#umetoga

They ended in front of wooden table situated perfectly under a small roof. The afternoon sun was still a bit glaring to the eye. He immediately took a seat, the walk from Ori to Furin wasn’t that short after all, and his feet had been feeling sore midway his climb to this rooftop. To be honest, he was feeling a bit foolish. The day after the match between Bofurin and Shishitoren, Umemiya sent him a message asking to meet up. It was almost embarrassing how quickly he replied. And now he’s here, and he didn’t quite know what to expect.

“So…how are things in Shishitoren?” Umemiya stayed standing next to him, leaning against the table.

“Messy, as expected. But we’re working on it.”

“Let me know if there’s any way I can help, okay?”

“Maybe stop being in our business for a moment, yeah? We’re not your responsibility. Or do you actually want to take Choji’s offer of taking Shishitoren?”

“Oh please, I have enough with looking after these kids here.” Umemiya laughed, waving his hand in the air. Then, the laugh dissipated, followed by an almost solemn sigh. “But I can’t help but be concerned about you.”

Togame stayed silent then, but the meaning wasn’t lost on him.

It was during the big brawl between Shishitoren and Bofurin when Umemiya and Togame first met. Umemiya had never seen him before even just around his part of the town, and he would have mistaken him as someone mistakenly dragged into the fight for his meek appearance, if not for the orange jacket he proudly wore with the rest of Shishitoren and the monstrous stance he took when the actual fight began. Though Umemiya had faced off with Tomiyama at the time, he couldn’t be help but be drawn at the strength Togame displayed.

Umemiya found himself thinking about the guy on days when he didn’t have to worry about the people rejecting his goals for Furin, or when his mind was flying places during patrol. Rules are rules, so he never really stepped foot beyond the tunnel under the rail tracks, diminishing the chances of even crossing paths with any Shishitoren member. But by some work of fate, they met again during the festival during that summer. Getting to Togame did prove to be a bit of a challenge, even harder than recruiting Hiiragi to Furin, but eventually, Umemiya’s persistence won again (and he’d like to believe his natural charm also played a part).

However, this pursuit at a budding romance was cut short by Choji’s change. Umemiya had expected Togame would reach out to him, but Togame took the burden all on his own.

Now that everything was starting to get back to normal with Shishitoren, Umemiya had hoped the same could happen with the two of them. But first, he had to deal with the things he couldn’t do, or undo.

“I’m sorry, Togame.”

“What for?”

“From the moment I started hearing about Tomiyama, I wanted to help you in some way. But…I guess I let my uncertainties get the better of me. I feel a bit ashamed that our freshman beat me to it, really, even defending you from Tomiyama. If I was a bit braver, that would have all been me.”

“Hm…I don’t think you could have told me the things I needed to hear. Sakura got through me exactly because he’s an outsider.”

“So, you’re telling me you would listen to a stranger over me? That kinda hurts.” Umemiya dramatically placed a hand over his chest, feigning a look of betrayal.

“You know I don’t mean it that way,” Togame lightly punched Umemiya’s elbow with a wry smile.

Of course, Umemiya understood.

Sometimes, truths were better noticed and said by those that see it from the outside and not from within, and they could lay it out without holding back. But still, if he had more guts, he would have done it himself. It’s just that he was also aware of Togame’s bond with Shishitoren, and a part of him feared that if he overstepped that boundary, Togame would see him in a negative light, like an intruder trying to tell him how to arrange his own house. After all, they weren’t yet at the stage where he could be telling Togame what to do with his life.

But a certain part of Umemiya wanted to reach that.

Umemiya caught Togame’s hand before it dropped from his side, their palms warm against each other. He turned to face the other boy then, looking down at him in all earnest. It’s so rare to have Togame all by himself, without the rest of Shishitoren flanking behind him or Tomiyama hanging around, and Umemiya wasn’t about to let this moment pass without taking advantage of it.

“Can I?”

Without the tinted glasses Togame had been wearing for over a year, his green eyes were free from any obstruction, and Umemiya could clearly see behind those eyes a similar longing he himself was feeling. Taking it as a sign, Umemiya gently cupped Togame’s right cheek, his other hand trapping Togame between him and the table. Togame stared back at him with an unyielding gaze.

Then, Umemiya leaned in, planting a hesitant kiss on Togame’s upper lip. Togame’s eyes fluttered close, leaning forward into the kiss. It had been a long time since they had time alone, but Umemiya had always imagined how this second kiss would play out in his head. Togame’s lips were as dry as he remembered it, eliciting a small laugh out of him.

“What?” Togame muttered against his mouth, sounding almost like a whine, his half-hooded gaze widening open once more.

“Nothing, it’s just…I just thought your lips are very dry.” Umemiya answered honestly.

“Then why are you still not doing anything about it?”

Umemiya’s stomach suddenly flipped at the way the statement sounded with Togame’s deep voice. He wasted no more time, leaning in once more and greedily taking Togame’s mouth in his. Umemiya immediately tasted the hints of ramune Togame must have been drinking on his way here, sweet and tangy. He sucked on his tongue, taking more of that taste, letting his hand roam and weaving his fingers through Togame’s wavy locks. Togame had stopped wearing braids now. Umemiya pulled then, angling Togame’s head in a way where he could kiss him deeper. Togame groaned against his mouth, hands finding comfort on the curve of Umemiya’s hips.

Months of separation were condensed into a few minutes. Painted by the setting sun, the two drowned in each other until they were out of breath. As the sun slowly sank into the skyline and the orange turned into darker hues of purple in the sky, Umemiya reluctantly let go of Togame’s mouth, a thin line of saliva connecting the distance between the two of them.

For a moment, there was only the wind and their panting breaths, the two of them staring at each other in silence with small smiles on their faces.

“Can we try this again?” Umemiya was the first to break the silence, weaving their fingers together and pulling it close to his chest. “The two of us?”

“That question is about fifteen minutes late, isn’t it?”

It seemed like continuing where they left off wouldn’t be too hard.