#45 Theme 27: Make You Mine - Crystal Kay; Tora/Hiroto
Title: Coming Out
Author: beyondtheremix
Theme: 027 Make You Mine (Crystal Kay)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tora/Hiroto
Band[s]: Alice Nine
Disclaimer: highschool AU, fluff
Comments: Thank you again to tingedwords for typing this up!
Coming Out
"I'm going where tonight?"
Hiroto sat with a skeptical look on his face, chopsticks raised midair and lips pulled into a tight line. Tora was talking to him. Though, to be honest, 'talking' was a bit of an understatement. Every word that left his mouth sounded more along the lines of a command.
"Tonight. You. Are. Coming out to enjoy my presence at a karaoke bar," Tora repeated, slowly at first until he got bored and decided to speed things up. "Ladies, of course, are invited," he winked, "and Nao's mom already got the okay from your parents so get ready for a long weekend out."
Scraping back his borrowed seat, the tall senior stood with a flourish of popping joints and flexing limbs. His arms stretched out above his head, flashing a bit of skin for all the pretty little sets of eyes watching him - all except for the only boy at the table. Tora's words and actions made the girls giggle, but seemed to have no effect on him. To any other guy this would be perfectly acceptable, but Tora would not accept it from him of all people. He stuck one long finger into the younger boy's face, "Have some fun for once," then exited in a huff.
Hiroto was left staring down his nose at the afterimage of Tora's nails while his table buzzed about the best songs to sing. Another minute and he would have definitely had a smart comeback. One about how spending his Friday nights reading or checking out new music online, cooped up all alone in his room was loads of fun. But then again, he was sure the comment would have been lost on Tora. Tora who was getting rather good at filling up his own weekends with apparently thrilling, non-academic things. The same Tora who wound up rubbing those same weekends in his face and making fun of him for being so bookish. And who did Nao think he was brainwashing other people’s parents?!
Sitting in his seat, Hiroto pouted at the lunch table. It wasn't as if he was terrible at socializing. He just didn't want to go out, he had better things to do. Much better. Speak of the devil, "Who said you could go around deciding where I'll be spending my weekends?!" Nao had unfortunately decided to take the long way across the canteen.
The cheerful boy just laughed however, veering en route to slap Hiroto on the back. "It'll be fine. You don't get out much and, despite what you think, Tora's not that bad of guy to be around. Especially when you want to have fun."
"Yeah, right," Hiroto muttered, looking back down and stabbing unhappily at his food. "He doesn't bully you like he does me."
"And we all know he 'bullies' you," Nao snorted. Poking his dissatisfied friend in the cheek, he continued on towards his table.
"S-Social butterfly!" Hiroto called after him, twisting in his seat and shouting as if it were the worst insult in the world. This was all entirely Nao's fault. He really didn't need anyone trying to meddle in his social life, least of all concerned parents. Making a face, he accidentally caught Tora's eye from across the room. He and a few upperclassmen were sitting a couple tables away, watching him and his little outburst, Tora with that stupid look on his stupid face. What was he even staring at? However, as soon as they caught him staring back, the table broke out into raucous laughter.
Tora's laugh seemed especially loud and mocking in Hiroto's ears. His cheeks flushed a furious pink as he turned back in his seat and hid beneath his fringe. This was why he would rather hang out with girls. At least the girls didn't laugh at him. Sometimes they even called him cute.
He stabbed a straw viciously into his unopened juice box.
"So you'll go with us right, Hiroto?" one of his tablemates gushed. "Everyone wants you to go and we want to go, but I don't think any of us would feel comfortable without you there... We don't exactly know Tora or any of his friends other than you…"
Hiroto rolled his eyes. He wasn't Tora's friend! And he probably knew even less about Tora's friends than they did… He winced as all eyes and smiles turned on him. He'd always had such a weak spot for that puppy dog look even though he often took advantage of it himself. Now, using their cleverly done up eyes, wide with mascara and cute no matter what angle he looked at them, Hiroto cursed to himself. There was no backing out now.
---
Shou snorted as he watched the younger boy looking for a way out of the corner so cunningly crafted for him. He couldn't really see any way out. What Tora wanted, Tora got. And, admit it or not, Hiroto liked the attention. Those girls were the older sisters he didn't have. And Tora... he was Tora. They all steamrolled over any of the other boys who tried to pick on him, whether he was aware of it or not, and Hiroto unwittingly kept them all smiling.
He was way too eager to please, Shou concluded, as Hiroto gave in with a reluctant nod. Too eager for his own good. Chuckling some more, he turned back to Tora. "A thousand yen says he'll show up carrying their purses."
Tora simply shook his head, though the smirk on his lips said everything. "I can't wait for class to end."
---
Hiroto trudged to the front of the school with his bag in hand. A pit of unease had been growing in his belly ever since he'd slipped on his street shoes and headed to the school gates. Not so much as a single familiar face had stopped to direct him towards the karaoke bar or at least tell him where Nao was. Not that he wanted to go anywhere. Maybe he didn't have to go anywhere, he thought brightly to himself.
For all the fight he’d put up, as the school day progressed, Hiroto had found himself slowly warming up to the idea of being away all weekend. He hadn't really been anywhere recently. Though he and Nao had long outgrown the Gundam construction sleepovers they used to share, now and then he'd still be invited over to game - usually when a new game was released. But, no matter how valiantly he fought, Hiroto could never win at them. Even rarer was a triumph in their usual battles for just the controller, especially when Nao’s other friends were over.
Hiroto half-heartedly hoped karaoke had been cancelled, though he doubted it. Something like this was bound to happen again and again until he finally agreed to it because Tora had an irritating knack for being persistent. His uneasiness was well-deserved. As soon as Hiroto had barely gotten so much as a toe past the front gate a hand shot out and dragged him away by the collar. His fingers grabbed at the arm in alarm until Tora's smirking face came into view.
Then he began to claw even harder.
"What the heck?! Tora, let go!" he hollered, scrambling and kicking and fighting for all he was worth, only making his captor’s lips stretch all the wider.
"I was just pointing you in the right direction," Tora simpered innocently. "Nao's car is over there." He shoved Hiroto towards the curb, finally letting go and pointing him to the left. "There. I'll see you soon."
"You could have just told me," Hiroto growled, flipping his retreating upperclassman the finger. Stumbling away, he couldn't help but think that the other's toothy grin looked far too much like a scheming cat… But the idea soon slipped from his thoughts as Nao's oddly buff arms hauled him into the backseat of a car.
It seemed like everyone wanted to manhandle him today.
---
"I don't want to go," Hiroto whined, flopping face first onto Nao's bed and tugging a pillow over his head. He had no idea why he’d even let everyone talk him into sleeping over. His own mother had practically kicked him out, only calling him once to say she'd see him Monday and that it was such nice weather this weekend and she really hoped he would have fun.
"Oh, come on," Nao shot back. "You already know everyone there and it's not like anyone can force you to sing."
That's the thing, Hiroto wanted to reply. He knew exactly who was going to be there - a very specific who to be exact - and everything about the night simply guaranteed his mortification. He still reluctantly accepted the clothes thrown his way, but that didn't mean he was raring to go. He supposed he could just keep his mouth shut and enjoy the free food - and it had better be free. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do, not even homework, and, if he were to be honest with himself, he was curious.
He got dressed and dutifully followed his friend down the street in the same manner he had dutifully agreed, feet dragging and still wondering if he should make a run for it. They were going to take the train and meet the others downtown where all the apparently 'fun' things happened. Hiroto couldn't tell if he wanted to go or wanted to fight everyone trying to make him go. With a deep sigh he climbed into the train car after Nao.
On second thought, he probably should stay home. At the least, he knew he needed to do something the minute Tora appeared on the same train as them. There was no way it could have been an accident, no matter how much Tora laughed and joked about it, no matter how hard he claimed otherwise.
Face scrunching up in distaste, Hiroto stayed silent the entire ride.
---
Glaring darkly at his can of soda, Hiroto had the sudden urge to grab the mic and start wailing all his angst out in a screamy, rage-induced song. It wasn't normally like him to be so moody, but there was something about the whole situation and everyone he was with that really ticked him off. If everyone counted as Tora, snickered a conniving little voice in his head.
First there was Shou, getting a little too into some Western song he was singing. He didn't sound too bad, Hiroto had to admit, just slightly odd, a little off, and his right hand tended to enthusiastically bat at the air while he sang, like it had a mind of its own. He laughed quietly to himself and immediately felt bad for doing so; Shou was actually really nice to him. Even if he did tower over practically everyone… He still had a big, bright smile and liked to hug his juniors and call them little brothers.
Playing with a straw wrapper, Hiroto decided Shou wasn't that bad.
Next however was Saga, chatting it up with the girls and telling them the most awkward stories. In the end only two of them, Tomoko and Yuuka, had been able to show up on such short notice. Hiroto cringed when Saga got to some point in his story where his sister apparently walked in on him naked. Why was he even telling them that?! Did the guy have no shame?!
Apparently not. Hiroto smacked himself in the forehead as Saga continued. He was trying to block out the second hand embarrassment he was feeling, but then someone handed Nao the mic and there was no avoiding it. Oh, Nao. Nao and his singing…
Hiroto shook his head and grinned. He actually really did know everyone here; there was really only seven of them altogether. Minus the fact they had cornered him into coming, there really wasn't anything to dislike about a karaoke night out with friends. Well, except for Tora. Tora had a bad reputation in Hiroto's mind for being mean and a jerk. He made fun of Hiroto for everything - his shoes being untied, his shirt inside out, hair askew, fly unzipped, even for being short! He couldn't help being short! And so the younger boy had gotten into the habit of scoffing at the mere mention of Tora's name and ignoring him completely like his was doing now.
"Hey, you want anything else to eat or drink? I'll pay," Tora's voice managed to filter into his ear over the loud music, laughter and singing. Hiroto pretended like he couldn't hear, eyes focused pointedly on the words lighting up across the screen. Tora seemed to get the message because he didn't ask twice.
So he was being ignored. Okay, he was used to it. Trying to shake it off, Tora brought out a bottle of rum from his bag and, winking deviously at the girls, laced his own coke and took a shot straight from the bottle just for luck. A little something to take off the edge.
Fortunately, everyone else was having too much fun to need the alcohol. Even Hiroto had finally broken out of his self-imposed shell to sing a rather stiff version of a Luna Sea song, interrupted however, halfway through so he could glare and have a stare down with Tora whose rowdiness had reached its pinnacle - he had managed to grab Yuuka by the waist and pinned her giggling into the cushioned seats.
He ignored the eyes boring holes into the side of his head but, as soon as he'd gotten a couple of good squeals from his tickling, Tora settled back down and grabbed a bite to eat.
---
Eventually they left the karaoke bar in favor of strolling the city streets, window shopping and fooling around.
"Thanks for coming with us," Tomoko beamed. "We probably wouldn't be having as much fun without you!" Hiroto nodded and accepted the thanks shyly. It was usually easy to break the ice with that one awkward person in the mix, namely himself. Though friends, they were like older sisters obligated to take care of their baby brother and even more obligated to push him around just a little. Everyone else was more or less an acquaintance from school.
Before he knew it, Hiroto found himself hanging back, more intent on watching the sky and looking up at all the lights and buildings than talking to anyone in particular.
"Having fun?" The question pulled him out of the hypnotic rush of oncoming traffic. He hadn't realized Tora had been slowly working his way back to where he was moseying along. "You really don't get out much, huh?" It was more of a statement than a question and Hiroto wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended. Tora was too busy lazily stretching his arms up again and talking to no one really even though Hiroto was the only one there to hear him.
And, like always, Hiroto said nothing in return. Tora was the bad guy here. He was probably just looking for an opportunity to find something to make fun of. Unconsciously, Hiroto gave himself a mental check over, fiddling nervously with Nao's borrowed clothes and running his tongue over his teeth.
"Hey." A hand wrapped around his arm and he was forced to come to a standstill. A clear 'why are you being so rude' was evident on the other boy's face, eyes gleaming irritably, but nothing along those lines came out of his mouth. Instead Tora asked, "Is there anywhere you wish you could be right now?"
For a moment the question took Hiroto off guard, something entirely different from Tora's usual teasing. He was tempted to say something smart like 'home' or 'anywhere away from you' but the tingling feeling spreading from his arm where Tora's rough palm was pressed into his overly warm skin stopped him. And so he replied truthfully, "The beach?"
Hiroto liked the sand, the ocean, the long expanse of water and star-filled sky that seemed to last forever. Right now he wanted to remember how small he was because the way Tora was looking at him made him feel too awkward, too important, too self-conscious.
His eyes flickered away once he was finally released, but his gaze quickly returned when Tora called out, "You guys, wait up! We're going to the beach!"
---
"Why the beach?"
"The closest one is hours away!"
"It's getting kind of late Tora..."
"What time do you plan on going home?"
Hiroto flushed at the stream of questions attacking his secret request. Heck, he hadn't even requested! That Tora was up to no good and making him feel stupid again.
As if reading his thoughts, Tora caught the way he slowly shuffled once again to the back of the group but said nothing. They were headed back to the train station, following his lead though they had no idea where they were going - that was part of the fun after all. It was something to do. They were young, invincible, carefree. The night was theirs.
"I know there aren't any beaches nearby. I'm not stupid, asshole," Tora replied crudely. Though, in his defense, the name calling held more of an endearing tone to it. "I know where we can find the next best thing though, just trust me." He smiled charismatically and settled into the seat next to Hiroto. "You'll like it, don't worry," he added, nudging Hiroto with his knee as if he were only talking to him even though he addressed the entire group.
Hiroto made an unconvinced sound in reply, but stayed seated all the same.
---
"Tora, what the fuck man!"
"We could get suspended for this!"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
The mastermind was silent as they stood in front of their school. Before them a fence barred their passage to the pool glowing eerily in the light of the streetlamps and a nearby building. "Don't worry," he repeated emphatcally. "It's not like anyone comes here at night and even if they do we can just apologize and say we go to a different school. Or we're part of the swim team. They come around here every morning I think..."
Hiroto had to admit it was a passable idea; they could always make a run for it if anything bad happened. Everyone else seemed to think the same, even the girls found it hard to say no. The only hard part, it seemed, was getting everyone over the fence.
Saga was the first to volunteer and cleared it first with surprising nimbleness; it was easier after that. Nao and Shou helped boost the girls over for him to catch while Tora kept watch. Unfortunately, when it got to Hiroto's turn, instead of clearing it like all the other boys, his feet slipped right off the fence. He blushed when Tora snorted but no one said anything else as Nao hoisted him up by the waist.
It hardly took ten minutes all but, by the time they go to the pool's edge, hearts beating extra fast, Hiroto had completely forgotten they were there to swim.
"But we don't have our bathing suits," one of the girls whispered. It was dark, but the light reflecting off the pool’s surface illuminated their faces in shimmery waves.
"That's why it's called skinny-dipping," Saga announced in a questionably sinister voce, already shirtless and tugging down his jeans. "You strip down skinny, then you dip!" They all shared a giggle at his words, more from nerves than anything else, but still liking the rebellious idea of swimming and running around naked on public property.
Only Hiroto seemed to hesitate.
"It's just like at the bathhouse," one of the other girls laughed before jumping carefree into the pool water. Everyone was surprisingly a lot more liberal with their nakedness than Hiroto had made them out to be. Maybe it was the thrill of the moment and it was dark sure, but for some reason he couldn't.
"No one's making you strip," the voice came from beside him and Tora's naked torso, wrapped in appealing shadows suddenly appeared before him. Hiroto told himself not to look down. "If you don't want to, you can always sit with our stuff and keep watch." Then he was slipping away into the water as silent as could be.
Hiroto fought the urge to pout as a mad splashing contest ensued.
---
Somehow it was a lot easier once he'd pulled off his shirt. Everyone was clearly distracted and Hiroto timed it perfectly as he ran and splashed into the pool. He resurfaced with a gasp right beside Yuuka, a senior almost as tall as he was with lightened brown hair. Somehow it was easy to laugh like that, naked in the same pool and splashing childishly at the moon.
Abruptly Hiroto felt something brush past his legs underwater, a warm lean body, hair tickling his thigh and then suddenly Yuuka disappeared with a squawk into the water.
"Shark! Shark! Shark in the pool!" Nao shrieked, swimming furiously for the pool's edge in case he was next.
"T-Tora!" The girl gurgled back to the surface with an irritated sound. "The shark's Tora!" She squealed again as he gave her one last tug before just as quickly abandon her. They were naked teens all congregated in a small space, of course it was getting harder to keep their hands to themselves.
In another corner of the pool, Tomoko was giggling and letting Saga keep his arms wrapped around her with sugary sweet words like, "I'll protect you," falling from his lips.
He sure as hell better use protection, Hiroto thought wryly. And then, before he'd even had a chance to finish the inhale to his exhale, warm hands wrapped around his ankles and yanked him straight down mid scream. Adrenaline raced through him and he struggled violently as his lungs sucked in water. It burned and the more he panicked the worse it got. He opened his eyes to see, but the only things Hiroto could make out were bubbles and swirling water. He wanted to cry in relief as arms finally let go of his ankles and wrapped around his waist, tugging up instead of down.
When he broke the surface it was to urgent screams of "Tora! Let him go!" and "He can't breathe!" Coughing and spitting up water and feeling like he’d spit up the contents of his stomach along with it, Hiroto clung to the strong arms that had hauled him up.
He was shaking, heart beating miles a minute as he coughed and fought with the shuddery sobs that made it hard to breathe. Then he was pulled from the other's grip and suddenly Nao was in his face.
"Are you okay? Hiroto? Hiroto?"
It was hard to concentrate amidst all the commotion but he found his eyes focusing on Tora, floating just behind Nao, face guilty with concern. His lips moved to say, "I'm sorry. I was just... just playing..." For the first time in his life, Hiroto felt like he was seeing Tora uncertain. It was a clumsy, awkward sight, not like Tora at all.
"Yeah, you better apologize," Nao muttered. He stood aside in the neck deep pool to let Tora near.
Hiroto wondered briefly what he was doing letting the guy who had just nearly drowned him tread close and hold him up effortlessly in the water. Somehow it was always like this. Tora would bully and hurt him, but all the other times they were almost like friends. And no matter what, Hiroto would always come back for more bullying, no matter how reluctantly, because deep down he wanted to be accepted by the older boy. An interest in him, no matter how mean or teasing, was better than none, wasn’t it?
It was terrible to think about, but that didn't stop Hiroto from letting Tora pull him into a hug. Maybe he just wanted the comfort. Maybe he just knew that deep down Tora didn't mean any of it; the senior was terrible at expressing himself, simply demanded things and expected others to understand why.
There was a collective "aww" around the pool as the two made up for what seemed like years of bickering ever since Nao had introduced them. The splashing and giggling picked up where it had left off and now everything was okay. Hiroto told himself it was okay and let himself be guided to the pool's edge, still sniffling and coughing every now and then, while he wiped the stinging from his eyes.
Tora however, seemed unable to contain his rowdy nature. Every few seconds he would pull Hiroto into a tight hug until he was practically clinging to the tiny frame for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. I won't stop saying sorry until you say you’ll forgive me! Sorry, sorry, sorry..."
It was a bit much, but then Tora was always a bit much. Maybe it was meant to cheer Hiroto up, to help him get over the guilt, save his pride and stop feeling like an asshole. Whatever it was, after many persistent minutes a small smile began to creep across the other's face twisted halfway with a petulant frown. Even though he had wanted to reject Tora and push him away at first, now he was glad he had pretended to ignore him.
"Are you smiling?" Tora roared victoriously.
Hiroto shook his head vigorously in reply.
"Yes you are! I saw!" The stronger boy began to tickle him mercilessly in between his cries of, "I saw, I saw!" until Hiroto's chiming laughter was finally joined by everyone else’s.
"Playing hard to get are we?" Tora crowed, somehow managing to keep the squirming boy in his arms. "Forgive me or else!" This time the words were mumbled into a warm, wet neck, long fingers sliding up Hiroto's smooth chest and pinching two firm nipples. Unconsciously, an indignant sound turned into a moan as Tora flicked and pinched them. Hiroto finally gasped and pulled away when he suddenly became aware of the delicate arch of his spine, chest thrust toward teasing fingers and, even more incriminating, just how close their naked bodies were. Struggling out of the embrace, realizing how strange it was to be in this position, Hiroto turned around and gave Tora a weird look. Confusion mixed with arousal was making it hard to pull away completely.
That's when all the lights suddenly came on.
"No good kids! Stay where you are!" a disembodied voice yelled out.
IN OTHER NEWS I JUST DECANTED MY LOADED MEAT INTO YOUR ASS
"Shit!" Tora hissed under his breath. He could feel Hiroto tense him up in his arms. "Scatter!" He barked out. No one needed to be told twice. In fact, Saga had already gotten his shorts on and one of the girls pushed halfway up the fence while Shou and Nao tossed everyone's clothes this way and that.
Hiroto stood frozen in the water as hurried footsteps and frantic voices echoed all around him.
"We need to move," Tora growled under his breath. It took barely a second for the larger boy to heave Hiroto out of the water and onto the cement. The jar of landing and the sting of scraped and skinned joints finally set him into motion. He couldn't get caught, he'd be screwed if he let them catch him like this not to mention the shame of being caught and called in naked. "Run," Tora urged, grabbing his own clothes and taking off for the fence.
This time Hiroto made sure not to slip. His bare feet hooked in fast and he sprung up and over with one well-placed jump. It was all a fury of motion, pattering feet and the loud voice of what appeared to be one lone night guard or janitor. Hiroto didn't care about anything as he took off after Tora's broad back.
As soon as his feet hit the ground on the other side of the fence and he was safely concealed in a clump of bushes, Hiroto tried to hurriedly dress. Unfortunately it seemed he’d only managed to grab his pants. Looking around nervously, he hoped everyone else at least managed to make away with their wallets. If the school got ID on any of them it would be bad.
His heart was still thumping uncomfortably in his chest, adrenaline making his limbs tingle as he strolled out onto the main road as normally and inconspicuously as he could without his shoes and shirt. He shivered in the light breeze, suddenly conscious of how alone he was. Where was everyone else? Where was Tora? He definitely couldn't go home like this and he wasn't quite paying attention to where they had gotten off on the train.
Crossing his arms and hugging his bare chest, Hiroto knew he shouldn't have come. It had been a bad idea from the start and he knew better. So lost was he in his own little pity party, he all but screamed when a hand clapped down on his shoulder.
"Jesus! Are you always so loud?" Tora retracted his fingers as if he was being burned.
"Y-you just surprised me," Hiroto stuttered, sullenly noting that Tora was fully clothed, even carrying a bundle of other things that must have been left behind.
"Mostly shoes," Tora commented, "But there's a pink jacket in here if you're interested." He held out his armful towards the shivering boy. "I think I saw your shirt hit the water… Anyway, I just texted Shou and Saga and told them to meet us at the station."
Hiroto listened as he pulled the girlish garment on. It was a little short, but better than nothing. He glanced hopefully in Tora's arms but could only make out a random pair of heels dangling from long fingers and a pair of flats he would probably have a hard time fitting.
"Nao's with Shou and Saga, ever the gentleman, has all the ladies covered," Tora grimaced at the last comment, letting Hiroto carry a pair of shoes as they headed off to the train. "That was really close though!" he chuckled. "Sorry, you know… for pulling you underwater and scaring you like that, I didn't know you would freak out so bad." He only got stony silence in reply. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t recall Hiroto speaking more than a few words to him the entire night.
"You're not still mad are you?" Tora finally asked hardly a minute later when Hiroto had continued to remain grudgingly quiet the entire trip down the street. He was trying his best to be nice and polite and helpful right now, he really was!
Hiroto, on the other hand, was trying as hard as he could to focus on being angry for all the trouble Tora was putting him through and not the fact that he looked highly suspicious clad in a girly, pink cardigan, clutching a pair of heels while his hair dripped and his shorts slowly soaked through. He was a mess.
There were scrapes on his hands and knees, dirt in places that he would definitely need to clean soon, and he was just tired and wanted to sleep. "Hey, I really am sorry," Tora stepped into his path and tried to peer through the locks of his straggly hair.
If it were anyone else, this would have been annoying and he would have probably exploded by now. But this was Tora… Hiroto blushed remembering the pool and tried to look away, at least step around him, but the other was too quick.
"Oi! Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not!" Hiroto finally exclaimed. "I'm just wet!"
Tora's face seemed to light up at that. "Well I didn't know I had gotten you that excited, darling." He got a light smack for his corny comment, but a grin spread even wider across his features as he took the opportunity to grab the indignant squirrel and pull him into a rib-crushing hug. "You are too cute."
Hiroto blushed again and really did smack the other away this time. Stupid Tora always teasing him and saying weird things. He didn’t know whether to like or loath him. Thankfully they were outside the station and he enthusiastically greeted the rest of their group to block his view of Tora. Trying hard to ignore the elated, special feeling that was warming his chest at a few simple words.
"You slowpokes were the last ones out over the fence," Saga commented. "I thought for sure you'd both get caught and then we'd all be screwed." He shook his head as everyone reassembled the pieces of their respective outfits and tromped into the station.
"Well if I didn't have to take care of this idiot I'd have been out of there way faster." Hiroto's lips scrunched up into a pout at the jibe and he hmpfh'd loudly when Tora still had the gall to plop down in the seat next to him and continue talking smack.
"Well, if a certain dumb giant hadn't suggested we break in and enter I would still have my shoes and shirt!" he finally retorted. But, no matter what he said, Tora just smiled all the wider and got even more touchy and comfortable in his seat. Hiroto shoved the arm around his shoulder off as rudely as possible, but only managed to make everyone burst into laughter at the look on his face.
---
About an hour later and they were still commuting. Apparently, amidst the relief, laughter, and fooling around, they had climbed aboard the wrong line. Now they had about three more stops to go, but everyone already seemed reluctant to return to reality beyond the safe house of their friends.
Shou yawned and stretched as the line of cars bumped into motion and Hiroto snorted quietly in his sleep. "You know, you really need to work on a different way of approaching him," nodding his head towards the youngest of them. "Dragging him underwater and turning him into a delinquent drag queen isn't exactly anyone's idea of an awesome night out," he added at the look on Tora's face.
He had to admit Shou had a point though. Skinny-dipping wasn't really first date material and half-drowning him and letting him get all bruised and cut up definitely didn’t sound romantic. Trying to move as little as possible, he reached a hand over to brush a stowaway ant off Hiroto's shoulder. Then grimaced as the troublesome teen snorted again and the wet mark forming on Tora's shirt finally soaked through to his skin. Hiroto had succumbed to sleep with a dramatic snore and complete disregard for his seated companions. Now he was snuggled up to Tora's warm side, mouth hanging open, drooling, while his eyeballs flickered beneath his lids.
"He doesn't exactly make it easy for me," Tora muttered. "Stubborn squirrel. He may not realize just yet, but one day he is going to finally figure out why exactly he's fighting me so hard."
A/N:
BLAH. This was written a long and crappy time ago.
I’m being lame at finishing stuff while tingedwords yells at me to finish stuff LOL…
So I’ll just post this even though I’m sure I was supposed to add things into the middle so this might be really awkward...
Archive
Author: beyondtheremix
Theme: 027 Make You Mine (Crystal Kay)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tora/Hiroto
Band[s]: Alice Nine
Disclaimer: highschool AU, fluff
Comments: Thank you again to tingedwords for typing this up!
Coming Out
"I'm going where tonight?"
Hiroto sat with a skeptical look on his face, chopsticks raised midair and lips pulled into a tight line. Tora was talking to him. Though, to be honest, 'talking' was a bit of an understatement. Every word that left his mouth sounded more along the lines of a command.
"Tonight. You. Are. Coming out to enjoy my presence at a karaoke bar," Tora repeated, slowly at first until he got bored and decided to speed things up. "Ladies, of course, are invited," he winked, "and Nao's mom already got the okay from your parents so get ready for a long weekend out."
Scraping back his borrowed seat, the tall senior stood with a flourish of popping joints and flexing limbs. His arms stretched out above his head, flashing a bit of skin for all the pretty little sets of eyes watching him - all except for the only boy at the table. Tora's words and actions made the girls giggle, but seemed to have no effect on him. To any other guy this would be perfectly acceptable, but Tora would not accept it from him of all people. He stuck one long finger into the younger boy's face, "Have some fun for once," then exited in a huff.
Hiroto was left staring down his nose at the afterimage of Tora's nails while his table buzzed about the best songs to sing. Another minute and he would have definitely had a smart comeback. One about how spending his Friday nights reading or checking out new music online, cooped up all alone in his room was loads of fun. But then again, he was sure the comment would have been lost on Tora. Tora who was getting rather good at filling up his own weekends with apparently thrilling, non-academic things. The same Tora who wound up rubbing those same weekends in his face and making fun of him for being so bookish. And who did Nao think he was brainwashing other people’s parents?!
Sitting in his seat, Hiroto pouted at the lunch table. It wasn't as if he was terrible at socializing. He just didn't want to go out, he had better things to do. Much better. Speak of the devil, "Who said you could go around deciding where I'll be spending my weekends?!" Nao had unfortunately decided to take the long way across the canteen.
The cheerful boy just laughed however, veering en route to slap Hiroto on the back. "It'll be fine. You don't get out much and, despite what you think, Tora's not that bad of guy to be around. Especially when you want to have fun."
"Yeah, right," Hiroto muttered, looking back down and stabbing unhappily at his food. "He doesn't bully you like he does me."
"And we all know he 'bullies' you," Nao snorted. Poking his dissatisfied friend in the cheek, he continued on towards his table.
"S-Social butterfly!" Hiroto called after him, twisting in his seat and shouting as if it were the worst insult in the world. This was all entirely Nao's fault. He really didn't need anyone trying to meddle in his social life, least of all concerned parents. Making a face, he accidentally caught Tora's eye from across the room. He and a few upperclassmen were sitting a couple tables away, watching him and his little outburst, Tora with that stupid look on his stupid face. What was he even staring at? However, as soon as they caught him staring back, the table broke out into raucous laughter.
Tora's laugh seemed especially loud and mocking in Hiroto's ears. His cheeks flushed a furious pink as he turned back in his seat and hid beneath his fringe. This was why he would rather hang out with girls. At least the girls didn't laugh at him. Sometimes they even called him cute.
He stabbed a straw viciously into his unopened juice box.
"So you'll go with us right, Hiroto?" one of his tablemates gushed. "Everyone wants you to go and we want to go, but I don't think any of us would feel comfortable without you there... We don't exactly know Tora or any of his friends other than you…"
Hiroto rolled his eyes. He wasn't Tora's friend! And he probably knew even less about Tora's friends than they did… He winced as all eyes and smiles turned on him. He'd always had such a weak spot for that puppy dog look even though he often took advantage of it himself. Now, using their cleverly done up eyes, wide with mascara and cute no matter what angle he looked at them, Hiroto cursed to himself. There was no backing out now.
---
Shou snorted as he watched the younger boy looking for a way out of the corner so cunningly crafted for him. He couldn't really see any way out. What Tora wanted, Tora got. And, admit it or not, Hiroto liked the attention. Those girls were the older sisters he didn't have. And Tora... he was Tora. They all steamrolled over any of the other boys who tried to pick on him, whether he was aware of it or not, and Hiroto unwittingly kept them all smiling.
He was way too eager to please, Shou concluded, as Hiroto gave in with a reluctant nod. Too eager for his own good. Chuckling some more, he turned back to Tora. "A thousand yen says he'll show up carrying their purses."
Tora simply shook his head, though the smirk on his lips said everything. "I can't wait for class to end."
---
Hiroto trudged to the front of the school with his bag in hand. A pit of unease had been growing in his belly ever since he'd slipped on his street shoes and headed to the school gates. Not so much as a single familiar face had stopped to direct him towards the karaoke bar or at least tell him where Nao was. Not that he wanted to go anywhere. Maybe he didn't have to go anywhere, he thought brightly to himself.
For all the fight he’d put up, as the school day progressed, Hiroto had found himself slowly warming up to the idea of being away all weekend. He hadn't really been anywhere recently. Though he and Nao had long outgrown the Gundam construction sleepovers they used to share, now and then he'd still be invited over to game - usually when a new game was released. But, no matter how valiantly he fought, Hiroto could never win at them. Even rarer was a triumph in their usual battles for just the controller, especially when Nao’s other friends were over.
Hiroto half-heartedly hoped karaoke had been cancelled, though he doubted it. Something like this was bound to happen again and again until he finally agreed to it because Tora had an irritating knack for being persistent. His uneasiness was well-deserved. As soon as Hiroto had barely gotten so much as a toe past the front gate a hand shot out and dragged him away by the collar. His fingers grabbed at the arm in alarm until Tora's smirking face came into view.
Then he began to claw even harder.
"What the heck?! Tora, let go!" he hollered, scrambling and kicking and fighting for all he was worth, only making his captor’s lips stretch all the wider.
"I was just pointing you in the right direction," Tora simpered innocently. "Nao's car is over there." He shoved Hiroto towards the curb, finally letting go and pointing him to the left. "There. I'll see you soon."
"You could have just told me," Hiroto growled, flipping his retreating upperclassman the finger. Stumbling away, he couldn't help but think that the other's toothy grin looked far too much like a scheming cat… But the idea soon slipped from his thoughts as Nao's oddly buff arms hauled him into the backseat of a car.
It seemed like everyone wanted to manhandle him today.
---
"I don't want to go," Hiroto whined, flopping face first onto Nao's bed and tugging a pillow over his head. He had no idea why he’d even let everyone talk him into sleeping over. His own mother had practically kicked him out, only calling him once to say she'd see him Monday and that it was such nice weather this weekend and she really hoped he would have fun.
"Oh, come on," Nao shot back. "You already know everyone there and it's not like anyone can force you to sing."
That's the thing, Hiroto wanted to reply. He knew exactly who was going to be there - a very specific who to be exact - and everything about the night simply guaranteed his mortification. He still reluctantly accepted the clothes thrown his way, but that didn't mean he was raring to go. He supposed he could just keep his mouth shut and enjoy the free food - and it had better be free. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do, not even homework, and, if he were to be honest with himself, he was curious.
He got dressed and dutifully followed his friend down the street in the same manner he had dutifully agreed, feet dragging and still wondering if he should make a run for it. They were going to take the train and meet the others downtown where all the apparently 'fun' things happened. Hiroto couldn't tell if he wanted to go or wanted to fight everyone trying to make him go. With a deep sigh he climbed into the train car after Nao.
On second thought, he probably should stay home. At the least, he knew he needed to do something the minute Tora appeared on the same train as them. There was no way it could have been an accident, no matter how much Tora laughed and joked about it, no matter how hard he claimed otherwise.
Face scrunching up in distaste, Hiroto stayed silent the entire ride.
---
Glaring darkly at his can of soda, Hiroto had the sudden urge to grab the mic and start wailing all his angst out in a screamy, rage-induced song. It wasn't normally like him to be so moody, but there was something about the whole situation and everyone he was with that really ticked him off. If everyone counted as Tora, snickered a conniving little voice in his head.
First there was Shou, getting a little too into some Western song he was singing. He didn't sound too bad, Hiroto had to admit, just slightly odd, a little off, and his right hand tended to enthusiastically bat at the air while he sang, like it had a mind of its own. He laughed quietly to himself and immediately felt bad for doing so; Shou was actually really nice to him. Even if he did tower over practically everyone… He still had a big, bright smile and liked to hug his juniors and call them little brothers.
Playing with a straw wrapper, Hiroto decided Shou wasn't that bad.
Next however was Saga, chatting it up with the girls and telling them the most awkward stories. In the end only two of them, Tomoko and Yuuka, had been able to show up on such short notice. Hiroto cringed when Saga got to some point in his story where his sister apparently walked in on him naked. Why was he even telling them that?! Did the guy have no shame?!
Apparently not. Hiroto smacked himself in the forehead as Saga continued. He was trying to block out the second hand embarrassment he was feeling, but then someone handed Nao the mic and there was no avoiding it. Oh, Nao. Nao and his singing…
Hiroto shook his head and grinned. He actually really did know everyone here; there was really only seven of them altogether. Minus the fact they had cornered him into coming, there really wasn't anything to dislike about a karaoke night out with friends. Well, except for Tora. Tora had a bad reputation in Hiroto's mind for being mean and a jerk. He made fun of Hiroto for everything - his shoes being untied, his shirt inside out, hair askew, fly unzipped, even for being short! He couldn't help being short! And so the younger boy had gotten into the habit of scoffing at the mere mention of Tora's name and ignoring him completely like his was doing now.
"Hey, you want anything else to eat or drink? I'll pay," Tora's voice managed to filter into his ear over the loud music, laughter and singing. Hiroto pretended like he couldn't hear, eyes focused pointedly on the words lighting up across the screen. Tora seemed to get the message because he didn't ask twice.
So he was being ignored. Okay, he was used to it. Trying to shake it off, Tora brought out a bottle of rum from his bag and, winking deviously at the girls, laced his own coke and took a shot straight from the bottle just for luck. A little something to take off the edge.
Fortunately, everyone else was having too much fun to need the alcohol. Even Hiroto had finally broken out of his self-imposed shell to sing a rather stiff version of a Luna Sea song, interrupted however, halfway through so he could glare and have a stare down with Tora whose rowdiness had reached its pinnacle - he had managed to grab Yuuka by the waist and pinned her giggling into the cushioned seats.
He ignored the eyes boring holes into the side of his head but, as soon as he'd gotten a couple of good squeals from his tickling, Tora settled back down and grabbed a bite to eat.
---
Eventually they left the karaoke bar in favor of strolling the city streets, window shopping and fooling around.
"Thanks for coming with us," Tomoko beamed. "We probably wouldn't be having as much fun without you!" Hiroto nodded and accepted the thanks shyly. It was usually easy to break the ice with that one awkward person in the mix, namely himself. Though friends, they were like older sisters obligated to take care of their baby brother and even more obligated to push him around just a little. Everyone else was more or less an acquaintance from school.
Before he knew it, Hiroto found himself hanging back, more intent on watching the sky and looking up at all the lights and buildings than talking to anyone in particular.
"Having fun?" The question pulled him out of the hypnotic rush of oncoming traffic. He hadn't realized Tora had been slowly working his way back to where he was moseying along. "You really don't get out much, huh?" It was more of a statement than a question and Hiroto wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended. Tora was too busy lazily stretching his arms up again and talking to no one really even though Hiroto was the only one there to hear him.
And, like always, Hiroto said nothing in return. Tora was the bad guy here. He was probably just looking for an opportunity to find something to make fun of. Unconsciously, Hiroto gave himself a mental check over, fiddling nervously with Nao's borrowed clothes and running his tongue over his teeth.
"Hey." A hand wrapped around his arm and he was forced to come to a standstill. A clear 'why are you being so rude' was evident on the other boy's face, eyes gleaming irritably, but nothing along those lines came out of his mouth. Instead Tora asked, "Is there anywhere you wish you could be right now?"
For a moment the question took Hiroto off guard, something entirely different from Tora's usual teasing. He was tempted to say something smart like 'home' or 'anywhere away from you' but the tingling feeling spreading from his arm where Tora's rough palm was pressed into his overly warm skin stopped him. And so he replied truthfully, "The beach?"
Hiroto liked the sand, the ocean, the long expanse of water and star-filled sky that seemed to last forever. Right now he wanted to remember how small he was because the way Tora was looking at him made him feel too awkward, too important, too self-conscious.
His eyes flickered away once he was finally released, but his gaze quickly returned when Tora called out, "You guys, wait up! We're going to the beach!"
---
"Why the beach?"
"The closest one is hours away!"
"It's getting kind of late Tora..."
"What time do you plan on going home?"
Hiroto flushed at the stream of questions attacking his secret request. Heck, he hadn't even requested! That Tora was up to no good and making him feel stupid again.
As if reading his thoughts, Tora caught the way he slowly shuffled once again to the back of the group but said nothing. They were headed back to the train station, following his lead though they had no idea where they were going - that was part of the fun after all. It was something to do. They were young, invincible, carefree. The night was theirs.
"I know there aren't any beaches nearby. I'm not stupid, asshole," Tora replied crudely. Though, in his defense, the name calling held more of an endearing tone to it. "I know where we can find the next best thing though, just trust me." He smiled charismatically and settled into the seat next to Hiroto. "You'll like it, don't worry," he added, nudging Hiroto with his knee as if he were only talking to him even though he addressed the entire group.
Hiroto made an unconvinced sound in reply, but stayed seated all the same.
---
"Tora, what the fuck man!"
"We could get suspended for this!"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
The mastermind was silent as they stood in front of their school. Before them a fence barred their passage to the pool glowing eerily in the light of the streetlamps and a nearby building. "Don't worry," he repeated emphatcally. "It's not like anyone comes here at night and even if they do we can just apologize and say we go to a different school. Or we're part of the swim team. They come around here every morning I think..."
Hiroto had to admit it was a passable idea; they could always make a run for it if anything bad happened. Everyone else seemed to think the same, even the girls found it hard to say no. The only hard part, it seemed, was getting everyone over the fence.
Saga was the first to volunteer and cleared it first with surprising nimbleness; it was easier after that. Nao and Shou helped boost the girls over for him to catch while Tora kept watch. Unfortunately, when it got to Hiroto's turn, instead of clearing it like all the other boys, his feet slipped right off the fence. He blushed when Tora snorted but no one said anything else as Nao hoisted him up by the waist.
It hardly took ten minutes all but, by the time they go to the pool's edge, hearts beating extra fast, Hiroto had completely forgotten they were there to swim.
"But we don't have our bathing suits," one of the girls whispered. It was dark, but the light reflecting off the pool’s surface illuminated their faces in shimmery waves.
"That's why it's called skinny-dipping," Saga announced in a questionably sinister voce, already shirtless and tugging down his jeans. "You strip down skinny, then you dip!" They all shared a giggle at his words, more from nerves than anything else, but still liking the rebellious idea of swimming and running around naked on public property.
Only Hiroto seemed to hesitate.
"It's just like at the bathhouse," one of the other girls laughed before jumping carefree into the pool water. Everyone was surprisingly a lot more liberal with their nakedness than Hiroto had made them out to be. Maybe it was the thrill of the moment and it was dark sure, but for some reason he couldn't.
"No one's making you strip," the voice came from beside him and Tora's naked torso, wrapped in appealing shadows suddenly appeared before him. Hiroto told himself not to look down. "If you don't want to, you can always sit with our stuff and keep watch." Then he was slipping away into the water as silent as could be.
Hiroto fought the urge to pout as a mad splashing contest ensued.
---
Somehow it was a lot easier once he'd pulled off his shirt. Everyone was clearly distracted and Hiroto timed it perfectly as he ran and splashed into the pool. He resurfaced with a gasp right beside Yuuka, a senior almost as tall as he was with lightened brown hair. Somehow it was easy to laugh like that, naked in the same pool and splashing childishly at the moon.
Abruptly Hiroto felt something brush past his legs underwater, a warm lean body, hair tickling his thigh and then suddenly Yuuka disappeared with a squawk into the water.
"Shark! Shark! Shark in the pool!" Nao shrieked, swimming furiously for the pool's edge in case he was next.
"T-Tora!" The girl gurgled back to the surface with an irritated sound. "The shark's Tora!" She squealed again as he gave her one last tug before just as quickly abandon her. They were naked teens all congregated in a small space, of course it was getting harder to keep their hands to themselves.
In another corner of the pool, Tomoko was giggling and letting Saga keep his arms wrapped around her with sugary sweet words like, "I'll protect you," falling from his lips.
He sure as hell better use protection, Hiroto thought wryly. And then, before he'd even had a chance to finish the inhale to his exhale, warm hands wrapped around his ankles and yanked him straight down mid scream. Adrenaline raced through him and he struggled violently as his lungs sucked in water. It burned and the more he panicked the worse it got. He opened his eyes to see, but the only things Hiroto could make out were bubbles and swirling water. He wanted to cry in relief as arms finally let go of his ankles and wrapped around his waist, tugging up instead of down.
When he broke the surface it was to urgent screams of "Tora! Let him go!" and "He can't breathe!" Coughing and spitting up water and feeling like he’d spit up the contents of his stomach along with it, Hiroto clung to the strong arms that had hauled him up.
He was shaking, heart beating miles a minute as he coughed and fought with the shuddery sobs that made it hard to breathe. Then he was pulled from the other's grip and suddenly Nao was in his face.
"Are you okay? Hiroto? Hiroto?"
It was hard to concentrate amidst all the commotion but he found his eyes focusing on Tora, floating just behind Nao, face guilty with concern. His lips moved to say, "I'm sorry. I was just... just playing..." For the first time in his life, Hiroto felt like he was seeing Tora uncertain. It was a clumsy, awkward sight, not like Tora at all.
"Yeah, you better apologize," Nao muttered. He stood aside in the neck deep pool to let Tora near.
Hiroto wondered briefly what he was doing letting the guy who had just nearly drowned him tread close and hold him up effortlessly in the water. Somehow it was always like this. Tora would bully and hurt him, but all the other times they were almost like friends. And no matter what, Hiroto would always come back for more bullying, no matter how reluctantly, because deep down he wanted to be accepted by the older boy. An interest in him, no matter how mean or teasing, was better than none, wasn’t it?
It was terrible to think about, but that didn't stop Hiroto from letting Tora pull him into a hug. Maybe he just wanted the comfort. Maybe he just knew that deep down Tora didn't mean any of it; the senior was terrible at expressing himself, simply demanded things and expected others to understand why.
There was a collective "aww" around the pool as the two made up for what seemed like years of bickering ever since Nao had introduced them. The splashing and giggling picked up where it had left off and now everything was okay. Hiroto told himself it was okay and let himself be guided to the pool's edge, still sniffling and coughing every now and then, while he wiped the stinging from his eyes.
Tora however, seemed unable to contain his rowdy nature. Every few seconds he would pull Hiroto into a tight hug until he was practically clinging to the tiny frame for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. I won't stop saying sorry until you say you’ll forgive me! Sorry, sorry, sorry..."
It was a bit much, but then Tora was always a bit much. Maybe it was meant to cheer Hiroto up, to help him get over the guilt, save his pride and stop feeling like an asshole. Whatever it was, after many persistent minutes a small smile began to creep across the other's face twisted halfway with a petulant frown. Even though he had wanted to reject Tora and push him away at first, now he was glad he had pretended to ignore him.
"Are you smiling?" Tora roared victoriously.
Hiroto shook his head vigorously in reply.
"Yes you are! I saw!" The stronger boy began to tickle him mercilessly in between his cries of, "I saw, I saw!" until Hiroto's chiming laughter was finally joined by everyone else’s.
"Playing hard to get are we?" Tora crowed, somehow managing to keep the squirming boy in his arms. "Forgive me or else!" This time the words were mumbled into a warm, wet neck, long fingers sliding up Hiroto's smooth chest and pinching two firm nipples. Unconsciously, an indignant sound turned into a moan as Tora flicked and pinched them. Hiroto finally gasped and pulled away when he suddenly became aware of the delicate arch of his spine, chest thrust toward teasing fingers and, even more incriminating, just how close their naked bodies were. Struggling out of the embrace, realizing how strange it was to be in this position, Hiroto turned around and gave Tora a weird look. Confusion mixed with arousal was making it hard to pull away completely.
That's when all the lights suddenly came on.
"No good kids! Stay where you are!" a disembodied voice yelled out.
IN OTHER NEWS I JUST DECANTED MY LOADED MEAT INTO YOUR ASS
"Shit!" Tora hissed under his breath. He could feel Hiroto tense him up in his arms. "Scatter!" He barked out. No one needed to be told twice. In fact, Saga had already gotten his shorts on and one of the girls pushed halfway up the fence while Shou and Nao tossed everyone's clothes this way and that.
Hiroto stood frozen in the water as hurried footsteps and frantic voices echoed all around him.
"We need to move," Tora growled under his breath. It took barely a second for the larger boy to heave Hiroto out of the water and onto the cement. The jar of landing and the sting of scraped and skinned joints finally set him into motion. He couldn't get caught, he'd be screwed if he let them catch him like this not to mention the shame of being caught and called in naked. "Run," Tora urged, grabbing his own clothes and taking off for the fence.
This time Hiroto made sure not to slip. His bare feet hooked in fast and he sprung up and over with one well-placed jump. It was all a fury of motion, pattering feet and the loud voice of what appeared to be one lone night guard or janitor. Hiroto didn't care about anything as he took off after Tora's broad back.
As soon as his feet hit the ground on the other side of the fence and he was safely concealed in a clump of bushes, Hiroto tried to hurriedly dress. Unfortunately it seemed he’d only managed to grab his pants. Looking around nervously, he hoped everyone else at least managed to make away with their wallets. If the school got ID on any of them it would be bad.
His heart was still thumping uncomfortably in his chest, adrenaline making his limbs tingle as he strolled out onto the main road as normally and inconspicuously as he could without his shoes and shirt. He shivered in the light breeze, suddenly conscious of how alone he was. Where was everyone else? Where was Tora? He definitely couldn't go home like this and he wasn't quite paying attention to where they had gotten off on the train.
Crossing his arms and hugging his bare chest, Hiroto knew he shouldn't have come. It had been a bad idea from the start and he knew better. So lost was he in his own little pity party, he all but screamed when a hand clapped down on his shoulder.
"Jesus! Are you always so loud?" Tora retracted his fingers as if he was being burned.
"Y-you just surprised me," Hiroto stuttered, sullenly noting that Tora was fully clothed, even carrying a bundle of other things that must have been left behind.
"Mostly shoes," Tora commented, "But there's a pink jacket in here if you're interested." He held out his armful towards the shivering boy. "I think I saw your shirt hit the water… Anyway, I just texted Shou and Saga and told them to meet us at the station."
Hiroto listened as he pulled the girlish garment on. It was a little short, but better than nothing. He glanced hopefully in Tora's arms but could only make out a random pair of heels dangling from long fingers and a pair of flats he would probably have a hard time fitting.
"Nao's with Shou and Saga, ever the gentleman, has all the ladies covered," Tora grimaced at the last comment, letting Hiroto carry a pair of shoes as they headed off to the train. "That was really close though!" he chuckled. "Sorry, you know… for pulling you underwater and scaring you like that, I didn't know you would freak out so bad." He only got stony silence in reply. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t recall Hiroto speaking more than a few words to him the entire night.
"You're not still mad are you?" Tora finally asked hardly a minute later when Hiroto had continued to remain grudgingly quiet the entire trip down the street. He was trying his best to be nice and polite and helpful right now, he really was!
Hiroto, on the other hand, was trying as hard as he could to focus on being angry for all the trouble Tora was putting him through and not the fact that he looked highly suspicious clad in a girly, pink cardigan, clutching a pair of heels while his hair dripped and his shorts slowly soaked through. He was a mess.
There were scrapes on his hands and knees, dirt in places that he would definitely need to clean soon, and he was just tired and wanted to sleep. "Hey, I really am sorry," Tora stepped into his path and tried to peer through the locks of his straggly hair.
If it were anyone else, this would have been annoying and he would have probably exploded by now. But this was Tora… Hiroto blushed remembering the pool and tried to look away, at least step around him, but the other was too quick.
"Oi! Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not!" Hiroto finally exclaimed. "I'm just wet!"
Tora's face seemed to light up at that. "Well I didn't know I had gotten you that excited, darling." He got a light smack for his corny comment, but a grin spread even wider across his features as he took the opportunity to grab the indignant squirrel and pull him into a rib-crushing hug. "You are too cute."
Hiroto blushed again and really did smack the other away this time. Stupid Tora always teasing him and saying weird things. He didn’t know whether to like or loath him. Thankfully they were outside the station and he enthusiastically greeted the rest of their group to block his view of Tora. Trying hard to ignore the elated, special feeling that was warming his chest at a few simple words.
"You slowpokes were the last ones out over the fence," Saga commented. "I thought for sure you'd both get caught and then we'd all be screwed." He shook his head as everyone reassembled the pieces of their respective outfits and tromped into the station.
"Well if I didn't have to take care of this idiot I'd have been out of there way faster." Hiroto's lips scrunched up into a pout at the jibe and he hmpfh'd loudly when Tora still had the gall to plop down in the seat next to him and continue talking smack.
"Well, if a certain dumb giant hadn't suggested we break in and enter I would still have my shoes and shirt!" he finally retorted. But, no matter what he said, Tora just smiled all the wider and got even more touchy and comfortable in his seat. Hiroto shoved the arm around his shoulder off as rudely as possible, but only managed to make everyone burst into laughter at the look on his face.
---
About an hour later and they were still commuting. Apparently, amidst the relief, laughter, and fooling around, they had climbed aboard the wrong line. Now they had about three more stops to go, but everyone already seemed reluctant to return to reality beyond the safe house of their friends.
Shou yawned and stretched as the line of cars bumped into motion and Hiroto snorted quietly in his sleep. "You know, you really need to work on a different way of approaching him," nodding his head towards the youngest of them. "Dragging him underwater and turning him into a delinquent drag queen isn't exactly anyone's idea of an awesome night out," he added at the look on Tora's face.
He had to admit Shou had a point though. Skinny-dipping wasn't really first date material and half-drowning him and letting him get all bruised and cut up definitely didn’t sound romantic. Trying to move as little as possible, he reached a hand over to brush a stowaway ant off Hiroto's shoulder. Then grimaced as the troublesome teen snorted again and the wet mark forming on Tora's shirt finally soaked through to his skin. Hiroto had succumbed to sleep with a dramatic snore and complete disregard for his seated companions. Now he was snuggled up to Tora's warm side, mouth hanging open, drooling, while his eyeballs flickered beneath his lids.
"He doesn't exactly make it easy for me," Tora muttered. "Stubborn squirrel. He may not realize just yet, but one day he is going to finally figure out why exactly he's fighting me so hard."
A/N:
BLAH. This was written a long and crappy time ago.
I’m being lame at finishing stuff while tingedwords yells at me to finish stuff LOL…
So I’ll just post this even though I’m sure I was supposed to add things into the middle so this might be really awkward...
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