Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

High school had been hell for Eijun. But none of that matters anymore , he thought as he walked onto campus. I’m at university now, and now I have a fresh start. Nobody needs to know, and the only people who will know are those that I want to know. My life is on my terms now, just as it should be. I’m in control. I can make great new friends. This campus is huge, too. Maybe I can find a boyfriend.

Smiling to himself, Eijun all but skipped through campus. He knew people were probably laughing at him or at least amused with him, branding him as an excitable new student experiencing his first day on campus. But, undoubtedly, there were plenty of people looking at him with nostalgia, remembering their own first day on campus.

It was going great until he bumped into someone.

“Watch where you’re going, Idiot,” the slightly taller boy growled down at him. He watched as the boy adjusted his glasses since Eijun had knocked them slightly off kilter.

Eijun’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, I’m sorry, uh, my bad,” he said as he tried to step out of the way and move around him.

The boy stuck his arm out and stopped him. “What’s your name?”

Eijun looked at his arm before looking at the rest of him. He had on a black sweater that was almost a turtleneck, a nice jacket that sat open with its lapels folded back, blue jeans with a belt, and nice looking casual shoes.

“Oh, I’m Sawamura Eijun,” he said, looking at him.

“Well, Bakamura, you better start watching where you’re going or next time, I’ll beat you up,” he said, tilting his head at Eijun threateningly.

Eijun was about to nervously respond when the green-haired boy that was standing nearby aggressively kicked the boy with glasses. “Stop it, Asshole. Be nice to the kid.”

Asshole mumbled something that Eijun couldn’t quite catch, and the one who kicked him turned towards Eijun and offered him a smile. “Hey, I’m Kuramochi Youichi. Nice to meet you, Eijun. Are you a first year?”

Eijun nodded. “It’s my first day on campus.”

Kuramochi glared at Asshole. “See, Miyuki? He’s probably lost and that’s why he bumped into you, and you were mean to him.”

Asshole, who’s name was apparently Miyuki, grumbled and rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Mochi,” he responded and crossed his arms, watching Eijun with annoyance.

Eijun turned his attention to Kuramochi. “Thank you, Kuramo—”

Kuramochi threw his arm around Eijun before he could finish. “Call me ‘Mochi-senpai’, Sawamura. I’m going to take you under my wing and show you the ropes and help you out.”

Eijun flushed and nodded. “Okay, Mochi-senpai,” he said as he looked over at Miyuki.

Following his gaze, Kuramochi kicked Miyuki again. “Introduce yourself!” He yelled at him.

Miyuki glared back at him and shifted his attention towards Eijun. “I’m Miyuki Kazuya,” he said, slightly annoyed.

Kuramochi sighed. “You caught him in a bad mood, Sawamura, I’m sorry.”

Before Eijun could respond, he heard his name being called.

“Eijun-kun!” came the exceptionally loud yell, and Eijun turned to see who was calling him. He was faced with the unexpected sight of a pink haired boy barrelling towards him at top speed.

“Harucchi?!” Eijun cried out in surprise, dislodging himself from his position under Kuramochi’s arm and running forwards to meet him.

Haruichi reached him and pulled him into a hug, smiling up at him.

Eijun laughed and hugged him back. “What are you doing here?!” he asked as he pulled back, looking at him, and his eyes immediately went wide. “You cut your hair!”

Haruichi blushed slightly and nodded. “Do you like it?”

Eijun grinned back at him. “It looks great. How’s Ryou?”

“Oh, he’s doing well. He doesn’t go here, but he’s not too far away,” he said with a smile.

Kuramochi walked over with Miyuki in tow. “Sawamura, who’s your friend?”

Eijun glanced at him and threw an arm around Haruichi. “This is Kominato Haruichi. We went to junior high together.”

Kuramochi grinned. “Good. Both of you can call me ‘Mochi-senpai’, then! I’ll take both of you under my wing! Well, wings I guess… but I’ll take care of you both! Do you need any help with anything? Have you been to your dorms?”

Eijun nervously chuckled. “Uh, well, you see… I couldn’t find the office to pick up my papers.”

Kuramochi’s eyes lit up, and he opened up his mouth to speak before Haruichi spoke up first.

“Oh, I can show you, but guess what?” he grinned.

Eijun tilted his head to the side, looking down at his friend. “What?”

“We’re roommates!” Haruichi cried out, smiling up at him.

Eijun grinned and squeezed him with the arm he had around his shoulders. “Really? That’s amazing!”

Eijun groaned, throwing his textbook across the room, watching as it landed on one of their chairs.

Haruichi and Kuramochi looked up simultaneously. “What, Eijun?”

“I failed my last math test, and I have another one tomorrow, and I don't get any of this stupid stuff,” he groaned, falling onto his back.

Kuramochi hummed. “Sorry, I basically flunked that class, so I'm no help. You should ask Miyuki, though. He's good with that stuff. He got me through the class last year.”

“I get the sense that he doesn't really like me,” Eijun said as he stared up at the ceiling.

“What?” Kuramochi asked incredulously. “That can’t be true.”

Eijun shot him a doubtful look. “He doesn’t ever hang around here.”

“Miyuki doesn’t hang around a lot of places. Don’t take it personally or anything.”

Eijun hummed back in response. “Okay. If you say so.”

“You could ask Aniki for help,” Haruichi spoke up. “He loves math.”

Eijun chuckled. “Yeah, he does. But, he’s probably really busy, and he doesn’t exactly live next door. I’ll just bug Miyuki until he helps.”

Kuramochi let out his signature laugh, causing the others to join him as they all smiled. “Have fun with that, Sawamura.”

“Miyuki-san, pleeease,” he pleaded with him. He had already explained his situation—that he had a test that he was undoubtedly going to fail and needed someone to help him—but Miyuki had immediately shook his head and kept walking.

“No,” was his blunt response.

Blinking, Eijun grabbed his arm. “Please?! I need to do well in this class, and I don’t understand what’s going on!”

Miyuki shrugged him off and kept walking, not even dignifying Eijun with a response.

“Tanuki Bastard!” Eijun yelled after him, crossing his arms and stomping his foot like an impetuous child.

At that, Miyuki turned, narrowing his eyes at him. “What?” he asked, cocking his head to the side as he stepped forward, emulating an extremely threatening aura.

Eijun’s cheeks flushed. “I… you look like a tanuki… with your glasses.”

“A what?”

“Nothing,” Eijun quickly muttered, shifting uncomfortably. Giving it one last shot, he put every last ounce of his ability to beg and plead into his expression and voice and looked up at Miyuki. “Please? Mochi-senpai sent me and said you would help me. Please, Miyuki-senpai? Please help me with my math?”

Eijun could have sworn he saw Miyuki’s cheeks tint a suspicious shade of red, and he watched as Miyuki spun on his heel and started to walk.

“Fine,” he mumbled bitterly, and Eijun let out a victorious cry as he ran after him.

“Thank you, Miyuki-senpai!”

“Stop with that!” the taller boy snapped back, shoving his hands into his hoodie and huffing, ignoring Eijun as he walked briskly in an attempt to hide his tinted cheeks.

Eijun soon realized that asking Miyuki for help was a mistake.

“Seriously, Bakamura? You can’t even figure out this equation? It’s just the basics, but you can’t figure it out?”

Scowling at Miyuki, he angrily shut the texbook. “Shut up, you stupid tanuki bastard! I’m sure you have classes you’re no good at!”

Eijun grinned in satisfaction when that seemed to have struck a chord.

“Stupid moron, I’m going to hurl that textbook at you if you don’t open it back to the stupid page we were on. I swear on my coffee that if you don’t figure out this stupid simplistic math soon, I’m going to throw you and your textbook out the window. I might remind you that we’re on the fourth floor.”

Huffing, Eijun reluctantly opened the book once again, flipping to the page they had previously been looking at. His back was starting to hurt, so he laid down on his stomach, sprawled across Miyuki’s bed. Feeling Miyuki’s eyes on him, he turned his head.

“What?” he inquired at a near-deadpan.

“Who said you could lay on my bed, Bakamura?”

“I did, Miyuki Kazuya,” he shot back.

“Why are you saying my full name?”

“Because I can,” he said, staring at the book that was going to give him nightmares for the entire year.

“Don’t,” he said warningly.

“No,” Eijun said calmly, looking at him, and he enjoyed the grumble and dirty look that came from Miyuki as a result.

Miyuki hit him upside the head and pointed at the book in front of him. “Do that problem, Bakamura.”

Making a face at him, Eijun picked up his pencil and got to work while Miyuki read a book for another class.

Four hours later, Eijun intently watched Miyuki’s face as he checked over the numerous problems he had made Eijun do as a makeshift practice test.

“Stop that, Bakamura,” he scolded, pushing away his face.

Eijun huffed. “Stupid Tanuki Bastard,” he grumbled, laying back down on Miyuki’s bed and letting his mind wander. He vaguely wondered if there were any gay students in any of his classes. Maybe I should put out a ‘boyfriend wanted’ ad. Then maybe someone would—

“Bakamura, focus,” Miyuki said, and Eijun realized he had been speaking. Lifting his head up, he looked at the smug bastard, wondering what he wanted.

Miyuki held out the piece of paper. “You only got one wrong, which is about three hundred times better than you did when you got here. So, good job. You’ll do well tomorrow. If you get above a ninety-five, I’ll buy you food or something.”

Eijun bolted up, practically snatching the paper as he looked at it in disbelief. Then, registering what Miyuki had said, he beamed at him. “Really?!”

Miyuki let out an amused chuckle and shook his head. “Yeah, really. That’s what I said.”

Eijun gave him a suspicious look. “Does a broke college student like Miyuki Kazuya have the money for that?”

Furious, Miyuki slammed a pillow into Eijun’s face.

“Bakamura!” he roared, and Eijun laughed, grabbing his textbook and supplies before quickly running out of the dorm.

In the meantime, Kuramochi had been hanging out with Haruichi in Eijun and Haruichi’s dorm since Miyuki and Eijun had effectively taken over his. He didn’t like going to the library to study—it was too quiet—so he was grateful to Haruichi for letting him do his work in his dorm.

He took over Eijun’s bed, laying down as he worked on his math homework for the next day.

A soft knock on the door caught both boys’ attention, and Haruichi ran over to open the door.

“Aniki!” Haruichi cried, tackling a slightly smaller version of himself with a hug.

A small smile appeared on the face of his smaller doppelganger, and Kuramochi couldn’t help but stare, unable to understand how one boy could manage to look so sweet and angelic.

“Haruichi,” he said, smiling as he pulled away from the slightly taller boy. Spotting Kuramochi, his eyes narrowed. “Who’s this? Where’s Eijun?” Before Haruichi could respond, the boy stepped forward threateningly, looking down at Kuramochi. “Is he your boyfriend?”

Haruichi’s face was red in an instant, and he tugged at his older brother’s arm. “No! That’s just Mochi-senpai,” he said, pulling his brother back.

Deciding to defend himself, Kuramochi stood up, looking down at the still rather threatening boy. “I’m Kuramochi Youichi, Haruichi’s senpai. I’m in the grade above him, and Sawamura is currently in my dorm with my roommate, being tutored in math, so Haruichi was kind enough to let me hang out here.”

“Kominato Ryousuke, Haruichi’s older brother,” he responded before turning towards Haruichi and bringing his hand down in a karate chop on the taller boy’s head. “Why didn’t you send Eijun to me for help with math? You know I would have helped him without hesitation.”

Haruichi flushed and rubbed his head in quiet protest. “He didn’t want to bother you since he figured you’d be busy with school and everything.”

Ryousuke huffed ever so slightly. “Well, I was going to take you and Eijun to dinner, but I suppose we shouldn’t bother him.”

Haruichi shook his head. “He has a big test tomorrow. Can Mochi-senpai come instead?”

Ryousuke eyed him from the side. “I suppose. By the way, you’re doing that problem wrong,” he said before walking out the door, leaving Kuramochi to grumpily stare at the math problem he had been working on before he decided to follow the pink-haired brothers.

“Miyuki-senpai!” Eijun yelled as he ran across campus a few days later, a paper in hand.

“What?” came the slightly irritated response.

“Look!” he practically screamed in his ear as he shoved the piece of paper into his hands. “I got a ninety-six!”

Miyuki couldn’t help the smile that took over his face. “You did great!” he praised with a rare genuine smile—the first one Eijun had seen.

Eijun’s cheeks flared red. “Thanks! Uh, so, you promised me food…” he trailed off, watching Miyuki’s face for either a sign of a threat or some other emotion.

Miyuki sighed. “Fine. I wasn’t expecting you to actually score that high, but I guess a promise is a promise.”

Eijun grinned up at him and playfully bumped into him. “Good, because I’m really hungry!” he yelled up at him.

Miyuki sucked in a sharp breath, hissing slightly as he shoved Eijun’s face away. “I’m taller than you, but I’m not that much taller than you where I can’t hear you, Moron! Be quieter!”

Grinning smugly, Eijun skipped ahead by a few steps. “Okay, Miyuki Kazuya.”

“Would you stop that?” he huffed in response, rolling his eyes. “Just call me ‘Miyuki’, would you?” He smirked at him. “Or Miyuki-senpai.”

Eijun hummed thoughtfully. “No, you’re too mean to be my senpai. You should be more like Mochi-senpai, Miyuki Kazuya.”

Miyuki gaped at him. “More like Mochi? What’s that supposed to mean?!” he demanded incredulously.

Eijun shrugged. “Ask him.”

“What? Did he tell you to say that?”

“No? Why?” Eijun’s grin turned devilish. “Does he have interesting information about you?”

Miyuki was going to murder the younger boy if he kept it up. “One more word about it out of you, and I won’t buy you food.”

Eijun whined, grabbing Miyuki’s arm and shaking it. “Miyuki-senpai,” he said in a high pitched whine.

Miyuki flushed in response, looking down into the pleading amber eyes that were looking up at him. Huffing indignantly, he shook him off. “Just hurry up so I can feed you and get this over with?”

“Miyuki-senpai is going to feed me?” Eijun asked with a smirk that seemed to be an attempt at an imitation of Miyuki’s.

“Shut up, Bakamura,” he murmured, resisting the urge to hit him as he increased his pace. “You’re holding your own utensils. You’re not a baby. Hmm… maybe I should call you Babymura instead,” he called back at him.

“Miyuki Kazuya!” Eijun shrieked in protest, running after him. “You tanuki!”

Miyuki covered his ear. “Do you even have a volume down option?”

Shifting onto his tip toes, Eijun grabbed onto Miyuki’s shoulder and moved his mouth near Miyuki’s uncovered ear. “Nope!” he yelled into it at top volume.

Miyuki’s expression shifted immediately from flustered to murderous, and he grabbed at Eijun, who had already disappeared from his reach and was laughing. “I’m going to kill you,” he grumbled, and Eijun stuck out his tongue, still laughing at his own antics.

“Thanks for dinner, Aniki,” Haruichi had said after he, Ryousuke, and Kuramochi had gotten dinner, smiling at his brother. “I have to go now since I have an early class tomorrow, but come back soon, okay?”

Ryousuke smiled back at him and affectionately karate chopped Haruichi’s head. “I’ll see you later,” he said, watching as his little brother left the restaurant.

“So,” Kuramochi started, clearing his throat, and Ryousuke cut him off.

“What are your intentions with my brother?” he asked, his voice deceptively sweet, but Kuramochi could hear the threatening undertone.

“Nothing,” he said. “He’s friends with Sawamura, and I’m Sawamura’s senpai since he needed some help on the first day and I helped him, and I got to know Haruichi as well.”

“Hm,” was all Ryousuke said, but he didn’t seem convinced.

“Look, I don’t have any intentions like that with your brother.”

Ryousuke leaned forward, and Kuramochi got the distinct impression that he was taunting him, watching Ryousuke’s lips as they moved. “Then who do you have intentions like that with?”

Distracted by Ryousuke’s lips, he didn’t fully process what he was saying until it was too late. “You,” he said without comprehending what he was saying, and he watched as Ryousuke’s demeanor faltered for a few seconds. Then, realizing why Ryousuke faltered, Kuramochi’s entire face heated up and he dropped his face into his hands.

“I—” he started to explain, but Ryousuke cut him off.

“Interesting,” he said with a tilt of his head, and then he was gone, walking out the door as Kuramochi stared at his retreating form—and his retreating behind.

“Hey!” Miyuki protested, swatting Eijun’s hand with his chopsticks. “That’s mine!”

Pouting, Eijun tried to steal a piece of his food again. “But Miyuki,” he protested.

Miyuki hit his hand again. “I said no, Bakamura! Eat your own food,” he said as he took another bite.

“But yours looks so good ,” he said, managing to snatch a piece and shove it in his mouth.

Miyuki gasped and reached out, grabbing Eijun’s face with his free hand. “You dipshit!” he yelled. “Open your mouth!”

Trying not to laugh, Eijun shook his head. Miyuki scoffed and squeezed his cheeks, forcing his mouth open while using his chopsticks to pull the food out.

Eijun pulled away as he shrieked loudly, covering his mouth. “Why would you do that?!” he cried, looking at Miyuki with wide eyes. “It’s not like you’re going to eat that! What are you even going to do with it?!”

Miyuki seemed to comprehend what he had just done, and his cheeks flushed slightly. “Whatever, Bakamura,” he huffed, looking at the food that he was still holding. “Great. Now my chopsticks are contaminated.”

“You could just feed it to me,” Eijun suggested, watching for his reaction.

Miyuki rolled his eyes. “That would be gross, Bakamura.”

“Why? Because we’re guys? Because if that’s so, then—”

“Oh, calm down. It’d be gross because it was already in your mouth and it touched my chopsticks, which have been in my mouth. If you were my boyfriend, I’d feed you. But, you’re not, so it’d be gross to swap spit with you, even if it was indirect,” he said as he dropped the food onto a napkin and wiped his chopsticks off.

Eijun gaped at him. “Is Miyuki Kazuya gay?”

Miyuki looked at him quizzically. “I prefer pan. Why?” His eyes narrowed, and the threatening aura was there again. “If you’re asking because you have a problem with it—”

“Oh, calm down,” Eijun said, mimicking what Miyuki had said earlier. “I don’t care that you’re pan. Slightly surprised, but I don’t care.” Eyes lighting up, he straightened up excitedly. “I finally met another person!”

Miyuki blinked, looking at his bright amber eyes in confusion. “What?”

“Another gay person! Well… another not-straight person… you know what I mean!”

Miyuki flushed and kicked him under the table. “You don’t have to announce it to the entire restaurant.”

“Sorry,” he grinned. “You can be my sexuality-senpai!” Eijun didn’t think that it was possible for somebody’s face to get as red as Miyuki’s did.

“Never ever say that again, Bakamura,” he said, rubbing his face.

“Hm. No promises, Miyuki Kazuya,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes.

This kid is going to bring me to a premature death with the amount of stress he puts me under, Miyuki thought to himself. He really is going to be the death of me.

“Kuramochi, was it?”

Kuramochi turned, looking down in surprise at the pink-haired boy in front of him. “Oh, yeah. Ryousuke-san, what are you doing here?”

“I was visiting Haruichi. I’m going to go get coffee now,” Ryousuke said as he started to walk.

“Oh. Can I join you? I can show you which place is the best.”

A small smirk overtook Ryousuke’s face. “Sure,” he said, slowing his pace so that he fell behind Kuramochi.

Kuramochi stared at him for a few moments before starting to head to a cafe near campus. Did he come here on purpose? No, you idiot, he didn’t come to find you, he came to see Haruichi. The campus is big, so he just happened to bump into you.

Ryousuke looked over at him. “You look like a delinquent. Is that your personality or a facade?”

Kuramochi felt his skin crawl under Ryousuke’s sharp gaze. “What’s it matter to you?”

“Just curious,” the smaller boy shrugged, walking into the cafe that Kuramochi had pointed out.

Thinking back to the last time they had interacted, Kuramochi felt his face heat up. “So, about the last time we—”

“You’re into me, yes?”

Kuramochi’s cheeks went red. “I never said that.”

Ryousuke looked at him and snorted softly. “Clearly. Because your face doesn’t scream ‘I’m embarrassed and actually into you’. Not at all.”

“Look, do you want coffee or not?” Kuramochi changed the topic. He had no clue why he choked up around Ryousuke like this—it wasn’t like him.

“If you’re buying, then sure,” Ryousuke said with a tilt of his head.

Kuramochi tilted his head. “Why would I buy?”

“Well, if I’m letting you take me out on a date, I’m not paying for it.”

Kuramochi’s eyes grew wide. “A date?”

“That’s what I said,” Ryousuke sighed and then ordered his drink, looking at Kuramochi for his order.

Mouth agape, Kuramochi stared at him.

“If you don’t order, then I’m leaving.”

Blinking, Kuramochi quickly ordered his drink. When he was done, he followed Ryousuke to where he was sitting. “Why are you letting me take you on a date?”

Ryousuke leaned forward, smiling sweetly at him, and Kuramochi felt his heart clench. “Because you’re not too bad as far as guys go.”

“And how did you know I was interested?”

Ryousuke snorted again. “You’re not exactly subtle, Mochi.”

“I—” Kuramochi tried to defend himself, stopping when he realized that it would be to no avail—his grave had been dug, and he didn’t particularly mind laying in it.

Ryousuke simply smiled at him again. “Have you come to terms with what is going on?”

“Yes,” Kuramochi said, his cheeks undoubtedly still tinted. “So, you’re interested in me, then?”

Ryousuke rolled his eyes. “Not at all.”

“Seriously? Then why did—”

Scoffing, Ryousuke shook his head. “Looks like math isn’t the only thing you can’t do.”

“Hey!” Kuramochi defended. “I just… it doesn’t really make sense to me.”

“What doesn’t?”

“Why you would want to date me, I guess.”

Ryousuke hummed thoughtfully. “Ask me later.”

Kuramochi gaped at him. “What do you mean by that? Why wouldn’t you just tell me now?”

“Because I don’t feel like it. Ask me later,” Ryousuke said. “All that really matters is that I would like to date you.”

“You’d be my boyfriend?” Kuramochi asked with wide eyes.

“We’ll see. I’m just agreeing to go on dates with you for now, and then we’ll see where we go from there.”

Kuramochi grinned at him, at a complete loss for words.

“Now, go get our coffee. It’s ready,” Ryousuke commanded.

“Okay.”

A soft snore slipped from Eijun’s lips, and Miyuki couldn’t help but smirk. They had been studying for his math exam that he had the next day when Eijun’s head began to slowly drop down. Laying on Miyuki’s bed, his head eventually landed on the textbook that he had been working out of. Miyuki had nudged him the first few times he had started to drift towards sleep, but after awhile he decided to allow him to do what he wanted. Unsure of how long he would stay asleep, Miyuki removed his own glasses in case he drifted off alongside Eijun.

Another snore pierced the silence, and Miyuki couldn’t help but smile. He caught himself thinking about how cute he looked like that and quickly abandoned that line of thought. I don’t like him like that. No way.

But, looking at the way his hair fell around his face, framing it perfectly, Miyuki knew that was a blatant lie. I’m falling for Sawamura Eijun, he thought to himself with a small sigh. Gently lifting Eijun’s head, he slowly pulled the book out from underneath, careful not to wake him. Cheeks flushing ever so slightly, he let his fingers linger over his hair, stroking lightly before running his fingers over the curve of Eijun’s cheek. Knowing it was a bad idea, he cast aside his better judgement nonetheless, leaning forward and letting his lips graze ever so slightly over Eijun’s temple.

“Miyuki-senpai?” came the mumbled and dazed question from the boy he was leaning over, and Miyuki’s eyes shot open, locking with amber ones. Cheeks heating rapidly, he froze, not knowing what to do. Luckily, Eijun didn’t seem to know quite what to do either and continued to stare up at Miyuki, getting progressively more flushed.

Miyuki watched as Eijun fiddled with his hoodie, eyes flitting away, and he began to panic, thinking that Eijun was never going to trust him again.

Instead, Eijun looked back up at him. “If you wanted to kiss me, Miyuki-senpai, all you had to do was ask.” His voice shook slightly, and he looked like he was terrified of what Miyuki would say in response—as if Miyuki hadn’t just been kissing his temple.

Recovering from his own embarrassment, Miyuki seized the opportunity to tease Eijun. Leaning forward, he pushed Eijun’s shoulder down when he started to sit up. Watching as the smaller boy’s face started to turn a deep red, he smirked down at him.

“Now, why would I want to do that?” he asked, lowering his face to Eijun’s, enjoying the way that he squirmed beneath him.

“Miyuki,” he started to say, trailing off as he flushed and turned his head to the side. “Don’t be mean.”

“I’m not being mean,” he said, leaning down further and pressing his lips against Eijun’s cheek. He heard Eijun’s breath hitch sharply as he turned to look up at Miyuki.

“Miyuki-senpai,” he breathed, looking up at him.

Does he even know what he does to me? Miyuki thought briefly as he trapped Eijun’s chin in his hand, tilting his face towards him.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked in a whisper, and he could practically feel the heat radiating off Eijun’s face as he nodded, nervously twining his fingers in Miyuki’s shirt.

Smiling to himself, Miyuki leaned forward, bumping his nose against Eijun’s. “Are you sure?” he asked tauntingly.

“Miyuki-senpai, just kiss me,” he demanded, pulling at Miyuki’s shirt in an attempt to pull him closer.

“My pleasure,” Miyuki murmured and pressed his lips against Eijun’s, closing his eyes as he brought his other hand up to cup Eijun’s cheek. He felt Eijun’s grip on his shirt tighten, and the smaller boy didn’t do anything in response at first, simply letting Miyuki kiss him. Whether Eijun had recovered from his shock or figured out what he wanted to do, Miyuki didn’t know, but Eijun’s arms were suddenly around his neck, pulling him closer as he began to kiss him back, following Miyuki’s lead.

Miyuki smiled and pulled away just enough to allow him to kiss Eijun’s nose, smiling down at the profusely flustered boy. Eijun, attempting to gain some control over the situation, wrapped his arms more snugly around Miyuki’s neck, burying one hand in his hair as he tried to pull Miyuki’s lips back to his own.

Miyuki, however, had other ideas, and he turned his head to the side, dodging Eijun’s kiss as did so, Eijun’s lips landing on his cheek.

“Miyukiiiiiii,” Eijun whined, pouting at him. “Why are you so mean?”

“Because it’s fun,” he said with a smirk, and Eijun tried to pull him in for another kiss, huffing when Miyuki evaded him once again.

“Miyuki-senpai, let me kiss you,” he pleaded with him, his face still warm and flushed from embarrassment as he fiddled with Miyuki’s hoodie.

“What? You want it off?” Miyuki asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Huh?”

“My hoodie,” he elaborated, gesturing to Eijun’s nervous fidgeting.

Cheeks flaring red, Eijun shoved him off, sitting up and turning. “I’m leaving,” he stated, grabbing his textbook and rushing out of the dorm.

“Sawamura!” Miyuki yelled after him, rushing to the door. What the heck? What’s his deal?

I hate him, Eijun thought as he tore across campus, a couple tears slipping down his cheeks. I hate him so much! Even as he thought it, he knew it wasn’t true. His feelings for Miyuki were serious, and there wasn’t anything he could do to change that.

Spotting a secluded area, he ventured under a tree, shielded by the rest of the surrounding foliage, alight with all the colors and flowers that come with late spring. Sitting down, he let his head drop onto his knees, shoulders trembling ever so slightly as he tried to fight the tears stinging his eyes.

My first kiss. And, he took it. I let him take it, but I was stupid. He asked me, and I should have said no, but he was just so… so Miyuki. We’re not even together.

He had kissed him, and then he had teased him relentlessly when he was already embarrassed and nervous. And then he had had the nerve to try and push Eijun further when Miyuki wouldn’t even let him kiss him. He wanted to scream. Why did he have to like the one boy who was quite possibly the worst thing on campus for him?

I thought it must have meant something to Miyuki, that all of what had happened between us must have meant something to him for him to act that way, for him to kiss me—all the late nights studying, all the shared food between us that felt like dates… it was all just a game, and I realize that now. He just wanted to toy with me.

Maybe that’s been the case since the beginning. I’ve seen enough movies to know what happened. Wait… that means that I can’t trust Mochi-senpai either! Miyuki and Mochi-senpai made some sort of bet about how far Miyuki could get with me. Well, I’m not some stupid character in a movie—I know better. I figured it out, and now I’m going to stay far away from them both. I need to tell Harucchi, too. He needs to know.

Miyuki Kazuya had a twisted personality—Eijun had known that much very early on—yet he found himself ignoring his proper judgement and falling for Miyuki anyways. He was unlike anyone Eijun had ever met before.

Sighing, he curled up under the tree, watching the life around him closely. Spotting a bunny through one of the bushes, he smiled, trying his best to remain still and quiet so sobas not to spook it.

Is this something Miyuki does? Has he done this before? Does Mochi do this, too?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he curled up tighter, staring at the bunny and letting himself be drawn into his surroundings as he started to feel calmer and more at peace.

“What do you mean, ‘he’s gone’? What did you do to him?!” Kuramochi demanded, staring at Miyuki in disbelief.

Miyuki shifted, slightly uncomfortable. “Something happened, and he left, but he left his phone. And I can’t find him. I didn’t know if either of you knew where he might have gone, but I figured it was worth a shot.”

Haruichi looked at him. “What happened?”

Miyuki cleared his throat and looked away. “Nothing.”

Haruichi crossed his arms. “I’m not telling you where he is until you tell me.”

Gritting his teeth, Miyuki weighed his options. Eijun was probably going to tell Haruichi anyways. “We kissed.”

Haruichi blinked. “You kissed?”

Miyuki nodded.

“And he ran off?”

Miyuki nodded again, and Haruichi sighed. He looked at Kuramochi, who was clearly still trying to comprehend what Miyuki had said, and pointed at the door. “Out,” he demanded.

“But—”

“Out, Mochi-senpai. I need to talk to Miyuki.”

Looking between the two, Kuramochi hesitantly walked out, shutting the door as he left.

Haruichi nodded at the spot next to him. “Sit down, Miyuki-senpai.”

Miyuki did as he was told, unsure of what Haruichi had in store for him.

“That was Eijun’s first kiss,” he said softly—softer than usual—as he watched for Miyuki’s reaction.

Miyuki blinked, and he was hit with an extreme feeling of guilt. “His what? You’re lying to me.”

“I don’t lie, Miyuki-senpai. Especially not about things like this.”

“You’re… how do you know?” he asked, feeling his heart sink towards his stomach. He felt cheap, like he had cheated Eijun out of something special even though the other boy had given him permission for the kiss—had even asked for it.

“He’s told me. We were best friends in middle school, and even though we didn’t see each other a whole lot throughout high school, that didn’t really change much. One of the first things we talked about was his time in high school. I could tell something was different with him,” Haruichi said with a soft sigh.

“Different?” Miyuki prompted, watching as the other boy took a slightly shaky breath.

“Eijun is going to be mad at me for telling you this,” he murmured to himself. “But you seem to care about him, or you wouldn’t be here.” He looked at Miyuki with a gaze he could only describe as piercing—and a little threatening. “Promise me that you care about him.”

“I do,” he said, and it felt strange to admit it to Haruichi when he had barely admitted it to himself.

“Do you want to date him? Because, if I tell you this, it’s not going to be for nothing. If I tell you this, it’s real, and you can’t leave him. I don’t know why it would make you not want to date him, but people are weird and I need you to promise me that you won’t abandon him if I tell you. The only thing that should change is your understanding of him, and that should change for the better.”

“I wouldn’t leave him for anything,” he said without hesitation, and the certainty that he felt as he said it surprised him. It felt right to say it, and he realized that it was completely true. Nothing could change the way he felt for Eijun. When did I fall this far? When did that happen? How did I not even notice that he slipped right through every single defense and wormed his loud, sunshine self into my heart?

A small smile took over Haruichi’s face. “Good. And, I’m not sure where exactly he is, but after we talk, I’ll help you find him, okay? I have a few thoughts on where he might be.”

Miyuki nodded, and his heart sank with worry at the thought of where Eijun might be and what he might be feeling. His stomach wrenched with fear when he thought about what Haruichi had said. What happened to Eijun in high school? What was that brilliant ray of sunshine carrying around that Miyuki didn’t know about?

Haruichi looked down at his hands. “Eijun got outed in high school, and it was a really rough time for him. In middle school, when he was still at school with me, he told our friend group, and it was fine. Nobody ever gave him a hard time, and nothing really changed. Those who did say or do anything were really few in numbers and nothing significant ever came from it. But, the place where he moved… the area wasn’t as accepting of things like that. Eijun knew that from the start, so he kept it hidden.

“He found a group of friends, though, and he fell in with them pretty comfortably. He said it wasn’t nearly the same as back home, but they were nice and it wasn’t awful. Towards the end of his first year, he started to develop a crush on one of the boys in their year. I guess they weren’t really friends, but they sat next to each other in a couple of their classes. Eventually, one of his friends started to notice and began to wonder if Eijun was gay, but he never really knew for sure.

“When they were second years, Eijun started to get closer to the boy, and he figured his feelings wouldn’t be returned, but he was happy to be friends with him. The friend that had noticed and suspected Eijun might have feelings for him became more certain and decided to ask Eijun about it. Eijun had felt closest to him, so he decided to tell him the truth—that he was gay and had a crush.

“The only problem had been that the friend’s sister had overheard their conversation and decided to tell her friends, who decided to tell their friends, and I’m sure you can imagine how it went from there. Before the next day had even come, practically the entire school knew, and neither Eijun nor the friend were none-the-wiser. They lived near each other, so they always walked together when the weather was nice—which meant that he was by Eijun’s side when he got shoved for the first time.

“All of his other friends abandoned him. The friend that had accidentally started it all stood beside him, but Eijun eventually stopped hanging around him. He felt bad that he had to deal with everything as well just for associating with him, so he pushed him away.

“For awhile, the friend stayed away like Eijun wanted, but things at school started to get a lot worse—people were threatening him and he was getting harassed daily—and the friend couldn’t handle the thought that he might be the reason that Eijun got hurt, so he started to hang around him again and made sure he was never alone. A couple other kids started to do the same, and it got Eijun through school for the most part without incident.

“He said that there were still times where things would happen and that there was only so much that they could do, especially when they put themselves at risk in the process. His parents wanted to move for his last year so that he would be safe, but he refused, not wanting them to give up the amazing work opportunity they had gotten.

“So, he went back his third year and finished high school, but it had been complete and utter misery for him. The worst part of it was that the boy he liked was one of the worst culprits when it came to harassing him.”

Haruichi looked up at Miyuki. “So, you can’t abandon him. You kissed him, and now you made things real for him and gave him what he’s been hoping for for forever. And, you probably dredged up all those memories without meaning to, so you need to go comfort him and show him that you’re there—that you want to be there. He told me that one of the things he hoped he would find in college was love, and that he wouldn’t have to deal with what he went through in high school—and that if he did, he would have someone to stand by him through it all, someone more than a friend.”

Miyuki nodded, his heart heavy. “If he’ll have me, I’d want nothing more.”

Haruichi smiled as he stood. “Good. Now, let’s start looking. He’s always used nature to clear his head, so keep that in mind.”

It was dark when Miyuki called Haruichi.

“You still haven’t found him?” Miyuki asked.

“No,” was the response over the phone, and Miyuki felt his heart clench with fear.

“Maybe he’s at the dorm. You should go back there to make sure and stay there in case he comes back,” he suggested.

“Okay, you keep looking out there. I’m going to call Mochi-senpai and my brother to help you.”

After a few more hours of searching, they decided to wait until morning because they couldn’t see anything.

Miyuki didn’t sleep, not until he passed out from exhaustion on Eijun’s bed. Curled up with Eijun’s blanket, he didn’t notice when the door opened.

It was dark when Eijun woke up, and he looked around in confusion. Realizing he had fallen asleep, he had quickly reached for his phone, afraid that he had caused the others to worry. When he registered that he must have left it at Miyuki’s dorm, he quickly made his way there.

To his surprise, Ryousuke opened the door when he knocked, and he saw Kuramochi in the background. Not having time to fully analyze why they might be in Kuramochi and Miyuki’s dorm together, he peered into the room.

“Where’s Miyuki?”

Ryousuke rubbed his eyes. “At your dorm with Haruichi. Where were you?”

“I fell asleep by accident. Sorry if I worried you,” he hurriedly apologized as he ran away, heading towards his dorm. Why was Miyuki in his dorm if he was just playing with him? Maybe—just maybe—Miyuki actually had feelings for him. Maybe he had freaked out for no reason. Maybe Miyuki hadn’t meant anything bad by his teasing and it really had just been teasing. Maybe he hadn’t just been trying to see how far he could get with Eijun.

Making his way to his dorm, he tried his best to keep his hopes from soaring—with very little success. Carefully opening the door, he peered inside, his cheeks heating up when he saw that Miyuki was passed out on his bed, tangled in his blanket, and he felt his heart skip a beat or two.

Miyuki had changed his clothes since he last saw him. Earlier, he had been wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, which Eijun was pretty sure constituted his pajamas since Miyuki had looked like he had just woken up when Eijun had knocked on the door—that and the fact that he had grumbled something about not being able to deal with Eijun without coffee and forced the other boy to go get him some before he let him into his room.

He was now wearing tan pants and a blue shirt with a red sweatshirt pulled over it, both of which were rolled up to his elbows. His glasses were neatly set on Eijun’s nightstand, and Eijun felt his face heat up when he realized how much he liked the sight of Miyuki fast asleep in his bed, looking so at ease.

I need to talk to him or none of this will get cleared up, he thought as he walked over to his bed and gently touched Miyuki’s shoulder, shaking him carefully. “Miyuki,” he whispered, trying to be quiet so as not to wake Haruichi. He watched Miyuki stir, and suddenly there was a chocolate gaze holding his own amber one. Miyuki opened his mouth to speak, and Eijun quickly put his hand over his mouth, shaking his head and gesturing to Haruichi before pointing at the door.

Nodding, Miyuki grabbed his glasses and put them on, following Eijun out of the dorm complex to ensure that they didn’t wake anyone. Rubbing his eyes, he nearly bumped into Eijun when he stopped near a light so that they would be able to see each other.

“Miyuki,” Eijun started to say as he looked down, fidgeting nervously with the hem of his dark blue sweatshirt.

“I’m sorry,” Miyuki said before he could finish. “Don’t be mad, but Haruichi told me everything—everything about high school. And how that was your first kiss. And, I’m sorry for whatever I put you through with that and I’m sorry if I ruined your first kiss, but I need you to know that I didn’t mean to hurt you and that I’ll do my best to make sure that I never hurt you again. If… if that’s what you want. Because I like you, Bakamura. I like you a lot, and if you’d let me, then I’d like to be your boyfriend.”

“You stupid tanuki,” Eijun said, tears gathering in his eyes. Miyuki watched him with a nervous expression, looking like he wanted to say something, but Eijun didn’t give him the chance. “You couldn’t even manage to confess without calling me some sort of name.”

Miyuki, realizing what he has said, flushed with worry and stepped forward. “I’m sorry, I—”

“I-I’d really like it if you would be my tanuki boyfriend, Miyuki Kazuya,” he interrupted, looking up at him, a few tears slipping down his cheeks.

A smile appeared on Miyuki’s face when he realized that they were tears of joy, and he grabbed Eijun’s arms, yanking him against him as he captured his lips in a kiss. Stumbling forward, Eijun grabbed onto Miyuki’s upper arm with his right hand as his left hand gripped the collar of Miyuki’s sweatshirt. When he stabilized himself, he used his left hand to tug Miyuki closer. The fairly cool night air contrasted with his hot and flushed skin when he felt his sweatshirt ride up as they kissed.

Eijun shifted his weight slightly as he moved to stand slightly on his toes to gain an extra inch so that he was able to press closer to Miyuki’s lips. He felt Miyuki squeeze his arms tighter in response as he pressed closer to Eijun. Feeling Miyuki’s glasses move as they kissed, Eijun pulled away slightly.

“Miyuki, your glasses,” he breathed, and Miyuki cut him off with another kiss, his glasses shifting more off-kilter as a result.

“Forget the stupid glasses,” he murmured against Eijun’s lips when he paused to give them both a chance to breathe. Both of their faces were flushed, and Eijun could tell that his own face was likely entirely red, all the way down to his neck. Miyuki didn’t help the matter when he pressed a kiss to Eijun’s nose, and Eijun felt his face heat up even more in response.

Panting slightly to catch his breath, Eijun realized how tightly he had been gripping Miyuki’s shirt, and he slowly released his grip, biting his lip in embarrassment when he saw the sweat stain that his hand had left along with how wrinkled the top of his shirt now was. Miyuki only smiled in response and kissed Eijun’s cheek.

“It’s fine,” he assured him, bringing a hand up from Eijun’s arm to brush Eijun’s unruly hair from his face. Eijun smiled—Miyuki’s hair wasn’t exactly in any better condition.

Overcome with a fresh wave of nerves, Eijun looked down. “Uh, since Mochi-senpai and Ryou are in your dorm, Ryou probably took over your bed, and it’s late, so it would be rude to go and wake them. So… since we’re boyfriends now… you can share my bed if you want.”

Eijun didn’t have to see Miyuki’s smile—he could feel it when Miyuki kissed him again.

“Only if I can cuddle you,” the taller boy said, wrapping his arms around Eijun’s waist and pulling him closer.

Blushing fiercely, Eijun nodded and pressed his face against Miyuki’s shoulder. “Okay,” he murmured, and he felt his entire body jolt when Miyuki dipped his head down towards Eijun’s shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to his neck.

Sensing his embarrassment, Miyuki chuckled and kissed the top of his head before pulling away, leading Eijun back into the dorms by his hand. Cheeks still heated, Eijun practically beamed as he let Miyuki pull him along. Miyuki glanced back and shot Eijun an amused look when he felt Eijun intertwine their fingers, but Eijun could tell that he was happy.

When they got back to Eijun and Haruichi’s dorm, they slipped into bed under Eijun’s covers, still in the clothes they had been wearing, and Miyuki took off his glasses, setting them where they had been earlier on Eijun’s nightstand. Finding that they were both too wired to sleep, Miyuki wrapped an arm around Eijun and pulled him closer so that they were chest to chest.

Realizing Miyuki intended to kiss him, Eijun closed his eyes and leaned into him, feeling his face—which had finally cooled down—heat up again. They both eventually drifted off, but not before they shared countless kisses as they cuddled and held each other close.

“So, you guys are together, then?” Miyuki asked as he sat on the Kominato’s couch.

“Miyuki! How did you?!” Kuramochi panicked, standing up.

“Like I said, Youichi, you’re not exactly subtle,” Ryousuke said as he pulled Kuramochi back down.

“You call him by his first name already, Aniki?” Haruichi asked.

Ryousuke leaned over, lightly karate chopping Haruichi’s head. “So what if I do?”

Haruichi shrugged as he rubbed his head, looking at Kuramochi. “Why didn’t you tell me, Mochi-senpai?”

“Tell you what?” Eijun asked as he walked back into the room with a glass of water.

The other three boys opened their mouths to fill him in, but Miyuki interrupted them. “Nothing to worry about,” he said as Eijun walked over.

“Hm, okay,” Eijun resigned, moving to sit in Miyuki’s lap. Miyuki, however, moved over at the last second, avoiding Eijun and causing him to nearly drop his water in surprise when he fell further than he expected.

“Miyuki!” he whined, pressing against him after he set his water down.

“Who said you could sit on me, Bakamura?” Miyuki asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I did!” he yelled in Miyuki’s ear, throwing all of his weight onto him.

“Bakamura!” Miyuki yelled back in protest, shoving Eijun off him.

“Miyuki-senpai! I want to sit on you!” Eijun whined, nuzzling against him.

Miyuki’s cheeks flushed, and he huffed, looking away from Eijun. “Fine.”

“Yay!” Eijun yelled as he moved onto Miyuki’s lap, kissing him happily as he curled up against him.

Miyuki rolled his eyes as Eijun hummed victoriously.

“I want to go swimming again,” Haruichi said, smiling slightly at Miyuki and Eijun’s antics.

Ryousuke pushed him up. “Then go swimming. No one is stopping you, Haru.”

“I know,” he started, “but I don’t want to go by myself.”

“I’ll go!” Eijun yelled as he jumped up, pulling Miyuki up with him.

“Who said I wanted to go swimming, Bakamura?”

“I did, Miyuki-senpai!” Eijun yelled as he threw his arms around Miyuki.

Kuramochi exchanged a brief look with Ryousuke, and the both of them bolted out to the pool.

“No fair!” Kuramochi yelled when Ryousuke shoved him to the side and shut the door behind him. Laughing, he flung the door open and bolted out, tackling Ryousuke into the pool.

“Youichi!” Ryousuke yelled as he surfaced.

Kuramochi, on the other hand, couldn’t stop cackling.

Smiling, Ryousuke splashed him. “You sound deranged.”

“Maybe I am,” Kuramochi said as he splashed the smaller boy back.

They were soon joined by Eijun, who dipped his legs into the water as he sat on the edge, lazily kicking his legs through the water. Miyuki sat next to him, a faint smile present on his lips.

“What’re you doing?” Miyuki asked as he bumped Eijun with his shoulder.

“Nothing,” Eijun said, smiling as Ryousuke snuck up on Haruichi and pulled his legs out from under him while Kuramochi attempted to save him.

Miyuki slipped into the water, turning to face Eijun. “Is that so?”

“Mhm,” Eijun said, blushing when Miyuki moved between his legs. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Miyuki smirked, slipping his hand behind Eijun’s head and pulling him down for a kiss. When he was sure Eijun’s defenses were lowered, he yanked him into the pool, falling back so Eijun was against him while they were underwater.

Miyuki heard Eijun let out a small scream as he clung to him, and Miyuki smiled, pulling Eijun into a kiss. He felt Eijun smile against his lips as he pressed closer, air bubbles floating away from their mouths and noses as they kissed, the bubbles from their impact still swirling around them.

Eijun smiled again, pulling away and swimming up, laughing as he broke through the surface. “Miyuki!” he shrieked when the taller boy surfaced as well, pushing at Miyuki’s shoulder.

“What?” Miyuki snickered, pulling Eijun against him again. “You liked it,” he teased.

“Maybe,” Eijun admitted, stealing another kiss from Miyuki.

They were interrupted when Kuramochi covered them with an enormous wave of water as he cackled, and the five of them descended into laughter as a water fight begun.

Miyuki couldn’t help but keep his eyes on Eijun, resulting in him being splashed multiple times by the others, especially Kuramochi.

But it was worth seeing Eijun’s face filled with happiness as he laughed, completely content with where he was and who he was with.

“Miyuki!” Eijun yelled in excitement as he charged the older boy at full speed.

Quickly dropping his bag, Miyuki opened his arms just in time to catch Eijun as he flew into his arms. Laughing, he set the shorter boy on the ground.

“What is it, Bakamura?”

Eijun huffed in mock annoyance, smiling up at him. “Stupid Tanuki, you always ruin the moment,” he whined, but Miyuki could tell that he was happy with the nickname that had started as an insult and somehow become a term of endearment.

Miyuki chuckled as he pressed a kiss against the lips of his boyfriend of two weeks. “What is it?” he inquired when they parted, both of their cheeks slightly flushed.

“I had an idea,” Eijun said, his eyes lighting up. When Miyuki hummed inquisitively, he continued on. “We should take pictures for each other’s backgrounds,” he suggested with a smile.

Miyuki grinned at him before pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I love it,” he said, laughing when Eijun’s face tinted from the praise.

“Okay, okay, let’s take them over here,” Eijun gushed excitedly, grabbing Miyuki’s hand and dragging him after him. Sitting down, he flipped his phone camera to selfie mode, blushing slightly when Miyuki sat behind him in the grass and pulled him onto his lap.

“Take a bunch,” Miyuki said with a mischievous smile as he threaded his fingers through Eijun’s hair, enjoying the way his cheeks tinted even more as he started to take pictures. Wrapping his other arm around Eijun’s waist, he used both arms to pull his boyfriend closer, squishing his cheek with a kiss as Eijun’s amber eyes sparkled brightly under the sun—both from the golden light and from the affection he was receiving from Miyuki.

“I like that one!” Eijun shrieked, and Miyuki couldn’t help but laugh, shushing him as he moved the hand that had been in Eijun’s hair to his waist, hugging him close as he closed his eyes and pressed a chaste kiss to his neck. Eijun laughed in response, trying to squirm away to no avail.

Miyuki glanced at the phone and smirked with triumph. “That one’s mine,” he said, taking Eijun’s phone and sending the picture of him kissing his boyfriend’s neck to himself. He handed Eijun his phone back while he set his own background as the picture.

“There,” he said in satisfaction as he held it up to show Eijun. He could have sworn Eijun looked like he might burst with joy.

“Thank you!” Eijun yelled as he tackled Miyuki to the ground, peppering his face with enthusiastic kisses that jarred his glasses out of their rightful place. Miyuki smiled as he let himself get lost in the bliss that came with spending time with the sunshine ray that was Eijun.

“Found you,” Miyuki said as he walked up to Eijun with a smile on his face. Eijun started out of what Miyuki assumed was a daydream, and he chuckled lightly. “You alright?” he prompted as he sat down beside him. They were almost sitting back to back, but Miyuki had positioned himself so that they were shoulder to shoulder while they faced opposite directions.

Eijun shot him a quizzical look. “Why are you sitting like that?”

“No reason,” he said, pulling off his glasses and setting them to the side. He could have sworn Eijun gulped when he saw Miyuki lean forward.

“You tracked me down just to kiss me?” he questioned Miyuki, leaning towards his boyfriend, his arms still crossed while they rested on his knees, his legs bent.

“Not just that, but it was an incentive,” Miyuki teased, turning towards him as he bumped their noses together. Eijun smiled and leaned forward, deciding not to play Miyuki’s games as he kissed him instead—though Miyuki wasn’t complaining.

“Eijun,” he said as he pulled away enough to look him in the eyes.

“Hm?” Eijun asked as he went in for another kiss, pouting when Miyuki put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“I love you,” he said, watching carefully for Eijun’s reaction.

Eijun blinked, looking shocked for a few moments before he flung his arms around Miyuki. “You do?!” he cried, looking at the taller boy.

Miyuki laughed and pulled his teary-eyed boyfriend onto his lap. “Yes, I do.”

“I love you, too!” He yelled, burying his face against Miyuki’s neck.

Miyuki smiled and gently pushed him back. “One more thing, and then you can hug me to your heart’s content.”

Eijun looked at him expectantly, nestled comfortably in his lap. “What is it?”

Miyuki kissed his cheek and set a box in his lap. “Happy three month anniversary,” he said.

Eijun gaped at him, his face lighting up before he gasped in horror. “I didn’t get you anything!”

Miyuki winked at him. “You can give me something later.”

“Tanuki!” he screeched, hitting Miyuki’s shoulder in retaliation.

Miyuki laughed, tweaking his nose. “Open your gift,” he ordered.

Eijun smiled and carefully opened the box, unable to stop from gasping when he saw the golden watch inside. “Is that real?”

“If you’re asking if it was expensive, then the answer is yes,” he grinned. “Turn it over.”

Eijun did as he was told, feeling tears sting his eyes when he saw the inscription on the back. “I love you” -Miyuki Kazuya, September 13th.

“Miyuki,” he sniffled, setting the box aside as he put the watch on. “I love it, and I love you, and I’ll never ever take it off,” he said as he flung his arms around Miyuki once again. “So, you planned on telling me on our anniversary?”

Miyuki nodded, and Eijun laughed. “What if I said it first?”

He smirked at him. “I asked Haruichi, and he said that you said you would never be able to say it first, so you hoped that I did.”

“Harucchi!” Eijun protested, despite his roommate not being there.

Miyuki chuckled and kissed his ear. “It worked out well in the end anyways.”

Eijun blushed. “Yeah, it did,” he murmured happily.

December 13th.

Our six month anniversary , Eijun thought in excitement as he slipped out of bed. Anxiousness replaced excitement when he remembered their plans for the day. They were celebrating the day after they got back from meeting Eijun’s parents. Chewing at his lip, he looking through his closet for a good outfit to wear. I’m introducing Miyuki to my parents. What if they don’t like him? What if they want me to stop dating him? What if—?

No, he told himself sternly, letting his fingers ghost over the watch Miyuki had gotten for him on their third month anniversary, which was also the first time either of them had said that they loved the other. I want them to like him, but if they don’t, then that’s not my fault. I’m not letting them stand between Miyuki and me, no matter how much I love them. Miyuki is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and they should be able to see that.

Smiling to himself, he picked out jeans and a nice sweater, making sure to grab his warm coat.

Haruichi yawned from his bed, burrowed under a mountain of blankets. “Ready for the end of the year?”

Eijun chuckled. “Very. Miyuki and I were thinking about going on a small trip.”

“Sounds like fun,” he said as he smiled. “You’ll be back tonight, right?”

“Yeah, why? Planning on taking over the dorm with Furuya?” Eijun asked with a pointed wink in Haruichi’s direction.

“Yeah, sure, Eijun-kun,” Haruichi said with a laugh. “Just stay safe, okay?”

“Miyuki will be with me, so I’m always safe,” he said with confidence as he finished getting ready.

Haruichi smiled. “They’re going to love him,” he assured his friend.

“You think so?” Eijun asked, looking over at Haruichi, who nodded.

“I know your family, Eijun-kun. You love him, he makes you happy, it’s a strong, healthy relationship, they already know you’re gay, and he loves you. The only thing Miyuki has going against him is his twisted streak, and I’m sure that won’t come up nearly as bad as it would take to get them to refuse their approval over him. They want you safe and happy, Eijun-kun, and that’s what you are when you’re with Miyuki. You’re safe and happy.”

Eijun smiled and nodded. “You’re right. Thanks, Harucchi,” he called behind him as he left the room, smiling brightly when he heard Haruichi wish him luck before the door shut.

“Miyuki Kazuya!” Eijun yelled, waving his hand to get his attention.

Turning around, Miyuki spotted him and made his way over. “Why do you still use my full name, Bakamura?” he asked with an amused chuckle, and Eijun shrugged in response, hugging Miyuki’s arm as he leaned his head against him.

“Nervous?” Miyuki asked as he led him to a bench so that they could sit while they waited for their train. Eijin nodded and pressed closer.

“Very,” he said, looking up at Miyuki.

“Well,” Miyuki said with a grin. “I have something to relax you.”

Eijun raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that, Miyuki-senpai?” he prompted, fighting the smile that tried to take over his expression when he saw the slight blush that appeared on Miyuki’s cheeks.

Miyuki set a box on his lap, and Eijun gasped. “Miyuki, you bastard! You said we weren’t doing gifts!”

Miyuki cackled and kissed the side of his head. “I know, but I lied.”

Pouting, Eijun shoved at his shoulder. “I’m not opening it.”

Miyuki rolled his eyes. “You can go and buy me something later if you really want to. Besides, you’re taking me to meet your parents, and I think that that’s a pretty amazing gift.”

Eijun huffed, breaking into a smile when Miyuki wrapped his arms around him and tugged him closer. “Fine,” he said as he opened the box. “Two scarves?” he asked as he looked up at Miyuki quizzically.

“Two red scarves,” Miyuki said as he took them both, wrapping one around Eijun and putting the other on himself.

Eijun blushed slightly as he fidgeted with it. “Why red? And why scarves? And why one for each of us? And why—”

“And why are you asking so many questions?” Miyuki interrupted, laughing in amusement as he brushed a few strands of hair from Eijun’s face. Eijun’s cheeks burned bright red in response, and he crossed his arms defensively as he looked at Miyuki for an explanation.

“The Red Thread of Fate,” he said as if that explained anything to Eijun, who continued to stare at him in confusion.

Miyuki simply chuckled and hugged him closer, resting his chin on Eijun’s head. “I figured your romantic ass would have heard about it.” When Eijun shook his head, Miyuki continued on.

“It’s a myth. The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. It’s magical and might stretch or tangle, but it will never break. These are our red threads, and our destiny to be together is unbreakable.”

Eijun’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “Miyuki,” he whispered as he stared up at him in awe, love in his eyes.

Miyuki smiled down at him. “Yes?”

“You’re so romantic!” he yelled as he tackled the other boy, engulfing him tightly in a hug. “You’re such a mean tanuki, but you’re so romantic!”

“Only for you,” Miyuki whispered into his ear as he smiled. “Now, come on, our train is here.”

Eijun, who now remembered that they were in public, flushed in horror, pressing his face into Miyuki’s shoulder. “I made a scene.”

Miyuki hummed in response.

“Are people staring?”

“Mhm,” he hummed again as he kissed Eijun’s head.

Eijun groaned in response. “I want to die,” he stated as he hid against his boyfriend.

Miyuki laughed and stood up, throwing away the box and trash as he led his embarrassed boyfriend onto the train. Eijun chose the least populated area and leaned against the wall next to the door in an attempt to hide himself and go unnoticed.

Catching onto what he was doing, Miyuki smirked. “Not that easily, you don’t,” he said as he grabbed Eijun’s hands and stepped close to him.

Eijun’s blush returned in full force as he glanced down, and Miyuki smiled affectionately at him.

“Eijun,” he softly called, and Eijun kept his head lowered, although his eyes flitted up to meet Miyuki’s gaze.

“What?” he asked as he kept his eyes on the chocolate eyes behind Miyuki’s glasses. They were filled with love, and Eijun was sure the same could be said about his own.

“I love you,” Miyuki whispered as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Eijun’s.

Eijun felt his face heat rapidly and squeezed Miyuki’s hands. “I love you, too, Kazuya.”

Miyuki was lying on the on the ground, staring up at the sky as the snow fell. He could feel the cold seeping through his jacket, but he didn’t take much notice of it. His mind was distracted from everything going on around him as he thought only of Eijun. The love of his life.

Would he want to marry me?

The thought briefly flashed across his mind, and he smiled. Not now, of course. But later. I’d want to marry him. I think he would like that. He likes things like that—things that I never would have thought I liked if it weren’t for him.

He’s my everything.

Shifting slightly, he felt—and heard—the crunch of the snow underneath him. His parents liked me, which was a huge relief. We still need to talk about what we’re doing when school gets out. We thought about going on a trip, but what about after that? We could move in together, get an apartment close to campus. Smiling, he pressed his fingers into the snow, relishing in the cool, crisp feeling.

Where’s Eijun at? he briefly thought as he shut his eyes, feeling the snowflakes fall onto his face and melt. Miyuki had always loved winter. A lot of people saw ugliness, harshness, and unforgiving brutality in it, but Miyuki didn’t—he saw those things in the world around him, but not within nature. It was humanity that was ugly, harsh, and unforgivingly brutal. Nature was beautiful.

He had been surprised when Haruichi had told him that Eijun relied on nature to clear his head. He was always so loud and rambunctious, so Miyuki imagined that he would be unable to sit still and enjoy nature.

It wasn’t that Miyuki hated the city—he loved it. It was his home—and it always would be—but its beauty hid awful things. Cities could be deceptive if you didn’t know their many parts, many of which were the very things that gave it its beauty. Nature, however, was up front, and everything that was beautiful was very clear about its danger.

Eijun had made him realize that that wasn’t true. The city was exactly like nature. It was flashy, beautiful, colorful, and diverse—and danger hid behind that beauty—but the same was true for nature. Nature was infinitely diverse—just like the snowflakes that were falling around him—but beauty hid danger. The most beautiful creatures were often the most dangerous. The most colorful were often the most poisonous and lethal. Above all, the most mesmerizing parts of nature were often the most dangerous of all. Snow, for example, was one of the most mesmerizing things to Miyuki. Even in blizzards, snow was seemingly magical—but blizzards held a seemingly infinite amount of dangers.

Eijun had shown him that what people often say about the city and nature was false. They are one and the same and often coexist. Nature and country life isn’t necessarily quiet—it’s bursting with energy and life and hustle and bustle just as the city does. While the city never sleeps, neither does nature. Just as in the city, where someone is always going about their business, there is always some animal, insect, or plant that is going about its own business. Life, whether in the city or country, never stops. Even when one life stops, the lives around it keep going, and the community continues on its path. People complain that individuals blur together in a city and can be easily overlooked as they become insignificant, but the same could be said about nature. And, in both cases, saying that would be false.

His mind wandered back to Eijun, to all their memories. Where is he? He’s supposed to be here. Lifting his arm off its place in the snow, he looked at his watch. It was a matching one Eijun had gotten him in December for their sixth month anniversary—after Miyuki had given him their matching set of scarves. Inscribed upon the back of it were two words.

Unbreakable Destiny.

Inspired by the story Miyuki had told him when he gave him the scarves, Eijun had chosen those words to inscribe on a watch that matched the one Miyuki had given him for their three month anniversary. They really were a matching set in every aspect. True soulmates—there wasn’t a doubt in Miyuki’s mind about it. He and Eijun belonged with each other. It was destiny. And it was unbreakable.

When he saw what time it was, he began to worry. Eijun was supposed to meet with him nearly forty-five minutes ago. Right as he was about to sit up, Eijun’s smiling face appeared above him.

“Miyuki-senpai,” he called as he crouched down by Miyuki’s head, leaning over him so that his chest was folded to his knees.

Damn him and his flexibility and balance, Miyuki thought as he stared up at the boy that had managed to fold himself practically in half as he stared down at Miyuki while balancing perfectly on his toes. Smiling, Miyuki reached up, grabbing onto a few of Eijun’s fingers.

Eijun beamed down at him, amber eyes alight with love and happiness. Intertwining their fingers, he looked down at Miyuki. “What are you doing, Miyuki-senpai?”

Miyuki felt his cheeks heat slightly, the snowflakes that fell on them melting faster than they had been before. “I’m laying down and enjoying the snow,” he said, squeezing Eijun’s hand slightly. “Why were you late? I was about to go looking for you. You had me worried.”

Eijun’s face lit up. “You were worried about me?”

Miyuki rolled his eyes, staring up at the face that was upside down from his perspective. “I’m always worried about you… especially when you don’t show up on time!”

A chuckle slipped from Eijun’s lips as he ran his thumb over Miyuki’s fingers. “I was getting us drinks since you insisted on having a date outside in the cold snow in the middle of winter when it’s cold .”

“Do I sense some animosity?” Miyuki teased, reaching up to tweak Eijun’s nose. “Did you get me coffee?”

“Of course.”

“Did you get yourself hot chocolate?”

“What else would I have gotten?”

Miyuki smiled up at his adorable boyfriend. “I love you,” he whispered softly, but he knew Eijun heard him when he saw the other boy’s cheeks color.

“I love you, too, Kazuya,” he said happily, his smile mirroring Miyuki’s.

“Hey, Eijun,” Miyuki prompted.

“Hm?”

“You should kiss me.”

Eijun’s blush deepened, and he stared down at Miyuki. “Then, you need to sit up, because I’m not getting on top of you.”

Miyuki shook his head, and Eijun started to protest before Miyuki cut him off. “Just lean down and kiss me. An upside down kiss.”

Eijun’s mouth opened to protest, but he couldn’t seem to find the right words. After a small huff, he decided to give Miyuki what he wanted, leaning down and kissing him.

Miyuki could tell that Eijun’s blush was growing stronger based on the heat that radiated off his cheeks, quickly melting the snowflakes that hadn’t already melted against Miyuki’s flushed cheeks. Miyuki kissed him back, cherishing the feel of Eijun’s lips against his own before Eijun pulled away.

“There,” Eijun said, the cold air helping to soothe his blush.

Unable to help but smile at him, Miyuki gripped Eijun’s hand tighter. “Never leave me. Okay?”

“I’d never,” Eijun said in response, and Miyuki could see the certainty there.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Eijun responded without hesitation, and it was Miyuki’s turn to beam at Eijun.

“I love y—” Miyuki started to say, but was cut off by the sudden sharp pain that exploded without warning. “OW!” he yelled, and Eijun was scrambling to get off him.

“Dipshit!” Miyuki yelled as he grabbed his nose.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Eijun yelled as he rubbed at his own face.

“You fell on me! You fell on my face!”

“I slipped!”

“Dipshit! Bakamura, you dipshit!”

Eijun carefully pried Miyuki’s hands from his nose, tears stinging both of their eyes. “You’re bleeding,” he said as he looked at Miyuki in concern.

“And who’s fault is that?” Miyuki shot back as he glared up at Eijun. Even as he glared up at him, he could feel his flash of anger dying down. He could never stay mad at Eijun for long—it was impossible.

Eijun helped him sit up, pressing his coffee into his hands as he fished for a tissue. “Does it hurt that bad?” he asked when he found one, pressing it gently to Miyuki’s nose as the taller boy sipped at his coffee.

Miyuki shook his head, letting the boy that he loved so dearly take care of him. Smiling softly to himself, he took another sip of his coffee. “Just the way I like it.”

That earned a smile from Eijun. “Of course it is. I know my boyfriend,” he said as he pressed a kiss to Miyuki’s head. “You need to put a hat on. You know that most of your body heat escapes from your head, right?”

Miyuki laughed, smirking at his boyfriend. “You know that’s not true, right?”

“What? It totally is!” Eijun shrieked defensively.

“Is that what they teach you at schools in the country?” Miyuki asked, eyes dancing with amusement.

“No… but, that’s what my parents always used to say!” Eijun tried to defend himself.

“Well, it’s wrong. If your head is uncovered but the rest of your body is covered, then you lose the highest percentage of body heat from your head in comparison to the other places in your body. But, if you were wearing just a swimsuit, you would lose the majority of your body heat from other places, like your legs,” Miyuki explained as he tried to suppress his laughter.

Eijun pouted in response, crossing his arms. “Well, Mr. Know-It-All, tell me something else that I don’t know.”

“Hm… well, I love you more,” Miyuki said as he pulled Eijun towards him, capturing his lips in a kiss.

Eijun smiled against Miyuki’s lips before pulling away. “Drink your coffee,” he demanded, sitting down next to Miyuki as he curled up against him, drinking his own hot chocolate.

“Yes, sir,” Miyuki taunted, earning a smack to his shoulder from Eijun before both of them burst into laughter.

Eijun shrieked as Miyuki threw him onto the bed—their bed.

“I can’t believe we actually did it!” Eijun yelled as Miyuki fell onto the bed next to him.

“Our own apartment,” Miyuki said with a smile, staring up at the ceiling.

“Yeah, but it’s cold,” Eijun whined as he curled up.

“And this bed is the only furniture we have,” Miyuki added.

“And the heat is broken until we get it fixed on Thursday,” Eijun said with a shiver.

“But we have blankets,” Miyuki countered.

“And we have our clothes,” Eijun added helpfully.

“And each other,” Miyuki pointed out as he pulled Eijun against him, kissing the smaller boy’s cheek and laughing when Eijun scrunched against him.

“And it’s ours,” Eijun whispered, pressing against Miyuki and nuzzling against his warmth.

“We’re insane,” Miyuki offered as he burst into laughter.

Eijun nodded. “Probably.” Smiling, he shoved Miyuki towards the edge of the bed. “Go make food.”

Making a face at him, Miyuki stood up and grabbed Eijun by his ankles, yanking him to the edge of the bed as Eijun shrieked as a result. “Why do I have to make the food?”

“Because you’re the better cook,” he said as he stared up at Miyuki.

“Fine, I’ll cook, but you have to bake something,” Miyuki offered as a compromise.

“Deal!” Eijun yelled as he sat up, wrapping himself around Miyuki.

Laughing, Miyuki picked him up and threw him over his shoulder, toting him into the kitchen while Eijun shrieked and squealed and hit at him as he yelled for Miyuki to put him down. Unable to control his laughter, Miyuki set Eijun down on the kitchen counter as he tried to collect himself. Eijun pouted and crossed his arms, kicking at Miyuki in retaliation.

“Hey, Eijun?”

“Hm?”

“How are we going to make food without water, electricity, or gas?”

“Oh!” Eijun yelled as his eyes widened. “Uhm… how about takeout?”

“Sounds delicious,” Miyuki said with a laugh, peppering his boyfriend in kisses as he got out his phone to order food. Eijun, smiling, hopped down from the counter, and Miyuki swatted his butt. “Go start unpacking,” he said as Eijun’s face turned red.

“Tanuki!” he shrieked as he put a hand on his assaulted butt and ran to the boxes in their living room. He was followed by Miyuki’s laughter as it filled the apartment. Smiling, he started to sort their boxes by the rooms that they would get in. When Miyuki finished ordering their food, Eijun looked over at him.

“Miyuki, when is the couch getting here?”

“Tomorrow, I think,” Miyuki said as he joined Eijun by the boxes, starting to open them.

“Sweet,” Eijun said as he looked around. “We should put it right there,” he suggested as he pointed.

“Hm, perfect,” Miyuki affirmed with a smile. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he looked at Eijun, holding up a few of his romance novels and shoujo manga. “Do you really need all of these?”

“Yes!” Eijun yelled defensively as he snatched the precious books from Miyuki’s clutches, pulling the box that they were packed in towards him as well.

Miyuki laughed, his eyes shining with the smile plastered across his face. “I love you, Eijun.”

Eijun beamed at him. “I know you do, but I love you more.”

“Do not!” Miyuki yelled as he grinned at Eijun.

“I do,” Eijun said, an attempt at Miyuki’s smile appearing on his face.

Miyuki cackled. “Is that supposed to be my smile?”

“No!” Eijun yelled, his cheeks flushing once again.

Miyuki grinned as he grabbed Eijun by the wrist and tugged him towards him. “Is that so?”

“It is,” Eijun said as he looked up at Miyuki.

“Hm,” the boy with glasses hummed in response. “Go get into your pajamas.”

“You, too,” Eijun shot back, wrapping his arms around Miyuki.

“Okay,” Miyuki said as he began to strip off his layers of clothing.

“Miyuki!” Eijun cried, pulling Miyuki’s hands away from his clothes. “Why are you taking off your clothes?!”

“You… told me to?” Miyuki said as he tilted his head to the side.

Eijun’s cheeks flared red. “…right…”

Miyuki laughed when Eijun let go of his hands, continuing to get undressed as he walked towards one of the boxes with their clothes in it. Feeling Eijun’s eyes on him, he glanced over his shoulder and winked, not noticing the pillow that was headed towards his face until it hit him.

“Tanuki!” Eijun shrieked again as he threw the pillow at Miyuki, and Miyuki felt another fit of laughter bubble in his chest.

“Make sure to get some warm clothes. It’s going to be cold,” Miyuki said as he pulled on sweat pants and a t-shirt, pulling a hoodie over his head as an added layer.

“We really didn’t think this through, did we?” Eijun asked with a chuckle as he grabbed his own pair of sweats and his favorite sweatshirt—one that had a pocket in the front like a hoodie would so that he could keep his hands warm.

“Not really,” Miyuki grinned as he walked over to Eijun and wrapped his arms around him, pressing a chaste kiss against the shorter boy’s neck as he hugged him from behind.

Cheeks flushing slightly, Eijun leaned back against Miyuki, putting his arms on top of Miyuki’s.

“But, that’s okay,” Miyuki murmured as he pressed another kiss against Eijun’s ear, prompting the other boy to shiver.

“Miyuki,” Eijun protested as he leaned his head back against Miyuki’s shoulder, looking up at him. “Don’t tease,” he chided, covering Miyuki’s hands, which were resting on Eijun’s stomach, with his own.

“I’m not teasing, you’re just sensitive.”

“Miyuki,” he whined, drawing out the last syllable of his name.

“Yes?” Miyuki asked with an arched eyebrow. “What is it?”

“You’re mean,” he said, standing up on his toes to press a kiss against the underneath of Miyuki’s jaw.

Miyuki cracked a smile. “I know.”

Eijun hummed happily, content to be in the warmth of Miyuki’s arms. I love him. How did I get so lucky? Miyuki must have been right—we must be tied together with our red threads. We must be soulmates, destined to be together. Destined to find each other.

Groaning when the doorbell rang, he reluctantly pulled away from Miyuki, making his way to the door to get their food.

“Thanks,” Miyuki said as he came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Eijun as he paid.

“Miyuki,” he scolded as he swatted at his hands, face heating with embarrassment.

“Yes?” He asked in response, kissing Eijun’s ear.

“Don’t,” he whispered warningly, pushing Miyuki away. Glancing at the delivery worker apologetically, he took the food, handing over the money. “Thank you,” he said before he shut the door, turning to Miyuki.

“What?” Miyuki asked innocently.

Eijun huffed and pushed at his shoulder, walking into the kitchen with the food.

“Seriously, Eijun, what’s the big deal?” Miyuki asked in concern, following his boyfriend.

“The ‘big deal ’,” Eijun said as he turned towards Miyuki, “is that not everyone is nice and accepting of two guys being together, and you know that doing things like that in public makes me nervous.”

“You aren’t proud to be my boyfriend? You’re embarrassed? Ashamed?” Miyuki shot back at him, meeting Eijun’s gaze.

“No! That’s not it, Miyuki!” Eijun yelled at him, tears starting to fill his eyes. “I want to be okay doing whatever we want in public, but that’s scary! It’s scary when I hear about what happens to people who are bold enough to be public! It’s scary thinking about what might happen to you! That something could happen to you because of me!”

Miyuki went quiet, the guilt eating at his insides, but Eijun wasn’t done.

“And, sometimes I don’t care! Sometimes I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks or does because we’re happy and you’re the only one I need, but other times I remember that we can’t act like any other couple! That we have to be careful! And, we shouldn’t have to be, but we do, and that’s the reality of it!”

Miyuki watched as the tears streamed down Eijun’s cheeks, and he wanted nothing more than to wipe them away, to hug him close to him and apologize to him, but he knew that Eijun needed this. He needed to tell him, and he needed to make himself clear.

“I love you, Miyuki, I just…” Eijun trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I couldn’t handle it if something were to happen because we were together. And, I don’t want to hide us. I don’t want to avoid telling people that we’re a couple. I don’t want us to not show affection when we want to, but we need to be careful and contentious. I…” he trailed off again, looking like he was at a loss for words. “I-I don’t know how to explain what I mean, Miyuki,” he said with a sob.

Miyuki pulled him into his arms. “I know. It’s okay, I understand what you mean. I understand what you want. And, I love you, Eijun. I’ll be more careful. I promise.”

Eijun smiled, pressing his face against Miyuki. “I’m sorry for blowing up at you.”

“It’s okay. I kinda deserved it for making the delivery guy uncomfortable.”

Eijun looked up at him, kissing his cheek. “It probably would have made him uncomfortable even if it was a boy and a girl together. A lot of people don’t like seeing those sorts of things.”

Miyuki chuckled and stole a kiss from him. “Very true. Okay, we’ll cut down on the unnecessary PDA. Deal?”

“Deal,” Eijun said as he wrapped his arms around Miyuki’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss. “But, nobody is around now,” he mumbled in between kisses.

Miyuki laughed and broke the kiss, picking Eijun up and setting him on the counter. Eijun’s cheeks flushed brightly as he stared back at him. Miyuki smiled as he pressed against him, kissing Eijun’s neck as the other boy squirmed and wrapped his arms around Miyuki.

“Eat your food,” Miyuki said as he pulled away, pressing Eijun’s food into his hands. Cheeks burning brightly, he nodded and began to eat.

Miyuki took his chopsticks and stole some of Eijun’s food.

“Hey!” Eijun shrieked.

“Open,” Miyuki commanded.

“Hm?”

“Open. I said I would feed you if you were my boyfriend, so open.”

“Miyuki!” Eijun squealed, happily opening his mouth and letting Miyuki feed him.

“Miyuki?” Eijun asked as he slipped into their bed.

“Yeah?” Miyuki prompted as he moved under the blankets.

“We should go out on a date tomorrow.”

Miyuki smiled and pulled Eijun against him. “Only if you cuddle me.”

Eijun broke into a smile and he couldn’t help the tears that welled in his eyes. “Deal,” he whispered as he pressed against Miyuki, feeling secure in his arms.

“Are you crying?” Miyuki asked, his voice heavy with concern as he propped himself up on an elbow to look down at Eijun.

Eijun nodded, wiping at his eyes. “But, they’re happy tears,” he said with a smile.

Miyuki felt his insides melt. “Eijun,” he breathed with a smile, laying down again as he pulled Eijun close to him.

“What?” Eijun asked, covering his flushed cheeks with his hands.

Gently pulling his hands from his face, Miyuki nuzzled against Eijun’s ear. “I love you so much,” he whispered as he kissed his ear.

Eijun felt the heat rush to his face once again. “I love you, too, Miyuki. More than I could ever say.”

Smiling, Miyuki nuzzled against the crook of Eijun’s neck as he spooned him. “I know you do. Now, shush. I want to sleep.”

Eijun laughed as he pressed closer to Miyuki, wishing that it was possible to be this close to him all the time, to be even closer to him.

Miyuki chuckled slightly in response, his arms tightening around Eijun as he slipped his hands into the pocket of Eijun’s sweatshirt. Using the new position as leverage, Miyuki pulled Eijun impossibly closer as his leg worked its way between Eijun’s. Eijun simply smiled and let himself meld against Miyuki.

“Cuddlebug,” he teased when he felt Miyuki press another kiss against his neck.

“Am I?” Miyuki asked challengingly as he continued to pepper Eijun with sweet, chaste kisses.

“You are,” Eijun affirmed, closing his eyes as he lost himself in Miyuki’s affections.

“Good,” Miyuki whispered as he closed his eyes.

Eijun felt Miyuki smile against his neck, and a smile of his own spread across his lips.

He couldn’t wait for their date tomorrow.

Eijun wasn’t comfortable with where he was. He knew he shouldn’t have ran out without Miyuki no matter how emotional he was. A couple of turns later, and he realized that he was all by himself in a not-so-good area. At night.

Pulling his coat more tightly around himself, he quickened his pace, hoping to find a public building or a train or a bus or anything that would allow him a safe spot to collect himself.

Maybe I should call Miyuki. I should call Miyuki, he thought as he pulled out his phone. He felt something press against his back and suddenly felt a tall, large presence behind him.

“Give me the phone,” said a voice behind him, and whatever was pressed against his back was pulled away before it was shoved into him, making him stumble forward.

A gun , he realized, fear causing tears to sting his eyes. “I—” he started to say, his voice failing him as he fumbled to keep his phone from slipping from his grip as he held it out behind him.

“Now your wallet,” came another voice, which belonged to Kurai—though Eijun didn’t know or recognize either’s voice.

Eijun shakily fished for his wallet, tears starting to slip down his cheeks, making his face feel more frozen than it already felt. Holding it out behind him, he sniffed slightly, trying his best to keep quiet.

“I think he’s crying,” said Orochi as Kurai took the wallet. “What else do you have on you?” he asked, pushing Eijun with the gun again.

A small hiccup fell from Eijun’s lips as he wracked his brain to try and think about what else he had. “I—my watch, I-I have my watch,” he hiccuped, tears streaking down his cheeks.

“Hand it over,” Kurai demanded digging his fingers painfully into Eijun’s shoulder.

Flinching hard, he barely suppressed a cry of pain, quickly pulling off the watch Miyuki had given him. “P-please,” he stammered out, unable to stop the sob that tore itself from his chest. “That’s all I have, I don’t have anything else,” he pleaded with them.

“What? Your boyfriend hasn’t given you anything nice?” Orochi prompted.

Vaguely wondering how they knew he was gay or anything about Miyuki, he shook his head. “Just… just the watch,” he managed to force out.

I shouldn’t have left Miyuki. I shouldn’t have left him. He let out another sob, and he covered his mouth, trying to remain quiet. I wish he was here. I wish he was here to get me out of the stupid mess that I got myself into. This is all my fault, this is all my—

Orochi spun him around and shoved him against the wall, causing Eijun to cry out and try to scrunch up into a ball. Kurai, in response, grabbed his shoulders and forced him to straighten up, leaning down so his mouth was by Eijun’s ear.

“I’m sure we could do whatever we wanted to you and you wouldn’t care. In fact, you’d enjoy it,” he snarled into his ear as he ripped his winter hat off and grabbed his hair.

Rape, Eijun realized, his eyes widening in pure terror. He’s going to rape me. They’re both going to. Sobbing, Eijun tried to push him away, looking down and trying to shrink back the best that he could.

Orochi threateningly pressed the gun to his stomach, and Eijun began to sob louder.

“Please don’t!” he cried out. “Please, I’ll do anything, just don’t—” his voice cracked, and fresh tears spilled down his cheeks. “Just please don’t do that!” he cried out again, practically screaming the words in desperation. I’m sorry, Miyuki. I’m so, so sorry. This is my fault and now—

Making a disgusted noise, Kurai shoved him to the ground. “As if. I’m not a disgusting excuse for a human being like you are. See? If you were straight, you wouldn’t have to even worry about that,” he spat at him. He aimed a merciless kick at him, and Eijun cried out, holding his side and curling up with his hands over his head in an attempt to protect himself.

“You have no right to exist,” Kurai said as he yanked Eijun back to his feet and slammed him against the wall.

Eijun cried out, unable to keep the hot tears from coming, not even noticing how much his body was shivering from the cold. He tried to picture Miyuki, hoping that whatever was going to happen would be over soon and he could go back to Miyuki, safe in his arms.

“Please… please just let me go,” Eijun pleaded with them, hiccuping violently as his shoulders shook.

Orochi moved Kurai aside and stepped forward, looming over Eijun and slipping his fingers under his chin as he forced him to look up at him. Through his blurred and watery vision, all Eijun could fully make out was their eyes, and then he realized they were wearing masks. Trembling, he tried his best not to move, frozen in place in fear of what the two might do.

“Sawamura Eijun, you’re disgusting,” he said, and Eijun heard a soft click.

How’d he know my name? Wait, was that the gun? No, no no NO! He shook his head violently, sobbing uncontrollably. “Please don’t kill me. P-please! You already took everything! J-just go and let me be!”

“Eijun?!”

He heard the alarmed cry and the sound of running towards them. Sobbing in relief, he realized that it was Miyuiki—

No. No, if Miyuki comes, then—

“Miyuki, stop!” he screamed at him. “Don’t! Go away!” He heard the running slowly die down, and he turned to look, watching as Miyuki slowly took in the scene.

“Eijun,” he heard Miyuki whisper, voice heavy with horror and terror. His eyes were locked on the gun that was pressed to Eijun’s stomach. Eijun watched as Miyuki’s gaze slowly met the gazes of his two assaulters. “Please,” his voice rasped, and Eijun wasn’t sure if Miyuki was able to form any other words.

Eijun watched as Orochi turned to look at Kurai, and the two seemed to have a silent conversation. After a few moments, Kurai grabbed Eijun by his scarf—the red scarf that Miyuki had given to him—and pulled him off the wall, shoving him forwards. As the snow fell, Eijun tried to steady his breaths, walking towards Miyuki. Miyuki began to run towards him, and Eijun heard himself breaking down again, beginning to sob as he stumbled towards him.

Reaching him, Miyuki pulled him into a tight hug.

“You’re okay,” he whispered in his ear. “You’re okay, and I love you, and I’m sorry.” Eijun felt him kiss his ear, and he pressed his face into Miyuki’s shoulder, sobbing in relief.

“I was so scared,” he mumbled against his jacket—the same jacket he had been wearing when they first met that day on campus. In fact, Miyuki was wearing the exact same outfit he had worn that day—a black sweater that was almost a turtleneck, a nice jacket that sat open with its lapels folded back, blue jeans with a belt, and nice looking casual shoes. He vaguely wondered if it had been on purpose. Eijun couldn’t help the small smile that ghosted across his lips.

That would be very romantic, Miyuki. How unlike you, he thought fondly as he pressed closer to him, allowing himself to feel safe and secure in Miyuki’s arms.

“I know, but you’re okay now,” Miyuki promised against Eijun’s ear, dropping his head against Eijun’s neck and pressing a comforting kiss there. “Let’s go,” he started to say when Eijun cut him off.

“I change my mind.”

“Huh?” came the startled response that fell from Miyuki’s lips as he lifted his head up to look at Eijun.

“I changed my mind. Y-yes. I say yes. Right now. We can go right now if you want,” he said, his eyes brimming with tears as he stared into the beautiful eyes that hid behind Miyuki’s glasses.

In that moment, Miyuki wanted nothing more than to kiss him, and he nearly did before he realized that the two men were still there, only a few feet from where they stood. Putting his arm around Eijun, he started to usher him off.

“I’m so glad, Eijun. We’ll talk about it when we get home, okay?”

Nodding, Eijun pressed closer to him, tucking himself under Miyuki’s arm.

In that moment, time seemed to slow down for Miyuki, and every last hair stood on end as he registered a soft click behind them. Shoving Eijun behind him, he quickly spun on his heel so that he was face to face with the two who had intruded upon their lives—their perfect lives.

“Run!” He yelled at Eijun as he pushed him backwards, stepping back defensively as he stared at the two, watching as the larger man pulled the trigger. He didn’t feel the bullet pierce, didn’t really notice it. What he did notice was the way he fell to the ground, the way it stung, and he could feel the way the snow dampened his clothes, the cold seeping into him, and he could hear the sound of running.

At least he’s safe, Miyuki thought. Eijun is safe. He’s safe. He ran like I told him to, and he’s safe because I pushed him away and he ran, and he’s safe. Eijun is safe. Eijun is safe. He repeated it over and over in his head like a mantra, and he couldn’t be sure if it was an attempt to comfort himself or to convince himself that Eijun was safe, that he was going to be okay. Maybe it was both.

His eyes fluttered, and he groaned, shifting his head so that he could see where Eijun went.

And everything froze—time, his breath, the snow that was falling, everything . This wasn’t happening.

Eijun’s amber eyes, dulled with pain, stared back into his chocolate ones. Both of their eyes widened as they hyperfocused on the other, and Miyuki saw Eijun’s eyes flick downwards, taking in the blood that was seeping through his own fingers as he pressed his hands against his stomach. Coughing, he stumbled forward, falling onto his knees next to Miyuki and pressing his hands against Miyuki’s stomach, trying to press down on his wound.

“N-no,” Eijun sobbed, desperately trying to stop the blood that was gushing from the bullet hole, as if he could will it to go back into Miyuki’s body and continue to circulate, as if he could will everything to be okay.

“Ei, my phone,” he rasped, trying to get his hand into his pocket.

Eijun sobbed again, fishing through his pockets. “I can’t find it!” he cried out in desperation. “They took mine! I—”

He doubled over, coughing, and he could tell that there was fresh blood that hadn’t been from either of their wounds flecked across his palm. Eyes widening in horror, he stared at the blood that he had just coughed up.

Miyuki grabbed his hand, demanding to see it, and looked up at him in fear. “Ei, you need to hold your wound,” he choked out, pushing Eijun’s hand against the spot where the bullet that cut clean through Miyuki had pierced Eijun.

Vision blurry, Miyuki vaguely remembered laughter as one of the men who had just destroyed their lives laughed. He had said “two birds with one stone” as he ran off with his monster of a friend. The bullet had shot through Miyuki, burying itself into the love of his life, the one he had been trying to protect.

Shaking his head, he focused on Eijun. He needed to be strong for Eijun. He needed to make sure he was okay, that he would be okay.

He continued to force Eijun’s hand against his wound, watching as his face contorted in agony. He watched as Eijun’s other hand found its way to Miyuki’s free hand, grasping it tightly and guiding their hands to Miyuki’s wound.

“Y-you, too. You need to hold yours, too,” Eijun choked out, his body wracked with sobs that he was trying to contain.

Letting go of the hand he had been pressing to Eijun’s wound, Miyuki lifted the Eijun’s hand—the one that covered his own—and gripped it tightly so that they each had a hand pressed to their own wound while they held each others’ hands tightly.

“Someone will come,” Miyuki promised, his eyes fluttering again.

Another sob tore itself from Eijun’s chest, and his body was wracked with a fit of coughs immediately after, blood splattering over the ground. “I-I want to lay down, Miyuki,” he sobbed.

No, Miyuki realized. Eijun, you can’t. You have to sit up or—

It was too late. Eijun was laying down next to him, gripping his hand tightly. Eijun grunted with the effort whilst tears threatened to spill onto his cheeks once again.

Struggling to keep his eyes open, Miyuki tried to focus on Eijun. He wanted to tell him everything—how much he loved him, how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, how he was the only person in the world that had ever made him feel the way he did, how he was so grateful for the day that they had met, that he couldn’t ever begin to put into words how grateful he was that he had allowed Eijun to rip his walls to the ground.

But he could barely form the words.

“I… I love you, Eijun,” he vaguely registered himself saying, unable to focus on anything as he fought the feeling, the feeling that he was being pulled down into something—but what? He felt sleepy, like he could just—

No.

Forcing his eyes open, he stared into Eijun’s shiny amber eyes, imagining that everything was there—which it was. He couldn’t tear himself away from the sight of the angel in front of him.

His lips twisting into a smile, he felt his eyes close, and he heard his name being yelled in the distance. It sounded like… like…

Eijun.

“MIYUKI!” Eijun screamed again, squeezing his hand tightly as he watched as Miyuki’s eyes remained closed. “Don’t do that! Open your eyes, you tanuki! Open them!” he screamed, his voice cracking in pain as he fell into another coughing fit when he tried to shift closer to Miyuki.

“No,” he whispered.

“I love you,” he sobbed as he stared at the other boy, clinging tightly to his hand. Never feeling more alone, he shivered, the fact of how cold it was finally setting in. He watched as the snowflakes fell onto Miyuki’s hair, eyelashes, and face, and he didn’t doubt that they were doing the same to him. It was so cold. Realizing that he wasn’t sure if he could feel Miyuki’s hand in his, he gripped tighter.

“I’m freezing, Miyuki,” he rasped, staring at the other boy through his tears as he prayed that everything would go away, as he begged to whoever or whatever was out there to make it all better, to fix everything and make it all just a dream—a cruel, horrible dream.

But it wasn’t.

He sobbed again, pulling their hands to his face and pressing his lips to Miyuki’s hand, his own eyes starting to close as he shivered uncontrollably.

“I’m freezing, Miyuki.”

His eyes opened, and he stared up at a white ceiling.

Where am I?

He was met with the overwhelming smell that accompanied a hospital room, and it all came flooding back to him.

Miyuki. Where is Miyuki?

Stumbling out of bed, he realized that, although he was in a gown, nothing hurt.

But… the wound… I was shot… why doesn’t it hurt?

Shaking his head in confusion, he spotted clothes neatly folded on a table—his clothes. Tearing off the gown, he hurried into his clothes. His phone was there, too, so he shoved it into his pocket, dashing out of his hospital room in a panic, his shoes still untied. Taking a deep breath, he realized that he needed to calm down.

You can’t find Miyuki if you don’t calm down, Eijun. Calm down. Deep breaths. Go to the front desk and ask if he’s there.

Nodding to himself, he calmly made his way to the elevator, taking it to the front desk.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the man sitting at the front desk.

“Uhm, excuse me,” he nervously began, watching as the man looked up and offered him a smile.

“Can I help you?”

“Is Miyuki Kazuya here? I don’t know if he’s here, and I need to know. P-please,” he said, starting to tear up.

The man looked at him in concern and quickly typed something into a computer. “Spell it, please,” he gently prompted, and Eijun did as he asked, watching him anxiously.

“I don’t have any patients here by that name. I’m sorry.”

Nodding, Eijun covered his mouth and quickly rushed out of the hospital, obvious to the chaos now occurring in his room. Grateful that he was wearing running shoes, a simple white t-shirt, black running pants, and a black track jacket that matched his pants, he tore down the street, trying desperately to clear his head.

Realizing there were trees around him, he slowed his run, looking up at the sky and taking a deep breath. It was a nice day, really sunny and warm—

Warm? It’s winter? Why is it warm?

Shaking his head, he tried to ignore the fact that nothing made sense.

Where is Miyuki? I need Miyuki. I need to talk to him.

Talk, he realized. I can call him.

He fished out his phone, blinking at it in confusion when it didn’t ask for a password. Clicking his contact list, his hesitantly scrolled down until he was greeted with Miyuki’s name. He clicked the contact, staring at the number for a few moments before shakily getting out of his contacts, his entire body trembling.

What is wrong with me? Why am I so scared?

He wanted to scream—to kick something—but decided that causing a scene would be a bad idea. He started to pace instead.

And then he realized the truth that had been hiding under the surface of his thoughts. I’m scared he won’t answer. I’m scared that the reason he wasn’t at the hospital was because he’s dead

Lifting up his phone again, he shakily opened his internet browser. Swallowing roughly, he began to type: Sawamura Eijun, Miyuki Kazuya, shooting.

When an article popped up, he opened it and slowly began to read it.

Yesterday, two local university students, Sawamura Eijun (1st year) and Miyuki Kazuya (2nd year) were involved in what appears at first glance to be a mugging gone wrong, but the police are still investigating what happened due to circumstantial evidence brought forth by one of their friends.

Sawamura Eijun was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery, which he failed to wake up from, and the hospital staff has declared him to be in critical condition, although he is currently in what can best be described as a comatose state.

Miyuki Kazuya, pronounced dead—

Eijun froze, his phone slipping from his hand as it clattered to the ground.

Dead.

The word echoed around around him, and he felt his world falling apart.

“He can’t be dead!” He yelled, choking on his own tears as he crouched down, pulling at his hair.

Feeling everything spiral, he grabbed his phone, checking the current date.

Eight months. Eight months since the day that—

He wanted to scream, his chest felt tight and he couldn’t process what was happening or what he should even begin to do.

And then he did scream.

Gripping his head and pulling at his hair, he barely recognized the blood-curdling scream that tore from his lips, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks as his entire world spun out of control. He could sense people’s gazes on him, but he didn’t care. The only thing he did care about was gone.

Why did it have to be him? Why him? Why not me? I can’t survive without him, I need him. I… why did it have to be us? This… this is all my fault. If I wouldn’t have…

Leaning back so he was sitting, he flung his leg out, connecting with a tree as he yelled out furiously, kicking the ground again and again in frustration and anger. His eyes squeezed shut against the outside world as hot tears streamed down his cheeks, he tried to quiet the jagged sobs that wretched themselves free from his seemingly frail and small body, shaking his entire frame as they broke free. He felt infinitely small. Infinitely weak. Infinitely without a purpose.

We were supposed to get married. I said yes, I said—

Why did I have to run out? Why did I have to freak out when he mentioned marriage? All he asked was if I’d want to get married in the future, and it wasn’t even like he said it would be happening right away… but now it wasn’t ever going to happen. I wanted it to happen. I told him we could go get married then and there. And now he’s gone. Now I won’t ever be able to marry him.

I’m so stupid! He wanted to scream it out at the top of his lungs.

I said yes when he came to get me, when he saved me. I said I would and I said I would right away, but none of that mattered. None of it mattered because some sort of cruel universe had decided that they couldn’t be together, that Eijun didn’t deserve Miyuki.

The volume of his sobs increased, and he dropped his head onto his knees, wishing with every fiber of his being that he could go back, that he could take it all back and say yes right when Miyuki had asked if he wanted to get married in the future. If he had, then none of this would have happened. If he hadn’t panicked, then Miyuki would be next to him.

“Eijun,” whispered a soft voice near him, and Eijun decided that someone in the universe had a sick and twisted sense of humor because it was as if he could hear Miyuki. It was as if he was next to him.

A hand lightly rested on his shoulder, and he heard his name being called again. Opening his eyes as he lifted his head, he was greeted by the sight of Miyuki in his stupid tanuki glasses and that stupid yellow hoodie that Eijun loves him in pulled over a simple white shirt much like his own.

Eijun anxiously rubbed at his knees, not fully believing his eyes.

“Kaz?” he whispered so lowly that it could barely be considered a whisper.

Miyuki pulled out a tissue and gently dabbed at Eijun’s eyes, wiping at his tear-stained cheeks. “You’re awake,” he said, as if he couldn’t believe Eijun was in front of him.

“It’s me who should be in disbelief, not you,” he stammered out, wiping his face with one of his sleeves.

Miyuki let out a short laugh. “Bakamura, what are you talking about? I went to go get coffee and I come back and your room was empty.”

“You were dead!” he cried out, shoving weakly at Miyuki’s shoulder. “The article said you were dead!”

Miyuki blinked in confusion, watching Eijun for a few moments before a look of realization dawned across his face. “You mean the day… the day that everything happened?” Eijun nodded, and Miyuki continued on, “I was pronounced dead, but they revived me in the ambulance. Didn’t you read the rest of it?”

Cheeks flushed with embarrassment, he shook his head. “No, I stopped when it said that… that you…”

Pulling off his glasses as he had learned to whenever they shared any form of affection, Miyuki put his arm around Eijun, squeezing him tightly to his side. “You’re okay,” he whispered against his ear. “I’m okay, Ei. We’re both okay,” he said as he pressed a kiss to the same spot his breath had just travelled across when he had spoken.

Closing his eyes, Eijun pressed against him, and he felt a sob wrack his body as fresh tears began to fall.

“Hey,” Miyuki softly cooed, trailing his fingers through Eijun’s hair. “What’s wrong?”

“I missed you,” Eijun sobbed, pressing against Miyuki and burying his face in his shoulder. “I don’t remember it, but I missed you so much.”

Miyuki smiled sweetly at him. “I know you did, and I missed you so much. I visited you every day for hours on end. I did my homework next to you,” he said, laughing slightly enough that Eijun could hear the pain behind it—but could also hear the happiness and relief that pierced through.

Eijun laughed abruptly through his tears, smiling up at Miyuki. Miyuki’s smile mirrored his own, and Eijun couldn’t help but feel like he was right where he belonged.

“Miyuki?”

“What is it?” the taller boy asked as he continued to stroke Eijun’s hair.

“How did I have my phone? They… they took it when they…” he felt a sob rise into his throat, and he choked on a fresh wave of tears.

Miyuki leaned to the side and kissed his head. “They caught who did it. They went to your high school—Orochi and Kurai, if I remember properly—and I guess someone heard them bragging about it and made the connection, so they reported it to the police. They got your phone back when they arrested them. Oh, and this,” he said, pulling out the watch that Eijun had worn every day since Miyuki had given it to him.

Letting out a relieved sob, Eijun held out his hand and watched as Miyuki put it on his right wrist—exactly where it belonged.

“I needed to keep it with me… to… to keep part of you with me at all times. I hope that’s alright,” Miyuki said, and Eijun hit his shoulder.

“Kazuya, why wouldn’t it be?!” Eijun scolded before he pressed closer to him. Realizing he had started to calm down, he wiped at his nose with his sleeve, blushing when Miyuki brushed the rest of his tears away and leaned forward, kissing his tear stained cheek.

“Better?” he asked, pleased when Eijun nodded in response.

“Good,” he smirked at him as he wrapped his arm around Eijun and pulled him closer. Eijun nervous rubbed his knees, feeling just as nervous and bashful as he had the first time Miyuki kissed him. Cheeks burning bright, he ducked his head down, extremely flustered under Miyuki’s gaze. One hand holding onto his glasses, Miyuki slipped the fingers of his free hand under Eijun’s chin, tilting his face towards him.

Smirking when he saw how colorful Eijun’s cheeks were, he let his hand drop from Eijun’s face. Instead, Miyuki let his arm snake behind him as he leaned closer, capturing Eijun’s lips with his own.

Eijun felt the heat in his face flare up, and he shut his eyes, leaning into Miyuki’s shoulder as he nervously squeezed his own knees, scrunching himself up against Miyuki as they kissed.

Setting his glasses safely to the side, Miyuki grabbed Eijun, pulling him onto his lap as he kissed him.

“Miyuki,” Eijun gasped in surprise, pulling away just enough so they could comfortably speak. His blush deepening, he glanced down. “We’re in public.”

“I know,” he said with a devilish smirk as he pulled Eijun in for another kiss, holding him tightly against him. “I don’t care,” he murmured against his lips, and Eijun found himself caring less and less as well, falling into the kiss and wrapping his arms around Miyuki’s neck as he pressed impossibly closer.

He felt Miyuki smile as he wrapped his arms around Eijun’s waist, pulling him closer to his chest.

“I love you,” Miyuki whispered, and Eijun beamed in response, twining his fingers into Miyuki’s hair.

“I know,” he said, a teasing smile taking over his face. “No hat today?”

“I didn’t feel like wearing one today.” Miyuki smirked at Eijun. “Besides, it seems like you’re enjoying that choice.”

Eijun’s blush returned in full force. “Shut up, you Tanuki Bastard,” he muttered, avoiding the smirk he knew he would see on Miyuki’s face if he looked.

“You still haven’t noticed, have you?” Miyuki asked with a smile.

“What?” Eijun asked, confused.

Miyuki kissed his ear, causing Eijun to shiver in response. “Look at your hand,” he whispered, his hot breath fanning across Eijun’s ear once again. When Eijun brought his right hand away from Miyuki’s hair, Miyuki started to laugh. “Your left hand, Bakamura.”

Cheeks flushing with embarrassment, Eijun returned his right hand to its rightful place in Miyuki’s hair, moving his left hand so that he could see it. At first, he couldn’t figure out what Miyuki was talking about, but at a second glance, he realized that there was a ring on his left ring finger.

Gasping, he looked at Miyuki. “Did you—? Is this—?”

“Your engagement ring. If you still mean what you said that night, that is.”

“Yes! Yes! A million times yes, Kazuya!” He cried out, flinging his arms around Miyuki’s neck and capturing his lips in another kiss, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks once again—but, this time, they were tears of happiness. Miyuki laughed at him and leaned back a little so that he could wipe away Eijun’s tears with his sleeve.

Both boys’ cheeks were tinted, but neither could have cared less. They had each other, and they were content to sit there in the grass on the beautiful day that they were given, that they finally had to be at peace with each other.

“I love you,” Eijun murmured as he curled up against Miyuki.

“I love you more,” Miyuki countered, tugging Eijun closer as he pressed his face into the crook of his neck.

“Do not!” Eijun yelled, but he was smiling brightly enough to light up the entire room.

“I do,” Miyuki said, and Eijun didn’t miss the added meaning behind it.

“I do,” Eijun said, echoing the words they had both said earlier that day.

“We’re married,” Miyuki whispered.

It still felt so unreal to both of them. They were married. This was their wedding night.

Eijun let out a squeal, kicking his legs into the air, and Miyuki bellowed as he laughed, pulling Eijun close to him.

“We’re married,” Miyuki said again, louder this time, and Eijun nodded as he beamed at the other boy with pure love.

“We’re married!” Eijun yelled as he sat up.

“We are,” Miyuki chuckled, and Eijun tackled him, flinging his arms around him. “We’re married!”

Miyuki laughed as he fell back on the bed with Eijun on his lap. Smiling up at him, he took Eijun’s hands into his own. Eijun smiled back, squeezing Miyuki’s hands.

“I love you,” he said, leaning down and kissing Miyuki.

Kissing him back, Miyuki smiled. “I love you more,” he said as he released Eijun’s hands, fidgeting with Eijun’s shirt.

Eijun smirked down at him. “What? You want it off?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Recognizing the words, Miyuki laughed and shoved his shoulder. “No fair!”

Eijun blinked in surprise. “You remembered that that was what you said to me after our first kiss?”

“Of course,” Miyuki said, cheeks flushing slightly. “I remember everything we say or do.”

“Miyuki-senpai!” Eijun cried, pressing kisses to his face.

Cheeks aflame, Miyuki pushed at him. “You know, you’re Miyuki now, too. If you want.”

Eijun smiled and rested his head on Miyuki’s shoulder. “And you could be Sawamura if you wanted,” he teased.

Miyuki laughed, hugging him. “Please,” he shot back lightheartedly. “If we’re changing our names so they match, then you’d be Miyuki Eijun and I’d be Miyuki Kazuya.”

“Why?” Eijun asked as he sat up. Eyes gleaming mischievously, he grabbed Miyuki’s hands again. “Everyone knows you’re the wife. I mean, you cook, you clean, you do all the wife stuff.”

Miyuki laughed and shoved Eijun off him. “Rude,” he said as he pushed Eijun down, moving on top of him. “Are you stereotyping women? If so, you’re the smaller and more easily flustered one.”

“Hey!” Eijun shrieked, but he was smiling up at Miyuki, arms wrapped around his neck.

Miyuki smiled at him and lifted his shirt slightly, tracing over the scar that interrupted the smooth skin on Eijun’s stomach. “Does it ever hurt?”

“Does yours?”

“Sometimes,” Miyuki admitted, and Eijun slipped his hands under Miyuki’s shirt, pressing his fingers against his scar.

“You know,” Eijun said. “It’s kinda like that bullet tied us together.

“Eijun,” Miyuki breathed. “Don’t say stuff like that. I thought that I was going to lose you.”

“Sorry, Miyuki. I didn’t mean to upset you. I love you,” he said as he pulled Miyuki down for another kiss. “I won’t say things like that, I promise.”

Miyuki smiled and kissed Eijun’s cheek. “I love you, too.”

Another joyful laugh sprang from Eijun’s chest. “We’re married!” Eijun shrieked again, and Miyuki laughed.

“You still can’t get over it?” Miyuki gently ran his fingers over Eijun’s cheek, chuckling when Eijun shook his head.

“C’mere,” Eijun whined, pulling Miyuki close to him.

“What is it,” Miyuki asked innocently, his eyes teasing.

“Kiss me,” Eijun commanded, looping his arms around Miyuki’s neck and running his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

“How demanding,” Miyuki teased, capturing Eijun’s lips in a kiss anyways.

Chest swelling with a feeling of love, Eijun felt himself melt in Miyuki’s embrace, just like every time they kissed.

They were unbreakable.

They were each other’s destiny.

Nothing anyone or anything could ever do could separate them, and the red sting that bound them together was tightly knotted, refusing to let them separate ever again.