#redes22

“You did what?!”

Shuichi could only stare at Kokichi in shock as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

“Ahahaha...sorry?” he said, an edge of uncertainty in his voice.

“Sorry? I don’t think that even cuts it! You straight-up told your ex that you’re dating me, your roommate, when we obviously aren’t dating! You should’ve at least asked me if I was okay with pretending to be your boyfriend instead of just dragging me into this nonsense without my permission! Actually, to begin with, you should’ve told me that he was harassing you in the first place! We could’ve figured something out—“

“Saihara-chan, shut up!”

A pillow was thrown in Shuichi’s face. He sputtered as the pillow hit him before it fell to the ground before him. He stared at Kokichi, who looked visibly upset.

“I panicked, okay?! I didn’t want to drag you into my personal affairs either, but I had no choice! I couldn’t think of anything else to say that would get him to back off, so I said that!” Kokichi averted his gaze, staring at the swirly pattern on his leggings. “I’m really sorry, Saihara-chan.” he apologized.

“No, I...Shoot.” Shuichi ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m the one who should be sorry. Like you said, you panicked. And when people panic, they tend to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. So, don’t worry about it. What’s done is done and now, we need to look forward.” Shuichi explained.

“Saihara-chan...” Kokichi trailed off.

Shuichi smiled.

“Now, all we have to do is pretend we’re dating so that your ex can back off, right?” Shuichi asked.

“Yeah.” Kokichi replied.

“Okay, sounds simple enough.”

“Oh and also, I know that in the movies, whenever they fake date, they wind up falling in love for real, but I’m letting you know right now that that is not going to happen! I don’t have any intentions of falling in love with you, got that, Saihara-chan?!”

“I know. I won’t do the same, either.”

“Good.”

Kokichi extended his hand out.

“Shake on it?” he asked.

Shuichi nodded.

“Shake on it.” he replied as he took Kokichi’s hand and shook it.

With that, their fake relationship started.

💜💜💜💜

Nagito stared at Kokichi curiously, taking a sip from his cola.

“You have a boyfriend?” he questioned.

“Y-Yeah, I do.” Kokichi stuttered out.

“That doesn’t sound too convincing, Kokichi. Are you lying to me?” Nagito asked.

“No. Why would I lie to you?”

“Oh, I don’t know...you’re planning on shaking me off despite how much you still love me?”

“Oh, please. I despise you.”

“No, you don’t. You still love me.”

“No, I don’t. How could I possibly have a boyfriend if, god forbid, I still had feelings for you? And speaking of boyfriends,” Kokichi looked at his phone. “Actually, he should be coming now to meet you.” he said.

“Oh?” Nagito questioned as the restaurant door swung open to reveal Shuichi, who was in a simple navy blue sweater, tan pants, and navy blue Oxfords.

“Ah! Over here, Shuichi!” Kokichi called out, waving Shuichi over.

Shuichi seemed to still at the way Kokichi used his first name so casually, but he managed to shake it off as he walked over to them. He pressed a kiss to Kokichi’s temple before sitting down beside him.

“Hi, Kokichi.” he said.

“Hi, my beloved.” Kokichi moved to hold Shuichi’s hand and brought it on top of the table for Nagito to see. “So, this is my ex-boyfriend, Nagito Komaeda. And Komaeda-chan, this is my boyfriend and roommate, Shuichi Saihara.” he said.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Shuichi said.

“The pleasure is mine, too.” Nagito said.

He looked between Shuichi and Kokichi.

“So, how did you guys meet?” Nagito asked.

“When we moved into our dorms. He was unpacking when I came in. We didn’t get along at first, but we eventually became friends and then lovers.” Shuichi explained.

“And how did you two start dating?” Nagito asked.

“Shuichi was the one that confessed to me. We were walking back to the dorms after a night of karaoke with some friends and he asked me out. I said yes and now we’re dating.” Kokichi explained.

“I see...and how come you didn’t tell me that you were dating him the first time?” Nagito questioned.

“Because I didn’t think it was your business, Komaeda-chan.”

“And what if I said that I don’t believe any of what you just said?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean your whole story about how you got together. It sounds fake.”

Kokichi and Shuichi tensed up.

Shit...did he see through our little charade already? But I thought we were doing good, Kokichi thought to himself.

Kokichi let out a nervous laugh.

“What are you saying? Of course we’re dating! Why wouldn’t we be?” he asked.

“Because you’re fake dating. That’s the only thing that would make all of this make sense.” Nagito explained.

Kokichi gritted his teeth.

“We are dating.” he growled out.

“Then, I’m going to need proof. Maybe some photos or something.” Nagito said, a sly grin crawling onto his lips.

The grin made shivers course through Shuichi’s body.

Was Ouma-kun seriously dating this guy? He’s really creepy, he thought to himself.

“You want photos? Fine, I’ll show you some.” Kokichi said as he whipped his phone out and began scrolling through his photos before finding some pictures of them taking selfies at a karaoke bar near the campus.

He showed it to Nagito, who took the phone from him and observed the photos. He grinned.

“Sure, they’re cute. But, these look like photos that best friends would take together, not lovers.” he said.

“What the fu—“

“Kokichi, calm down.” Shuichi spoke, massaging Kokichi’s hand in an attempt to calm him down.

Kokichi glared daggers at Nagito, who dissolved into loud cackling that startled some people seated nearby.

“My, this is so amusing! Very amusing, indeed!” Nagito stood. “Well, I’ve got to get going. I have an engagement to attend. In the meantime, take some photos that will actually convince me that you two are a couple. I’ll see you two soon.” he said before walking off.

As soon as Nagito was out of earshot, they both let out a sigh of relief they realized that they were holding in until now.

“My god, that was intense.” Shuichi watched Kokichi in surprise. “I can’t believe you used to date a freaky and manipulative guy like him.” he commented.

“Trust me, I can’t believe it, either. Apparently, he’s always been messed up, but I was too blind to see it until we finally broke up. Anyway, that’s all in the past now.” Panic flashed through Kokichi’s eyes. “What do we do now?! He says he’s not convinced!” he hissed.

“Okay, calm down, just...” Shuichi sighed. “We’ll just need to take the pictures and act lovey-dovey in them. That should get him.” he said.

“I sure hope so...” Kokichi trailed off.

He took a sip from his glass of grape Panta.

“So, should we go on a fake date this weekend?” Kokichi asked.

“Yeah, we can do that. Let’s plan it out once we get back to the dorm.” Shuichi said.

Kokichi nodded.

“Alright. Sounds good.”

💜💜💜💜

Shuichi sat outside a clothing store, waiting patiently for Kokichi to come out.

For their date, they decided to go shopping in Shibuya for the day before having dinner at a family restaurant and then go back to the dorms. So far, they had taken some photos, but the only thing that came close to them being lovey-dovey were the strip of photos that they took at a photo booth an hour ago.

He sighed, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair.

Gosh, when will Kokichi come out? This is starting to get ridiculous, he thought to himself.

He was ready to pull out his phone and text him when Kokichi came out, holding a bag in his hand.

“Hey, Saihara-chan! Look at these!” he called out as he walked over to him.

Shuichi watched as Kokichi pulled out a black shirt that said “I have everything I need” in white letters and a white shirt that said “I am everything” in black letters.

“I got us couple t-shirts! The black one is yours and the white one is mine. We can wear these and take pictures with them on.” he explained.

“I see...” Shuichi trailed off.

“Come on, let’s head to the restroom and put them on!” Kokichi chirped.

Then, he clasped Shuichi’s hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. Shuichi jumped, looking down at their intertwined hands in surprise.

“Ouma-kun...?” he spoke.

“We need to act like we’re dating, right?” Kokichi asked.

Shuichi slowly nodded.

“Yeah...I guess you’re right.” he said.

They stepped into the restroom and changed into the shirts. After that, they continued to walk through the crowded streets of Shibuya, their hands clasped tightly together all the while. Eventually, they found themselves at the Hachiko statue.

“Oh! It’s the Hachiko statue!” Kokichi looked up at Shuichi. “I want a picture.” he said.

“You do?” Shuichi questioned.

Kokichi nodded.

“Yeah! Take my pic!” he chirped as he let go of Shuichi’s hand and raced over to the statue.

“Alright...” Shuichi took Kokichi’s phone and turned on the camera, adjusting everything accordingly. “Smile!” he called out.

Kokichi smiled as Shuichi pressed the shutter, capturing the moment. He took a couple more using his phone and they switched spots. Eventually, Kokichi was approached by a young couple, who offered to take a picture of the two of them. Kokichi thanked them and went to join Shuichi, bringing an arm around his torso. Shuichi did the same as the woman counted to three before taking the picture.

“Okay! Last one for good luck!” she called out.

Kokichi smiled as an idea hit him.

“Hey, Saihara-chan. Don’t move.” he instructed.

“Huh? What—“ Shuichi didn’t get to finish his sentence, for Kokichi had gotten on his tiptoes and leaned in, pressing his lips to his cheek.

Shuichi tensed at the feeling of Kokichi’s warm lips against his cheek as the photo was taken. Kokichi withdrew and made his way over to the couple without a word, thanking them before the couple walked off.

“Let’s go, Saihara-chan! I’m starting to get hungry.” Kokichi called out.

“H-Huh?” a blush threatened to make its way to Shuichi’s cheeks. “A-Ah, I’m coming!” Shuichi responded as he headed over to Kokichi, hoping to calm the erratic racing of his heart.

💜💜💜💜

It was three weeks after their date in Shibuya that Nagito approached them again, asking that they sit at a bench near the art building on campus and talk about Shuichi and Kokichi’s so-called relationship.

“So?” Nagito downed some Dr. Hopper. “Where are the photos?” he asked.

“Right here.” Kokichi replied, handing Nagito his phone.

Nagito took it and began to scroll through his camera roll, observing each and every photo. He would nod his head every once in a while, leading Kokichi to believe that he was slowly but surely becoming convinced.

Yes! If this all goes well, then he’ll finally stop bugging me and then Saihara-chan and I can stop this farce once and for all, he thought to himself.

Suddenly, his heart clenched at the thought of ending things with Shuichi.

Huh?

Wait, wait, wait.

Why did my heart clench like that all of a sudden? It’s not supposed to do that. I’m supposed to be happy that this will all be over! So why am I reacting this way, he asked himself.

Unless...I actually fell in love with him along the way?

Kokichi wanted to slap himself.

No! No, there’s no way that’s possible! Me, falling in love with Saihara-chan even though I explicitly stated that I wouldn’t? That’s impossible, he told himself.

Nagito’s humming was what pulled Kokichi out of his turbulent thoughts as he smiled.

“Your photos certainly give off that lover vibe. Not to mention the shirts that you are wearing today. They’re certainly something a couple would wear. So, I’d say you two have convinced me.” Nagito said.

Kokichi’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“Yes! So, that means—“

“But.” Nagito pressed his lips into a thin line. “There is one thing that sticks out to me so much that I can’t be entirely convinced just yet.” he said.

He looked at Shuichi and Kokichi.

“You two haven’t shared an actual kiss.” he stated.

Kokichi stilled.

An...actual kiss?

He could only stare as Nagito continued.

“I mean, the forehead and cheek kisses are fine, but you’ve never kissed each other on the lips. A couple has had to have kissed each other on the lips by now, yes? So, it seems odd to me that you haven’t shared a real kiss yet.” Nagito explained.

“Well, it’s because we’ve decided to wait until we’re ready—“

“Or it’s because your relationship is fake and you two aren’t actually dating. Besides, why would two people who aren’t interested in each other kiss one another on the mouth?”

Kokichi bit his lip.

Shoot. He got us there, he thought to himself.

He shot Shuichi a look, silently pleading for him to do something.

“It looks like I hit it on the nail. So, was I right?” Nagito asked.

“No. Actually, you’re far from the truth.”

Kokichi looked at Shuichi.

“Shuichi...” he trailed off.

“You want to see a real kiss, right? Well, we’ll show you one.” Shuichi said.

In that moment, Shuichi grabbed Kokichi by the wrist and pulled him towards him, their lips coming together in a kiss. Kokichi immediately stiffened, not sure what he should do now.

Shuichi cupped his cheeks, stroking them gently as if to urge him to kiss back. Kokichi slowly complied, his hands moving to rest on Shuichi’s shoulders as Shuichi continued to kiss him lovingly.

They withdrew after a couple of minutes, panting softly. Then, they turned to see a stunned Nagito.

“Are you convinced now?” Shuichi asked.

“I...well, yes. I am convinced. Your kiss had so much love in it that it was hard to ignore.” Nagito stood. “I’ll leave Kokichi alone from now on. You two take care and be happy.” he said before turning and walking off.

Shuichi sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank god that’s finally over...” he trailed off.

He looked down and realized that Kokichi was still in his arms.

“Ah! I...I’m so sorry!” he quickly pulled away. “I shouldn’t have kissed you so suddenly. I should have asked before I did that—“

“N-No, you don’t need to apologize! It had to be done...” Kokichi trailed off. Shuichi bit his lip.

“I see...” he trailed off.

“Well...at least it’s finally over.” Kokichi said with a chuckle.

“Yeah.” Shuichi replied.

They both chuckled, but it did nothing to rid them of the awkward atmosphere that hung over their heads.

💜💜💜💜

A month went by after the kiss. Since then, Kokichi’s thoughts had grown more turbulent and he was confused as to what it is that he felt for Shuichi. Eventually, he had an “oh” moment upon realizing that in the end, he did fall in love with Shuichi during their time together as a fake couple.

Now that he came to this realization, however, that just made things awkward between them. Kokichi didn’t know how to act around his roommate now and every time they would touch on accident, they would pull away as if they had been scorched by fire.

Kokichi contemplated telling Shuichi how he felt, but he feared that Shuichi would accuse him of breaking his own rules and something told him that Shuichi didn’t feel the same way. So, Kokichi decided that it was best to say nothing.

He hoped that that would be enough to keep those feelings at bay.

Kokichi finished up his homework as Shuichi came out of the shower in a simple grey shirt and plaid pajama pants.

“You’re still working on homework?” Shuichi asked.

“No, I just finished.” Kokichi replied.

“I see.” Shuichi said.

Kokichi watched as Shuichi towel-dried his hair, some ends sticking out and his ahoge popping back up. From where he laid, he could smell the faint scent of sandalwood and peppermint. It was Shuichi’s scent and he was in love with it.

If he could, he would bathe in it all day.

He shooed that image out of his mind as Shuichi went to sit on his bed, sighing as he grabbed for his phone and began to scroll through it.

That same awkward silence hung over them. It was so thick that a knife couldn’t slice through it. Kokichi bit his lip, wondering if he should ask something. As he was getting ready to, Shuichi set his phone down and he spoke.

“Okay, we need to talk.” he said.

“About what?” Kokichi asked.

“I’ve been wondering this for a while, but has something been bothering you as of late?” Shuichi inquired.

Kokichi stilled.

Gosh, as expected of a detective in training...he can see right through me, he thought to himself.

“Not really...” Kokichi trailed off.

“So, there is something bothering you, then?” Shuichi asked.

“I...” Kokichi bit his lip.

“There is, huh...do you want to talk about it?” Shuichi asked.

“We can, if you’d like. However, I’m not sure where to begin...” Kokichi trailed off.

“That’s fine. One thing I was wondering was if it has something to do with me.” Shuichi said.

“You?” Kokichi questioned.

“Yeah. You’ve been acting weird around me and so I’m beginning to wonder if it has something to do with me. If so, then I can see if we could do a roommate switch—“

“No! Oh, god no! There’s no need for a roommate switch! It’s just...” Kokichi trailed off.

He bit his lip again.

Should I really say it, he asked himself.

“Saihara-chan...” he trailed off.

“Yes, Ouma-kun?” Shuichi answered.

Oh whatever. I’ll just tell him. Besides, it’s not a good idea to keep these feelings bottled up inside me forever, he told himself.

“Saihara-chan, I...” he let out a shaky sigh. “I’m in love with you.” he said.

“You’re...what?” Shuichi asked, surprise evident in his features.

“I know, it sounds crazy, especially since I said that I wasn’t going to let it happen, but I fell in love with you. I fell hard and now I can’t stop. I love you, Saihara-chan.” he explained.

Shuichi fell silent. Kokichi swallowed, wondering if he should’ve said anything.

He’s not saying anything. Oh god, maybe it wasn’t a good idea for me to tell him, after all, he thought to himself.

“Saihara-chan, forget what I said—“

“I feel the same.”

Kokichi blinked.

“Huh?” he questioned.

“I said that I feel the same. I love you too, Ouma-kun.” Shuichi said.

Kokichi’s heart skipped a beat. His cheeks began to flush red as Shuichi continued.

“I’ve felt this way ever since you kissed me on the cheek in Shibuya. I couldn’t get you out of my head and eventually, I realized that I was in love with you. But, I didn’t say anything because you made it clear that you didn’t want this turning into something more, so hearing you say that you also love me surprised me.” Shuichi explained.

Kokichi saw the blush that began to make its way onto Shuichi’s cheeks and he couldn’t help but giggle.

“That long, huh? It took me until you kissed me in front of Komaeda-chan to realize that I was in love with you. So, I took longer to figure it all out.” he said with a laugh.

“Is that so...” Shuichi trailed off.

He looked at Kokichi.

“Hey, if it’s okay...may I kiss you?” Shuichi asked.

“You don’t even need to ask.” Kokichi replied.

Shuichi stood and headed over to Kokichi’s bed, climbing onto it and cupping Kokichi’s cheek. Then, he closed the distance between them.

The kiss was sweet and gentle, making Kokichi want to melt into it. He kissed back just as gentle as Shuichi did. They pulled away a couple minutes after, pressing their foreheads together.

“I love you, Kokichi.” Shuichi said.

Kokichi smiled.

Shuichi stood in the corner, watching as everyone else conversed with one another.

I feel...strangely alone, he thought to himself.

He saw Kaito and Maki together by the punch bowl and Kaede and Rantaro flirting with one another. Everyone else seemed to be paired together with at least someone, whether they be in their class or someone outside of the class.

Man, they sure know how to make a single guy feel lonely, he thought to himself.

“So...looks like we’re the only ones without dates, huh.”

Shuichi looked to see Kokichi making his way over to him.

“Ouma-kun...” he trailed off.

I thought he would’ve had someone by now...I guess not, he thought to himself.

“Maaaaaaan, these people know how to make a single man feel lonely!” Kokichi drawled out.

“No kidding...” Shuichi trailed off.

Kokichi shot a look at Shuichi.

“You wanna get out of here?” he asked.

“Get out of here?” Shuichi parroted.

“Yeah! I mean, it’s Christmas and we’re sitting here at a very boring high school reunion.” Kokichi nudged Shuichi. “Let’s go have some real fun.” he said.

“But...” Shuichi trailed off.

“What is there to hesitate about? Let’s ditch this popsicle stand.” Kokichi said.

Shuichi bit his lip, thinking it over before sighing.

“Alright. Let’s go, then.”

💜💜💜💜

“Wooooooooo!” Kokichi stood in his seat, letting his hair blow in the cold December wind as Shuichi sped through the city streets.

He swung his arms about wildly as he looked over at Shuichi.

“I thought you were a law-abiding citizen and didn’t speed!” he shouted.

“Well, I want to do something different for a change!” Shuichi shouted back.

Kokichi laughed before going back to hollering, watching the city lights pass them in a blur.

“Hey, Saihara-chan! Let’s go to a club and get some drinks!” he hollered.

“I know a place.” Shuichi replied.

“Cool! Let’s go there, then!” Kokichi shouted.

Kokichi dropped back down into his seat, laughing as Shuichi slowed down.

“Man, that was great!” he exclaimed.

He buckled back in his seat belt as he looked over at Shuichi, who turned left into a busy intersection.

I remember when we used to do things like this. It would take a lot of coaxing, but whenever we did do reckless things, it was always fun. And this time is no different. He really hasn’t lost his rebellious touch, he thought to himself.

He smiled as he continued to watch Shuichi in his plaid button-up shirt and black slacks.

They eventually arrived at a nightclub called Tokyo King. Parking in the parking lot beside it, they headed inside and made a beeline toward the bar.

Kokichi unbuttoned a couple buttons on his white ruffled collar button-up shirt as Shuichi ordered some beers for them. He listened to the music that played in the background.

“Christmas music but with a twist, huh...” Kokichi trailed off.

“It fits. I mean, it’s Christmas, after all.” Shuichi said as a trap remix of “Deck the Halls” came on.

Their beers arrived and they began to drink.

“So? Don’t you think this is better than that dumb high school reunion?” Kokichi asked.

“I wouldn’t call the reunion dumb...” Shuichi trailed off.

“But, isn’t this better than being there?” Kokichi asked as he took a sip from his beer.

“Well...”

“Well?”

Shuichi reached for his beer.

“I guess it’s better than the reunion.” he admitted.

“You guess?” Kokichi huffed out a sigh. “I’m gonna make you regret saying that you guess.” he said.

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Is that a challenge, Saihara-chan?”

“You could take it as such.”

“Oh, now it’s on!”

They went through beer after beer, the two of them slowly growing intoxicated. After their fifth beer, Kokichi insisted that they go out on the dance floor. Shuichi tried to deny him but found himself being pulled there, anyway.

“Don’t be such a party pooper.” they stopped. “Dance with me a bit.” Kokichi said as he began to move to the beat.

Shuichi was hesitant at first, but he started to dance after being shot a look by Kokichi. He began to let loose, dancing like his life depended on it. Kokichi let out a whistle.

“Woo! You’re seriously rocking the dance floor, Saihara-chan!” Kokichi shouted over the loud music.

“You’re not too bad yourself, Ouma-kun!” Shuichi shouted back.

Kokichi giggled as he continued dancing, swinging his head back and forth.

As a remix of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” came on, someone nudged Kokichi roughly, making him fall against Shuichi’s chest.

He lifted his head, looking into sparkling gold eyes. Shuichi stared back, neither of them moving. Then, Shuichi’s hands moved to his waist and he held him as they began to sway to the beat. Kokichi looped his arms around Shuichi’s neck, pulling them close so that their foreheads and noses were touching.

“You know...this is nice. Ditching that reunion, coming here with you, having some drinks, and dancing like this...” he trailed off.

“Yeah?” Shuichi answered.

“Yeah...I like it. I like it a lot.” Kokichi said with a smile.

Shuichi smiled back as they continued to sway back and forth. Kokichi threaded his fingers through Shuichi’s hair, feeling his black hair tickle his fingers. His eyes traced every single inch of Shuichi’s face from the shape of his brows to his lips, which were very close to his own.

He wanted to kiss him.

He wanted to kiss him so bad.

He closed the distance between them, capturing their lips in a sweet kiss. He pulled away before Shuichi could process what just happened.

“I’ve...actually been wanting to do that for a long time...” Kokichi lowered his gaze. “If it weirds you out, I won’t do it again...” he trailed off.

“No. Don’t stop.” Shuichi reached out and tilted Kokichi’s head gingerly so that their eyes met again. “Kiss me again.” he said.

“You mean it?” Kokichi asked.

“Yeah. I do mean it.” Shuichi said before pulling Kokichi back into another kiss.

Shuichi honestly had no idea how it came to this, but it did.

He had taken a shower three hours ago and was about to go back and look through a case he had been given to work on earlier that afternoon when Kokichi showed up at his apartment door with two plastic bags of beer cans in his hands and a drawstring bag slung over his shoulder, insisting that he crash at his place for the night and drink the night away.

He had planned on telling Kokichi to go back to the apartment he shared with Rantaro, but upon seeing the dry tear marks on his cheeks and how red and puffy his eyes looked, he decided to let him come in.

Now three hours, two beer cans, and a platter of karaage later, he found himself seated on the living room floor across from Kokichi, who had just finished chugging his second can of beer.

Slamming the can down onto the table, Kokichi let out an exasperated groan.

“Ah, goddamn that avocado...!” he shouted.

“Ouma-kun, please keep it down! You’ll disturb the neighbors!” Shuichi chided, nursing a beer can of his own.

“Why don’t you keep it down, Saihara-chan?! Shhhhhhhhh!” Kokichi shouted, bringing a finger to his lips so that he could shush Shuichi.

Shuichi reached up to massage his temple, which was beginning to pound more the louder Kokichi got.

I’m going to have a lot of apologizing to do when morning comes, he thought to himself.

He looked down at his phone, checking the time.

“Ouma-kun, it’s almost two in the morning. Shouldn’t you go to sleep now?” he asked.

“Nope! No sleep!” Kokichi dug through the plastic bag beside him and took out another can of beer. “I drink some more...” he slurred as he tried cracking open the can with clumsy fingers.

After five attempts and a little bit of swearing, he managed to crack it open and began to gulp the bubbly liquid down.

“Ouma-kun, you’re quite drunk.” Shuichi finished his beer and set the can down on the table. “Maybe you really should stop drinking for the night—“ he reached out to try and take the can away from Kokichi, but he smacked Shuichi’s hand away.

“Buzz off, why dontcha?!” Kokichi tried to flip Shuichi off, but he rose his index finger instead as he gulped down some more beer. “You don’t know what it’s like...” he grumbled.

“I don’t know what what’s like?” Shuichi asked.

“To—hic!—be hurt like me...” Kokichi said.

“To be hurt like you?”

“Eh, you wouldn’t understand...”

Kokichi finished his third beer and reached for his fourth. Shuichi chose not to stop him this time as he watched him take a swig from the can, a few hiccups escaping his lips. As he reached for a piece of karaage and began to chew on it, he listened as Kokichi began swearing and cursing Rantaro, each one becoming louder and louder.

This piqued Shuichi’s curiosity.

I wonder...

“Ouma-kun...you don’t need to answer if you feel that I’m prying, but...did something happen between you and Amami-kun?” he asked.

Kokichi slammed the can down on the table, turning to shoot Shuichi a look.

“What do you fuckin’ think, Sherlock...?” he slurred.

“Okay, so something did happen between you two.” Shuichi said.

At that moment, Kokichi’s eyes began to fill with tears, his lips trembling. Then, he started sobbing loudly, catching Shuichi off-guard.

“Ou-Ouma-kun?!” Shuichi exclaimed in surprise.

Something really bad must have happened between them if it’s making Ouma-kun cry over it, he thought to himself.

“Why did he have to be such a prick about it?! Goddammit, just thinking back on that stupid avocado makes my blood boil!” Kokichi continued sobbing, reaching up to swipe the never ending tears away. “Curse him...” he mumbled.

Kokichi sniffled.

“Gosh, I don’t even know what’s wrong with me these days...my mind’s a total mess, my relationship has fallen apart, and I’m sitting here, drinking and drinking and drinking and...” Kokichi hiccuped as he reached for his can and tried to bring it to his lips.

However, because his hands were shaking so much, the can slipped out of his hands and beer spilled all over him.

“Ah!” Shuichi scrambled for some napkins. “Here, let me—“ he was cut off by Kokichi, who resumed wailing loudly.

“Goddammit, Saihara-chan, this is all your fault! You made me this way! If only I hadn’t said your name...!” he wailed.

Shuichi stopped, peering at Kokichi curiously.

“Wait...what do you mean by that?” he asked.

“During sex! I called your name during sex and Rantaro got angry and broke things off with me!” Kokichi sobbed harder. “I really think...that something is wrong with me! I keep thinking about you, I keep longing to see you, all I ever talk and think and dream about is you and I...I don’t know what to think! It’s almost like I’m in love with you or something!” he shouted.

Shuichi’s eyes grew wide at Kokichi’s confession. The napkins fell from his hand and onto Kokichi’s lap as his heart pounded loudly in his ears.

He’s...in love with me?

The pounding in his ears only grew louder.

He...likes me, too.

Shuichi knew that Kokichi was very intoxicated and that he was rambling nonsense, saying things that he would never say if he were sober. But, a part of him wished that maybe, just maybe, what Kokichi was saying about being in love with him was the truth.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Kokichi chuckling to himself.

“Well, shit, I can’t really blame myself for falling for you...like yeah, Rantaro’s hot, but you, Saihara-chan? Flip through the dictionary and your picture will be plastered under the word hot because you are the essence of hot. Not to mention, just downright sexy...” Kokichi drawled.

Shuichi’s cheeks flushed red.

“H-Huh?!” he squeaked.

“What, you wanna try and comfort me?” 

“I don’t—” he was cut off by Kokichi hiccuping. 

“Mmmm, actually, you know what? You need to take responsibility.” Kokichi stated.

“Responsibility for what?” Shuichi asked.

“For making me fall for you.” Kokichi replied.

Then, he reached down and yanked his shirt over his head. Shuichi felt the blush begin to spread up to his ears as Kokichi balled his shirt up and chucked it into one corner of the room.

“Ouma-kun! Why in the world are you stripping?!” he exclaimed.

“Why else do you think?” Kokichi undid his jeans and wiggled out of them, revealing his red and yellow striped underwear. “One, you need to take responsibility, and two, you need to comfort me.” he said.

“But...!” Shuichi drew in a gasp as Kokichi crawled onto his lap.

“Hey...I know you like me, Saihara-chan.” Kokichi said.

Shuichi swore his heart was going to leap out of his chest. At this point, his face resembled a rose as he opened and closed his mouth, trying to come up with a response. However, he failed to do so, watching as a seductive smile danced across Kokichi’s lips.

“I know, Saihara-chan. I bet you’re getting hard right now just having me sit in your lap like this.” he said, grinding his hips against Shuichi’s to prove his point.

Shuichi hissed, a pang of arousal slamming into him at the friction. He looked down with wide eyes and saw that he was indeed hard.

When did...?

He didn’t even bother trying to finish that thought as he spoke.

“Th-That...! That’s just the alcohol! I’m drunk, you’re drunk, we’re both drunk, and this is most definitely not something that we should be doing!” Shuichi exclaimed.

“That’s not what your dick is telling me.” Kokichi shot back as he moved his hips again.

They moaned in unison. Shuichi felt the arousal continue to well up inside of him as he stared at Kokichi, who got to work pulling off his pajama shirt.

“You know you want this.” he purred.

Shuichi swallowed as Kokichi threw his shirt off to the side.

“Ouma-kun...can we at least talk about this—“

“No. Fuck first, talk later.”

“But—“

“Saihara-chan, just shut up and kiss me already.”

Shuichi had little time to react as Kokichi pulled Shuichi towards him, their lips mashing together in a rough kiss. Their bodies pressed against one another as Kokichi looped his arms around Shuichi’s neck and Shuichi placed his hands on Kokichi’s hips. Grunts and moans filled the room as teeth and tongues clashed together messily. Shuichi found himself getting more drunk off of the way Kokichi kissed him, his rationality slowly being torn apart at the seams. He caught Kokichi’s tongue in between his lips and began to suck on it, causing Kokichi to moan. He bucked his hips, eliciting a grunt from Shuichi. He grabbed Kokichi’s ass roughly, making Kokichi groan as they pulled apart, a string of saliva connecting their lips together. Kokichi spoke, snapping the string.

“Shuichi...” Shuichi swallowed at the way Kokichi said his first name. “Comfort me...let me lose myself in you, please...” he pleaded.

That was all it took for Shuichi to throw caution to the wind and turn them over so that Kokichi was under him, capturing his lips in another rough kiss.

“Saihara-chan...” Kokichi blinked up at Shuichi with wide purple eyes. “Are you sure it’s okay to go and play in the forest?” he spoke hesitantly.

“Yeah, it’s fine. My uncle says that it’s safe.” Shuichi replied.

He squeezed Kokichi’s hand reassuringly as they ventured into the forest behind his uncle’s cabin.

Every summer from when he was six, Shuichi would await the arrival of his friend Kokichi, who came up to the mountains with his family for a summer retreat for a few weeks. During that time, the two boys would play with one another and go on various adventures.

The chirping of cicadas filled the air as they continued further into the forest.

Kokichi brought his bottom lip in between his teeth as he continued.

“Are you sure sure?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure!” Shuichi looked over his shoulder at Kokichi. “Trust me.” he said.

“Well, if Saihara-chan insists...” Kokichi looked around. “Where are we going, anyway?” he asked.

“To the lake.” Shuichi replied.

“Lake?”

“Yeah, the lake. We went there before, haven’t we?”

“I don’t remember going to a lake...”

“Ah. That must’ve been when Akamatsu-san came a couple months ago.”

Kokichi frowned.

“You took someone else besides me to one of your secret spots?” he asked.

“Well...Akamatsu-san wanted to go somewhere new, so I took her there. Besides, you usually come in the summer...” Shuichi trailed off.

“I don’t like that, though! Only I am allowed to know about Saihara-chan’s secret spots!” Kokichi whined.

“But Ouma-kun—“ that was when Kokichi burst into loud wails.

“That’s so unfair! I don’t like sharing Saihara-chan with other people! Especially Kayayday!” he cried.

“Her name is pronounced Kaede, though...” Shuichi trailed off.

“I don’t care! I’m the only one who can get to be with Saihara-chan!” Kokichi whined, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

“I know, I know.” Shuichi stopped, turning to look at Kokichi. “Don’t cry, Ouma-kun.” he said, reaching out to wipe away at Kokichi’s tears.

Kokichi sniffled as he smiled at him.

“You’re very kind, Saihara-chan...” he trailed off.

A little too kind, though. You still haven’t realized that these are just crocodile tears, he thought to himself.

“I’m like that with all of my friends, though.” Shuichi pointed out.

“Really? All of them?” Kokichi asked.

“Mmmm...” Shuichi tapped a finger against his chin. “Well, one of them is special, so I’m just a liiiiittle nicer to them.” he said.

“Who’s your special friend, Saihara-chan?”

“I’m with them right now.”

Butterflies fluttered about in Kokichi’s stomach as they continued walking. He felt giddy as Shuichi looked up at the sky, which was a dull grey rather than the vibrant blue it was earlier that afternoon.

Shuichi frowned at this.

“My uncle said it was going to be sunny all day today...” Shuichi murmured.

He then tugged on Kokichi’s hand.

“Come on, let’s hurry up and see the lake and then head back.” he said as they began to run through the forest.

“Ah! Wait, slow down a bit, Saihara-chan—Ah!” Kokichi let out a sharp gasp as he tripped over a protruding tree root.

His hand slipped out of Shuichi’s as he fell face first onto the ground. Shuichi turned, eyes wide in horror.

“Ouma-kun!” he knelt down before him. “Are you okay?” he asked, helping him up.

Kokichi hissed as he looked down at his knee, which had gotten scraped during the fall.

“It stings...” he murmured.

Shuichi looked over and saw another tree root sticking up from the ground.

He must’ve scraped his knee against it when he fell, he thought to himself.

“Okay, let’s forget about going to the lake today. We should head back.” he suggested.

“Huh? But—“ that was when something wet hit Kokichi’s cheek.

He looked up at the sky in mild surprise.

“Rain...?” he wondered out loud.

More raindrops fell as it began to drizzle.

“Okay, we need to hurry and go.” Shuichi took Kokichi’s hand. “Can you walk?” he asked.

“Maybe...” Kokichi murmured.

He walked with a slight limp in his step as they hurried back the way they came. As they continued, it began to pour harder.

“Saihara-chan, I don’t think we’ll be able to make it back in this rain...” Kokichi trailed off.

“Yeah, it’s coming down hard...” Shuichi looked around. “I know a place where we can take shelter. We’ll stay there until the rain lets up.” he said.

Kokichi nodded as he let Shuichi pull him along.

They found themselves in a small cave a few minutes later. They sat down, watching the rain fall.

“It’s coming down even harder...” Shuichi sighed. “I don’t even have any supplies to tend to your scrape...” he trailed off.

Kokichi brought his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them as he looked over at Shuichi.

“You know, you could run back and get the supplies. I’m fine with waiting here—“ Shuichi cut him off.

“No, I’m not leaving you alone. Not like this.” he stated.

Kokichi felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach once more. He listened to Shuichi sigh.

“Okay, it looks like I’m going to have to improvise.” Shuichi said before reaching for the hem of his shirt.

Kokichi watched as Shuichi pulled his shirt over his head.

“Saihara-chan, why are you taking off your—Aaah!” Kokichi gasped in surprise as Shuichi tore a part of the shirt off. “Saihara-chan! Why are you tearing your shirt?!” he exclaimed.

“So that I can use it as a bandage.” Shuichi replied.

He scooted closer to Kokichi and began wrapping the torn fabric around his scraped knee. Kokichi could only watch, eyes trained on Shuichi’s damp hair glued to the sides of his face by the rain, his long eyelashes, his golden eyes fixated on his knee, and the way his tongue would dart out occasionally and lick his lips as he worked.

The fluttering sensation in his stomach returned with a vengeance accompanied by the loud pounding of his heart in his ears. It made Kokichi feel all sorts of weird.

He brought his bottom lip in between his teeth as Shuichi spoke.

“And it’s done.” he said, tying a knot to keep the fabric in place.

Kokichi glanced at Shuichi as he spoke.

“Hey, Saihara-chan...” he began.

“Yeah?” Shuichi answered.

“Could you...” he felt his cheeks grow warm. “...maybe kiss it better?” he asked before he could stop himself.

He chanced a look at Shuichi, noticing how his cheeks took on a light shade of red. Cheeks turning a deeper shade of red, Kokichi immediately averted his gaze.

Kokichi wanted nothing more than to slap himself.

Why was he reacting this way?

A small chuckle cut through the silence.

“I didn’t think I’d hear you ask me to do that again. It’s been a while since I had to do that.” he said before leaning in.

He pressed his lips to the fabric soon after. The feeling of Shuichi’s lips on his knee nearly made Kokichi jump five feet in the air. It took him by surprise, but at the same time, he didn’t dislike it, either.

The pounding in his ears grew louder.

It was all too weird.

Shuichi never made him feel that way before.

Why...do I feel like this?

💜💜💜💜

Shuichi watched the water boiling in the pot as the memory faded away. He smiled at the thought.

Why am I suddenly recalling a memory from way back then, he asked himself.

He listened to the bubbling of the water as he looked over at Kokichi, who was busy cutting up vegetables.

Now that I’m thinking back on it, it was that moment I realized I began to feel something for him. And it brought us to right here, the two of us living together in this apartment, just being happy and enjoying each other, he thought to himself.

He then heard Kokichi let out a yelp, the knife clattering into the sink.

“Kokichi?” he asked, looking over at Kokichi with concern.

“Owie...I cut myself...” Kokichi trailed off, lifting his hand to show Shuichi the bleeding cut on his finger.

Shuichi shook his head.

“Geez...I’ll go get the first aid kit. Just run some water over it.” Shuichi told him.

Kokichi nodded and did as he instructed as Shuichi rushed to get the first aid kit. He retrieved it moments later and returned, immediately tending to Kokichi’s wound. Kokichi turned the faucet off as Shuichi spoke.

“Did you not see where you were cutting?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess. I started thinking about something and I kinda got distracted.” Kokichi explained.

“I see.” Shuichi replied.

He disinfected it and proceeded to wrap a band-aid around it. Kokichi smiled softly as Shuichi finished wrapping his finger with the band-aid.

“You know, you’re like my Prince Charming.” Kokichi commented.

“I am? How so?” Shuichi asked.

“You’re always caring for me. It’s really sweet.”

“Well, I’m your boyfriend, after all.”

Kokichi blushed a little as he looked at Shuichi.

“Kiss it better?” he asked.

Shuichi laughed.

“It’s been years since you asked me to do that.” he said, bringing Kokichi’s finger to his lips and kissing it.

Kokichi giggled.

“It really has been a while. The last time I asked you to do that was when we were eleven and I scraped my knee on a tree root. You tore your shirt and used it as a bandage.” Kokichi explained.

“Yeah. You know, I was just thinking about that.” Shuichi pointed out.

“You were? That’s funny, I was thinking about that, as well.” Kokichi noted.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Is that so...”

“Yeah. I was thinking about how that moment was when I realized that I—“ Kokichi stopped once he realized what he was about to say.

“That was when you realized that you what?” Shuichi asked.

“That...” Kokichi’s cheeks turned red. “Ah, forget I said anything.” he said.

“Huh? But I wanna know.”

“Well, I don’t plan on telling you.”

“Kokichi—“

“I told you to just forget I said anything!” Kokichi pulled his hand out of Shuichi’s, the blush spreading to his ears. “Come on, let’s get back to what we were doing.” he suggested.

Shuichi wanted to pry a little more, but decided against it.

“Alright. I’ll at least help you finish cutting up the vegetables.” he offered.

“Okay. Go and get yourself a cutting board and a knife, then.” Kokichi said.

“Okay.” Shuichi replied.

As Shuichi went to get a cutting board and a knife, Kokichi resumed cutting up the vegetables on his board. As he did, he muttered something under his breath.

“That moment was when I realized that I began to feel something for you, Shuichi.”

He giggled to himself.

Not like you need to know that right now, though, Shuichi.