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“Sora-kun, you talk about seeing all these ‘colors’ but I don’t think I quite understand. Could you explain them to me?” Hiiro asks one day late into the night when they’re watching a movie together in Sora’s room. “If you’d like to, that is.”
It was recommended to them by Hinata, and they decided to check it out together. It’s a fun movie, and Sora can see it as something Hinata would like a lot, but he isn’t sure he likes it very much. The characters are too mean to each other, and he feels like it would’ve been better if they were nicer to each other.
The question, however, makes Sora freeze. “Whenever Sora tries to explain the colors he sees to people, they don’t understand or make fun of him. Except for Shisho~ and Senpai, they were the only ones who actually listened.”
“I won’t force you if you don’t want to. It’s just that,” Hiiro starts. “you sometimes talk about those colors giving you a headache, so I want to know what you’re going through to help you whenever that happens!” He reaches out to hold Sora’s hand “You try to help the people and make them happy, so I want to help you feel happy as well!”
***
One day, as Hiiro is on his way to meet the rest of Alkaloid, he hears noises coming from the common room. Curious, he peeks his head inside to see who's there.
“Hihi~ you're late Gambler onii-san!” He hears Sora say, it looks like his brother came right before he got here.
He doesn’t know what compels him to stay and watch the scene in front of him. It seems like a circle meeting, what was the name of the circle they were both in? Asobi? Considering the huge board game set up on the table he thinks he is correct in his assumption.
“I’m perfectly on time!” He says as sits down between Sora and Shinobu. “See, everything is laid out on the table for dear ol’ me to enjoy!”
Then Hiiro sees Sora hug his brother as they laugh. Hiiro feels something pulling on his chest. He doesn’t know why the scene before him makes him feel something akin to longing, but he’s not given time to dwell on it because at the same moment, he gets a text from Aira asking him why he’s late.
***
Sora feels his heart starting to beat faster, he's pretty sure that he is blushing too “Hihi~ then Sora will explain but it's okay if you don't understand.” Sora doesn't know who he's reassuring by saying that.
“Everyone in Alkaloid says that I’m a quick learner so I will do my best to understand!” Hiiro has a determined look on his face, Sora's heart grows fonder.
“Huhu~ then Sora will begin explaining ☆” and he does. He tells him everything about how he sees colors, how they can help him see people's emotions, and how it gets so exhausting at times.
And Hiiro listens. His attention doesn't leave Sora for a second, he asks questions to understand him better and Sora is always happy to answer. He's never had someone listen like Hiiro did, they'd usually just tell him that he was weird or call him an alien.
***
That night, he decides to explain his newfound emotions to his dorm mates, he hopes that they can help him figure things out since he didn’t have much time to think about it.
“I don't think I'm jealous of Sora-kun though? I know I can hug Nii-san whenever I want even though he avoids me… Oh!” Hiiro stops as he realizes something.
Niki and Hinata gesture to him to continue voicing his train of thought.
“Maybe I'm jealous of Nii-san!”
“Hmm?”
“I think I want to hug Sora-kun.” He explains his huge revelation.
“Oooh,” Niki and Hinata say in unison.
Niki seems like he is trying to not laugh. Hinata can understand why but he replies to Hiiro instead.
“Speaking from experience,” Hinata puffs his chest out, he’s clearly proud of his friendship with Sora. “Sora likes hugging people and stuff so I'm pretty sure you can just ask him for one?”
“I can do that? What if he asks for a reason?”
“Did it look like he had a reason when he hugged Rinne-kun this morning?” Niki asks as he moves on to eating another snack, but Hiiro has no clue where he pulled it out from.
Hiiro stops to think back on this morning's events. “No, not really. It just looked like he was saying hi to him.”
“Yeah, Sora-kun does that with people he's close to,” Hinata says while nodding. “Also, I think just wanting a hug is a good enough reason so you shouldn't worry too much. It's Sora-kun we're talking about, he is the nicest person in this building.”
Niki nods in agreement “Yeah, you should just go for it! He seems like he enjoys hugging people as well, he’s like sunshine personified.”
Hiiro immediately perks up at that “He is! And whenever he smiles it's like he shines!”
Niki and Hinata share a look for the umpteenth time that evening.
“Well, the final decision is still up to you, but I say you go for it.”
***
The next day Hiiro finds Sora alone at the hanging gardens as he is eating lunch and decides to take his chance.
“Sora-kun!”
Sora looks in his direction and he smiles. “Hii-chan! Hi!”
“Hello!” Hiiro almost forgets what he is about to ask because he feels distracted by Sora’s brilliant smile. “Sora-kun, can I hug you?” Better to get to the point right away, right?
“Of course, you can hug Sora! Sora loves hugs!”
Realizing that all of his worries from last night were for no reason, he
Hugging Sora is… It feels simply wonderful. He feels so happy to be so close to someone he cares so much for. He likes the warmth, and he likes the sweetness of Sora’s cologne. It feels kind and he feels loved.
It also makes Hiiro realize that he was indeed jealous of his brother for hugging Sora. But now, he doesn’t understand why he felt jealous. Why does he have such a strong desire to be next to Sora and spend time together? He needs more time to mull this over, but he doesn’t want to take up too much time off of his lunch break.
“Thank you Sora-kun!” He says as he pulls away from the hug. “You give really nice hugs, I feel great!”
“Hmm.” Sora seems a little upset. “But Hii-chan’s colors seem a little troubled.”
“I am trying to understand my feelings about something,” He decides to explain it without giving too much away. He still doesn’t know why he felt jealous, and he’d rather explain something he understands. “Or rather someone.”
“Sora could help? He could describe your colors for you!” Sora gently picks up his hands.
Hiiro feels himself blush. Even though he wants to stay in this moment where his hands are being held by someone so precious to him forever, he says: “I think this is something I should figure out for myself.”
“Then Sora wishes you good luck ☆”
***
“My 'colors' or feelings can affect your mood?” Hiiro asks at one point.
“Yes ♪ that's why Sora is happiest when other people are happy! They make such beautiful 'colors' that it makes Sora feel happy as well ☆”
“Then I will try to be as happy as possible around you Sora-kun! Though, whenever I am around you, I feel as happy as I could be already ♪” Hiiro says with a huge smile, his colors shine so bright and beautiful at that moment that Sora almost has to look away, but he finds himself getting drawn into it.
***
Last night as he was mulling it over before sleeping, he realized that he has a crush on Harukawa Sora.
And today, Hiiro has a mission to confess to him.
He didn’t know what to do about it at first, but the answer became crystal clear in a matter of seconds. And it's that he has to tell him. He doesn’t know if he’d be good at hiding his emotions from Sora and he feels like he deserves to know what Hiiro feels for him.
He goes by his dorm room first thing in the morning. To his luck, Sora is the one who answers when he knocks on the door.
“Good morning Hii-chan.” He seems like he just woke up, Hiiro is afraid that he woke him up. “Come in.”
“Thank you, and sorry.” Hiiro enters, and the room is empty except for them. “Did I wake you?”
“Nope! Sora was already up he just didn’t feel like getting out of bed yet.” Hiiro notices how finds this drowsy Sora really cute. “Did you want to talk about something with Sora?”
“Yes! I figured out what I was feeling the other day!”
“You did?” Sora seems really excited and also nervous?
“I did!” He reaches out to hold Sora’s hand as he did yesterday, it feels as good if not better. “Sora-kun, I’ve realized that I have a crush on you!”
The smile on Sora’s face is the biggest he has ever seen; he wishes he could frame this moment and keep it close to his heart forever. “You do?”
“I do! I like you a lot!” Hiiro then explains how he reached this conclusion and how happy he is that he did.
Sora laughs. “Sora didn’t know you saw all that. But Hina-chan was right, Sora loves to hug his friends!” He pulls away his hands from Hiiro’s to hug him. “And Sora loves to hug you too because he likes you as well!”
“You do?” Hiiro feels like he is going to short-circuit from happiness.
“Sora does! He likes Hii-chan a lot!”
“Then, can I ask a selfish question Sora-kun?”
“Hihi~ Of course you can!”
Hiiro takes a deep breath. “Can I kiss you?”
“Please do ☆”
Compared to everything that has happened in the last few days, kissing Sora is the one thing that makes him feel immensely happy without a doubt.