Work Text:
Shinkai looked around his room with a bored expression, searching for a distraction. He hated studying alone. It felt like his homework was sucking the soul out of his body. Why did he agree to solo studying? He was terrible at it. The closest he had gotten to being productive alone was when he snuck Usakichi into the dorms and let her hop around his bed (and chest) as he read an article for class. Her shuffling around had been exciting enough to keep him awake, but quiet enough to keep him on task.
Maybe I need a break.
Shinkai sighed in defeat and disappointment as he pulled a sweater over his head, followed by a large hoodie. He dragged a pair of clean socks over his feet and placed his old beanie on top of his messy copper hair as he headed towards the door, slightly peeved at himself for being so easily distracted.
He couldn't believe he was taking a break from a break.
***
"Yasutomo?"
Arakita's jet black hair was the first thing Shinkai noticed upon entered the coffee shop. He had glanced at the other hesitantly, certain he was staring rudely at another highschooler with the same hair style, but then Arakita looked up to yawn. Shinkai didn't waste another second as he trotted up to the other to greet him.
"Shinkai? Why are you here?"
"I wanted a snack."
"Didn't you just get an entire box of those god forsaken power bars you love so much?"
"I wanted to try something different," Shinkai replied with a shrug as he hovered over the other. He was overjoyed that he had run into a friend. His heart was beating quickly as he glanced at the other. Arakita was dressed similarly to him. He wore a large, black hoodie and a pair of jeans, along with a winter hat that had been dismissed to the far corner of the table. His backpack was hung on the wooden chair by the straps, and it seemed like the contents from within had been haphazardly dumped onto the coffee table.
"Idiot, why are you smiling so much? Also why didn't you just go to a vending machine? Why are you h—"
Shinkai didn't get to answer Arakita's questions. The other's eyes widened as understanding dawned on him.
"You're fucking trying to get away from studying, aren't you?"
Shinkai smiled but refused to say anything. He was guilty as charged.
"Go home you moron! If you can't study alone, just work with Fuku-chan or Toudou tomorrow at lunch!"
"I'm just getting some fresh air Yasutomo. I've definitely been studying."
"It's 10 degrees."
"So?"
"Usually, you'd rather die than be out in the cold."
"It's not that col—"
"You're shivering!"
Shinkai pouted as he tried to stop himself from shaking. Damn. His beanie and sweater were definitely not keeping him as warm as he expected them too, and the coffee shop didn’t seem to have an effective heater to combat the cold air seeping through the large window beside them.
"Why are you here Yasutomo?" Shinkai asked curiously —trying to change the subject. Arakita kicked the chair in front of him away from the table, and Shinkai realized that the semi-violent gesture was his way of inviting him to sit down.
"I can't study alone."
Shinkai blinked at the declaration. He hadn’t expected Yasutomo to admit such a thing.
"Why didn't you ask Juichi or Jinpachi to work with you?"
"Tch! I tried! One was certain working alone would make us more prepared for the exam while the other flat out said no."
"Why didn't you ask me?"
Arakita frowned as he looked down at his notebook.
"You looked annoyed when we all split up," Arakita admitted. Shinkai shook his head, not in denial of Arakita's statement, but of resentment towards himself for being so obvious. "I didn't wanna bother you, so I just came here."
“Sorry,” Shinkai apologized as he sat on the chair and shifted closer to the table. “I didn’t mean to come off as unapproachable. I guess I was irritated that we were trying something different.”
The other hummed in response, and Shinkai took the comfortable silence between them as an excuse to observe Arakita's little work station. The other had claimed a corner of the coffee shop for himself. His notebook and textbook were resting crookedly in front of him while a few coloured pens were scattered across both. Shinkai pulled his seat closer as he observed the other's handiwork. Arakita seemed to be attempting to make his notes neat and legible. A few things were colour-coded with pens and highlighters, which caused Shinkai to whistle at the sight.
"This is the most organized I've ever seen you been. Maybe studying alone does work —for you at least."
"I haven't retained a single thing I wrote," Arakita muttered in frustration. "But at least I work faster out here."
"You need people as background noise, huh?"
Arakita nodded, and Shinkai nodded back. He understood the other completely. Working in utter silence was horrendous. When reading the textbook, he'd either scroll through his phone, lightly doodle on the corners with his pencil, or fall asleep mid-sentence. There was no one to distract him from his distractions. There was no one working beside him to make him feel motivated to work as well.
"Wanna read this together?"
Shinkai didn't hesitate when he said yes. Bringing his chair around to Arakita's side of the table, he took purchase of the textbook and began reading the passages out loud while Arakita wrote down what both agreed was important. In Shinkai opinion, this was the most efficient either of them had ever been at studying. The two were able to ask and answer each others' questions without getting animated and argumentative like Toudou, and reviewed unknown concepts and vocabulary in comprehensive ways unlike Fukutomi's technical drawl. The two were able to blaze through three thick chapters in a couple of hours, a feat that would have taken them two solid days to accomplish if they were working on their own.
It wasn't until they were nearing the end of their fourth chapter that Arakita began losing steam. He complained about his hand cramping, and had gotten up to pee more times than usual given how little of his Bepsi he had consumed. Shinkai had offered to switch rolls for a while, but immediately regretted his decision. Arakita read the passages monotonously. He was obviously bored, which made the text he read difficult to understand.
"Why don't we take a break, Yasutomo?" Shinkai offered. His stomach was beginning to rumble, and he looked towards the counter of the coffee shop hungrily.
"You're gonna eat again?"
Shinkai shrugged as he stood up from his seat to stretch. He arched and twisted his back both ways, and sighed in relief at the sensation of bones cracking beneath the tense muscles. Buying more food didn't take long, but when he returned to their table, Arakita was knocked out over the textbook. His cheek was resting against his folded arms, which acted as the only padding between him and the table, and his lower lip jutted at slightly as a result. Shinkai sat down quietly as not to disturb him. He ate the snack he bought, and made sure to save half for the other when he woke up.
The problem, however, was waking him up. Shinkai didn't have the heart to do it. Arakita looked surprisingly at peace. His creased brows had relaxed, and his mouth was the closest it's ever been to closed completely. The smallest hints of teeth peaked beneath the thin parted lips, and pink dusted his pale cheeks.
Shinkai couldn't help but stare.
He couldn’t help but kiss Arakita either.
Moving at what felt like a snail’s pace, Shinkai leaned forward until his lips touched the corner of Arakita’s mouth. When the other didn’t stir, Shinkai found just enough resolve to kiss his cheek as well. Arakita’s skin was as soft and warm as he imagined it to be, and an overwhelming feeling of both dread and affection washed over him.
He liked Arakita, which was great, but he liked Arakita, which was not so great. How was he going to confess without freaking the other out?
Damn, Shinkai thought as he began shaking the other awake. Arakita’s eyes fluttered open, and an uncanny Arakita-like-noise escaped his lips as he regained consciousness. Shinkai’s gut churned in apprehension. Arakita was cute in his own twisted little way, and Shinkai was utterly infatuated.