Archive of Our Own

"Oh."

Matsuno looked over where Hanagaki was patting himself down.

"Takemitchy?"

"Oh shit, I forgot my wallet," he said. He went digging through his school backpack, and a hand came to tap on his shoulder.

"Don't mind," Yamamoto said with an easy smile. "I got you!"

"Takuya!" Hanagaki clapped his hands together in front of him, eyes shining, "I knew I could count on you!" and he leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Matsuno blinked, eyes wide as Baji kicked him out of the way and yanked Yamamoto out of Hanagaki's grip. At once, he had Hanagaki pushed up against the wall, eyes wild and hair spreading wildly around him.

"Takemitchy," he growled out, "I'll pay for you."

And like that was good enough, the loud, slurping sounds came, it was enough to make all of their faces red. The quiet whines sounded from Hanagaki and echoed around the room as the young man gripped the back of Baji's uniform.

Yamagishi covered his mouth with a sharp gasp and Suzuki's jaw dropped. 

Sendo sighed, shaking his head, "I knew this would happen."

And Yamamoto frowned. "My kiss..."

And Matsuno felt like a door had been wrenched open. 

--

Hanagaki hummed as he looked over the choices in the vending machine. What would he get today?

His eyes lingered on the Pocari sweat. But he also wanted the soda pop. 

Next to him, someone started to put coins into the machine. He jolted, not realizing that there was a line.

"S-sorry," he said, ready to move out of the way when a hand grabbed his arm and spun him before pinning him to the vending machine. He grunted, eyes opening widely as Draken looked down at him. 

"Pocari?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"You want the Pocari?" Draken asked again.

"Y-Yeah," Hanagaki wasn't actually sure what he was agreeing to, but he agreed to it. "Uhm, hi, Draken-kun."

"Yeah," Draken replied, putting the money in and waiting for the vending machine to drop the drinks, without letting Hanagaki leave where he was, pressed against the vending machine. He leaned down to grab them and placed it in Hanagaki's hands. "Here."

"T-Thank you!" Hanagaki's grin was wide, eyes shining. It was nice to be treated every once in a while like this, even if Draken had a death-grip on his arm. He was about to move away when Draken came in front of him, blocking him again. "Draken-kun?"

"Yeah?"

He leaned down until their noses were almost touching, and Hanagaki couldn't tell if the summer heat was getting to him, or if Draken was just too close.

"Uh..." he hesitated, "Y-You're a little close."

"Yeah."

He internally cried. Closing his eyes, he tried to think of the whys and hows, when a pair of lips came over him. He gasped, and Draken's tongue was immediately pressed into his mouth. His tongue filled his mouth, rushing in and sucking on his tongue. A high-pitch whine escaped Hanagaki, his knees starting to rattle and knock into each other, when Draken pulled back.

His pupils were blown wide, chest heaving as he stared at Hanagaki's lips. Slowly, his eyes dragged up to meet Hanagaki's gaze and he licked his lips.

"You're welcome," he said, straightening up.

With a smug grin on his face, he waved over his hand and headed to where the others were, leaving Hanagaki with the cold Pocari drink and his lips throbbing.

"Huh?"

--

From across the street, Hanagaki's eyes widened. He waved his arms around, and yelled out, "Hajime!"

And impressive was how Kokonoi's head snapped over immediately. His eyes widened, while a wide grin stretched his lips and he gave a small wave.

"Takemichi!" he called out back, looking more refined and elegant than anything Hanagaki could do.

The two rushed to the closest crosswalk, the two of them with matching grins as they impatiently waited for the light to change. As soon as it did, Hanagaki broke into a sprint, and Kokonoi opened his arms out. Hanagaki laughed as he jumped right into his arms, and fondly remembered a time when Kokonoi avoided all types of physical contact with him.

He felt like they came a long time from that. 

"Hajime! How have you been!?" Hanagaki asked, and Kokonoi chuckled, not even winded from Hanagaki took a step back. "I've missed you so much! It's been too long! Are you ready to get something to eat?"

"Easy, Takemichi," he laughed back as they separated. "C'mon, let's get to the burger place first. I'm starving." 

"Right!" Hanagaki grinned back. "Shame that Seishu couldn't come today, huh?"

Kokonoi hummed, a playful smile on his face, "Aw, am I not enough for you, Commander?"

"Huh? Of course not," Hanagaki said, "and don't call me that! Toman disbanded a while back, you know?" He tugged on his arm, eyes shining as his wide grin welcomed Kokonoi as warmly as he always did, "Don't tease me like that. We both know that you're the one that doesn't need me."

Kokonoi stared at him for a moment, his smile dropping. He leaned over and pinched his cheek.

"Dumbass," he said, voice packed with something Hanagaki couldn't parse. "It's not about needing you," he said, "and you don't need me either. That's why we work so hard, isn't it? So that our life isn't just about what we need, but what we want."

"...What we want?" 

"Yeah, you stubborn bastard," Kokonoi's words were rough, but his tone was gentle as they waited for the next crosswalk to change. "We're both busy but we still make time for each other, right? Our paths aren't the same, but here we are, getting dinner anyways. It's because we still want each other..."

Hanagaki's eyes were wide as he looked at Kokonoi, and the older teen cleared his throat, feeling a little sheepish as he unexpectedly laid his heart out like that. The two walked a little longer, Kokonoi tugged on Hanagaki this time when the light changed, and immediately, they were walking in step again.

"Hajime-kun, thank you," he said, and gave him a cheeky grin as a pleased flush colored his cheeks. "You've gotten so nice! I'm so glad we became friends!"

Kokonoi stared at him for a moment longer, "Friends, huh?" he said. As they got to the new burger bar that opened up. "Takemichi, what if I'm lying to you?" he asked as he got the door.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

He held it open, and motioned for him to walk in. Right when the blond did, he caught his arm and when Hanagaki turned his head, kissed him. The gentle press of their lips was electrifying, and it sent a thrill down his spine. Hanagaki gulped, eyes wide and Kokonoi rubbed their noses together before he pulled back.

"Maybe I'm just nice to you."

He gave him a wide grin.

"Order whatever you want," he said, pushing him slightly from behind as he stepped into the store behind him with a wide grin. "It's on me tonight."

--

Hanagaki yawned as he leaned against the railing. He flipped open his phone, just to check, and indeed, it was now 30 minutes past the time they promised to meet. He gave a little hum, and figured that Peh-yan would have told him if he was running late, so this was probably out of the ordinary.

Quietly, he prayed that he wouldn't be dragged into another fight. After the last scuffle with South, he was hoping that there would be nothing but peace left in his world.

"Takemitchy!"

He looked up and Peh-yan, in his usual gaudy clothing, came right up to him.

"Sorry, did you wait long?"

"Nah, it's good," Hanagaki replied, "Everything okay?"

"Augh, some bitches were so damn loud on the train," Peh-yan replied, and Hanagaki caught the blood on his knuckles. And then, his friend gave him a wide grin, "C'mon, let's go and get food! Man, the look on Pah-chin's face when he finds out that we went without him this time is going to be great!"

Hanagaki grinned back, glad that Peh-yan was otherwise fine. 

"Yeah!" he laughed back, "But he went with Yumi-chan, right? Isn't it natural that he didn't invite us, too?"

"You're taking his side?!" he shouted and Hanagaki winced. He misspoke.

"N-no," he said, laughing nervously. He turned to start walking down the sidewalk. "But come on, I'm starving!"

"Oh, right!" And then, Peh-yan grabbed his elbow.

"Huh?"

And Peh-yan leaned in to kiss him right on the lips. Hanagaki inhaled sharply and Pen-yan's grip on his arm tightened before relaxing just as fast. He leaned back, face bright red. 

"Uh?" Hanagaki blinked back at him, dumb-founded.

"Thanks... for waiting," he said, eyes dropping to the ground as his entire face flushed. And then, almost robotically, he started to walk down the sidewalk.

"Eh?"

--

The engine sound was familiar, and Hanagaki felt his entire body stiffen up at the sound of it. However, he couldn't, at all, remember whose bike sounded like that. He could remember, but cold sweat started to bead at his brow. He should know this bike sound. He really should-

And the roar of the bike peaked as a man stopped next to him. He pulled over to the sidewalk where Hanagaki was, and Hanagaki felt his stomach drop to the ground when he lifted the visor of his helmet.

"Yo, Takemitchy!"

"H-Hanma-kun?!" he gasped. 

"Busy?" he asked.

Hanagaki nodded his head. He wasn't, but it was safer to say that he was.

"Too bad I don't care!" Hanma laughed, "get on!"

The light-tone he had was deceiving, and still, what little self-preservation Hanagaki had kicked in.

"M-Maybe next time-"

"Get on."

His smile was still there, but the edge to his voice was also there, and Hanagaki sighed as he got on the bike behind him. He put his arm through his bag, but had it against his chest. This was not the first time he was on Hanma's bike, but it didn't make it any less terrifying. Honestly, the man terrified him more than driving with him. As he leaned down to grab his seat, Hanma didn't move. 

Instead, he turned over his shoulder, "You really wanna do this?"

Hanagaki winced again, and reluctantly released his death grip on the back of the bike and leaned forward to grip at Hanma's pants, right at the waist. It was fine until Hanma's hands grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. His face collided painfully with his back, and Hanma pulled him until his hands met over his stomach. He gave it a playful tap.

"See? Not that hard," he laughed, and kicked his bike back on. Without even checking for oncoming traffic, he shot out onto the road, and flipped off the car behind him when they honked.

And that, that was just the start. However, the wind ripping through his hair, as his heart flew when Hanma took some hard turns and weaved through traffic, and Hanagaki was cheering loudly, uncaring if he was blasting Hanma's eardrums right out. By the time they were getting off, Hanagaki was laughing while Hanma grinned back at him.

"C'mon, the taiyaki here is pretty good."

"You brought me all the way here for taiyaki?" Hanagaki deadpanned, but it was hard to keep his features straight when his chest pounded so hard in his chest. He loved going out for rides. It was arguably his favorite part of being in a motorcycle gang. "You're lucky I have money today."

As he got off and stepped forward, a hand caught his and he was yanked backwards. A pair of lips overlapped his, and a hand came to grab the back of his head so he couldn't run. Hanma was deceivingly strong when he looked so lanky, and Hanagaki wouldn't be able to escape no matter how hard he wiggled. However, the tongue in his mouth pressed against sensitive areas he didn't know he had, making his knees grow weak. He stumbled forward a little, towards Hanma, and the older man relaxed his grip on his head. 

Eventually, Hanma pulled away, licking his lips as Hanagaki gulped nervously. Clutching his bag to his chest, he stared up at Hanma in a daze. 

"Uh...?"

"Payment received," Hanma said, gaze locked on Hanagaki's lips before they dragged up his face to meet his eyes. He gave a wide grin. "I'll get dinner for another one, if you want."

"Uh..." Hanagaki blinked a few more times, still trying to collect his scrambled braincells before he cleared his throat. Covering his mouth, he flushed as he said, "I-I'll pay. Since you drove us here."

"Yeah?"

"Y-Yeah," Hanagaki said, "I-I need to go to the bathroom!" Before he bolted to go into the place Hanma mentioned, he heard the terrifying sound of Hanma's laughter behind him.

--

"Gotcha!"

Hanagaki squealed when Smiley's pressed an ice cream right against his neck, and yanked him out of his stupor.

"Whoa!" he shouted, and when he saw Smiley's grinning expression, could not stop the smile on his face, "Smiley-kun!"

"Damn straight," Smiley said, passing the ice cream to Hanagaki, a garigari-kun bar. "Here."

"Thank you!" Hanagaki cheered, all previous annoyances forgotten as he reached for it, but paused when Smiley brought his hand back. "...Huh?"

"C'mon," Smiley said, brimming with joy and a mischievous energy that had Hanagaki hesitating. "Don't you think I deserve a reward?"

"Oh," Hanagaki nodded his head, "Sure! How much was it?" 

He dropped his hand to his pocket, looking down to get ready to dig through it, when Smiley clicked his tongue. 

"You gotta pay up," he said.

Hanagaki rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, and I said how much?"

"A kiss."

Hanagaki lifted his head, "Huh?" 

And when he did, Smiley swept in to press their lips together. He gave a rough bite over his lips, his tongue sliding into his mouth and slurping obscenely loudly before he pulled back just as fast. 

Licking his lips, he passed the Garigari-kun to Hanagaki.

"Nice," Smiley said, bouncing on his heels. "C'mon, the others are probably waiting for us."

Hanagaki blinked slowly, holding the unopened bag of ice cream in his hand.

"Yes?"

--

"Takashi-kun, wait up!"

Mitsuya's lips widened into a warm smile as his half-lidded eyes took in his features, the epitome of a cool guy. He leaned back and waited for Hanagaki to run up next to him before they set off into the forest with their campsite behind them.

"Hey there, Takemitchy," he greeted. He lifted his arm up, and Hanagaki rushed under it. 

"I'm so glad you came!" he said, a wide grin on his face as his arm wrapped around him. "I was so scared that we were going to have to eat Mikey's cooking again," he said and gave a shudder.

Mitsuya tipped his head back and laughed, the sound filling the space between the trees, as though to remind them that even without the sun, there was plenty of light in the world. 

"Ah, so it's not that you like my cooking-"

"-I love your cooking!" Hanagaki interrupted, eyes shining. "If I was a woman, I'd sell my soul to marry you, Takashi-kun!"

Mitsuya stared at him for a long moment, his mouth hanging open before he closed it into a smile. His cheeks darkened a little, and Hanagaki tilted his head.

"Oh?" he said, tilting his head and giving a mischievous smile as he pushed against Mitsuya. "Could it be that our Takashi-kun is shy?" he teased. 

"Shut up," Mitsuya pushed back, and his arm dropped to rest around Hanagaki's waist, holding him closer still. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"Eh?" Hanagaki said, and then thought about it. "I guess we don't tell you enough, huh?" He gave a hum, "I think Takashi is handsome and nice! Always remembers birthdays and double-checks that no one left their coat. And you're a good cook and always helps me mend my clothes. And always have my back no matter how bad the odds are! You're super, duper, cool-"

Mitsuya placed his hand over his mouth. "Stop," he said quietly, his face a bright red that Hanagaki rarely saw. He grinned behind his hand, and started laughing instead. Mitusya groaned as he shook his head, "God, you're so embarrassing."

"Aw, Takashi-kun, you know I love you!" he laughed. "Oh, that'll be good firewood," and he left Mitsuya's grip to grab some of the branches as he finally remembered why he left the campsite. 

He hummed as he grabbed a few branches. It looked like a giant arm fell off a tree, so they should be able to break off some parts of it to burn. With a hum, he got to work, snapping it off when a hand grabbed his.

"Careful of splinters," Mitsuya said, voice gentle. 

"Yes sir," Hanagaki cheered back and Mitsuya, whose face was still a little red, shook his head like he couldn't believe him. 

When they got a good arms worth, Mitsuya pulled two long strands of canvas strap out from his pocket.

"I got it," he said, wrapping them all up with ease and picking them up.

"Huh? Oh, I could carry it. You're already cooking after all-"

"Takemitchy," Mitsuya's voice was as gentle as always, like how leaves fell and rested on the ground so quietly no one heard them fall, "You ever think about why I'm nice to you?"

"...Huh?" Hanagaki blinked back at him, "Because... We're friends? I..." he tilted his head and thought about something his classmates once said about friends they've known for too long. "Habit?"

"...Well, I guess that's not wrong," Mitsuya said, "but it's just you, you know."

Mitsuya's hand was extended towards him, and Hanagaki, even though he didn't really get what Mitsuya was talking about, took it in his. He flinched when Mitsuya's fingers interlaced with his, and when he was tugged, took a step closer to stand next to him. 

It was strange to think, but Mitsuya's gentle gaze felt a little heavier. It didn't sound like it was possible, but Hanagaki wasn't sure how else to describe it. Mitsuya leaned in slowly, and Hanagaki stood still. Briefly, he thought that he could leave, he could escape, but he didn't want to pull his hand away from Mitsuya's warm and certain grip. 

"Takashi?"

"If you don't push me away, I'm going to get ideas," Mitsuya whispered, and his breath washed over his lips. At once, Hanagaki licked his lips and Mitsuya's eyebrows twitched. 

"I-ideas for dinner?" Hanagaki asked and Mitsuya kissed him.

"Yeah," he said when he pulled back, still close enough that Hanagaki could feel his eyelashes flutter against his cheek. "Something like that."

The look that Mitsuya gave him, heavy but kind, made his chest twist inside of his chest. Unable to decipher what this feeling was, Hanagaki just squeezed his hand a little tighter. Tongue like thick taffy in his mouth, he wasn't sure what this tangled feeling was, or why it was stuck in his throat.

--

Hanagaki kneeled down on the ground, tying his shoes. The last thing he wanted was to trip and fall. And it was also a little distracting to see his white laces flapping around everywhere at the bottom of his vision whenever he took a step. He was on the edge of the sidewalk, as far to the edge as he could so he didn't block traffic.

And then, there was a shadow cast over him. He blinked once, twice, and he looked up. 

Bending at his waist, pushing their faces close together, was Ran.

"R-Ran-kun!" Only years of experiencing seeing Ran's face so close, so suddenly, to his own kept him from jumping out of his own skin. Still, it was nice to see him after so long. "Long time no see!"

"It wouldn't be so long if you stopped being so busy," Ran replied with a sunny smile. 

"Sorry, exams are around the corner," Hanagaki replied, finishing tying his shoes before he got up. "I'll be free to hang out with everyone in about a week when they're all over."

"You're going to fail them all anyways so why bother?"

The blond grimaced, his hand coming up to his heart like he had been injured, "That... is painful to hear." 

"Good!" Ran cheered, "I'm helpful, aren't I?"

"I'm not sure helpful is the word that I'd use..." Hanagaki's voice trailed off, but before that, Ran's hand came up cup his jaw. 

"Personally, I'm a romanticist at heart, but you are as tempting as always," he said, eyes softening before he planted a firm kiss right onto Hanagaki's lips. 

Hanagaki's eyes widened, and Ran nibbled his bottom lip before pulling back. A soft pink dusted his cheeks as he looked down at him, in a way that Hanagaki had never seen on Ran's face before.

"Uh?"

"My," Ran said, his hand coming up to his heart, "This is hard."

"Huh?"

"Where are you going to now?" he asked, "I'll walk you there."

"Uh..." Hanagaki blinked back, unsure himself suddenly. "I-I was heading to a cafe to meet up with... C-Chifuyu..."

"Is that so?" Ran asked, his thumb rubbing over Hanagaki's cheeks, gaze gentle, "Well, we can't have you failing all of your classes. Come," he said, and his warm hand fell from Hanagaki's face to grab his hand. He tugged him closer, slipping their conjoined hands into his pocket. "You know, they never said you only give one a day."

"...Give what?" Hanagaki asked, still trying to figure out how to work his brain and his lips. Because wow. Ran's lips were soft. It felt like a contradiction, when Hanagaki once had to stop him from punching someone to death.

Ran chuckled. "I've never been hungry and sated at once before." He hummed, tilting his head to the side as they started their brisk pace, Hanagaki awkwardly jogging-not-jogging to keep up.

"Oh," Hanagaki hesitated, "It might be a little boring, but you can sit and get something to eat while we study."

"Really?"

And when Hanagaki saw Matsuno's face when they got to the cafe, he promised he could apologize to him later.

--

Hanagaki stared out as the rain fell. He gave his umbrella to a woman and her child earlier, but where did that leave him? The rain seemed to be falling even faster and heavier than it did before. At the very least, he figured that the woman and her child would be drier than him. 

He leaned against the pillar. This sucked. He dropped his phone in a puddle earlier, and it was as soaked as he felt. He glared at the rain in front of him.

"Takemichi?"

He turned his head, and his eyes brightened.

"Seishu!"

The blond ran towards him, a frown on his face and his eyebrow furrowing. 

"Are you alone?" he asked, looking up and down the street that was barren of most people. "Why are you alone?"

"I'm a perfectly capable of being independent," Hanagaki deadpanned, and then he grinned, "but what about you? What are you doing out here?"

"Akane wanted tiramisu. I lost in rock-paper-scissors."

There was a burn scar across Hanagaki's foot and leg that never quite healed right. Hanagaki nodded his head, and again, felt grateful for the small miracles he managed to carve out in his life.

"That's good," he said.

Inui's smile was as warm as ever, "Yes, it really was. I even got to see you."

He joined Hanagaki under the alcove.

"Are you busy?" he asked.

"I was going to go get my manga back from Tetta but..." he looked up at the sky, "I think it'll be better for them to live at his house until this ends."

"Then," Inui stepped closer to him, "want some tiramisu?"

Hanagaki grinned back at him, "Sounds good!" He fell into step, dipping under Inui's umbrella, and peered up at him. "It's been a while. How have you been?"

"Yeah," Inui replied.

"Yeah?" Hanagaki parroted.

"Yeah."

The two stared at each other. Hanagaki mildly concerned and Inui with a gentle smile. 

"Yeah, huh?"

Inui's expression, if at all possible, turned even warmer. And Hanagaki felt his thoughts wash away with the rain. It felt impossible that he was friends with someone so handsome.

"Takemichi."

"Huh?" he lifted his head, when Inui's lips came over his. 

It was the briefest of touches, as light as drizzle. The sound of rain seemed to fade away, when his heart was going louder than a motorbike engine. 

"Anytime."

--

"Takemitchy!"

"Whoa-"

Hanagaki startled forward a few steps, but there was a smile on his face already when he knew the person that was slung over him. He turned his head up, ready to scold Hakkai for doing something so reckless, when long fingers caught his chin and a pair of lips came over his.

His eyes widened, and Hakkai pulled back. He pulled off of Hanagaki, moving in front of him with a shy smile on his face.

"Good morning," he said, his cheeks dusting pink and Hanagaki flustered.

"W-What was that about?"

"I should be saying that to you!" Hakkai snapped back, and he pushed his bottom lip out, really accenting his pout. Hanagaki winced backwards, because it wasn't fair that his friends were so damn handsome. "You know how it felt to learn that you're kissing the others but not me?"

"I-It just happened?" Hanagaki tried weakly. In all honesty, he was sort of pushing it to the furthest corners of his mind and pretending that it didn't happen since everyone else seemed to be doing the same. How else was he supposed to digest this?

"I want to kiss you, too," he said, stepping closer.

"Hey!" Matsuno's voice was sharp as he came down the street with a thunderous expression. "Hakkai, you need to do something for him, too!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" he snapped back, a scowl on his face before it all melted into a warm smile towards Hanagaki. "I'll carry you to school today!"

"P-Please don't," Hanagaki tried, but he was already swept up and into Hakkai's arms.

He flailed, a quiet scream escaping his lips as he was carried like a bride. His arms came to clutch at Hakkai, and when he tried to kindly ask to be let down, Hakkai's bright laughter drowned out his complaints.

"Don't worry," he said, toothy grin and undeniable joy on his face. He held Hanagaki close, like he was something precious when it was just Hanagaki, and briefly, Hanagaki had an inkling feeling like this might not be a joke. "I won't drop you, Takemitchy."

"Better fucking not," Matsuno growled behind him as he caught up.

"I uh..." Hanagaki hesitated, but slowly nodded his head. "I trust you, Hakkai-kun. Just uh... are you sure I can't just walk instead...?"

His voice fell flat, however, when the look on Hakkai's face proved to be too much for him to fight against.

--

"Is... Is there a bug going around or something?"

Sendo stared at him and gave him a pitying sigh.

Next to him, Yamamoto pointed at himself.

"If you kiss me, I'll tell you."

"Not you, too! C'mon, is it that funny to you?"

"We're not doing this because it's a joke," Sendo added. "You mean too much for us to do that."

"Augh, maybe you guys. But I don't know. It just... doesn't make sense."

Sendo and Yamamoto exchanged a look, but didn't say anything.

--

"Ready?"

Hanagaki gave a wide grin at Kakucho, "Yeah, thanks for waiting!"

Kakucho shrugged back, "I knew I was going to be here long."

"Wow, you're so rude," Hanagaki tried to deadpan, but it was ruined when he laughed brightly. 

And like it was infectious, Kakucho laughed just as loudly.

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?" he teased out. 

"Shut up!" Hanagaki laughed back, and then, Kakucho's hand caught his. Hanagaki blinked. 

"Boo hoo," Kakucho said and Hanagaki stared at their conjoined hands for a second longer. "Well, how's the school life? You get any smarter?"

"I'm not... terrible," Hanagaki spluttered back. 

Kakucho swung their hands together, and Hanagaki felt like they were kids again, holding hands before crossing the street like their teacher told them too. The thought made him laugh a little. Maybe they weren't as grown-up as he thought.

"Hm? Whatcha laughing about?" Kakucho asked, tilting his head to look at him a little.

Hanagaki put a little more effort in swinging their hands with a whistle. 

"Kaku-chan's hand has gotten bigger," he said. 

"Eh?"

"You hit like a bulldozer, but like this," he lifted their conjoined hands up, "I can really feel how big your hand has gotten." He gave him a toothy grin, "You think, if I got as big as you, I'd get strong?"

Kakucho stared at him for a moment longer, his cheeks darkening.

"You say some really embarrassing things, you know that?"

"Huh?" Hanagaki blinked, "Did I?" He squeezed the hand in his a little tighter, while he gave him a cheeky grin, "What's wrong, Kaku-chan? Are you feeling shy? A big guy like you?"

The grip on his hand came back twice as strong and Hanagaki grimaced but laughed.

"Such a sore loser."

"Shut up!" Kakucho shouted back, and then tugged him a little closer, "And it's fine, isn't it? If I'm bigger than you, I can protect you easier, too."

Stars lined blue eyes, showing Kakucho a galaxy right in the middle of the day, "Oooh! Kaku-chan's such a hot shot!"

His face turned even darker, and Hanagaki looked up, and realized that he recognized the neighborhood.

"Ah, I'm back already," he said, and turned to his childhood friend, "You spending the night?" he asked.

"Nah, I gotta get back to Izana," he replied. 

"Sounds rough," Hanagaki replied, "Next time, let's invite Izana, too! You think he likes yakitori?"

"He's usually fine with it." Their footsteps came to a stop as they came to the door. "There. Home safe and sound."

"What a gentleman," the blond giggled. "Do you always walk Izana and Mochi back like this?"

Kakucho mumbled something or another, and the shorter of the two leaned in.

"What did you say?"

"It's... just you," he said, unable to meet Hanagaki's eyes. 

"Huh, are you the one that gets walked back instead? And now that you're not the weakest guy, you're walking me back?"

Kakucho squeezed his hand, the flush on his face stretching to his ears and down his neck as he cleared his throat. He stepped closer to Hanagaki, his other hand coming up to his elbow to keep him from stepping away. 

"Kaku-chan?"

"You're not weak," Kakucho said, meeting his gaze evenly. "Not as strong as me," he added quickly, giving a playful grin, but it sobered quickly. "But you're definitely not weak. I walked you back to make sure you didn't walk into the center of a gang war, sure," and before Hanagaki could say anything, he leaned in closer, "but I really wanted to spend more time with you."

And then he kissed him. It was the barest brushes of their lips, but then Hanagaki leaned in a little more. Kakucho tilted his head, and their lips awkwardly parted before the surging hunger became something Kakucho couldn't hold back anymore.

Kakucho pulled back from the kiss, grin on his face, cheeks flushed, as he looked over Hanagaki's features.

"That's a good look for you, hero."

Hanagaki panted hard, his hand still caught in Kakucho's grip, and he blinked glossy eyes up at his childhood friend.

"K-Kaku-chan," he whimpered, his lips swollen.

"Yeah," Kakucho cleared his throat, eyes carefully looking over his flushed expression, "That's me."

"W-Wha...?"

"Hurry up and get in," he said, motioning for the door and releasing him. 

"I-I only stopped because of you!" he spluttered back, and Kakucho grinned back.

"Then, should I stop you again?" he asked, licking his lips and watching how Hanagaki's entire face darkened. "Don't worry, Takemichi, I'll walk you home everyday if you want."

"T-That's not at all what I meant!" Hanagaki shouted back. He was about to go in, when he stopped. He rubbed the back of his neck, and turned back to his childhood friend. "But you should show your face some more," he said, with a shrug. "I did... miss you."

Running for his front door, he missed how Kakucho's face colored before the grin stretched his lips, and he thought Kakucho missed how his ears turned bright red in his embarrassment. 

--

"I-I'm really sorry," Hanagaki apologized again.

"Takemichi," Taiju's voice made him click his jaw shut, "Shut up."

Hanagaki opened his mouth, reflexively ready to apologize again, but the look that Taiju gave him stopped him where he was. He pursed his lips, and Taiju leaned back to grab the gauze from the first-aid kit and rewrapped his leg carefully.

"Wow..." Hanagaki whispered, watching Taiju work. "You're really good at this. Thanks, for uh... coming to save me and stuff."

"Why do you think I did?" Taiju deadpanned. 

"S-sorr-" and he bit his tongue in an effort to keep his mouth shut. He tried not to think about the side-eye he got from that. "But you've gotten a lot better," he said, desperate to change the topic. "And you're super gentle, too. I barely felt it at all. You're so good at this!" He grinned up at him, and felt like they've all come a long, long way. "Yuzuha and Hakkai are pretty lucky."

Taiju stared at him as he finished up. He gave a long sigh as he wrapped the gauze.

"Takemichi," he called out, "...I can't figure it out."

"Taiju-kun?"

And then, Taiju stood up. He placed one hand on Hanagaki's chair, right behind his head, and leaned over him. Carefully, he brought his face closer, eyes boring into Hanagaki's before they closed, and he kissed his lips. He kissed him with the barest touches before he pressed their lips more firmly together. He pulled back just the slightest bit before he leaned in to kiss him again.

And despite the fact that it was just an innocent touch of their lips, both of them were panting, faces flushed as Taiju pulled back. Eyebrows furrowed, he looked over Hanagaki's features carefully.

"T-Taiju-kun...!" His voice climbed up in pitch, but he tried not to scraem.

"Am I lucky that you're an idiot, or unfortunate?" he asked, a crooked grin on his face. "I'm not sure."

Hanagaki gaped back at him, and the older teen leaned down to kiss his knee, right above where the bandages stopped. He gave a short gasp, the touch of Taiju's chapped lips surprising him, but he didn't kick him away, or even try to. 

"Takemichi, stop getting injured," Taiju said, leaning back, "There are better ways to get my attention."

With that, the door opened and Yuzuha and Hakkai called out, "We're back!"

"Yeah," Taiju called back, "welcome back!" Which was something that Hanagaki knew he did, but still felt foreign to hear. 

"I saw Takemitchy's shoes-"

And Hakkai's beaming smile met Hanagaki's shocked expression. It melted down into something warm and tender, and Hanagaki felt like he was in an oven.

"-I knew it!"

And he wasn't sure what that meant.

--

Hanagaki, from where he was comfortable on the couch, blanket over his lap, and Kakucho keeping him upright, gave a quiet, "Oh," when he realized something awful.

"What?" Kakucho grunted.

"... My drink is in the kitchen," Hanagaki admitted. He closed his eyes. He was really looking for the lemonade, homemade by Hina and gifted to him with a warm smile and a peck on the cheek. 

"Then go get it," Kakucho deadpanned.

"But it's... all the way in the kitchen."

"I'll get it," Mucho said, slowly getting out of his seat. 

Both Kakucho and Hanagaki's jaws dropped. Mucho waved off their shocked expressions with a wave, "I'm out anyways," he said, waving his can at them.

"Wow," Kakucho said, "I have seen it all."

"Yeah," Hanagaki whispered, breathless in his surprise. 

"Don't get used to it," Mucho told them as he made his way to the kitchen. He returned a few moments later, two bottles in one hand and Hanagaki's cup in the other.

Kakucho's eyes brightened, "Oh, me too? Thanks."

Mucho tossed the bottle to him, and Kakucho caught it with one arm, never once jostling Hanagaki against him. Mucho placed the other bottle on the coffee table before bringing the cup to Hanagaki's awaiting hands.

"Whoa! Thank you, Mucho-kun!" Hanagaki cheered, but his expression dropped when he realized that Mucho hadn't released it. "Uh?"

Mucho's now free hand came to the back of the couch, and he leaned over Hanagaki. His expression never once changed as he leaned in and kissed Hanagaki's lips softly. Before he pulled back, his eyes dragged up to meet Hanagaki's blue, and the corner of his lips quipped up.

"It's sweet," he said, leaning back and grabbing his bottle from the coffee table before sitting next to Hanagaki.

"...Huh?"

Next to him, Kakucho scowled. "Takemichi, you're using me as a fucking pillow. Why don't I get one, too?"

"Earn it, Kakucho," Mucho replied, smug smile on his face as he popped open the bottle. His hand came down, taking Hanagaki's in his hand and they settled in to resume watching Godzilla.

"...Uh?" Hanagaki blinked, unsure what just happened.

--

"Oh!" Hanagaki's voice of triumph threatened to blast Kisaki's eardrums, "I got it right?!"

"Somehow," his friend deadpanned, more exhausted teaching than his friend was learning. He pushed his glasses up higher on his face, carefully hiding his small smile behind his hand. "And it only took four hours."

"Lay off, I got it, didn't I?" Hanagaki replied. "Now, to celebrate, let's take a break." He slowly got up to collect the wrappers off the table and onto an empty plate. "You want a refill on anything?"

"Just water is fine," Kisaki replied, getting up to do the same when Hanagaki placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Nah, sit back and take a break, sensei. You've been working hard too, right?"

Kisaki's long stares from his expressionless face had become something familiar, and Hanagaki grinned back at him. Slowly, however, Kisaki sat back. He watched Hanagaki for another moment, probably dissecting him in his head, but Hanagaki didn't really care. He was going to pass this class and move to the next grade with all of his friends.

Right when he was about to stand up, Kisaki's hand came over his. Unlike the rest of them, Kisaki's hands had callouses from pens and pencils, scars from papercuts and binders, and Hanagaki made a quiet wish in his heart, the same wish he always had, that Kisaki would never be so hungry for power and ambition that he would abandon laughter. 

"Tetta?"

Kisaki pushed up to his knees and gave him a peck on the cheek. He turned away immediately, face bright red. 

"Just water," he repeated again, voice gravelly.

"W..." Hanagaki felt his face darken considerably, his ears throbbing, and Kisaki covered his face. 

"Go!" he shouted and Hanagaki jolted.

"R-Right," he said, "Water. Right." Quickly getting up to his feet, he rushed to the door, running into the doorframe but failing to understand that he did. "Water," he mumbled again.

His mind, packed with equations and how soft Kisaki's lips were, swam.

--

"Not bad, right?" Angry asked, eyebrows furrowed as he passed a few napkins over to him.

"Not bad?" Hanagaki shouted with his mouth full of the brownie, "This is delicious!"

Angry's scowl deepened but his cheeks colored. "Yeah," he said, looking pointedly at the wall. "I'm not sure if my brother will like it."

Hanagaki replied without missing a beat, "He will."

"Yeah?" 

"If not, I'll finish it," Hanagaki told him gravely. "You got hands of god, Angry-kun. This is delicious."

Angry snorted, as he leaned back in his seat. "You don't... think it's weird that I... bake?"

"Fucking delicious is what it is," Hanagaki said and then contemplated for a second longer. "But it's not fair. How come you're good in a fight, handsome, and even good at baking? Share some of the skills."

"You're plenty good at a lot of things," Angry replied. 

"Yeah?"

"Like breathing."

Hanagaki whined, a wounded sound while Angry snorted again, the closest he ever got to laughing aloud. "I'm forgiving you because this tastes good," he said. 

Angry stared at him for a moment longer, and then down at the pan of brownies that Hanagaki was making his way through. 

"Takemitchy," he said, his hand coming to grab his hand.

"Huh? Oh sorry, I can stop. They're just so good I can't stop. And you know, in a few years, I won't be able to just eat my way through a pan of brownies. I gotta do it now while I still can."

"Takemitchy," Angry tried again, and Hanagaki looked over to him.

As soon as he turned his head, Angry's lips were over his. He gave a little kitten lick over the swell of his bottom lip and Hanagaki abruptly swallowed everything down. His throat contracted, and he stared, bug-eyed at Angry, who sat back in his seat.

His cheeks were dark, arms crossed over his chest as he scowled at the wall.

"...I'll make them whenever you want," he grouched out.

--

It probably should be so worrying for Hanagaki to no longer panic and flail much when someone grabbed him around the waist and hauled him off his feet, but here he was. 

Or perhaps, the strange part was actually the fact that just by the way he was being ripped from the ground, he knew-

"Rindo-kun?"

"Takemitchy!" the loud laugh was in his ear, and the joy in his voice made it hard to be upset.

"C-Could you put me down?"

"You promise not to run?" Rindo replied, and even without seeing his face, Hanagaki knew that he had a wide grin on his face.

"Have I ever?"

Rindo seemed to consider it and placed him down. "There, didn't I do good?"

"You would have done better if you don't just haul me around like plushie to begin with," he grumbled, but he no longer screamed and yelled like he used to when his friends started doing it. He sighed, did he grow stronger? Did this mean that he grew stronger? He wasn't sure. 

An arm locked with his and started to haul him to the side. With a short sigh, Hanagaki relented.

"Where you heading to?" Rindo asked.

"Video rental," Hanagaki replied, lifting his bag for good measure, "I gotta return some stuff."

"I'll go with you," Rindo said with a wide grin, "I'll keep you safe, so make sure you reward me."

Hanagaki wisely did not mention that Rindo was probably who he needed protection from the most. 

"Reward?" Hanagaki replied and then hesitated, "Like... ice cream?" he asked. 

"You're going to buy me ice cream, too?"

"Well, what were you thinking?" Hanagaki asked, his eyebrows furrowing. "I don't have any money."

"If it's something money could buy, I'd have it by now," he replied. "But you don't like jewellery, watches," and then he made a point to look him over, "or nice clothes. So obviously, you can't gift it."

Hanagaki covered up his shirt as best he could with his arms. "Leave my clothes out of it!"

And Rindo snorted back, shaking his head. "But there's something only you can give me," he said.

"My organs?"

Rindo came to a full stop on the sidewalk, and Hanagaki stopped too. He stared at the older teen, and briefly, felt like they weren't talking about nearly the same thing. 

"Takemichi," Rindo's expression turned neutral, and somehow, it was even more unnerving when he was his usual smiling self. His voice was light, however, so Hanagaki thought that it wasn't too big of a deal. "Did someone ask that of you?"

"Huh?" Hanagaki shook his head, "No. I just... when you said something only I had, it's all I could come up with."

"Okay," Rindo nodded his head, calm in a way that made alarm bells ring in Hanagaki's head. "Well, if anyone ever asks, tell me, okay? I know a few people."

Hanagaki stared at him for a few more seconds before he gave him a wide grin, "Thanks, Rindo-kun," he said. "I hope I never need to use it," he continued, "and I hope you never need to use it either." He tilted his head a little, thinking about it as they approached the video store. "There's not much I can do, but if you ever need any help, I'll do my best to give it."

"Since we're friends?" Rindo asked.

Hanagaki nodded without a second of hesitation. "Yeah!" And then he paused, "At least, I think we're friends."

Rindo gave a soft sigh, but his smile was back on his face, and Hanagaki thought it looked a little lonely. Maybe it was because Ran wasn't here? However, Rindo didn't smack him and throw him into the street again, so he didn't think that he was too upset. 

"Takemichi," he said, grabbing Hanagaki's arm and closed the distance between them in two steps. 

Hanagaki had enough time to get his breath caught in his throat as Rindo's lips brushed against his. Their gaze met and Rindo gave him a wide, toothy grin as he scraped his teeth against his lower lip and the inkling feeling that someone was going to tear him apart with their mouth had fear and dread filling Hanagaki's veins in equal amounts.

"Uh-"

And then Rindo pulled back, pausing only to ruffle his hair. 

"Have you seen Terminator?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Good," Rindo replied, "Then you can watch it again." Hand taking Hanagaki's, he tugged him into the video rental store.

--

Hanagaki squinted up at the sky.

"Wow," he said, as he looked up and down the street as small rivers started to flow over the asphalt in a rush. "It's really coming down."

He sighed, and texted Matsuno that he was going to be late. Matsuno immediately replied if he wanted to come and get him, and Hanagaki snorted. Even if it was a joke, and it was nice of him to offer, it annoyed him a little. Why did Matsuno have to be such a perfect boyfriend? Hanagaki was going to be so lonely when he got a girlfriend, and they stopped hanging out as much. He laughed it off and pocketed his phone without replying as he watched the rain fall.

"Takemitchy?"

He turned his head, eyes widening, "Kazutora-kun!"

With a wide grin, Hanemiya broke into a jog and stopped right next to him. "Yo!" he said, "Whatcha doing?"

"I was doing make-up work," Hanagaki told him, and Hanemiya thought about the fact that Hanemiya was pretty much absent half of last month because the Sanos' went on a vacation and accidentally kidnapped Hanagaki to go with them, "What about you?"

"Counseling," Hanemiya replied.

"Oh, about the future?"

"Yeah."

"Cool," Hanagaki said, looking forward. 

"You're not going to ask about it?"

"Whatever happens," Hanagaki looked back at him and gave him a wide grin, "I'll be there to support you!" And looking back at the rain, he laughed, "In ten years, even if we all go our separate ways, I hope we're all happy. Of course, it'll be better if we're together..." Staring out at the rain, Hanagaki was grateful for it. Every last second with each other was something he cherished, "but if not, it's all good as long as everyone is safe and happy."

Hanemiya stared at him, their shoulders running against each other.

"...That sorta sounds like you won't be there."

"I want to be there," Hanagaki said, "but that's not set in stone. And I don't wany my friends to pick me over their lives, you know? They should do everything they want to. They'll find new friends, but you only got one life passion, right?"

He said that, and rubbed his hand, where an old scar always throbbed a little more whenever it rained. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly stopped, and buried his hands into his pocket. He didn't want Hanemiya thinking that he was hurting, or worse, tell someone else that he was hurting. He was fine, and all his injuries were things that he would gladly have taken over watching someone die again.

"Hypocrite," Hanemiya muttered quietly, under the sound of him popping open his umbrella and Hanagaki felt like he must have heard him wrong. "C'mon," he said, "If we keep Chifuyu waiting any longer, he's going get annoying when we get there."

Hanagaki laughed, "Don't be so mean, that's how he shows how he cares!"

"Yeah, sure," he said, "Come on, we can run together."

"R-Really?" Hanagaki said, like Hanemiya would ever joke about this, and came right next to him with a cheeky grin, "Pardon the intrusion!" he cheered. 

And Hanemiya grinned back at him, tilting the umbrella so that he was covered, and Hanagaki sighed. He knew that Hanemiya was pretty free-spirited, but he should at least do this right. Or hand it to Hanagaki and Hanagaki would do it for him. He grabbed his hand, straightening the umbrella as he did so, and gave him a little smile. He stepped in a little closer as well, and watched the way Hanemiya's features lit up, and returned it with an exasperated smile of his own.

They walked through the street, and with the heavy rainfall, it was like the entire world had been cut off and cleaned out leaving just the two of them together. They talked about other mundane things, mainly what they wanted to eat and made bets on how many people Baji was going to beat up at the arcade when they trounced him again.

Hanemiya stopped walking, about a turn from their destination. Hanagaki stopped too, mainly because Hanemiya's arm was around him while his other hand held the umbrella between them. It was almost like he was hugging him the entire walk.

"Kazutora?"

He leaned down to kiss him, a quick peck on the cheek with a toothy grin. Then, he pressed a bigger, wetter kiss right to his cheek again. Face flushed, from the cold rain obviously, he grinned at him. 

"Even in the future, five or ten years," he said, "We can share an umbrella." He pressed their foreheads together, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. "And more, if you want."

"...Like jackets?" Hanagaki asked, just to clarify.

"Sure," Hanemiya said, "You could really use some better clothes."

"Augh," Hanagaki scowled. "Why is everyone always getting on my case about my clothes?"

And Hanemiya's loud laughter brought Matsuno and Baji right to them.

--

Hanagaki took a hit straight to his face, and he groaned as he took several steps back. His hands came up to cover his face, and when he reached up, took a hit straight to the stomach. Stumbling backwards, he bent forward with a groan and took a kick straight to the temple. 

"Not so strong, are you?!"

Crashing on the ground, he groaned as he rolled over and tried to get on his feet before they started to kick him.

"How were you Toman's Deputy President?"

He grimaced, unsure how things got so bad, and could only hope that it would end before the others got here-

"Hey, who the hell do you think you are?!"

His head snapped up when a body flew over his head and crashed to the ground next to him. He stared as it immediately fell limp, and it was truly a skill for him to look at the victim and know immediately that Izana was here.

"My dear Takemitchy," Izana's voice was smooth and a poised poison that had sweat dripping down Hanagaki's back, "Must you always change your mind on where we're going to meet?"

"I-Izana-kun," Hanagaki whispered, and then cleared his throat, "I-I'm okay! Really, I am!"

"Don't think you're a hotshot j-just because you got one friend!"

Izana kicked the next guy, sending him flying into the next guy and everyone winced at the sound that their heads made against the wall.

"Oh no," Hanagaki shoved past the others and ran up to Izana, "I-It's fine! I-I'm fine! Sorry, I kept you waiting, didn't I? I-I'll buy your dessert so-so let's go, okay?"

Izana's hand came up to cup Hanagaki's face, and silenced him immediately. His gaze was sharp, expression unreadable. He looked down at the rest of them, eyes dismissive, until Hanagaki moved to block his vision of them.

"I'm okay," he said, again, his hand pressing Izana's hand to his face, as he desperately met Izana's gaze again. "Let's go, okay? Yakitori, yeah?"

He linked their arms together, tugging on them a little, and Hanagaki desperately attempted to save this timeline and keep Izana from being a murderer. All life was precious, after all. If the worst thing they did was come after Hanagaki, then it wasn't worth killing them over it. He gently urged Izana on.

Izana stared at him, but his steps started to fall in line with Hanagaki, and he gave a relieved sigh. The smile came a little easier now, and he beamed back at Izana.

"Thanks for coming to get me though," he said. 

Izana's steps stopped then, and he leaned in to kiss him. Their lips barely touched, and for a second, Hanagaki didn't think that they kissed at all.

"A worthy reward," he mumbled against his lips, his words blowing hot over his lips and bringing a shiver down his spine. "I'll earn the rest."

"...Rest...?" 

Izana smiled at him, a slow, mischievous thing that Hanagaki usually associated with painful times ahead, but he didn't mind. Their arms still linked together, Hanagaki had no idea that the rest of Izana's usual entourage was strangely missing, even though they said that they would come together.

"Come, Takemitchy," Izana said, like he wasn't the one that wouldn't move earlier, "The night is young and the air pressure is low."

"...Yeah?"

--

Hanagaki laughed loudly, tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes at something Suzuki said. His friend shouted back at them for laughing. And in a moment of karma, perhaps, Hanagaki's foot missed the last step. He had a brief second to widen his eyes, but right before he fell, he landed right against someone's chest. A hand came to catch him around his waist, while cornering him to the railing. Pressing up against him like this, it was easy for Hanagaki to stabilize his feet back on the ground. 

His eyes widened, pressed against Matsuno, who stood like a wall and prevented him from taking a spill down the stairs.

"What's so funny," Matsuno asked, flashing a small smile at Hanagaki, "that you're so ready to send yourself back to the hospital?"

"Man, Chifuyu, you got some great timing," Hanagaki said. One hand came to rest over his chest, right where his heart was, "I thought my heart was about to jump out of my chest."

"That's fine," Matsuno replied, his arm still around Hanagaki's waist, chest right against Hanagaki's shoulder and arm, "I'll catch that, too." Standing on a step above, Hanagaki was taller than Matsuno but still felt smaller.

"Oooh!" Hanagaki cheered, "You're so cool, Chifuyu!"

Behind him, Suzuki and Yamagishi nodded their heads, giving him a thumbs up.

"I'd 100% fall for you," Yamagishi informed him.

"Don't worry," Suzuki said, lowering his voice as he turned to Yamagishi, "I'd catch that too."

Yamagishi laughed right at that, "You're not handsome enough, dude!" 

And like this was a normal thing, they waved at the two as they made their way down the stairs. Hanagaki gave a shaky breath as he started down the stairs, and Matsuno finally released him. Slowly, they walked down the stairs, Hanagaki's hand tight on the railing.

"That was really cool," he told Matsuno, again, "Like something out of a drama!" He gave him a wide, toothy grin, "Really though, thanks for the save."

"Takemichi," Matsuno's hand came up to grab his elbow, "Come over here."

"Huh? Okay?" Hanagaki followed, like it was the most natural thing to do. "What's up?" And now that he thought about it, he didn't know why Matsuno came up to him in the first place. "Something wrong?"

Underneath the stairwell, where it was empty and devoid of life, Matsuno pressed Hanagaki to the wall. He looked over his shoulder, as though checking for something, and when Hanagaki leaned in to try and see what, Matsuno's and their noses ran into each other when he turned his head back.

"Whoa-"

And Matsuno kissed him. Hanagaki's eyes widened, meeting Matsuno's heated gaze as his friend pressed him further against the wall. Their chapped lips met, and Matsuno nibbled on his bottom lip. Hanagaki's hands came to his chest, ready to shove him away and try to figure this out, when Matsuno's hands came up on top of his.

They were trembling.

Matsuno pulled back then, and he squeezed Hanagaki's hands.

"...Uncool, right?" he asked, pulling his cold, clammy hands away. "Sorry."

"I uh..." Hanagaki blinked at him. And then touched his lips, "What? Why... Why did you?"

"I caught you," Matsuno said, surging right back closer to him. Hanagaki pressed himself against the wall. "So it's my payment."

"Huh?"

And with that, Matsuno ruffled his hair and walked away like nothing was amiss and this was totally normal thing. Hanagaki stood there, his lips throbbing.

"What?"

--

"I uh..." Hanagaki licked his lips. "I think I'm a slut."

Sendo spat all the water he was drinking out. He beat his chest as he coughed.

"Takemichi," he wheezed, "what the fuck?"

"No I just... everyone's been uh," his face darkened, and he cleared his throat, "like uh... that thing, where our lips touch?"

"Kissing?"

"Oh god," Hanagaki looked back forward, "I've been kissing them."

The withering look on Sendo's face didn't seem to register in his head. 

"I just... I don't get it. Everyone keeps kissing me and I don't know why," he gave a useless shrug, "But I don't uh... hate it? I mean, I guess I'll be sad when they tell me it's all a joke, but until then, it's like... it's okay, right?"

Sendo placed his hand on his shoulder.

"And if it's not a joke?"

"Then... I don't get it even more," Hanagaki said, "It has to be a joke. Why else would they do it?" He looked at his hands. "Is it normal? Did I... I wake up and instead of going back in time, I woke up in some parallel universe where everyone just kisses each other all the time?" He ran his hand through his hair, "I don't know," he said, "but I don't think they kissed each other, you know? So it's just me? So like... is it because I'm weak? Do we kiss weak people here?"

"Takemichi," Sendo sighed, "Stop thinking. You're not good at it."

"Gee, thanks."

Sendo hummed, looking at the water bottle in his hand and swirling the water inside of it. "If I tell you, will you listen?"

"Well, yeah?" For a moment, it looked like Hanagaki was annoyed. If Sendo knew why everyone was like this, and holding it out on him this whole time...

"Listen and not immediately fight me on it?" Sendo asked, "No, "that's impossible, Akkun" bullshit."

Hanagaki opened his mouth, probably to sprout some bullshit about how he had never done that before, but the look on Sendo's face kept his mouth shut.

Sendo made a motion for him to come closer. Rolling his eyes, Hanagaki did so. He scooted closer on the side of the riverbank until they were right up against each other. He leaned in.

"Yeah?" he said, "Is it a big secret? Am I dying or something?"

Sendo placed his water bottle to his side, and pushed Hanagaki flat down on his back. Hanagaki blinked, breath knocked out of his body, and Sendo leaned down to kiss him. His trembling lips met his firmly before he pulled up. Hands on either side of Hanagaki's head, Sendo hovered over his friend, eyes bright and features framed by the sinking sun. He moved one hand to cup his face, gaze taking in Hanagaki's features with a small smile.

"Why the fuck would we just kiss you?" he asked, "Isn't it obvious that it's because it's you?"

"That... doesn't that sorta sound like-"

"Yeah, we're in love."

"Oh."

There was a brief pause as it started to really sink in.

"Wait, like... with me?"

"Yes, you fucking dumbass. We love you."