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They’re arguing again, Hiori thinks when he gets home and he hears them throwing his name back and forth from the kitchen. He sneaks around them, hoping they’ll be finished by the time he’s done showering. They’re not and if they did finish, they started up again pretty quickly.
Hiori goes to his room for plan B, music and video games, but finds his headphones dead. He throws them onto the bed.
The yelling gets louder as their fight travels upstairs. He doesn’t have long until they make their way to his room and drag him into it. He texts karasu quickly, asking him to meet in the field behind him house and prays he sees it before Hiori gets there.
How many times do I have to tell you that won’t work?
Who cares what you think? It’s my week to train with him!
You’re going to ruin the poor boy's body and he’ll never become number 1!
If anyone is ruining anything it’s you, old hag!
“They’re so dumb,” he mumbles to himself and he descends the fire escape. They don’t give a shit about him. Everything is all about winning, they’re too competitive to even compromise on their marriage. Why is he always caught between people's stupid arguments? It is too much for him to ask that they just see him.
“They’re so selfish,” Hiori sniffles and he sits down next to Karasu, covering the almost completely set sun behind him.
“Have you ever considered that maybe, you’re the selfish one?” Karasu asks him casually as if that sentence doesn’t have the power to make Hiori’s world crumble around him.
When Hiori shoots him an incredulous look but doesn’t say anything Karasu continues, “I mean, clearly they’re unhappy in their relationship and you’re the only thing keeping them in that toxic environment. It would hurt but wouldn’t it be better for you to walk away? They could find better people, or at the least take a break, and you wouldn’t be stuck in an awful situation anymore.”
Hiori drops his head into his hands, “I hate ya.”
Karasu rolls over, staring at Hiori’s side profile and the shiny stray tear trailing down his cheek toward his ear, “Am I wrong?” Karasu asks as he wipes the side of his face.
Hiori rolls over and stares at him with tear bleary cyan eyes, they challenge him. Daring Karasu to look away, to reject him, to feel bad and take back his words. When he stands his ground and doesn’t do any of that Hiori’s gaze drops to the grass below them.
“No, of course you’re not, but you didn’t have to say it,” Hiori mumbles, barely louder than the crickets and the night breeze rustling the trees in the distance.
Karasu grins at him, “But ya came to me because ya know I’ll give it to ya straight no matter how much you bat those pretty little eyes of yours.
Hiori groans but agrees, “You’re right, as much as I don’t want ya to be. Doesn’t mean I can do anythin’ about it. Say I leave, where do I go then.”
Karasu raises a brow at him, “Ya live with me?” He asks as if the solution is obvious.
“Don’t ya live with your sister? I ain’t gonna sleep on her couch for the rest of my life.”
“Who said anything about the couch? You’d sleep with me.”
Hiori’s face reddens, “Huh?” He whisper-yells.
“On my convertible sofa,” Karasu clarifies with a roll of his eyes, “get your head outta the gutter.”
Hiori kicks him in the shins lightly, laughing lightly at his mistake, “That was your fault dumbass. Speak clearly Mr.Good-with-words.”
Karasu smiles back, more happy that he’s finally gotten Hiori to smile than he is about the joke. He stares for a bit too long at Hiori as he laughs, at his straight teeth and the scrunch of his nose when he’s really laughing, not the polite forced shit he does around his parents. Karasu smiles a little wider too, until he gets caught.
“You’re staring hard, wanna kiss me?” Hiori asks cooly.
Karasu feels the embarrassment bubble in his chest but there’s no point in lying, “Yeah,” it comes out closer to a whisper than he would like. He’s not so surprised that Hiori would offer. They’ve never established what they are, certainly not just friends but they aren’t dating per say. They’re just, safe. They’re safer with each other, more comfortable, more accepted . Hiori will never call him heartless for being realistic and Karasu will never call Hiori crazy for the way he feels about his family. They’re good for eachother.
Hiori sits up and Karasu follows suit. Karasu expects Hiori to lean in first, it would make the most sense, but he sits there staring at Karasu for a whole second without moving. Karasu sighs, Hiori’s messing with him. Even after crying he still has the energy to be a dick.
“You’re annoying,” Karasu says before leaning in.
“Mhm,” Hiori hums, eyes fluttering closed as Karasu closes the space between them.
Karasu can’t tell if he’s just anxious or if the whole thing people say about sparks is real. He leans into whatever it is, moving his lips a little more confidently against Hiori’s. He’s warm and soft and still smells like whatever toothpaste he used to brush his teeth earlier.
He lifts a hand to cup Hiori’s jaw, rubbing a thumb over the still raw skin under his eye. Karasu can taste the tears on his lips when his tongue pokes out. He likes being this close to Hiori, he decides. Maybe he doesn’t need to sleep on the sofa after all.
His heart still races when they pull away and Hiori is still smiling at him.
“When are ya gonna move out?” Karasu asks breathlessly, wiping his mouth.
“This week, definitely. Can you help me pack my stuff?”
“Sure can,” Karasu runs his thumb over his cheek again, “I’ll come over tomorrow and we can start.”
“Thanks,” Hiori says, leaning into his shoulder.
Karasu relaxes and pulls him a bit closer, “No problem.” He hopes they can stay like this for a while longer before they have to go back home.