Chapter Text
Chapter 1 - A World Described
“What does it look like ?”
Jouno and Tetchō were sitting on the roof of a rather large black car, facing out to view the ocean. The salt water gently threw back and forth against the sand as the wind picked up slightly.
“It looks like the ocean”
Tetchō replied with his usual monotone demeanour, as he stared at Jouno who was sitting beside him. Jouno huffed a look of agitation appearing on his face.
“God I hate you”
He retorted, turning his head up to the sky.
“Why ?”
Tetchō replied, still staring Jouno down face unchanged, this pissed Jouno off.
“It loOks LiKe thE oCeaN, Isn’t very helpful”
He mocked, the bells on his earring jangling lightly in the breeze as the sun began to set. Tetchō looked out onto the sea squinting as the sun reflected off the water
“There is water and there is sand”
Tetchō began to list out everything he could see like a child playing a game of eye spy, Jouno didn’t know why he even bothered with him.
He sure wasn’t worth the hassle but Tetchō hadn’t left him alone ever since Fukuchi first introduced him to Jouno. He couldn’t blame him though between a choice of him, Teruko and Tachihara it was pretty clear that Jouno would be his pick. The only problem is Jouno couldn’t stand him, but for some reason Tetchō really struggled to get that through his head.
“God dammit, Tetchō that’s not what I meant”
He stopped his listing and looked back at Jouno, tilting his head to the side to show his confusion (a habit he had mimicked from an anime he had watched not long ago).
That was another thing Jouno hated about him.
How he was physically unable to understand anything that wasn’t said directly, and how he would just copy what those around him did, making him look like a bad actor in a kids school play.
“Youre helpless”
Jouno smiled a little before quickly correcting it with his usual miserable expression.
Jouno didn’t HATE Tetchō, he just pissed him off … all the time.
And Tetchō was especially fond of Jouno, no reason in particular to specify he just did.
“I really like you Jouno”
This was the thing Jouno hated the most, how he would just say stuff like this like it was regular shit.
“SHUT THE HELL UP”
Jouno had flushed a similar colour to the highlights in his hair. Tetchō simply stared.
“But I do”
Jouno hit him over the head with the back of hand, hurling a few more insults Tetchō’s way before simmering down leaving the loudest kind of silence between the pair.
“Why”
Jouno had always been curious, but he had never wanted to come across that he actually cared
Because he didn’t.
or encourage Tetchō with his embarrassment. Tetchō thought for a moment, looking up at the birds as if they could tell him the answer.
“I like you because you’re my favourite”
He said bluntly.
What a lackluster response. Who the hell does he think he is - favourite- what does that even mean ? Jouno thought to himself agitated.
“And that means ?”
Tetchō looked at Jouno, now confused how he didn’t understand what he meant.
“It means you are my favourite, there is no one else I like as much”
He stated unblinking, the setting sun reflecting in his irises
“How do you not know what 'favourite means ?”
Jouno flushed red again, Tetchō thought that HE was the stupid one ?
What a pain in the ass, Jouno could never say what he meant because he was too high in his horse to talk about his own feelings and Tetchō was unable to comprehend them full stop.
Jouno shoved Tetchō away as a sort of childish act to hide his embarrassment. He had a knack for making Jouno act so immature, to be honest neither of the two really knew why that was.
“Jouno I think you are my favourite because I like you the most. Do you understand ?”
No, no he didn’t understand, Tetchō was doing the equivalent of reading someone the title of a book and expecting them to know the plot and contents.
“Yeah sure, why not”
Jouno replied sarcastically.
Tetchō didn’t pick up on the sarcasm and sat awaiting a real response. Jouno noticed this and turned to the side away from the beachfront, so Tetchō could no longer see his face.
“Fine, no i don’t understand you, you’re weird not me”
Tetchō wasn’t quite sure what he meant, he didn’t recall calling Jouno weird but he also didn’t know how else to put across what he wanted to say so that he could understand. He lifted his hand and inspected it, turning it from back to front before reaching it out and placing it on Jouno's shoulder, causing him to flinch. Jouno had heard him coming but the touch was still foreign to him.
“Sorry”
Tetchō retracted his hand sensing he had messed up somehow.
Everything was so confusing. Tetchō felt like he was trying to play a board game without instructions with someone who knew how to play.
Jouno sighed, he didn’t mind the touch, it just surprised him, nobody ever wanted to even nudge him slightly in fear of startling him, Jouno was blind but most people weren’t aware of his other heightened senses. He hated being treated like some pathetic cripple.
“Tetchō calm down it’s fine”
He tried to regain his cool, feeling as though he had accidentally embarrassed Tetchō.
If that was even possible.
He turned back to face the sea, the sun was almost completely set now. Tetchō nodded, still feeling a slight guilt burn the back of his throat.
“I don’t hate you Tetchō”
He mumbled out, half embarrassed, half angry he was even gratifying someone with that knowledge.
“Okay?”
Fucks sake Tetchō.
Genuinely what the hell is wrong with him. Jouno thought to himself, his closed eye twitching slightly. How the hell was he supposed to convey this without shattering his own fragile ego but also get through to Tetchōs emotionally constipated head.
He sighed once more, flushing even darker. It was times like this he was grateful that Tetchō couldn’t connect the dots between emotions and expressions. He shuffled over slightly so he was sitting closer, then gingerly rested his head on Tetchōs shoulder
“Are you tired ?”
Tetchō didn’t even question Jounos advances
“Just shut the hell up”