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1.
Tsukasa is wandering around the courtyard, looking for Toya. The two-toned boy had promised him that he would listen to the newest script his troupe was writing. But after searching for nearly 10 minutes, Toya was nowhere to be found.
If I were Toya, where would I be…. Of course! The thought strikes him suddenly. Toya is likely spending his lunch with Akito! He probably just forgot about their planned meeting.
Tsukasa begins to make his way towards where he knows Akito will be (not in a weird way; he’s not a stalker, he swears!). Pushing through the overgrown bushes, he enters into the little clearing with nothing but a bench.
Instead of finding Toya, like he expects, he finds Akito alone. He’s draped across the bench, his hood pulled up and his eyes closed. He’s using his bag as a pillow, and despite how uncomfortable it looks, he seems rather at peace. Tsukasa smiles softly, staring at him for a few self indulging seconds.
His crush on the junior is nothing new to him. He realized it a little while ago, with the way his eyes would follow Akito everywhere, to the way he would strive to be close to him in any form. Even if it usually ended in him getting teased. Though, he finds he doesn’t mind the teasing if it’s coming from Akito.
He looks at Akito’s hair and sighs wistfully. He longs to run his hands through the fluffy locs, to see if it’s really as soft as it looks. His eyes slowly move down his face, pausing at his lips. His thoughts begin to wander, and he briefly wonders what it would be like to kiss him. Would his lips be soft? Or would they be chapped and slightly cracked-
“Can I… help you?” A voice cuts his thoughts short and he startles slightly, locking eyes with the now very much awake Akito.
“Oh! Akito! I- uh- was just looking for Toya! You haven’t seen him, have you?”
Akito sits up, shaking his head. “Toya had library committee today.”
“Oh, I see…” he frowns a little. Rui was busy, and Nene hadn’t come to school that day, but he didn’t just want to spend his lunch alone!
“Do you… want to eat lunch with me?” Akito says slowly.
“Huh? Really?” Tsukasa perks up a little. “Why, I would love to!” He beams, taking a seat on the bench. Akito scoots over slightly to give him more room, which disappoints Tsukasa slightly, though he doesn’t let it show.
Tsukasa pulls out his lunchbox, opening up and beginning the careful process of putting his lunch together. He’s just finishing putting the toppings on when he sees Akito out of the corner of his eye, staring hungrily at his slice of cheesecake. With a small chuckle, he scoots closer and slides the bento between them.
“Would you like some? I usually can’t finish everything, so help yourself!”
Akito looks slightly startled, though whether it’s at Tsukasa’s closeness or the offer of food he’s unsure. “Really?”
“Of course! Anything for my favorite junior and a dear friend of Toya’s!” He laughs.
“Uh, okay, thanks…” Akito reaches over and scoops a piece of the cheesecake with his fork, putting it up to his mouth and taking a bite. “This is amazing… where did you get this?”
“Silly Akito, I make everything!”
“You made this?” He reaches for another bite. “It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad you think so! I have some more, if you’d like I could bring you another slice tomorrow!”
“Really? Thanks, senpai.”
“It’s no problem at all!”
The two continue to eat in a comfortable silence, Tsukasa letting himself get lost in thought again.
This is the closest he’s been able to get to Akito one on one, and for once it seems like Akito doesn’t mind his company. It makes Tsukasa’s stomach flutter slightly, hoping this means his junior is starting to like him. He glances at the other, who is focused on his meal now and humming some sort of tune subconsciously. Tsukasa smiles as he listens, enjoying the moment he’s getting with his crush.
“Hey, Akito.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you- I mean you probably are- but is there any chance that maybe-“
“Just spit it out, senpai.”
“Would you want to hang out after school!” Tsukasa squeezes his eyes shut, bracing for the rejection he’s inevitably about to receive.
“I’m actually not doing anything today, I don’t think. So sure, why not.”
Tsukasa opens his eyes, staring at the other in shock. “Really?!”
“I just said yes, didn’t I?”
“Right- of course.” Tsukasa fights back a smile, though he’s pretty sure it still came through anyways. “I’ll meet you outside the gate after school then!”
“Sure, see ya then.”
The bell rings, and Tsukasa walks to class with a newfound resolve. He’s going to tell Akito how he feels.
~
The entire rest of the day, Tsukasa can barely sit still. He’s bouncing his leg, tapping his fingers, and doing just about any other type of fidgeting imaginable. Rui finally approaches him about it during their last class.
“Tsukasa-kun, you’ve barely been able to sit still all afternoon. More so than usual. What’s on your mind?”
Tsukasa jumps. “Oh, Rui! I didn’t see you there.”
Rui chuckles, leaning against the desk. “So, what has you so anxious?”
“I’m hanging out with Akito after school, can you believe it?! I just- I just went for it and asked, and he said yes!”
“Why, that is rather exciting. What are you two planning to do?”
At this, Tsukasa goes silent. Rui patiently waits for a reply, but when none comes, he speaks up.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of anything…”
“What do I do, Rui?! I got so caught up in the fact that he said yes, I completely forgot to figure out what we’re going to do!”
Rui just laughs, shaking his head slightly. “You never change. Is there anything you’ve wanted to do that you haven’t gotten the chance to?”
Tsukasa thinks for a moment before he lights up. “There’s a new cat-themed cafe that just opened up! Maybe I should take him there!”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Tsukasa jumps up, hugging his friend. “Thank you Rui! I don’t know what I would do without you!”
The final bell rings, indicating the end of class, and Tsukasa jumps. “Alright! Let’s get this show on the road!”
He quickly puts his things away in his locker and rushes over to the gate, waiting for Akito. It seems he was a little too quick, as he ends up waiting around for quite a while. He’s beginning to think Akito isn’t coming when he sees the familiar orange hair appear in his vision.
“Ah, Akito! There you are!”
“Hey senpai, sorry for being late. I had to talk to the teacher about something.”
Silently sighing in relief, Tsukasa laughs. “It’s no trouble at all! Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Where are we going, anyways?”
“You’ll see! It’s a surprise~” Tsukasa holds out his hand with a grin. Akito rolls his eyes and takes it, making Tsukasa’s stomach swarm with butterflies.
“This better be good…”
“It will be, don’t worry!”
“Somehow you saying that makes me worry more.”
And so the two head off, Tsukasa dragging Akito behind him. They make idle chat, though most of it is Tsukasa talking. He’s filling the silence with anything he can think to say, talking about his latest show or what classes he thinks are difficult. Akito nods along, occasionally piping in with a comment to show that he’s listening. It warms Tsukasa’s heart (and face) to know that Akito at least cares enough to listen.
Suddenly, Tsukasa comes to a stop, causing Akito to bump into him. “And here we are!”
“A cat cafe?” Akito asks, looking the building over.
“Yes! It just opened up, and I’ve been dying to try it.”
Akito snorts, smiling slightly. “I doubt they have better sweets than you, but alright.”
Tsukasa flushes slightly at the compliment, opening the door and dragging Akito inside. They’re greeted by a young woman wearing cat ears.
“Hello there! Welcome in.” She smiles warmly. “What can I get for you?”
“I think I’ll take a caramel latte and one blueberry muffin, please!” Tsukasa says rather loudly.
“You got it! And for your boyfriend?”
“Oh- it’s not-“
“Oh no- we’re just friends-“
They both stumble over each other, trying to explain to the poor waitress that they are in fact not on a date.
“Oh! My apologies, then. What can I get you, sir?”
“…I’ll just do the same thing as him, I guess.” Akito mutters, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking away. There’s a slight flush on his face, but Tsukasa knows he’s just embarrassed.
“You got it. I’ll have those right out for you two.” She flashes an apologetic smile, rushing back to begin working on their order. Akito sighs and slumps down at a table, and one of the cats wanders up to him. They have a silent stare down, before the cat jumps up into his lap and makes itself comfy. Akito raises up his arms a little, looking at Tsukasa startled.
Tsukasa giggles. “It looks like she likes you.”
“What… do I do…” Akito asks, distressed.
“Pet her! She wants attention!”
Slowly, as though it were a beast to be tamed, Akito pets the cat. She begins to purr softly, nuzzling against his hand. Akito’s expression softens to one Tsukasa has never seen before, and he gives a small smile.
“Cute…”
“You are…” Tsukasa mutters to himself with a small smile.
“Huh?”
“I-I said she is!”
Akito snorts, rolling his eyes. “Keep your voice down, you’ll scare the cats. Also, come sit down.”
Tsukasa does as he’s told, giving the little kitty in Akito’s lap some scratches behind the ears. She leans up into his hand, purring louder. Tsukasa coos softly, melting at the sight of the little creature. Akito smiles a little as well, resting his elbow on the table and his head in his hand.
Tsukasa looks at Akito, and for a moment forgets how to breathe. Akito looks so at ease, with a soft smile and a relaxed look in his eyes. He’s messing with the cat slightly, dangling his hoodie string in front of her and prompting her to attack it. Tsukasa sucks in a sharp breath.
“Hey, Akito?”
“Yeah?” Akito looks up at him, and Tsukasa’s heart skips a beat.
“Well- I just- there’s something I wanted to-“
“Here you are! Two caramel lattes and two blueberry muffins.” The waitress places two plates in front of them, along with the coffees. “Enjoy!”
Akito perks up, grabbing the muffin and taking a bite. He looks up at Tsukasa. “Sorry, I missed like all of that. What?”
“I-it’s nothing. I was just going to ask your opinion on these new costumes…”
“Oh, sure. Let’s see them.”
Tsukasa sighs softly, pulling out the sketches. Maybe he’ll tell Akito another time.
~
2.
Lunch between the two of them became much more frequent after that day. It started with Tsukasa seeking him out to bribe him with cheesecake, and eventually Akito seemed to accept his presence as a regular occurrence. Tsukasa couldn’t be happier, taking any opportunity to grow closer with the boy who has his heart.
“How is everything you make so delicious?” Akito asks one day, devouring the cookies Tsukasa brought.
“Just one of my many talents!” Tsukasa grins, blushing slightly.
“Yeah, yeah. Along with being annoying.” He teases with a small smirk.
“Excuse me?!”
Akito snorts. “I said you’re annoying.”
“And yet you’re still here!”
Akito pauses at that. “Yeah… I guess I am.” He says more to himself than Tsukasa.
After that day Akito acted different, Tsukasa noticed. He started being more touchy with him, draping an arm across his shoulders as he greets him or getting up close in Tsukasa’s personal space. He picked up a new hobby, as well. Flustering Tsukasa.
It was another lunch the two were sharing when it first happened. Akito was stealing bites of Tsukasa’s lunch, and Tsukasa finally had enough. He holds the bento out of Akito’s reach, shaking his head.
“No more for you.”
“Aw, c’mon, senpai. Just one more bite?”
“No! You’ve had more than I have!”
Akito frowns and leans over, reaching for the bento. Tsukasa leans back, holding it further from his grasp. Akito leans forward with him, stretching his arm out. The motion causes him to be flush against Tsukasa’s chest, face to face with each other. Tsukasa sucks in a small breath, suddenly very aware of the lack of space between the two. Akito finally meets his eyes, his own widening slightly as he processes their close proximity as well. Both of them freeze, staring at each other as their faces slowly redden.
Akito then smirks a little and leans closer, narrowing his eyes. Tsukasa holds his breath, not daring to move a muscle. He stares motionlessly at Akito as the other leans in until their noses are practically touching.
“A-Akito, what are you-“
Suddenly, the bento is snatched out of his hands and just like that Akito is out of his personal space. Tsukasa stays frozen for a few seconds, processing what just happened.
“I win~”
“I- you-! T-that’s not fair!”
Akito snorts, taking another bite of Tsukasa’s lunch with pride. “Who said there were rules?”
“You’re the worst!”
“You don’t mean that.” He gives him a knowing look.
“…I hate it when you’re right.” Tsukasa pouts.
And so, Akito began taking every opportunity to fluster Tsukasa. It wasn’t hard, the boy blushes at the mere thought of him, so Akito going out of his way to do this was driving him crazy. He couldn’t understand what any of it meant. Did Akito like him like that? Or does he just find his reactions funny? He doesn’t know! All he does know is it became a near daily occurrence for Akito to do something to make him blush.
~
Tsukasa is waiting patiently at their spot when he hears the familiar shuffle of the bushes. He perks up, looking forward to another lunch with his crush. Today, however, Akito looks absolutely exhausted. There’s dark circles under his eyes, and he’s practically dragging his feet as he approaches their usual lunch spot. Tsukasa frowns, looking him over.
“Akito! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, m fine, just tired.” He throws his bag onto the ground, slumping onto the bench with a yawn. “Ena kept me up all night.”
Tsukasa frowns. This is no state for someone such as Akito to be in!
“Would you like to rest?”
“I mean, yeah, but I don’t wanna kick you out.”
“Nonsense! I don’t have to move.” Tsukasa grabs Akito by his shoulders and guides him to lay down on his lap. “There! I’ll be quiet, I promise!”
Akito, suddenly wide eyed and looking very awake, sputters a little. “I- you don’t have to- it’s fine-“
“Don’t worry, Akito! You won’t even notice I’m here.” He grins at him.
“…alright, I guess…” Akito closes his eyes, and Tsukasa beams in success.
He decides to go through some pages of a script while he lets Akito rest, thumbing through them and silently mouthing lines to himself. He’s in the middle of doing this when he hears a soft snore. Looking down, he finds that Akito is fast asleep, his mouth parted slightly and a thin trail of drool leading from it. He’s smiles fondly, reaching down to gently comb through his hair.
Akito shifts a little, muttering something incomprehensible and rolling onto his side. Tsukasa giggles a little, playing with the strands slightly. He finds that, yes, Akito’s hair is as soft as it looks. It’s almost unfair, as he doubts he puts much care into it based on its constantly messy state. He sighs softly, putting down the papers and instead focusing on the boy sleeping on him.
Tsukasa gently scratches his scalp, massaging lightly. Akito almost seems to relax more under the touch, his body releasing what little tension it still held. He hums a little, curling a little closer to Tsukasa, which makes his heart melt. Tsukasa smiles fondly, despite knowing Akito can’t see.
“I wish I knew how to tell you…” He says softly to himself. “I wish I could just bring myself to say that I like you.”
Akito doesn’t respond, of course, still being out cold. It feels nice to say it out loud, though. Tsukasa sighs again and picks his papers back up, deciding to work more on the play. He pushes his thoughts about Akito to the side and picks up where he left off, practicing until there’s only a few minutes left of recess. It’s only then that he decides to wake Akito up, opting for a gentler method than the bell.
Gently, he shakes Akito slightly. Akito doesn’t wake up, instead grumbling and curling up tighter. Tsukasa giggles softly, admiring how cute he is like this, and tries again. When he still doesn’t get a response, he smiles and leans down.
“Akitoooo~” he says as quietly as he can. The other shuffles a little, finally coming out of his deep slumber. He opens his eyes, squinting up at Tsukasa.
“Don’t wanna.” Is all he says.
Tsukasa laughs fondly. “You have to. It’s almost time for class.”
Akito whines, throwing an arm over his eyes. Tsukasa gently grabs it and lifts it up. “C’mon, you gotta get up.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“What if I just don’t move?”
“Then I’ll make you move.”
“Oh really?” Akito smirks. “How so?”
Despite his blush, Tsukasa smirks right back at him and slowly lifts his hands. Akito watches with a raised eyebrow. He waits a few seconds, allowing Akito’s guard to drop, and suddenly reaches out for his torso and begins to tickle him. Akito yelps, immediately recoiling and attempting to hide his middle.
“No- that’s cheating!” He says between laughs. Tsukasa grins wider and continues to tickle him until he rolls off the bench.
“See! I told you I’d make you move!” He says proudly. Akito, still calming down from his fit of laughter, holds up a middle finger. Tsukasa places a hand on his chest. “How rude! I wake you up early so you aren’t awoken by the bell, and this is how you thank me?”
“This is the thanks you get for not letting me sleep more.”
Tsukasa crosses his arms. “School is important, Akito!”
“Yeah, well, so is sleep.” He replies bluntly. Tsukasa pouts.
“Here I am, just trying to be a good senior…” Tsukasa lets out a dramatic sigh. “To think my good deeds go unrecognized.”
“Okay, okay, fine! I’ll go, just stop with the theatrics would ya?” Akito picks up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.
Tsukasa laughs. “But theatrics are my whole thing!”
“That’s not something to be proud of.”
“It is when you’re the world’s future star!”
Akito snorts, rolling his eyes. “Whatever you say, senpai.” He begins to walk out of the clearing when Tsukasa suddenly calls out to him.
“Akito, wait!”
Akito turns around, looking at Tsukasa. “Yeah? What is it?”
“…..nothing. I just wanted to tell you to have a good day.”
Akito chuckles in response. “You too, Tsukasa.” He turns and walks away as Tsukasa sighs, watching after him longingly.
~
3.
Tsukasa wanders the halls, searching the crowds for a certain redhead. In his hand is two tickets to his show that night, and he’s really hoping Akito will say yes. He really wants to tell him after the play, and this time he’s sure he’ll do it. He won’t chicken out like the last two times. So for all of that to happen, Akito has to agree to go.
He finally finds the junior at his locker, shuffling through his backpack and shoving stuff in the locker. Grinning, Tsukasa skips up to Akito.
“Hello, my beloved junior!”
Akito looks up, slightly startled by Tsukasa’s sudden presence. He relaxes when he realizes who it is, standing up and smiling a little. “Hey, senpai.”
“I have a present!” Tsukasa holds up the two tickets. “Tickets for my next show, for you and Toya! Please say you’ll come?”
Akito blinks in surprise, looking between Tsukasa and the tickets. “Well, yeah, of course I’ll go.”
“Really?!”
“Don’t act so surprised, Tsukasa. Obviously I’m going.”
Tsukasa just stares at him, confused yet excited. He didn’t think it would be that easy! Though, he doesn’t understand what Akito means by “obviously”. Why would it be obvious that he’s going?
“Well- that’s great! Yes, that’s very good!” He’s totally not nervous. Definitely not.
Akito snorts softly, taking the tickets. Their fingers brush, and Tsukasa’s heart stops. “Well, thanks for the tickets. Means I don’t have to buy one myself.”
Akito smiles, giving him a small side hug before he picks up his bag and wanders off. “See you later, Tsukasa.”
Tsukasa stares gaping at the spot where Akito previously stood. He was planning to buy a ticket?! What is going on?!
~
The night comes faster than Tsukasa would have liked, as his nerves are only worsening with every minute closer to the show. For once, it’s not the show itself he’s worried about. No, rather it’s a certain junior in the crowd that had him on edge. He peeks out the curtains one more time, scanning the crowd until he sees him, casually speaking with Toya. Tsukasa squeals softly, ducking back behind the curtains before Akito can see him.
“What’s got you acting so weird?” Nene asks, crossing her arms.
“Nene! I-It’s nothing!”
“Akito-kun is in the crowd, correct?” Rui butts in, rather rudely in Tsukasa’s opinion.
“Rui!”
“What? Am I mistaken that today was the day you planned on confessing?”
“Confessing? Don’t tell me you have a thing for that two-faced idiot.” Nene groans.
“Hey! He’s not two-faced, he’s actually very nice! And he’s not an idiot.” Tsukasa pouts.
“Uhg, gross.”
“I hate to cut your conversation short.” Rui interrupts yet again. “But curtains go up in 5.”
The group scrambles to do their last minute preparations and get into their starting positions, waiting as the curtains rise.
The play goes flawlessly. Tsukasa absolutely nails the starting scene, which lead into Nene’s solo. She sang beautifully, her gentle voice filling the air with a beautiful melody. All of the sound and lighting cues went off without a hitch, and Tsukasa’s confidence had returned by the ending of the play. He stands with the rest of his troupe as the crowd applauds, a few people even standing up. Tsukasa sees Akito and Toya, standing and cheering, and he feels his heart go to mush.
“Are you ready, Tsukasa-kun?” Rui asks as the curtains fall.
“As I’ll ever be!” Tsukasa replies back excitedly. The success of the play gave him the push he needed to do this.
And so, the boy heads out to find the two teens. Tsukasa spots them not far from the stage, idly chatting. Akito lights up when he sees him, walking straight up to him and pulling him into a tight hug.
“You did great.” He says.
Tsukasa freezes, all plans of confessing leaving his brain. “Uh- I- thank you!”
The hug lasts longer than Tsukasa expects, but when Akito pulls away he finds he wants to stay embraced for a little while longer. The two lock eyes, and for just a second it’s only them.
“Your show was incredible, Tsukasa-senpai.” Toyas voice suddenly reminds them both that they aren’t in fact alone, and that there are in fact a lot of other people around.
“Oh- thank you Toya!” Tsukasa grins at his dear friend, covering his surprise as best he can.
There’s an awkward pause as Tsukasa contemplates how to breach the subject he’s been dying to finally say. He opens and closes his mouth a couple of times before finally speaking.
“Hey, Akito, there’s something I-“
“Tsukasa!” Rui’s voice cuts off what Tsukasa was going to say next. “We need you back here!”
Tsukasa feels his eye twitch as he slowly turns to face Rui’s direction. The director smiles sheepishly, shrugging a little.
“What were you going to say, senpai?” Akito asks.
“…Nothing. Never mind. I’ll see you two later.” He walks off, rather irritated with his friend.
“Apologies, Tsukasa-kun. But we need to begin cleaning up before it gets too late.”
“Yes, yes. Of course. You couldn’t have given me just a minute longer?”
“Oh? Did you tell him?”
“I was about to until someone interrupted!” He crosses his arms and pouts. Rui rubs the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
“My apologies, Tsukasa.”
Tsukasa sighs, lowering his head in defeat.
~
4.
“Hey, Tsukasa. Would you be willing to help me with my English homework?” Akito asks during one of their lunches. Tsukasa looks up from his lunch, smiling.
“Of course! Anything to help my dear junior.”
Akito smiles and rolls his eyes. “Thanks, senpai. Are you free after school? We can head over to my place.”
Tsukasa thinks for a moment. He doesn’t have practice or any shows today, which is surprising given that it’s a Friday. “Yes, I am free! I’d be honored to come over and assist you!”
Akito snorts. “You don’t gotta sound so formal about it. It’s just homework.”
And so the plans are set. Tsukasa finds he’s rather nervous, though he couldn’t explain why. Maybe it’s the fact that Akito invited him to his house so freely, or perhaps it’s the idea of spending more time with him outside of school. Either way, it’s the perfect time to confess. No distractions, no outside people to interrupt, just the two of them. It’s perfect.
~
After school, it’s Akito who finds Tsukasa first. In fact, he was waiting outside his classroom when he finally finished packing up and left.
“Hey, Tsukasa. Ready?”
“Oh, Akito! I wasn’t expecting you here so quickly!”
Akito shrugs, looking to the side to hide a small smile. “Got out of class early. And maybe rushed over as soon as I was out.” Tsukasa could swear he saw a blush on Akito’s face when he said that.
Tsukasa laughs. “Excited for homework, are we?”
“Nah, just to spend time with you.” He smiles a genuine smile that makes Tsukasa’s brain short circuit.
“O-oh.”
Akito snorts, grabbing him by the hand. “Are you ready? Let’s go already.”
The entire walk, Akito doesn’t let go of Tsukasa’s hand. The contact is making his brain go crazy, and Akito’s nonchalance about it is just making that worse. What does this mean? Why is Akito being so touchy with him lately? He’s so caught up in his thoughts he doesn’t notice when Akito stops walking and bumps into him. He jumps, stumbling back a little, and Akito swings around. He tightens his grip on Tsukasa’s hand and pulls him in close with a shocking amount of strength.
“You okay?” He asks simply.
“I- uhm-“
Suddenly aware of how close they are, Akito flushes a little. “Sorry, just didn’t want ya falling down.” He releases Tsukasa, turning back towards the door. “We’re here.”
“R-right.”
They enter the house and Akito kicks his shoes off. “Leave your shoes wherever, it doesn’t really matter.”
Contrary to Akito’s messy approach, Tsukasa instead takes off his shoes and neatly sets them up against the wall. He follows Akito to his room, where Akito hops onto the bed and pats the spot next to him. Tsukasa sets his backpack down and joins him on the bed.
“So, what did you want to work on?”
Akito pulls out his textbook and papers, opening everything up and leaning against Tsukasa with a sigh. “I don’t know what it was about this lesson, but I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
Tsukasa hums, trying to hide the way he tenses slightly when Akito leans against him. He looks over the lesson briefly. “I see, I can explain this easily!”
He jumps right into an explanation, going through and breaking everything down as best he can. Akito nods along, filling some stuff into the worksheets as they go along.
They work until the sun goes down and Akito is beginning to doze off against Tsukasa. He yawns, grumbling as Tsukasa asks him a question. Tsukasa chuckles softly.
“Perhaps we should take a break.”
“Mhm…”
Tsukasa gently closes the textbook, gathering everything and setting it all on the ground beside the bed. “Are you hungry? If you’d like, I could cook for us.”
Akito lights up a little, sitting up. “That’d be great.”
The two make their way into the kitchen, and Tsukasa begins to dig through the fridge for something he can throw together. Akito watches him with a fond smile that makes his chest flutter.
“It’s rather simple, but I can do pork and rice!”
“Anything’s fine, senpai.”
So Tsukasa begins to work on dinner. Halfway through cooking the pork, he feels arms wrap around his waist and a head rest on his shoulder.
“A-Akito! What are you doing?”
“Watchin you work.” He replies simply, nuzzling into the crook of Tsukasa’s neck. Tsukasa’s breath hitches slightly and he feels his face flush.
They stay like that until the pork is done and Tsukasa finally has to move. He grabs two plates and serves everything up for the two of them, handing one of the plates to Akito. “Dinner is served!”
“Thanks, Tsukasa.” The pair walk over to the table, sitting down across from one another and beginning to eat. The moment feels rather intimate, and Tsukasa doesn’t want it to end.
“It’s getting dark…” Akito says, looking out the window. Tsukasa follows his gaze and his expression drops.
“I suppose I should get going…”
“You should stay.”
“Huh?”
Akito looks at him. “I don’t want you walking home in the dark. Besides, it’s a Friday. Stay over.”
Tsukasa blinks in surprise. “I- wouldn’t want to intrude-“
“I’m asking you to. Please, senpai?” Tsukasa can’t say no to the face Akito gives him.
“I guess I can…”
“It’s settled then.”
The two finish up their dinner and Akito helps Tsukasa clean up. It all feels so domestic, and it’s almost too much for him. Together, they wash the dishes and put everything away.
“So uhm… where should I sleep? I can sleep on the floor! It’s nothing a star like me can’t handle-“
“You can sleep in my bed.”
“Huh? But where will you sleep?”
“My bed is big enough for two people.” Akito replies bluntly. Tsukasa stares at him in shock, his face warming up.
“O-oh- I mean- if you insist-“
Akito shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Yeah, I don’t want ya sleeping on the floor.”
Tsukasa ignores the butterflies growing in his stomach. “I don’t have any sleep clothes…”
“You can just borrow some of mine.”
So there Tsukasa was. Wearing Akito’s clothes, about to sleep in Akito’s bed, with Akito. The thought alone nearly makes him squeal.
He steps out of the bathroom he just finished changing in, making his way back to Akito’s room. When he enters, Akito looks over and stares at him for a few seconds.
“What?”
“Nothin. You look nice in my clothes, that’s all.”
An awkward silence falls between the two, and Tsukasa shifts his weight from side to side.
“So uh… ready for bed?”
“Y-yes!” Tsukasa clears his throat, speaking at a much more reasonable level for the time of night. “Yes, I am.”
The two boys climb into bed and Tsukasa stays a respectful distance away from Akito. Akito snorts, rolling over and draping an arm over him. “You don’t gotta be so weird about it.”
“R-right. My apologies, I suppose I’m just not used to this.”
Akito laughs softly. “Me neither, really.”
It takes Tsukasa a while to fall asleep, listening to the soft breathing of the boy next to him. He sighs softly, reaching over and gently tracing along his face.
“You’re so pretty.” He whispers. When Akito doesn’t respond, he carefully leans over and kisses Akito’s head. Akito lets out a soft breath and shuffles closer. Tsukasa smiles, letting himself indulge as he wraps an arm around Akito and nuzzles into his chest.
~
When Tsukasa wakes up the next day, he’s immediately aware of two things. One, it’s much darker in the room than usual. And two, he’s cuddled up against something warm with his face pressed into a firm surface. He mumbles incoherently, shuffling a little to sit up. But then, something tightens around his waist and keeps him from moving. He finally opens his eyes, and all his memory comes back as he’s suddenly wide awake.
Akito is gripping him tightly, pulling him closer against his body. Tsukasa squeaks softly, looking up at the sleeping boy. He’s breathing softly, snoring lightly and is clearly still completely unconscious. Tsukasa holds his breath for as long as he can before he carefully lets it out, silently squealing as he does. Akito shifts a little, mumbling some nonsense as he begins to regain consciousness.
He rubs his eyes and yawns, stretching out. “Mornin ‘kasa.”
“G-good morning.” Tsukasa’s voice is high and squeaky as he says it, and he cringes slightly.
Akito yawns again, lazily draping an arm across Tsukasa. “How’d you sleep?”
“Good!” He says a little too quickly. He clears his throat. “I slept good.”
“That’s good.” Akito sighs, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. “We should get up…”
“Yeah…” Tsukasa tries to hide his disappointment, though it doesn’t work very well.
Akito sighs, not bothering to hide his own disappointment as he throws his legs over the edge of the bed. “Thanks for your help last night… and for dinner.”
“Of course, Akito! It’s no problem at all!” Tsukasa flashes a bright smile at him, climbing out of bed as well. Akito looks over and snorts softly.
“Your hair is sticking up everywhere.” He walks over, beginning to comb through it and straighten it out. “There. Now you look more like the world’s future star.”
He says it with such a fondness Tsukasa can’t help but blush, staring at Akito with wide eyes. He gapes at him slightly, words not coming to his mind or out of his mouth.
“I- uhm- t-thank you-“ he stutters out, suddenly feeling very shy as he looks down at the ground.
Akito wanders over to his dresser, pulling out his clothes for the day. “Are you doing anything today?”
“Huh- oh! I have rehearsal in…” he checks his phone, his eyes widening. “10 MINUTES AGO?!”
“Oh, shit.” Akito snorts. Tsukasa scrambles to find his clothes, running to the bathroom to get changed. He rushes out, practically throwing Akito’s clothes at him as he gathers his stuff together and shoves everything into his bag.
“I’ll see you later, Akito! Love you!” The words slip out before he can process what he’s saying and he rushes out of the room, running to the bus stop to get to rehearsal.
~
5.
Tsukasa has spent the past few days milling over what he said. It finally processed on the bus ride to practice, and he gasped so hard he started choking. He showed up at PXL panicking.
“I told him I loved him!” He cried out.
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Nene replies bluntly.
“No! Well- yes but not like that! I was rushing out the door and it just- it just slipped out! I didn’t even stay to see his reaction.” Tsukasa groans, hiding his face in his hands.
“The important thing is that you did it, Tsukasa-kun!” Emu pats him on the back.
“No, no. I need to do it right. I need to properly tell him how I feel.”
So Tsukasa sets out on a mission. Not only is he going to tell Akito how he feels, but he’s going to do it in such a way that Akito can’t say no.
He groans, scribbling out another idea from his notebook. So far, nothing has been right! He feels like he’s considered everything! But nothing feels good enough for how Akito makes him feel.
“Still planning, Tsukasa-kun?” Rui asks during their class break. Tsukasa sighs.
“Yes, and nothing feels right!”
“Why not try the Ferris wheel at PXL? It’s private, and you’re away from all other distractions.”
“That’s… brilliant! Rui, you’re a genius!”
“I know.” Rui chuckles.
And so, the plan is set. Tsukasa invited Akito to go the Phoenix Wonderland Saturday evening, and of course Akito said yes. Now all that’s left to do is wait.
~
“The amusement park is kinda pretty after dark.” Akito says as they walk around. They each have their hands full of prizes they’ve won from the carnival games, and Tsukasa is leading them towards the Ferris wheel.
“It’s even better from higher up! Come on!” Tsukasa shifts his items in his arms, grabbing Akito and pulling him to the ride.
They idly chat as they wait, talking about nothing important. Tsukasa is hardly able to pay attention, his nerves shooting up with every step closer. They finally board the ride, and Tsukasa’s plan begins.
“Woah, you weren’t kidding…” Akito says as they slowly rise up. He’s pressed against the plastic window, staring in awe down at the park. “It’s incredible.”
“It really is…” Tsukasa leans forward as well, admiring the lights dazzling in the night. He takes a deep breath as they begin to approach the top. “Akito, there’s something I’ve been wanting to-“
The ride jolts to a stop, and just like that, the brilliant lights are gone and the two boys are enveloped in darkness. Tsukasa yells out in surprise, slipping off of his seat and falling onto the floor of the cabin. He scrambles to sit back up, looking at Akito with wide eyes.
“What… just happened..?” Akito asks slowly.
“…I think the power went out.”
There’s a long pause. “We’re stuck up here…” Akito glances down, and Tsukasa sucks in a sharp breath.
“S-stuck?” He stutters out. Suddenly, the already small structure feels even smaller.
“Hey, relax, it’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” Akito crouches down next to him, pulling him into a hug. “Just breathe.”
Tsukasa does as instructed, taking slow, even breaths until he’s relaxed into Akito’s embrace. They stay like that until the power jolts back on, startling the both of them as the ride begins to move again.
“See? We’re okay, they fixed it.” Akito stands up, holding a hand out to Tsukasa. He takes it and allows himself to be pulled up. “No reason to panic.”
“Y-yeah, you’re right. My apologies, Akito. That wasn’t very star like of me!” He laughs nervously. Akito’s gaze softens.
“You don’t always have to be a star around me.”
Tsukasa stares at him, wide eyed and speechless. No one has ever said anything like that to him before, and even among his closest friends he’s always felt the need to be “Tsukasa, the star”.
“O-oh-“
The doors to the carriage open, and Tsukasa’s perfect plan slams shut.
“C’mon, let’s go win some more dumb prizes.”
“R-right- yes! Let’s go!”
Another opportunity doesn’t arise for Tsukasa to tell Akito, and the whole night, he’s silently kicking himself for not taking his chance.
~
+1
This was getting ridiculous. It’s like every single attempt at telling Akito his feelings is doomed to end in failure! Tsukasa sighs, poking at his dinner. Saki looks over, concerned.
“What’s wrong, big bro?”
He sets his fork down and leans back in his chair, covering his face with his hands. “It’s a disaster, Saki! It’s like the universe refuses to let my feelings be known!”
Saki gasps, leaning forward in her own chair. “Feelings? For who? Since when?”
“I don’t know! His name is Akito, and he’s just-“ Tsukasa sighs dreamily. “He’s wonderful, Saki.”
Saki coos. “That’s so cute! When are you going to tell him?!”
“I’ve been trying! That’s the problem!” He crosses his arms. “But every time I’ve tried, something interrupts, or I chicken out!”
Saki hums, thinking. “Confessing is like jumping into a pool. It’s scary at first, but you just gotta take the dive and everything will be fine!”
“What do you mean?”
“Just tell him! No big plans, no dramatic schemes. Just you and him, and words.”
“Are you sure?”
Saki nods. “It worked with the girls! I see no reason it wouldn’t work for you.”
“You’re right… thank you Saki, I don’t know what I would do without you.” He stands up, wrapping his dear sister in a tight hug.
~
The next day at lunch, Tsukasa is buzzing with a determination he’s never felt before. After his talk with Saki, he realized what his problem was. He was always waiting for the right moment, for the perfect time to confess. But that doesn’t exist! He has to make the moment happen. And today, he’s sure he’s going to.
“Hey, senpai.” Akito walks into the clearing, plopping down on the bench next to Tsukasa. He sighs, yawning. “Man, I’m beat. We practiced hard yesterday, and after that I went to seka- I mean- I went home and practiced more.”
“Akito, you must take better care of yourself!” Tsukasa opens up his lunch, holding it out to the other. “Eat. It’ll give you energy.”
Akito complies, taking the bento and stealing a couple of bites. “You’re always looking out for me, huh?”
“Of course!”
He sighs, handing back Tsukasa’s lunch and taking out his own. “You’re the best, senpai.”
“Of course I am!” Tsukasa laughs.
The two fall into a comfortable silence as they eat, and Tsukasa watches Akito closely the whole time.
“Hey, Akito…” he says finally.
“Yeah?” Akito says through a mouthful of food.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you…” he fiddles with his hands, avoiding looking at the redhead. “I just haven’t been able to find the right words or the right time…”
“Tsukasa…” the serious tone of Akito’s voice makes him look up. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“What? No I’m trying to confess my- why would I be- wait WHAT?!”
“Confess?!”
“Why would I be breaking up with you?? I haven’t even-“
“Tsukasa.” Akito interrupts. “Have we, or have we not been dating for the past few months.”
“WHAT?!”
“Oh god, have I been reading this all wrong??”
“Yes- I mean NO- I mean- you thought we were dating this whole time?!?”
“Is that not what this has been??” Akito asks, clearly distressed.
Tsukasa pauses, thinking back on the last few months. “I… guess it is??”
Akito starts laughing, and laughs harder until he’s doubled over. “Oh my god. You mean you didn’t knowwe were dating?”
“No! I’ve been a little focused on how to confess my feelings to you, thank you very much!” He crosses his arms.
He tries to keep up his pout, but watching Akito laugh about the situation gets him to crack too. “This is ridiculous…” he says with a smile.
“It really is.”
“So… does this mean you’ll go out with me?”
“Only as long as you’re aware it’s a date.”
“I’m the one asking!”
“You asked the other times too.”
“Akitooooo!” He groans. Akito laughs.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Yes, I will go out with you.”
Tsukasa squeals, pulling Akito into a tight hug.
“You know you’ve already said you love me, right?”
“I know! And I spent days kicking myself over it.”
Akito laughs, leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Well, I love ya too.”
Tsukasa grins, his face flushing a deep red color as he giggles. Akito smiles and rolls his eyes, leaning against Tsukasa casually. The two boys stay like that until the end of lunch, discussing what their plans for their first official date will be.