.
Yuta quickly seemed to realize what Kaoru was suggesting. “Oh, no, Hakaze-senpai,” he said reassuringly. “It’s just, uh,” Yuta chuckled, “you never really asked? And it never really came up. I swear we would’ve had no trouble bringing it up.”
Ran silently nodded in agreement.
“Oh.” Kaoru relaxed, feeling a bit stupid for having jumped to conclusions so quickly. “Wait a minute… everyone else in UNDEAD…!?”
Yuta slowly nodded. “Yeah…? Did you really not notice at all? I thought it was obvious with Sakuma-senpai, at least. And isn’t there that weird tension between Otogari-senpai and Oogami-senpai?”
“WHAT!?”
“While this is nice and all,” Sena interrupted, “can we get back to the topic at hand? Why were you agonizing so pitifully over this? And how did you even realize you weren’t straight?”
“O-Oh, I… um…” Kaoru’s eyes flitted nervously to Yuta and Ran.
Sena seemed to catch on to the movement, and he turned to the intruding pair. “Actually, before Kao-kun says anything, I think it would be best for you two to leave the room.”
“Wha- why!?” Yuta cried. “We wanna know too, right, Ran-senpai?”
Ran nodded. “… I am quite fascinated to know the journey of self-discovery Kaoru-kun went on. And I hope to be able to provide comfort to him after finding out what caused him such distress.”
Sena rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m sure we’re all curious. But since I’m the one who got him out of bed, it’s only fair that I get the privilege of getting to hear the tea before the rest of you do. You’ll only find out if he’s in the mood to repeat himself. If he doesn’t want to, tough luck. I know I hate repeating myself. Now shoo!” He started to prod them towards the door.
“Uh, well, see you soon, Hakaze-senpai!” Yuta called out to Kaoru. “I hope you get to tell us all the juicy details later~”
“… I will see you at BIBLION, I suppose. Please feel better soon, Kaoru-kun,” Ran said with a gentle smile.
After Kaoru waved goodbye to his roommates, Sena quickly shut the door before striding back to him. He sat cross-legged in front of Kaoru with a worried expression. “You’re not uncomfortable talking about this, right? I could tell that their presence was making you nervous.”
Kaoru smiled softly. “Aww, Senacchi really does care about me~♪”
“D-Don’t be ridiculous. I’m only doing this for myself. Now answer the damn question.”
“I’m okay, Senacchi. I feel safe enough around you to talk about it,” Kaoru reassured.
“Tch. Good. You better be grateful I do stuff like this for you.”
“I always am~♪”
Sena rolled his eyes again. “So?” he prompted impatiently, causing Kaoru to tense again. “How did this,” Sena gestured to Kaoru’s form, “all happen?”
Kaoru avoided Sena’s gaze as he took a deep breath. “Um. I might have caught feelings… for somebody…”
“Yeah, I figured that much. Who is it?” Sena stared at Kaoru, but when Kaoru wouldn’t answer, his eyes widened. “Y-You don’t mean me, right!? No offense Kao-kun, but—”
“N-No!” He vigorously shook his head. “Wait, is the idea of me liking you really that bad?”
Sena shot Kaoru an unamused look, raising an eyebrow.
Kaoru sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I know… It’s, um…” He quieted down to a whisper. “It’s Moricchi…”
“Oh my god,” Sena whispered in awe.
“Yeah… I know.”
“I thought… I thought you two were already dating.”
“WHAT!?”
Sena flinched from Kaoru’s sudden outburst, glaring at the sheepish smile he received. “You two had been going on so many dates recently…”
“D-Dates!?”
“So, I had assumed that you were together,” Sena finished, pointedly ignoring Kaoru. “Obviously, that had been proven wrong when I realized that you were just finding out that you weren’t as straight as you deluded yourself into thinking. And Morisawa—”
“H-Hold on! Move back a step, did you just say dates!?”
Sena looked at Kaoru like he had grown two more heads. “Yes…?”
“When did we ever go out on a date!?”
“…Kao-kun, didn’t you tell me Morisawa took you out on a date for that Shuffle Unit project of yours?”
“Well,” Kaoru shifted uncomfortably, anxiety dripping from his voice, “that was only for the project, to understand how to take a girl out on a date.”
“Yeah, but he took you out there, didn’t he? And didn’t you guys have fun? And you didn’t you two continue to go out!? The dumbass probably already thinks the two of you are dating!”
“I’m pretty sure he just thought of those as friend dates. You know he isn’t good with romance!”
“When he begs me to go out with you guys, he promises that he won’t make me feel like a third wheel.”
Kaoru paused as he tried to think of a plausible explanation, because there was absolutely no way he would admit Sena was right. “He only said that because he and I got closer while you were overseas… so he thought you might have felt a little out of place in our friend dates…?”
Sena muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “I can’t believe I’m friends with these dumbasses.”
“Excuse me?”
He raised his voice back to normal volume. “Okay, Kao-kun, let’s say those weren’t dates. How about you, oh, I don’t know, just ask him out on a date?”
“That… is a terrible idea.”
Sena was unconvinced. “And why is that? Weren’t you wooing people all the time back when we attended Yumenosaki? I don’t understand why this is so different.”
“’Cause Morisawa… is a guy?” Kaoru cringed at his faulty excuse.
“Why do you sound so unsure of yourself? You know that doesn’t change much. Give me a better excuse.”
“He’d probably want something to do with hero stuff, and I don’t know much about that…”
“If I know anything about Morisawa, and unfortunately, I do, it’s that he’s probably forced you to watch at least one tokusatsu film with him. And even if you don’t remember anything from the film, you know that he’d probably cherish anything a friend gives or does with him.”
Kaoru began to panic as he found himself running out of excuses. His eyes darted around the room as if the furniture would give him more material to work with. “I- uh…”
“Kao-kun!” Sena exclaimed. He closed his eyes and sighed. When his eyes cracked open again, they softened, and Sena softened his tone. “I know you’re scared. But I’m not sure of what. I don’t want to push you, so you don’t have to tell me. But I can’t help you work through this if I don’t know what’s wrong either. Please, Kao-kun, tell me what you want to do next. I’ll be here either way.”
Kaoru tried to steady his breath as his eyes met Sena’s. “I’m scared of losing him, Senacchi,” he whispered. “Moricchi means so much to me, and I…” He paused as he took a moment to stop the tears from rushing to his eyes, his voice about to crack. “A-And I don’t want to ruin things between us…”
For a moment, Kaoru thought he could see that same fear reflected in Sena’s eyes before they hardened to their usual indifference. “I’m not paid enough for this,” Sena sighed under his breath. Then louder, “Okay, you baby. Get over here. Put your… eugh… put your head on my lap.”
“Oh my, Senacchi. That sounds scandalou—”
“Shut up.”
Kaoru chuckled, and he crawled over to Sena, gently placing his head on Sena’s lap. He laughed breathily as Sena lightly smacked the side of his head. Sena let his fingers gently card through his friend’s dark blond locks. Closing his eyes, he momentarily let go of his anxieties and drifted into the comforting motions. Despite his harshness, Sena loved to pamper others, especially his juniors, and Kaoru felt privileged for being able to receive such favorable treatment on more than one occasion.
After half a minute of enjoying the feeling of his hair being brushed by Sena’s gentle hand, Kaoru spoke up. “This reminds me of that Bridal photo shoot we did. Remember that? It was so long ago that it felt like a dream~♪”
“I remember. You were utterly incompetent on how to model properly, but thanks to my guidance, you were able to get superb results. Although, when you managed to get your act together, you weren’t half-bad without my guidance either.”
“Aww thanks, Senacchi. That’s a lot coming from you. I had to do my best for you and Anzu, of course~”
“Maybe one day, you’ll be giving Morisawa that same loving smile.”
Kaoru tensed, and he felt Sena’s fingers pause in their movement.
“Are you ready to talk about it yet?” Sena asked softly.
Kaoru opened his eyes and looked to the side, unsure. “I…”
“Okay, how about this instead. Tell me when you realized you started liking him.”
“Huh?” Kaoru looked up to see Sena giving him a mischievous grin.
“I meant it when I said I going to hear that tea first, Kao-kuu~n ♪” Sena sing-songed.
“Ugh, fine.” Kaoru rolled his eyes fondly. “I guess I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk about Moricchi…”
“There’s no way I’ll lose to you, Hakaze! I’ll definitely win this time!” Morisawa’s eyes lit with determination.
Kaoru smirked confidently back at him. “You haven’t won yet, what makes you think this time is going to be any different?”
“Nothing!” Morisawa shouted. “But heroes never give up, no matter what! One day’s defeat is another day’s victory, and no matter how many times you knock us down, we’ll come back stronger than before!”
“Did you get that from one of your tokusatsu—”
“Shh! Concentrate! This victory doesn’t mean anything if you aren’t giving it your all!” The game started up, and Morisawa immediately started his offense.
Captain America launched his shield at Wolverine, and after it was blocked, he kicked the shield back towards him, which was blocked again. When his shield came around a second time, Captain America lifted the shield to ram into Wolverine.
Wolverine swiftly leapt over him and slashed beneath him, knocking out one of Captain America’s three hearts. He wasted no time taking another heart after leaping back over Captain America, who attempted another shield bash.
“HA HA HA~☆ Being backed into a corner is a perfect opportunity for a hero to show their real strength!”
Kaoru could practically feel Morisawa vibrating next to him as Morisawa shouted excitedly, mashed the buttons, and jostled the joystick.
Unfortunately, in his excitement, Morisawa ended up shoving into Kaoru, who lost control of his character for a moment.
Captain America caught Wolverine in a deadly combo, quickly knocking off two of his hearts.
But before he could deliver the final blow, Wolverine blocked, and counterattacked, taking the last of Captain America’s hearts. Wolverine made a victory pose as “WINNER” flashed across the screen.
Morisawa groaned in defeat, putting a hand to his head. “Ah, I was so close to winning too!” He recovered quickly, beaming at Kaoru. “Good job, Hakaze! It seems like I still have a long way to go when it comes to being a hero!”
Kaoru didn’t have the heart to tell Morisawa that the only reason he landed any hits on Kaoru was because he knocked into him. “I think you’re already a great hero, Moricchi.”
Morisawa’s smile turned uncharacteristically shy, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “You really think so?”
Strangely enough, Kaoru could feel a flush creeping up the back of his neck. “Y-Yeah, of course. Did you see how close you were to winning there? You really showed that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything! And for trying so hard, let me give you a reward~”
“Oh?” Morisawa perked up, looking unexpectedly excited.
“A tip that’ll help you win next time for sure ♪”
For a second, it almost seemed like Morisawa’s smile faltered for a bit before coming back full force. “Of course, Hakaze. It would mean a lot to learn from you.”
“Don’t yell out every move as you’re about to use it.”
“Oh.
Kaoru burst out laughing at Morisawa’s dumbfounded face, and it only took a few moments before Morisawa started laughing as well.
“I-I didn’t realize…”
“It’s okay, Moricchi, it’s one of things that makes you so cute.” He paused and his eyes met Morisawa’s widened ones. Oh God, why did I say that!? Quick, backtrack! “Um, for a guy, of course.” Someone, kill me.
Thankfully, Morisawa seemed to take it with pride, chuckling at Kaoru’s words. “Thanks, Kaoru, you’re pretty cute yourself~” His confident expression failed to hide the light blush dusting his cheeks.
Kaoru awkwardly laughed in return, ignoring the fluttering in his stomach. “Uh, thanks, Moricchi.” Is he joking? Are we flirting? What is happening—
“Is there anywhere you want to stop next?”
“Huh?”
Morisawa grinned brightly at Kaoru, his aura rivaling the light of the brightest stars. “I may not have beaten you in a fighting game, but I might be able to beat you in something else!”
“Y-Yeah, good idea.” Kaoru’s brain scrambled for anything that could bring them back from whatever that was. “How about karaoke? It’s just down the street.”
“What a great idea!” Morisawa quickly grabbed Kaoru’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “We still have time; we should make use of it while we have the chance! HA HA HA~ ☆ ”
Kaoru weakly tried protesting the skinship to no avail, so he allowed himself to revel in the physical contact with the excuse that Morisawa was just too stubborn to listen to him. That excuse also coincidentally extended to his heart almost pounding out of his chest and wanting to get closer to the smile that almost seemed reserved only for him. He couldn’t help it. He…
“…was just so bright that I couldn’t tell myself anymore that I didn’t love him,” Kaoru finished.
“Love, huh?” Sena smirked down at him.
“I m-meant like. Like. Yeah…” Kaoru tried to save himself, but the words were already out there. Baring his heart so much was so unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and unshackling at the same time.
“So, to summarize… Morisawa was being a dumbass, and you thought to yourself, ‘Wow, I love that dumbass.’ Is that right?”
Kaoru didn’t bother dignifying that with an answer. He knew Sena knew. And he knew that Sena knew that he knew. He tried hiding his smile with his hand.
“And from the sound of it, Morisawa was probably thinking the exact same thing.”
Kaoru’s smile fell slightly. “Yeah, that would be nice…”
“Oh my God, Kao-kun, I’m telling you, he definitely feels that same way.”
“Senacchi, I want to believe that, but—”
“So, believe it!”
“That’s easy for you to say! You’re not the one scared out of your mind!” Kaoru cried.
“Of course I’m scared!” Sena shouted back. Seeming to realize what he said, Sena smacked his own forehead with his free hand. “Damn it… I didn’t mean to say…”
“You… you’re scared too?” Kaoru asked in a voice no louder than the sound of a pin falling onto a hardwood floor.
Sena sighed in frustration before hesitantly nodding. “…Y-Yes, I’m scared. As much as I hate to admit it, somehow you two dumbasses ended up being two of my best friends. And if the two of you were to have a falling out… that would hurt me a lot too.”
Kaoru stared up at Sena in wonder.
“But… that’s the reason I know that he feels the same way. I’ve seen the way you two treat each other. You’re completely smitten, but Morisawa is also head-over-heels with you, giving you way more affection than he normally smothers everyone with. And it’s especially obvious to someone close to him like me.” Sena’s eyes glinted with a mixture of hurt and hope. “I don’t want to see you two dancing around each other, not when I know how happy you can be… Do you trust me enough to believe what I say next, Kao-kun?”
“Yes,” Kaoru answered without hesitation.
“Then trust me when I tell you that Morisawa feels the same way. If he doesn’t already, just tell him what you told me, and he’ll be swooning in your arms in no time. And if he rejects you for whatever reason, just know I’m kicking his ass.”
“Please don’t do that.” Kaoru laughed. “…Thanks, Senacchi… for listening to me.”
“Ugh, I was just trying to get you to stop bothering your roommates so they would stop bothering me, okay?”
“If that’s what you say, Senacchi~♪”
“Oh, and don’t tell Morisawa any of what I said, or you’re both dead.” Sena threatened.
Kaoru met Sena’s glare with an easy smile. “Of course.” He lifted his head off Sena’s lap and stood up. “Heh, I should probably do this before I think about it more and chicken out again.”
After Kaoru opened the door, Sena called out to him, “Kao-kun, one more thing!”
Kaoru turned to Sena and tilted his head.
“If Morisawa already thinks the two of you are dating, you owe me one.”
Kaoru playfully stuck his tongue out at Sena. “Whatever you say, Senacchi. And if he rejects me, you owe me three.”
Sena’s grinned devilishly. “I don’t make such trivial mistakes.”
As Kaoru closed the door, he could have sworn for a second that he saw a flash of worry cross Sena’s face. He supposed Sena might’ve still been as nervous as he was, given what he revealed in that moment of vulnerability. Still, the two of them knew that he couldn’t run forever, and Kaoru resolved to confront Morisawa as soon as possible.
“…and so Morisawa, I ask that you give me a chance! Please go out with me!” Kaoru bowed to Morisawa and held his breath.
“Hakaze, I’m sorry, but…”
“M-Morisawa!?”
“I thought we were already dating.”
“…”
“Hakaze?”
“Damn it, Senacchi!”
Kaoru remembered the words that Izumi had repeated so many times to him on the day they started to become friends. That was the day he had promised to work harder for his friends’ smiles. Having faced the camera, he had pondered the words in his head, “Imagine you’re receiving your bride with flowers. Imagine this is the happiest day of your life.”
At the start of the shoot, it felt like weights were placed on the corners of his mouth, and even a small smile wracked his entire body with pain. But by the end of it, not only did his face feel lighter, but his heart. His very soul. It was almost like it was really happening in front of him. But even though Anzu was the one cupping his cheek for the photo, he didn’t see her at all. Regardless of how he felt about her, he couldn’t see that kind of life with her.
But now when he opened his eyes—
“Kao-kun, why are you just standing there?”
“Ah, sorry Senacchi. I was just getting lost in thought.”
Izumi scoffed, “You can do that on another day. Otherwise, you’ll be reminiscing on how you kept your own husband-to-be waiting on your wedding day.”
Kaoru felt a warmth spread through his entire body at those words. It almost felt unreal.
“Ugh, I think I’m going to get cavities looking at that expression your face.”
Kaoru snapped out of his daze and grinned at Izumi. “So, you think it’s sweet, don’t you~?”
“Shut up, we need to get ready to go out there. Come on, they won’t wait forever for us.”
“Do I look good enough? I want this to be perfect.” Kaoru lifted a hand self-consciously to feel his hair before it was smacked away.
“Hey! Don’t mess with my work! Of course it’s perfect, would you expect any less from me?” Izumi asked, affronted.
“’Course not,” Kaoru huffed with a laugh.
“That’s what I thought. Now out you go. I still have to finish up here. Those rings aren’t going to perfectly maneuver their way down the aisle on their own.”
“Okay, okay.” Kaoru took a deep breath to try to calm his growing nerves and opened the door. But before he stepped through, a gentle hand landed on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Izumi giving him an unnaturally soft look.
“Kao-kun, take care of each other, all right?” The corner of his mouth turned up in mirth. “And don’t forget about me, okay?”
“Of course, Senacchi. Just like how you promised to stay with me, I promise that I won’t leave you.”
Izumi seemed to tear up for a moment before shaking his head and forcefully shoving Kaoru out of the room, quickly closing the door.
Kaoru chuckled to himself for a moment before making his way to the aisle. He looked past all the guests, made up of his friends and what family he had left, and saw Chiaki, whose already bright smile still rivaled the burning sun. Kaoru took a moment to figure out how to breathe again before taking his first step towards him. I did it, Mom. I found people who could make me as happy as you did. I know you would’ve loved them, just like I do.