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Being head over heels in love with a boy from another class had completely disrupted Ryusei's school life. Previously, he'd spent practically every break taking his beloved nap, but now, instead of sleeping during lunch and snacking during class, he'd sleep during class and spend long breaks on the rooftop with Chifuyu (and Baji), trying to annoy him because he loved how irritated Matsuno was giving him all her attention. Recently, he'd started provoking him into trying all sorts of snacks that the average person would find difficult to swallow.
Chifuyu, who never refused a challenge, always reacted dramatically, making funny faces or fighting the urge to vomit, Ryusei was laughing his head off, and Baji was looking at them with pity.
Unfortunately, on the one day he prepared the sourest black jelly beans, his precious time with Chifuyu (and Baji) was stolen by remnants of a gang Toman had defeated a week ago. They came to their school, caused trouble, and the boys had to kick their asses. And while Ryusei loved watching Chifuyu in a battle frenzy, he didn't like the fact that he was drawing more attention to some idiots who couldn't even fight than to him.
When twenty boys were already defeated, Baji made a quick call to Mikey, who told them not to worry too much.
They were about to celebrate with a meal, when the bell rang for class, and the boys groaned and had to return to their classrooms.
Ryusei later met up with Chifuyu (and Baji) as the three of them were walking home from school, surprisingly, this time without any problems from the principal.
"I won't say I didn't like kicking their asses again, but why did they have to do it on our school grounds? Baji-san could have gotten in trouble!" Chifuyu said, still buzzing with adrenaline. Ryusei wondered how he managed to sit still during class and wished he could have seen it.
"Yeah, I'm really trying not to disappoint my mom, and those idiots are really making things difficult." Baji said, adjusting his glasses.
"Maybe you're just attracting trouble, Fuyu? ♡." Ryusei said, just to get the boy's attention.
The anger on Matsuno's face immediately took on a different expression, one specifically reserved for Ryusei.
"Why me, you idiot?!" He shouted at him. "What you’re saying doesn’t make any sense, as always."
"You just don’t get it, you attract men like bees to honey." He grinned cheekily.
And what he’d been secretly hoping for happened: a blush on his face.
"What the fuck?! What bullshit are you talking about?" He stuttered in a loud voice.
He was about to say something that would completely turn Chifuyu into a blushing mess when he felt a blow to the back of the head.
"Shut up, Ryusei." Baji said, giving him a stern look.
Ryusei groaned.
"Keisuke-kun, why aren’t you letting me do my thing?"
"Because it’s embarrassing and I don’t want to watch it."
Chifuyu, still blushing, looked at the boys as if he wasn’t quite sure what they meant. But then his expression changed and he slammed his fist against his palm.
"Oh, I remember! I was supposed to tell you at lunch, but because of those losers, I didn't get a chance."
Chifuyu grinned at them, that charming, boyish smile that always made him feel a pleasant warmth in his chest. This, combined with the slight blush on his face, made Ryusei stare at him captivated.
"My mom's going away for the weekend and said I could invite you over. We'll have a sleepover with snacks, games, and maybe even watch a movie." He said excitedly.
Ryusei's heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. He wanted to spend every free moment with Chifuyu, and the prospect of spending the entire night in his company was an opportunity he couldn't refuse.
However, he wouldn't be himself if he didn't tease the boy first.
"You want to have a girls night, haven't you read too many of your shoujo manga?" He grinned cheekily.
Chifuyu was pissed, his jaw clenching tightly.
"If you want to be a hater, you don't have to come. Baji-san and I will have a great time together." Chifuyu turned to his friend with an adorable puppy-dog expression. "Because you will come, right, Baji-san?"
Oh no, Ryusei couldn't allow that.
Before Baji could answer, Ryusei spoke up:
"I'm just teasing, Chifuyu. Of course I'll come. I'll even bring some games; I'm sure I have UNO at home."
This immediately caught the boy's attention.
"I've never played it, but I'd love to destroy you!" he said, clenching his fist.
Ryusei couldn't help but laugh. Chifuyu was so adorable when he went into HIS competitive mode.
"Good luck, Fuyu ♡. You'll definitely need it, because I'm a UNO champion." He winked.
This also provoked the boy, as he opened his mouth to say something, but Baji spoke up:
"Firstly, learn the rules, Chifuyu. Ryusei for sure will start coming up with his own rules just to win."
The amusement quickly vanished from Ryusei. Baji was particularly spoiling his fun today.
"I wouldn't dare do that!" He said, placing his hand over his heart, feigning innocence.
Chifuyu narrowed his eyes.
"Of course you would. And you'd also try to peek at my cards."
Ryusei smiled mischievously.
"I'd rather peek at all of you, not just your cards, Fuyu ♡." He said, earning a punch in arms from both Baji and Chifuyu this time. He instinctively put his hand on the arm that Matsuno had targeted, though the one Baji had punched hurt more.
All the way to Chifuyu and Baji's apartment building, the guys were teasing each other.
"Just ask your moms if you can come over Saturday night and let me know tomorrow," Chifuyu said as they were about to part ways.
"Fuyu, there's no way I could miss spending the night at your place ♡." He said, blowing him a kiss and savoring the flash of a blush before Baji pulled him into their apartment building.
Ryusei took a few steps until he was sure his friends had already gone to their apartments, then turned around and entered the building.
He quickly reached Baji's door and knocked vigorously.
"Who the fuck is going on here, I just got in." The boy snorted in amusement at Baji's words.
"Stop complaining, just open the damn door!" His friend's mother's scream made him barely contain his laughter.
His smile didn't fade even when Baji finally opened the door, widening his eyes at the sight of him.
He said "No.", then he tried to close the door, but Ryusei was faster and blocked it with his foot.
"That's not a nice way to welcome your friend. What would Chifuyu say if he saw this?"
"He would clap his hands and do the same if he were me." He said, trying to kick his foot away. "Go away. I really don't want to hear what you have to say, I've had enough of your chatter for next week." Although Baji was much stronger than him, Ryusei was driven by the power of love, so he stubbornly refused to let go.
"What's going on here?" Baji's mother asked, approaching.
The boys immediately straightened up.
"Good evening, ma'am!" He said, smiling.
"Ryusei? What are you doing here? Come inside." She said, and Ryusei, thanking her, did as she said, sending his friend a triumphant look.
"Mom, you shouldn't have let him in. He's probably got some bullshit on his mind." Baji began to rebel.
However, she ignored her son.
"You always have bullshit on your mind, and yet I listen to you." She replied, then turned to Ryusei. "Do you want to talk to Keisuke about something?"
"Actually, I'd like to ask you two something." Ryusei said with a wide smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Baji start to panic slightly. He hadn't expected such a move from him.
"Me too?" She asked, surprised.
"It's about Chifuyu inviting Baji and me to a sleepover next Saturday." Judging by her expression, he concluded that Baji hadn't had time to tell her. He wasn't surprised, after all, Ryusei had barely let him into the apartment. "I know it's rude of me and I'll probably come across as a bad friend, but I'd like to ask that Baji not come and allow us to be alone. I'd like to use this time to get closer to Chifuyu and confess my feelings to him." Ryusei decided that the best way to convince Baji's mother would be to be honest. Baji already knew he liked Chifuyu. All of Toman knew he liked Chifuyu, except for Chifuyu himself, of course.
Baji snorted.
"You'll never do that."
His mother, however, ignored her son's comment, completely focused on Ryusei's words.
"Do you like Chifuyu?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She could probably become friends with his mother, who had been smitten with Chifuyu from the moment she first met him. When Ryusei told her he was the one who was going for him, the real matchmaker in her kicked in and became very supportive of his attempts to woo Chifuyu.
"Chifuyu is the love of my life, ma'am." He said it with confidence, because he truly believed it. No one had affected him like Chifuyu, who had saved him and changed him. He didn't believe there was anyone else he could feel the way he did about Chifuyu, even if people questioned how he showed it.
Baji's mother seemed delighted with this confession..
"You can't leave Ryusei alone with Chifuyu!" Baji shouted at her.
"Keisuke, calm down!" She shouted, then turned to Ryusei. "Don't take it personally, sweetheart. Chifuyu is like a little brother to him, so he's a bit protective of him."
Little brother, Ryusei thought, tilting his head and looking intently at Baji, who grimaced. He sincerely doubted he saw him that way, but if it were true, it would be even more convenient, as he wouldn't have to look at his friend as a rival. It was enough that Chifuyu looked at the older boy with admiration, something he envied greatly.
"I have my reasons! He has bad intentions towards Chifuyu!"
"Since when is loving someone a bad intention?" He looked at him innocently.
Baji looked at him with a wary gaze. He clearly knew Ryusei was only provoking him. It was part of his personality, but there was also a part of him that simply wanted to annoy his friend, who often stopped him from flirting with Matsuno. He understood that he sometimes overdid it by teasing Chifuyu and pranking him, but Baji knew full well how much Chifuyu meant to him and that his feelings were genuine.
"We're too young for relationships." Baji continued, looking at his mother as if that argument would resonate with her.
Ryusei raised his eyebrows. Considering they were part of a gang and often did things befitting grown men, saying you were too young for a relationship sounded ridiculous.
"Come on, Keisuke. This is the right time for first loves. You should let Chifuyu experience that, especially if Ryusei was willing to give it to him."
"Mom, what happened to you? Why are you acting like this?" Keisuke's frustration amused Ryusei, but he tried to keep a straight face.
"All women like this kind of love stuff."
Her son looked at her with wide eyes.
"But you're not a woman, you're my mother!"
The blow to the back of the head was so loud that for a moment Ryusei thought Baji's mother had just fractured something in her son's skull.
"Your stupidity knows no bounds; you'd really do us a favor if you kept some things to yourself."
A shadow passed over Baji’s face, but it quickly disappeared, and Rysei decided he must have imagined it.
"But I also want to have a sleepover with Chifuyu!" He said, clearly irritated.
Baji's mom looked at him with a gentle gaze, and Ryusei could already see the hope of being alone with Chifuyu for the night disappears..
"And you will be. In a week, you can organize a sleepover at our home. Chifuyu's mom will definitely agree."
Baji snorted.
"To watch Ryusei get even more clingy to Chifuyu?"
Ryusei couldn't help but smile. So even Baji thought something might happen between him and Chifuyu during the sleepover. It made him feel even more motivated.
Baji's mom turned to Ryusei.
"Would you mind if only Chifuyu stayed with us? Keisuke would also like to spend some time with his little brother until he gets used to your relationship. Wouldn't you be jealous of your boyfriend, right?"
Ryusei's heart skipped a beat at the prospect of Chifuyu as his boyfriend.
"Chifuyu isn't his boyfriend, nor is he my little brother." Baji muttered, clearly annoyed.
Honestly, Ryusei didn't want to share Chifuyu with anyone, not even Baji, but he had to agree since they were already very helpful to him. If everything went well, Chifuyu would be his boyfriend by then, and he knew him well enough to fully trust him with his fidelity. No one was as loyal as Chifuyu, and that was one of the things he loved most about him.
"Of course. In a while, the three of us can finally have a sleepover, this time at my place. Just please, this first night be just for me and Chifuyu. I want to impress him."
Although Baji was extremely reluctant, they eventually managed to reach an agreement. Ryusei swore to himself and Baji's family that he would make the most of this time to get closer to Chifuyu.
He couldn't waste this opportunity.
Baji quickly let Chifuyu know that he wouldn't be able to attend the sleepover. A disappointed Matsuno talked to Ryusei about canceling the entire event, but Satou quickly dissuaded him, arguing that he should seize the opportunity when he had the apartment to himself and that the two of them could have a great time together. Fortunately, Chifuyu was convinced, though not without shouting at him that Ryusei had to behave himself, because he wouldn't have to explain to his mother if he destroyed the entire apartment.
Ryusei really wanted to make Chifuyu his boyfriend that evening. But above all, he wanted them to have a good time, so he wanted to
"Is Ronaldhino here?" He asked as soon as he entered the apartment.
"Peke J." Chifuyu corrected him, irritated. "He’s at Baji-san’s. I saw him come in through the balcony they had to leave open. Maybe he’ll come later if he runs out of food."
Ryusei nodded. Although he adored the cat, he was glad that he was actually alone in the apartment with Chifuyu.
"I see you’ve prepared well for the evening." He said, looking at the table, which was stocked with chips, cookies, other snacks, and plenty of soda. "But I hope you still have room for my snacks." With a wide smile, he held out a paper bag to him.
Chifuyu’s eyes lit up. He could complain all he wanted, but Ryusei knew perfectly well that he loved these eating challenges he was preparing for him.
"What hellish snacks have you prepared for me?"
"Why do I always have to try this shit?" Chifuyu, all red, said, fighting the urge to vomit after the very spicy chips. It was probably only a shred of pride that kept him from reaching for a glass of water.
He had tears in his eyes, and in Ryusei's opinion, he looked simply beautiful.
He laughed loudly.
"You know I have a very sensitive stomach."
"But you could at least try, since you're already wasting money on this." Chifuyu said, gripping the table tightly.
Ryusei extended his hand toward the boy. He gently removed a large crumb of diabolically spicy chips from the corner of his mouth.
How much would he give to kiss those lips? But he didn't want to rush. They were just starting this night.
"Money spent on you will never be wasted, Fuyu ♡."
Chifuyu, who hadn't taken his eyes off him when Ryusei placed a crumb on his tongue. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell if the redness was still from the chips or if it was Satou who was having that effect on him.
Ryusei tried to be as seductive as he could, but when he felt a hellish sharpness on his tongue, he coughed violently.
"What kind of hell is this?"
Chifuyu burst into hearty laughter at this reaction, and Ryusei forgot his suffering as he was captivated by the beautiful sight.
"If you react like that to a mere crumb, I'm not surprised you didn't want to join me in these challenges." He said, finally reaching for water for both of them.
Ryusei gratefully reached for the glass and took a long sip.
"You're simply stronger than me in many ways, Chifuyu." He said it sincerely, because he truly believed it. Chifuyu was the strongest person he knew.
Chifuyu, clearly embarrassed by the unexpected compliment, stuttered:
"I... well… thanks... Maybe we can play a game now?"
Ryusei couldn't refuse him.
People often think that the more people playing UNO, the better, but clearly none of them had spent an evening alone with Chifuyu Matsuno. This game couldn't have been better, even with all of Toman.
"You're cheating!" Chifuyu shouted, throwing his cards on the table after losing to Ryusei for the tenth time in a row.
"How can I cheat when you've memorized the instructions so you won't fall for my made-up rules and you can't take your eyes off my cards?" Amused, he raised an eyebrow.
"Then you must be shuffling badly, since somehow you always have all the +2 and +4 cards!" He pointed an accusing finger at him.
Ryusei couldn't help but laugh.
"But you were the one shuffling those cards because you didn't trust me, Fuyu."
Chifuyu was already red-faced.
"I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this." He muttered.
"You just need to learn to play strategically, Fuyu. And keep a poker face during the game."
Matsuno snorted.
"As if you were keeping a poker face. You're constantly smiling or bursting into laughter."
Ryusei's smile widened.
"Because it's hard for me to hold back a smile when I'm with you, Fuyu. ♡"
These words had already had an effect on him, as Chifuyu blushed.
Cute, he thought.
"I'm tired of UNO, let's play Monopoly." He said, aggressively packing the cards into the box.
Ryusei's amusement was quickly replaced by a slight worry.
"Are you sure, Fuyu?" He asked, suddenly alarmed. "Apparently, Monopoly is a risky game for all friendships and relationships." Ryusei wanted to get closer to Chifuyu tonight, not irrevocably lose the chance to be his boyfriend.
"Apparently UNO does that too, but I haven't kicked you out yet." He folded his arms and rolled his eyes.
"You wanted to do that after your sixth loss." Ryusei reminded him. "And apparently Monopoly is even more damaging to relationships." Under different circumstances, he would have been fascinated by the thought of a frustrated Chifuyu being beaten in the game, but he was worried this would be too risky a gamble.
"I think we've been through too much together for something as stupid as Monopoly to break our bond." He said confidently.
Ryusei's heart skipped a beat at those words.
He smiled broadly.
"It's really encouraging that you're so confident in our relationship, Fuyu ♡."
Chifuyu looked so adorably flustered that Ryusei could barely contain the urge to kiss his cheeks.
"Shut up and get ready to go broke."
"Get the fuck out of my apartment!" Chifuyu shouted, angrily knocking down the entire Monopoly board. Ryusei, who had expected this sooner or later, nimbly caught the dice that almost hit him in the nose.
"You need to learn to lose, Fuyu." He said, slightly amused, but still alert, in case Monopoly really did ruin his chances with Chifuyu.
"You stole a hundred bucks from the bank, you cheater!" It's possible Ryusei did cheat a little, stealing money from the bank whenever Chifuyu looked away for a moment, but he only did it to provoke Chifuyu.
"And maybe I also threw you in jail myself?"
The boy practically gnashed his teeth.
"We'll play a regular board game, no money, no possessions. Just rolling the dice and moving a piece. You won't be able to cheat here." He said, gathering up the game pieces.
"How about we do something without the competitive elements, like a puzzle?" He said, even though he loved it when Chifuyu was in competitive mode. His determination was very appealing.
Matsuno snorted.
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to trust you with the puzzles? I'm sure you'll pocket one piece." Ryusei looked at Chifuyu innocently. He knew him so well.
"I'll do the puzzle with Baji-san next week." He added and Satou felt a twinge of jealousy.
Well, Keisuke had already booked a night with Chifuyu, and Ryusei had to tell Matsuno that he couldn't show up. It was supposed to be the arrangement, but he still didn't like it. If he actually managed to become Chifuyu's boyfriend, he wouldn't want to be separated from him, much less have to endure his boyfriend spending the night with another guy he was very close to. But he knew it wasn't fair to both Chifuyu and Baji.
"I hope we can finally reach an agreement so the three of us can have a sleepover." Chifuyu sighed.
"Then maybe there's a chance you'll come second to last when we play something." He winked.
Chifuyu looked at him coldly.
"Shut up and help me pick up this damn Monopoly."
"As you wish, Fuyu ♡."
"How?" Matsuno stared at the board blankly. They hadn't even been playing for five minutes, and Ryusei's piece was already at the finish line, and Chifuyu's was just a few squares from the start.
A brilliant idea struck Ryusei. He picked up the dice and gently grabbed Chifuyu's hand, which, to his surprise, didn't pull away. He placed the dice in his hand, which he began to make delicate movements with.
"You're rolling the dice wrong, Fuyu. " He whispered.
Satou could hear his heart pounding loudly from the contact, and he had the impression that Chifuyu's was beating in a similar rhythm.
"Your movements must start with your wrist." He added, then reluctantly released Chifuyu's hand, which a moment later released the dice.
They both stared at the dice, which had a 2 on it.
"Show me again." Chifuyu whispered hoarsely.
Ryusei's heart skipped a beat at these words. He swallowed, then grabbed the dice again and placed it in the boy's hand, which he began shaking again.
This time, he held his hand longer, imagining they were walking home from school together, holding hands like a real couple.
When he took his hand, Chifuyu imitated his movements for a moment longer, then released the dice.
This time, the dice showed a 1.
Chifuyu stubbornly refused to look at him. For some reason, Ryusei couldn't do the same, so they both focused entirely on the dice on the table.
"There's no special method for rolling the dice, is there?" Chifuyu asked quietly. Ryusei was surprised that the boy didn't react aggressively to the deception, as he usually did. He felt like his reaction was making him feel dizzy.
"Maybe it does exist, but I just got lucky." Ryusei said, remarkably without a mocking tone in his voice. Physical contact with the person he loved with all his heart truly shook him.
Chifuyu sighed.
"So I just have bad luck when it comes to games." He stood up from the table, and Ryusei noticed that his legs were shaking slightly. Satou himself felt like jelly. "Maybe we should heat up some pizza and watch a movie?"
Ryusei's mind was so chaotic that he wasn't able to tease him, so he simply agreed.
Luckily for him, Chifuyu thought they should watch a horror movie at a guys' night out, and it was the perfect genre to play knight in shining armor.
"If you're scared, you can always hug me, Fuyu! I'll protect you. ♡" He said, earning a punch in the arm, though it wasn't as hard as usual.
"Idiot. I hope I don't have to clean up after you if you piss yourself from fear." He drawled.
"You know perfectly well that out of the two of us, you're the bigger scary cat, Fuyu. But there's nothing to be ashamed of, because you're adorable when you're scared ♡."
A blushing Matsuno just started cursing under his breath and turned on The Shining on the TV in the living room.
He brought them each a blanket from his room and a few pillows so they could sit comfortably while watching.
Perfect conditions for cuddling.
Ryusei was just waiting for the right moment to seize the opportunity.
He remembered why he never watched horror movies when he felt chills running down his spine during The Shining.
Before the movie started, Ryusei had honestly thought that if they were cuddled together, their eyes would meet at some point and that would be their first kiss.
But when they both moved closer and began to hug, it wasn't as romantic as he'd expected. They were both shaking like a chihuahua and staring at the screen.
"Children are scary. Especially twins." Chifuyu whispered.
"Say that to Smiley and Angry." Ryusei replied, his voice trembling slightly. He couldn't believe he was in such a state because of a stupid horror movie.
"That would probably be scarier than that mov... WHAT THE FUCK!" Terrified, Chifuyu snuggled even closer to Ryusei, who responded with the same, inhaling sharply. Matsuno's intoxicating scent filled his body, calming his own trembling somewhat.
Maybe holding each other tightly in a tight embrace was a wonderful feeling, but at what a terrible cost.
The upside to the movie ending was that this torture was finally over. The downside was that Chifuyu had pulled away from Ryusei, who immediately felt cold after losing contact.
Matsuno reached for his glass of cola with a shaking hand and quickly took a sip.
"No more horror movies. I don't care about your teasing about it, next time we'll watch shoujo." He said.
Ryusei smiled, though his heart still hadn't calmed.
"If you want, we can do something straight out of a shoujo manga right now."
Chifuyu arched an eyebrow.
"What?"
And even though Ryusei really wanted to say something like kiss, he knew his friend wouldn't take it seriously, so he reached for a pillow and threw it at Chifuyu.
"Pillow fight!" He didn't let him react as he quickly grabbed another pillow and started attacking his friend.
"What the hell kind of shoujo manga are you reading, idiot?!" Chifuyu shouted, reached for the pillow and attacked him back.
Ryusei felt free, incredibly happy. Spending time with Chifuyu like this made him feel like he was in heaven.
Even if, in that heaven, Chifuyu called him an idiot.
At one point, Chifuyu's (who was hitting much more aggressively than Ryusei) pillow gave way and exploded and the feathers were everywhere.
For a moment, they stared at each other motionless, showered by white feathers, like something out of a romantic Christmas comedy.
"Ryusei, I'll kill you." Chifuyu said dangerously, which didn't sound very romantic anymore.
"But you're the one who tore your pillow, Fuyu." He said, then laughed.
His laugh was like pulling the pin from a grenade, causing Matsuno to lunge at him.
For a moment, they struggled and rolled in the feathers, and instead of feeling threatened, Ryusei felt unimaginable happiness. Suddenly, his body took over, and he rolled onto Chifuyu, grabbing his wrists to stop him from attacking. They both panted slightly, gazing into each other's eyes, and Ryusei felt as if time had stood still.
Chifuyu looked so beautiful, even though his face, like Ryusei's, was covered in feathers that must have stuck together.
I want to kiss him so badly, Ryusei thought.
Slowly, carefully observing Chifuyu's reaction, he leaned towards him. Seeing no opposition, only some glint in his eye, he didn't stop.
But then he felt his nose tingle from the feathers.
He froze.
Ryusei breathed deeply, trying to hold back what was coming, but ultimately, he lost to the feathers and sneezed directly into Chifuyu's face.
Both of them froze, then Chifuyu pushed Ryusei, who landed on his back.
"Idiot, fucking moron!" He shouted, wiping his face. Matsuno also sneezed twice, but unlike Ryusei, whose brain couldn't function properly at that moment, he covered his mouth with his hand as he did so.
"I swear I didn't mean to, Chifuyu," He said, then sneezed again. He was genuinely irritated because he was convinced that if it weren't for the situation, he would have kissed Chifuyu, who at that moment looked like he could kiss him. But those feathers ruined it.
"It doesn't matter anymore." Chifuyu said, a hint of regret in his voice, and Ryusei hoped it was because the kiss hadn't happened. "You have to help me clean this up. If my mom kills me for this mess, I swear I'll haunt you until you go crazy and end up in a mad house."
"Being haunted by you after death would be…" He didn't finish, because he sneezed again.
Damn feathers, destroyers of beautiful love and first kisses…
When they finally managed to clean up the feathers, exhaustion hit them.
They decided to take a shower ("We can take a shower together, Fuyu, we'll save time and water ♡.", "If you even come near the bathroom while I'm showering, I swear I'll drown you."), change into pajamas, and lie down on the prepared futons in Chifuyu's room.
"I thought it was a bit unfair that I'd sleep in the bed and you in the futon, so I thought it would be better if I decided to take the futon too…" Chifuyu said, visibly uncomfortable. Ryusei felt his head buzzing from this, so he couldn't even think of a provocative response and simply said,
"You're truly generous, Fuyu. ♡"
As befits a host, Chifuyu let Ryusei wash up first. While Matsuno was in the bathroom, Ryusei took the opportunity to pull the futons closer together.
When Matsuno returned, he glanced at the futons but didn't say anything. Ryusei wanted to believe that was why the boy's cheeks were pink, but it must have been from the shower.
He felt himself getting hot when he saw Chifuyu looking cozy in the loose T-shirt and sweatpants that served as his pajamas. He was barefoot, and his hair was slightly damp.
Ryusei thought he'd love to witness such a heavenly sight every day.
He cleared his throat.
"Are you turning out the lights?"
Chifuyu cleared his throat too.
"Yeah." He clicked the switch.
It wasn't completely dark, as the room had stars glued to the ceiling, glowing.
Normally, Ryusei would have teased him about whether he was too old for this, but at that moment, he thought they created a romantic atmosphere and he swallowed hard.
Chifuyu quietly lay down next to him on his futon and pulled the covers over himself. Ryusei was grateful he was already in bed, because the boy's intoxicating post-shower scent was making him dizzy.
"About this gamer night..." Matsuno began. "I hope you enjoyed it. Because despite some... inconveniences, I really had a good time."
The uncertainty in his voice made his heart flutter.
"Of course I had a great time, as always with you, Fuyu, ♡." He smiled, even though he knew Chifuyu couldn't see it. "And the night isn't over yet! It's time for some girly, heart-to-hearts."
Chifuyu groaned.
"Will you give it up already? It's a boys' sleepover."
"But that doesn't mean we can't have deep conversations in the dark."
"Can I even have them with you? You practically never take anything seriously." He said with obvious hurt in his voice.
Ryusei gripped his blanket tightly. He should have expected this. After all, he was constantly lying to him, pranking him, making fun of him. Why would Chifuyu believe him if Ryusei confessed his feelings? His chest ached at the thought that Chifuyu would take his feelings as a joke.
And it was he who had caused this.
"I'm sorry." He said as sincerely as he could. "I just love it when you fall for my jokes. Your reactions are so precious. You could believe the stupidest things, but also immediately mistake something I sincerely want to tell you as a lie." He said bitterly.
Chifuyu didn't argue with him, because they both knew it was true.
For a moment, they sat in deafening silence.
"Do you want to tell me something honestly?" Chifuyu asked quietly. "Right now?"
Ryusei's heart was beating so loudly that he was sure the boy next to him could hear it.
"Would you believe me if I told you something?" For some reason, his voice was almost pleading. He really wanted Chifuyu to believe him.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, Chifuyu moved his hand and gently touched Ryusei's with his pinkie.
"I want to believe you." He said softly, and Ryusei's entire world trembled at the words.
"I'm in love with you." He said shakily, and Chifuyu's finger left his hand for a moment, but then returned to its place. Then Ryusei decided to continue. "You completely blew my mind. You saved me. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to me. I want you to know that. I want you to know that you're the only person I feel this way about. Even if you can't reciprocate." He said bitterly.
He recalled moments when Chifuyu would look at Baji with admiration, when he spoke of him. So what if Ryusei makes Chifuyu blush? So what if he reacted differently to their touching, his clumsy flirtation? Chifuyu didn't have to love him. But there was a chance that Chifuyu would one day look at Ryusei the way he looked at Chifuyu; he wanted to try.
Chifuyu pulled his hand away from him and rose from the futon. Looking down at him, he placed his hand on Ryusei's chest.
In that moment, he thought again that Chifuyu was the bravest person he knew, the one who would be the cause of his death.
"Do you really love me?" He asked in a voice that made Ryusei shiver.
Although the stars gave off a faint glow, you could have sworn he saw Chifuyu's eyes in their full glory.
They sparkled with hope.
"With all my heart." He said with confidence.
Then the unexpected happened.
Chifuyu leaned in and kissed him.
It was a gentle kiss, just a brush of lips, but the contact, the gesture, took Ryusei's breath away.
When Chifuyu pulled away a little, his eyes began to wander over Ryusei's face. He must have read the profound effect the kiss had had on him, because he smiled beautifully, and Ryusei thought he'd landed in heaven.
"I believe you." He kissed him again. "I accept your feelings" He added, pressing another kiss to his lips.
Then, with trembling hands, Ryusei reached for Chifuyu and pulled him closer. Chifuyu snuggled into him, resting her face in the crook of his neck.
They were both breathing heavily.
Ryusei couldn't believe it. He felt like all of this was just some kind of dream.
Chifuyu accepted his feelings. He kissed him. He lay snuggled against him.
Satou began to blink rapidly, his eyes starting to sting.
He felt Chifuyu's hand moving across his face.
"Are you crying?" He asked, surprised.
"Girly confessions at dusk are supposed to be touching," He said in a choked voice.
Chifuyu laughed softly.
"You're an idiot." He snuggled closer to him. "But the idiot I'm falling in love with."
Then Ryusei couldn't help himself and truly burst into tears, repeating Chifuyu’s name over and over again. This was the second time he'd cried for Chifuyu, his feelings for him overwhelming him, but this time he'd done it in front of him, fully revealing his true self. And Chifuyu, who had seen the deepest depths of his heart, who had accepted him completely, wiped his tears away until they both fell asleep in each other's arms.
When Ryusei woke up with Chifuyu in his arms, it fully dawned on him that their sleepover was just the beginning.
He smiled softly as his boyfriend opened his beautiful eyes.
"Good morning, Fuyu. ♡" He whispered to him, then kissed his forehead because he could.
Chifuyu smiled gently, and Ryusei felt as if a flock of butterflies were raging in his stomach.
"Good morning, Ryusei." He raised his hand and tenderly brushed his hair back from his forehead.
Ryusei took his hand and kissed it too.
He was so happy and so in love.
"If we die in the process, we'll finish this." Chifuyu said with determination, though he clearly had tears in his eyes.
A week had passed since Chifuyu had organized a sleepover at his place, which Baji hadn't attended, and he couldn't prevent Matsuno and Ryusei from becoming a couple.
No, thought Baji, who had watched Chifuyu try to put together a puzzle when he'd come to Keisuke’s sleepover. He pounded the table desperately, as if that would put the puzzle in the place he'd chosen, probably the wrong one. They would become a couple sooner or later; it was only a matter of time.
At first, he thought it was a one-sided fascination. Clearly, Ryusei, intrigued by Chifuyu, was simply getting on his nerves. But he quickly began to realize that the feeling was much deeper than he initially thought. He didn't think he'd ever seen anyone look at anyone the way Ryusei looked at Chifuyu. He truly loved him, though he often expressed it in strange ways.
He didn't think, however, that Chifuyu, whom Ryusei always drove to the brink of insanity, would ever reciprocate.
But Baji knew Chifuyu well and saw those small changes that no one in Toman could. He saw how Matsuno's eyes lingered on Ryusei more often when he wasn't looking. That he often looked at him with tenderness. He more often initiated contact that wasn't violent.
Baji saw with his own eyes how Chifuyu began to fall in love with Ryusei.
"Maybe we're too stupid for this, Chifuyu." He said, looking at the younger boy, who was practically oozing determination. "Should we play Monopoly instead?"
Matsuno raised his head sharply and looked at him as if he was having flashbacks from the war.
"NO!" He shouted, but then cleared his throat, ashamed by his reaction. "We may be stupid, but we dealt with things worse than this. We can handle it, Baji-san!!" He smiled broadly, his positive attitude spreading.
He liked watching Chifuyu show such fortitude.
He simply liked watching Chifuyu.
Baji was glad his friends were together. He was truly happy for them.
But right now, he just wanted to enjoy spending time with Chifuyu, who was there just for him.