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Kairose: Pieces of the flower may be used for potions that bolster strength, courage, and impressions of grandeur.
Chiaki hummed, apparently pleased by the inscription on the plate planted in front of the flower bed that he’d stopped on. Truly, the flower nursery of the school was full of such interesting things.
“Oohhh, I see. Then this is definitely the one we need! What a good flower, doing everything that it can to make people feel stronger! Please give me courage, okay?”
“You know it can’t hear you, right… C’mon, just pick yours and let’s head back to work in the potions room,” Kaoru sighed, handing Chiaki a small shovel to excavate the flower from where it was planted, “I need this extra credit to pass – but I’d still like to keep my date later.”
Chiaki thought about it – the day classes had just ended, giving them a solid break before it would be time for night classes to begin for those with vampires in their groups. If Chiaki had the choice, he wouldn’t think to be spending it on dates with strangers? Not that he had a choice today.
They both needed this extra credit assignment pretty badly.
“Your priorities are always surprising, Hakaze…” Chiaki hummed, even as he set about getting his hands dirty.
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Not unless you’re doing something worthy of a little friendly teasing between friends!” Chiaki laughed.
At least Kaoru’s sour expression couldn’t remain long when Chiaki handed one of the flowers over, roots and all.
“You’re really impossible sometimes, Morisawa-kun…” His grumbling abated as he looked over the flower, its petals catching the light and appearing to give off a luminescent glow. “Mm, what’s this? It smells nice?”
“Does it?” Chiaki tilted his head, pausing in his digging for his own flower to lean in and take a big whiff of the blooming flowers in front of him.
Pleasantly, he found that Kaoru was not, in fact, playing a trick on him. The flowers smelled like honey, spun sugar, and warm cinnamon all at once.
Something hot began to blossom in his chest, interrupting Chiaki from his digging as he placed a hand to hover over the front of his shirt, blinking. Could it be that this was the beginning sparks of courage bursting forth?
In what felt like the distance, he could hear some voices speaking, their words translating to no more than white noise. It was only when footsteps followed, Kaoru wandering off at a brisk pace, that Chiaki thought to clue back in, pulled away from the syrupy slow feeling that he had been immersed in.
Was there someone calling his name?
As if moving only through muscle memory, he finished his task of extracting the Kairose from the soil, cradling the flower carefully in his hands as he looked down at it.
Underneath his skin, it felt like there was a steady thrum of energy – of warmth that needed to be unleashed, it simply didn’t have a target. Is this what magical courage felt like?
Did magical courage really feel like anxiety in his bones, like a coiled snake waiting to strike?
“Morisawa! Are you deaf as well as dumb?!”
And did Izumi Sena calling his name always feel like getting struck by lightning?
Chiaki turned almost immediately, blinking owlishly at the irritated classmate who stood with his hands on his hips further down the walkway of the plant nursery.
Izumi tilted his head at that, an exasperated expression painted all over his face. “Maybe not deaf, but definitely still dumb.”
Chiaki was always known for not really listening to what other people said sometimes – a terrible habit that was a side effect of being the equivalent of an excited human steamroller – but he liked to think that he was normally pretty good about listening to Izumi. Except this time the insult really did go in one ear and out the other.
He was a little too busy thinking about how important it was that Izumi needed to know – right now, this instant, immediately – just how much he meant to him.
So… the world?
Some part of Chiaki’s mind – the far recesses, for his heart had been conquered quite some time ago – was still a bit confused.
‘Have I always felt like this toward Sena?’
Well, it wasn’t as if Chiaki never considered it before.
(It crossed his minds in little moments-
It crossed his mind when he got a taste of Izumi’s cooking – naturally because he was volunteered to taste test for the culinary class because only Chiaki’s constantly changing constitution would be able to match the test – and he got to think, 'Do I really need to find a girlfriend when I have Sena?'
It crossed his mind when Izumi demonstrated a spell for him for the fifteenth time, his smart fingers guiding the energy and sparks through space, and Chiaki couldn’t help but wonder if the electricity in the air wasn’t between the two of them too.
It crossed his mind when it was just the two of them in the student council room, when Izumi managed to finish his stack of papers ahead of Chiaki and would lean back and give a small triumphant smile that was probably meant to be smug but actually was just really cute—
Oh.
Apparently it crossed his mind a lot.)
But it still didn’t occur to him like this, in the way that made him immediately get up from where he was crouched, leaving the uprooted Kairose fallen on the ground, feeling like every moment up to now could be all for naught if he didn’t close the distance between himself and Izumi.
Every step felt like he had to cross entire galaxies and yet he would – he would do it over and over again.
“What’s up with that dumb look on your face?”
“Sena!” Chiaki launched himself forward, his hands falling onto the other boy’s shoulders, “I really like you?”
Izumi’s nose wrinkled, his hands coming up to try to brush Chiaki off. “Do you listen to what anyone says? Now’s not the time for one of your stupid sappy declarations. Didn’t you need help with a potion or something? I took my time to come here, you know!”
“Yes but – no!” Chiaki shook his head, retracting his hands, a look of frustration settling on his face.
Nonsensical answer aside, Izumi at least thought he was free from Chiaki’s skinship, already setting on rearranging his clothes – up until the other’s arms circled around him completely, not leaving any room between them.
“Wh-What?!”
“It’s not just the potion?” Chiaki’s brow furrowed, his explanation stumbling forth before he could even stop it. “I need… you!”
Okay but what the shit.
Izumi struggled for a response to that sudden, clumsy confession – before his gaze over Chiaki’s shoulder fell upon the disheveled pile of dirt where he’d once been crouching by. A fallen flower remained, its petals still catching the sun’s light in its soft pastels.
“You’re kidding.”
Having felt Izumi go still in his hold, Chiaki blinked, pulling back a fraction. Confusion settled in his eyes right next to the affection.
“Kairose,” Izumi intoned flatly.
“You know it upon sight? Really, you’re so amazing, Sena! I’m impressed by you every single d—oof!”
Chiaki’s arms around Izumi pulled away entirely, his hands instead pressed to where Izumi had elbowed him squarely in the abs. Even if Izumi wasn’t as physically strong as Chiaki, elbows were truly a dangerous weapon.
“No, you moron – well, yes, I am amazing – but anyone would think to study the ingredients they need for potions before they try handling them?!” Izumi brushed himself off, pinching his nose.
Was it awful that Chiaki thought even that was cute?
Probably.
“The Kairose: Pieces of the flower may be used for potions that bolster strength, courage, and impressions of grandeur—”
“Yes! That was my assignment.”
“—however the flower on its own is poisonous and can result in side effects if one isn’t careful. Aptly named after the feeling that can be considered an ‘opportune moment’, those who inhale the pollen of the Kairose flower will fall under the temporary delusion that they are in love with the first person that they see.”
Of course Izumi Sena could recite the complete textbook definition of the Kairose flower.
Of course Chiaki Morisawa wouldn’t even put on gloves or a mask before he tried handling it.
Chiaki paused, tilting his head. A delusion? Could it really be mere magic and spells that made him feel this way? His hand drifted up to his chest, where his heart still pounded over Izumi’s very presence.
“What a pain,” Izumi huffed, running a hand through his hair. “The length of the effects varies so it might be useless to try to prepare an antidote. But if you think that you love me—”
“I do!”
“You don’t.”
“I do!” Chiaki insisted more fervently, stepping forward to shorten the distance between them again. “Why wouldn’t I be in love with you?”
“That’s not—”
“Everything about you is amazing.” Chiaki’s eyes turned pleading, as if he wanted Izumi to only see what he saw.
Izumi was about to point out that what Chiaki saw was behind Kairose-colored glasses, but the other continued.
“You’re the smartest person I know and you’ll still take the time to look after people like me – I’d be lost without you. You’re kind that way, even if you never admit it. You’re so much stronger than you come across and – I know I don’t have to protect you. But I always want to. Not to mention that you’re beautiful, so—”
“Enough!” Izumi interrupted immediately, every nerve set on edge by Chiaki’s open display of affection.
Just how much of the sun was in Chiaki’s soul anyway?
There was a briefest flash of irritation in Chiaki’s eyes – apparently he really wasn’t done – before he traded it for contemplation. “I do – love you, that is. I know I do… but I also don’t want to trouble you. So if this really is a passing feeling – but it’s not – maybe it can just… run its course?”
“Run its course?” Izumi sighed, shooting him an exasperated look. “So you just expect me to deal with you following me around for the rest of the day? You’re really overestimating how much I can tolerate you.”
The most recent exchange being Exhibit A: sometimes Chiaki was just Too Much for Izumi.
Chiaki’s expression fell.
“… What do you think you are? A puppy? God, what a gross face,” Izumi snapped, scoffing as he turned away. “Fine, whatever! It’s too much of a hassle to make an antidote anyway. Now hurry up and bag that Kairose properly so we can finish what we came here to do. Ugh, you owe me.”
That was enough for Chiaki.
He beamed, lighting up immediately as he went to do as ordered, stowing away the Kairose properly before running to catch up. He fell into step with Izumi, humming. “Great! I’m really glad. I just… really want to be with you, Sena.”
Izumi spared him a glance.
Then he looked to the sky.
Gods, he would need so much more patience than he possessed currently to deal with this.
Chiaki’s lovestruck look sure as hell didn’t look like it was going anywhere just yet.
Really, it just went on.
And on.
(“Ah,” Izumi hissed, snatching his hand back from the piping hot beaker, irritatedly glaring at the red burn on his hand. “How annoying!”
Not that it mattered. An adept ice witch like him could still handle a small burn with magic—
Or.
Or Chiaki could react far faster, swiftly but gently grasping Izumi’s hand and inspecting it in about a half a second.
“Ah, that has to hurt! Be careful, Sena!”
Then, possessing zero shame whatsoever, Chiaki lifted Izumi’s finger to his lips. A brief, feather light kiss.
Izumi froze Chiaki’s lips shut the second he pulled away.)
And on.
(“Let’s go! Hakaze is waiting for us.”
“Fine – wait, where’s my bag?”
Chiaki wordlessly lifted the tote higher so that Izumi could see, his own red backpack casually slung over his shoulder, star charms clinking with their otherworldly glow.
Izumi’s eyes narrowed. “And you’re not giving it to me… why?”
“Let me help you, Sena!”
“Pass!” Izumi snapped, his hand reaching out to snatch back his bag, only for Chiaki to lift it higher out of his reach, laughing. Apparently to him it was some sort of game? Truly a moron.
A few minutes passed like that, a game of well-meaning keep away up until Izumi wasn’t able to keep up with Chiaki’s faster footwork, a collision inevitable as Izumi fell right into him.
“Ahaha, I didn’t think that this is how you would fall for me, Sena! Careful, okay?” Chiaki hummed, his arm way too comfortably wrapping around the shorter boy’s waist.
Izumi looked up, poised to verbally rip Chiaki a new one – but he found himself cut off with his own surprise. Sure, he expected the rare mischievous glint in Chiaki’s eyes that only appeared when he was teasing. But love spell or not, he wasn’t expecting the warm, adoring look that overshadowed all else in his gaze.
Izumi shoved him away abruptly.
The only reason he didn’t leave him frozen in a block of ice was because he was too overcome with disgust.
And only disgust.)
And on.
(“Are you lost, Morisawa? You’re going the wrong direction from your dorm.” Kaoru raised a brow, making a gesture in the direction that Chiaki should have been walking instead of continuing to fall into step with himself and Izumi.
“I have to walk Sena home!”
“No, you don’t,” Izumi huffed, fingers occupied with fixing his hair.
Chiaki tried to help, hand reaching out to brush a stray lock behind Izumi’s ear, his fingertips lingering on the other’s jaw for a fraction of a second.
“Ow!”
Izumi scowled.
Minor frostbite was the very least that Chiaki deserved. Whatever. He could walk it off.
“Why are you fine and this moron isn’t?” Izumi questioned Kaoru. The other had come back to his senses an hour ago – so what was up with Chiaki?
“Probably because his mind is a lot simpler.”
Izumi’s gaze drifted to the sky.
“Fair.”
“Or,” Kaoru hummed, giving a devilish smile to his companion, “maybe his feelings were stronger in the first place.”
Izumi fixed him with a glare.
Not fair.)
And on.
Until it – didn’t?
“There!” Izumi sighed, “We made it to my room, are you satisfied?”
In truth, Chiaki wasn’t. He shifted uneasily because he – wanted to stay? He wanted to see the inside of Izumi’s room, ask him about whatever decorations he might’ve had, his photos, watch how his eyes would sometimes go all soft, lost in a memory. He wanted to collect all the little pieces, so sure that they were just as fascinating and beautiful as the person in front of him.
But he couldn’t say that.
What he did say was:
“Um.”
“For fuck’s sake, are you kidding?” Izumi groaned, placing a hand on his hip.
“Sorry!” Chiaki laughed, so he really couldn’t be that sorry. “I guess I just really want to be with you.”
Though judging by the way that Izumi’s gaze narrowed into a leer, the other didn’t really appreciate that answer.
“If I could try to explain it,” Chiaki started weakly, “it’s like… magnets?”
Izumi sighed. “Do you even know how magnets work?”
“Nope!”
Chiaki laughed sheepishly, catching Izumi’s wrist as the other tried to smack him.
“But maybe… that’s exactly why? This isn’t something that I can explain – it’s something that I barely understand. I just know that I’m drawn to you, like even my soul is reaching for yours.”
Gently, Chiaki guided Izumi’s hand to rest over his own chest. His own heart.
“Like this beats for you.
“Like it’ll stop entirely if we’re not together.
“Like it’s… always been yours?”
Izumi’s eyes widened, apparently struck speechless. Whatever insult his mouth was working on had stopped short, his lips paused.
Chiaki thought that it was as good a time as any, leaning in—
And the world shifted.
He was vaguely aware of all of it. The shock of Izumi’s face turning into brief, acute panic. The witch’s warm hand cupped in his own. The quick but certain beating of his own heart.
The single, solitary inch between their faces.
“Sena?” Chiaki spoke first, shattering the silence even with his tentative whisper.
Izumi’s voice finally returned to him. “What?”
“How long have I been in love with you?”
And then the world shifted. Again.
Though this time was more likely because the floor beneath Chiaki’s feet was suddenly coated in ice, coupled with Izumi’s unrelenting and merciless kick to knock Chiaki’s legs out from underneath him. It was inevitable for Chiaki to collide with the ground. Hard.
“Don’t say it like that, you idiot?! Are you a moron, confusing the effects of a poisonous flower with your feelings? God, you’re so annoying!” Izumi snapped. “Get out already if you’re done spouting stupid shit – get out faster if you’re not done.”
And with that, he turned away and slammed the door shut behind him.
Chiaki eventually sat up, ears still ringing from his sudden descent and impact, rubbing the back of his head gingerly. Well, he probably deserved that – he really imposed on Izumi all day, hadn’t he?
But well.
He couldn’t help but think that he saw a bit of a blush across Izumi’s cheeks before the other had turned away.
Sitting there, he continued to gaze at the door for a few extra seconds before pushing himself to stand, laughing quietly in no one’s company but his own.
Even though he was sure that Izumi couldn’t hear him, he question again:
“But really, how long have I been in love with you?”
months later.
“Izumiiiii!” Chiaki’s voice echoed in the potions chamber, notifying everyone in it of his presence.
Luckily, the only one currently occupying the chamber was his boyfriend, looking over the recipe for the potion he was preparing once more. Not even glancing up from the paper, he beckoned Chiaki over to his workstation. “Shut up, you’re so loud.”
Of course what else could’ve followed that besides a loud laugh? Chiaki grinned as he approached, arms full of a crate containing a multitude of plants. As he walked behind Izumi, he leaned down to press his lips to his shoulder, “I missed you too.”
“I only sent you to get these an hour ago…” Izumi sighed, finally looking up from the paper – expecting a proper kiss.
Of course he got one.
Then Chiaki laughed as he sat on the table itself, gesturing to the plants. “They were in different sections of the garden! But here you go, all of your plant ingredients, accounted for.”
“Mm, good job,” Izumi added thoughtlessly before he looked into the box – and then recoiled. Immediately he conjured up a small jar made of ice in his hand, then placing it to cover one of the items in the box.
The Kairose glistened underneath the reflection of the ice.
“You picked a Kairose without sealing it away again? Are you a moron? We’ve already been over this! What – are you on Cloud Nine over me again?” Izumi hissed, glaring at Chiaki, already looking for any familiar signs of infatuation.
Which was hard.
Because these days, most of the time Chiaki’s face already had familiar signs of infatuation, not to mention affection, adoration, devotion, desire….
Yet he just sat there, laughing without concern as he shrugged. “Nah, I don’t feel any different at all! Which is what I expected to be the case, honestly – since I’m already so in love with you.”
“Stop that,” Izumi huffed, making sure that the irritation on his face overruled the way that his heart still sped up ever so slightly even now whenever Chiaki reminded him that he was loved. “Is that really how you thought it would work?”
“What’s the point of a plant that would make me think that I’m in love when… I’m already in love?” Chiaki shook his head. “It just didn’t make sense!”
Izumi glared. “Well – what if you had run into someone else on your way here?”
“I took the less-traveled halls just in case,” Chiaki started. Then he smiled and shrugged. “But I don’t think that would matter either – I could never love anyone else.”
“Don’t you think you throw that word around too much…” Izumi sighed, finally reaching into the box to start examining the rest of the plants. None of them had side effects like the Kairose so he couldn’t fault Chiaki too much for not wanting to deal with finding a mask and gloves for those.
“Which one? Love?”
“It’s pretty dumb, don’t you think? When even plants as small as these can make you think that you feel love. You should know that better than anyone.”
Chiaki blinked, glancing down at the box of plants that he’d dug out with his own hands.
Then he glanced over to Izumi, his very own boyfriend that he’d courted and bared his heart to.
“I think… these plants can get people to think that they feel love – can give them a taste of it for a little while… but I think that what we have is something else entirely,” Chiaki answered only after a moment of silence had passed. Perhaps he’d missed his window to respond, but he didn’t think that it was bad to let Izumi know how he felt anyway.
“But what we have – that’s something that I think will last forever.”
Izumi’s hands had stilled in his experiment, giving Chiaki the opportunity to reach out and place his boyfriend’s hand over his own heart.
It wasn’t beating rapidly like it did when he’d been under the effect of the Kairose, or when they’d been out on their first date, or when Chiaki had tried to kiss Izumi for real.
“I still feel like this beats for you, you know?” If you asked him, he really did think that he realized that he was in love with Izumi that day outside his door. “Like it’s always been yours.”
And because it was a rare moment where Izumi let him, Chiaki was able to lean down and seal that promise with a kiss.
When he pulled back, he laughed, “Like magnets!”
Izumi groaned.
“You still don’t know shit about magnets.”