it ain’t easy being cheesy

Hirano finishes his homework before Kagiura and decides to use his free time to watch him concentrate, eager to test what he’s pretty sure he already knows.

He’s got a wrinkled-up line between his eyebrows that Hirano finds charming; he props his chin into his hand and admires the way his face bends and shifts while he works. The way his mouth twitches down trying to piece together something he doesn't understand. How it smooths out when the pieces finally connect.

After a brief stretch of silence, Kagiura’s pencil stills on his paper. His eyes flicker up to meet Hirano’s, his hand twitching around his pencil before tightening up again. Small trickles of red crawl into both cheeks, and then his entire face is overtaken by furious blush.

“You’re—you’re staring at me,” Kagiura points out, weakly. “Did you—did you need something, Hirano-san?”

“Nope,” Hirano says, forcing down his embarrassment to put all his attention into teasing him. He leans back as casually as he can with his elbow on one knee and asks, “Am I not allowed to look at my boyfriend?”

“Um,” Kagiura squeaks out, ducking his head and fidgeting more with his pencil. “Ummm.” He taps it against his page two more times. Circles his thumb against the eraser. Clutches the base of it and then taps the tip of it against his paper one more time. He groans loudly, listing forward to plant his face in the center of the desk, the pencil rolling uselessly out of his hand.

Hirano’s chest tingles, a distinct feeling he’s still not used to but starting to really like. He wonders if it’s the same as Kagiura feels whenever they touch each other. He reaches out to poke his limp hand and says, “Quit slacking off and finish your damn homework.”

Kagiura lets out a wheezing sound equivalent to that of a popped tire Hirano optimistically interprets as defeat.