[ Art cr: DeerAzeen on Tumblr ]

Thankfully, I had brought my wallet with me, so I brought the products to the counter and the cashier greeted me with a friendly smile. He was a pleasant old man and was almost like a second grandpa to me. It was one of the reasons why I liked this store in particular- he never failed to make me feel welcome.

"Hello Eiji, how are you?"

"I'm good Sir!" I grinned in response, feeling myself lighten up a little as he proceeded to scold me for being so formal.

"I told you to just call me Mamoru!" I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

"Sorry Sir- uh- Mamoru... it just doesn't feel right, y'know?" I chuckled softly, beginning to fidget as I rubbed strands of my growing hair between my fingertips.

"Well it feels right for me. I've known you for over a year, Eiji. Hair dye?" I could hear the curiosity in his tone, and I didn't have a problem expressing my intentions.

"I'm, uh... going for a bit of a change."

"Well, I hope this will be a positive one." He smiled in response, scanning each of the items before telling me the price. I passed him the cash I had on me, and after receiving change back and rejecting his offer of a plastic bag, I picked up the tools I needed. "So, who's the lucky guy?" The hell? I nearly tripped over when I heard his question as I sputtered.

"Uh- what are you talking about!? Ahahaha..." I tried to cover everything up with a loud laugh, but Mamoru only raised an eyebrow at me, unconvinced.

"I may be old, but I know how things work. A lot of people make sudden changes when they meet someone special to them. Is this... that Katsuki kid you mention from time to time?" I felt a part of me crumble inside as my gaze drifted down to sadly linger on the boxes of hair dye and bleach.

"I... guess so." I replied, "But it's not like it's solely for him or I even have a chance! He has a girlfriend yaknow!" I watched Mamoru shake his head with a sympathetic smile.

"Ah, young love. It's quite painful, isn't it?" The way his gaze seemed to pierce through the ceiling revealed to me that he was thinking about his late wife, and I couldn't help but bite my lower lip. I felt like such an ungrateful bastard.

"I'm sorry Mamoru, I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright Eiji. But I have a slight feeling that things will work out for you soon. Just hang in there, okay? I know you, and you're one of the strongest boys I know." His words of encouragement made me smile, and he waved at me as I ran out the store and back home.

By the time I was back home, Katsuki was still in the middle of getting ready, which I noticed since his car was in the driveway. I wasn't out for that long it seemed. I made my way inside, and as soon as I was back in my room, I put the boxes of product down onto my desk.

He was in a suit now, a rather simple one with the colour scheme of black and red- one of my favourite combinations. His shirt was a dark, metallic (I think) red and unbuttoned at the top (of course); surprisingly, his collar was well ironed and stayed in place. Normally I would have had to fix it for him. I assumed he decided against wearing the black jacket that I could imagine came with the suit, but instead he settled for a black waistcoat around him with matching, dark trousers. I smiled at the sight, it really suited him.

Just as I was observing, I saw him put a sign up with a bored expression, 'You going to prom?' He asked, and after I sat down, I wrote back a message and held it up whilst clenching the bedsheet under me as a pathetic effort to keep up my sanguine attitude.

'Nah, not my thing' I saw him frown slightly out of disappointment, and I hated how I felt a little warmth from seeing that he wanted my company. It was just... selfish. He was going to go back to Momo, and I knew that he was out of my reach.

'I'll text you' was the last sign I saw from him before he turned away and walked out of his room. I listened carefully to the hum of his motorbike, and my ears were attentive to every noise from him until I was left alone with the painful silence.

~*~*~*~*~

I could remember one particular night that probably cemented our bond. I was woken up in the middle of a mindless dream by my ringtone. At first, my eyes had slowly opened, and I sat up, confused by the sudden intrusion into my ears. It took a couple seconds of staring at the phone screen before my eyes were forced awake upon seeing the contact name: Blasty.

I grabbed the phone and picked up quickly, "Katsuki? What's up dude? It's really la-" I immediately paused when I heard the sniffles on the other side of the call, but he then coughed and tried to cover it up with a low voice.

"Hey- I can... trust you, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Just... come over." That's all I needed to hear, and I was out the door and running over to his house. Thank God we lived next to each other.

At his door, I knocked gently, though I managed to communicate my worry through the door before it opened to reveal a boy with messy, blonde hair and a torn smile. There were small trails of dried up tears on his face, and his cheeks were a tint of red as he continued to try and breathe regularly. However, with his stuffed nose and scratched throat, speaking clearly was being proven to be a struggle for him.

"Katsuki?" I spoke softly, making my way inside as he locked the door behind me.

"Let's go up to my room." He managed to say. Though I noticed the slight hiccup as he spoke, I didn't mention it. I nodded and followed him up, noticing that he seemed to be home alone tonight. That made me wonder...

'Where are his parents?'

I spaced out as we walked, and before I knew it, Katsuki was sitting on the edge of his bed with a troubled expression revealed by the moonlight. I sat down next to him, then put my hand on his shoulder. There was a spot of hesitation at first, but soon enough I was rubbing his back up and down as he relaxed himself. I could see with the way his brows furrowed and eyes stayed concentrated onto the floor; he was trying to organise his thoughts.

It could have taken a few minutes to an hour- I didn't notice. I was too focused on helping him relax, a part of me feeling grateful to whatever God existed that Katsuki seemed to trust me of all people to see him in such a vulnerable state.

"I'm... 'm sorry I've dragged you here."

"No man, it's fine! Friends are supposed to be here for each other." I did my best to give him a supportive grin, which managed to make him smile a little, at least. He rubbed his eyes, which he grown swollen by then. I noticed the way he hissed a little when he felt it.

"It's just... something's been building up for so long that... I guess I ended up breaking down, or somethin'..." he muttered a little, scratching the back of his neck. After hearing my small hum in response, he continued, "for the longest time... I've worked my ass off to get where I am. Yet, I still don't feel good enough, Eijirou, fuck-" as his voice cracked, he buried his face in his hands again, and I didn't even think about what I did next. All I concentrated on was supporting him, and he needed me now more than ever.

Not wanting to let him hide his face from me, I pulled him away from the safety of his palms and pulled him into a hug. We were alone at least, so he wouldn't feel too uncomfortable about it- hopefully.

"Shh..." I said softly, rubbing his back up and down once more. At first, he was tense- I'm not sure when, how or why, but his face buried itself against the crook of my neck, and I could feel the tears passing from him onto my shoulder and collar bone. His grip on my clothes was strong at first, but ever so slowly, I noticed his hands relax under my touch. The room then became silent from there, the only sounds coming from Katsuki's hiccups which occurred every so often.

"Why... why don't I feel good enough, huh?" He asked me, and I honestly couldn't find an answer for that. In my eyes, he was no less than perfect. It wasn't the medals or the awards, it was just... him. Everything about him but at the same time nothing. These feelings swirling around in my stomach were just so foreign that I couldn't describe it. I couldn't comprehend how someone so hardworking and just... wonderful, how could he not feel good enough? How could he not feel good enough when he was one of the most admirable beings in this world? My feelings were practically screaming at me to increase the affection, but I couldn't. I couldn't risk it.

"What do you mean you're not good enough?"

"I'm... not sure. I work so hard, but I never feel satisfied with myself. I work so hard. I do what I fucking can not really to impress others, but just so I don't end up hating myself. But... I guess that all turned to shit. There are new people beginning to join the team, and each new member just has some sort of shitty natural talent and I feel like I'm gonna be left behind." A sympathetic smile spread across my face, and I couldn't help but relate to him. We were so similar, but I knew one key difference.

Katsuki is the type of guy who never gives up; no matter what he always tries.

"Katsuki," I said softly, and he looked up at me, eyes still wide with tears falling down his face. "I know you... the way you work hard without giving a single damn about others, do you know how admirable that already is?" I cupped his face and let his cheek gently rest against my palm, wiping away the tears that reached my thumb. "It doesn't matter what may be happening with others, whether or not they're surpassing you. What I find the best thing about you... is Katsuki Bakugou never gives up! FUCK YEAH!" I screamed, letting the whole world hear it as I jumped up and threw my fist into the air.

However, my declaration only caused a whole ruckus in the neighbourhood. I flinched as I suddenly heard dogs barking and soon enough the houses around us lit up with confused but annoyed mutters from the neighbours. 'Oh shit...' I cursed and was about to sit down when I heard a small snort, which then turned into a small chuckle, before I turned around to be greeted with Katsuki laughing behind me.

I could feel myself lighting up even brighter than the annoyed neighbours' houses. His happiness was music to my ears and I just couldn't suppress my grin (although slightly embarrassed), beginning to laugh along with him before I felt strong arms around me. I was caught off guard by the sudden bear hug, but when I managed to return to my senses, my arms came to life and wrapped around him as well, using a hand to gently pat him. "It's okay... I'm here. So just... let out whatever you need to, yeah?"

That was the first time I witnessed him break down, in my arms. Thankfully I helped... and though Katsuki probably thought of it as a 'sissy' move, I couldn't be prouder. Just getting through that demonstrated how strong he is. To this day, Katsuki is still one of the manliest guys I know.

My reality presented itself to me once more. A small sigh left my lips as I stared at my reflection, from the scar on my eyebrow to my dark circles to my slightly sallow skin. When did I begin to look so emotionally drained? 'All this time... how could you not know?' Bitter emotions slithered into my thoughts, but how could he not notice? I mean, it was just... so obvious- Mina said so. A part of me wished he did notice- the sooner he rejected me, the sooner I could move on.

I shook my head, mentally declaring that I couldn't just let myself stay like this forever. If Katsuki truly belonged to me, it would happen one day, right? Swiftly, I grabbed the tools I needed and ran to the bathroom.

At least this would keep me occupied rather than thinking about my sad excuse of a love story.

I texted Mina about the prom, curious about what she was doing.

~*~*~*~*~

Katsuki

Dammit. It didn't matter how widely the idiot grinned at me, there was something in his eyes... there was clearly something bothering him. While I was desperate to get to the bottom of it, I decided against trying to use force since Eijirou would tell me sooner or later if something was up, right? I shook my head of these worrying thoughts, and instead ran out of the house because I was way too eager to try and make things right with Momo. Maybe she realised that she was wrong and decided we can make things right! Fuck yeah, then I'll be in paradise again.

But... will Eijirou be okay? From the moment we met I could see through his lack of confidence, revealing the toughest guy under that thin blanket of insecurity. I had all the rights to worry about him- he's a tough idiot, but if I ever find out he's kept something from me for too long I'll make sure to punch some sense into him.

I was about to leave my room, Momo primarily on my mind, but was distracted when I noticed my notepad lying on my bed. It was open, and as I saw a certain message I had written on it previously (from the past, when I nearly did something delusional), I clenched my fist. I ripped it out the notepad, hastily scrunching it up before stuffing it into my pocket.

I nearly broke the handle off my motorcycle when I started the engine since I was so eager to get to school- the prom will have started by now. Knowing Momo, she would be there on time. Punctual as ever.

When I arrived at the school venue, I parked my motorbike at the side, smirking to myself a little as I could hear the deafening music blaring even though I was outside while the prom was being held in the grand hall. I ran inside the school building, not having much trouble since the receptionists recognised me as the 'vigilant vigilante' of the school. It's a stupid nickname, but at least they know me.

Running passed them, I headed towards the grand hall. With each step I could hear the music getting louder, not that it could compare with my own volume, of course. I'd be a billionaire by now if I was paid every time I shouted. However, I found myself hesitating when I was near the open doors as the flashing lights ended up flashing memories of Eijirou in my mind, especially his ember eyes.

His sad, ember eyes.

Why did they look so sorrowful?

Again, I shook my head of the images in my mind and made my past the crowd, seeing a lot of familiar faces before the flashing lights highlighted Momo in her two-piece type red dress. The ruffled skirt was about knee-level, and the top half had jewels around the strap that went around her neck. She was... beautiful. But you know what wasn't beautiful? Around her waist was a pair of hands that I wanted to chop off.

I stomped over there with an angry scowl on my face, and I could feel the veins on my neck bulging out as I approached her, seeing stupid half-and-half laughing softly with her. Of course, I managed to recognise him with obnoxiously coloured hair. Could he stand out any more? I wasn't jealous of him really- his style was just not something that dwelled nicely with my stomach. The only reason why I had any ounce of respect for him was because that scar on one side of his face; that kid had been through some things and he was still standing up. He wasn't on the football team, mostly because he simply wasn't interested. However, from the time that I've known him, I can tell he would be a good asset if he ever joined. Not that I'd ever like to boost his ego by telling him that.

His actual name was Shouto, or something like that... but the main thing on my mind was pummelling his stupid face.

"Momo, what the FUCK!?"

"Katsuki? Didn't I make it firm enough that we're not meant to be?"

"Oh for fuck's sake- Icy-hot, hands off!" He did that, but only for a moment. When I took another step forward, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer towards him. Damn, as quiet as he is, he sure doesn't fail to fucking annoy me. "What did I say?"

"Katsuki, will you accept my decision if I give you... a reason? I didn't know if I should be the one of all people to tell you..."

"Is it because you're in love with Icy-hot here?" I asked bluntly, and Momo sputtered, her ears immediately flaring up into a bright red- just like her dress. She was an open book when it came to things like this. Though, I had to admit, when she got flustered it was cute. Meanwhile, I saw Half-and-Half out of the corner of my eye, noticing him avert his gaze a little. Was that fucker trying to hold himself back from laughing?

"No no no- well, no!" Momo denied endlessly, before taking a few deep breaths and calming herself down then standing up straight. "Katsuki, I thought it was for the best. It's clear you only find me somewhat attractive and decided to ask me out due to social influence. I learned it in psychology." She informed me, a bit of a proud tone in her voice. "Anyway... don't you notice? Everyone else does. You care a lot about a certain person... that one person, who is and always will be an exception to you... is not me." My brows furrowed, and I was confused as fuck about what she was on about. But it was clear that she didn't want to try again. Her words were rather vague, but I could feel some truth in them. I began to question myself in my mind- did I subconsciously use her to fit in? Ugh, fuck unconscious thoughts, my brain isn't supposed to keep secrets from me.

I nodded at her, and she smiled at me, before looking up at Shouto and walking off with him to the dancefloor. Silently, I watched her walk away. I couldn't help but feel a little lonely. I was about to walk off, but a sudden (annoying) weight almost immediately crushed me. Had I not been in the football team, this idiot would have probably knocked me over and I'd have lost a few teeth. I turned to face the culprit and was met with Mina's glare.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" I heard her yell above the music, with the annoyance in her tone, she could almost match me.

"Duh, prom." I flung her off, though she didn't have much problem landing on her feet like the annoyingly talented athlete she is.

She crossed her arms at me and tilted her head, before panicking again and yelling, "You mean to tell me you didn't stay with Eiji or bring him here with you!?" Damn, she was starting to sound like my mother, nag nag nag. "You're supposed to be with him!"

"What the hell's that supposed to mean!?" I growled, everyone is being so cryptic today.

"Mama Mina sees all, knows all. Romantic wise, at least. My grades could really use a boost though..." She responded proudly as she scratched the back of her head, and I was tempted to slap her and then myself. I then felt her arm around me as she turned me around, "See, look there." For some reason she was pointing to Hitoshi Shinsou, another member of the football team. Though, he was a lot more reserved and single. One of his hobbies was just lurking in the corner or somethin' like that. I can't exactly remember, but he's not exactly a bad player. She pointed at him and I observed him as he glared at a certain scene. I followed his gaze and was met with a surprising sight.

Denki had finally grown balls and started making moves towards Kiyoka, a cheerleader, I think. We like similar bands.

"Wow, so Denki does have competition after all..." I muttered to myself, believing that Shinsou was crushing on Kiyoka as well, in his own, antisocial way. It wasn't that surprising, they were plenty similar and even I could imagine it working out. I heard Mina groan behind me before she began laughing and I turned to her as I glared daggers. "The fuck's so funny, Alien?"

"You're denser than Eiji sometimes I swear," she said between huffs of laughter, gripping her stomach as she took a deep breath, "okay, look again, I don't think our little Hitoshi is into Kiyoka per say." I tilted my head; I've had enough of these games and I just wanted a damn answer instead of this whole night being a big riddle! "If you're curious, try talking to him," she said with a wide grin, giggling to herself. While I didn't like listening to others, I did just that.

"Oi," I spoke to him, and his once menacing glare cut back into his usual, tired look.

"What do you want, Katsuki?"

"What're you looking at?"

"Kiyoka and Denki..." he practically spat out.

"The fuck you're so angry for? If you want Kiyoka, you just gotta go up and talk to her instead of being a pussy." I did not ask to be a love guru, but his confused expression only left me as puzzled as I could assume he was.

He put a hand over his face, and... was the miserable football player blushing a little?

"I'm not into Kiyoka..." he muttered with a slight growl in his voice, and then I realised his problem.

"Well, good luck with whatever you're up to." I speed walked away because his preference was too weird- who would ever like Denki? He's an idiot, and he didn't have looks to equate that.

Back with Mina, she was on her excited tiptoes as she spoke gleefully, "So? What'd he say? Hm? Hm?"

"Yeah yeah, I get it, don't jump to conclusions. He's into Denki, and that's just we-"

"Oh my God does that mean I was right!? Eiji owes me $10!" She cackled, before pausing, and I could practically hear her cursing in her mind. "KATSUKI! SHIT! You're supposed to be with someone who really, really cares about you!" The pink-haired cheerleader had the audacity to whine when she was the one who was talking my ear off already.

I ran my fingers ran through my hair as I let out a troubled sigh, 'Someone who really cares about me?'

'Katsuki,' I suddenly heard someone's voice. Who was that?

'Katsuki Bakugou never gives up! FUCK YEAH!'

'It's okay... I'm here.'

.

.

.

'I'm here.'

That night.

And then, it finally clicked.

"Fuck... Ei... that fucker..." I was beginning to struggle to form a proper sentence, as that memorable night played through my mind like a movie. When I met Mina's gaze, her smug smile told me she practically read my mind and I didn't want to waste any time, so I sprinted out of there.

I learned way too much shit to cope with in one night, so getting out of there was what I figured I needed to do. I had other priorities. I shook my head, fuck, Eijirou, all this time?

The truth is... I knew we had this kind of weirdly strong bond. Everyone knew. I couldn't stay mad at him for more than a day, and that night... that night I broke down because my mental health had begun plummeting. Eijirou... the only one who had ever seen me like that.

It was just a bit bizarre, hearing his possible feelings for me. There was something my gut was trying to tell me all this time, but every time I felt some sort of spark... I found myself running away, by forcing us apart quickly. I guess... that only increased when I asked Momo out. Fuck- did he like me even then?

I couldn't keep him waiting now. Seriously, all this time!?

All those times we practiced, all those times I helped him with homework, all those times we supported each other, that time I blew off a party just to play videogames at his house since his parents weren't home, that night I almost... wanted to kiss that stupid idiot.

Eijirou is my exception?

I sped back to the neighbourhood, ignoring any rules of the road and risking my life because I needed to get back there- and quick. As soon as I arrived, I hammered my fists against the front door but there was no reply. For some reason, I could feel fear poisoning the blood in my veins, and my heartbeat quickened, before lifting a specific plant pot in the ground and taking the key from there. It was something Eijirou showed me when we were younger, a special secret, he called it.

Enough of that- I unlocked the door and ran up the stairs. There was a weird smell around the house now, but it didn't deter me from busting into Eijirou's room.

Then, I saw it, red... blood. It went from his desk and there were even spots leading to the bathroom. 'Oh God... please no.'

"EIJIROU!?" I shouted, hoping to get a response as I ripped off the stupid waistcoat and threw it behind me.

"Huh- KATSUKI!?" It seemed my raven-haired admirer wasn't expecting a visitor at this time of night today. I was really hoping his parents weren't home, or this would be really fucking awkward to explain.

I made my way towards the bathroom and the boy came out. The first thing I noticed, and was immediately alarmed by, was the red on his hands. I rushed over, heart dropping as I grabbed his wrists.

"What the fuck did you do man?" My voice was a little shaky, but thankfully, he didn't mention it. Was I too late? Was this the consequence of pushing down everything and going against the crowd just to 'fit in'?

"Katsuki wait- don't touch me!" I almost flinched when he tore his wrists away from me, and when I finally took the liberty to look up at him, I noticed another splash of red. Well, more than a splash.

His whole damn shitty hair was red! "Ah geez, you almost ended up getting yourself stained," I heard him scold softly as he ran his hands under the water, and it took more than a few breaths for my heart to return to a regular pace.

My eyes scanned the new appearance that Eijirou had decided to bring upon himself, and I couldn't help but notice how... damn... attractive he was. There was a connection before this, but this new style just made an uncomfortable amount of butterflies fly around in my stomach.

'Was he always this attractive...?' I wondered. There was no denying his well toned body and cute facial features- what? My mind was about to go into full admirer mode but I snapped out of it. Instead, I looked up to the idiot desperately washing his stained hands in the sink.

Then, I got angry again.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE SHITHEAD DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!" Eijirou looked like a confused puppy, and fuck, I had to take a moment to swallow my words with this sudden change. Was this... because of me?

Eijirou laughed softly in my direction despite how harsh I believed my scolding was, and he began to dry his hands with a towel. Though, I did notice that there were still stains on his fingers.

"Sorry if I worried you, Blasty," he said with a grin, before pouting slightly as he showed me his hands, "even after I got out of the shower the stains still won't come out!" He whined, and I facepalmed.

"It'll go away at one point." I replied simply.

"So... shouldn't you be at prom? How'd it go... with Momo?" Fuck did I notice that hesitation, was it always like this? "Oh no... did it not go well?"

"Idiot, shut up already." I sat down on his bed, "She didn't want to get back together," I informed him, and noticed the way his eyes ever so slightly widened and maybe even... brightened. However, I saw him quickly deflate as I felt his hand rubbing my back soothingly.

"Sorry to hear that Katsuki... but I know, anyone would be lucky to have you!" Damn, this was hard. Almost anything he said now made me want to curl up into a ball and blast off into outer space. If only I had some cool superpower like that, or something...

"She told me that I apparently make an exception for someone... who is not her... and Mina said that I need to be with someone who really, really cares about me." I felt the slight shift of the bed, and though I was too fearful to look up, his presence was all too clear to me.

"...And so, I guess it's time to come clean." Why did he sound so sad? "Katsuki... please don't get mad at me." My eyes were firmly focused on the floor as I waited, hearing and feeling him shift around as he made the bed creak. Then I heard... paper ripping?

Soon enough, my eyes met his feet as he stood in front of him, the tension in the room being thick enough to be like one of those steaks Eijirou loved. I didn't want to keep him waiting forever, and he seemed ready, so I looked up.

'I love you.'

'Fuck.' My eyes widened, and I stared at the paper he held in his hands. It looked a little worn out, and I couldn't help but wonder what this simple piece of paper went through. I watched the way his lip trembled ever so slightly, and before he could scrunch up the paper, I grabbed his wrist, and his eyes shot open, connecting with mine. There, I saw it.

All the pain, anguish... it couldn't be described with the tears that threatened to spill. How hadn't I noticed this earlier? I was meant to be with someone else all this time. It was right under my nose, and so painfully obvious I wanted to punch myself for being so stupid. "You know, you're the only one who would be going to my house in the middle of the night..."

"And the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry?" He replied with a small, weak chuckle, and I had to agree in my mind. He was always there for me... through the thick and thin.

"You know my favourite songs,"

"and... you tell me 'bout your dreams."

"I think you know where you belong."

"You think you know it's with... me?" As he finished, I found myself slowly walking towards him

At that moment, I decided to let go of the fears I had. Who cares what others may think? Being happy with Eijirou was all that mattered to me at that moment. I kept a firm grasp on him before he could pull away from me. I knew he was strong enough to pull away if he really wanted to. I wanted to not only make up for the pain I caused him, but also wanted to calm my stupid fucking heart down. My insides were twisting and chaotic, urging me to make the move.

I could not back down now.

Cupping Eijirou's cheek, we locked eyes, and in that single moment, a thousand messages were exchanged between us.

"Katsuki?" I almost let out a sigh of relief when I finally heard him speak again. I could feel that he was curious about what was to come, yet there was still that fear that lingered, and I just wanted to take it all away, so I ended up smashing my lips against his.

'Finally...' almost all the tension disappeared as we finally connected. While my eyes were closed tightly at first, I gradually relaxed when I felt his arms circle my waist and pull me closer. We parted for only a moment, and I cracked a small smile when his eyes portrayed a new feeling.

The pause only lasted for a second, and next thing I know, our lips are connected once more. This time, the way his lips moved against mine just felt so damn perfect I could die. I could feel my face heating up, and I was sure I was beginning to catch a fever, but did I care? Hell no.

We parted once more, and as my heart was probably abusing the rib cage that was meant to be protecting it, my hand quickly dug into my pockets, and I pulled out the ball of paper I stuffed inside it earlier.

'I love you'

I could swear that his eyes began to water again, and I immediately began to panic, of course. "Fuck- you okay!? Eijirou?"

"Yeah, yeah!" He spluttered, rubbing his eyes as there was a catch in his throat. Quickly, I tackled him into a hug as a way to comfort the boy.

"Stop crying, stupid..."

"Yeah... do you- do you mean it?" he asked with a small sniffle.

"Of course, idiot." I took the moment he was off guard to connect our lips once more and began to feel an unfamiliar warmth spread from his body to mine. Soon enough, our backs were on his bed, we stared up at the ceiling with a comfortable smile on his face.

"Hey, do you think I should gel my hair up?"

"That sounds stupid. Do it."

Aggressive smooches ^

Doggo detected ^

Mission accomplished ^

[ Art cr: @tecochet on Twitter]

(Sorry, I'm just in love with these drawings lmao-)

~*~*~*~*~

ANYWAY- hi guys! Thanks so much for reading. I'm pretty happy I managed to upload a themed story on TIME for once. You guys proud? 😂 I hope you enjoyed this fic and didn't find it too corny, especially that ending haha.

I've had this idea for a fanfic/short story for over a year now, but the last time I worked on it I wasn't able to complete it on time due to schoolwork and such. Just your normal obstacles.

The cover right now isn't too good in my eyes, so I might change it when I can.

Thank you so much for reading, hopefully it makes your day better. Happy Valentine's Day!