J-C: Okay, so like most of my fanfictions, it all started with an obsession...
~Sasuke~: And booy, has she been obsessed...
Naruto: It's kinda creepy...
J-C: I DON'T NEED THIS FROM YOU TWO, OK? Anyhoo~, yes, I'm highly obsessed with the new magical boys anime, "Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!" that has come out this winter, and I unashamedly (as in super-duper hardcore) ship En x Atsushi (Io x Ryu is k, but it's just not as cute to me as these two right here). I highly encourage anyone who's never seen this anime or heard of it before to watch it because not only is it hilarious, but it has some pretty great transformation sequences (just think Sailor Moon... but with boys). ;)
~Sasuke~: And as always, instead of updating other fanfictions like One Hell of a Master, she's decided to let the plot bunnies control her-
J-C: Hey, this time at least it's just a one-shot (for my readers who know of that fanfiction mentioned above, I'm trying to get my brain back into the complicated plot that I let go about 2 years ago, so please bear with me. T.T); it never hurts to get in some writing practice every now and then anyway!
Naruto: She's got a point there~
~Sasuke~: Hmph...
J-C: Anyway, let's get this little baby started here with a Disclaimer and some Warnings!
Disclaimer: I do not own Cute High Earth Defense Club Love... If I did, this show would be a yaoi. Period.
Warnings: Not nearly as bad as most of my fanfictions, so I'm only warning for some mild shounen-ai... If you don't like boyxboy love, I don't think you should read my story... :p
J-C: Also, both thoughts and emphasized words look like this, and scene changes are symbolized with these: xxx. Now that all that stuff is out of the way, I hope you all enjoy this fanfiction as I try to get back into the swing of writing for fun!
Of Shooting Stars and Wasted Effot
By: Junjou-chan
When Kinugawa Atsushi was five years old, he wished on a shooting star that he would be a superhero when he grew up. His then friend at the time, Kinshiro Kusatsu, called the bespectacled boy childish for such a wish, but Atsushi, ever the logical one, pointed out that he was a kid and that his wish was okay.
In a house far away from that grassy hill, five year old Yufuin En wished on a shooting star for a life where he didn't have to put in much effort. He already hated how much energy he wasted every day at his preschool playing with other kids. He preferred sitting on a hill and doing nothing, but for some reason, none of the other kids wanted to do that, and he was forced into doing things he didn't want to do like rolling around in sand and playing hide-and-seek.
Since Atsushi wished three times on his star to be a superhero, he believed that his wish would come true (and at the age of 18, it would). Since Yufuin wished only one time on his star because it was too much effort to say a wish three times in a row, his wish unfortunately, did not come true.
XXX
When Atsushi was entering his first year of middle school, his parents transferred him to a public school (to better acquaint him with the common folk is how they put it). Assigned to class 1-3, he met a sloth-like boy named Yufuin En. Their first meeting wasn't of particular interest to either of the boys. Atsushi was introduced by the teacher to the rest of the class as a transfer student from a private school that had turned out some of the greatest politicians in Japan. While the rest of the class stared in awe and gasped, Yufuin stretched and put his head down on his desk. The teacher assigned Atsushi to the seat behind Yufuin, and Atsushi obliged, noting as he passed that the boy was asleep.
At first, the two barely interacted; Atsushi was shy, and Yufuin didn't seem like much of a talker. For the first two months, Atsushi contented himself with being talked to by other students in the class, knowing that after a time, the others would get bored of him since his "new student" appeal would wear off.
It was the day after that appeal wore off that the bullies began to target Atsushi. It started as simple things like switching out his lunch with someone else's and placing his shoes in the wrong locker. But it quickly escalated to the point where Atsushi, now known as the "rich kid", was being pushed against walls and being forced to give them any money he had on him. Atsushi, logically trying to avoid these encounters, stopped bringing money with him.
Then things began to get physical with the bullies.
It was well into the fall term when the bullies broke his glasses. Atsushi, having pretty bad vision since he was young, looked helplessly at his ruined glasses, doing his best not to cry while the bullies laughed at him. Clenching his hands into fists, tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he sat quietly in the middle of the circle of bullies. They sneered and shouted insults at him for a time before walking off and giving each other high-fives for a job well done, one of them having the gall to call over his shoulder that Atsushi better bring money tomorrow or else.
Sniffling, Atsushi wiped his eyes and tried to pick up what remained of his precious glasses, his mouth twisted into a frown.
"Hey, I know this isn't my business, and I really don't want to make it my business, but if you don't mind being bullied in another spot around school, that would really help me out with my midday naps," a soft voice said from behind the tree. It took him a moment before Atsushi recognized that lazy slur as coming from Yufuin. He rarely talked in class, only doing so when the teacher forced him to stand and recite something.
Atsushi, surprised by the voice as well as the statement, responded curtly, "It's not like I ask to be bullied by them."
"Hm, well, like I said, I don't really care about that, I just want to be able to sleep in peace."
Atsushi's eyebrow twitched with irritation. "Then why don't you just move somewhere else to have your nap? You have more control over that than I do."
"But that requires moving, and I already have to do that to get here. Plus, this tree's shade is optimal for napping."
"You nap in class all the time though."
"Yeah, but there's not enough shade. Shade is very important, you know. If all the trees in the world were cut down, I think I'd have a lot of problems with my naps."
"I think there'd be more problems than you not having your naps," Atsushi said, wondering why he was having a philosophical discussion about shade with such a sloth-like person.
"Ah, you're right. But that doesn't change the fact that you should move your being bullied away from this tree-"
"I already told you that I don't want to be bullied here," Atsushi said, raising his voice a little. There was a pause from the other side of the tree.
"Then why don't you tell the teacher about-"
"It's not that simple!" Atsushi yelled, slamming his palm down on the glass and yelping when he cut his palm. The brown-eyed boy definitely wasn't the type for yelling, but Yufuin was hitting all the wrong nerves with him. Gingerly pulling his hand away from the glass, Atsushi's eyes welled with tears like the blood welled on his palm. He sniffled before crying softly, at his wit's end with all the bullying, the pain from his cut hand, and the pointless conversing with Yufuin.
All he wanted was a friend at his new school; he had wished on a star three times for it, so why wasn't it coming true?
"Here," Yufuin said before a handkerchief was put directly in front of Atsushi's vision. Atsushi blinked, sniffling again before wiping away the tears with his uninjured hand. Looking up at Yufuin, whose face was unfortunately blurred, Atsushi hesitated before he took the handkerchief, mumbling a quiet "thanks". Yufuin said nothing while Atsushi wiped at the blood on his hand. An awkward silence developed between the two boys.
"I… should probably go to the nurse's office," Atsushi said, handing the handkerchief back to Yufuin, who took it silently. The boy stood up, bowing a little to his classmate.
"Thank you for the handkerchief… and I apologize for yelling at you," Atsushi said, wondering if Yufuin was mad at him. He jumped when the other boy grabbed his hand and began pulling him back toward the school. Confused, he managed to say, "Um?"
"The nurse's office is this way, and you're blind as a bat. The sooner you get treated, the sooner I get to go back to sleep," Yufuin said, yawning as if to emphasize his need for sleep.
Atsushi was at a loss for words, not sure if Yufuin was being kind or being slightly selfish. But even though he was blind and a little embarrassed to be holding hands with another boy, at the tender age of 12, Atsushi's wish he had made over a year ago came true.
He had finally found a friend.
XXX
When Yufuin En was in his third year of middle school, for the first time he thought that his close friend, Atsushi Kinugawa, was cute. The two males had struck up a friendship after the incident with the bullies under the tree. Atsushi, being naturally quiet, didn't do much to make Yufuin put in effort for this friendship. That made Atsushi a fine candidate to be his friend, and Yufuin assimilated him into his daily life of naps, eating, and doing as little as possible with his day.
The thought came to Yufuin while the two (but mostly Atsushi) were doing homework at Yufuin's house. The brunette was sprawled out on the floor, taking another one of his "breaks" while Atsushi continued to work hard on his report. Lazy blue eyes scanned the familiar ceiling of his room before they settled on the bespectacled boy, who was deep in concentration. Yufuin watched as Atsushi worked, vaguely thinking about doing his homework before deciding that the effort to get up would be too much.
So he continued to lay on the ground, noting how pale Atsushi's skin was and how when the light hit his brown eyes just right, it would seem like he was looking at warm pools of milk chocolate. Yufuin's eyes swept over the other boy's small nose and settled onto his lips. Yufuin's eyes widened just a smidge when Atsushi bit down on the tip of his pencil. The glasses boy's nose and forehead scrunched up, and for a moment, he cradled his head in his hand. Yufuin wasn't sure why he was so transfixed, but staring at Atsushi took less effort than doing his own work, so he continued to stare.
And then Atsushi solved whatever problem he was having and smiled, turning to look at Yufuin with that smile still on his face. It was small and shy, and Yufuin noted that Atsushi looked embarrassed to be smiling (probably because whatever he was having problems with was actually simple), but his mind leaped to a thought along with his heart.
Atsushi is cute.
"En-chan?" Atsushi asked, the smile disappearing so fast that Yufuin wondered if it was even there in the first place. It wasn't like the brunette had never seen his friend smile before; Atsushi smiled a lot actually. So why was it different this time? With those big brown eyes focused on him and only him, Yufuin found that thought repeating itself over and over again, his heart beating faster and faster the more he thought about it.
Atsushi is freaking adorable.
Because his heart was putting in more effort than Yufuin was comfortable with, he decided to shift his focus, his expression deadpan as always.
"Have you ever wondered why a tea stalk has to be standing straight up in order to bring good luck?"
XXX
When Yufuin En was fourteen years old, he realized that he was in love with his best friend, Kinugawa Atsushi.
This realization didn't come from some sort of cataclysmic event where either of their lives were put on the line and at the last second as a dying Atsushi laid in his arms, Yufuin came to realize his love for his best friend.
No, that would require too much emotional effort for Yufuin.
It happened on a day with average weather and average conversation. The school day had gone by uneventfully, and the two boys were making their way home after their assigned cleaning duty day. The brunette had noted how the setting sun seemed a tad more romantic than normal, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
"Why do we have to walk up so many hills just to get home? I wish my parents had chosen a flatter place," Yufuin complained, sighing loudly at the exertion his legs were being put through. Atsushi laughed softly as they walked up the steps, causing Yufuin to glance at his slightly shorter best friend.
"What's so funny?" Yufuin asked, adjusting his bag to better sit on his shoulder. Atsushi just shook his head, looking at the sky. Yufuin noted how the sun glinted off of the boy's glasses. He also noted how the smile slowly dropped in happiness, which confused Yufuin.
"It's just that… Things would be lonely without En-chan around to always complain about having to do things. I've never met someone as lazy as you, so it'd be hard to replace you, you know?" Atsushi laughed a little before looking at Yufuin out of the corner of his eyes. Unbeknownst to Atsushi, Yufuin's heart was racing a million miles per minute now as the two boys stopped walking, standing at the top of the staired hill.
"Even if you hate it here, I'm glad that your parents made you live here or else I never would've met you, En-chan," Atsushi said before smiling brightly up at Yufuin. Yufuin's head spun as his heart jumped into his throat. His eyes widened as he stared at his best friend, his thoughts running wild.
My heart won't stop racing. I want to hug him… I want to kiss him… I want him… I love him.
I love you, Atsushi.
"En-chan? Is something on my face?" Atsushi asked, breaking Yufuin's train of thought. Without realizing it, the brunette had moved closer to Atsushi, causing the blue-haired teen to blush a little from how close they were to each other. The thoughts of kissing Atsushi, hugging him, being with him, wouldn't stop, and it was making Yufuin go insane.
How could he be in love with a boy? Atsushi was only supposed to be his best friend, and yet, Yufuin was feeling like he wanted him to be more. Yufuin's hands shook before he clenched them into fists.
No… This can't happen. It's not allowed to happen.
The emotional turmoil becoming too much for Yufuin, the boy tried to suppress his feelings as he moved away from Atsushi, swallowing thickly.
"En-chan? Are you okay?" Atsushi asked, stepping closer to Yufuin, his brown eyes wide and innocent.
Innocent… That's what Atsushi was. He was innocent to Yufuin's forbidden feelings. Yufuin clenched his teeth.
For the first time in his life, Yufuin would put in effort for something: to make sure that Atsushi remained innocent.
"Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if the sun rose at night and set in the morning?"
XXX
When Kinugawa Atsushi was 17 years old, he realized that he hated his best friend, Yufuin En.
Since they both had enrolled in the same all-boys high school, Atsushi and Yufuin hadn't really talked much about getting girlfriends or anything like that. Even in middle school, Yufuin never really seemed to be interested in girls, always choosing to philosophically talk about things like tea stalks or sunsets. Atsushi himself had never really thought much about getting a girlfriend, even though he had been confessed to a couple of times. He had been far too focused on his studies, especially since his family stressed how important it was for him not to shame them by chasing too much tail instead of chasing 100s.
Still, their friendship was about as deep as a friendship could be between people who appeared to be two polar opposites, and Atsushi had never imagined that he would come to hate the sloth-like and kind brunette.
Until the day he caught Yufuin kissing a girl.
Atsushi had stayed after school since he had been on cleaning duty, and Yufuin, apparently, had needed to head home early in order to "take care of some lame family business". Yufuin, then naïve to his best friend's true intentions, had believed him and was walking home and thinking about whether he should call Yufuin over for another study session. It wasn't as if the brunette really needed to study; his ability to guess correctly on tests was astounding, especially since it resulted in higher grades than one would expect (like 100s). Instead of being jealous of his best friend's odd method to success, Atsushi was more awestruck by it.
While turning onto a side street, a head of messy brown hair caught Atsushi's attention, and he stopped to look back down the alley that had caught his eye. He immediately recognized Yufuin's relaxed posture and was about to call out to him until he saw a pair of thin, delicate arms wrap around the tall boy's neck.
Eyes widening, Atsushi watched as his best friend's head was pulled down into a kiss, the couple turning a little sideways as they kissed so that Atsushi could see the smaller girl who was pressing herself against Yufuin. The girl was definitely cute with long blue hair and a round, baby-like face. Her body was petite, and Atsushi noted that she had a pair of round glasses sitting on the bridge of her button nose. Yufuin's eyes had widened slightly before they fell closed, his arms moving to wrap around the girl's slender waist.
Atsushi felt a lump form in his throat as he watched, knowing that what he was doing was terribly rude but finding that he couldn't look away. Since when did En-chan have a girlfriend? Why didn't he tell me about her? Aren't I supposedly his best friend? Why would he try to hide her from me?
While these thoughts raced through his head, the kiss between the couple had ended, and Atsushi found Yufuin's eyes locked onto his. Gasping loudly, a blush exploded on Atsushi's cheeks at the look of shock on Yufuin and the girl's face. The girl, to her credit, covered her mouth in what looked like embarrassment as Yufuin took a step in Atsushi's direction.
"Atsushi-"
"I'm s-so sorry! Please excuse m-me!" Atsushi managed to blurt out before quickly bowing and taking off up the hill, ignoring Yufuin's shout of his name. His chest burned as he continued to run, and it got to the point where Atsushi wasn't sure if it was because of the physical exertion or because of the firestorm of emotions that were tearing through his chest. Gasping loudly for air, Atsushi raced up the stairs of another hill, crying out when he tripped and crashed to the ground.
The impact caused his entire body to protest in pain, the bespectacled boy crying out from the fall. For a second, Atsushi thought about never getting up, but then social conventions forced him to move. In a daze, the bespectacled teen stumbled to his house, his mind in a fog as he entered his home. He mumbled a half-hearted greeting to his mother before making his way upstairs, flopping face down on his bed.
He relished in the feeling of the cool pillow on his hot cheek, sighing with relief before closing his eyes. The minute he closed his eyes, his mind procured images of his best friend kissing that girl, and Atsushi found his chest tightening painfully. He laid there for what felt like hours, just thinking about what he had saw. Biting his lip, he thought about the way Yufuin held her, the way they tenderly kissed each other, the way she fit so goddamn perfectly in Yufuin's arms.
His throat tightening, Atsushi found himself feeling betrayed, lonely, angry, and… jealous.
Why? Why do I care so much? So what if En-chan has a girlfriend that he didn't bother telling me about? So what if they were kissing? So what if they look so perfect? So what if I wished that I was in her pl-?
Atsushi sat up immediately, cutting off his own thought process and quickly shaking his head, clutching his pillow tightly to his chest as he tried to fight down the burst of feelings that had come along with that unfinished thought.
No, this can't be… This isn't right! I… toward En-chan… I didn't even realize that I… I…
Biting his lip even harder, Atsushi buried his face in the top of the pillow, falling back onto the bed and curling into a tight ball. Before he realized it, the material of the pillow was soaked in his tears as he quietly cried, his hiccups being silenced by the soft cotton.
Why? Why would you do this to me, En-chan? I hate you. I hate you, En-chan!
XXX
When Atsushi Kinugawa was 18 years old, he found himself sitting in his room and looking out at the stars from his window. The room was completely dark as the bespectacled boy looked out his window, his thoughts racing as he thought about his best friend.
After he had calmed down all those months ago, Atsushi realized that he didn't really hate his best friend. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
He was seriously in love with Yufuin En.
It had taken him awhile to come to that conclusion, what with his own mind fighting against that conclusion. They were two boys, so it should've been impossible for him to feel that way about Yufuin, right?
Clearly, his heart didn't agree with his mind, and since his heart had a tendency to speak louder than his mind (especially whenever Yufuin got close to him), Atsushi reluctantly allowed for himself to accept his feelings.
But, since Atsushi was certain that Yufuin had a girlfriend now (he didn't even need to ask despite Yufuin's attempts to talk about what had happened), Atsushi kept his feelings a secret. Even if Yufuin had been single, the blue-haired boy was confident that he still wouldn't have said anything.
The last thing that Atsushi wanted was for Yufuin to hate him, especially when he already hated himself for ruining their friendship with his disgusting feelings.
Sighing, Atsushi put his head down on his desk. He smiled wryly to himself. "Just for one night, can I not think about En-chan?" His voice wavered as he looked up at the sky, his eyes misting a little and blurring some of the stars. Suddenly, one star blinked a little brighter than the others, and Atsushi lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes. When he repositioned them, he caught the tail-end of a shooting star.
Without thinking, the teenager closed his eyes, whispering his wish into the dark, empty room.
"I wish that En-chan loved me."
Oh, the searing pain that ripped through his heart after he vocalized the wish that had laid dormant in his heart ever since that fateful day. Atsushi, being so young and so human, had no idea how fate had brought him and Yufuin together. Looking down at his Lovracelet, Atsushi attempted a smile, even though his heart ached for some sort of release from its pain.
"Well, at least one of my wishes came true, huh?" he said, thinking back to the innocent wish he had made all those years ago. His brow furrowed as he thought about how he had also wished for a friend when he transferred to his new school, and he had gotten Yufuin En as his friend. So, he had actually gotten two wishes from these stars. Silently repeating his vocalized wish two more times, tears rolled down the glasses boy's face as he shakily smiled, wiping his nose as he sniffled. This time, he thought, I'm definitely asking for too much.
Unbeknownst to Atsushi, Yufuin was currently marching to his best friend's house. For the second time in his life, Yufuin was actually putting in effort for something that he felt was important: his feelings for Atsushi. After their fight thanks to that monster's influence, he had found after holding Atsushi in his arms twice within a relatively close span of time and being able to hold his hand and stare into his eyes that he just couldn't do this anymore.
For four years, he had been madly in love with his best friend. He had tried to forget Atsushi, foolishly, he might add, when he was 17 years old and allowed for the girl who had confessed to him to kiss him. Even though he had tried to make himself feel something while he experienced his first kiss, he found himself distracted more by how much the girl reminded him of Atsushi rather than by the girl herself. That thought had sparked a fire in his heart, making him kiss the girl back, but then seeing the real Atsushi and the look on his face (was that hurt in his eyes?, his hopeful mind had thought back then), he immediately regretted that kiss. He had felt like a complete sleaze once he had to let the girl down as gently as he could that he couldn't return her affections, and he gladly accepted the sharp slap he received from her.
Perhaps the pink wombat was right in saying that Yufuin was gray, especially morally. In Yufuin's eyes, he was nearly black. His feelings of unrequited love had changed him, poisoned him, making him more apathetic toward the idea of love. He had wanted so much to give up on his love for Atsushi. Why was he, of all people, forcing his heart through so much emotional pain and effort every time he looked into those beautiful brown eyes? Why was he putting in the effort to smile for Atsushi, to assure him whenever they ever fought those monsters that he was okay, even if he got slammed into a wall a time or two and actually had to go to a hospital to treat his injuries? Why did he care so much about making sure that Atsushi remained innocent and kind and beautiful and pure while he allowed himself to rot in his putrid desires for his best friend?
Because he loved Kinugawa Atsushi. He loved him with all his being, and he probably would love him until the day he died. If someone could make Yufuin En, who had never wanted to put any sort of effort into his life, actually care about something and put in effort for it, they had to be important. Hell, even Yufuin's parents couldn't make him put in effort, and they were the people who had raised him since he was a little boy.
He loved him so much, and damn it all, he was going to let him know, even if it meant that he would forever ruin their friendship. All of those apologies he had said in the bath after their fight were nothing in comparison to the one thing that he wanted to apologize for the most.
"I'm… sorry, Atsushi, but… I love… you," Yufuin managed to say while he tried to regain his breath; he had been walking much faster than he normally would up the hills in this godforsaken town he called home.
When Atsushi politely opened the front door to his house and saw Yufuin panting outside, those words were not what he expected to hear. He expected to hear something about how they had to do something important as the Battle Lovers or even worse, that someone close to both of them had been hurt. His heart actually stopped, and Atsushi thought he was going to die right there.
"E-En-chan?! What-?" Atsushi was cut off by the slightly taller boy moving closer to him, causing him to take a step back. Yufuin continued to move closer as he spoke, and Atsushi continued to retreat, his eyes getting wider, his cheeks getting redder, and his heart beating faster with every word that spilled from his best friend's mouth.
"I… I've liked you since I was 14. You probably don't… even remember the day that I fell in love with you, but you see… I've always thought… you were cute and stuff. I've thought that since middle school actually. You always knew how to make me smile… how to make me laugh… how to make me stop and think about whether what I was doing was worth putting in any effort. You never made me feel bad for being lazy. You never once tried to force me to be someone I wasn't. And I love you for that. I love you for your kindness, your honesty, your thoughtfulness, your humility. I love the way you smile, the way you laugh, the way you walk, the way you talk. I love the way you think about the world, the way you always consider others' feelings before your own, the way you never try to be a burden on anyone. I love your silky blue hair, your pale, soft skin, your beautiful brown eyes, your cute glasses, your little pointed nose, your pale lips, your body… even though I do think you should eat more."
"En-chan-" Atsushi tried to cut in, not sure how much more his heart could take. Yufuin couldn't stop though. Like a faucet that had finally been fixed, his feelings were overflowing and bubbling through his lips. His eyes were wide and earnest, his cheeks red with exertion and feeling, and Atsushi was transfixed, unable to stop the slightly taller boy's tirade, even as he dangerously started walking backwards up the stairs.
"I… I hated myself for so many years for my feelings for you. I thought I was dirty, disgusting, for loving someone as amazing, beautiful, and perfect as you. I was lucky to have you as a best friend, and now my heart wanted so much more from you… so much more than someone like me deserves. I've tried for so long to keep my feelings hidden, to kill them off. But they wouldn't go away. No matter how much effort I put into trying to bury them, a simple smile from you was enough to bring them roaring back to life. Even when that girl confessed to me and then kissed me, all I could think about was you, even though I wanted so much to forget you-"
"Don't speak that way about your girlfriend, En-chan! That's horrible," Atsushi finally managed to say, effectively cutting Yufuin's tirade off. The brunette and the blue-haired boy stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Yufuin finally eloquently responded.
"Huh?!"
"You heard me, En-chan. That girl that you were kissing a few months ago… She's your girlfriend now, right? You shouldn't be saying these kinds of things to me when you have someone important to you." Atsushi didn't even notice that he was shaking; somehow, they had safely made it up the stairs and had managed to back themselves into Atsushi's bedroom, the bespectacled boy's back firmly against the wall with Yufuin looming over him. The brunette placed one hand on the wall beside Atsushi's head, the confusion and annoyance in his eyes making Atsushi flush even more.
"She's not my girlfriend. We just kissed once and then I told her that I had no interest in her," Yufuin said, his face losing some of its earlier vigor and slipping back into its apathetic mask. Atsushi was both bewildered and a tad relieved.
"What kind of person accepts a kiss from a girl and then turns them down? Wombat was right about you, En-chan!" Atsushi said, but Yufuin was no longer paying attention to his insults about his character. The wheels in his head were starting to turn: the strange distance between them after Atsushi caught him kissing that girl, the awkwardness whenever Atsushi brought up girls, the refusal from Atsushi to talk out what he had seen whenever Yufuin confronted him about it…
Could it be…? Yufuin's mouth went dry, and he had to swallow as his body started to tremble, his palms sweaty, as he decided to put his genius guessing power to the test.
"I like you, Atsushi… I love you, Atsushi," Yufuin said, effectively shutting Atsushi up. The bespectacled boy blushed again, his eyes darting around nervously. Yufuin's heart was thumping so loudly in his ears, and he swallowed again, his hopes so high right now that if they were dashed, Yufuin wasn't sure if he would be able to live with the heartbreak.
"And… this is just a guess… but you love me too, don't you, Atsushi?" Yufuin finally managed to say with difficulty on his part, but to Atsushi, it appeared as if his best friend had just casually come to the conclusion with barely any effort. With his face aflame and his allowance for Yufuin's hands to cup his face, Atsushi was hoping that his silence would be enough of an answer. Yes! Yes, I love you, En-chan! Atsushi thought earnestly, but was too embarrassed to say it out loud. But for Yufuin, that wasn't enough; he needed to hear it from the bespectacled boy's mouth. He needed to know. He had to know.
"Well, do you, Atsushi?" he asked earnestly. "Look at me… Please, Atsushi…" Atsushi could hear the desperation in his best friend's voice, and even though he was embarrassed beyond all belief, he made eye contact with Yufuin and found nothing but love, tenderness, and compassion waiting for him in those normally bored eyes. He nervously licked his lips, his heart racing as he felt the blush spread to the tips of his ears. They were so close… Yufuin, who he had finally figured out his feelings for months ago, was right there… He could be his… Atsushi wanted him to be his.
"Yes, En-chan…" Atsushi managed to say. When Yufuin kept looking at him expectantly, a hint of a playful smirk on the other boy's lips, Atsushi sighed, trying to make a show as if it was a bother for him to say something that he deemed was so obvious. "I like you, En-chan. I-I've been in love with you for a while, En-chan," he finally confessed, the stutter ruining the show he had worked so hard to put on.
Yufuin couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. So he did the only thing that he could do. Slowly leaning forward to give Atsushi the chance to deny him if he wanted to (it was his best friend's first kiss after all), he finally claimed the lips that he was certain were destined to be his the day he was born.
The kiss, true to Yufuin's character, was slow and lazy. There wasn't too much passion, but there was just enough for Atsushi to know that deep inside the slightly taller boy, there was a lot more feeling than he let on. The kiss took its time as the boys, especially Atsushi, accustomed to the feel of each other's lips. It remained chaste all throughout, since both boys weren't exactly kissing experts, but the emotion behind the kiss was enough to leave their hearts racing and their lungs short of breath.
After four years… four long, torturous, heart-wrenching years, it was finally happening. Yufuin could barely believe it as his hands moved from Atsushi's face to wrap around his thin waist, gently tugging his slightly shorter best friend's-no, lover's-body closer to his own. This kiss was better than any kiss he had desperately dreamed of during his period of unrequited love. Even if it was awkward at points thanks to Atsushi's glasses bumping against his face at odd times, Yufuin couldn't have asked for a more perfect kiss.
Pulling away slowly, the two boys stared at each other in the darkness of Atsushi's bedroom, their hearts and minds racing while their eyes, which had been guarded for so long, finally revealed the affections, longings, and love that they had thought to be disgusting and wrong. Atsushi, overwhelmed by seeing so much emotion in Yufuin's eyes, looked out the window behind the taller boy at the star-filled sky, noting that there were more shooting stars traveling across the night sky.
"You know, you really are too thin, Atsushi… I keep telling you to eat more," Yufuin said with a hint of teasing in his voice, his hands tightening a little more around Atsushi's waist. The bespectacled boy returned his attention to the brunette, looking only slightly annoyed and embarrassed; he was far too happy at the moment to seriously be angry.
"I keep telling you that I'm eating just fine-hey!" Atsushi said as Yufuin suddenly removed his glasses, making the star-filled sky behind Yufuin's head nothing but a blur of blue and black. Yufuin merely chuckled before kissing Atsushi again, knowing that he could easily see himself becoming addicted to kissing Atsushi. He'd have to make sure Yumoto and the others weren't around if he wanted to sneak a kiss from his lover during school. Man, would that take some effort, especially with Yumoto…
Atsushi smiled into the sweet kiss, refocusing back on Yufuin's handsome face before allowing for his eyes to slip closed. It didn't matter if he couldn't see the night sky as well anymore without his glasses. He wouldn't need to wish on anymore shooting stars when he had gotten everything he could've wanted and more just by looking into the eyes of Yufuin En, whose eyes held more promises than the night sky could ever hope to fulfill.
J-C: And there you have it, folks!
~Sasuke~: Standard mush... expected no different from you, J-C.
Naruto: It was sooo cute and lovey-dovey though, just like the show!
J-C: I will take both of those statements as compliments, but what I really wanna hear is my reader's thoughts. Did you guys like what you read? Let me know! If you hated it, let me know too! I always appreciate and love reviews, and I will definitely respond back to your review (even if it's to say to update One Hell of a Master, lol). Welp, I'm going to enjoy the last bit of my snow day by doing more college work (woohoo?).
Ja ne for now! ^^