Chapter Text
Nao had managed to keep his secret from everyone his entire life. It wasn’t hard to fight him off, but every once in a while, he needed to let him free and satisfy his desires. Chugging maple syrup, finding a moose to ride, arbitrarily texting his friends apologies for no apparent reason…
In other words, Nao had been cursed with a disease that made him half-Canadian. Now, this wouldn’t have been a problem if the disease didn’t give him an entire alter ego who lurked underneath his skin, constantly there and refusing to ever rest. It wasn’t like he had to make much of an effort to keep him inside, but sometimes Canadian Nao got too rowdy and annoyed Nao to the point of giving him access to his body for a bit.
Nao wished he could get rid of this pest. But, it looked like Canadian Nao was here for life.
Souta didn’t know about this alter ego of his, and Nao planned to keep it that way. Not only did he become an entirely different person, but an awful hat spawned in, as well. Nao did not want Souta seeing him in that weird fucking hat.
However, with their unexpected romantic development, Nao feared it would get a lot harder to keep this secret from Souta.
He’d still try his damn hardest, though.
Today, Nao had decided to visit Souta and check up on him. He’d been hit very hard with a cold, to the point of being bedridden for a week (so far), and Nao was getting antsy not being able to see him. Texting didn’t begin to come close to the real thing.
Once Nao entered his room, Souta appeared shocked to see him.
“Nao!” he exclaimed, sniffling. “You didn’t tell me you were visiting.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Nao smiled and sat down on the bed beside him. He couldn’t resist the urge to ruffle his hair, chuckling at the whine of protest from the sick boy. “You look cute.”
“That’s not what you said when you thought I was dying last week.” Souta huffed, looking away. “I’m gross. I haven’t showered today.”
“So?” Nao shrugged. “You’re still cute, eh?”
Souta snapped his head back with a raised brow. “Wha…? You never say ‘eh’.”
Nao paled. “I– uh… it’s a normal thing to say.” He cleared his throat. “Are you hungry? Have you eaten?”
Souta pouted. “I want a kiss. I’m still upset you never gave me another one.”
Nao rolled his eyes. “I’m not kissing you when there’s snot pouring out of your nose.”
“Not right now!” Souta claimed, as more snot poured from his nose.
“Gross.” Nao stood and retrieved a tissue, throwing it at Souta. “Here.”
Souta huffed again, but used the tissue regardless. Nao settled back on the bed as Souta discarded it.
“Now will you kiss me?” he asked. “Be nicer to a sick person, would ya?”
Nao felt a tingle under his skin at the word “nicer”.
“Hmm,” Nao hummed. “Okay. Just one.”
He leaned in.
His lips landed on…
Souta’s forehead.
He pulled away.
Souta looked dumbfounded.
“You– how dare you!” Souta spluttered. “You know what–”
Souta lunged. With a hand on the back of Nao’s head, he pulled him down and claimed his lips, snot be damned. Nao made a startled noise against Souta’s mouth, but not because of the kiss; no, he enjoyed the kiss very much, but the instant he felt their lips connect, he knew… he couldn’t fight him off any longer.
Suddenly, a big, fluffy hat appeared on Nao’s head, and when they pulled away, it was the first thing Souta noticed. He jumped back, mouth agape as he peered up at… Nao? Yeah, this certainly looked like Nao, but… was it? Where did the hat come from? And the way he gazed down at Souta… with arrogance but also… fascination? What was happening?
“I heard you want a nicer boyfriend, eh?” Nao(?) said, and Souta flushed at the word “boyfriend”. “Well, I’m right here. The one and only, Canadian Nao. I can give you much more than he can.”
Souta blinked. “Wha– huh??” He cupped Nao’s cheek. “Am I having a fever dream?” This had to be, right? How could Souta suddenly understand English?
“I’m as real as can be,” Nao assured. “I can give you all the kisses you want, as well as maple syrup, moose rides, bagged milk… I can give you all of it, eh?”
Souta felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to learn the entirety of O’Canada on the kazoo as a flirtation tactic. What the hell was happening to him?
But the best thing about Canadian Nao was that… he didn’t care about kissing Souta while sick! Oh, this was a dream come true!
“If you really want to stick around, then you have to kiss me again.”
Canadian Nao smiled. “That’s easy, eh. It was about time you got the attention you deserve.”
The way Canadian Nao said “about” made Souta swoon. He and Canadian Nao fell into another kiss; one that tasted like maple syrup and Tim Hortons donuts. How did Souta even know what Tim Hortons was?
He didn’t care.
He loved Canadian Nao.