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It was a late Sunday night, Hiroto was in his bedroom, lying down on his bed as he listened to music on his earphones. A heavy rock metal blasting to his eardrums, his left fingers tapping to the beat of the song while he reads a comic book on his right hand. Things were going smoothly, Hiroto in his own world, not giving a damn about everything else that’s happening in the world.
"Hmhm.." He hummed to the rhythm of the song by Xdinary Heroes (stan them) before getting cutted off by a sudden knock on the door. At first, Hiroto didn’t hear it until the knocking started growing louder and louder until it became unbearable.
"Urgh, what is it?" Hiroto rudely asked, taking off one side of his headphones. The anonymous person walked into his room slowly, it was his older sister, she looked serious and.. worried? Hiroto doesn’t know but he has a gut feeling that what she’s going to say isn’t going to be pleasant news.
"Hiroto, we need to talk," Hitomiko said, "Father asked me to inform you something."
Hiroto's eyes went wide, anything related with his dad was never a good sign, it was a warning for impending doom. The boy fully took off his headphones as Hitomiko sat on his bed beside him.
"What did dad say this time?" He questioned, not making eye contact with his elder sibling instead, he stared into the pages of the comic book he was reading.
"This may be a sensitive topic for you," She stated, sensing the radiating uneasiness in the room, "But it’s about your romantic relationship." And just from that snippet of information, the younger brother’s mood shifted instantly like a click of a button.
"Tch, what about it?" He rolled his eyes, increasingly growing annoyed.
"You do know that father doesn’t approve of your current boyfriend, right?" Hitomiko remarked. She knew the two were never close due to Seijirou never paying attention to him which results in Hiroto feeling unloved and unneeded. She looked at him with concern and guilt, she can never win against their dad thus, she felt horrible for not being able to defend her younger brother.
"Okay?" He crossed his arms, "So what? Why should father give a damn about who I’m dating?"
"Language," She deeply sighed, "I know you’re annoyed but.. it’s for the best, for the two of you to.."
"To break up?" He spoke over, his anger seeping in, "Absolutely not."
"Hiroto.."
"Hitomiko-nee, I am not gonna fucking break up with Ryouhei just because dad and everyone else in our extended family don’t like him," Hiroto sternly answered, his burning glare can be felt in the whole room, "Whether it’d be the fact he’s a guy, I don’t fucking care, everyone knows I like guys so what’s the big deal?"
The elder sibling hesitantly opened her mouth, her lips closing and opening every few seconds before actually saying her thoughts, "It’s not just that, he’s an ordinary citizen. Father expected you to find a more noble girlfriend to say the least."
"What the hell?" Hiroto exclaimed, "Does dad and everyone else in this stupid family not know how not to give a crap about power or whatever?"
Hitomiko stayed silent, not knowing what to say. She can only look at him with pity, she tried her best as an older sibling but failed to do so.
"Gosh," He scowled, "This stupid family and their annoying shenanigans." He violently threw his comic to the floor of his room. Hiroto’s eyes gleaming with fury while the other in the room feels nothing but relentless guilt.
"I’m just saying what I think might be the safest optio-" She tried finishing her statement but rudely got interrupted by her brother.
"I know! I fucking know that," He yelled angrily, "But I don’t give a dang about it! I stated it before to everyone in this household, I won’t break up with Ryouhei."
Hitomiko stares at him as she admires his bravery for going against their family but she can’t help but feel scared. She’s worried that the teen in front of her who she deeply cares about would get hurt again and again and even more this time. She’s saying all of this for the good of her brother however, she understands why he wouldn’t want to change. She knows Hiroto is a strong person, who has dealt with so many hardships but she can’t help but be concerned.
In the end, she’s helpless, following every crude order her father gives out so as to not anger him further as well as not being a burden to anyone else. Hiroto always tells her to trust and rely a little more on him since he’s mature enough to understand. Hitomiko tries to trust and ask for help more frequently but fails miserably. Yet, her younger brother is still somehow incredibly patient with her despite his usual rude demeanor. She doesn’t blame him for acting in such manners, after all, Hiroto grew up with little to no attention from their parents unlike her, who was given a decent childhood. Hiroto on the other hand, was practically abandoned especially after their parents divorced.
She sighed, feeling really weak and exhausted from the fact that Hitomiko cannot shake away from the shackles of following their dad’s orders, she can’t help but feel sorry for the latter infront of her.
"I’m really sorry, Hiroto," She apologized. Hiroto furrowed his eyebrows at her, he never really expected nor wanted Hitomiko to apologize, she was never the issue.
"Huh? It’s not your fault, Hitomiko-nee."
"But I-"
"Don’t blame yourself for it. I know you tried speaking up for my behalf like how you usually do with the Sun Garden kids," He bluntly answered, trying to ease his older sister, "But it won’t work with me. I’m the stupid son of his, I’m obviously gonna get a different treatment."
"Still, I should’ve been able to do something," Hitomiko blamed herself, "I’m sorry for failing in being your big sister."
"Hitomiko-nee.." He gently patted her shoulder, "It’s fine. I’ll handle it."
Hitomiko nodded, amazed by the maturity of his younger sibling who used to be so naughty. However, even with such reassurement, she still felt immense pity for her brother. She knew that his boyfriend was one of his sources of love and happiness and she wanted her younger sibling to keep that so, she gave quick advice to him.
"Hiroto, what if you maybe try talking it out with him instead?" Hitomiko suggested, "I know the two of you tend to not show a lot of your deeper emotions but.. communication is key in a relationship."
Suddenly, Hiroto began choking on his spit, coughing aggressively as he tried to calm himself down. Hitomiko slightly panicked but quickly grabbed his bottle that was right beside his bed. The boy took the drink off of his sister’s hand as slowly drank the water.
"Are you okay?" Hitomiko worried, patting the latter’s back.
Hiroto nodded, still letting out a few coughs, "Yeah, I’m fine," He said, "It’s just.. what you said took me off-guard."
"Why is that?" Hitomiko asked, even when she knew the reason.
"Uh, I don’t know," He said, "Me and him? We barely talk like that, I think you can tell."
"I’m aware but communication is very vital in a relationship," She said, "You know that, right?"
"I’m not that dumb, Hitomiko-nee," The younger boy gruffed as the other softly grinned at how cute her brother is. Even when he’s in highschool, the boy is still adorable she thought to herself.
"I know," She said, "It’s worth a try, perhaps it’ll bring the two of you closer as well."
Hiroto stared at the ceiling, contemplating whether he should talk about it with Haizaki. He sighed, stress building up slowly. Hitomiko noticed his inner turmoil and decided it’s for the better to leave him alone for a while.
"I’ll leave you to think about it," Hitomiko stood up, walking towards the door, "Just.. remember what I said, yeah? I hope the best for you." Hiroto didn’t reply and Hitomiko doesn’t mind, he’s always been a stubborn person. She smiled at the teen before closing the door, leaving Hiroto alone.
Hiroto audibly groaned, frustrated over his life problems. His dad, family, and relationship is getting fumbled everywhere, he feels bad that everyone else had to deal with his troubles. He felt bad that Hitomiko and Haizaki both had to deal with this, it’s not their fault but him. Hiroto doesn’t want to burden them more so he needs to figure something out quick.
The teenager grabbed his device and checked the time, it was late, he should probably head to bed and think about it tomorrow. Yet, he felt restless, not wanting to go to sleep yet. Instead, he thought about what to do, staring onto the blank white paint of his ceiling while also hussling around his room like a crazy lunatic. After he figured out what to do, Hiroto opened his Inacord app, searching for a specific contact. He prays that the person he will text is alive and not asleep right now.
Bastard Devil 🖕
I’M GOD: yo meet me at that last store near your home where we bought drinks
unseen
He closed his phone, not patiently waiting for a response. Hiroto doesn’t mind if the person doesn’t meet him, it’s late after all. He gradually stood by until the night fell further. Once it hit midnight, it was the time Hiroto striked his plan into action. Hiroto got up from his bed, bringing his earphones, his phone and some cash with him. The teen then stacked up some pillows and covered it with his blanket to imitate that he was asleep.
Before leaving his dorm, he shut off the lights and afterwards locked his bedroom door, bringing the key with him. He took a deep breath as he was trying to sneak out of his mansion, the last time he tried to do this, he got caught in less than a few minutes. But he was only fourteen when he tried doing such a stunt, he’s now seventeen, he can do this.
He put his hood on before making a move. The boy carefully glanced around his surroundings before swiftly sprinting to the backdoor which leads to the garden. Once he made it without getting caught, Hiroto caught up his breath before climbing over the fences of the garden. However, during the time he tried climbing the barrier, the noises of him escaping alerted the guards of his home.
"Hey young man, stop right there!" A man shouted. The security guard was running towards Hiroto’s direction, it seems the noises awoke the guards in case of an intruder. This made Hiroto panic and he quickly jumped over the fences, stabilizing himself before running again.
"Hey!" As the voices faded out, Hiroto proudly smirked, still sprinting. He felt free as he succeeded in escaping his home although he nearly got caught.
After running for a few minutes, he stopped briefly catching his breath. He checked his phone, seeing that the teen he texted hadn't replied or even seen the message, he assumed the boy couldn’t make it. Hiroto was rather disappointed but not surprised, who would wanna deal with his bullshit anyway? Sneaking out late at night would be a hassle for any teenager.
He turned off his device and put it back into his pocket then he proceeded to walk to the subway station. When he made his way to the station he was looking for, he shortly waited for the train to arrive. After a few moments, the train rolled in and Hiroto hopped onto the carriage. He plugged his earphones in, drowning out any unwanted sound.
After stopping at a few stations, he finally reached the destination he was going to. Hiroto impatiently got off the train and checked out of the station. Heading to the planned destination, he walked for a few minutes as music blasts his eardrums. Gradually, he made it to the place, the convenience store that he went to in the past. The shop is plain and simple with just a broken neon sign in the corner but in general, it was just an ordinary convenience store. However, this spot holds a dear place inside Hiroto’s heart. It was the location that he and his old close friends used to hang out whenever they wanted to skip their school activities.
He sighed, finally the store that brought him nostalgic memories. Hiroto looked around the area, it seemed the person he was planning on meeting with hadn't arrived. He walked inside the convenience store as he opened the refrigerator and grabbed a grape soda drink. Hiroto strolled to the cashier counter to pay for his drink and then left the store. Not looking away from his phone in his hand, he opened the door of the shop and someone appeared right in front of him.
"Oi."
"WHAT THE FU-" Hiroto yelled, nearly dropping his drink. He gazed up to see who was the asshole that scared him to death, it was none other than the devil himself.
"Pfft-" He snickered while the other closed the door behind them.
"You piece of shit," The boy sighed, "You didn’t have to do that. I literally had a heart attack."
"Heh, sorry I guess," He giggled, "You should’ve seen your face, it was hilarious."
"Fucking dick."
"Mhmm, I know," Haizaki shrugged, his sight moved onto the drink at Hiroto’s grip, "You didn’t get me a drink?"
"Go get it yourself, I’m not your slave," The older sniped back.
The other taller boy rolled his eyes, "You’re the one who invited me to be here, at least treat me."
"Such a spoiled brat."
"Says the guy that owns a mansion."
Their bickering as usual caused a bit of trouble as there were two people waiting for them to stop their flirting to get into the store. Both boys felt slightly embarrassed so they gave a little space for the others who wanted to go inside the shop. The shorter male pulled out his middle finger as a sign of defeat while Haizaki grinned at his short-lived victory.
"Now let’s get a drink," Haizaki said, holding the door handle to let the other in like a gentleman. Not that he is one though.
"Who said anything about agreeing?" Hiroto piqued back yet still walked back to the mart that he was in not so long ago.
"You know you’d still buy me one anyway," The younger boy smirked at the latter in front of him.
"Get lost," The other replied, his ears growing to a light shade of magenta.
Once they're inside, the two went to go buy a drink and some candy to bring back home. After purchasing all the beverages, they decided to sit in front of the soon-to-be closed convenience mart.
Haizaki opened his newly bought soda, the opening of the drink can was heard. It was frizzling softly, the scent of the pop water filled the air for a short moment before disappearing. Beside him, Hiroto was slightly anxious, tapping light taps on his thighs. He knows that the other male would ask him about why he was summoned here. It’s not often Hiroto would ask Haizaki to meet him at such an hour, it was weird to say the least. At this moment, the older boy is waiting for the other to ask the curious-eating query.
While he waited for Haizaki’s questions, the male himself was thinking about wanting possible answers to answer it with. It’d be weak and pathetic to say it was mainly his sister who suggested this but it is true. He scrambled his thoughts more, trying to brainstorm what other things he could say. However, it was cutted short by Haizaki as he asked the awaited question that was consuming Hiroto for a while.
"Hey.. so," He started, looking towards Hiroto, who was averting his gaze to the ground, "Why’d you ask me to go here so suddenly?"
"Won’t you like to know?" The other mocked, his annoying teasing is put on to mask the uneasiness he was dealing with. Haizaki frowned but he knew that the other won’t be so easy to deal with. Dating him for a while has made him have more tolerance for the latter.
"I do want to know. You never asked me to go out with you this late," Haizaki replied, "So why, huh?"
"Just wanted to see your pretty face," Hiroto flirted, smugly grinned. Haizaki’s face grew to a shade of dark red.
"I-I’m being serious, you stupid," The taller one stuttered while the other laughed. The male’s laughter soon died down.
Hiroto closed his eyes while Haizaki raised an eyebrow at him. The long haired boy waited for the response but it never came. He sighed and instead focused his attention on the drink at hand. When he took a sip of his orange frizzling soda, the person on the right of him finally replied.
"Well," He voiced, "I had an argument with my sister," His tone sounding serious, no hint of playfulness. This made Haizaki shoot his eyes open, he quickly put his eyes onto the boy who was worriedly playing with his fingers. It seems he finished sipping a bit of his drink while Haizaki wasn’t looking.
"It’s about my family, specifically dad," He hardly continued, his throat choking to spill out the words, "..And their opinion of us."
Silence dawn on them, the air suddenly shifting to a more solemn feeling. The taller boy felt the anxiety raging through from Hiroto. If one thing is known for sure between the two is that they’re terrible at words. Thus, it was mutually agreed upon to not comfort each other through words but instead through actions.
Haizaki tightened the space between them, he can feel Hiroto’s body warmth in the cold night. The boy tried holding the other’s hand but chickened out, still not used to being all delicate with such a horrible person. Instead, he lightly brushed his fingers against Hiroto’s.
"..What about us?"
"I honestly don’t really know," He spoke, frustrated, "They complained so much crap about you and me."
Haizaki inhaled a sharp breath. He now understood why Hiroto was being vague about such matters and why it was so sudden. After dating his boyfriend for a while, the older one tends to get into unfriendly arguments with his father occasionally. Although Hiroto never talked about the fights in great detail with Haizaki, the boy knew how damaging those disputes could be. More often than not when his partner fights with his parents, he tends to be more emotionally disconnected and exhausted. For a guy who normally enjoys teasing his friends, after such intense disagreements, he can be fairly quiet.
"What did they say?" He gently asked to not sound forceful.
Hiroto went quiet again, not answering. This time Haizaki didn’t put much pressure on him to speak up as he knew it was likely a difficult thing to elaborate on. His gaze softens when he sees Hiroto thinking so thoughtfully.
"Dad doesn’t approve. He wants us to separate," Hiroto swiftly answered, the words hitting his tongue like five degree burns.
Haizaki quickly held the other’s hand which Hiroto gripped firmly on. That was enough information for Haizaki to know the situation. He understands that his status as someone in the middle class must’ve played a role in his parent’s disapproval but also the crucial fact that he was a guy which makes sense for a family as righteous and formal as Hiroto’s not wanting to ruin their reputation with such disgraceful acts.
Haizaki sighed, "Is there anything you want to do?"
"You think?" Hiroto finally looked up to Haizaki, his eyes were filled with fear, “No, I don’t fucking know what to do.”
It was peaceful again, the two didn’t speak a word after Hiroto’s sudden lash out.
"I- sorry," He quickly apologized while the older male turned his face away from the younger one, "I just—"
"No, it’s fine," Haizaki replied, "I get it." The taller male patted the shorter’s shoulders as a means of comfort. It was oddly strange but they don’t hate it, definitely not something the two were used to.
"I’m just kinda stressed about this," Hiroto started, "Dad has been pestering about it since last week and now he’s bringing Hitomiko-nee into this mess."
The boy met the latter’s eyes again, "I didn’t want to worry you so I didn’t tell you," He said, "But, yeah, I’ve been thinking about this in the back of my mind."
"You’ve been trying to distract yourself haven’t you?"
"No shit, Sherlock," Hiroto deadpanned, "This has been drowning me alive."
"Then why didn’t you tell me?" That question struck a bit of nerve on the other.
"Why should I?" He bickered back, "Didn’t want you into this mess. Plus, it’s not your fault." Haizaki’s patience is usually quite limited, normally he’d snap at Hiroto by now but, knowing the reason why Hiroto is secretive about this issue, it makes sense why he would keep it hidden. In the end, he couldn’t get angry at him even if he wanted to.
Haizaki took a deep breath before unloading all the cheesy things he’s going to say.
"To share your scars with me," Haizaki insisted, he grabbed and held both of Hiroto’s hands, "You’re no longer alone, you have me."
"But-" Hiroto’s eyes dilated before him as Haizaki intertwined their fingers tighter, his neck turning to a slight shade of maroon.
"No buts. I am your god forsaken boyfriend. You’re supposed to tell me shit!" He cutted off Hiroto’s sentence before the male could spout some random nonsense out of his mouth, "You’re not supposed to bear all of your struggles alone. That’s not how it works."
"So, tell me," He clearly stated, "Tell me everything on your damn mind now." He let Hiroto’s hands go, missing the touch of those rough fingers.
The latter limbly let his hands down. Hiroto looked at him with an expression that Haizaki couldn’t recognize very well. Surprised? Angry? Happy? He wasn’t sure.
"So cheesy."
"Scram."
Hiroto lightly chuckled then let out an exasperated sigh.
"You know you’re gonna be here for ages if I tell you everything, right?"
"I don’t care," He affirmed, "Whether it’s because you won’t tell me jackshit or you have so much to say in that brain of yours, I’m not leaving till you tell me everything."
Hiroto’s facials turned into that unreadable expression once again before he started quietly chuckling to himself. Haizaki was confused at his reaction but once Hiroto made eye contact with him, he understood.
"You’re gonna regret this," He smiled. Haizaki returned the smile back.
During the opening-up conversation, Hiroto struggles to say half of the things he wanted to talk about yet Haizaki encouraged him to speak out. Showing weakness like this between two teenagers who have such a big ego is.. difficult to say the least. As Hiroto continued to let down his pride while Haizaki listened, he started feeling more and more tranquil than he did before.
Hiroto talked endlessly about his fights with his dad in far greater detail. How his dad talked about Haizaki in a way that angered the boy to a high degree and how his father wanted to ruin their relationship to just safe face himself from the public. The boy kept rambling, often slowing down or stopping to give the younger boy a break from his massive pile of issues. He also talked about a few more complex issues that Haizaki didn’t expect the other to have. The fact he was afraid of being rejected due to how inexperienced he is. That was a shocker to Haizaki.
During this venting session, Haizaki quietly admired Hiroto for defending him but can’t help but feel guilty for burdening him with his status or he, himself in general. Haizaki, a boy who’s consumed by the shadows and the dark past he used to hold, of course, Hiroto’s dad who’s known to be such a strict man would disprove someone like him. Haizaki wasn’t the perfect girl who’s sweet, kind, loving, and rich that his dad wants, he was just some dickhead with some cash enough to survive the increasingly inflated world. The taller boy looked at Hiroto sadly in which the shorter male came to notice.
"Hey, what’s with the look?" The other questioned, his eyes gleaming with concern.
"Huh, what look?" Haizaki questioned, frowning in confusion. ‘What is he yapping about?’ He thought.
"Your face," He said, "Why are you looking so depressed?"
Haizaki didn’t notice that his expression had changed into a sadder state. It seems his inner monologues got the best of him.
"Er, nothing.." He uttered, waving his hand away idly, "It’s nothing important."
Hiroto glowered, "Yeah it is, now say it."
"We should really go back to what you were saying about your extensive family members," Haizaki panicked, trying to change the subject since he doesn’t want to say what he’s upset about.
"No, we’re not changing back the topic just because you don’t wanna say what’s on your head," Hiroto countered, "You asked me to say my worries, now it’s your turn."
Haizaki gave Hiroto a look, a look that says ‘fuck-you-and-your-snarky-ass-comebacks-I-hate-you’ while the older one smirked.
The boy scratched his head, "It’s nothing too wild like yours," He started, "It was just about.. I guess, how I'm a burden to you."
Hiroto raised an eyebrow at him, "A burden?"
"Yeah, I know your parents dislike, no, hate me because of my gender and the fact I’m poor in their eyes," He explained, fiddling around with his hair strands, "I don’t know, I feel like shit because of it? Like you shouldn’t have been with someone like me. Not the best candidate for this kinda stuff."
The older boy just stared at him, "Yeah, you’re definitely not the best person for romantic stuff like this."
"I know that damn well, thanks for reminding me," He rolled his eyes, "Didn’t need that reminder."
"So petty," Hiroto giggled.
"Well, it doesn't matter. You’re the one wanting to date me."
"I do," The shorter male admitted, grinning softly. The gentle smile made Haizaki’s heart skip a beat.
‘This handsome and cute motherfucke-‘ Haizaki never finished that thought.
"Tch, fuck off," He cursed at the boy next to him instead while the other laughed.
"Pfft, anyway," Hiroto started, the serious look back on his face, "I get your concerns."
"Eh?" Haizaki blinked at him, perplexed at his answer, "What do you mean?"
"I felt similarly to what you felt," Hiroto confessed, this teen is surely very blunt, "I understand you. The fear of not wanting to let people down."
"Yeah," Haizaki sipped his soda till there’s no longer any of the liquid, "I guess that’s why you didn’t tell me about your problems."
"Haha, yeah," Hiroto giggled, "I also think I’m a burden to you," The boy quietly uttered but Haizaki heard it. He looked over at Hiroto who was not meeting Haizaki's gaze, shy perhaps.
"You felt that way.. too?" Haizaki questioned, feeling a pair of weight has been lifted above his shoulders.
He’s glad that Hiroto finally stated all his fears to Haizaki but another reason why Haizaki felt oddly at peace with such a confession is due to the fact that he wasn’t the only one out of the two of them who felt such sensations.
They were never really the type of couple to show their weaknesses or vulnerability often to each other. It felt strange but Haizaki appreciated the fact they communicated, it's crucial after all in a relationship. Letting down their prides to have a deep connection, a deeper one that intertwined their hearts stronger.
"Yeah. I didn't know you also felt the same," Hiroto admitted, the other noticed how nervous he looked. Confessing to such insecurity must be difficult for someone who's always so cocky.
Silence dawned as the two leaned on the stairs in front of the closed convenience outlet with drinks in hand. It was late, the moon's glowing as bright as ever. Hiroto continued drinking his soda, perhaps to ease the awkwardness.
Haizaki noticed then sighed, "Now what?"
Hiroto didn't answer instantly. Haizaki was impatiently waiting for his response, it's normal for Hiroto to not answer the younger one when it comes to more sensitive subjects and this was one of them. Haizaki took a deep breath to try to calm himself down.
Suddenly, Hiroto opened his mouth.
"..Look, I never cared about that from you," He stopped before continuing, "Your flaws or issues, whatever. You're wasting your time with your stupid things." Hiroto elaborated, looking at the moonlight that glossed over the two teens. Haizaki stared at him, ‘Ethereal like an angel’ he thought.
"I like you because.. you’re you," Hiroto embarrassingly complimented, not used to being so genuine with the other, "Someone I know I can count on to call me out on my bullshit, someone who’s independent and someone who can match his energy with me."
Haizaki didn’t reply but with how he feels his ears and face burning, the latter’s words are definitely flattering him.
"You’re my boyfriend for a reason so, don’t think about such things," Hiroto stated, "You being a burden? That doesn’t matter to me."
"You too then." The latter chimed back, “Don’t think about it either.”
"..I guess." He bashfully said, "But my point stands. If I cared about any of those things of yours then I'm not yours," Hiroto suddenly revealed.
He looked over to his partner with those magenta sharp eyes locking onto Haizaki. Haizaki was left astounded, he didn't know what to say but all he knew was that his face was growing hotter every second. The older boy just smiled with an attentive gaze, it felt weird since they were normally never this intimate with each other.
"I.." Haizaki tried speaking, "I feel the same."
"I never really cared about your family not accepting me or whatever. I don't care even more about you being inexperienced." Haizaki swiftly rambled, "I like it with you. You're insane, crazy and it's never a dull moment with you. I despise your bullshit sometimes but overall, I don't hate you."
Hiroto looked at Haizaki as if he’s grown two heads before softening his facials.
"I like your horrible personality, your odd sense of humor and your random teasing, so you better also not say dumb stuff like this too."
Hiroto chuckled softly at Haizaki.
"What's so funny, huh?" The boy was rather offended at his partner's response, a laugh? Really?
"Heh, no no, it's nothing. It's just.." Hiroto catches his breath before speaking, "You really can't say you love me even after months of dating, huh?"
"Oh, seriously? Fuck off. I was trying to have a deep conversation with you and this is what you have to comment on?"
"C'mon, it's not that bad." Hiroto tried cheering him up before completely changing the mood.
"But, you sure?" The older one asked, "My family.. they aren't exactly the nicest people, you know?"
"Yeah, so are you,” Haizaki said, receiving a nudge on the shoulder from the latter, "But I'm sure. If I can handle your shenanigans, I'll live through theirs."
"Such a back-handed compliment."
Haizaki smirked and shrugged at Hiroto's remarks.
The silence returned back yet this time, it was less intimidating and more comforting. Communication was always something the two struggled with but this time, they're trying, baby steps but trying.
Hiroto threw away the can, followed by Haizaki.
"We should head back," Hiroto checked his watch, "It's late already."
"We've been here for a while, don't you think it's better we savor this moment instead?" The younger boy teased, knowing the other would agree.
"You sure know how to persuade others."
"No, just you because you're easy to convince."
"What a bitch," Hiroto jokingly insulted.
"You love this bitch,” The older one rolled his eyes at the other's remark.
They smiled at each other before closing their distance, eyes locking with each other again, this time longer. Hiroto's hand impulsively slipped onto Haizaki's hair, slowly sliding his bangs away from covering his facials.
"What.. are you doing?"
"I want to see your pretty eyes, you don't show your heterochromia eyes often," The boy answered bluntly. Haizaki was speechless and left shy with that statement so he let the other boy be.
"Promise me," Hiroto was still playing with Haizaki's hair, removing every strand near Haizaki's eyes beside his ear.
"Promise you?"
"Promise me you won't think about those dumb shits again."
"You too then."
Hiroto softly grinned, "Fine, I promise."
"I promise as well."
The two closed their distances, their faces growing inches apart. The older boy grabbed the other's neck while Haizaki wrapped one of his hands with Hiroto's free hand. The intimate physical contact the two shared felt so warm, it was odd to be so affectionate with each other like this.
As more seconds passed, the two still looked fondly at each other with no words spoken, their lips drawing in closer and closer until they fully closed the gaps between them. Their lips brushed against each other, it was soft and gentle unlike their usual messy and sloppier ones they usually do. This time, it felt more dear, more personal, more connected. They closed their eyes and deepened the contact, it lasted for quite some time before they let go, catching their breaths.
"..We should do that more." Haizaki said as he grasped for air.
"Do.. what?"
"Kiss."
"We do though?" The other replied, confused and a little flustered.
"I.. I mean like," He stuttered while Hiroto raised an eyebrow at him, "Like, this. You know, more.. intimate?"
"What do you mean?" Hiroto smickered which in turn made the younger teen much more embarrassed.
"You know exactly what I mean, you rat!" Hiroto giggled tenderly at Haizaki's response.
"I mean we can,” He said, "We can now." Hiroto draws in closer, foreheads softly brushing off each other and eye contact still intact. Haizaki's ears turn much redder than before but he doesn't move away, instead he goes closer, pressing their bodies further.
"Okay then, we can."
And once again their lips touched delicately again.