Archive of Our Own

"Look at him, he's crying again."

The tears flow naturally, simply his body's instinctive reaction to pain. They're warm and fresh, and they mix with the blood dripping down his nose when they slide past his puffy cheeks.

"He looks so pathetic," someone laughs. They kick him again, heel digging into his stomach and making him cry out in pain. He can feel the familiar ache of a bruise forming already. "Hey, kid, are you even going to try to fight back?"

Nirei finally looks up, past the arms shielding his face weakly and through the tears that cloud his vision. He can't quite make out who's talking to him, but they're much taller and bigger than him, and they're in a high school uniform. They have to be at least three years older, then.

"He can't even reply, dude! He's too busy sniffling," someone else snickers. "Pathetic."

The word rings in Nirei's head over and over. He wants to yell back, because he knows, he knows his weaknesses like the back of his hand—the way he can't even lift a finger when someone yells at him. But fear grips his heart and keeps him still, curled up against the wall with his head in his hands, and praying for a miracle that won't come. 

"Hey," a soft, new voice calls. 

Nirei flinches. Two people bullying him is difficult enough to deal with, but a third? Haven't they had enough?"

"What do you want?" one of his original bullies sneers, and Nirei stills. 

"You shouldn't pick on someone so much smaller than you. It's unfair."

"Hah! Mind your business, dumb kid, or you're next."

"I apologise," says the new voice, "but if you're only picking battles you can win, then I find that quite childish."

A gasp leaves his throat. Nirei looks up again and finally catches sight of this new kid. His hair is parted down the middle, brushing against his cheeks, and despite his shorter stature compared to the bullies, he still stands tall, hands clasped behind his back and shoulders unflinching. Most notably, though, is the eyepatch he wears and the long, tassel earrings that dangle from his lobes.

He looks no older than Nirei, but he exudes an aura that reminds Nirei of a still sea—the calm before the storm. 

The boy tilts his head, hands coming up and holding out his palms. There's no rush in any of his movements. Every joint is relaxed, and even the smile on his face doesn't show a hint of fear.

Nirei's bullies kick into action. "Fine, you want a fight, kid? Let's go!"

"Are you okay?"

Nirei flinches at the hand that's offered out to him. Despite the brutal takedown he just watched, there is not a bit of dust or blood on the other boy's hand. It was like the bullies took themselves out—tripping all over their own feet, fists connecting with air. Every time Nirei thought the boy was going to get hit…

And then they were finished off with one firm blow, a sickening crack filling the air. Nirei can still hear it echoing in his head.

"What's your name?" the boy asks again when it's clear Nirei is too stunned to reply. 

That shocks his brain back into action, at least. "U-Um! I'm Nirei! Nirei Akihiko."

The boy's eye curves into a red crescent moon. "You're still bleeding, Nire-kun. Let's get that cleaned up first."

Nirei's hands fly to his nose. Through the chaos, he hadn't realised that his nosebleed hadn't let up. But now that he's focusing on it, he can feel the blood coating his upper lip and the uncomfortable throbbing on his nose bridge, and he grimaces. 

"Here," the boy says, pulling out a tissue packet from his pocket. Nirei accepts it hurriedly, embarrassed to seem so incompetent in front of his saviour. 

Right. He was saved. 

"Uh," he mumbles once his face is wiped clean and the bleeding has stopped. The boy is still standing in front of him, hands held behind him and waiting with a pleasant smile. "...Why'd you save me?"

The boy arches an eyebrow. "Should I not have?"

"No!" he rushes to say. "I-I mean, yes! I'm grateful you saved me!" He tries to stand up, but he must have done it too quickly, because he immediately stumbles forward when he's on his feet. The boy stops him from falling over with a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Nirei's cheeks flush. 

For something to distract himself with, he reaches into his pocket, pulling out his notebook. It's a little bit torn on the sides, because he put up quite a fight when the bullies tried to take it from him. He ignores the imperfections and the other boy's curious gaze as he flips the book open and to an empty page. Looking up once more, he asks, "What's your name?"

"My name?" He smiles. "I'm Leonardo Dicaprio!"

"Leo—" Nirei begins writing, but he stops when he actually registers the words. "...What?"

"I'm kidding," the boy laughs when he sees the confused expression on Nirei's face. "Suo."

"Suo," Nirei repeats, tasting the syllables on his tongue. "Suo-san, how old are you? What's your height? Where did you learn to fight?"

Suo takes a surprised step back, but he doesn't run off just yet, so Nirei counts his blessings. Usually, when he asks people things, they stop replying after the third question. 

"Well," Suo says, "why don't you try to guess? How much can you tell about me just by looking at me?"

Huh. Nirei's eyes sweep over Suo's frame again., looking for any clues that could give away anything.

Now that he's looking properly, Suo is wearing a middle school uniform too, just like him, though Nirei doesn't recognise the school. Most of his top is covered up by a clean, white, button-up collared shirt, tailored in a traditional Chinese style. His feet are adorned with kungfu shoes made of black cloth.

"You're in middle school," Nirei declares. "You're a little taller than me, so we’re probably the same age. And your shoes tell me you know kungfu, maybe practice it regularly. So you have some kind of teacher?"

Suo's smile widens. "Wow," he says with a light laugh, "okay. Not bad."

"Not bad?" 

“You’re observant,” he replies simply. “That’s a good thing.”

They continue talking as Suo leads them out of the alleyway, onto the main street, where life is bustling. No one casts them a glance—two young boys, one who looks more disheveled than he should, walking together. 

Nirei isn’t sure where Suo is leading him, but he finds that he doesn’t mind. It should be naive of him to trust someone so readily, especially after seeing the way Suo defeated his bullies so fast earlier. If Suo can beat them, then he certainly can beat Nirei, so…

“Suo-san,” he blurts out in a rush, an odd fear rising up his throat. “How can I repay you?”

Suo slows to a stop, glancing back at him. “Hm?”

“For saving me,” he clarifies. His hands come up to the front of his shirt, tugging nervously. “I don’t want to owe you.”

Nirei isn’t sure what answer he expected, but it sure isn’t for Suo to burst into light chuckles. His eyes grow wide in surprise as Suo continues to giggle, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. 

Nirei huffs. "I'm not kidding…"

“Fine,” Suo relents once he calms down. “If you insist, then I have just one request.”

“Really?” Nirei perks up. “What is it?”

The smile Suo gives him is unbelievably bright. “Be my friend.”

The first break of spring finds two boys sitting under a blossoming tree together. Suo leans on the trunk, watching with soft eyes, while Nirei’s fingers weave together a flower crown from daisies he finds in the grass. 

“Suo-san,” Nirei says, a little absentmindedly, for all his focus is on his craft, “what high school are you thinking of going to?”

Suo’s reply comes in the form of a gentle hum, as always. “I’m not sure. I’d want to stay close to this town, I think.”

“This town? You mean Makochi?”

Suo isn’t from this town. He never tells Nirei where he actually lives, even after being friends for years, so Nirei assumes it’s a secret. Despite his burning curiosity to learn more about him, Suo is good at hiding information. Nirei has learned to let some things go after a while and just treasure the boy he knows as he is.

“Yeah.” Nirei looks up to see Suo already looking back, an easy smile on his face. “Do you have any suggestions?”

He brightens, dropping the half-made flower crown on his lap in favour of pulling out his notebook. It’s filled out over time, and it’s not his first—definitely won’t be his last either. 

“There’s only one high school that’s well-known in this area. Have you heard of Furin?”

“The school with a gang?”

Nirei nods. “They used to be an aggressive and terrifying bunch, but about two years ago, they got a new leader. The leader changed the purpose of the school, and now they protect the town, fighting off anyone who tries to break the peace!”

He launches into a more in-depth explanation and how much he admires the idea of Bofurin. It’s only when Suo starts laughing does he cut himself off, a little embarrassed about talking so much. 

“It sounds like a place you really want to go to,” Suo points out. 

Nirei ducks his head with a light flush. “Maybe? I’m not sure I’d be suited for it, though. You know I can’t fight…”

He knows he’s just imagining the worst case scenario, but what if the students there realise how useless he is at combat? He certainly wouldn’t fit in, and nobody wants deadweight on the team. 

“I’ll go with you, then.”

Nirei’s head jerks back up. “What?”

“I’ll go with you,” Suo repeats simply. 

“But that’s—” Nirei frowns. “I don’t want you to come along because you feel like you have to watch over me.”

“Who said anything about that?” Suo shoots back. “Perhaps I’d like to join the school that protects people too.”

Nirei isn’t sure if Suo is telling the truth or not, but he doesn’t want to argue. “If that’s what you say,” he sighs, picking his flower crown back up. 

“Trust me, Nire-kun. I wouldn’t go anywhere I don’t want to.” He eyes Nirei’s hands, leaning forward. “Teach me how to do that?”

“The flower crown? Sure!”

Suo beams. The wind picks up. Nirei pushes his ruffled hair aside and clears his throat, and they fall into their peaceful bubble again. 

“Hey,” Sakura says one day, when it’s just him and Nirei together, patrolling the town. Sakura has a half-eaten bread in one hand and his other is holding a bunch of bags, full of various items given by the townsfolk. “How long have you known Suo?”

Nirei glances at him at the peculiar question. Since joining Furin, it’s not like either he or Suo made it a secret that they were friends beforehand, but he didn’t expect Sakura to ask about it. “Since we were in middle school.”

“Huh. You guys went to the same school?”

“No.” Nirei shakes his head. “Suo-san helped me when I, um, ran into some trouble. He saved me. That’s how we met.”

“Oh.” Sakura makes a thoughtful noise. “No wonder he’s always hovering around you.”

Nirei lets out a startled laugh. “What? Suo-san doesn’t do that!”

“He does,” Sakura disagrees with a wrinkle of his noise. “He always makes that weird face when you’re talking to someone new. He made it at me when we first met and you asked me a million questions in one breath.”

Nirei hesitates. If even Sakura is pointing it out, then it must be quite obvious… So how has he never noticed?

“Suo-san is just full of mysteries,” Nirei ends up saying. 

Sakura scoffs. “He’s a mysterious bastard, that’s what. He’d probably laugh if he heard us talking about him right now.”

A spike of fondness rises through Nirei’s chest. “He would.”

The antiseptic connecting with his wound stings like hell, and Nirei can’t help himself from flinching away. “Ow.”

Suo doesn’t so much as budge, still holding onto the cotton bud with a pair of tweezers. His eyes are laser-focused on the various scratches that Nirei has gained from the fight against KEEL, and there’s a storm brewing in his irises that Nirei can’t bring himself to look at. 

Their classmates are all still inside, patching each other up or taking a quick rest before they start heading back. Suo was the first one to walk out, and he hasn’t said a word since he approached Nirei to clean up his injuries. 

This moment is particularly reminiscent of a cold gaze and rough fist connecting with his attacker. Nirei didn’t see much of what happened after he was hit by that KEEL member, but he can recall Suo’s shout and the vague silhouette of him charging forward. Nirei was then brought out by Kusumi, so he didn’t get to watch the rest. 

He wonders what truly happened. He’s not sure he dares to ask. 

The exhaustion finally seeps into Nirei’s bones, weighing him down. He slumps backwards, and a brief moment of panic fills Suo’s eyes when he goes limp. 

“Nire-kun,” he murmurs, nudging his shoulder. “Don’t pass out yet.”

“Sorry,” he replies, doing his best to blink his eyes open. He hisses in surprise when Suo wipes at a wound on his cheek, holding him still with a firm grip on his chin. When he pulls the cotton bud away, Nirei's stomach churns to see the bright red staining it. 

It's not like he's scared of blood—he's seen his friends get all battered up numerous times, but for some reason, when the wound is coming from himself, it always makes him feel a bit more uncomfortable. 

“It’s okay,” Suo says, though it sounds like he’s lying. Nirei has gotten quite good at telling his truths from his fibs. 

When they’re finally done, Suo pulls Nirei up with a steady grip. It feels awfully reminiscent of the first time they met, especially when Nirei goes wobbling forward, but this time, he is not taken by surprise when Suo is there to catch him. 

Nirei’s face bumps into Suo’s shoulder, and in a burst of overwhelming emotion, feels his eyes start to sting. 

“Sorry,” he says again. He doesn’t know what he’s apologising for anymore, or rather, there’s too much to apologise for. 

He was too weak. He got himself hurt again. He had to have Suo, Sakura, and all his other friends pick up his slack. What did he do, other than give them an extra burden to carry?

Nirei jerks back with a gasp when Suo flicks at his forehead, a burst of pain blooming across his skin. He momentarily forgets about how terrible he’s feeling in favour of giving Suo an affronted, betrayed look. 

“Don’t apologise,” Suo replies simply, glancing away. Something glazes over his eyes. “The only ones who should be sorry are the people who hurt you.”

Nirei clasps his fingers together at Suo’s icy tone. “Um… Okay. That’s not really what I meant—”

“And the only thing you should regret,” Suo interrupts, looking back at Nirei, “is being so reckless. When I saw you lying there, covered in blood—”

Suo’s voice cracks, and Nirei jumps at the uncharacteristic loss of composure. But he doesn’t get the chance to point it out before Suo is turning around, folding his hands behind his back. Like this conversation is over. 

“I hear the others coming,” Suo says blankly. “Nire-kun, can you walk?”

“Yes,” he mumbles, bowing his head. He has a feeling this conversation is going to plague his mind for a while. 

“Suo-san is mad at me,” Nirei groans into the table the next week. “I know it.”

The only people in here to listen to his laments are Kotoha, who owns the place, and Kiryu, who was already here when Nirei came in. Sakura apparently left a while ago, and Tsugeura eats breakfast at home, so it’s just them now. 

“Really?” Kotoha asks as she wipes down a plate with a piece of cloth, her eyebrows rising in mild interest. “That sounds impossible. I’ve never seen Suo mad.”

“And if he was mad, you’d be the last person he’d be mad at,” Kiryu adds as he scrolls on his phone. His eyes paint the picture of disinterest, but he’s clearly listening. 

“No,” Nirei disagrees, still slumped on the table. “He’s mad at me for sure.”

“I find that hard to believe. Suo-chan would kill for you.” Kiryu sets his phone down like he didn’t just say something life-changing. “But go on. Why do you think he’s mad at you?”

“Because—” Nirei pouts. “We always walk to school together and sit next to each other in class, but ever since we went against KEEL, he’s been showing up earlier and sitting with other people. And when I talk to him, it feels like he’s not paying full attention. It’s weird.”

Kotoha hums thoughtfully. “Did anything happen between you two before this?”

A brief memory flashes in Nirei’s head. He’s tried not to think about it, but he can hear Suo’s voice cracking every time he closes his eyes. 

Of course, it’s not just him. Sakura wouldn’t look him in the eye for a while after the incident, and Tsugeura keeps patting his head to ask if he’s doing okay. It feels like they're all kind of walking on eggshells. 

But with Suo, it’s different. Suo, who never lets a crumb of bitter emotion slip, who always manages to maintain a cheerful composure even in the toughest of fights. Nirei feels like his world is shattering when he imagines the burden he must place on Suo’s shoulders. 

He hates to be the one to worry Suo like that. 

Even after being friends for so long, Nirei cannot fathom why Suo is so hellbent on protecting him wherever they go. Maybe it’s out of pity, but he doesn’t want to be pitied. He’s tired of having to be taken care of. It makes him feel like such a liability. 

“I think I troubled him,” he murmurs, fingers drumming against the woodtop table. “I put myself in too much of a risky position, and he had to drop everything to fight for me…”

“So you think he’s mad at you for that?” Kotoha lets out a sigh. She sets a cup of coffee in front of Nirei, nudging the ceramic piece closer when he doesn’t budge. “If anything, I think he just cares for you.”

“Or he’s ashamed,” Kiryu pipes up, resting his cheek on his propped up hand. “Suo-chan feels bad about not being able to reach you in time before you got hurt. He probably doesn’t know how to deal with feeling guilty.”

“But he has nothing to be guilty for! It’s my fault for not thinking things through!”

“Then tell him that.” Nirei freezes. Kiryu simply gives him a light shrug. “Just talk to him. Suo-chan looks like a kicked puppy without you, it’s killing me to see.”

“He’s the one avoiding me,” Nirei mutters, a little petulant. But he’s also desperately relieved—he doesn’t know what he’d do without Suo by his side. 

“I’ll call him up for you right now!” Kiryu says brightly, picking up his phone. His fingers fly across his screen before Nirei can register his words. 

“W-Wait, now?!”

Kiryu grins, eyes sparkling. “You don’t want to keep Suo-chan waiting, do you?”

He finds Suo waiting for him at a bench that’s on their path to school.

He’s not sitting, but rather standing under the tree right next to it, shaded from the sun. Suo turns before Nirei can call out his name, and he tilts his head in a silent greeting. 

“Hi,” Nirei breathes, digging into his bag to pull out some bottled tea. “This is for you.”

Suo smiles, the way he always does, but his eyes are trained on the drink rather than Nirei himself. “Thank you, Nire-kun.”

They fall into awkward silence after that. Nirei’s lips part, wanting to say something, but he doesn’t know where to begin. 

Luckily, Suo catches his hesitance, and gives him a kind opening. “I was surprised when Kiryu-kun requested my presence on your behalf. Normally, you’d just message me yourself.” He arches an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you?”

He begins walking, making his way to school, and it takes a bit for Nirei to register that he’s supposed to follow after. He does, but he hovers a step or two behind Suo, rather than staying by his side. 

“Oh, that. Um…” 

Suo glances back. Nirei’s steps falter. 

He’s given it a bit of thought on the way here to meet Suo, of course—what exactly he wants to say and how to say it. Nirei has no doubt Suo will listen, but whether he’ll still want to be Nirei’s friend afterwards is a different story. 

But now, fixed under Suo’s steady eyes, Nirei panics and blurts out the first thing he can think of, “I’m sorry for being so weak, Suo-san!”

It’s like the world stills the moment the words leave his throat. 

Nirei doesn’t know what Suo’s immediate reaction is—his head is bowed low, staring at the tip of his shoes and the shadow from Suo, looming over him. 

“…Huh?” he hears. 

Nirei’s head tilts up slowly. He’s never heard Suo sound so at a loss for words. 

Suo is staring back at him, his eye wide with surprise, and his mouth hanging slightly open in shock. 

“Because I got hurt..?” Nirei reminds, equally as confused. “Because I couldn’t protect myself, so you had to do it for me again?”

“Why would that—” Suo takes a deep, steadying breath. “Why would that be your fault, Nire-kun?”

“Why else are you mad at me?!” Nirei cries. His cheeks flush when he realises what a commotion he’s making, and he grabs onto his arms to stop them from waving around too much. 

“Who said I was mad at you?”

Huh? Nirei must be going insane. Why else would Suo be avoiding him, if not out of anger? Why else would he refuse to look at Nirei for more than ten seconds, lips curling downwards like the sight of his face brings him upset?

“You’re… not?”

“I’m not,” Suo huffs, and there’s a moment of silence again between them, where neither are sure what to say. 

Nirei gasps when Suo loops a hand around his bicep, pulling him forward gently. They resume their walk, and Suo keeps his eyes straight ahead as he requests, “Tell me about it.”

So Nirei spills. 

Everything he’s worried about since their KEEL fight, about Suo himself, how he feels like he just keeps falling behind. About how he doesn’t want Suo to blame himself for Nirei’s shortcomings. He talks their whole way to school, and only at the entrance of Furin do they slow as Nirei finishes up his last words. 

“That’s it,” he mutters, throat feeling a little raw. “Sorry. Again.”

“Nire-kun,” Suo starts, ever so soft, “I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“But I just said—”

“I was upset,” Suo clarifies, and Nirei rarely hears such pure honesty dripping from his tongue, so he shuts up, drinking it up. “But not at you, never at you. I was upset at myself because I let my emotions get the better of me.”

“…I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

“You’re better off asking Sakura-kun about it,” Suo mumbles, seemingly embarrassed. “It’s not something I’m proud of. Either way, I didn’t mean to come across as cold to you. I apologise.”

Nirei sucks in a shaky breath. Relief sinks into his veins, the odd weight he’s been carrying in his heart finally fading away. When he looks up, Suo doesn’t avoid his gaze, and his heart leaps into his throat at the pretty colour of Suo’s eye. 

“Let’s go,” Suo says, smiling. “We’re okay.”

“We’re okay,” Nirei repeats, an assurance. 

In school, they enter the classroom together, and Nirei slides into the seat next to Suo, and it feels right at home. 

Later on, Kiryu enters on his own, catching Nirei’s eye. His gaze turns to where Suo is and a smirk grows on his face. To his surprise, Suo doesn’t return the look with a cool one of his own—he simply looks away, a hand covering his cheeks, seemingly embarrassed. Nirei raises an eyebrow, but asks nothing of it. 

Ever since that day, Nirei feels like Suo has gotten a lot more… eh…

How should he describe it?

He wouldn’t call it overbearing, exactly, though Sakura would surely use that word. Suo hovers around him more often now, which is saying something, because they’re always together. Nirei always feels eyes on him, watching, as if waiting for something specific. But he doesn’t know what, and he’s kind of nervous to return such an intense gaze, so he doesn’t.

It’s not just that. Suo has gotten touchy.

It’s weird, because through the three and a half years they’ve known each other—yes, Nirei counts, because he has the date they met written in his notebook, one of the first pieces of information about Suo he’s collected—Suo has never been a physically affectionate person. He doesn’t pull away when Nirei grabs onto him or anything, but he never initiates either. 

It emulates his fighting style too, the constant avoiding, like a disappearing phantom whenever someone gets too close. 

Well, not that Nirei truly minds this change of heart.

Today, they’re sitting in the classroom together, using the same desk and doing some after school studying. Everyone else has left, and the sky is overcast, bringing in pale light through the window. Nirei can see specks of dust in the air whenever he looks up, dancing joyously. Suo and he are facing each other, and the desk certainly isn’t made for two people, but Nirei doesn’t have the heart to tell Suo to get another table. 

Underneath the table, their shoes are brushing, leather against cloth. Nirei pays it no mind, at least not until Suo shifts and their legs clasp together firmer. 

HIs hand stills, fingers twitching around his pen. Suo gives no sign he’s noticed. 

He swallows, heart thundering in his chest as he drags his gaze back to his work. This is odd, right? Should he pull away?

So he tries. But Suo’s leg presses around his further, keeping him there. 

“Where are you going, Nire-kun?” he murmurs, eyes not leaving his book. 

Nirei’s cheeks flush, embarrassed, as he tries to pretend he has everything under control. That his heart isn’t leaping to his throat and his every breath isn’t shuddering. 

“Your…” His voice trails off. “Never mind.”

“Hmm?”

His cheeks burn harder. Does Suo know what he’s doing? He definitely does. He always knows what he’s doing. 

But if he’s doing all this on purpose, then that must mean he has some sort of intent. And Nirei isn’t stupid. Even if Suo acts innocent, messing around with their friends on the regular, Nirei has learned to tell his lies from his truths. 

And right now, there’s something utterly mischievous brewing in the air. 

Well, if that’s what Suo wants, then Nirei supposes he can play the same game. He presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth, writing another sentence, and ignores the way his handwriting comes out a little wobbly. At the same time, he wraps one leg around Suo’s ankles, hooking them there. 

Suo lets out a quiet laugh. Nirei’s stomach churns pleasantly. 

A hand crawls towards Nirei’s, and long, bony fingers curl around his free wrist, lifting. Nirei watches through his lashes, hesitant, holding his breath as Suo brings his hand closer, closer—

A gentle kiss is pressed to his knuckles, and Nirei makes an odd squeaking noise. 

Suo’s eye, which had fluttered close during this whole ordeal, opens again, pinning him with a challenging stare. As if to remind him, Your turn.

Oh. So this is the game. 

Nirei drops his pen, both hands grasping Suo’s fingers and tugging. He bows until cold skin meets his forehead, and he takes a deep breath before lifting his head and brushing his lips against Suo’s waiting hand. 

God, they should be studying. 

The air between them is thick with tension now, something electrical charging through and biting at his skin. Nirei is at a loss for words, and Suo doesn’t look keen on breaking the silence either. 

Suo looks ethereal like this, shrouded in late-day light, lips quirked up in amusement. He’s always had an elegant sort of beauty to him—poised and controlled, and Nirei has long gotten used to it, but… 

This feels like a new side to him. To both of them. Nirei desperately wants to ask, What are you doing?

He knows Suo’s answer, though—can already predict the cheeky diversion, Whatever you’re doing!

This is going to send Nirei into an early cardiac arrest, isn’t it.

Still, he remains curious, waiting for Suo’s next move. It always feels like this between them—Suo leads, and Nirei follows. Nirei asks, and Suo complies. It’s a constant push and pull, neither of them stepping out of the comfort zone they’ve built for each other. 

Except for today. The lines are blurring, and Nirei’s heart is rattling his ribcage as Suo leans forward, a look of contemplation written over his face. 

“Nire-kun,” Suo says, hand still grasped in his, “would you allow me to be a bit selfish, just this once, and take something from you?”

The words burn when they crawl up his throat, painfully honest. “Y-Yeah. Anything.”

Suo’s lips curl upwards in a beautiful display of joy. 

Nirei knows what’s coming—hard not to tell when Suo cradles his cheek and thumbs at his freckles the way one would stroke the feathers of an injured bird. When he leans in so close that their breaths mingle, until Nirei can feel the zipping electricity between them crackling against his lips, pursed in the barest of pouts. 

“Your turn,” Suo mumbles, and Nirei’s eyes flutter close. 

Just as their lips meet in the middle, Nirei thinks about the kindness Suo offered to let him close the gap. Suo has always granted him that autonomy to make his own decisions, or to let him simply exist without being targeted by others. To let his strengths shine and to listen to him ramble and to kiss, kiss, kiss.

There is a special kind of love in letting someone be their true, authentic self, and being that safe space where they’re allowed to express it. 

Nirei’s heart wants to burst at the seams. Their kiss begins gentle, but desperation starts to seep into both of their actions as time goes on, in the way Nirei tightens his grip on Suo’s hand as he tries to pull him closer, and the way Suo’s other hand slides up into his hair, fingers tangling with the strands. Suo pushes firmer and Nirei makes a flustered, overwhelmed noise, falling at an alarming rate.

He tries to kiss back as best as he can, but it's not like he's done this before. Still, it's good, and it makes him wonder if Suo has experience with this kind of thing. He doubts so, but Suo does like to keep secrets. It makes something similar to jealousy sear through Nirei's veins, and it shows in the way he pushes back just as hard, prompting a soft gasp from Suo's lips. 

In hindsight, though, now that they’re doing this, Suo’s recent actions make a lot more sense. 

When they finally part ways, Suo’s lips are a charming shade darker, slightly glossed, and Nirei has to cover his face in embarrassment. He can feel how hot his cheeks are.

Suo clears his throat, and when Nirei peeks at him through his fingers, he’s surprised to find that Suo’s cheeks aren’t faring any better. 

“I suppose it’s not incorrect for me to say that we could have done that a lot sooner?” Suo asks. 

“We could have?” Nirei almost squeaks. “I didn’t even realise you liked me like that!”

“Of course I like you,” Suo replies with a blank stare. Like stating that grass is green and the sky is blue. Like it was supposed to be obvious. “You didn’t know?”

Nirei stares back, gaping. 

Suo snickers under his breath, interlacing their fingers and giving him a quick squeeze. “Okay. Now you know.”

It's ridiculous. Nirei has a hundred other questions burning at the back of his throat. One sticks out in particular, and he can't help but ask, "Why today, of all days, to confess? Nothing even happened."

"I suppose I just felt like it."

"Ehh..?" Nirei closes his eyes, wracking his brain for a plausible reason Suo would kiss him, but he's coming up blank. "I don't— How long have you been waiting to do that, anyway?"

Suo hums, tapping his finger to his lips. “Too many questions, Nire-kun. You’ll just have to wonder.”

Nirei groans, slumping on the desk, and revels in the light tinker of Suo’s responding laugh. 

"Nire-kun," Suo calls, tugging at his hand. "Come here. Sit with me."

Nirei narrows his eyes, looking up. "I'm already—" He cuts off when he sees Suo patting his own lap. "You mean on you?!"

"Is there a difference?" Suo asks innocently, and when he tugs a little harder, Nirei is helpless to do anything but follow. 

His cheeks are on fire and he feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest, but Suo's pleased smile when he gets his arms around Nirei's frame is enough to make it all worth it. 

(They don't get any more studying done after that.)

"You weren't before?" Tsugeura asks the next day, sounding genuinely surprised, when Suo and Nirei tell their friends that they've begun dating. "What were you doing before that, then?"

Kiryu laughs when Nirei makes a confused noise. Sakura remains rooted to the spot, gaping at them like they've all just grown two heads.

"But, like, congrats!" Tsugeura adds. "Suo-kun is always doting on you, Nirei-kun. I'm confident he'd treat you well!"

"Thank you," Nirei replies honestly. A gasp leaves his throat when Suo circles a hand around his waist, pulling him closer. "What—?"

"Of course I'll treat Nire-kun perfectly," Suo says with a beam that's a little too tight around the corners to be entirely genuine.

"Great. As if Nire-chan didn't already have scary dog privileges," Kiryu jokes, nudging Sakura and finally snapping him out of his stupor.  

Sakura makes a strained noise. After a bit, he deflates, as if accepting his fate. "Congratulations," he mutters, turning his burning cheeks away. "Or whatever."

"Don't tease him too much, Suo-san," Nirei says before Suo can get a word out, already knowing where this is going to go. "Thank you, Sakura-san!"

Suo just sighs, pressing a kiss to Nirei's temple. "Fine. If you insist."

That small action, however, is still enough to get Sakura to explode. As the class bursts into chaos, Nirei decides to just let it be and watch everything unfold, his heart feeling irrevocably fond.