Kame Bang repost~ hajime/ryu pt.2

[scorch66]

Part One

There's a knock at his bedroom door and his limbs feel too much like boiled veggies to attempt walking over and twisting open the door knob. The most he can manage is sitting up on his bed with an ice pack glued to his face, letting the cold numb the pain and swelling away.

"C'min," he mumbles through a pack of frozen peas.

It's Takane who enters. He's the only one who he could get a hold of on a Friday night which might say something about Takane’s social life but Hajime's not about to laugh at someone who helped carry his limping body home.

Takane takes a step into a Hajime's bedroom and freezes, wincing at Hajime's face. "It looks worse under the light. Much, much worse."

"Gee, thanks. I see the swelling on your face is slowing as well-oh wait, that's your nose isn't?" Hajime snaps and then immediately bows his head because he's feeling sucky but that doesn't mean Takane has to deal with his suckiness. "Sorry."

"Are you really? And you're sure the punch didn't mess with your head?" Takane asks with a grin and Hajime laughs.

"Once a genius, always a genius." Takane rolls his eyes and dumps a bag onto his bed. "Did you get it? Did Miyuki suspect anything?"

Takane makes a face. "She probably thinks I cross-dress in my spare time... God I hate you."

Hajime shudders. Baldie may have not finished him off but the image of Takane in a dress just might do the job.

"Miyuki has appalling judgement. You'd make a hideous girl, Takane. No offense."

"None taken. We can't all look like Ryu." Ryu. In a dress. Hajime's brain skitters to a stop. "Dude, you're nose is bleeding. Grosssss. I should have left you on the streets."

Hajime wipes away the red trail demurely. Ryu would make a great girl but he makes an even greater guy, and Hajime is more than happy to live that. Still, a little fantasizing never killed anyone. Hajime wouldn't mind donning a slim one piece if Ryu wanted him to; it'd give him the perfect opportunity to flaunt his toned legs. He has a hunch Ryu is a leg man.

"You're not going to tell him, are you," Takane says quietly. Hajime smiles. It's more a deduction than a question.

He lets the peas fall onto the mattress as he reaches for Takane's bag and dumps out various bottles of makeup. Sitting on his bed surrounded by glimmer-that, sparkle-this, and powder-that, Hajime suddenly feels very outside his territory. Who knew Miyuki could be such a girl? Who knew he could be such a girl?

"Er, you wouldn't happen to know how these work, would you?"

Takane snorts and tosses a bottle of goopy foundation into his lap. "Figure it out yourself, genius."

Hajime pouts at his back as he leaves. "I don't think this one matches my skin tone."

~*~

"Nice tan," Take says when he comes down for lunch. "Did you spend the weekend at the beach?"

"Whaaaaat? No fair," Hayato squawks. "Take us with you next time, you jerk."

Hajime has to suck in a gasp when Hayato punches his shoulder. Owowowow. He's still sore although there are only a handful of faint bruises hidden under his clothes and more importantly, his face isn't swollen anymore. All the goopy make up was a tad darker so he had to lather it all over his face to get an even skin tone. Thankfully a uniform orange is less suspicious than blotchy colouring.

"Sure, how about we all go together next time?" Hajime asks, going along with Take's story. "Ryu, do you prefer beaches or mountains?"

Ryu shrugs. Perhaps he can't decide between the sunny charms of the beach and the wintery charms of the mountains. Or perhaps he doesn't give a damn about Hajime's inane questions. It's a toss up.

"Pfffft. Beaches, hands down. The less layers the better," Hayato answers, waggling his brows in a way that suggests the beach holds all sorts of aesthetic pleasures to indulge in. He's a man after Hajime's own heart.

A paper fan to the back of their heads jolts them out of their daydreams.

"Yeah, we know boobs are great-Ryu's flat chest too," Takeuchi pauses to grin and Hajime smiles sheepishly, "but can we please focus. Some punks from another school are trespassing on our territory. They cornered a Kurogin freshman a couple days ago."

Hajime stills. He was sure no one was around Friday night. No one called the police or came to help.

"Who were they?" Ryu asks and Hajime shrugs reflexively even though no one is looking at him. He doesn't have much of a role in these discussions considering he's the only sane one in the bunch who prides his well being more than, well, his pride.

"Akado punks," Hyuuga says savagely. "Their blue uniforms are a giveaway, not that you'd need them to tell. You can smell that trash a mile away."

Hajime releases a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Good. His fingers unclench.

"We'll need to patrol tonight. We can't let them think they can do anything on Kurogin land," Hayato says firmly and smacks a hand down onto his desk with a resounding thwack. "Who's in?"

Soon Hayato's hand is buried under several others, Hajime's included. It's more a sign of allegiance in his case since no one really expects him to come along. Hajime even suspects they don't want him to because an injured Hajime means copying Ryu's homework on their own. They'd rather suffer broken ribs and bloody noses over the boredom of schoolwork.

One significant hand is missing from the pile.

"Ryu?" Hayato asks and he sounds almost wounded. "You're not coming?"

"I can't," Ryu huffs. "Dad will be home earlier today."

All of 3D let out a long, drawn out groan in unison, conjuring the image of a pack of wolves howling forlornly at the edge of a cliff in Hajime's mind. Clearly Ryu's presence, however stoic it is, will be much missed. Hajime can relate.

He sighs. Might as well get brownie points for being useful.

"I have an idea."

~*~

Ryu's mom welcomes them with a pleased smile. "I didn't expect Ryu to take you up on that tutoring offer, Kindaichi-kun." She reaches out to brush Ryu's bangs aside and that's the first warm gesture he's seen between this family. Hajime notices how Ryu leans just slightly into the touch, as if wanting it to linger. "Your father will be glad."

"I know," Ryu says and his mother's hand withdraws.

"I'll prepare some tea and snacks for you both. Kindaichi-kun, would you like anything in particular?"

"No, thank you. I'm sure whatever you have will do the trick." Hajime bows and adds, "And there's no need to bring up a tray. I'll come down and get it myself. It’s ungentlemanly to make a pretty lady like you climb those giant stairs."

They both giggle and Hajime's ends in a choke as Ryu yanks him by the back of his shirt. No hitting on the mom.

It's the second time he's stepped foot in Ryu's room and it looks as plain and empty as it did before. There's the standard bed, dresser, desk and closet and the walls are painted white-not off-white or eggshell white; just stark white. Ryu white. There's an abstract painting hanging on the wall across the sliding doors that lead to the balcony but its placement looks purposeful, an intentional dash of colour so that the room doesn't look like an asylum, versus Ryu's own passion for oblong shapes.

The room is devoid of personal artefacts which means that Ryu either doesn't have any or he's extremely tidy and they're all hidden away in his drawers. Hajime catches sight of silver on his dresser but is paused in his inspection by Ryu's waiting eyes.

"Well, we'll have to wait a bit so we don’t look suspicious and the patrol doesn't start for another hour," Hajime says and dumps his bag next to Ryu's desk. "Might as well get some studying in?"

Ryu scoffs but doesn't disagree other than pointing out that he only has one chair in his room.

"We can always sit on the bed..." Hajime suggests with a redness that he can't stop from seeping into his cheeks.

Ryu gives him a deadpan look which might as well be his default expression. "I'll get another."

Fair enough.

~*~

An hour passes quickly in the scritch-scratch of pens and Hajime trying not to lean in too obviously when he gives Ryu tips on parsing convoluting questions. Whenever the silence stretches, Hajime asks Ryu to pass over the eraser and tries not to feel too guilty about breaking his concentration. Ryu's onto him though, because when he hands him the eraser for the third time, their fingers brushing just the way Hajime wants them to, Ryu remarks, "You're making a lot of mistakes for a genius."

"I... I'm only human?" Hajime offers and his heart does that dokidoki thing again as the corner of Ryu's lip curls into a smirk.

"Shocker," Ryu says and Hajime's brain might just be screaming because was that sarcasm? "It's time now, by the way."

The lid of a ballpoint pen is flicked at him and Hajime blinks out of his stupor. "R-right. You can arrange the bed while I get the dog bone," he says, reaching for his bag. When the desk area is tidied up, Hajime turns around and pointedly clicks his tongue, his hands on his hips until he realises he looks too much like Miyuki.

"You're doing it all wrong. Blankets, really? We're not in a teenage drama. Grab the cable; it's less visible. And do you sleep like a log?" Hajime asks, realising belatedly that Ryu probably does, what with his rectangular figure. Still, he gives the pillows piled under the blankets a good thumping to make them appear more body-like. Much better.

Ryu watches silently, not minding the corrections and Hajime's almost bossy instructions. When the room is all set and the phone cable is wrapped tightly around and behind the leg of Ryu's dresser, hidden from view, Hajime hands him the dog bone.

"Are you sure the dog will like it?" he asks hesitantly.

Ryu smiles. "Ran-chan will chew anything, but we'll see."

"Right," Hajime nods. "I'll bring the snacks up and distract your mom so you're not spotted from the windows."

"How long will you stay?"

"Maybe another hour. It'll be suspicious if I leave too soon. I'll tell your parents you're taking a nap from the studying. They'll believe it if it's coming from me. I'm not made for climbing down balconies so I'll leave through the front afterwards."

Hajime watches Ryu carefully, waiting for an objection to a virtual stranger staying in his room completely unsupervised. It doesn't come. Instead, Ryu walks over to the balcony and tests the cable with a firm tug.

"Good luck," Hajime chirps with a salute and heads down to find Ryu's mom.

He turns so swiftly that he misses Ryu's soft smile and an appreciative exhale of not bad.

~*~

Everything goes smoothly and Hajime walks out of the Odagiri house to see Ran-chan gnawing on the last remains of the dog bone with single-minded focus. He skips into the streets that are now darkened with fading daylight and can no longer resist ducking his nose into his collar and taking a big sniff. The scent of Ryu's cologne makes a demented smile bloom across his face and he's giggling before he knows it. It's like he has Ryu draped all over him. All that's missing is the embrace of his weight and the prickly jab of his bones, both of which would be more than welcome.

He's sure Ryu won't mind him stealing a few drops of his imported cologne-a gift from his father, perhaps-but it's not like he's going to divulge that tidbit either. Hajime's aware that he's the sucker in the situation because he blatantly offered himself to be taken advantage of, but that doesn't mean he's not going to milk everything he can get from it. And he didn't snoop too much, he reassures himself, just a poke here and there.

The glint of silver he had seen on Ryu's dresser was chain necklaces, one with a skull pendant that matches the thick skull ring Hajime often seen Ryu wearing. It's such a contrast to everything else that is Ryu, from his status to his small fingers, worn like a symbol of quiet rebellion. His closet is as neat as his room, with monotone shirts and tastefully torn jeans hanging in a row. A soft dark burgundy shirt had caught Hajime's attention and he feels his ears warm in the cool evening air as he remembers the smell of fresh laundry soap entangled with spicy cologne.

He had sniffed Ryu's clothes. Miyuki was right all along; he really was a creep. That self-discovery isn’t enough to tame his smile, however.

In the end he doesn't have to because a few minutes later a voice rings out and a tremor along his spine slides it off in place of dread. Shit. He had taken a different route this time in favour of a longer one that cut through a wide park. A wide, deserted park with no place to hide.

Shit.

He doesn’t have any money on him but by now he knows that's not what they're after.

"Hey, guys, our punch bag’s here," Baldie says and before Hajime knows it, he's surrounded. Were they waiting for him? "We didn't get a visit from your friend so I'm guessing one of you wussed out. The question is… which one...?"

Hajime flinches as he gets closer, his fading bruises now throbbing alive in memory. He could just say Ryu's not interested, that there's no reason for him to get involved for Hajime's sake because Hajime's not even a friend, not like Take or Hayato. It wouldn't even be far from the truth. Too bad Kurogin's reputation for hotheadedness is infamous.

Baldie seems well familiar with it too.

"He said he'll meet you by the watershed," Hajime lies. "He knew you'd seek me out again so he told me to deliver the message. Friday night. One on one."

Baldie squints trying to read his face as Hajime concentrates to keep every facial muscle relaxed and still. Impromptu Ryu impersonation: go! Surprisingly, it's harder than it looks.

At last there's a sneer. "'K, I'll bite. Of course... you know what will happen if I catch you lying, right?" Hajime can smell his breath now but he's more concerned with the knuckles grazing his chest. A twisted smile makes Hajime's stomach drop with the realisation that even with the fib, he's not about to get away unscathed. "No? We'll give you a free taster then."

~*~

It's physically painful to love Ryu, Hajime thinks as he lies on the open grass field and stares up at a twinkling star. It moves across the sky and he releases a puff of air from inside his aching ribcage. It's an airplane. Nothing romantic about it. It's the third time he's been punched to the ground in the span of a month. Maybe the violent nature of his first encounter with Ryu foreshadowed all this.

No pain, no gain. Only he isn't sure if he's gaining any affection from Ryu by volunteering himself as a punching bag on his behalf. Not that that's the point.

Not the main one, at least.

He's about to doze off when a gaggle of voices make it to his ear, Hayato's squawking unmistakable. Hajime shuts his eyes and takes a moment to exhale a long, deep groan that reverberates along his bruised body before he clenches his teeth and rises. Now they show up. They couldn't have walked a little faster and arrived three minutes ago, or turned another corner so that he could sleep away the pain in peace.

He hisses under breath as he forces himself to jog and duck behind a park bench, his muscles screaming for mercy. He crouches just in time and Hajime watches Take jump onto Hayato's back and lock him in a playful headlock. Hyuuga is trying to wheedle out of a bet lost to Takeuchi and Ryu trails behind, his hands in his pockets. Safe and unharmed. He doesn't look as if he's paying attention to the ruckus, but there's a fond smile playing at his lips that makes Hajime want to reach out and tug him close. Make him look at Hajime that way.

Instead, Hajime curls up into Ryu's smell and waits for them to leave.

~*~

Turns out that's not the last of his encounters for the night and Hajime wants to scream why to the heavens when he bumps into Kengochi.

"What is this, a reunion special?" he scoffs and angles his face away from the street lamp so the mess on his face doesn't look as... messy. He estimates the effort is futile when Kengochi's eyes widen before his entire face settles into a scowl.

"I heard of your transfer. Is that the doing of those Kurogin kids?"

"What, no 'long time no see'?" Hajime rolls his eyes. "It's not them. They're cool with me."

He feels an itchy sensation along his chin and swipes at it, not surprised to see the sleeve of his cuff come away red. Kengochi makes an impatient noise. "We need to get you cleaned. This is worse than before. Wait. Was it the same guy?"

"You know, I really can't say," Hajime answers in vengeance, remembering the 'advice' Kengochi had given him the last time they met. "After you fed me false information, Officer, I think I've lost faith in our justice system."

Hajime relishes in the way Kengochi winces.

"You found him then? Your angel?"

Hajime nods tersely.

"Well...?" Kengochi asks like a teenager hungry for juicy gossip.

"He didn't like the roses," Hajime snaps and Kengochi practically howls in mirth. "He likes me though," Hajime adds defensively. "I've met his parents and I've been invited into his bedroom. I was there just today."

That gets Kengochi to sober up in a jiffy. He gives Hajime a strange, cautious look. "Is that how... all the bruises? Damn, you kids really go at it these days, huh..."

Hajime gapes soundlessly, his face flaming which isn't really good for the cuts on his face. What if Ryu does like it rough? Hajime doesn't think he can take much more physical damage. Perhaps a bite here and there but...

"N-no!" he sputters. "You're such a pervert, old man." Says the guy who was sniffing Ryu's shirt.

"Oi, who you calling a pervert, brat?" Kengochi returns instantly and they glare at each other in stalemate for a moment before twin grins break out under the white light of the street lamp. "C'mon, brat, I'll take you to the clinic." He lends Hajime his arm to lean on and Hajime gladly takes it as they begin to walk, his limp keeping the pace at a slow meander. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's been dull without you, kid. I think I've gained a couple pounds with you gone."

Hajime makes a gagging gesture to hide how touched he is; he admits he's missed Kengochi a tiny bit too, though he’ll never say so out loud.

"It's not like that's news, but I can't believe you're actually admitting it, old man. You're getting soft."

"Nah, I just plan to tell them to feed you enough painkillers so that you don't remember anything by tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Hajime replies. Very good.

~*~

Popping painkillers like chewing gum becomes a regular thing in the coming weeks. He might as well buy them in bulk. There are only so many different routes he can take and the Ara gang has been actively seeking him out. They're stealthy though, because he hasn't heard a whiff about their trespassing in Kurogin.

Hajime hides a wince as he stretches across the booth to nab a dumpling from Takeuchi's plate. They're having lunch on the house at Kuma's place, a celebration for everyone managing to pass their test for the first time. Ever. It's a milestone. Takeuchi has gone to the bathroom and Hajime gives up on helping himself to his leftovers. It's not worth the strain on his shoulder.

There's a faint purple bruise just over his ribs that throbs when he catches Ryu's frown and turns to give him a reassuring smile.

"Stomach's cramping. I think I ate too much too fast."

The frown stays but Ryu finally accepts the explanation and returns his focus to his ramen. The steam from the broth curls the tips of his hair in a way that makes Hajime smile into his napkin. Cute.

The purple bruise is from a week and a half ago, when Baldie caught him for his lie. He wasn't too happy about waiting in a deserted watershed for a no-show. Not that Hajime expected him to abide by the rules and leave his lackeys at home. At least he had company.

Hajime had said as much, earning a sharp kick to his shin which has healed by now. The kick to his ribs came when he suggested that Baldie ought to challenge Ryu himself "if you have the guts, that is. He might go easy on you this time, but your pals can take the blow for you if you're scared. That’s why you keep them around, isn’t it?"

One day, he will learn how to keep his mouth shut. Just not when it's about Ryu. Hajime doesn't know how or when the deep-seated loyalty sprouted inside him but it's there now, like over grown vines that obscure his reasoning and self-preservation instincts. Maybe it's something in Kurogin's lunch meat specials, or in Ryu's cologne. Something like pheromones. Maybe that explains why everyone around Ryu is crazy, Hajime included.

~*~

Under his clothes, Hajime is a walking mural. The bruises polka-dot his skin like amateur graffiti art that could put the walls of 3D to shame. However, there's a silver lining to the fear and silent resignation and flying punches that come almost daily now. Except rather than silver, it's a fiery, copper red.

Ryu stops him by the lockers one day, when he's exchanged his indoor shoes for his outdoors and is tying his laces. They're the same height but Ryu looks extra tall from from the floor and Hajime gets a long scan at his legs as he rises.

"Hi," Hajime says and doesn't even fight the blush. They're both used to it by now even though it's still a bit new to Hajime. There's some truth to the accusations of him being a shameless flirt but that time-pre-Ryu, he calls it-seems so long ago and he can't recall ever feeling flustered like this. Pre-Ryu Hajime was practiced and sleek... mostly. Or at least a bit. Now, though, it feels as if the closer to Ryu he gets, the more frazzled he becomes.

"Come over. To my place," Ryu says and Hajime promptly shuts the locker door on his fingers, proving his point. Hajime tries to control his yowl but it comes out as a squeaky wheeze and Ryu's twitching lips are worth every bit of pain. What's another bruise?

"A date?" Hajime asks, the hope thick in his voice.

"For tutoring," Ryu explains. "My parents are asking about you," a pause, eyes flickering to the side, "and I did better on my last exam."

Oh.

Hajime tries not to appear too crestfallen. "I suppose a thank you is in order then," he jokes and is startled when Ryu's head snaps up to look him straight in the eye. Hajime's heart lurches. This is different. Ryu's gaze has never been so... open before.

There are no walls this time, just naked sincerity when Ryu says, "Thank you." And Hajime may be imagining it but even the huskiness of his voice sounds warmer now, like it was let out in the sun to dry.

It's not the kind of gratitude that can be dismissed with a 'don't mention it', so Hajime just nods and licks his dry lips.

"You know, some people would call this a study date..."

Ryu rolls his eyes.

~*~

And that's how he ends up going steady with Ryu, in a manner of speaking.

He's inside Ryu's bedroom every day now. It started with three sessions a week but graduation is nearing and Hajime is an expert at wheedling his way into Ryu's life by now. Arguing would involve talking and Ryu's still not up to that, although he's gotten much better. Hajime realises that it's not a defense mechanism anymore; Ryu's just like that. A beautiful introvert.

One would think daily sessions in a love interest's bedroom would involve steamier action than flipping pages of their texts and accidentally bumping their elbows every now and then-and they'd be right. Sometimes, they chat. Anyone who doubts the sexiness of small talk has never heard Ryu laugh over a story in the news, throat exposed and voice rumbling, or heard him huff in irritation over a careless mistake, raking a hand through his hair and giving it a windswept look, or mutter unconsciously as he guides himself through a problem set, his chin resting on a folded knee. The latter, though, is cuter than anything else.

Sometimes, it's not just small talk. Hajime will toss a personal inquiry into the air sometimes, toeing the water to check if Ryu's in a vocal mood, and more often than not, he responds. Questions about Ran-chan, his childhood, his dreams, whether he thinks Hajime is being annoying. Ryu always answers the last with an unreadable smile. Hajime doesn't know whether it's due to the familiar shelter of his bedroom or Hajime succeeding in securing a place in his affections, but Ryu softens when they're together like this, like a charcoal drawing smudged at the edges. Even his body looks softer, tucked in the washed-out cotton he changes into and his limbs hanging loose.

Ryu looks cuddly, something Hajime didn't think possible given his stick figure.

Its small discoveries like this that make the nightmarish journey home bearable.

There's a call from Ryu's mom to come collect the tray of goodies and Ryu is standing before Hajime can even offer. "You look tired," he says before heading down and Hajime blinks, stunned that he even noticed. He gives himself a careful look over through the long mirror hanging on the door of Ryu's closet. Good. The concealer is still holding up.

The doorbell chimes through the house and he scooches closer, placing his ear next to the crack in the door to hear Odagiri-san's deep voice. He strains his ears to hear what's being said but a moment later he doesn't have to because it's booming loud and clear, tangling with Ryu's weaker but rising voice. He's never heard Ryu's temper flare like that before and Hajime thinks it must be quite the sight. Clearly, Ryu doesn't take to the idea of his dad threatening his friends.

Friends other than the grandson of legendary Kindaichi Kosuke, of course.

Hajime hurries back to his chair once the shouting match reaches a steely finale and pretends to correct Ryu's exercises as Ryu returns, slamming the door shut behind him. Hajime looks up when he doesn't sense any movement and sees Ryu staring at him, as if he had forgotten Hajime was here, in his bedroom, listening to him let loose on his dad.

"Do you want me to leave?" Hajime asks slowly, closing the notebook to show that he's ready to pack up if given the cue. Whatever Ryu wants. Ryu's eyes drop to the floor as he walks over and collapses into his chair. Hajime waits.

"Stay."

Hajime flips open the notebook immediately and tries not to read too much into that monosyllabic word even though there's a symphony of trumpets starting up in his head. They continue their usual routine until Ryu reaches for a biscuit from the forgotten tray his mother brought up a couple minutes ago and Hajime risks asking, "Are you okay?"

Perhaps he should have feigned ignorance after all, Hajime thinks in panic when Ryu freezes with a chunk of biscuit hanging from his mouth. Ryu chews on it thoughtfully, avoiding his eyes as he nods.

"That's good," Hajime responds moronically. He grabs a biscuit for himself, if only to have something to fidget with like Ryu. "Your mom is nice." He shakes his head when Ryu gives him a look that's probably meant to be dangerous. Too bad the crumbs clinging to his lips dampen the effect. "I mean it in a purely platonic way."

Ryu smiles the soft, fond smile Hajime saw him wearing in the park. "She is nice."

"Your dad's nice too, only he's a bit..."

"What?" Ryu asks, eyes pinned to him when Hajime cuts himself off.

Hajime shrugs to show he means no offense. "Intense."

Ryu's eyebrows bunch together in the center, as if desperate to meet. He licks the crumbs off the tips of his fingers absentmindedly as he thinks. It's a hazard to watch yet Hajime can't unfix his gaze from the hint of pink poking out, flicking against skin. And suddenly his brain is flooded with thoughts that are all sorts of wrong considering they're discussing Ryu's dad of all people. Thankfully, conjuring Odagiri-san's disapproving face in his mind's eye works even better to sober him up than a cold shower.

"I know," Ryu says at last, slowly like he's still sorting through the myriad of thoughts revolving around his father. "I know he cares. He let me stay at Kurogin."

"Wow. He can't be so bad then," Hajime says. He's heard the detailed, play-by-play story from Yankumi before but his amazement still holds. He wonders if there’s something wrong with him for wanting to have been there when Ryu cried, begging to be allowed to stay with his friends.

"Yeah."

They both chew on their seconds in silence. Hajime finishes his biscuit first and wipes his mouth with a napkin. He catches Ryu watching him, eyes focusing near his lips and Hajime laughs, wiping again. "All gone now?"

Ryu nods back slowly.

His bangs fall into his face and Hajime takes the chance to ask a question he's been wondering about for a while. "How did you get him to let you dye your hair?"

There, that's definitely a smirk. And it takes Hajime's breath away with how boyish it is, all masculine beauty.

"Who says I asked in the first place?"

When it's time to leave and Hajime has his backpack flung over his shoulder, he pauses in the foyer, toeing the marble flooring before he takes a deep breath and says, "You know, I'm not as great as your dad or anyone else makes me out to be. I don't even remember much about my granddad. He died when I was really young. I'm just his failed legacy."

He picks under his nails for moment, swallowing before he looks up again. Get to the point, Hajime.

"I... I know what it's like to... to have expectations shoved at you all the time. I know how hard it can be to live up to them, so. If you ever want to talk or... anything. Really, anything. I'm around, okay?"

There's that unnerving stare again, the one that doesn't let Hajime know if he'll make it to the shore or drown.

"Okay," Ryu says.

Okay.

Good.

Okay.

Hajime gives a relieved smile. "I'll see you later then."

He's only a few steps from the threshold when Ryu's voice embraces him from behind, warm and snug as it settles into his heart.

"Thank you."

And the door click shuts on a fond smile that, for the first time, is made only for him.

~*~

He feels exhausted all the time now, limbs feeling soggy like wet tissue as he sits curled on the schoolyard bench, watching Hayato teach the others a new formation. It's almost surreal to see Hayato take something so seriously for once while the others goof around behind his back. Hajime snickers into his forearm as Hyuuga pulls off a hideous face and glances up at Ryu who's standing just next to him. By now his eyes are trained to track for any upward twitch of his lips and Hajime isn't disappointed.

"You're not joining them?" Hajime asks.

"Hayato's formations never work out."

"They do too!" Hayato interrupts in outrage. He stomps over to them and points an angry thumb towards Ryu. "Don't listen to him. He just doesn't know how to take instructions from his superior."

Ryu releases a guttural sound that resembles a snort and Take jumps onto Hayato's back before he has time to take offense.

"Ryu's going to be a teacher," Take singsongs. "Of course he's not going to take orders from our dummy."

"Who you calling dummy, squirt?" Hayato squawks and tries to buck him off but Take stays firmly latched on like a barnacle on a giant whale.

Hajime is more concerned with the tidbit of Ryu knowledge. "Teacher?" he asks, looking curiously at Ryu.

It might be due to standing in the sun for so long and Hajime simply not noticing earlier, but Ryu's hollow cheeks are suddenly tinged pink and he looks away with a "Tch."

Takeuchi sits down next to him, stretching out his long legs and fanning his face. "Ryu's going to be the next Yankumi."

His words are followed by deathly silence as everyone pauses to imagine Ryu dressed in Yankumi's red track suit, shouting motivational speeches with teary eyes and a quivering voice. Hajime swears he can hear the sound of everyone's brains cleaving into two, his own included.

There's a thud when Take slides off Hayato's back, landing on the ground with wide, haunted eyes-and that's all it takes for the silence to splinter into howls. Hayato and Hyuuga join Take on the floor, kicking their legs and beating the ground with their fists as Takeuchi doubles over beside him.

Hajime is biting his lips when he turns to Ryu. "For the record, I think you'll make a great teacher."

"Shut up," Ryu returns, looking sunburnt and queasy and adorable and suddenly there's no helping it; Hajime flops onto Takeuchi and laughs along even if it makes his whole body twinge painfully.

When Hayato's done rolling in the dirt, he swings an arm around Ryu's neck and tugs him along, as if in apology. "C'mon, you. We need you for our dragon formation."

He yelps when Ryu jabs him in the side but doesn't let go and it's Hajime's turn to feel queasy now because Ryu doesn't fight Hayato's grip, let's himself be led away without a word of discomfort or objection. Their movements are all rough, abrupt and demanding, but the warmth between them would be obvious to even the blind.

Hajime ducks his head, not keen on seeing Ryu's smile when it's aimed at anyone else.

~*~

There's merit in stubbornness, Hajime realises. The Ara gang is still after him but Hajime's gotten better at evading now that he's more familiar with the area and knows how to use the streets to his advantage. He's still outnumbered and ambushed in the end, but not after leading them through a long goose chase and apparently, the exhaustion is taking a toll on them too. Baldie's lackeys don't seem enthused by the prospect of wearing themselves out to catch "a pathetic rat that won't even fight back."

They only dish out around twice a week now and Hajime hopes that if he holds out a while a longer, they'll give up on him completely. Maybe then he can get a decent night's sleep and actually focus on getting the piles of class 3D homework done like he promised. There's an irony in that that he doesn't want to touch.

"I can help?" Ryu says, gesturing to the piles of notebooks as Hajime is penning the solutions into Hyuuga's. Hajime shakes his head despite being deeply touched by the offer. Ryu gives him a tight look. "You should demand bribes at least."

"With them, I don't have to ask," Hajime laughs and continues writing in order to change the topic. He doesn't want to expand on the fact that he's taking payments in the form of getting the others to enable his mission to get closer to Ryu. That would make for an awkward conversation.

"You don't have to come over," Ryu says suddenly and Hajime's hand slips, a streak of blue ink drawing across the page. "You look tired lately," Ryu explains with a shrug.

"I'm not!" Hajime insists, his voice going high with panic. He coughs, inhales, and says with more calm, "I'm not tired, honestly. I like coming here so..." please don't kick me out?

It's true though; theoretically, he'd be better off if their study dates were cancelled. He could return home after school and not risk wandering outside in the evening when the Ara jerks would be prowling. They wouldn't know where to find him. He'd be safe. But then he'd only be able to see Ryu during the brief lunch hour which would mean no soft smiles over shared notes or bumping elbows or Hajime's dweeby jokes. No cuddly Ryu.

The tradeoff isn't appealing in the least.

Finally, Ryu nods in allowance and they pick up their pens once more. Hajime continues to scribble into Hyuuga's notebook with his eyelids beginning to weigh a ton and nods absently when Ryu leaves for a bathroom break. He finishes the last problem set and there's a distinct difference between the neat writing from when he had started to the scrawl along the bottom of the full page. Oh well. He can tell Hyuuga he did it purposely, to add an air of authenticity because everyone knows Hyuuga's handwriting is akin to chicken-scratch.

Hajime tosses down his pen and pauses when reaching for the next notebook. It won't hurt to take a tiny break before starting on Take's. Just a little shut eye, an extended blink, and he'll be fresh when Ryu returns. He leans forward, pillowing his head on folded arms and lets his eyelids droop at last. Just for a second...

When he wakes, Baldie is in Ryu's room and Hajime's blood turns to ice, knowing that Baldie must have followed him and this is all his fault. Hajime screams for Ryu to run away and then Baldie has him rammed against the wall, smirking as he asks, calling me? There's a moment of confusion that's shortly followed by horror as the folds of Baldie's face twist and rearrange into Ryu's, auburn strands sprouting from his head. You're finished, Ryu whispers and Hajime waits for the pressure around his throat to tighten and choke him off, waitswaitswaits-

Hajime jerks awake when there's a tickling sensation as soft as a feather skimming against his side.

"Wha... t..." And there goes all his air, leaving him dizzy even though this is far from his nightmare.

In fact, he might still be dreaming.

Ryu's nose is just centimeters away from his own and he can feel Ryu's breath against his lips. It smells sweet, like butter and biscuits. Hajime can see his own wide eyes reflected in the brown of Ryu's equally surprised ones. Neither of them moves away and Hajime's heart races with the idea that Ryu is savouring everything about the moment just as he is, feeling Hajime's breath and proximity like static along his skin.

They're so close that Hajime can trip forward and have them meet in a kiss that can be excused as an accident. Pre-Ryu Hajime would do just that, would have no qualms about seizing an opportunity. If he tries now, though, Hajime fears his brain will melt and leak out of his ears, dripping goo all over the polished floors and Ryu wouldn't like that, would he?

As much as he fantasizes about Ryu, he's never really expected any of them to harden into reality. ... Harden. Now that's a dangerous word to use given the situation. The situation involving Ryu's hand up his shirt, rough fingertips now warmed against his skin. There's three of them, three molten hotspots, each placed over a rib. Hajime can almost feel Ryu's pulse through them.

So Ryu was attempting to take advantage of him as he slept, like he didn't know Hajime would gladly undress for him on a silver platter.

No big deal.

Hajime swallows thickly. He has to say something before he does something stupid like lunge into Ryu's lap.

"I'd... rather be awake for this."

A heartbeat and Ryu moves back with a scowl, the warmth of his breath and fingertips leaving Hajime's skin. Hajime nearly whines at the loss. He should never ever open his mouth. Unless nudged open by Ryu's own.

"You were sleeping and your shirt..." Ryu explains vaguely, gesturing at Hajime's side with a deep frown. "There was a bruise."

Ryu looks at him sharply, waiting, and Hajime gulps. Uh oh.

He yanks down his shirt to make sure his betraying skin remains hidden and mourns the abrupt change in atmosphere. From flying high to sliding down a slippery slope. Think fast, think fast.

"Don't ask. Let's just say my childhood friend has a vengeful streak." Hajime laughs dismissively and it sounds raspy to his own ears. When the furrow in Ryu's forehead doesn't smooth over, Hajime adds, "Forgetting her birthday was a terrible sin."

Miyuki's birthday is in December, still months away, but Ryu doesn't need to know that.

"... Her? You were beaten up by a girl...?"

Way to sound attractive, Hajime.

"She could give Hayato a run for his money," Hajime says in all seriousness and Ryu is finally easing up, with that telltale curve along his lips, which is good, even if naive. He really needs to introduce everyone to Miyuki one day, just to make them understand that 'hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn' is all true. "Maybe I should hook them up? Her and Hayato...?"

Hajime watches Ryu carefully with bated breath.

To his surprise, Ryu shrugs. No sign of discomfort or jealousy. "If you think she goes for brainless idiots."

"Do you?" Hajime asks because he needs to know. Not that it will change anything; Ryu has Hajime hooked and reeled even if he'll end up tossed back into the water again.

Ryu gives him another scowl, like he thinks Hajime is a moron not worth his time, but the desperation must be peeking through Hajime's face because the next moment Ryu sighs and answers, "Hayato is different," and Hajime's mind is a beehive of questions and doubts and the storm clouds build until, "like family."

Not boyfriend or an unrequited love.

Family. Platonic. Excellent.

But- "And you're not into incest, are you?" Hajime throws up his hands in appeasement when something close to a growl emits from Ryu's pressed lips. "Just checking!"

Now he can stop doodling cartoons of male genitalia in the margins of Hayato's assignments.

~*~

Strange things happen after that. Strange in a way that Hajime can't decide if they're good or bad.

For one, he feels like he's being constantly watched. He'll be walking through the hallways or chewing his onigiri during lunch or helping the others build a set up for Sawatari when he'll just sense something, a wave of concentration pinned on him, and he'll look up and around to see… Ryu.

Ryu who doesn't even look away, abashed at being caught or at the very least apologetic when Hajime crashes into an open door, chokes and drops his onigiri, and steps onto Takeuchi's feet-all a result of Ryu's staring. There's even a time when Hajime is reading a text, in his own classroom for once, and he looks up to see Ryu watching him through the door. Ryu's vibrant hair, untucked shirt and swinging necklace stand out amongst the tightly buttoned uniforms of the 1A students and soon there are whispers all over Kurogin. This is the first time a 3D student has walked the hallways of the upper levels.

Hayato jokes that Ryu is checking him out and goes on about how the stalker has become the stalked. Hajime doesn't believe it. He doesn't feel very attractive these days, what with the makeup caked on his face and his limping.

When Hajime decides to confront Ryu about it after school, Ryu rolls his eyes and says it's a coincidence that his eyes land on Hajime whenever he happens to look up. It's not just whenever though, it's every single time. Hajime wants to argue the explanation but in the end swallows it down; it would be stupid to object to being the object of Ryu's attention. Best to just soak in it and try not to embarrass himself too much.

"Can I ask why you came to my class?" Hajime asks instead while they're walking to Ryu's house. "Not that I mind but... You've never come before."

Ryu shrugs. "You were late for lunch."

Hajime's heart wobbles. "You were worried?"

"... Tch."

Hajime has learned to read that as an affirmative and he tries not to smile too obviously. The air is becoming cooler as the days pass and Hajime's nose and cheeks are a rosy by the time he sits down at Ryu's desk and waits for the heating to thaw his fingers. It feels like a pipedream but he hopes he'll be able to hold Ryu's hands to keep warm by the time winter settles down for good.

They sit and study and chat, munch on snacks and bump elbows, and everything is as usual until Hajime looks at the clock and realises their time is up. He gathers his things and rises with a sheepish, "I should get going now."

And usually Ryu will nod, say thank you with an accompanying small smile and escort him down to the door.

Usually.

This time, he keeps his head bowed over his homework and says, "I'm not done."

"Oh. This chapter is tricky," Hajime says uncertainly, not knowing how to respond. He continues gathering his things when Ryu tugs his backpack out of his hand and drops it back onto the floor, still not meeting his eyes.

"I'm not done," Ryu reiterates.

Hajime blinks. He thinks he gets it.

"Okay… I can stay a while longer. I mean, I think I manage to squeeze it into my schedule. I'm in demand, you know."

And apparently that's the correct answer because Ryu's entire body relaxes. Hajime hadn't realised how tense he'd been the entire time until now, when his shoulders slump and his spine curves, no longer straight and rigid. It's graduation, Hajime thinks, the stress of upcoming exams. That has to be it.

~*~

The strangeness piles up when he's cornered by the Ara gang later during the week.

"Not bored of me yet, Baldie? Sorry to say, but I still won't play your messenger boy," Hajime says through a split lip.

He's learned through their conversations that Baldie goes by the name of Sanada, but Hajime prefers Baldie. Not only is it more descriptive but it has proved to be provocative as well, and while that's not the best way to go about things given the fact that he's held immobile and entirely at their mercy, Hajime revels in these small victories.

Hajime expects a knee to the gut as punishment, perhaps followed by a quick punch or two before they leave him to pick himself off the floor, but it doesn't come. Okay so maybe Baldie's getting creative. Hajime peers up cautiously through his sweat congealed bangs, looking for the glint of a blade or any other weapon.

All he sees is Baldie standing statue-like, his wide eyes fixed above him as sweat beads on his forehead. His attention flickers back to Hajime shortly and he licks his lips almost nervously. "You know what, I think you're right. We've had our fill of Kurogin's new pet."

He signals his lackeys to release Hajime and while they object, a thundering order makes them do as they're told.

"Don't show us your face again, punk," Baldie spits out as a farewell and Hajime can't believe his luck as he watches them stalk away with an urgency in their steps. Something must have come up; a bigger fish to fry than Hajime, probably.

It's the first time in all his encounters with Baldie that he hasn't landed on his ass, the first time he can walk away virtually unscathed. He looks around from where he's standing smack dab in the center of intersecting streets and after confirming that he is alone, he can't help but jump into the air, whooping in delight.

Tonight, he can sleep.

~*~

He sleeps so soundly that he misses his alarm and ends up late to class. It's no problem though because the sun is shining clear and bright and his legs don't curse him when he sprints to Kurogin. His muscles have never felt happier. He manages to slide into his seat before his teacher arrives, also running late due a printer jam.

He forgot to pack lunch but the vending machine kicks out an extra juice bottle and Hajime figures he can always filch off Hyuuga. He's whistling as he walks down the stairs, convinced that the day can't get any better, when he steps into class 3D, takes a quick scan of the room and its inhabitants, and realises with a sinking feeling that Ryu isn't there.

The day can't in fact get better, but it can get worse.

"Where's Ryu?" Hajime asks Take, hoping to hear that he's gone to the washroom or carried away by one of Yankumi's schemes.

Take pats his shoulder consolingly, as if Hajime is a piece of driftwood left out at sea without his Ryu or a dog left alone outside a shop by his master, both which hold some truth.

"Yankumi called his house earlier. His mom says that he's sick. Some flu or something. Says he won't be coming this week."

They simultaneously pout at that piece of news.

"Are you still going over to his place today?" Take asks suddenly and Hajime is about to reply that he's not sure but then he thinks of an entire week without Ryu and answers, "Yeah."

He begs off money from Takeuchi which he promises to return tomorrow, when he actually remembers to bring his wallet, and stops by a conbini to buy a bottle of umeshu. Ryu will no doubt have everything he needs to recover from the flu at home, but some extra care should speed up the recovery. Not to mention that caring for a sick Ryu is one of the fantasies on his checklist.

His effort proves to be for naught, however, when Ryu's mom answers the door with an apologetic smile and tells him that Ryu isn't fit to entertain visitors but she promises to take the umeshu up to him straight away.

"But," Hajime says before she can close the door, "can you tell him it's me? I only want to say hi."

She hesitates for a moment, considering the boundary of politeness, and that's enough to make Hajime understand. Ryu doesn't want to see visitors and Hajime, in the end, is a visitor. Ryu doesn't want to see Hajime. Two plus two is four. It's as simple as that.

"I'm sorry, Kindaichi-kun. I'll let him know this was from you."

Hajime nods with a polite smile and lets the door close in his face, wondering why he thought that Ryu knowing it was him coming over to visit would make any difference, as though he was an exception in Ryu's social circle. Hajime walks down the Odagiri's driveway and wonders why he keeps fooling himself.

Baldie had it right; he really was just a pet.

~*~

Ryu's absence tears a gaping hole in his perception of time. The week passes in what feels like an eternity and every time he drops by 3D, Hajime finds himself turning to Ryu's desk on reflex, expecting to see his amusement mirrored in a muted expression that isn't there. He does it often enough that the others catch him at it and make a joke of calling "Ryu! You're back!" over his shoulder and cackling when he scrambles to face empty air.

Even Yankumi joins along once and he ends up whimpering into his hands as Yankumi rushes over to apologise.

"I'm glad my pain is a source of comfort to you all," Hajime moans loudly and doesn't bother going down to 3D for lunch the next day.

The only bright side to the week is that the Ara gang appear to be gone for good. Hajime hadn’t believed Baldie that night, figured that the show of mercy was a onetime deal due to a tight schedule, but after a five day's amnesty, he thinks he's successfully managed to dull their interest.

He walks to Ryu's house when he can no longer fight off the hope of seeing Ryu out on his balcony and waits outside in the shadows until the cold and disappointment take over. Romeo and a no-show. He walks away with a keen loneliness throbbing in his chest each time and it occurs to him that this is him at his most vulnerable. Easy pickings. But even as he carelessly cuts through dark, narrow streets, no one jumps at him around the corners and he arrives home in one piece.

The blue and purple tattoos on his body begin to fade and heal at last and he can walk without pausing to lean on a wall for balance. By the time the weekend passes and Ryu is once again seated at his desk like always, surrounded by the others who freeze in expectancy when they see Hajime enter, Hajime thinks he's strong enough to embrace Ryu tight and close and not even wince at his piercing bones.

Instead, he waves from afar and feels oddly shy when he says without any flair, "Welcome back."

~*~

It's hard to look at Ryu with accumulated longing, knowing that he is probably the furthest thing from his mind.

When he tries to explain this to Take who keeps hounding him for his weird behaviour, because apparently any behaviour from Hajime that doesn't involve him acting magnetized to Ryu is weird, Take beats him over the head with an open palm. It's the first physical blow he's been landed for weeks which feels like a miracle.

"You're a moron," Take says matter-of-factly. "I can't believe I let you do my homework."

Why that ungrateful little-

"You do it, then," he snaps just as Ryu walks up to them.

Take's eyes glimmer. "No, keep your promise, Jime-chan. You can finish my homework during your date with Ryu today," Take chirps and bounces away before Hajime can yank him back by his headband. He'd planned to cancel their study session today by heading home straight away but that little twerp had to stall him and now he was stuck. Stuck between the lockers and Ryu and that would be perfect if not for the weird feelings sandwiched between them as well.

"Ready?" Ryu is waiting for him expectantly, a woolen scarf wrapped around his neck, and Hajime is fooling himself if he thinks he can walk away from his sorely missed face.

"Yeah."

Hajime asks him how he's feeling, how his recovery went, what he did when he was bored, how he got sick in the first place. Ryu thanks him for bringing over the umeshu, tells him how tasty it was and how it helped. And then there's silence.

Ryu bumps into him every now and then as they walk and at first Hajime thinks he's unconsciously walking too close, but even when he moves back, it continues. Ryu is walking a bit funny, like he's trying to hide a limp. Hajime would know.

"Are you okay?"

Ryu nods. "Just an ankle sprain. I tried jumping out my balcony one night. Too stuffy at home."

Hajime doesn't point out the lie because that would mean confessing that he was waiting in front of Ryu's bedroom like a creeper. Hajime will just have to deal with the fact that even after all this time, Ryu still doesn't trust him with the truth. No need to make a fuss and act like an entitled brat, no matter how much he wants to.

~*~

It doesn't hit him until later, when he's cleaning his room and disposing of the makeup supplies he no longer needs.

The cap of the foundation twists off, spilling creamy goop along his dresser top and Hajime grabs a tissue to wipe up the mess, dumping the empty bottle into his rubbish bin and tossing the tissue along afterwards. He catches sight of his refection in his small square mirror and pauses, tracing the area around his lips which had caught Ryu's attention weeks ago.

He looks down into the bin, at the crumpled tissue stained with makeup, and slowly everything comes together, smoothes over like healing stitches, like crumbs wiped away to see what's underneath, what's actually there.

He owes Take an apology. His granddad, too.

To Ryu, he owes everything.

~*~

The sky is patchy with white fluffy clouds and while the wind blows stronger on the rooftop, the sun feels closer too. Hajime lifts his face skyward, inhales, exhales and waits. He turns to face Ryu when the rusty hinges of the rooftop door squeak and open. As expected, he's still wearing the scarf.

Ryu steps forward and then pauses, noticing that it's just them.

"I told the others that the movie theatre near Kuma's place is giving free popcorn today," Hajime explains.

Ryu tilts his head, thinking. "The movie theatre doesn't open until four…"

"They don't know that."

Hajime grins as Ryu shakes his head, huffing idiots under his breath. He doesn't question why Hajime did what he did, just walks forward until he's leaning against the chain-linked fence that borders the edge of the roof. The wind dances with the end of his purple scarf and Hajime catches it, tugging at it gently.

He's stopped by an equally persistent hand tugging it back in the opposite direction. Ryu has gone tense again, his expression turned instantly wary.

"What are you doing?"

Hajime continues to tug insistently as he shrugs. "It's not even winter yet and the sun's out. You must be hot..."

Ryu swats his hands away and backs into the fence, the metal rustling because there's nowhere else to go.

"If this is another one of your stupid pick up lines, Kindaichi-" Ryu hisses and breaks off when a sharp yank of Hajime's sneaky hand unravels the scarf, the wool dangling down and to the floor where it lies forgotten.

Ryu's collar hangs open, no button to keep it folded around the bruises circling his neck. Again, it's what Hajime expected but there's something chilling about seeing them for himself, real and clearly visible even if they're fading. They're dull purple, the colour of Ryu's scarf if it was dragged through the mud and rinsed repeatedly.

Hajime lifts a shaking hand and Ryu doesn't move as he strokes over the lines, his breath held as he lets Hajime touch and inspect the damage taken on his behalf. It's kind of stupid, what they do for each other. Crazy. Hajime presses lightly, three fingertips against Ryu's neck, and watches his Adam's apple quiver, feeling his pulse do the same under his touch.

"How did you get that?" he rasps when there's no question about it. Hajime can almost see the ghost of Sanada's hands wrapping around Ryu's neck and squeezing, his nightmare come true. It strikes him suddenly how fragile Ryu is and Hajime shivers, warding away the cold seeping into his bones. The sun is now far, far away.

"The same way you got yours," Ryu answers tersely and Hajime feels his throat vibrate with the defiance laced along those words. Fair enough. Hajime lets his hand fall away.

"You knew." It's not an accusation, just an extremely delayed observation laid out in the open. I know what you know; you know what I know.

"For a so called genius, you suck at lying."

Hajime laughs dryly. "I told you. I'm not as great as I'm made out to be."

"You're worse than Hayato," Ryu adds and Hajime stares unbelievingly.

"... Wow, that was below the belt."

He knows it's a joke and even if it wasn't, he can't take offense from someone who fought off an entire gang for his sake, most likely risking his life by fighting alone in some dark alley and what if there were weapons involved? A broken bottle lying around, a crowbar… Hajime can't handle thinking of the details. Can't handle knowing because if anything went wrong, if a blade was pulled out or... He can already feel his breath beginning to hitch.

He manages to calm himself and gives Ryu a steady look, standing eye to eye and toe to toe.

"If it was only a matter of pride, you wouldn't have lied to keep me from getting involved..." he pauses to lick his lips, to let that sink in for the both of them, "you know what this means, right?"

Ryu's jaw goes rigid. "Since you're so smart, why don't you tell me?"

It's a stupid counter because they've already established the limitations of Hajime's intelligence just seconds ago. But that's okay. Hajime can play along if Ryu refuses to make a move. One of them has to strip away their caution, uncoil it and let it spill like the lump of wool at their feet. Hajime can’t take on a gang, but he can face this. Easy peasy.

"You care," Hajime breathes out and sees past the teasing smirk. "You care and I hope you know smirking flippantly like that only serves to lead me on," because not once since being accepted into 3D has Ryu shoved him away or objected to his company, "and I hope you know the consequences of that."

"What," Ryu says with a cocky tilt of his head that makes him look fifty shades of dashing, "you chasing me around and making a fool of yourself?"

Well, okay. That.

"And this," Hajime says firmly as he plants both hands onto Ryu's shoulders-and that move alone drains his entire confidence tank. He gulps, unable to move with Ryu's amused eyes pinned onto him, so close and real and solid under his hands. Someone Hajime can lean against if he accidentally swoons.

The seconds tick by and Hajime finally announces, "I'm going to kiss you" as if his intention hasn't been obvious from the first time they met, as if he expects Ryu to run away when he hasn't budged an inch for the past minutes while having his neck pawed at.

"Are you?" Ryu questions, leaning back into the fence like he can wait all day, like Hajime will take all day. There's a challenge in the jut of his chin, the angle of his head, and his strangely hooded eyes that's voiced in two words, "Prove it."

And that's all it takes, the husky words wrapping around him, landing against his shoulder blades and tipping him forward.

As their lips mesh together, Hajime lays a hand on Ryu's chest and feels the shift of his muscles and the heartbeat drumming underneath, like a dragon unfurling at last.

~*~

"Ryu likes me," Hajime declares to everyone while they wait for their ramen to arrive.

He expects some sort of applause, a slap on the back and a round of congratulations laced with fond mockery. Instead, he gets a wave of eye rolls, beginning from Ryu who's seated beside him and travelling all around the table to end at the opposite side where Hayato sits twirling the salt shaker, making a mess of the table. He brushes the salt off the table with a wide sweep of his sleeve and sneaks a glance at Kuma before starting up the twirling again.

He gives Hajime a confused look. "Aren't you supposed to be smart or something?"

"It took us ages before we were allowed to even sit next to Ryu," Takeuchi says, a nostalgic look in his eyes that melts into a grin aimed at Ryu. "He's a bit of a priss. Must be an elite thing."

A packet of hot sauce flings through the air just as Hayato drops the shaker for the fifth time.

"Whoops," he says with a lopsided grin before resting his chin on his palm. Hajime has never seen him actually think before. "It's kinda unfair now that I think about, but Ryu's always been in love with himself so I guess it makes sense."

Hajime carefully moves the container of hot sauce away from Ryu's reach.

"What does that mean?"

"You don't know? It must feel like mirror sex between you two," Hyuuga says and Hajime chokes on his saliva as Ryu gets creative and chucks his chopsticks instead.

"He means that you two look like you could be brothers," Take explains, smiling impishly at them. "Twins, if you styled your hair the same way."

Hajime turns to face Ryu and realises Ryu has done the same. They consider each other for a concentrated moment, eyes grazing every feature from hairline to nose to chin.

"I don't see it," they say in unison and the rest of the table gapes at them, utterly dumbfounded.

Hajime shrugs into the silence. "Besides, Ryu's hotter."

~*~

Winter arrives in a flurry of snow and chapped kisses under Ryu's balcony. The tip of Hajime's nose has numbed from the cold but the rest of him is toasty with Ryu's fingers intertwined with his own, his body heat keeping him warm.

A gust of wind makes Ryu shiver and Hajime frowns down at his bare neck, steps back and untangles one hand to pull out a gleaming golden button that he's kept close ever since he found it. Wish upon a shooting star. Wish upon a missing button. Hajime doesn't know about the first, but the latter certainly worked.

He runs a thumb over the emblazoned dragon with affection and hands it over. Ryu's collar needs it more than his pocket does, and besides, he has a real Ryu all to himself now.

Ryu looks surprised to see it and Hajime can see the cogs turning in his head, wondering how it got into Hajime's hand and how it stayed there. Another cool breeze and this time he doesn't shiver, he glows, radiating warmth from his eyes when he looks up.

"Finders keepers," Ryu says with the quietest, sweetest smile Hajime has ever seen.

It feels like summer.

The treasure returns to Hajime's pocket just as his hand returns to interweave with Ryu's. Snowflakes fall from the sky, clinging to Ryu's eyelashes and the strands of his hair that among the sea of crystal white, look fierier than ever. Devastating. His.

Finders keepers.

"I found you," Hajime sings softly and laughs when Ryu punches him with their joined fists, the shared moment rather than the force stealing his breath away.

"As if," Ryu says with a snort, his breath fogging the air. He jostles his head to shake off the snowflakes and Hajime feels a sudden tightening of Ryu's hands around his. "Found you first. You were heavier than you looked."

Hajime squeezes back, hand, heart and all. "Keep me then?"

"Tch."

It's not much of an answer but Hajime doesn't really need one either, not when Ryu is smirking and they’re getting closer and closer until...

They meet.

And Hajime will continue believing that they were destined to.

~*end*~


Art by shiharipanda