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Nagi thought a kissing booth was a great idea. Reo, evidently, did not.
The conversation came up while the two of them were hanging out at Nagi’s place after school. Reo was reviewing his notes for an upcoming exam, attention drifting back and forth between the notebook in his hands and the boy laying in his lap. Nagi, as usual, was completely absorbed in one of the many games he had on his phone. How this guy managed to get such incredible grades with his awful study habits would never cease to amaze Reo.
“The school festival is coming up soon,” Reo said at one point. “What is your class planning to do?”
“They're running a haunted house,” Nagi replied.
“Oh? I'll have to make sure I stop by and check it out. Try to give me a good scare,” Reo said teasingly.
“I won't be there. I've got my own booth to run,” Nagi said.
“Seriously? They put you in charge of something?”
“Yeah. The class president said that I'll just let everyone else do all the hard work if I'm with the rest of the class. I need to do my part for once, or something like that.”
Reo snickered. “They're not wrong.”
Nagi hummed in agreement.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“A kissing booth.”
The response was so startling that Reo dropped his notebook directly onto Nagi’s face. Nagi let out a quiet yelp, pushed the notebook away, then grumbled about how he died in his game. Reo was barely aware of any of this, though. His mind was spinning with a thousand thoughts, a thousand questions. He looked down at Nagi with wide, bewildered eyes.
“Why?” was all Reo managed to get out, voice oddly strained.
“Because I won't have to do anything,” Nagi replied simply. He rubbed at the sore spot on his forehead as he met Reo’s gaze. “Nobody wants to kiss me. I've never even gotten Valentine's chocolate before.”
Reo could think of one person that desperately wanted to kiss him, but that thought was forced back down into the depths it had crawled out of.
“What if there is someone?” Reo found himself asking.
“Huh?”
“What if someone does want to kiss you? What will you do?”
Nagi shrugged, gaze focused on his phone screen. “Kiss them, I guess.”
Reo felt like he was going to faint. This had to be some kind of joke. His precious Nagi, getting kissed by some stranger? Nagi had probably never kissed anyone before, and he was willing to have something so special stolen from him just like that? Unacceptable. Reo couldn't let that happen.
“Is it too late to pick something else?” he asked.
“Yeah, probably. I waited until the deadline to submit my booth application,” Nagi replied.
A huff of amusement left Reo’s lips. “Of course you did.”
Nagi glanced up at him curiously. “What is Reo going to do?”
Clearly, the question was in reference to what kind of activity Reo’s class had planned for the school festival. However, in that moment, Reo’s brain could only interpret it as meaning “how will Reo save me from this horrible predicament?” Determination glinted in Reo's eyes, sharp and bright. Don't worry, my treasure, Reo thought. I will protect you.
It was a given that if Reo went to the student council and asked them to change Nagi’s booth, they would do so in a heartbeat. He had made much more difficult requests in the past, and all had been fulfilled. Reo couldn't do that, though. Nagi was sure to hear about his involvement in any changes that were made, and Reo could think of no reasonable explanation he could give as to why he cared so much. Well, no reasonable explanation that didn't involve outright confessing to Nagi. So, he needed a different approach. Something less direct, yet still effective.
With a little bit of digging, Reo learned that the particular kind of kissing booth Nagi was going to run used a ticket system. For a small price of 200 yen – which was a crime, Nagi’s kisses were worth more than all the money in the world – anyone could purchase a “kiss ticket” to be exchanged at the booth. In previous years, this system had been used so that students could easily choose which booth member to kiss. Since it was just Nagi, though, the tickets were pointless. It was more so a formality than practicality at this point.
Even so, the tickets served one very important purpose: once they ran out, no more kisses could be exchanged. Meaning all Reo had to do was purchase every single ticket before anyone else could. Truly, it was the perfect plan. Once the tickets were sold out, Nagi could laze around in peace for the rest of the day, and Reo could focus on helping out at his class’s cafe without any worries. Maybe, if he finished up his duties fast enough, he would have time to drag Nagi around the festival. Just the thought brought a smile to Reo’s face.
With a plan figured out, Reo felt much more at ease. However, that sense of peace didn't last long. Soon, a myriad of scenarios were plaguing Reo’s mind, each more heart-racing than the last. He imagined himself walking up to Nagi and purchasing the tickets, however many there were. How would Nagi react? Would he be pleased? Would he stare up at Reo with those big, dark eyes and wait for Reo’s next move? In Reo’s traitorous brain, he pictured the moment he casually slid a ticket across the booth, a coy smile on his lips as he requested a kiss. Imaginary Nagi happily obliged, giving in to Reo’s whims just like always.
Reo shook his head to clear away the thought. No, he didn't want that. A kiss with Nagi sounded heavenly, but Reo refused to accept it if Nagi didn't want it just as much as he did. The entire point of Reo purchasing all the tickets was to protect Nagi from people with ill intentions. Stealing a kiss in the process would make Reo no better.
Even so, Reo couldn't stop thinking about it. By the end of the day, he had envisioned at least ten different ways he could kiss Nagi. It was actually becoming a problem. Every time Reo got lost in his thoughts, his entire face would burn with a mixture of shame and flustered excitement. On several occasions, he heard curious murmurs from his classmates, but Reo ignored them. He could barely deal with his own brain right now, having to explain his situation to anyone else would be a nightmare.
Soccer practice offered a brief reprieve from the whirlwind of his mind. Reo busied himself with the usual drills, finding comfort in the burn in his muscles. As practice began to wind down, with most of his less motivated teammates already heading home, Reo's attention was brought back to Nagi. Unsurprisingly, Nagi had collapsed in the grass, whining that he was too tired to move. Reo rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. He crouched down beside Nagi’s sprawled out figure and ruffled his sweat-damp hair.
“Good work today, Nagi,” Reo said.
Nagi tilted his head the slightest bit to press against Reo’s palm. “Reward me, then.”
Coming from anyone else, those words would be irritating. But from Nagi, it was oddly cute. Like a spoiled child who knew exactly how to get his way. Reo was terribly weak.
“Sure, sure. What would you like?” Reo asked.
Nagi took a moment to consider before answering. “No practice for a week.”
“Denied.”
Reo instantly shot him down. And, as revenge for such a request, he pinched Nagi’s cheek. The look Reo received in response was akin to a kicked puppy.
“Reo’s so mean,” Nagi grumbled. “We won't be having practice tomorrow anyway, so why not take a break?”
Reo raised an eyebrow at this. “What makes you think we don't have practice tomorrow?”
“Because of the school festival?”
Oh, right. That. All of the scenarios Reo had painstakingly blocked out of his mind came flooding back in an instant. Heat rose to his cheeks, but luckily it was hidden by the existing flush of exertion. Reo sighed, his breath blowing his long bangs away from his face.
“Fine, no practice tomorrow,” he said.
“Yay.” Nagi’s expression was as blank as ever, but there was a slight lilt to his voice that spoke of pure delight.
“C’mon, you lazy genius. Let's go get cleaned up,” Reo said.
He turned and squatted so that Nagi could climb onto his back. Nagi didn't even need to ask anymore, it was a given that Reo would carry him back to the locker rooms after practice. In all honesty, Reo enjoyed this part of their routine. Nagi’s weight was comforting, warm and grounding in a way that made the endless noise in Reo's mind fall silent. There was no need to think with Nagi. Just act, just feel, and everything else would fall into place the way it was meant to be.
That night, locked in the safety of his room, Reo prepared himself for one of the most embarrassing things he had ever done. After dropping Nagi off at his apartment, there was nothing to distract Reo from the impending school festival. More accurately, there was nothing to distract him from himself.
Reo was the type to plan for every possible situation. He liked the security of knowing he was prepared for anything, even if the task at hand was an easy one. So when the idea that maybe, just maybe , Nagi would give him a kiss tomorrow refused to leave his mind, Reo knew he had to be ready. Which led him to where he was now.
Scattered on the desk in front of him were 23 different brands of lip balm, all flavored like lemon. It was impossible to tell which was the best without trying each one, and there was no way in hell that Reo was going to sample them in the store. In public. So, he bought all of them and brought them home.
He picked up the lip balm closest to him. The colorful packaging and light citrus scent were appealing, but Reo would not be won over easily. Beside him lay a notebook with three columns drawn into the pages. At the top of each column were the three categories he was going to rank each lip balm on: feel, flavor, and appearance. Giving individual scores in each category and averaging them out at the end was a good way to ensure that he picked the absolute best one. It was a time consuming process, though. If Reo wanted to even attempt to sleep tonight, he needed to get to work.
After hours of careful consideration, Reo managed to narrow his options down to two. The first tasted like lemon candy, just sweet enough to entice one to go for another taste. As Reo reapplied it to his lips, it left a shiny, almost dewy coating. Reo stared intently into the small mirror he had set up in front of him. Objectively, this was a good lip balm. It somehow gave off the appearance of being wet without feeling like Reo had slathered gel all over his lips, and the lip balm didn’t rub off easily either. Still, it might have been a bit… much? Like he was trying too hard to be noticed. No matter how much effort he put into this ridiculous plan, the last thing he wanted was for Nagi to realize he had made any effort at all.
Reo turned to his second option as he wiped his lips clean with a tissue. This one had a more tart flavor, but not unpleasantly so. It was similar to lemonade, the initial burst of lemon undercut by a subtle sweetness the longer it lingered on the lips. In terms of appearance, the balm was fairly unnoticeable, yet it left Reo’s lips feeling incredibly soft. He poked at them curiously. The plushness beneath his fingertips was surprising. And with this lip balm’s matte texture, it felt entirely natural. Though, since the whole point of this was to make Reo’s lips both feel and look more kissable, wasn’t this lip balm a little lacking? Or did the saying “less is more” apply here?
What would Nagi like? Reo wondered. His cheeks pinkened at the thought, but he forced himself to really consider it. Nagi had never expressed any interest in anybody, to Reo’s knowledge, so he didn’t have much to work with. If it wasn’t video games or sleeping, generally Nagi wanted nothing to do with it. Still, there had to be something that caught his attention. Reo wracked his brain, replaying every moment he had spent with Nagi since they met. There were a few occasions when Nagi had complimented him, but it was almost always to call him cool. Which was great and all, just not helpful.
And then Reo remembered something that happened after practice several weeks ago. In the moment, it was a completely innocuous thing, so much so that Reo hadn’t batted an eye at it. Now, though, the memory made him pause. At that time, Reo had been carrying Nagi in a piggyback like usual. As they crossed the soccer field, Nagi had leaned closer and drowsily nuzzled his cheek against Reo’s. The gesture lasted barely a second, but the warmth it left behind had lingered on Reo’s face for much longer. Then, Nagi had rested his head against Reo’s shoulder and murmured, “Reo is soft.”
Soft. Was it a compliment? Did Nagi like soft things? The more Reo thought about it, the more it made sense. Nagi valued comfort above all else. Honestly, Reo was a little upset with himself for not noticing such an obvious trait about his treasure sooner. He knew now, though, and Reo intended to use this information to his advantage. With the perfect lip balm finally picked out, the last piece of Reo’s plan was in place. Anticipation buzzed beneath his skin. No matter what fate threw at him, he was ready for tomorrow.
Reo was absolutely not ready. Whatever stupid confidence he had worked himself up into last night evaporated the moment he set foot on campus. Reo went through the usual pleasantries of greeting his fellow students with a smile, but he wasn’t paying attention to a single word they said. Relax, Reo told himself. It’s not like I’m actually going to kiss Nagi today. I just need to buy the tickets and leave. Strangely, Reo couldn’t tell if these words made him feel better or worse.
Since Reo’s classmates had all but demanded he help prepare the food for their cafe (something about everyone wanting to try Reo’s cooking? It was all useless flattery), he arrived at school earlier than usual. He had let Nagi know yesterday that this would be the case and offered to pick him up early as well, but Nagi declined. Dragging him out of bed at a normal time was an arduous task, so waking Nagi up early would surely be impossible. Reo wasn't surprised in the slightest that Nagi had refused to sacrifice a single moment of sleep. Though, Reo would be lying if he said he didn't miss the way Nagi leaned heavily against him during the walk across campus.
Last minute preparations for the festival went smoothly. All the necessary ingredients were organized for easy access throughout the day, and the carefully selected decorations transformed the classroom into a trendy cafe. A few overeager classmates praised Reo’s sense of design as he instructed the decoration crew to move a collage of paper flowers towards the windows. He politely smiled and humbly waved off their compliments. The whole time, all he could think about was how long this was taking. The school festival was set to start any second now, and he still hadn’t found a chance to visit Nagi.
In fact, it wasn’t until halfway through the day that Reo finally got an opportunity to escape. Several of his classmates were in the process of switching shifts between cooking and serving, and Reo quickly requested a break of his own. He was met with a few disappointed expressions from peers that were eager to work with him, but no one voiced any complaints. Reo didn’t even take the time to discard the apron he was wearing before grabbing his bag and hurrying out into the hall.
Due to an unfortunate oversight on Reo’s part, he had somehow forgotten to ask Nagi exactly where his booth was. It couldn’t be in Nagi’s classroom, because that had been turned into a haunted house. And, despite the various rumors about Nagi being some kind of cursed creature, Reo doubted he was scary enough to be a horror attraction. Luckily, during Reo’s time serving at his own class’s cafe, a couple of Nagi’s classmates had stopped by for a meal. Reo took the chance to ask them about Nagi’s whereabouts, to which most had shrugged. One, though, mentioned hearing something about the first floor staircase in the building across from the gym. That was more than enough information. Reo could take it from there.
Mostly moving on instinct, Reo crossed the campus to the aforementioned building. Very few students were milling about in this area, what with all the excitement happening in the main school building. Seeing how deserted it was, Reo snorted in amusement. Of course Nagi would pick a place like this. As Reo made his way down the halls, he blindly reached into his bag and fumbled around for the lip balm hidden away at the bottom. When his fingers closed around the small, cylindrical container, he hesitated. This was ridiculous. There was absolutely no reason for Reo to prepare himself to be kissed. And yet, here he was. Applying a generous layer of lip balm to his lips. Reo hoped the light flush of his cheeks died down before he reached his destination.
Once the first floor staircase came into view, so did a familiar figure. Nagi was hunched over a fold-out table, head pillowed in his arms. The table was completely bare save for a roll of orange tickets and a jar that Reo could only guess was for storing money. The jar was empty. Reo let out a sigh of relief.
“Nagi,” he called out, quickening his pace.
Nagi lifted his head enough to peer up through his bangs. “Oh, it’s Reo.”
“I get that you don’t like crowds, but next time at least give me a heads up on where you’re going. This isn’t the easiest spot to find, you know?” Reo said.
“That’s the point.” Nagi yawned and shifted his position to more comfortably look at Reo. His cheek squished cutely against his arm. “But I knew Reo would find me.”
Nagi’s easy confidence in him always caused warmth to bloom in Reo’s chest. It was different from the pressure and expectations other people usually placed upon him. Nagi spoke as if all the world’s problems were nothing before Reo’s capable hands. Not because he wanted anything from Reo, it was just a fact in Nagi’s mind. That sort of unwavering faith made it hard to feel annoyed whenever Nagi inevitably made things more difficult than necessary.
“So, how have things been?” Reo asked. He nonchalantly (hopefully it looked that way) glanced towards the roll of tickets. “Any customers?”
“Nope,” Nagi replied.
“I still can’t believe you chose to run a kissing booth of all things.”
“Because anything else would’ve been too much of a pain.”
You’re a pain , Reo thought wryly. He dug around in his bag until he found his wallet. “How many tickets are there?”
“150, why?” Nagi said.
After quickly counting out the exact amount of yen, Reo dropped the money into the jar. “I’ll take all of them.”
Nagi blinked up at him questioningly. Reo’s heart thudded so loudly in his chest that he worried it was audible in the silence that hung between them. He needed to say something before Nagi misinterpreted his actions.
“You can leave after you run out of tickets, right? So, let me buy them and we can go around the festival for a bit,” Reo said.
“Oh,” was Nagi’s response. It was hard to decipher exactly what that tone was supposed to mean.
Nagi didn’t move or say anything else, and the longer this went on, the more nervous Reo became. Shouldn’t Nagi be happy about this? Sure, maybe he didn’t want to be dragged around the festival, but Reo was basically telling him it was okay to slack off for the rest of the day. For someone as lazy as him, that was a dream come true. Then, what was the problem?
Suddenly, Nagi’s eyes flickered with… something. He sat up straighter and pushed the roll of tickets across the table. “Okay, Reo can have them, but no refunds.”
“I wasn't planning on refunding them anyway,” Reo said, confused.
The way Nagi was staring up at him expectantly gave Reo a sense of foreboding. He had to be missing something. Nothing seemed strange about this exchange, though. He bought all of the tickets like he had planned, and Nagi was relieved of his kissing booth duties. Reo fiddled with the end of one of the tickets as his brows furrowed, deep in thought.
“Now, you give them back to me,” Nagi said.
Still perplexed, Reo slid the roll of tickets back across the table. Maybe Nagi was going to put them away so they could go explore the festival together. But Nagi just kept staring at him. It was making Reo’s palms sweat.
“Is everything alright?” Reo finally asked.
“Yeah,” Nagi replied. “Just waiting for you.”
“Waiting for me to do what?”
“To get what you paid for?”
All of the gears turning in Reo’s head spun faster, trying to figure out what exactly Nagi was talking about, before abruptly coming to a stop. No, that couldn’t be right. No way Nagi was asking for a kiss. Reo had to be misunderstanding things, right?
“You, uh, already gave me the tickets,” Reo said. He tried to laugh off the tension that had seized his entire body, but it came out as more of a strained wheeze.
“I know. So, Reo can use them now,” Nagi said.
There was no other way to interpret Nagi’s words. He was, in fact, asking for a kiss. From Reo. Still, Reo’s brain refused to accept this opportunity and desperately searched for an explanation behind the request.
“It’s okay, Nagi. Just because I bought the tickets, that doesn’t mean I have to use them. You can just repay me by hanging out with me today,” Reo said quickly.
That had to be it, right? Nagi was only acting out of obligation. Nevermind the fact that Nagi normally couldn’t care less about returning favors or doing things because he was “supposed to.”
“Oh,” Nagi said, as if some grand revelation had been granted to him.
Reo nearly collapsed from relief (with just the smallest touch of disappointment). Finally, Nagi saw how ridiculous all of this was. Or so he thought. Nagi’s next words sent Reo reeling straight back into a panic.
“Then, you can have a free sample first.”
What.
“What?” Reo’s voice was embarrassingly squeaky.
Nagi pointed to his own lips. “You have to try out a product before making a purchase, right? Reo is very business-minded, so you can have a free kiss before you decide if you want more.”
There were so many things Reo wanted to say in response to that. For one, he had already made his purchase. Also, Nagi most certainly was not a product. Reo felt offended on his behalf to be called such a thing. Most importantly, Nagi had left no uncertainties about what he wanted. He didn’t seem to be taking no for an answer either. And poor, weak Reo could never deny his treasure anything.
“If you refer to this like a business one more time, I’m going to kill you,” Reo muttered, but his words held no bite.
He stepped closer to the table until no crossable space remained between them. There were those big, expectant eyes again. Reo was going to combust if he spent another second under that gaze.
“At least close your eyes,” he said.
“Don’t wanna,” Nagi replied petulantly.
Reo felt too exposed like this. He and Nagi were always on the same wavelength, perfectly in sync without exchanging a single word. That was part of the reason this situation was so mortifying. Reo was sure that Nagi could see past the bright flush on his face, right into Reo’s vulnerable beating heart. A heart that had been calling out for Nagi from the first time they met. A heart that, right now, was tearing itself apart between desperately wanting to take whatever Nagi would give and fearfully clinging to the stability of friendship. But Reo Mikage was a person who got everything he wanted. He wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less.
In an attempt to take back a little control in this situation, Reo reached out to cover Nagi’s eyes with his hand. Nagi made a confused sound, but he, thankfully, didn’t try to remove the hand. He only sat there, patiently waiting. Reo took in a long, stuttering breath. Just get it over with, he told himself. You’ve been waiting for a chance like this for months. Just take it, dumbass.
Reo moved so quickly that even he was surprised. In his haste, he was clumsy and completely missed the mark. What should have been a proper kiss instead turned out to be a barely-there brush of Reo’s lips against the corner of Nagi’s mouth. Even that small bit of contact sent a thrill through Reo’s veins. His heart rate continued to skyrocket as Reo pulled back and dropped his hand to rest on the table.
Nagi had the audacity to look disappointed. “That doesn’t count.”
Reo would’ve strangled him if the pout on Nagi’s lips didn’t look so cute. He really was trying his best here! Have some mercy.
“A kiss is a kiss. It doesn’t matter where it is,” Reo said. “That’s good enough, right?”
“Reo doesn’t want to kiss me?” Nagi asked in a voice that could only be described as pitiful.
The problem was that Reo actually really wanted to kiss him. Admitting that would mean opening up about all the feelings that came with those desires, though. Reo wasn’t sure he was ready for that conversation yet. Still, letting Nagi think he was unwanted in any way was unacceptable. Reo would rather die.
Steadying himself enough so that his fingers no longer shook, Reo tore a single ticket off of the roll. It took all the willpower in his body to look Nagi in the eye as he held out the ticket in offering.
“I may have more money than I know what to do with, but even I don’t buy things I don’t want,” Reo said.
Nagi’s eyes flickered with that unnameable emotion again. He took the ticket from Reo’s hand, their fingertips lightly brushing in the process. This time, Nagi was kind enough to close his eyes. There was no telling if or when he would change his mind, though, so Reo didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against Nagi’s.
The feeling that bubbled up in Reo’s chest was unlike anything he had experienced before. Despite his racing pulse, only warmth and a sense of peace flooded Reo’s senses. It was as if a long-buried urge had finally been satisfied. Reo could live in this moment forever. But he knew he couldn’t. Reluctantly, Reo pulled away after a few seconds passed. When he opened his eyes, he was delighted to see a light dusting of pink on Nagi’s cheeks.
For one, long moment, the two of them stared at each other in comfortable silence. Reo took the time to calm his wildly beating heart. Rather, he tried to, but Nagi wouldn’t let him.
“Okay, 149 more.”
Nagi said this with the same conviction as scoring a goal that promised a prize at the end. No, he seemed much more motivated than that. Reo was going to faint.
“That’s way too many,” he said, dumbfounded.
“You shouldn’t have bought all the tickets, then,” Nagi responded.
Was he being cheeky? Reo couldn’t help but laugh.
“As if I would let anyone else kiss my treasure,” Reo said.
A grin started to creep its way onto his face, more than a little smug, before Reo froze. He got caught up in the moment and accidentally revealed his true intentions. Nervously, Reo’s gaze shifted between Nagi and the wall behind him, but Nagi seemed unfazed by this revelation.
“Did you think anyone else would even try?” Nagi asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Reo was completely refusing to look at him now. “I mean, you are handsome, Nagi. Someone might have a crush on you without you knowing.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“Does Reo have a crush on me?”
The question sent Reo spluttering, face aflame all over again. His eyes, wide and panicked, darted to Nagi’s face. The corners of Nagi’s lips were upturned the smallest bit, only noticeable due to their close proximity, and Reo swore his eyes sparkled like they were in a shoujo manga. Reo was so enamored by the sight that his panic was momentarily forgotten.
“Yeah,” Reo breathed out in a daze.
Before he knew it, there were hands grasping the lapels of his blazer and tugging him down. Reo’s lips met Nagi’s once more. Those slightly chapped, insistent lips against Reo’s own were pure bliss, and he sank into the kiss without a second thought. This time, Reo was completely unaware of how much time passed. The longer they stayed like this, the better.
“I like you too, Reo,” Nagi said against his lips.
Reo beamed as he dove in for another kiss, and another, and another. This joy coursing through his veins was liquid fire, branding every cell in his body with Nagi’s name. He wanted to erase the boundary between them, make it impossible to tell where Reo ended and Nagi began. Now that Reo’s greed had been indulged once, he wouldn’t ever be able to stop. Not that he wanted to.
“Reo, my neck hurts,” Nagi whined.
Reo moved back to look at him with concern. Because Nagi was still seated behind the table, he had to crane his neck in an uncomfortable position to kiss Reo. Seeing this, Reo felt a little guilty.
“Sorry, Nagi. I guess we should stop for now,” Reo said.
Nagi shook his head. “No, we still have 138 more kisses.”
A laugh burst free from Reo’s chest, bright and dripping with affection. “You were counting?”
“Reo’s money is important,” Nagi said.
“As if,” Reo snorted in amusement. He raised a hand to gently cradle Nagi’s cheek. “Your comfort is what’s truly important. I’ll give you as many kisses as you want later, Nagi.”
Nagi pouted while nuzzling into Reo’s palm. Such a precious sight was nearly enough to break the ounce of resolve Reo still had. But one of them had to show some restraint. They were in public, after all.
“You’ll come over to my place after school today, right?” Nagi said.
Reo grinned teasingly. “Only if you walk around the festival with me first.”
Nagi groaned and slouched down face-first onto the table. “But festivals are such a pain.”
“What if I call it a date? How does that sound?”
Nagi was silent for several seconds. Then, he turned his head to gaze up at Reo with a mixture of exasperation and affection. “That’s not fair. You know I can’t refuse when you put it like that.”
“Consider it payback for that ‘free sample’ shit,” Reo said. He shook his head, but the grin never left his face. “Seriously, you almost gave me a heart attack. You’re more cunning than I thought.”
Nagi’s only response was to stick his tongue out. Reo had to physically fight the urge to suck that tongue into his mouth. Instead, he ruffled Nagi’s fluffy hair.
“Come on, let’s go take a look around.”
“‘Kay.”
Nagi stood up just long enough to make his way around the table, before promptly leaning his entire weight against Reo’s side. Reo chuckled and wrapped an arm around Nagi’s waist to steady him.
“Are you hungry? I’ll buy you something to eat,” Reo said.
“Mmm, not really,” Nagi replied. He rested his head on Reo’s shoulder, before seeming to remember something and straightening up. “Oh, that reminds me…”
Reo made a questioning noise, waiting for Nagi to continue, and was surprised by a soft kiss on his lips. There wasn’t much time to respond, because Nagi pulled away almost as quickly as he had leaned in. As he broke the kiss, though, Nagi lightly licked at Reo’s lower lip.
“Reo tastes good, like lemons,” Nagi said.
Heat rushed to Reo’s face so fast it was dizzying. He had forgotten all about the lip balm. Part of him burned with embarrassment, knowing Nagi would ask about it at some point and Reo would have to explain himself. The other, louder part of him could only feel a deep satisfaction. All that planning had worked, hadn’t it? After all, Reo knew what Nagi liked better than anyone. And what Nagi liked most was Reo himself.