Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Suo stands in the middle of the room, hands gripping the straps of his backpack tightly. It’s a first, Haruka thinks. Normally whenever he comes over, he immediately makes himself at home. But now that this place is his home, ironically enough, Suo seems to hesitate to make himself comfortable. 

He tries not to look at Suo’s bandaged face as he walks ahead. He did that. He put those bruises there. Suo had gotten his fair share of hits on him, too. But still…He’s just not used to seeing Suo like this. Injured and vulnerable and human. But he does have to get used to it, because at the end of the day, Suo is human…just like him. A child, just like him.

Haruka lets out a sigh as he walks ahead and opens up his closet, gesturing for Suo to follow. “You can put your things in here for now.”

He peers into his closet and frowns. Suo’s brothers had said that they’d send the rest of his things later in the week, but…would they all fit? Ugh. No use worrying about it now. That’s a problem for tomorrow's Haruka. For now, they need to rest. They’d had a long day. He moves aside so that Suo can put his things in before moving to the bathroom.

“I’ll go get the bath ready. You can use it first.”

Suo hums in response as he starts taking what looks to be his sleepwear out of his bag. Haruka’s about to ask if he needs any toiletries when Suo proceeds to fish them out of his bag himself. Right, Suo’s been to his home a number of times now. He probably knows what Haruka’s current inventory is like the back of his hand.

Haruka moves ahead to the bathroom to get the water running, trying not to rush too much. But now that he’s in a different room, he can’t help the anxiety that creeps up at not being able to see Suo through his peripheral. Once the bath is ready, he nearly stumbles over himself in his rush to go back out and make sure that Suo hasn’t abandoned him again.

In his haste, Haruka nearly collides with Suo, who reaches one arm out to help steady him.

“Are you alright, Sakura-kun?”

Sakura looks up, and yes, he’s still there. He’s touching him and he’s real and he’s physical and this isn’t a dream and—

“Oh…yeah, I’m fine,” Haruka finally finds himself saying. Calm down. Suo isn’t going anywhere. He’s here now. He’s home. “Sorry about that. Uh. The bath is ready.”

Suo smiles and thanks him as he moves to go to the bathroom, and it is only then that Haruka notices that he’s carrying a bundle of bath things (which is a lot, now that Haruka’s getting a good look at it. There’s, like, three different bottles in there. Don’t you just need shampoo and soap? What else could you possibly need in a bath?).

“Well then, I’ll be going on ahead,” Suo says. But Haruka doesn’t even think when he reaches out to grab the other boy’s arm. Like it’s an instinct. Like if he doesn’t, Suo will leave without saying anything again.

“Sakura-kun?” Suo turns to look at him questioningly. Haruka pauses, but doesn’t loosen his grip on his vice captain’s arm. 

“I— Sorry, it’s just. You’re just taking a bath, right?”

Suo lets out a low chuckle. “Yes, Sakura-kun. That’s all. What, are you scared that I’ll suddenly run off again?”

Haruka knows it’s stupid to worry about that now. Especially after everything they went through to get Suo to finally come back to Makochi with them. And logically speaking, Suo couldn’t just escape through the bathroom even if he wanted to. Because there aren’t any windows in there. But even still…

Haruka lets out a tired sigh. They had gotten Suo to promise to be more honest about his feelings with them from this point on. It’s only fair for Haruka to do the same. 

“Yeah, I’m scared,” he finally admits, keeping his eyes glued to the ground. “I’m scared that the moment I take my eyes off of you, you’ll just vanish without a trace again and I — I just—“ His breath hitches and he feels tears start to form at the corners of his eyes and he feels so small and stupid and ridiculous because Suo is here and—

Suo reaches over and places a gentle hand to Haruka’s cheek. “Sakura-kun, I know I’ve already said it enough times that you’re probably tired of hearing it, but I’m truly sorry for putting you through all this. I knew about your trauma. I knew about your abandonment issues. And yet, I still—“ He pauses before he pulls Haruka into a one-armed hug and lets out a world weary sigh. “I know it’s going to take a lot for me to earn your trust back, but at the very least, do you think you can trust me not to run off in the midst of bathing?”

He opens his eye and gazes at Haruka in earnest. 

“Alright,” Haruka finally says. 

Suo smiles before letting go. He moves to go to the bathroom and pauses before opening the door. “Well then, off I go to the bath. I promise I won’t take long,” he says, as if he’s going to war and not just performing the mundane act of bathing.

Haruka knows he’s joking. That he’s trying to lighten the mood. But he can’t bring it in him to make a retort. To ease back into their old rapport. So instead, he absently nods. Suo’s smile shifts ever so slightly before he finally enters the bathroom. 

Haruka knows that the right thing to do would have been to play along. He knows that Suo is already fighting with feelings of guilt and remorse. He knows. 

But he’s also tired.

He’s so, so tired.

He lets out what feels like the hundredth sigh of the day before he starts moving to take out his futon. It is only after he has everything laid out on the floor that it occurs to him that he only has one futon. Huh. Well, Suo’s not that much bigger than him, so they should both fit just fine, right? And if push comes to shove, Haruka can always take the floor. He’s slept on harder surfaces before.

He strains his ears to make sure he can still hear the sounds of the bath water. Sounds that Suo is still here and hasn’t somehow escaped without his notice. Before he knows it, he’s standing in front of the bathroom door. But Haruka has enough decorum to know that barging in would be exceedingly rude, even if it was under the pretense of making sure that one of his best friends doesn’t disappear on him again. 

So instead, he settles next to the door, pulls his knees up to his chest and makes himself comfortable as he waits for Suo to finish his bath. He leans his left cheek against his knees and closes his eyes, taking deep breaths as he lets the sounds of water and Suo’s steady breathing on the other side lull him to sleep.

He can feel something prodding his cheek. The prodding then turns into squeezing and that’s when Haruka’s eyes snap open to meet Suo’s single amused one. 

“Bwuh?! Suo?!”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. When I saw you curled up like that, I was suddenly consumed by the intense urge to squish your cheeks.” He lets out a soft laugh as he takes in Haruka’s now bristled appearance. “Seeing you out here was quite a surprise. It reminded me a bit of a cat waiting for his owner to come out of the bathroom.”

Normally, Haruka would take the bait and make some kind of retort. Normally, he’d turn red and start yelling to mask his embarrassment. But they still haven’t quite hit that sense of normalcy. Not yet.

“You didn’t leave. You’re still here,” is what Haruka ends up saying instead.

Suo’s eye softens, all sense of jesting dissipating. “Yes. I told you, didn’t I? I’d just be taking a bath.”

“…Right. Yeah, that’s right. I— Sorry. I’m still…”

Suo shakes his head. “No, don’t be sorry Sakura-kun. If anyone should be sorry, it should be—“

“Don’t start with that again,” he groans as he scratches his head in frustration. “If you do, we’ll just end up in this annoying cycle of constant apologies. Just. I dunno. Get comfortable, I guess? I’ll go take a bath next.”

He moves to grab a clean sweater and a new pair of boxers, then pauses. Wait. If he goes to take a bath now, then what’s stopping Suo from leaving? As if reading his mind, the boy in question sighs.

“Sakura-kun, rest assured, I won’t be going anywhere. When you come back from your bath, I promise I will still be here.”

Haruka frowns. Again, after everything they went through to bring him back, it wouldn’t make sense for Suo to just up and leave now. But still…

“Would it make you feel better if I waited for you inside the bathroom while you bathe?” 

“Yeah, that could work,” Haruka says.

Suo chuckles. “Yeah, I didn’t think— Wait. What.”

Haruka furrows his brows in confusion. “Yeah? Why are you acting so surprised? It was your idea.”

He moves to go to the bathroom and pauses when he notices that Suo isn’t following. He turns to look at the other boy questioningly. “You coming or not?”

Suo rubs his temples before moving towards the closet. “Yes, I suppose so. Just. Let me grab a book to distract myself with while I wait.”

Suo sits on the edge of the sink, very pointedly not looking at Haruka as he undresses and enters the bath. He knows it’s childish, but he can’t bring himself to separate from Suo for longer than necessary without spiraling. Again, he knows that by this point, Suo wouldn’t just up and leave but. But he’s scared. He’s so scared and he doesn’t think he’d be able to handle losing him again (or any of his friends for that matter).

He quickly splashes his face with water. Right. He needs to focus. Suo’s waiting for him, so he shouldn’t take too long in the bath. He doesn’t take his time — not that he ever really does — and is out the bath once he’s sure he’s cleaned every inch of his body.

He wraps a towel around himself and does a quick dry of his hair with a separate towel before hanging it over his shoulders. Once he’s clothed and decent, he makes his way to Suo, who still has his nose buried in his book.

“Hey. Sorry for the wait.”

Suo looks at him, his single eye trailing over his wet hair. “Sakura-kun, do you know how to use a hair dryer?”

Haruka shakes his head. “No. I’ve never owned one.”

Suo hums in response before getting off his perch and grabbing his own hair dryer from the cabinet under the sink. “Come with me. I’ll dry your hair for you.”

Haruka finds himself sitting cross-legged on his futon, with Suo kneeling behind him and running gentle fingers through his hair. He’s still not quite used to that. To have fingers in his hair that have no ill-intent. That don’t pull and prod like he’s some exhibit on display for entertainment. 

The air coming from the hair dryer is warm, and as Suo hums absentmindedly while he works, Haruka finds himself having trouble staying awake. 

“You really should take better care of your hair, Sakura-kun. It really is lovely.”

“Mm,” is all Haruka has the energy to say in response. He feels a comb go through his hair like a massage against his scalp. His eyes are starting to droop and his vision’s getting blurry. He’s sooooo sleepy.

The hair dryer clicks off as Suo gives the crown of his head one final pat. “All done!”

Haruka manages to mutter out a tired thanks before getting up.

“I’m turning off the lights,” Haruka announces as he makes his way to the light switch.

“Ah, hold on a moment,” Suo says as he makes his way back to the closet to pull out his bag. He takes off his eyepatch, revealing the scarred eye beneath.

There is a sense of vulnerability, then, as Suo reaches for a medical eyepatch with hunched shoulders. It is a posture that Haruka used to adopt when he was younger, poised and ready to strike the moment someone made a deragatory comment about his appearance.

“It looks cool,” Haruka finds himself saying.

Suo stares at him, his single eye as wide as a saucer. “Pardon?”

Haruka points to his own right eye. “Your scar. It looks cool.”

Suo looks at him for what feels like a full minute and now Haruka’s mentally kicking himself because that probably wasn’t the most tactful thing he could have said, but then his friend gives him the biggest, most genuine smile he’s ever seen on his face.

“Thank you, Sakura-kun. That means a lot coming from you.”

Haruka shrugs his shoulders. “It really shouldn’t. Just stating facts.”

Suo lets out a warm chuckle. “I know. Sakura-kun is honest to a fault. It’s one of the things I like most about you.” He then reaches back into his bag to pull out two pillows and walks back to the futon, offering one of the pillows to Haruka.

“Here, Sakura-kun. You don’t own a pillow, right?” 

Haruka finds himself absently nodding as he accepts the offered item. “You didn’t have to get me one. But thanks.”

Suo smiles warmly in response as both boys finally start settling in for bed. It’s a little tight, but they both end up fitting into the single futon just fine. Haruka’s eyelids feel heavy as he quickly drifts off to sleep…until he feels a warm hand repeatedly squeezing his. He turns his head and levels a questioning gaze at his friend.

“Sakura-kun, I…I can’t sleep.”

Haruka turns to look at Suo, alarmed. “Why? What’s wrong?” Did it have something to do with the Red Chanpuru? Or was it something else? Maybe he was nervous about facing the rest of their classmates tomorrow?

Suo turns to look at Haruka, his single eye brimming with emotion. “I need you to answer a question for me. Is that okay?”

Haruka gives Suo’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Of course. Anything.”

Suo takes a breath. “Would you love me if I was a worm?”

“…What?”

“You said you would answer any question, Sakura-kun.”

“Yeah, because I thought it had to do with trauma or something! What kind of question is that?!”

“You’re dodging the question. Is it a no? You wouldn’t love me if I was a worm?”

“This is a stupid question.”

“But you said anything,” Suo says, and he has the gall to pout.

“Ugh! Fine! Yes, I’d love you if you were a worm!”

“You don’t sound genuine…”

Haruka lets out a groan in frustration as he lets go of Suo’s hand and covers his face with both hands to let out a muffled scream.

“Do you think Nire-kun and Kiryu-kun would still love me if I was a worm?”

“Yes, now go to sleep,” Haruka says, voice still muffled by his hands.

“Are you sure? I’ll try texting them.”

“Suo, it is 1 AM. They are both sleeping. And what about Tsugeura?”

“Tsugeura-kun’s opinion doesn’t matter to me.”

“Suo.” 

Haruka turns to look at his friend. Sees the smile that doesn’t quite reach his eye. “Be honest with me. Are you scared?”

Suo’s eye widens and he opens his mouth to say something, then seems to think better of it as he closes it again. He turns his head away, his single eye trained to the ceiling. “Yes,” he replies.

Haruka keeps his eyes on Suo. “It’s going to be okay. You know that, right?”

Suo closes his eye. “Yes, I do. I know that they’ll forgive me and welcome me back with open arms.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“That is the problem, Sakura-kun. I’ve caused a mess of things. I’ve hurt my two closest friends. And yet, you all forgive me without any repercussions. It’s not fair.”

Haruka shifts so he’s sitting up and flicks Suo on the forehead. Suo lets out a yelp in surprise and Haruka tries not to preen too much at getting the jump on him for once. 

Suo brings his hands up to rub at the spot Haruka flicked. “What was that for, Sakura-kun?”

“You know what it was for, idiot. It’s coz you’re spouting nonsense. You were put in a position that you thought you had no say in. Yes, you could have handled things better. But at the end of the day, you did what you did because of the adults around you. And I…I know what that’s like. Thanks to you guys, I know that what I went through wasn’t okay.”

He reaches over and pats Suo’s head. He’s never done this before. Not even with the kids at Furin Gardens. But even though he’d rather die than admit it, he’s found that he’s come to love the comforting gesture of a pat to the head. And he’s sure that Suo is no different.

“Tell the other guys your story. Let them decide on their own how they feel about it. And if they forgive you and welcome back with open arms, then suck it up and just let them.” He removes his hand and crosses his arms, mouth pressed into a thin line and daring Suo to try to make a rebuttal.

Suo looks at Haruka with an expression he can’t quite name before he finally lets out a content sigh. “I really can never win against you, can I?”

“Who said anything about winning? We’re just talking.”

Suo huffs out a laugh. “It’s just a figure of speech. Don’t worry about it.” He looks back up at Haruka and smiles. “Thank you, Sakura-kun. I think I can sleep now.”

Hayato wakes with a start. He sees a ceiling that is not his, feels the fabric of sheets that are not his, and feels an unfamiliar weight on his chest. He looks down and sees—

Sakura. It’s Sakura, curled up into a ball with his cheek resting against his chest. Right. He’s not in Bankoku-gai anymore. He’s back at Makochi in Sakura’s apartment. Hayato can’t tell what time it is, but it’s still dark out so it’s probably still late at night.

He should go back to sleep, because come morning he’ll…he’ll have to face the rest of his classmates. And he knows. He knows they’ll forgive him. He knows that when he tells them his story, they’ll pat him on the back and tell him it’s okay, they understand. But they don’t. No one will ever truly understand what he’s been through. 

“We’re sorry, Sun Fei,” Rakta had said. “You were a child when you were given the role of an officer, you were robbed of a proper childhood. But you are still a child. It is not too late to reclaim what you have lost.”

A child, Rakta had said. But isn’t fifteen already too old to be considered a child? He looks down at Sakura, still sleeping soundly. If he were to wake now, he would no doubt blush to the very tips of his ears in embarrassment. Hayato chuckles quietly to himself at the thought.

He runs his hands through Sakura’s hair, who stirs slightly at the movement but remains asleep. He looks young like this, Hayato realizes. Sleeping with his guard completely down, he looks every bit the child that he’s supposed to be. 
Hayato finds himself wondering if he gives off the same impression when he’s sound asleep. Sakura’s only three days younger than him, after all.

A child. Is that what he is? Is that what Sakura is? 

Without meaning to, he wraps his arms around his friend and pulls him close, like a child seeking comfort in a stuffed animal. Sakura stirs a bit, but still doesn’t wake up. Hayato runs his fingers through his captain’s hair as an old memory resurfaces.

He used to have a teddy bear named Kuma-chan. He would take it everywhere with him: in the streets, the dojo, even at meals. And on nights when he was plagued with bad dreams, he would hug Kuma-chan close to his chest and bury his face in its fur. 

When he turned six, he was praised for his discipline and skills. A prodigy, they had called him. Adults uttering the words “officer” and “the youngest” in hushed whispers. Hayato knew he should be pleased with how happy the adults seemed to be with him. But he hated how heavy their words always felt. He hated how frequently the words “responsibility” and “maturity” were thrown his way.

He was told not to bring Kuma-chan around any more, because it was childish, and someone as mature as him did not need to seek comfort in such things. Which suited Hayato just fine. The adults were right. It’s not like Kuma-chan was real, any way. And at least he could still keep him in his room, where he could curl up next to him in his sleep.

But one day, after a long day of training, he took one look at Kuma-chan and made a decision. He dug out a box from under his bed filled with old toys and trinkets. Things that he no longer needed. He gave Kuma-chan one final hug before sealing him inside the box with the rest of what remained of his childhood.

He didn’t have time for games and toys anymore. He would be an officer, soon. What kind of officer still slept with stuffed toys? He didn’t need any of that. He’s too mature for that, the adults had said. And when had the adults ever been wrong?

Hayato feels his arms tighten around Sakura’s and only pauses when he hears his friend let out an annoyed grunt. He looks down, alarmed. But, no. Sakura’s still sound asleep. Hayato smiles despite himself. What a heavy sleeper his captain is. 

It’s not quite the same as hugging Kuma-chan, but Hayato finds himself falling asleep just as easily with his arms wrapped around one of his dearest friends.

That night, Hayato dreams of a childhood reclaimed. Of playgrounds and stuffed toys and a giant Kuma-chan that never leaves his side. Of running through streets and fields with children his own age. Of a little boy with black and white hair and mismatched eyes extending a hand and asking if they can be friends.

Haruka wakes to the sound of his phone’s alarm. He gropes around for it, then becomes keenly aware that he is not sleeping on his futon. He is sleeping on top of something — or rather — someone.

He blinks his eyes blearily open, only to be met by Suo’s single amused one. In that moment, Haruka does the most logical thing a person in his situation would do. He screams.

Haruka immediately scampers off and backs away, feeling his cheeks burn bright red with embarrassment. Had he climbed on top of Suo while he was sleeping?! 

“Wh-why are we— Huh?! WHY?!”

“Good morning to you too, Sakura-kun,” Suo says, nonplussed.

“I— Did I— sorry! I move around in my sleep a lot, I must have —“

“It’s alright, Sakura-kun,” Suo says as he also starts to get up. “I don’t mind. Actually, if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me.”

Haruka tilts his head to the side in confusion. “Huh? What for?”

“I, erm…” And Suo does something that Haruka never thought he would live the day to see. He blushes. “I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t go back to sleep, so when I saw you curled up against me, I, um, hugged you. I’m sorry, I know it wasn’t appropriate and—“

“Oh, that’s all?” Haruka asks, because really, that’s what got him blushing? A simple hug? “If you ever need a hug, you can just let me know. It’s not a big deal.”

Suo looks at him like he can’t quite understand what Haruka;s just said. “Really?”

Haruka shrugs. “Yeah? I mean, Tsubakino’s the first person that’s ever hugged me, so I didn’t really get what the fuss over hugs were before. But I get it now. It’s really comforting and stuff. So yeah, if you ever need a hug, just let me know.”

Suo stares at Haruka for a few more seconds before he lets out a breathy laugh and smiles. “Yes, I think I will. Thank you, Sakura-kun.”

Haruka sighs. “Like I said, it’s really not a big deal. You don’t hafta thank me for it. That’s what friends are for or whatever, right?”

“Yes, you’re right, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Haruka huffs before he turns to look at his phone, which he’d somehow managed to grab before scampering off of Suo earlier. “Ah, we’d better start getting dressed soon. Kotoha just texted me. She says she whipped up a welcome back breakfast for you.”

“She did?”

“Yeah, she did. And trust me, you don’t want to make her wait.”

“Welco— Suo!” Kotoha exclaims as they enter the cafe. She runs out from behind the counter and pulls the taller boy into a hug. “It’s good to have you back.”

Suo’s eye softens as he returns the hug. “It’s good to be back.” 

Kotoha smiles into his shoulder, then frowns as she lets go and gets a better look at his face. “Wow, looks like you and Sakura had a really good conversation.”

“Well, Sakura-kun does make for a good conversation partner.”

Kotoha chuckles. “Yeah. You wouldn’t be the first to say that.” She turns to look at Sakura next, eyes filled with familial affection as she reaches over and gives Haruka’s head a good ruffle. “Good job bringing him back, captain.” Haruka splutters, blushing from the tips of his ears as Kotoha gets a good laugh at his expense before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Tch. Always treating me like a kid when she’s not that much older.” He turns to Suo and very pointedly ignores his amused smirk as he gestures to their usual seats by the counter. “C’mon, you heard her. Let’s take our seats.”

There’s already a steaming cup of coffee and tea waiting for them on the counter as they sit down. Kotoha emerges from the kitchen with two plates full of egg sandwiches. She set the plates in of them, grinning from ear to ear. “Alright, dig in! It’s on the house, so make sure to savor every bite!”

“On the house?” Suo asks, frowning slightly. “Kotoha-san, we couldn’t possibly—“

“Just take the sandwiches,” Haruka says as he reaches over to grab one. “Trust, me. You don’t wanna argue with her.”

“You sound like you speak from experience.”

“That’s because he is speaking from experience,” Kotoha says as she plants her hands on her hips. “Now eat. Sakura told me that your diet’s officially over.”

Haruka’s got his sandwich halfway through his mouth but finds himself pausing as he eyes Suo carefully. So far, he’s only seen him eat once. After their confrontation in Bankoku-gai, they had all gone out to eat at some fancy restaurant at Endo’s insistence. And while it had been the older man’s treat, he’d complained any time someone other than Haruka added more to their existing order.

Because of how mysterious Suo always acted, Haruka had expected him to eat a certain way. Maybe even reveal that he had a second mouth or something the whole time. But nope, he ate like any other normal human being. It was a little underwhelming, if Haruka was being completely honest. And when he had voiced his opinion aloud to Suo, the other boy had laughed so hard he actually had tears coming out of his eyes. Which was weird, because Haruka wasn’t making a joke or anything. Simply stating an honest opinion.

So he knows now that Suo eats like a normal guy. And yet here he is, still watching his friend with bated breath. Is this what his friends feel like whenever they watch him try new things? Whenever they watch him try things that they like specifically?

Huh. Friendship is weird. 

Suo finally takes a bite of the sandwich and his face instantly brightens. “It’s very good, Kotoha-san,” he manages to say after swallowing his food.

Kotoha beams. “Of course it’s good. I made it, after all.” 

Haruka huffs out an amused laugh before taking a bite of his own sandwich. 

“So, I see you’re both wearing your uniforms. Are you planning to go to school today?”

Both boys nod in unison, mouths too full to be able to form a proper reply. 

Kotoha frowns. “Are you sure? You both had to travel a pretty long distance yesterday, right? Don’t you want to rest for at least a day? No one will fault you for it.”

Suo shakes his head. “No. I owe my classmates answers, and I’d rather not delay that more than necessary.”

Kotoha looks at him for a few more seconds before shrugging her shoulders. “Well, if you’re sure. Then be sure to eat your fill. You’ll need all the energy you can get.”

The cafe remains relatively quiet as they continue to eat. Kotoha makes small talk, asking about their night and how they’re adjusting to their new living conditions — but she doesn’t ask any questions about Bankoku-gai. She keeps the topics light, and as they continue their small talk, Haruka notices the tension in Suo’s shoulders ease bit by bit.

Haruka smiles into his coffee. That’s just like her. She’s not unlike her older brother in that sense. Always playing the role of accommodating older sibling.

They finish up before long and throw out another thank you to Kotoha over their shoulders as they make their way out the door and down the familiar road to Furin High. 

They walk in amicable silence, giving a polite greeting to any familiar residents that cross paths with them on the way. Eventually, the familiar gates to the school comes into view and Haruka automatically reaches for Suo’s hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.

“You ready?” He asks.

“As I’ll ever be.”

They walk hand in hand past the gates and past the curious stares of peers and upperclassmen alike. It won’t be long before the first warning bell rings, so there’s not a lot of students left milling about. Haruka chances a glance up the roof and sees Umemiya and the Four Kings beaming down at them. Umemiya waves his arms excitedly when he locks eyes with Haruka, who returns the greeting with a shy wave. Suo politely bows his head in acknowledgement as they pass by.

To Haruka’s surprise, Kaji and his vice captains are waiting for them at the entrance. The older boy reaches into his pocket and wordlessly gives them each a lollipop before ruffling their heads and turning to leave. 

“That’s Kaji-speak for good luck” Enomoto says with a grin.

Kusumi turns his phone to face them both. “It’s good to have you back, Suo. Kaji’s been worried.”

Haruka hears Suo take a sharp intake of breath before his eye wobbles ever so slightly. “I see. I do apologize for the fuss I caused.”

“You can make up for it on yourrrr patrrrrols laterrrrr this week,” Enomoto says.

“Oi! Enomoto! Kusumi! Hurry up!”

“Always so impatient,” Enomoto says with a shrug. Both he and Kusumi give one last wave over their shoulders before following after their captain.

Haruka expertly peels the lollipop’s wrapper off with one hand before stuffing it into his mouth, a trick Kaji had once taught him during a particularly uneventful patrol. He feels Suo’s single eye watch him with mild fascination.

“You gonna eat yours?”

Suo shakes his head and pockets the treat. “I think I’ll save it for later.”

They continue their trek up the stairs. Suo doesn’t let go of his hand the whole time.

They stand in front of class 1-1’s doors. They can hear the chatter of their classmates from the other side, the scrapes of desks being pushed against each other and the typical sounds that come from rough housing. For all intents and purposes, it feels like any other day. 

But it’s not. And even though Haruka isn’t the one that will be put on trial today, he can feel a heavy weight on his shoulders as he stares at the door. He turns to Suo, who keeps his face forward, expression neutral. But Haruka knows him well enough now. Knows what tells to looks for. The slight furrow of his brow. The barest hint of sweat sliding down his forehead.

“Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll open the door.”

Suo shakes his head. “Sakura-kun, you are already quite literally holding my hand through this ordeal. The least I can do is open the door and face my classmates’ judgement head on myself.”

And without waiting for a reply, he slides the door open.

The room immediately quiets as all eyes focus on the newcomers. Suo takes a breath, squeezes Haruka’s hand, and walks forward.

“Good morning, everyone.”

Nobody responds, but their eyes stay glued to Suo. Predictably, it is Nirei who breaks the silence. 

“Good morning, Suo-san! Sakura-san!” He gets up from his seat and makes a beeline towards them. “Did you both sleep well?”

“Yeah. Like a log,” Haruka says, trying his best not to wince at the new bandages he can see on Nirei’s exposed skin. He didn’t get involved in any major fights, but he still managed to dive head first in a number of smaller scale confrontations. 

Suo nods in agreement. “Yes. It was, admittedly, the most pleasant sleep I’ve had in a good while.”

“That’s good! I was really worried you’d have trouble adjusting to your new living space.”

“Thank you for your concern, Nire-kun. And before we get further off-topic, I’d like to—“

“I’M SORRY!” Nirei yells so loud, Haruka’s sure his outburst could be heard throughout the entire school. 

Suo squeezes Haruka’s hand again. “For what, Nire-kun?”

“For forcing you to fight me before you left! You tried to leave on good terms, you tried to end the fight early, but I refused to back down and I just— I’m so sorry I forced you into that situation!” Nirei keeps his head down, but Haruka can see tears drip down the floor. 

Suo takes a breath and steadies himself. He’s still squeezing Haruka’s hand. “Nire-kun, please lift your head. There’s no need for that.”

Nirei quickly wipes at his eyes with his sleeve before resolutely facing Suo again. “Suo-san, I’d also like to thank you for all the times that you’ve protected me without fail.” He takes a breath, then smiles. “But I think I’m strong enough now to move forward on my own, so I won’t need you to keep teaching me anymore. That doesn’t mean I’ll slack off on my training. Thanks to you and Sakura-san, I think I’ve grown into someone that doesn’t need to be protected any more. And I’ll keep working hard until I’m strong enough to protect the people I care about. To become someone strong enough protect both you and Sakura-san.”

Suo’s eye widens and his hold on Haruka’s hand slackens the slightest bit, though he still holds it tight. “I see. You’ve truly grown, Nire-kun. I’m proud of you.”

They both stare at each other for a good few minutes , as if unsure what to do next. Haruka finally lets out a frustrated groan. “Ugh! You guys have been acting awkward around each other since yesterday! Just hug it out already!”

Both boys turn to look at Haruka in surprise. Their gazes, coupled with the curious stares from his classmates, causes Haruka to flush and hastily turn his head away. “Hugs are all comforting and stuff, right? And I know Nirei especially’s been itching to hug it out since we found Suo again.”

Nirei’s smile is positively blinding. “Sakura-san! Yeah, you’re right!” And then he proceeds to run over and pull not just Suo into a hug, but Haruka as well.

“H-hey! Why’re you hugging me too?!”

“Because I love the both of you guys so much! I’m so glad we’re all together again!”

Suo finally lets go of Haruka’s hand — and pulls him close with his arm. He uses his other arm to pull Nirei closer. “Me too,” he says through a breathless laugh. 

“Man, it’s hard to stay mad at him when he makes an expression like that,” Anzai’s voice cuts immediately through the little bubble built around Haruka and his vice captains. As one, they all turn their heads to see their classmates all wearing matching smirks. 

“Yeah,” Takanashi agrees easily, “plus, it looks like our captain got a lot of good hits in already.”

“Mm-hm!” Kiryu sing-songs. “But I still think Suo-chan owes us some answers.”

The three of them finally untangle themselves. Suo walks up to the podium to finally face his classmates’ judgement, with Sakura and Nirei walking with him side by side. They both quietly offers their hands for support. The whole time Suo speaks, he doesn’t let go of their hands.

When Suo is finished telling his story, their classmates do not look at him with anger or pity. They look at him with relief.

Kiryu is the first to stand up and walk towards Suo, wrapping the taller boy in his arms. “It’s good to have you back, Suo-chan.”

Before long, the rest of the class joins in, slapping Suo on the back, wrapping him in side hugs, and all giving him hearty variations of “Welcome back’s”.

“Well, there’s only one thing left to do,” Anzai says when everyone finally breaks apart, “It’s time for the Circle of Praise.”

Suo lets out a nervous chuckle. “Come now. I thought we agreed that that was an exclusive right to our dear captain.”

“No, we didn’t!” Nirei exclaims all too excitedly. “Sakura-san’s the one that needs it most, but we never agreed to make it exclusive to him!”

Haruka barks out a laugh. “Great! It’ll be nice to finally see you squirm from all the praise for a change!”

“Sakura-kun, when did you get so vindictive?”

“Who says it has to be just Suo?” Kurita asks with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Kakiuchi nods in agreement as he starts pushing Sakura and Suo to the center of the circle of students that’s starting to form around them. “Yeah, let’s not forget the depressive state Suo left our poor captain in after he left without explanation.”

“You were depressed?” Suo asks, guilt evident in his tone.

“No, I wasn’t! He’s exaggerating!”

“He missed an entire day of school,” Takanashi unhelpfully adds. “Even Sugishita was worried about him.”

“Sugishita wasn’t worried about me! He was worried about Nirei! If I collapsed this very second, Sugishita wouldn’t even spare me a second glance!”

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Sugishita barks as he abruptly stands from his seat. Wasn’t he supposed to be asleep?! 

Sugishita seems to balk at his own sudden outburst, especially since it’s the first thing he’s said since, well, since the school day began. He locks eyes with Haruka, then Nirei, who is mouthing something that Haruka can’t quite decipher. What? What is going on? He’s about to open his mouth and say something until Sugishita grunts and makes a hasty retreat out of the classroom. 

“What’s his deal?” Haruka mutters with a huff. From the corner of his eye, he sees Nirei let out a frustrated “Tch!” and then proceed to facepalm. What? Why?

“Well, Sugi-chan’s an even bigger tsundere than Sakura-chan. I can’t blame you for being confused.”

“What’s a tsundere?” Haruka asks.

“A delicious Italian dessert!”

“That’s tiramisu, Tsuge-chan.”

“Alright class, settle down!” All eyes turn to their homeroom teacher. Wait. What?!

“Sensei?! How long were you standing there?!” Haruka exclaims. 

Tanaka-sensei has the gall to look perplexed by his student’s very valid question. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Well, you boys looked like you needed time to talk things out. Anyway, we should move this along. We’ve already wasted enough class time.”

“I agree with Sensei,” Suo says. The underlying relief in his tone does not go unnoticed by Haruka, but he also does not want to be subject to the Circle of Praise again, so he keeps his mouth shut.

“I’m glad you do!” Tanaka-sensei replies sunnily. “So if you could both stay still and let all of your classmates say something nice about you, then we could finish this up right quick!”

“Wait, but I don’t need this! I’m fine!” Haruka stomps his foot down and at this point, he does not care if he comes off looking like a petulant child. 

Tanaka-sensei sighs. “Sakura-kun, your self-esteem is abysmal. A Circle of Praise session every now and again won’t kill you.”

“My self-esteem is fine! It’s the best it’s been in ages!”

“Guy with unchecked trauma and self-esteem issues says what.”

“What.” Then, belatedly Haruka turns red. “Wait, who said that?! You tricked me! That doesn’t count as an admission! Square up!” Haruka starts to move away from Suo, because he’ll be damned if he gets subject to this again, until his evil, traitorous teacher uses his 20 cm height advantage to pick him up and deposit him right back next to Suo like he’s some scrappy alley cat.

“Alright, both of you behave and accept your friends’ love and affection.”

“Yeah! Get loved idiots!”

“Accept your fate!”

“Get ready to get hit by the affection beam!

“Oh, oh! Can I start?” Nirei, traitorous, traitorous Nirei, starts waving his hand excitedly like a kid in a candy store. 

“Of course! Go ahead, Nirei-kun!” Tanaka-sensei replies. 

“Great! Then, what I like most about Suo-san and Sakura-san is that they’re both very kind!“

“Clap! Clap!”

“Me next!” Tsuegura exclaims. “I love Suo and Sakura-kun’s unique sense of justice!”

“Clap! Clap!”

Haruka and Suo squeeze each other’s hands as the onslaught of compliments continue. Whether it’s out of comfort or solidarity, he’s not sure. He’s just glad he doesn’t have to endure it alone, for once.

Hayato is positively drained by the time lunch hour arrives. His only solace is the fact that he didn’t suffer through his fate alone. He watches Sakura slump in his sat next to him, head lolled to the side.

“Are you guys okay?” Nirei asks, but he’s clearly smiling. When did his disciple get so cheeky?

“You know what you did,” Sakura says with a frown, though it holds no heat.

“Shower you with love and affection?” Kiryu asks with a smirk.

“More importantly!” Tsugeura cuts in, dumping a large package of protein shakes on to the desks that they all pushed together. “I brought some extra protein for lunch today! Sakura-kun, Suo, feel free to help yourselves!”

“I think I’ll pass,” Suo says as he gives Tsugeura his signature unrestrained look of disdain. Sakura makes a tired sound of agreement next to him.

“What are you guys doing for lunch?” Nirei asks. “Are you getting something from the school store?”

“Ah, no,” Sakura says, finally sitting up and peering over his shoulder to check the classroom door. Is he expecting someone? The door slides open, revealing one Sakae Momijikawa. He scans the room until his eyes finally land on Sakura. He’s holding what looks to be a bundle of bento boxes. Ah, they must be for Sakura. His captain does have a legendary bottomless pit for a stomach.

He approaches their group and predictably hands over the bento box to Sakura. “Hey, Haruka. Here are the bentos I promised.”

Then he places another one in front of Hayato. Wait. What? Why? “Um, Momijikawa-kun, why did you make one for me too?”

Momijikawa takes the seat next to Sakura and takes his own bento out. He’s integrated into their friend group well enough that he doesn’t even need to wait for an invitation. “Consider it a welcome back bento. I texted Haruka about it last night, but he told me not to tell you in case you tried to turn it down.”

“Did he now?” Hayato asks, eyeing Haruka suspiciously. 

Sakura raises an eyebrow challengingly. “Yeah. And don’t bother denying it. You know I’m right.”

Hayato sighs. His friend knows him all too well, it would seem. “Yes. Unfortunately.” The bento contains fried pork cutlets, a few rolled eggs, rice, and some vegetables on the side. Needless to say, it looks absolutely appetizing. Hayato reaches for his chopsticks. “Thank you for the bento, Momijikawa-kun.”

Momijikawa smirks. “No problem. Let me know how it tastes.”

Hayato nods as he takes his first bite. It feels like every single person in the room has their eyes trained on him as he does this. For most of them, this is their first time watching him actually eat. It’s…a little unnerving to have so many eyes on him, but he can’t say he can blame them for being so curious.

He chews his food carefully, swallows, then turns to Momijikawa and smiles. “It’s very good. It would seem that Sakura-kun wasn’t exaggerating when he said that you have the makings of a professional chef.”

“He eats like a normal person!”

“Not gonna lie, I’m kind of underwhelmed.”

“How else were you expecting him to eat?!”

“I dunno! Like, all fancy like or something?”

“How does someone eat fancy like?!”

“Guys, shut up! Sakura’s glaring at us!”

The rest of the guys finally go back to their own food and stop treating him like some spectacle. Hayato inwardly huffs out a laugh. Sakura’s reaction to watching him eat for the first time wasn’t too different from their own classmates’, after all. 

Hayato looks back up at Momijikawa after taking another bite, only to find him smirking triumphantly upon being complimented. “Of course it’s good.  Anyway, are you two adjusting to being roommates okay?” 

“Well enough,” Hayato replies. 

“I hope the space isn’t too tight,” Nirei adds. “Do you guys need anything? Like extra cabinets or organizers?”

“I think we’ll be alright. My family sent me enough funds in case I needed to buy any additional essentials. Actually, Sakura-kun,” Hayato turns to look at Sakura, whose food-filled cheeks are now puffed up like a chipmunk’s. Hayato valiantly holds back his laughter at the sight. “I was hoping to stop by a store after school to pick some things up. Would that be okay?”

Haruka nods his head readily, mouth still too full to form a coherent reply. 

“I can come along and help!” Nirei offers readily.

“That’s quite alright, Nire-kun. But thank you for the offer.” There were a few things that he wanted to buy for Sakura, things that he obviously had never been exposed to due to his upbringing. His mind’s still reeling from the fact that his friend didn’t even know what face wash is, but he supposes that just goes to show how badly neglected the other boy has been. He knows his friends always mean well, but he doesn’t need to shed an unnecessary spotlight on Sakura again, especially now that the entire school is already privy to his whole history. 

Nirei’s face falls upon being rejected. Ah, right, they still haven’t quite gotten over that awkward stage that their friendship is currently in, have they? Nirei probably didn’t take that response well. Hayato quickly puts on what he hopes looks like a reassuring smile.

“But maybe we can all hang out again on our next day off?”

Nirei’s face immediately lights back up. “Yeah! That sounds great!”

Hayato inwardly breathes a sigh of relief before he notices a stain on his shirt. Ah. How embarrassing. It’s been a while since he’s eaten in front of others, so he must have let his guard down. He quickly gets up to excuse himself when he feels a hand tug at his sleeve. He looks down to see Sakura peering curiously up at him.

“Where are you goin’?”

“I’m just going to the bathroom. I accidentally stained my shirt, so I’d like to get it cleaned.”

“Oh. Then I’ll go with you.”

Hayato nods. He’d expected this. This is the least he can do for reigniting his friend's abandonment issues.

“I’ll come along with you guys,” Momijikawa says as he stands up and doesn’t wait for a reply. Sakura agrees easily enough, but Hayato can’t help but feel a little suspicious. 

On their way out, he hears Kiryu mutter something that sounds suspiciously like “Suo-chan gave our community cat separation anxiety.”

The bathroom seems oddly smaller when the three of them go in together. Hayato goes straight to the sink while Sakura waits by one of the windows with his hands in his pockets. Momijikawa joins Hayato by the sink and starts washing his hands.

It’s…admittedly a little awkward. Hayato still isn’t quite sure how to act around Momijikawa. He feels more like a friend of a friend — not unlike his current dynamic with the likes of Togame. Sakura, their one common link, is looking listlessly out the window and not making any move to fill the silence. Well, that’s fine. Momijikawa doesn’t seem to mind the silence and it’s not like Hayato signed on to be the official mood maker of this impromptu group.

Hayato takes his handkerchief out and wets it before he starts carefully dabbing at the stain, fully resolved to complete the task that he had initially set out to do. 

“That’s not gonna work,” Momijikawa says as he reaches into his pockets and takes out a pack of bleach wipes. “Here, use one of these.”

Hayato quietly thanks him as he takes one. He starts rubbing at the stubborn stain when Momijikawa starts speaking in a hushed whisper, quiet enough to be out of Sakura’s ear shot but still loud enough for Hayato to hear.

“Kiryu wasn’t kidding, you know. Haruka has separation anxiety now. I know the signs.”

Hayato frowns. “Do you, now? From what basis?”

“My own,” Momijikawa says with a shrug. “I developed it myself after my parents died. I’d freak out every time my grandma left the room for more than five seconds. It got even worse when the doctor said that she’d have to be on hospice.”

Hayato remains quiet as he continues to rub at the stain, still feeling Momijikawa’s judgmental gaze on him. The stain is more or less gone now, but he needs to do something with his hands or he might just tear his own hair out because how is he supposed to respond to any of that?!

Momijikawa barrels on. “It’s okay to indulge him for now, but you can’t let him get used to following you around every time you’re out of view. Unless you’re fine with taking baths with him everyday. Actually, have you guys done that?”

Hayato scoffs. “No. Although he did wait for me outside the bathroom until I finished.”

Momijikawa nods in understanding. “Ah. I used to do that with my grandma too.”

“You did?” 

Both boys jump at the sound of the new voice. Haruka looks up curiously at the both of them. When did he move? Hayato curses inwardly. His skills are getting rusty. Normally he’d never let himself get caught off-guard like that.

Momijikawa is the first to recover. “Uh, yeah. She was the only family I had left, so I got really scared of losing her.”

“Oh,” Sakura’s shoulders sag. “Is it worse now? Since she’s…”

Momijikawa’s smile is soft and gentle as he pats Sakura’s head reassuringly. “It’s fine now. Thanks to you and the rest of the guys from Furin. I still miss her, of course, but being able to move forward has gotten a lot easier.”

Sakura nods as he smiles back. “Okay. That’s good…Does that mean I’ll be able to get over this separation antsy-anchous- that separation thing with Suo?”

Momijikawa’s expression shifts as he seems to really think long and hard on what to say next. Hayato makes no effort to help. He made his bed, let him lie in it. While Momijikawa thinks, Hayato finally throws the used bleach wipe in the trash. 

“It'll take time,” Momijikawa finally says, “but yes, I’m sure eventually you’ll be able to go back to not freaking out every time you’re in a different room from Suo.”

Sakura nods before turning to look at Suo, eyes taking on a determined glint. “Okay. Then maybe tonight, I won’t need you to go into the bathroom with me while I take a bath.”

“Sorry. What?” Momijikawa asks, looking helplessly between the two of them. And you know what? That is an incredibly valid reaction.

“It was Suo’s idea,” Haruka says.

“I meant it as a joke,” Hayato quickly adds. He doesn't need Momijikawa getting any wrong ideas. “I didn’t think you would actually take me up on the offer. And for the record, I didn’t see anything. I looked away the whole time Sakura-kun was naked like a true gentleman.”

“Well, it’s fine isn’t it?” Sakura fires back, now sounding more than a little disgruntled. “Besides, I wouldn’t have cared if you saw me naked. We’re both guys. It’s not like I have parts you haven’t already seen before. Besides, tons of guys have seen me naked already.”

“WHAT?!” Momijikawa exclaims, which, again, valid reaction. His outburst earns him some curious heads poking into the bathroom. 

“Sakura-kun,” Hayato starts, trying to keep his voice steady, “which ‘tons of guys’ are you referring to here?” And does Hayato need to involve his contacts from the Red Chanpuru for this?

Haruka looks between his two friends in utter confusion, as if their reactions aren’t fair or valid at all. “The geezers from the bath house.”

Hayato feels his legs almost give out. “The bath house. Right, you’ve been there with Togame-san. Sakura-kun, we really need to work on your phrasing.”

“Huh? What’s wrong with my phrasing?”

“Everything,” Momijikawa says. And he actually does sink down — right to the floor. Hayato cannot find it in himself to blame him. Sakura helps pull his friend back up as they make their way out the bathroom and skillfully ignore the curious stares that follow them.

“But you know,” Momijikawa begins, having finally fully recovered, “if you lived with a third person, you wouldn’t have to worry about Suo potentially running away again—“

“I have no intention of running away again,” Hayato quickly cuts in, and he is not pouting when he says this. He is not.

Momijikawa just raises and amused eyebrow at him, “Anyway, if you lived with a third person, they could watch Suo whenever you have to leave the room, and that’d give you peace of mind, right?”

Sakura tilts his head to the side like a cat. “I mean, I guess? But it’s just the two of us, so that’s not really an option.” 

“There is an option, though. Get a third roommate.”

Hayato does not like where this is going at all. 

“How? You’ve seen my apartment, it’s tiny. And where would I even find someone willing to room with us on such short notice?”

Momijikawa sighs before turning to look at Hayato. “You see where I’m going with this, right?”

“I do,” Hayato replies simply. “And I promised Sakura-kun that I’d be honest with my feelings from now on. And right now, I’m satisfied being roommates with someone I know well and trust deeply.”

“I feel like the two of you are having a completely different conversation now,” Sakura says, and he is definitely pouting. Unlike Hayato, who never pouts.

Momijikawa lets out a frustrated groan. “Fine, whatever. I won’t force it. But the offer’s on the table if you ever want to take it.”

“What offer?” Sakura asks. “Wait, what are we talking about now?”

“Don’t worry about it, Sakura-kun,” Suo says as the doors to their classroom finally comes into view. “Let’s just focus on finishing our lunch before the next class starts.”

Hayato knows that Momijikawa’s offer is a good one. He knows that he’s been a good friend to Sakura. 

But Hayato does not know Momijikawa beyond what he’s heard about his story from Sugishita and what he can see on the surface. And if there’s one thing Hayato hates, it’s the unknown. So for now, he takes Sakura’s hand, takes his offer to be his only roommate, and enters the classroom.

Maybe in the future, Momijikawa would make for a good roommate. Maybe in the future, Hayato will be more open outside of his selected social circle. But he is comfortable with what he has now, and that is enough.