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“Hey, dude-- have you ever kissed anyone?”
“Uh, what? I mean, obviously… not. I’ve never even had a girlfriend…”
“Woah, that’s like, really pathetic.”
“Ha! Like you could do any better.”
The group of boys’ squabbling melted into pathetic laughter, clutching at their sides with pained expressions while they lamented over the hardships of being single. A few tears slipped out of one of the boy's eyes while he clenched his fist, the others patting his back in sympathy.
After all, snow had begun to fall gracefully over Seika High, blanketing the school in a cold, winter wonder. The chill of December had truly begun to set in, and with Christmas break only a week away, it was hard not to feel the overwhelming loneliness that came with being alone for the holidays. Of course, there was always family and friends to give their support, but in the eyes of many teenage boys, it simply wasn’t enough. They wanted to hear the sweet, high-pitched voice of a caring girlfriend bringing them a Christmas cake, or handing them a homemade present with shy eyes.
This, of course, led to almost the entire male population within the school lazing around, either thrown over desks or other students in their distress, all while staring wistfully into the distance. A few of the girls would swear they saw ghosts after school hours, but after a couple frightening incidents, it seemed to be that a few of the boys were attempting to lure the girls into one of their latest schemes. As most of their plans end, however, they would be clipped over the head and given a stern lecture by the demon president, Ayuzawa Misaki. Smoke would pour from her ears, her lip curling into a snarl, and the boys kneeling before her would shriek in terror, as always.
Though, even Misaki was no match for the power of the cuffing season. Other students would often find her wandering the halls with a dazed sort of look in her eyes, mumbling something darkly under her breath while glaring at the windows. Most would leap out of her way and say that Misaki had finally lost her mind, but Sakura would only squeal, clapping her hands in delight as she rambled on about love and Christmas.
The conversation said high school boys had been having, however, had horrible timing, as it was just within Misaki’s earshot. Turning her head in an abnormal, rigid way, she marched over to their desk and slammed her hand down, causing the three of them to startle.
“You three! What are you…”
Having watched the entire affair from afar, Shouichirou simply laughed in pity as the three were chewed out, praying that the president at least had an ounce of mercy to not murder her fellow classmates right before Christmas.
Shouichirou had never thought much of relationships or kissing, at least not to the extent most boys his age did. He had always been willing to act out fantastical stories between princes and princesses with Ruri, but that was different. It was all playing pretend. Only while playing pretend could Shouichirou be the hero of the story, and sweep some young maiden off her feet… reality was quite far from this. It seemed that he was the one who was constantly being swept off his feet, from being forced into cosplay to getting kidnapped over a simple misunderstanding. Sometimes, Shouichirou still gets shivers down his back from spending the night in that cold, abandoned building.
He even thought things were looking up when he’d met his one and only best friend, Kanou. Kanou was a bit gloomy, and very awkward at times, but he was nice to Shouichirou, and while Kanou treated him like a girl in most situations, after a while, Shouichirou found that he… didn’t mind as much as he did before. It was… nice. Being listened to, for once. Most people talked over Shouichirou or ignored him, but Kanou was different. He would listen to him ramble about whatever was on his mind, sometimes giving Shouichirou this rare smile that made his words catch in his throat.
After helping out in the cultural festival, Kanou seemed to have warmed up to everyone considerably. He was still Kanou, though, and he would mumble too quietly for anyone to hear, or flinch whenever girls came close to him. While it was frustrating to deal with him at times, Shouichirou didn’t really mind. In fact, he found that when it came to Kanou, he didn’t really mind much of anything. Kanou just made him feel happy.
They talked in between classes, they walked home together, they hung out after school… Shouichirou had a bit of a sweet tooth, so they tended to frequent niche bakeries or cafes Kanou had looked up on his phone. Though… after almost being scouted to work at a maid cafe, Shouichirou had become a little traumatized, and they had stuck to hanging out at the arcade, instead. The manager there had said something along the lines of how ‘cute’ he was, and how his petite figure would fit in perfectly… her words were meant to be encouraging, Shouichirou figured, but all they made him want to do was bury his head in his hands. Kanou had a strange look on his face the entire time, too. His cheeks were flushed when he glanced at Shouichirou, but he figured that was due to the heating inside the building. He definitely had felt a bit warm at the time, himself.
Though, as he sat there, swinging his legs in his chair, Shouichirou couldn’t help but knit his brows together in worry. Was he… really that feminine? Shouichirou knew he wasn’t very masculine, to say the least, but this was beginning to hurt his pride. He was just polite and well mannered! That… that was all… wasn’t it?
The more he thought about it, the more distressed Shouichirou became. Maybe Ruri would stop seeing him as her older brother, and disown him!? Wait, no, she’s only in elementary school, she can’t do that. But… would Kanou wish to stop being friends with him because of this, maybe?
The thought of Kanou abandoning him made his blood run cold.
It was true that Kanou had an aversion to girls, and he had told Shouichirou in confidence once before that he was scared to hurt them, and that to him, girls were frail, fragile people. If Kanou kept seeing Shouichirou as a girl, would he eventually become scared to talk to him…? It wouldn’t be out of malice, which he supposed was the bright side of things, but Shouichirou couldn’t bear to go back to his life before Kanou.
He didn’t have a bad life, actually-- Shouichirou was pretty satisfied, all things considered. Sure, he had never had a girlfriend, or any real close friends, but nonetheless, he was content. Well, and then Usui had gone and…
Shouichirou felt his face heat up, and he cupped his cheeks with both hands, letting the warmth seep into his fingers as he stared at the ground, suddenly flustered.
“...mura? Yukimura? Hey, you okay?”
A hand reached over the desk between them and gently tapped his arm, causing Shouichirou’s eyes to shoot up, meeting Kanou’s worried expression.
“Ah! Um… I’m okay!” He laughed, moving his hands to tangle together in a bundle of nerves. “It’s nothing, really…”
Kanou frowned, but said nothing as he pulled back to settle back into the seat across from Shouichirou. They weren’t in the same class, being in different years and all, but Kanou always made the effort to come and see him during breaks. The thought made his heart flutter, though Shouichirou quickly dismissed the feeling in confusion. He was just nicer than Shouichirou was used to, that was all!
“If you’re sure…” He said slowly, searching Shouichirou’s face just to make sure. “Were you, um… Listening to that?”
As the words left his mouth, Kanou pursed his lips, scratching the side of his cheek awkwardly. A light dusting of red spread over his cheekbones, and he seemed to be attempting to retreat back into his hood.
Shouichirou knew all of Kanou’s ticks by now. Like how his eyes shift all over the room, or how he picks at his skin to distract himself. Even how he tries to hunch into himself when he’s nervous or embarrassed, like some sort of turtle. It’s sort of cute, if Shouichirou is being honest, and despite himself, the corner of his lip twitches upwards.
There were remedies to these sorts of ticks, too. Like how if Kanou’s eyes became distracted, all Shouichirou had to do was softly call his name, and look into his eyes for a couple moments. It was just to bring Kanou back to reality, he reasoned, but for whatever reason, the moment they looked away Shouichirou felt a pang of loss. If Kanou was picking at his skin, Shouichirou would either hand him something to hold instead, or tap their fingers together. The contact of their fingertips brushing together made Shouichirou want to bite his lip, sometimes.
As for turtle Kanou…
Normally, Shouichirou would reach into his hood and ruffle his hair, smiling like usual and probably making some sort of joke about how his best friend had morphed into a hermit. Current Shouichirou, however, was too caught up in his own flusteredness to think of calming down his friend.
“Well… M-maybe a little?” He responded after a moment, sparing a glance back at the group of boys.
They were choking out apologies to Misaki, who had still not managed to vent all her anger, and was continuing on with her tirade of ‘appropriate discussions to have while on school grounds.’ It was most definitely overkill, but no one wanted to get in her way when she was like this.
Kanou didn’t seem to know how to respond to this, which Shouichirou supposed was reasonable. The two of them held enough social awkwardness combined that they could easily win a national competition between introverts, whatever that might be.
“Have you ever… kissed someone, Yukimura?”
The question was so unpredicted that Shouichirou let out an extremely unmanly yelp, blinking at his best friend with wide eyes.
Kanou had on an expression that Shouichirou had never seen before. The closest he could think to describe it was that it was… similar to that day they visited the maid cafe. His face was flushed almost as red as Shouichirou’s own, and his eyes, though partially hidden by his glasses, had an intense focus to them. It was… startling, to say the least. How had they even gotten to this point, he had to wonder?
“W-well, I…”
“Kanou.”
A not-so friendly hand fell onto Kanou’s shoulder from behind, her grip tense enough to break his focus, turning around to face what seemed to be an enraged looking version of their student body president. Which was simply ridiculous, because she was halfway across the room, scolding those…
It looks like they decided to flee.
Shouichirou turned back to Kanou and Misaki with a nervous smile.
“Kanou…” Misaki repeated with a dangerous look on her face. “You’re not trying to corrupt my vice president now, are you…?”
“Uh, no?” He answered, though it was more of a question than anything. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his neck from where his hoodie fell away.
Shouichirou could feel the waves of anxiety rolling off his best friend, and while Misaki was probably scarier than the devil himself, Shouichirou wanted to try and help Kanou. It was the least he could do, after all Kanou had done for him.
“P-Prez, we were just talking…!” He stuttered out, leaning forwards despite the fact that every inch of his body told him to turn tail and run. “Kanou would never say anything bad to me!”
Misaki paused, as if weighing his answer in her mind for a moment, before turning back to Kanou, presumably to keep grilling him on their presumably innocent conversation.
Rubbing his hand along the side of his temple, Shouichirou heaved a deep sigh, the weight of the exhale tickling his wrist. Whenever Misaki, or her perverted, troublesome pair, were around, things always seemed to get out of hand, no matter what Shouichirou did. They were like the protagonists in a shoujo manga, or something ridiculous like that…! Trouble always followed them, wherever they went.
“If that’s true, then why would you ask Yukimura about k-kissing?” Misaki said in a dark voice, though she seemed to be having a hard time discussing the topic at hand as well.
Kanou opened his mouth, then closed it, gaping like a fish out of water as he only seemed to grow redder. Some flash of understanding occurred between them in that moment, with Misaki’s eyes widening a fraction, then raising an eyebrow as she looked down at Kanou. His best friend was picking at his hands, staring off into another corner of the classroom as he refused to meet her gaze.
In any other situation, Shoucihirou might have laughed at how ruffled his best friend had become, though in this situation, he only felt uncomfortable, and a little scared. He liked when it was just the two of them, if he were to be frank. As pathetic as it sounded, Kanou made Shouichirou feel safe and welcome, even if they just spent their time together in silence. There was no drama to be had, and no tricks to be pulled; Kanou and Shouichirou just enjoyed spending time together. These moments were special to Shouichirou, no matter how small, and though he admired Misaki, he couldn’t help but feel a bit miffed at her intrusion.
...Though, perhaps it was for the best. After all, Kanou had almost realized that--
“Bullying the weak,
Prez?
I didn’t think you were the type.”
None of the three even needed to turn around to know who that suave, careless voice came from.
“Usui…” Misaki ground out his voice like she was trying to verbally beat it to a pulp. “What are you doing--”
The man in question seemed completely unphased, however, and only grinned smugly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, causing her to yelp as she turned swiftly to face him.
“I’m just here to see my favorite person in the whole wide world… Is that such a crime?” He replied with a deadpan expression, watching with evident amusement as Misaki tried and failed to make up a scathing retort.
“Not when… I’m trying to ensure that Yukimura doesn’t fall into the same trap as the rest of you degenerate men…!” She gritted her teeth, letting go of Kanou only to jerk her thumb in his direction.
“Oho~ Now I get it…” He whistled lightly, glancing at Shouichirou, who could only squirm in his seat in response. “Because Yukimura here is ‘sweet and innocent,’ or something…? But whatever would get our Misaki so riled up…?”
Usui looked pointedly at Kanou.
“W-wait, Kanou--” Shouichirou started in a pleading voice, not wanting to relive the embarrassment that would come from this conversation.
“I’d asked if Yukimura had ever kissed anyone.” Kanou said in a simple, yet cold voice. Seems he, too, was getting tired of the superhuman couple’s game of charades.
Usui’s smirked deepened at that, and moving from Misaki with an amount of grace unfitting for a teenage boy, he put his hand over Shouichirou’s shoulder, causing the smaller boy to flinch at the contact.
“Is that right, Yukimura? Do you wanna go for a round two, perhaps...?” He teased, leaning down into Shouichirou’s face.
Feeling his face beginning to heat up, Shouichirou felt like his mind was going into overdrive; this was too much. First Kanou, with his… whatever it was that he had going on, Shouichirou didn’t even know. Then, Misaki barging in, guns blazing as she attempted to preserve his purity? Which was firstly, humiliating, and secondly, completely unnecessary. Usui’s mocking tone was really the icing on the cake, though. Shouichirou didn’t know how much more of this he could stand, and frankly, he didn’t really want to find out. He wanted to believe that he didn’t need saving or protecting, that he was capable of being the saviour that Ruri adored so much in her picture books, but it seemed like he really was a failure, after all. Kanou would realize it, sooner or later, and would abandon Shouichirou. Who would want to hang out with a guy who cried at everything, who was a no-good, worthless little…
Sniffling slightly, Shouichirou felt his eyes beginning to well up with tears, his expression pained as he tried desperately not to cry. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid, yet in typical fashion, nothing seemed to go his way. Biting at his cheek, Shouichirou stared at his hands, which lay limp in his lap, almost as resigned as he was.
“Yukimura…?” Misaki asked, the fire gone from her voice as she called his name in sudden concern.
“Hey, you--”
Kanou reached out and grabbed Usui by his arm, the one that had a light hold on Shouichirou’s shoulder.
Shouichirou didn’t even notice that Kanou had gotten up from his seat, nor when he moved to take Usui’s hand off of him. He had his stinging eyes firmly glued to his lap, the voices around him blending together as his brain swarmed in a panicked spiral of self-deprecation and baseless fears.
Was this why he had never gotten a girlfriend? Because he was a spineless crybaby and a coward? Because he was better off being a girl, than anything else? Maybe that was why Usui kissed him that day. He had mistaken Shouichirou for a girl, and, being the pervert that he is, went in for a kiss. It probably meant nothing to him, but Shouichirou felt shattered, after that day. He had stolen his first kiss, after all. Perhaps, if he were a real man, he wouldn’t be so distraught over it, but Shoichirou knew he was nothing if not a huge sissy, so he was.
The kiss hadn’t even been anything special. Deep down, Shouichirou knew it was all performative, that the act was for someone else, not even him. Yet, it hurt to think that way, so Shouichirou tried to block out the memory entirely. Usui’s lips hadn’t been soft, but they weren’t very rough, either. It was a firm, chaste press of lips, and had caught Shouichirou off-guard so much that he had forgotten how to speak for hours after, like he was caught in a trance.
As the classroom began to fade back into reality, Shouichirou heard what he assumed were Misaki and Usui hastily departing, still bickering amongst themselves as they went. That would be good, if not for the hushed whispers that flitted through the classroom, students sparing glances at him as he stayed hunched over the desk.
Today really was not his day, was it?
Shouichirou felt someone kneel down beside him, and, with their sleeve stretched over their knuckles, gently wiped away the wet, hot tears that had been sliding down Shouichirou’s face. He hadn’t even known when the tears had begun, but the quiet motion only made him more emotional, a hiccup escaping his throat.
Turning to his side, Shouichirou felt his body heave a sigh, though he couldn’t do much more than stare at him pathetically.
Who else would it be, but Kanou?
Kanou, who was always by his side, one step to the right, making sure that Shouichirou never stumbled. Kanou, who told him his worst jokes, and shared his coat when the weather became too chilly, or stopped by his house when he came down with a cold. Kanou was cumbersome at times, but he was kind when it mattered, and always showed Shouichirou the most delicate parts of himself, hidden away from the rest of the world.
Feeling an overwhelming surge of emotion for his friend, Shoichirou’s hand was tugging on the sleeve of Kanou’s arm before his brain could catch up.
With a nod of understanding only Kanou could have for him, he pulled Shouichirou to his feet with a carefulness he had never noticed before. Kanou treated him not as if he were made of ice, brittle and weak, but as if he were something precious.
The trip to the outside of the building was a complete blur, and whether that was because of his muddled state of mind, or the tears smeared across his vision, Shouicihirou couldn’t be sure. All he could really tell was that Kanou’s warm hand in his was the most comforting feeling in the entire world.
Outside the school, in front of the dead flower beds, a thin blanket of snow settled across the ground, with microscopic snowflakes twirling through the air as they descended towards the ground. The sight was beautiful, but the cold bite of the wind caused Shouichirou to shiver through his blazer. Even so, the change in scenery was appreciated. Outside, it felt like all of his troubles had melted away, until all that remained, was him, Kanou, and the snow that lay at their feet.
Feeling a shaky exhale leave his body, Shouichirou looked up to see Kanou turning around to face him, their heads bent together in the cold December air. Kanou looked worried, dark brows drawn together as he reached out his hand unconsciously to brush away the remainder of Shouichirou’s tears. The motion was sudden, but not unwelcome, as he leaned into the soft touch of Kanou’s hand, cold against the ruminating heat of his cheeks.
“I thought… it would be better to be outside. Sorry if it’s cold.” Kanou said in a quiet voice, his eyes tracing Shouichirou’s face in a way that made the smaller boy feel as if he was trying to memorize his features.
“It’s okay, I’m not cold.” Shouichirou lied, his head still tilted slightly into Kanou’s palm. He didn’t want to pull away, for fear that once he did, they would never be able to touch like this again.
His fingertips were tinged red by now, and as he breathed in the icy air, Shouichirou felt their breath mingling as they exhaled, made visible by the cold.
“Are you okay now?”
The question was brimming with genuine concern and care, animating his usually statue-like friend into something so lifelike, his words becoming heavy as he came as close as he dared. Kanou was cautious, if anything, always watching and waiting, but never taking the initiative. However, what Shouichirou felt as Kanou’s gaze bore into him was… something else entirely.
“I… Think so, yes. I don’t know,” Shouichirou sniffled, rubbing his hand across his nose self-consciously. “I want to say yes.”
“Why?”
Kanou’s voice was a whisper against his face, and Shouichirou felt himself shiver.
“For you.”
His cheeks only grew redder as the words left his mouth, pursing them tight as if to not let any more secrets escape. How could he be sweating, when it was so cold out? Kanou always seemed to set him ablaze.
Clenching his fists at his sides, Shouichirou looked into Kanou’s dark eyes and felt as if he could get lost in them.
“For… me?” Kanou repeated in disbelief. “You want to be okay… for me?”
Shouichirou could do nothing but simply nod his head, the nerves tangled in his stomach tightening the longer Kanou held onto him. He didn’t understand this feeling, couldn’t understand this feeling, but what he did know was that all he wanted right now was Kanou. He wanted his best friend to stay by his side no matter what. In that moment, he would do anything for Kanou, even without being hypnotized.
The silence between them seemed to drag on for an eternity, only to be shattered when both of them looked up at the same time, the same, desperate look on their faces.
“Kanou--”
“Was Usui really your first kiss?” He blurted out, his eyes wide as he looked down at Shouichirou, just as surprised as he was to hear the words leave his mouth.
“What?”
“Haha, what?” Kanou echoed, pulling away from Shouichirou and taking a hesitant step back. He was shrinking in on himself again, tugging at his hood and looking anywhere but at his friend.
Shouichirou wanted nothing more than to tell Kanou to come back, to place his hands on him again, and to be close enough to feel the warmth of his breath. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough, yet he couldn’t be greedy. Shouichirou needed to be a good friend for Kanou. This… wasn’t something friends did. Friends didn’t want to be wrapped up in each other's arms, breathing them in, cuddling into each other only to--
“Kanou…” He repeated, taking a small step forward. “I-- yes, it’s... true. He and I… we… w-well, y’know…”
He felt himself growing small as he attempted to say the words, biting his lip again and suddenly wishing he were anywhere but here. It felt like whiplash, to suddenly go from wanting Kanou so bad he would jump off a cliff for him, to wishing he could never see his best friend’s face again.
It was exhausting.
“So… Do you like him, then?” Kanou asked, an unreadable look on his face. He seemed more distant than ever, slowly tearing away at Shouichirou’s heart with every step back he took.
With a squeak of indignation, Shouichirou screwed up his face and shook his head vehemently. How could he ever like Usui? Sure, the guy was physically attractive, but even if he were to look beyond his off-putting personality, he only had eyes for Misaki. Shouichirou has never, and likely will never feel anything more than a complex sense of admiration and unnerve towards the blonde genius.
“N-no, of course not! It was an accident-- or, well, he kissed me, I… I didn’t actually want to.”
And there it was. One of his few secrets, out in the open for his one and only best friend to scrutinize. Yukimura Shouichirou had his first kiss stolen away from him, like some sort of side character in a shoujo manga. The whole affair was ridiculous. Shouichirou felt like he might start crying again.
“An accident…” Kanou muttered to himself, a myriad of emotions flashing across his face: relief, anger, discontent, happiness…?
Now it was Shouichirou’s turn to be confused. Why had Kanou gotten so upset over this? It wasn’t like his first kiss should matter to him, anyways. Kanou was smart, and handsome, and kind when he wanted to be-- he would get a girlfriend soon enough, and have the perfect sort of kiss you only see in manga, where there are fireworks, or flower petals. The thought of Kanou with his girlfriend made his stomach flop, but he persisted. None of that stuff involved Shouichirou, so he just couldn’t wrap his head around it. None of this made any sense.
“I-if you could do it over, would you?”
Shouichirou startled at that, looking up to see Kanou’s fogged up glasses against the snow, which continued to drift softly around them.
“Your… your first kiss. Would you do it over?”
“Yes.” He answered without hesitation. “Definitely. Absolutely. Kissing Usui is… something I’d like to forget.”
“Then…” Kanou trailed off, tugging at his sleeves.
Shouichirou waited patiently for him to finish his sentence, despite the rapid thump of his heartbeat, threatening to leap out of his throat and run away on its own.
“What if it were with me?”
“Huh?” He said, shock tingling in his nerves as he stared at Kanou with raised brows.
“Sorry, nevermind, it’s a stupid idea,” he said quickly, tugging his hood down further as he turned to leave. “I’ll just--”
“Wait, Kanou!” Shouichirou shouted in desperation, stumbling forwards to grip his arm. “I… what do you mean?”
Kanou looked helpless, squirming under his gaze. Seems he didn’t like being the one under the microscope so much, rather than it being the other way around. But Shouichirou wouldn’t back down on this. He might be weak, and a pansy, but this was Kanou he was talking about. Kanou was… he was…
important.
“Well,” he breathed, still unable to meet his friend’s gaze. “If you want to forget about it so badly, I… could help you. I know Usui is smarter, and better looking, and is… better with girls than me, but…”
Kanou looked down at Shouichirou. Their eyes met, and finally, he saw how vulnerable Kanou looked against the gray sky, his cheeks red and his breath baited.
“I’m a better kisser than him.”
“Are you…?” Shouichirou breathed, taking a step closer and abandoning all reason as the gap between them grew smaller.
“Yes.”
The determination in his voice made him shudder, a wobbly smile making its way across Shouichirou’s face. He wondered what Kanou’s lips would feel like, how they would taste, how he would taste. It’s not something friends would think, but it’s what Shouichirou would think about Kanou, and in that moment, that was all that mattered.
“C-can you prove it?” he said, his voice muted by the snow, their voices distant, but the heat of their bodies, of their hands, was warmer than anything they had ever felt before.
Kanou opened his mouth to reply, but decided against it. Shifting to cup Shouichirou’s tear-stained cheeks, he bent down and gently pressed their lips together, emitting a soft sigh from the latter as he leaned into the kiss.
His lips were cold, but sweet against Shouichirou’s own, and as they moved against the kiss, pressing against each other and fitting in ways that just made sense, Shouichirou felt like he was coming home for the first time. Licking his lips, he found that Kanou tasted like ginger and soft spices, leftover from the caffeinated tea he had that morning. He tasted sweet, yet with an underlying richness that had Shouichirou begging for more-- he was fairly sure that wasn’t due to the chai.
Kanou slid one of his hands from Shouichirou’s face to curl around his thin waist, cinching them together as he held him with a protective arm. He was incredibly warm, radiating body heat that Shouichirou cuddled into as he leaned against Kanao’s hold. In turn, he let go of his arm to wrap around Kanao’s neck, before pausing to suddenly change their trajectory. As delicately as he could, Shouichirou took Kanou’s glasses from the bridge of his nose, and pushed them up to sit atop his head.
It didn’t work quite as well as he had hoped, as the glasses became tangled in Kanao’s hair. The unexpected motion caused Kanou to lazily open his eyes, staring at Shouichirou in silent questioning. His pupils were dilated, and his eyes lidded with desire, his fingers drawing small circles at Shouichirou’s waist. Humming at the pleasant motion, he separated their lips for a moment, all but an inch apart. Shouichrou felt himself growing shy again as he whispered to his best friend.
“I like seeing your eyes,” he confessed, his voice hushed and tender as hands moved to wrap around Kanou. “I-I like seeing you. ”
Kanou smiled, that small yet rare smile that made Shouichirou’s heart skip a beat. His lips were shiny, and he swiped his tongue along his lower lip, before capturing Shouichirou’s own once more.
This must be heaven , he thought, as they deepened the kiss. He made a noise of surprise as Kanou’s tongue entered his mouth, mixing with his own tongue in ways that made his knees weak. He held onto Kanou tightly. If it is, I don’t think I ever want to leave.
Then they heard the soft crunch of another pair of footsteps.
“K-Kanou, wait--” Shouichirou gasped, pushing against his best friend. “Hold on, I think I-- hey!”
It seems Kanou was either deaf to the noise, or simply didn’t care at this point, as he began pressing short butterfly kisses against Shouichirou’s neck, loosening his collar to move from his collarbone, and then work his way up to his jaw. Stifling a moan, Shouichirou pulled against Kanou’s jacket once more, though he had begun swiping his tongue over a particularly sensitive area on Shouichirou’s neck, holding him close with his hands along his back. Eyelashes fluttering, Shouichirou felt his hands freeze as he panted into Kanou’s shoulder, still feebly protesting without any real bite.
“Ah, Prez, this is why I told you we should’ve gone the other way. See what happens when we don’t listen? Now we have to witness youth at it’s finest.”
“What are you--!? Oh, shit.”
At the sound of Usui’s uncaring voice, and Misaki’s horrified one, Shouichirou shrieked, roughly pushing Kanou from himself, and stumbling onto his back, into the snow. Sitting up quickly, he pulled the collar of his shirt up around his neck in a desperate attempt to hide the fresh hickeys that dotted his pale skin.
Kanou himself seemed surprised, but in the way one in shock would be, staring at the wall in utter confusion as his brain turned cogs trying to catch up to reality. When he finally came to, he blushed up to the tips of his ears, and clenched the sides of his hood, his glasses still tangled into his hair.
“T-this isn’t what it looks like!” He fretted, glancing between all three people with terror in his eyes.
Usui looked both of them up and down. “Okay.”
Though… it was absolutely what it looked like, with Shouichirou panting heavily, hiding hickeys with his rumpled school uniform, and Kanou, similarly ruffled, staring at his hands in existential disbelief.
The only one who seemed completely unaffected by the situation was Usui, who simply yawned wide, lazily waving a hand over his mouth. Misaki had grown almost as red as Kanaou, stuttering out something about how as a member of the student council, Yukimura needed to set an example, or something along those lines. With one final, rushed promise that ‘she wouldn’t tell anyone,’ Misaki rushed off to another corner of the school, followed by a lazy Usui, who seemed to be snickering to himself.
Shouichirou sat in the snow for a moment, dazed, before Kanou offered him a hand up. Gratefully, he reached for it, and though he was infinitely embarrassed, he was still glad that Kanou was helping him.
“S...sorry…” He muttered as soon as they were both standing, hands shoved in his pockets.
“N-no! The one who should be apologizing is me-- I pushed you! Are you alright?” Shouichirou said in a panicked voice, hands flitting about Kanou to make sure that he wasn’t hurt.
Cracking another rare smile, Kanou chuckled at that, reaching forward to ruffle Shouichirou’s hair. His hand scattered a few of the water droplets from his head, letting a few drip down his face.
Surrounded by snow, his glasses pushed up, showing off his incredibly earnest and affectionate expression, Shouichirou doubted there was a more beautiful sight. It made him want to fall back into the other’s arms all over again.
“I don’t think you could harm me if you tried, Yukimura.”
“Hey…!”
But both of them were smiling, and after a couple good-natured shoves, and a few well-timed snowballs, they headed inside, bumping shoulders and poking fun at each other. Their cheeks would be flushed red, but not just from the cold.
The following day, the student council president would give an hour long, unusually meek-sounding lecture on the importance of refraining from PDA while on school grounds.
When asked about the cause of such a lecture, Shouichirou would shake his head, though beat red, and quickly exit the council room. Nearing Kanou, his expression would brighten considerably, and he would recount the embarrassing meeting, all while sneakily linking their pinky fingers together.
Kanou would shake his head knowingly, but he wouldn’t mind. Returning the small gesture, he would give Shouichirou’s pinky a little squeeze, before tugging him towards the vending machines.