Chapter Text
“mahiro, the bell just rang.”
“yeah, yeah.”
“so—”
“i heard it.” the blond turned over and away from yoshino’s expectant look, head cushioned on his school bag and legs entangled with his long-suffering friend’s. the muted sounds of 8-bit music and aggressive button-smashing filled the resulting silence, then a loud expletive when “game over” flashed on the boxy screen. mahiro slammed the gaming device down and groaned.
“so…let’s go.” yoshino prodded again, nudging the blond’s knee.
slowly, mahiro sat up, kicking the other's legs away in childish retaliation before moving to rest on his haunches. he ran a preening hand through mussed hair and scowled at yoshino. “are classes all you think about? who cares if we’re late.”
before yoshino could helpfully provide a list of various teachers and authority figures, mahiro had already thrown his video game into his bag, rummaging through the contents in what (yoshino hoped) was preparation to head to class before it ended.
he shouldn’t have bothered, in retrospect. with a disturbingly triumphant expression, mahiro turned back to brandish a—a sewing needle?
yoshino eyed it before sighing, the slump of his shoulders defeated. “we’re not going to geometry, are we.”
“fuck no. i have a better idea.” mahiro held the needle out for the brunet to take, then pulled a lighter out of his pants pocket. “okay, pierce my ears.”
“what? they’re already pierced.”
“a second piercing, idiot.”
“i don’t know how to.”
“anyone can do it. look, you just—” mahiro flicked the lighter on, stuck the needle’s end into the flame for a few seconds, and held it back out. “here. now you take it, and jab it through.”
yoshino stared back uncomprehendingly, then crossed his arms. “i’m not doing it. it’s stupid and probably not safe.”
“what? it’s sanitary. i just cleaned the needle. don’t be a fucking wimp.” mahiro glared.
“i’m not. doing it.” yoshino defiantly glared back, refusing to budge an inch.
the stalemate dragged on for a few tense moments. then mahiro got the lunatic gleam in his eyes that never boded well.
yoshino stood and backed the fuck up.
“fine. don’t do it.” mahiro got to his feet as well, needle in hand like a weapon. “but,” he paused for dramatic effect, “i’ll pierce your ears then.” cue the trademark malicious grin and first threatening step forward.
“what the hell, mahiro? you’re not—”
and in the resulting scuffle on the rooftop, all lingering thought of classes flew over the railing, an eye nearly got poked out multiple times, and yoshino ultimately lost, because mahiro had the advantage of being both psychotic and armed.
the victor smirked down from where he straddled the brunet, piling his full weight on top of yoshino’s chest to deliberately suffocate the other. “give up.”
yoshino tried to breathe, choked out something unintelligible, and spent the next minute bent over and coughing when mahiro finally did get off, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes.
“f-fuck….you…”
“you good? i’m gonna do it now.”
“no, i’m still dying here, no thanks to you—”
“hold still.” mahiro leaned forward, set his elbow on yoshino’s shoulder to hold him down, and swept brown hair back behind his right ear. back to the wall, yoshino froze and held his breath, resigned to his fate.
brow furrowed in concentration, mahiro pinpointed the center of the earlobe, carefully aimed the needle, and pushed.
“shit—”
a harsh inhale, a rush of blood to the pierced lobe, a pinched pain, and the deed was done. still reeling from the shock, yoshino reached up to curiously feel the throbbing ear, eyes wide. it hadn’t been all that bad, really. mahiro was good at what he did, precise, calculating in his irrational way.
but he’d never admit that.
“don’t touch it. it’ll get infected.” mahiro moved to yoshino’s other side, tilting his chin to get better access to the left ear. “okay, get ready.”
“wait, one ear’s enough, right? hold on—”
“what, do you want to look stupid? you’re not gonna be one of those dumbasses with only one ear pierced.”