Chapter Text
“Hey, Nanashi,” Flynn was looking down at him from the corner of his eye, and his footsteps canting, bringing him into his personal space.
Nanashi turned to look up at him, a bit suspicious, something about Flynn’s carefully neutral tone was off—he was holding something back. “Yes?”
“Nanashiiii,” Flynn pulled at his arm, stretching out his name into a whine, pouting in a way that everyone in Tokyo would call cute, but Nanashi would call desperate. It was an expression Nanashi knew Flynn had really only shown to him, as they grew closer. And it was cute—but it warned Nanashi of trouble. “Please let me hold your hand?”
Nanashi blinked, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks as he squirmed away, twisting his arm out of Flynn’s grip, only for the Liberator to pull at it again, grasping at his wrist to tangle their fingers together. “N-No—” Nanashi stammered, and even though he pulled at their hands again, he did not try to step away, so they continued moving forward, hands entangled. “No…” his voice grew quieter as he hunched his shoulders, and he couldn’t help but sound less angry, he wasn’t angry.
Usually he wouldn’t be so resistant, he loved holding hands with Flynn. He loved everything about being with Flynn, including the physical closeness of hand holding or cuddling, but—they weren’t alone. They were just out in Ueno! Currently, they were passing right outside of the Hunter Association, as they had come here to head inside to pick up some new quests. No one had ever seen them doing stuff like handholding before! And, as it was, the Hunters always stared at them, every time they were together! The Liberator and the Champion were both so important to people, heroes who held their hope, even in the aftermath of all the major conflicts. They were still basically celebrities, granted no anonymity, and—
“Why not?” Flynn asked innocently, even though he had to know, “I love holding your hand.”
Nanashi blushed. He loved holding Flynn’s hand too. But that wasn’t what this was about. “B-Because there’s people!!! A-All around!!!” Especially if they were going to enter an Association, but even just out and about the underground cities—there were always people around, and always people looking at them. Nanashi pulled his hand away from Flynn’s, and Flynn grasped onto his sleeve again instead of his hand.
Nanashi still didn’t try to put distance between them, as he looked up at Flynn nervously.
Flynn somehow remained incredibly calm, smiling down at him gently, but there was also a definite want in his eyes, he wanted to be close. It was a familiar look, one Nanashi usually relished, as it made him feel happy. But—
“So?” Flynn asked, and Nanashi felt like his perception of this whole situation was crumbling around him if Flynn didn’t see it the same way as him. “It’s alright. I don’t think they’d be surprised, you and I do spend a lot of time together. Is there something to be afraid of?”
He asked it so easily, so innocently. Flynn couldn’t see a reason to be embarrassed at all.
“I-It–no!!” Nanashi stammered, and they came to a stop before the Association, where they had been pacing before it until now. He looked down, at where Flynn’s hand was again sliding towards his own, and he closed his hand into a fist that Flynn’s fingers dejectedly curled around, “They’ll see!!!” he whispered, “My friends d-don’t even know yet…”
“They can learn this way, can’t they?” Flynn whispered back, leaning over so that he was closer to Nanashi’s height, his hand warm over Nanashi’s, his voice soft and encouraging. It was the sort of gentle tone that made Nanashi feel incredibly special.
He was right, wasn’t he? It…it shouldn’t really be that big a deal, should it? It’s not like he thought anyone would judge them, and…there was no reason to be secret when they had saved the world together. Everyone knew they were friends, and honestly some of them probably had picked up on the fact that they were more now, too. Nanashi just didn’t want to think about it—every time he did, he felt so incredibly shy.
And maybe… maybe he shouldn’t feel that shy, and take just a little step forward here, with Flynn.
“I-I guess…” Nanashi whispered, and he forced himself to stop squirming and calm down. He took a deep breath, “It’s…yeah. It’s okay.”
Flynn smiled, bright enough to rival the sun (a metaphor Nanashi only recently had reference for), and when he went to carefully pry his hand open, he acquiesced without complaint, allowing him to twist their fingers together. It was warm and comfortable, and when they did this alone, Nanashi often felt like their hands belonged like that, intertwined. He blushed, redder than ever, feeling the flush of it even in the tips of his ears.
But nothing happened, no terrible consequences of allowing this simple pleasure to enter his life.
Nanashi lowered his head a bit, looking at their hands, before glancing up at Flynn again, taking in his happy smile, and Flynn carefully tugged him along so they could enter the Association.
Nanashi didn’t stop him or resist, following him along. They entered the usual throng of music and darkness, as the lights only got brighter near the bar proper. They headed up towards the counter, wanting to get a closer look at the mission board so they could select their next quests.
The eyes of every Hunter in the room were on them, shifting to them as they entered, and the pounds of the music echoed in Nanashi’s ears as he avoided looking, clutching more tightly to Flynn’s hand. At least they weren’t in Kinshicho, where everyone knew him more personally—doing this in Ueno, which was close but far enough away that it wasn’t Nanashi’s childhood stomping grounds—that helped. The Hunters were his people, and he vaguely knew many of these people, but none of them were those he knew closely.
It was a bit easier, to be seen by strangers, even though they all knew him.
Flynn spoke under his breath as he turned his gaze forward, “It’s okay, and you’re okay. I’m right here, and I adore you.”