Archive of Our Own

Touya snaps to attention, blinking up at An's smug grin. "Shiraishi?"

"You," An says, pointing an accusing finger at Touya, "you're fucking smitten."

From across the table, Kohane stifles a giggle; unlike Touya, she's been concentrating on her homework. An raises an eyebrow and pointedly looks over at Akito, completely unaware of the attention as he warms up on the stage, and then back at Touya.

"You've been staring at him for the past, what, ten minutes," she says simply, waving her hand in the air for what seems like emphasis. "Don't think I haven't noticed, you're not really subtle."

"...Oh," Touya says, quietly, feeling his cheeks flush as he turns his attention back to the math homework piled on the table. He'd barely even noticed that he'd been staring. "I didn't realise."

An only laughs at his dull reaction, swiping up the empty cups of his coffee and Kohane's tea. "You've been like that recently, you know? Did something happen with Akito?"

He's beginning to shake his head when he remembers, freezing mid-shake.

(Akito's warmth, buried into his side, breaths fluttering shallow. His quiet groan as he'd blinked warm brown eyes open, still half-lidded with sleepiness as they'd met Touya's; the way pink had flushed up his cheeks slowly, blooming prettily up to his ears. Touya remembers capturing that face with his mind's camera, filing it away in a place to keep forever.

They'd stayed frozen like that for what felt like hours before — as expected — Akito had shot straight out of bed and landed with a yelp on the floor.)

"Oh," An breathes, then gives him an encouraging little pat on the shoulder. "Good luck, Touya."

The subtle change in their relationship is strange; acknowledged but kept unspoken, hanging in the gaps. Neither of them bring it up, like it hadn't happened — but Touya remembers it clear as day: the way Akito's hoodie had fell over his shoulders, warmth tingling in his fingertips, the ghost of a smile.

Something has changed, though, like they've taken a step past friendship, but haven't reached whatever's beyond yet — still half-covered by an umbrella, yet to step fully into the rain.

Still, Touya notices the way Akito lets him sit closer, arms just brushing when they sit side-by-side on the train, earbuds shared. The way eyes linger for a fraction longer than before, then quickly wrenched away. The way see you later is exchanged for good night.

He wonders what they are now, because he likes Akito, but Touya knows he's a coward — they're both cowards, really, and he doesn't yet have the push to take another step forward.

(So he waits. The rain helps considerably.)

"Aw, fuck," Akito groans with the first drops, "I thought it was going to rain later tonight..."

They hurry towards a nearby convenience store as it picks up, the rain drizzling down lazily around them. It's not strong yet, but then they're tumbling into the store just as the wind begins to howl; beside him, Akito shivers in relief. The rain has somewhat tamed his hair, bangs plastered in limp strands over his forehead, and Touya has to remember not to stare as he pouts, brushing and blowing and patting.

Instead, Touya distracts himself by shuffling over to the counter, pointing at the heated display case of steamed buns beside the tired-looking cashier. "I'd like a meat bun and a sesame azuki bun, please."

Akito is browsing the manga on display when Touya approaches him, offering him the choice of the two. He immediately reaches for the sweet one without sparing even a glance for the other, and pops the steamed bun out of its little pocket to take a large bite.

"Mmm. Thanks, partner," he says with a quiet sigh of contentment, lips quirking into a smile as he chews and swallows. "I'm starving."

Touya begins to nibble on his own, not feeling particularly hungry, but stomaching down something — just in case he doesn't get much dinner for staying out too late. In comparison, Akito's steamed bun disappears in a matter of bites, and he makes a face at the empty wrapper before dropping in a nearby trash bin.

There's a little strand of hair left somewhat untamed, flying up as it had dried. Touya follows the furrow of his eyebrows to the crinkle of skin in the gap between his eyes to the slight curl of his lips, and somehow, even in the dim, ugly lighting of the convenience store, Akito looks—

Akito jolts him out of his thoughts by waving a hand in his face. "Oi."

Face flooding with heat, Touya jerks and almost drops his steamed bun. It wobbles precariously in his grip, and at the same time, Akito's hand reaches for his wrist, steadying it just enough for Touya to grasp the plastic pocket firmly. Akito blinks back at him, head tilted to the side, and Touya busies himself with taking another bite to hide the flush on his cheeks.

"You're weird today," he laughs, oblivious to the way Touya's thoughts have somehow centralised on the exact places on his wrist where Akito's cool fingers are resting. Slender. Touya wants to press them, their coolness, to his cheeks, wants them to gently tug him down until they're closer, and then Akito's releasing him with a strange look on his face. "I—if you're not hungry, I'll eat it for you."

Touya swears he sees pink fluttering underneath Akito's skin.

There's only two bites left, so Touya shrugs and hands the remains over for Akito, busying his hands by rummaging through his bag for the folded umbrella he keeps for days like these — rainy, dreamy days where he knows Akito hasn't brought his own.

"I'll walk you home," Touya offers quietly, even though Akito's place is further than his.

"You're gonna get in trouble for staying out, aren't you? I'll be fine." Akito shrugs, already heading for the door. "Come on, before the rain gets heavier."

Somehow, the thought that Akito remembers makes Touya a little warm.

In the end, Akito's the one who grabs at his wrist and tugs him left at the intersection, so Touya hurries to keep the umbrella over the two of them as they walk down the darkened streets. The rain has let up to a quiet drizzle, but not light enough to walk without an umbrella; just enough of an excuse for arms to brush under it.

It's still raining when Akito stops in front of the Aoyagi residence, backlit by a lone streetlamp. He's pretty under the light, looking at Touya expectantly, almost shy, and something flutters in Touya's stomach, warm and strangely familiar.

Touya wants to kiss him.

"Well," Akito says, awkwardly breaking the silence, "good night?"

(There it is — the good night, the change.)

"Mm." Touya pauses, then presses the umbrella into Akito's hands. They're warm. "Keep the umbrella for tonight."

And then, before he can regret anything else, he does it, quickly leaning down and—

Touya doesn't miss the little breathy gasp that leaves Akito's lips. The widening of his eyes, the falter of the umbrella over their heads, the pink that blooms up his neck to his cheeks. He gives Akito the gentlest whisper of a kiss; enough to taste sweetness, but not enough for it to linger. It's breathtakingly simple like that — the rest of the world disappearing for just a moment, only the patter of rain and the beating of hearts.

Akito is simply warm, lips a little chapped, somehow gentle. If it'd been longer, he'd have more words to describe it — like the exhilaration of singing, perhaps, or like the warmth of a burst of good coffee on his tongue, like the comfort of clothes too big on his shoulders. But Touya doesn't let it last, doesn't even wait for Akito to respond; pulling away as quickly as he'd ducked in, drinking in the way Akito stares openly at him, flush burning to his ears, lips hanging just apart.

For a moment, he just lets the kiss settle, sinking deep into his stomach.

"Touya," Akito breathes. He raises one shaking hand to his mouth, opening, closing. "Tou—"

And then Touya turns on his heel and runs, flinging open the gate in his hurry, fumbling the key into the lock and slamming the door behind him. He eases off his shoes, not even bothering to neatly line them next to his mother's, and stumbles up to his room to slump against the door and bury his face in his hands.

Fuck, Touya thinks.

His lips are still tingling.

"Son," his father says when Touya sits at the breakfast table, already laden with freshly steamed rice and tamagoyaki and miso soup. His mother is probably still in the kitchen, from the sounds of water running.

"Father."

"Your behaviour last night was not acceptable," he begins, and Touya feels his blood run cold. "Coming home well after dinner time — you know this, Touya. Have you got no respect for your family when you enter? Leaving your shoes in the entranceway for us to trip over? Your poor mother had to air out your shoes..."

Touya grips at his bowl tightly, tries to ignore the feeling of churning guilt. He's been through enough similar lectures that he knows it's the same thing over and over; the same spiel about politeness and returning to classical and bad influences.

As long as his father stays away from Akito.

Touya steps outside with a heavy mind and empty stomach, barely registering the sprinkle of rain. He digs through his bag for an umbrella, realising too late that he'd lent it to Akito. It's not too heavy, so he'll have to make do for now — going back inside isn't on his mind. Sighing, he closes the gate and peers up into the grey morning sky, letting cold drops splash onto his face.

At least his father hadn't seen Akito. He's not prepared at all to talk about Akito to his family — as a friend, perhaps, but not as anything beyond just yet. Hell, he doesn't even know if Akito—

"Touya."

Touya snaps to attention. "You shouldn't be here, Akito."

Akito doesn't say anything, footsteps only sounding closer, and when Touya turns to meet him, he's too late; Akito's hand has already grabbed his wrist, the other reaching for his cheek. He glimpses red, and then tastes warmth — sweetness under roughness, gentle fingers smoothing raindrops from skin. Akito kisses him there, with no regard for the rain coming down around them, and the entire world seems to whirl into place, clicking with a smile as he pulls Akito in.

"Seriously," he mumbles when he draws away, cheeks flaring red and not meeting Touya's eyes, "don't just run away."

Cute, Touya thinks, then, too late, realises he's uttered it aloud when Akito flushes even deeper.

"Fuck you," Akito retorts, clearly embarrassed, then begins to stalk off in the direction towards school. He shakes out an umbrella from his bag that Touya recognises as the one he'd lent yesterday, pausing at the corner to beckon Touya under as the rain picks up.

"Thanks," Touya says quietly as he ducks under, fiddling with the straps on his bag, mind still replaying the kiss. They'd been right outside the gate — he hopes they'd been far enough to not be visible over the fence from the second floor, and prays quietly that nobody had seen.

Still, the exhilaration floats light inside him, bubbling into a smile.

Akito kissed him.

Akito kissed him—

A low growl from his neglected stomach cuts off Touya's thoughts there before they can head further south, and a further bout of warmth seeps into his cheeks when he realises Akito is staring. "You didn't have breakfast again today?"

Blankly, he realises he's barely eaten since lunchtime yesterday.

"Here," Akito says without waiting for an answer, rummaging through his bag. "You got me one yesterday, so."

A steaming meat bun appears in Touya's hands a moment later, and Touya blinks back at Akito, who grins as he tears the package open and sinks his teeth into the bun.

Warmth fills Touya's chest, and he can barely tell if it's because of the way Akito smiles or the heat of the fresh bun or the filling of his aching stomach. It overwhelms him gently, squeezing and twisting, until everything leaves his lungs and bursts into form on the tip of his tongue.

"I like you," Touya blurts out. Promptly, the warmth spreads to his cheeks, and he clamps his mouth shut, glancing over almost shyly at Akito. 

His cheeks are red, again, and Touya thinks he likes it on him — open and flushed and pretty, strands of hair falling over his eyes, lips pursed in a half-pout.

"I— I like you too, I guess."