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The exploration mission had gone smoothly, that was, until Takumi hit his shin on an oddly-placed piece of rubble and let out quite the embarrassing groan of pain. If that wasn't bad enough, Yugamu had been just close enough to hear it.
"This is music to my ears! My little Yugamu is getting all tingly… Say, Takumi, come by my room later, I'd love to hear these noises again," said Yugamu, grabbing both sides of his arms. He threw his head back lustfully. It sent a shiver down Takumi's spine. "I'm sure I could coax them out of you… I could torture- I mean give you a massage."
"No way!" exclaimed Takumi. He bent over and rubbed where the concrete had hit. It was probably just going to be a bruise, nothing serious. Last Defense Academy wasn't that far away, so whatever conversation he got roped into with Yugamu had a definite end.
"Why not, you may end up enjoying it," purred Yugamu. "Lots of men get off to pain, there's a certain excitement around danger. You might be into it, and not even know it."
Takumi felt a shift inside. Maybe Yugamu did have a point… Sometimes he felt it during battle, the rush of emotions when he'd take a really painful hit direct on. But that was just adrenaline, probably! … Adrenaline that felt pleasurable, in a sense. Takumi could definitely see the appeal.
He shook his head. No, he could not be seriously considering this right now! Torture seemed a bit much!
Especially with someone like Yugamu, who killed people for a living. Or… Maybe that would make him better, ironically, since he was intimately familiar with death. He would know how far he could push before he crossed a line.
"Maybe I would, if it were with the right person," said Takumi. "I'd like to have feelings for someone first, before we do anything crazy."
"Oh? And who would this right person be?" asked Yugamu. Takumi rolled his eyes.
"You want me to say it's you, don't you," said Takumi flatly. He could have sworn he saw Yugamu's cheeks get a little pink. Yugamu was always so flirty, Takumi could never tell if he was like this with everyone.
"Am I a consideration?" he asked bashfully.
This guy…!
"M-maybe!" Takumi said defensively.
This seemed to do something to Yugamu. He grabbed Takumi by the hand. Takumi stopped walking. For a brief moment, he thought Yugamu was going to say something romantic. But then…
"Should we let little Takumi and little Yugamu have a play-date then?" asked Yugamu.
Takumi's jaw dropped.
"Do not call it that! Seriously, what is wrong with you… Just ask me out like a normal person would!" exclaimed Takumi.
Yugamu laughed nervously.
"Do I seem normal to you?" he asked.
Takumi sucked air through his teeth.
"I dunno… Maybe you could try? If you really wanted to?" suggested Takumi. Yugamu nodded his head. Takumi wondered what went on in there. Yugamu was a fascinating guy, and for someone who seemed so open, he could also be very closed off. He wanted to know more about him. "Just keep it casual."
Yugamu made a weird noise of agreement.
"Casual, huh," said Yugamu. "I'll think about it."
Takumi almost tripped over another piece of concrete. This was so irritating! He supposed he could ask Yugamu out himself, if he really wanted to, but he wasn't even sure if the guy liked him in that way. This was such a mess. He wished he hadn't said anything. The longer the two of them went without talking, the more awkward things became.
It was such a relief when they came upon Last Defense Academy.
"I'll see you next time, Takumi," said Yugamu, giving him a cute wave as if nothing had happened. He blew Takumi a little kiss.
"Yeah, see you."
He made a beeline straight to his room to take a shower.
A much needed long shower.
He didn't talk to Takumi for a few days. They weren't ignoring each other, they just didn't have any time alone.
The next time they were in a room together by themselves was the bathroom. Takumi felt himself tense up. Yugamu bypassed urinal etiquette and took the one next to Takumi, brushing their shoulders together briefly.
"Pissing all by yourself, handsome?" asked Yugamu as if he didn't have two eyes and the answer to the question by looking around.
Well…
Takumi wasn't quite sure if he did have a second eye under that eye-patch, or if he did have one but it didn't work. Yugamu could be quite the exhibitionist sometimes. He'd even seen little Yugamu before, and if he peeped his eyes a bit down and to the right he could be reacquainted— but under his eye-patch was a total mystery.
Yugamu seemed to want to keep it that way.
"Not anymore," said Takumi. He looked straight ahead at the wall in front of him, tilting his head upwards just a little.
He listened to the sound of Yugamu's stream matching his own, and never wished more that he could unhear something. It felt like he had pissed for over a minute before he was done, and he quickly put himself away.
"I've decided to take your advice. To keep it casual, y'know," said Yugamu. He put his palm on the wall above the urinals, in what Takumi assumed was supposed to be some sort of "sexy lean" (which really came off as a tacky scene).
"Is that so?"
"We eat together, fight together, explore together, and even piss together," said Yugamu. One of those things was not like the others. "So how about we be together too?"
Takumi looked down in disgust at Yugamu's unwashed hand, extended towards him as an offering. The room reeked of an unpleasant odor, one that made Takumi less inclined to spend time here than he had to. It would be a lie to say Yugamu hadn't caught him off guard, and at such a humiliating location. His cheeks burned fiercely.
Yugamu really did want him, didn't he…
"I'm not sure what to think of you deciding to hit on me while we're in the restroom," said Takumi. "Because either you think I'm the kind of guy who would find that endearing, or it's totally on you."
"It's quite the intimate space, isn't it? People are at their most vulnerable with their pants down."
"I see. You're the weirdo," teased Takumi. Yugamu didn't laugh, bringing an overwhelming awkwardness that made Takumi feel like he needed to escape the room as fast he could. It wasn't unlike Yugamu to bring this emotion up in him; it was a normal reaction to have when hearing about the intricacies of being split open and rooted through like a frog in a science class, or being grabbed by the neck from behind, sharp nails pressing on a very fatal vein.
That was Yugamu finding amusement in drawing out a reaction. This was Yugamu's own discomfort.
"So is that a yes?"
"Uhm."
Yugamu's face fell. All it took was one syllable for Takumi's intentions to be known.
"Aha… Maybe the restroom was a bit much," said Yugamu, awkwardly.
"Look, Yugamu, the bathroom really doesn't scream romance. It's not usually a place where I even want to talk to someone else," said Takumi, grimacing. The drip from the faucet echoed against the porcelain sink with no rhythm, only randomness. "It's just gross."
Yugamu stared at him in silence. His labret moved around, probably from him chewing on the other side. His eye looked glassy, and if Takumi didn't know any better, on the verge of tears.
He hadn't meant to hurt him! Takumi felt like his heart was twisted up inside, cutting off blood flow to the rest of his body. Yugamu was so far from normal, that any attempt to give him advice felt like an insult. Had the circumstances been any different, it may have been romantic.
He didn't hate that idea. It did feel nice to be wanted, though frightening too. Takumi always felt like an average kind of guy. It was difficult to imagine others thinking about he while he wasn't in the room, Yugamu so much so that he even asked him out. In its own way… it was cute.
"Look, Yugamu… I'm sorry for calling you gross," said Takumi. "I'd put my hand on your shoulder, but, eh…"
Yugamu remained silent and unamused. He said nothing, but made his way towards the door. Takumi grimaced, then grabbed his hand.
"Yugamu, wait!"
Yugamu stopped where he stood. He turned around, and looked at Takumi with a forced smile.
"It's okay. You already apologized," said Yugamu. "Let's not make it any more awkward than it has to be."
He flexed his hand to try to free it from Takumi's. Takumi gripped tighter.
"Ask me again, tomorrow," said Takumi, unable to make eye contact with him. "Do it romantically. And… I might say yes."
Yugamu curled his fingers until they were entwined with Takumi's. That once fake smile curled up with joy.
"You're killing me, Takumi… Jerking me around while you should be jerking me off. You're lucky I'm patient, all this edging is going to make me burst," swooned Yugamu. Takumi's cheeks swelled with a smile; he couldn't tell if it was out of affection or fear.
"Where is this coming from?!" Takumi exclaimed.
"You just saw it, but I can bring him out again," said Yugamu with a devilish grin. Takumi caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the mirror, red as a beet.
"Not necessary!"
Takumi let go of Yugamu's hand. He went to leave the room, hand washing be damned.
He felt the twisting in his chest return once he was on the other side of the door.
Yugamu sure knew how to catch him off guard. He could always say things that were so overt that Takumi felt like he didn't know how to react to them.
Takumi found himself anticipating Yugamu's proposal. He felt like this was finally a normal high school experience for him, getting excited about a crush. It was one sense of normalcy in a world of chaos.
It was odd that he hadn't seen Yugamu at breakfast or lunch, much to his disappointment, but Takumi didn't think too hard on it. He was probably preparing for today, much like Takumi was. He'd taken an 'everything shower', just to stay his freshest.
Yugamu sure was taking his time.
The nighttime announcement had passed by the time Takumi heard a knock at his door. He was almost nodding off, convinced Yugamu had changed his mind.
Takumi swung the door open.
Standing before him was Yugamu.
Both his hands were behind his back. Takumi craned his head to catch a peak, but Yugamu adjusted his posture to make it impossible.
"How did you knock..?" asked Takumi.
"Forehead," Yugamu replied. "But don't worry your pretty little head about that. I have something for you."
"You can come in," said Takumi, immediately realizing his fault. "Wait-"
"How nice of you to let me give you a second gift," giggled Yugamu. Takumi smacked his own forehead. Of course, he needed to be more careful with his words.
Yugamu took a step inside. He looked at Takumi and grinned.
"I prepared a very special gift for you. Think of it as a token of my affection," said Yugamu. He was only a little shorter than Takumi, which only added to his cuteness. Takumi blushed looking at him. He was glad Yugamu had taken his words to heart and prepared him a gift.
"Aw, that's sweet," said Takumi. "How thoughtful."
Finally, Yugamu was coming around. It took a few tries, but Takumi knew he could be sweet if he really tried. It made the butterflies in his stomach swarm upwards, fluttering around as they would in a garden, light and airy.
"Sometimes I feel like my heart is trying to jump out of my chest just to be with you… Would you take care of it for me?" asked Yugamu. He brought his hands around front, presenting his gift to Takumi.
At first, Takumi didn't know what he was looking at. Then, he didn't wantto know. It was a dark red, with veins stretched over the surface. Chunks of white lined patches, as if they had been trimmed to fit the shape. Yugamu's hands were bloodied with the weight of what he was carrying.
A human heart.
Takumi felt faint, as if he was being pulled backwards onto the ground. He struggled to keep his balance, not wanting to get any closer. He had seen injuries before, and at this point blood didn't phase him as much as it used to.
This was different. This was deliberate mutilation.
Yugamu could sense the shift in mood.
"My apologies, I didn't know which organ was your favorite, and I thought it'd be romantic with the heart. Get it! I'm giving you my heart, aha… But if you have another one you prefer, I could get that one instead-"
Was he seriously this oblivious?!
The only way he could have acquired his heart is if he ripped it out of his own chest. Takumi was no doctor, but even he knew that a human couldn't survive without a heart. Meaning…
"What?! No, please don't kill yourself for me!" Takumi exclaimed. He felt bile rising in the back of his throat as he looked at the bloody organ in Yugamu's hands. He'd never seen a real heart before, it was bigger than he expected it to be. It was such a powerful organ, to see it sitting there in front of him made him feel sick.
What had Yugamu endured to achieve this? Had he performed the surgery on himself, or roped someone else into this massacre.
Yugamu hadn't taken his advice in the slightest. It made him feel even sicker, like this was some game to Yugamu.
"Oh, you're giving me a hint! Let me guess, it's a kidney? Or maybe a liver… Though I can't give you my whole liver if I'm supposed to stay alive, so I'll assume a kidney," said Yugamu, eye wild with excitement. He looked as if he were about to start drooling. "I wonder, though, if I take out my kidney, will the revive-o-matic data save that as an update to my bio data? I will warn you, of the three kidneys in my body, only one of them is biologically mine, and I don't know which it is, so we're gonna have a fun-"
"I don't have a favorite organ!"
Takumi didn't like raising his voice, but Yugamu didn't seem to be getting it. He was freaking out right now, his chest felt tight and his heart was beating so fast he may need a transplant from the one in Yugamu's hands.
"So… There isn't one where if you woke up tomorrow morning, all woozy from anesthesia, and rubbed your hands along your skin to find the stitches, you'd feel empty about?" asked Yugamu, eyebrows coming together.
"What?! No!" exclaimed Takumi. "Why do you even think about this kind of thing? It's seriously messed up."
Yugamu's fingers dug into his heart. Blood oozed from the valves, dripping down his fingers and onto the floor.
"I don't understand," said Yugamu, face growing dark. "You told me to do something romantic. I cut out my heart for you."
"I didn't ask you to do that!" The smell was finally getting to him, the coppery scent he had come to associate with death.
"You don't want my heart?" asked Yugamu. More blood began to spill out. The more frantic Yugamu got, the more it seemed like he was going to physically tear his heart in half. "But it's me…"
"Yugamu, no, don't get like that-"
Takumi gagged at the sound of the heart squelching in Yugamu's hands as he squeezed it tighter. He took a step backwards, feeling cornered in his own room.
This was the real Yugamu. The assassin who had slaughtered more people than Takumi could probably count. And if he upset him, there was no saying what he would do to Takumi. He was always talking about torture, and how romantic it was. Part of Takumi always suspected he was joking. He knew now that he shouldn't have underestimated him. If torture was romantic, there was no telling what action anger would bring on.
"Did you just want to hurt me?" asked Yugamu, a slight quiver to his voice. "Because it worked."
"I didn't want to hurt you!" Takumi cried out. Everything was happening so fast, it felt like everything he said was digging his grave deeper.
"So you're hurting me without even trying," said Yugamu. His voice went quiet. "You're a natural heartbreaker. I should have known not to mess around with you."
Takumi felt his heartbeat in his ears, every part of his body on high alert as Yugamu looked at him with his intense eye. He breathed a sigh of relief when Yugamu finally turned around. He shoved the door open with his elbow, heart still in his hands, and marched out. He slammed the door closed with his foot.
Takumi collapsed onto his knees and let out a bit of a wail. What had he done?! Yugamu's blood was still all over the floor, the stench nauseating. Takumi sat himself on his rear and scooched backwards until his back hit the wall. He pulled his knees up to his chest, and tried not to think about the logistics of anything.
Yugamu was truly terrifying.
But… When the adrenaline began to wear off, Takumi felt nothing but sadness. He didn't bother to clean the blood off his floor, and instead climbed into bed and curled up.
He didn't leave his room the next day.
Or the next.
He needed to clear his head. A change of scenery would have to do. Takumi found himself in the library. It seemed to be empty most of the time, with people taking whatever books interested them and reading in other parts of the school. The library had a particular scent, that of old books. He wondered how long they'd been here, and if they were from Earth or the TRC.
Whatever the mystery was, it paled in comparison to the real reason Takumi was here. It wasn't a place Yugamu frequented.
Takumi poked around at some of the books. He could pick one off the shelf and kill time, though after reading a few synopses on the backs and inner covers, none of them piqued his interest enough to distract him from his troubles.
The door suddenly slammed open. Takumi almost jumped out of his skin. He turned around quickly to see who had broken the silence.
Much to his surprise, it was Moko.
"You look like you've seen a ghost. I know I have a fair complexion, but I'm totally alive!" Moko exclaimed. Takumi gave her a nervous laugh.
"Aha… You surprised me. That's all."
"Is that so?" asked Moko. She shrugged her shoulder. "The Apocalyptic Maiden of Destruction does have a habit of coming in out of left field! It's how I keep you on your toes!"
"I just didn't expect… Well, you didn't seem-" Takumi was digging his hole deeper. He needed to practice a little bit of self restraint. Luckily Moko found him amusing.
"I didn't seem like the type to read?" Moko asked with a chuckle. "It's okay, I'm really not."
Takumi let out a sigh of relief that Moko hadn't been some sleeper bookworm he offended.
"So… What brings you to the library?" he asked.
"Oh! I like to come down to the library sometimes to use the books as weights. It spices up the workouts and makes my posture more deliberate," explained Moko. She looked at a few of the titles on the shelves, thinking intently before plucking a few of them. "Ah, some of my favorites. I like to use the bigger ones for the base of the stacks. Say, Takumi, what have you been up to? It's weird for you to be in here too. Want to work out with me?"
Moko tossed Takumi a book. He fumbled with it briefly before grabbing onto it. Phew, almost dropped it.
He stalled for words. Moko was nice, and cheerful, and ready to start her workout. He shouldn't bog her down with everything that was bothering him. It just wouldn't be fair to ruin her mood.
"Oh, just felt like a change of scenery," said Takumi. He put the book on top of his head. He saw it in a movie once that it would help with his posture. He'd spent a lot of time hunched over in his room. It couldn't hurt to undo some of the tightness in his back muscles.
"Is something on your mind? You can tell me, any information that I come across remains highly classified!" Moko shouted, dropping into a deep squat with a stack full of books. "Is it love trouble?"
The book fell off Takumi's head and hit him right in the foot, sharp corner digging in.
"Ow!" Takumi cried out. He leaned back on the bookshelf behind him, causing more books to fall out and onto the ground. "I'm making such a mess!" Takumi bent over to pick up all the books. At least he didn't have to look at Moko right now, who he could tell was staring at him and batting her eyelashes. If there was one thing Moko loved talking about, it was romance. And she'd hit the nail on the head with this one.
"A mess out of your love life? Or the books?" asked Moko.
"Yes! Both, I guess," Takumi grumbled. She saw right through him, there was no use hiding it from her. Besides, she only wanted to help… If anyone could offer advice about his predicament, Moko was one of the best options. It wasn't like he could ask the other guys, especially not Gaku of all people. Only the 2nd to Last Defense Academy girls knew Yugamu well enough not to be judgemental about Takumi's crush on him, and even then, he was certain Kurara would be rude about it. And it wasn't like he could ask Nozomi, his interactions with her were a whole knot of worms he didn't want to tie any tighter. Kyoshika would probably give him some samurai advice, which honestly might not be half bad. If Moko's advice didn't work, he had a backup plan. Though she may just tell him it's totally over, and that he should commit seppuku to die with honor.
"Oh? This just got really interesting… Ten more reps!" exclaimed Moko, getting more fired up in her squats. "Lay it on me. I'm getting jazzed up!"
Takumi nodded his head.
"Alright so… There's someone who has made it clear that they have feelings for me. And I didn't really know how I felt about that, until they stopped coming around. They gave me a few chances to accept their confession, but I didn't know what to say-"
"Pause!" Moko shouted. She slammed her books down on the table, then took a swig of her water, probably to replenish all the sweat dripping off her muscles. She pointed a finger directly at Takumi. "You're going to have to be a lot less vague here if you want me to help you. Who's this special someone?"
Takumi bit his lip. His delayed response made Moko jump right back in.
"You can't even tell me who it is? Takumi… Your feelings really are a mess right now!"
"It's Yugamu."
The words seemed to echo in the library, leaving an aggressive silence behind. Moko's expression changed from her workout game face to that of a blushy romance novel reader. Takumi gulped, feeling the air move dryly down his throat.
"That's so exciting! Oh, I was just talking to him about his crush, and-"
Moko's face suddenly went dark. Takumi felt cornered against the wall. Moko could be very protective of 'her girls', and sometimes she included Yugamu with them, in special cases.
"I don't know what Yugamu told you, but-"
"He gave you his heart, and you rejected it!" Moko exclaimed. "How needlessly cruel!"
"Did he mention it was actual, physical heart?!" Takumi said back. Moko's shoulders relaxed, and Takumi breathed out a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to get decked today. Yet.
Moko's expression softened.
"The meaning was still the same… Yugamu has some interesting ways of showing his appreciation. He's eccentric, but he has feelings too. You hurt him a lot, Takumi," said Moko. She pulled up one of the library chairs and sat down on it backwards, crossing her arms and resting them on the back. Takumi sat down too, thankful that they weren't going to have another high energy conversation while Moko got pumped working out.
"I didn't mean to! It was just… intense!"
"He's always being told he's too intense. That's just how he is," said Moko. She flicked Takumi on the nose. "I told him he needs to find someone who loves him because of his quirks, not in spite of them."
"…"
"How do you feel about him, Takumi? Really, you can tell me. I won't tell a fly, not even Shouma," said Moko.
Takumi was silent. When Yugamu first came on to him, he wasn't sure what to think. All of the attention was overwhelming at first. He always had some sort of double entendre in his pants, ready to whip out whenever Takumi was getting complacent.
But it was fun. The shock value of it all was something that began to grow on him after time passed. And in his absence, Takumi realized that he'd begun to grow quite fond of him. It was lonely not having Yugamu around to spice things up. Though he could be all talk sometimes, about being the 'best couple' with Takumi, or how they were having a 'lovers quarrel' and 'bed talk'. He'd like to have them for real with Yugamu, and not have it just be some joke that Yugamu kept referencing to rile him up.
It was nice talking to someone with such a strong personality. Yugamu was… Takumi wasn't even sure how to describe him, other than 'Yugamu'. His love for the macabre and perverted desires had their charm point. He certainly knew what he wanted.
But they weren't amicable anymore. He was avoiding Takumi forever. And the longer this went on, the more empty inside he felt.
Takumi didn't know how much he missed him until his chances were up.
And he blew it. Yugamu wasn't going to wait around for him forever.
"I like him," said Takumi, so quiet that Moko had to do a double take in case she misheard.
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"Really real?"
"Yes, for really real. I'm serious, I'm not trying to mess with him," said Takumi. Moko grinned from ear to ear.
"I should be mad at you because you're the one who broke his heart but… This is a classic romantic misunderstanding! How can I stand in the way of a true feelings realization?!" she said, grabbing Takumi by the shoulders. Takumi got jostled around back and forth a bit, enough that his head felt like it was spinning.
It was a good thing Moko was such a romance fan, otherwise this could have ended up way worse.
"I should apologize," said Takumi.
"He might need some space," said Moko. "I don't think he's really in the mood to talk to anyone right now. I haven't seen him in a while. He hasn't left his room since I ran into him a few days ago."
Takumi pressed his lips into a pout. He honestly didn't think Yugamu would be so affected by this. He always seemed so creepy and flirty, it was easy to forget that he had other emotions too.
"That's why I need to do something special for him," said Takumi. He didn't want to sit around and wait for things to blow over. The sooner they could make up, the better. Yugamu already asked him out three times, the least Takumi could do was return the favor. He punched the bottom of his fist onto the palm of his other hand. "Moko, I'm going to ask him out. And… I'm going to do it in a way he'd like."
"Really?!" she squealed. "So you're going to cut your own heart out?"
Takumi's eyes almost popped out of his head.
"No! Of course not! I… I don't think I could do something like that… It's not really my speed," he said, clutching his chest over his heart. Just thinking about it made him sick. To take out his own organ while it was alive and bleeding… To hold it in his own hand as his consciousness slowly faded… It must have taken some resolve. He couldn't imagine how hard it would be to get it out while his ribs were all there. He traced his fingers along the bones. And Yugamu had done all of that… For him…
Takumi shook the thoughts out of his head. The first confession was uncomfortable because Yugamu came on too strong. The second felt like Yugamu was suffocating himself to become less weird. And the third was Yugamu in his rawest form, vulnerable to all of Takumi's emotion.
Takumi needed to meet Yugamu where he stood, but not in a way where he erased himself.
"I've got it!" Takumi exclaimed. "Hey, Moko… Thanks for helping me out. But I'm going to need one more favor…"
Takumi stood outside Yugamu's door feeling like a butterfly cyclone was tornado-ing through his stomach. Somehow, knowing Yugamu liked him didn't make this any easier. In fact, it made him even more nervous, as his rejection last time had been so bad he wouldn't blame Yugamu if he never spoke to him ever again. Though he'd certainly be upset about it. Takumi shifted from one foot to the other, frowning as he stared at the door.
It was then that he realized he hadn't even knocked, too preoccupied with worry to initiate a conversation. Takumi looked left, then right. There wasn't anyone else active on the roof right now. If he stormed out of Yugamu's room, no one would witness it.
Takumi held his hand out, shaking. He made a tight fist, then rapped his knuckles against the door.
There was an abnormally long pause, so long so that Takumi almost walked away. He was caught off guard when the door finally did open, Yugamu peering around the crack he'd made for himself.
"Oh, it's you," said Yugamu with a weight of disappointment. Takumi's heart sank. "Go away."
"Wait, Yugamu, I really do want to talk to you," said Takumi. Yugamu opened the door fully, and at first Takumi took it as a sign that he was loosening up.
Little did he know, it was so Yugamu had more room to hiss at him.
"Was giving you my heart not enough? Must you take my other organs and spit on them too?" asked Yugamu. This guy! Always so melodramatic.
Takumi stood awkwardly at the doorway. A cool breeze ruffled his hair, and made him a bit chilly. Yugamu lingered close to the entrance of his room, barring Takumi any non invasive entry. His arms were crossed, and his eye was unimpressed.
"No, I… Can I come inside?" asked Takumi.
"It's risky, I'm not on the pill," teased Yugamu. Takumi's cheeks flushed red. As silly as it was, he was glad Yugamu was in the mood to make one of his jokes.
"We can talk child support later," Takumi played along. He took a step closer, almost touching Yugamu directly. He was shorter than Takumi by just a few centimeters. He always seemed taller from afar. It must have been his aura. Right now he looked small.
Yugamu took a step backwards, losing their one-sided game of chicken. Takumi used this as an excuse to finally step inside the room.
"First, I wanted to apologize about the other day," said Takumi, trailing off as the blue glow of the neon lights distracted him. He'd never been in Yugamu's room before. He was expecting it to be a lot more frightening, but aside from some vials and needles (and a few of what he could only assume were weird sex toys), it just looked like any other dorm.
"Did Moko put you up to this? It's alright, I know how you feel now. I won't bother you anymore-"
Takumi shook his head.
"No! I mean, I did talk to her, but…"
His voice trailed off. This was going to be a lot harder than he anticipated. Especially since it felt like Yugamu was over him. No, he couldn't be over him, could he?!
Takumi gripped the tiny bag in his hand.
"I like you, Yugamu. And I guess I was just really scared and worried when you presented me with your heart. I do have to say, it was romantic. It was also intense!" exclaimed Takumi. He grabbed Yugamu by the hand. "I'd love to have your heart, if you'd give it to me again. I'll take good care of it this time, and won't let it get hurt."
Yugamu's eye widened. His cheeks were dusted by a light blush.
"Do you really mean it?" he asked. Takumi nodded his head.
"Of course. I have something for you," he said. Takumi let go of Yugamu's hand and handed him the little velvet bag. "It's no heart, but you gave me a piece of you, so I thought I'd give you a piece of me too."
Yugamu slowly dumped the contents of the bag out into his hand. The blue light made the white glow radiantly. Yugamu rolled them around in his hand, captivated by the shape.
"Are these…?"
"Two of my molars. Yeah. Moko made a good point that they'd come back next time I get revived. In case I'm really lucky and don't kick it in any of the next battles, I'd rather not have any of the front ones missing-"
Takumi was immediately cut off. Physically, as his lips pressed up against Yugamu's. He tensed up, then relaxed as Yugamu lingered there. Takumi kissed him back. He brought his hands around Yugamu, resting them on his lower back to pull him closer. He always seemed larger with his layers upon layers of clothes, but right now Takumi could feel just how tiny he was. He wondered if that was on purpose, so people didn't see how small he really was sometimes.
He pulled out of the kiss feeling like his head was up in the clouds. Takumi had been so stressed that Yugamu would hate him forever that he had been taken by surprise at Yugamu's sudden affection.
"Did she pull them out?" asked Yugamu, eye widening in anticipation. "Did you use any form of numbing, or anesthesia-"
Takumi's face went blank as he realized that there was an easier and less destructive way to get the teeth. Had he and Moko not had a single brain-cell bouncing between the two of them, it probably would have crossed their minds.
"Neither, uh, I had Moko give me a solid hit to the face. She's knocked teeth out before in the ring, so we figured it would work. I'm actually wearing some of her makeup on my cheek to cover the bruise…"
Yugamu leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm going to turn them into earrings," said Yugamu, holding a molar up on each side of his face. "Then you'll always be with me."
Takumi smiled. He was so happy Yugamu was willing to forgive him, and was excited about his gift. He pressed his tongue into the empty sockets in his jaw. They tasted a little coppery, and had he have kissed anyone else he would have been self conscious about the taste. But he knew Yugamu probably enjoyed it.
"I was really heartbroken when you rejected me, Takumi," said Yugamu with a sigh. "You really know how to put a guy through the ringer."
"I'm sorry-"
"I'm not finished. I need to apologize for freaking out. You see, Takumi… Most of my organs have been replaced before I came here," said Yugamu. He grabbed Takumi's hand, and put it onto his chest so Takumi could feel his heart beating. "Not my heart, though. It's always been mine. But… There may come a day when it wouldn't be. If I were injured in battle and my heart muscle was damaged, the Revive-O-Matic would simply make me another, and then there'd be none of me left. Aha… I decided to preserve it before that happens. And when you rejected it, that was the last piece of me that's left."
"Yugamu…"
No wonder he was so emotional about the rejection! Takumi could only imagine what horrors must have occurred for all of his organs to have been replaced. Takumi wondered how much of this had happened when he was a kid. It made him sick to his stomach. He certainly had a twisted sense of love, but did he really know any other way?
"I'll take care of your heart, if you'll still let me have it," said Takumi. Yugamu smiled softly. He led Takumi over to his night stand, and showed him a jar. Takumi picked it up in his hands. There it was, Yugamu's heart. He'd stitched up the parts he'd broken when he injured it the other day. It would never be the same after what was done to it. But Takumi was glad to see it in one piece.
"It's… kind of cute," said Takumi. Having a layer of glass separating him from the heart made it a lot more pleasant to look at.
"Aw, you think so? You're making me blush," said Yugamu. Takumi ruffled Yugamu's hair. Yugamu leaned into it like a cat wanting the top of its head scratched.
"Good! It's your turn for a change," said Takumi.
"Hehe… We can switch. I prefer it that way," said Yugamu with a wink. Or a blink, Takumi wasn't sure about the logistics of one-eye'd winking. But now that they were together, maybe he could finally ask him.