Aida Kensuke was expecting to sit alone on the first day of sophomore year. He was, surprisingly, incorrect in this assumption.

"Hey, can I sit here?" The boy had a funny way of talking, his words came out quick and jumbled and his voice had a sort of lilt to it. Not quite an accent, but just a sharp lilt. "Well? What's it gonna be?" Oh, god, Kensuke didn't know that he really wanted an answer.

"Yeah, sure."

The boy settled himself next to Kensuke. He was tall, almost a foot bigger than Kensuke's scrawny five foot one, and his tan face was spotted with freckles across the bridge of his nose. His jacket was zipped right up to his neck and Kensuke couldn't help thinking that he didn't look the type to sit there by the window with the likes of him.

"I'm Suzuhara Toji. What's your name?" He said it more like whatsyaname, and Kensuke suppressed a giggle. "You laughing at me?" Damn it. "That's cute. I like that. I like you. I like people who can laugh at me, y'know? They've got nerve. I like nerve." He noticed that he'd swung his feet up onto the desk and was lying back in his chair. For some reason, the teacher hadn't noticed. Maybe that was just how Toji was.

"H-haha, thanks!" Kensuke beamed. Damn, he hadn't meant to smile so largely. Toji probably thought he was some sort of weirdo now. "I didn't mean it badly, you know. You seem like a nice guy."

Toji grinned. He had a huge, beaming grin. If Kensuke had been worried about smiling before, then all of that completely dissipated with the sight of Toji's smile. It was the cheesiest he'd ever seen, honestly. "What's your name, huh, laughing boy?"
"Aida Kensuke! How about you?"

A look of confusion passed across Toji's face, then he burst out laughing. "I already told you, remember? Suzuhara Toji."

Kensuke felt his face starting to heat up. "O-oh, y-yeah! Well, nice to meet you, Toji!" He laughed nervously, running a hand through his mop of brown hair.

For the rest of class, Kensuke stole glances at Toji. The other boy spoke in class practically every few words, even though he didn't seem to have very much to say. Maybe he just liked hearing the sound of his own voice. Honestly, Kensuke sort of liked the sound of Toji's voice too. It was deep and sounded like a boy's real voice, not like Kensuke's squeaky, annoying one. And his weird accent wasn't so bad, not really.

When they got out of class, Toji waved to Kensuke and offered to eat lunch with him. Kensuke, of course, accepted, and before Kensuke knew it they were sitting together at the lunch table. Toji was scarfing down chicken and what looked like french fries, but the school cafeteria made them look more like small, mushy, wilted fingers. "So, Kensuke-kun, what d'you like to do?" Toji asked between bites. Not exactly between bites, really, Toji seemed to be talking with his mouth full.

"I'm interested in the military!" God, Kensuke, don't start babbling, you've only just met him, don't start rambling on about the military. "I have...uh...I have stakeouts a lot. I like to read, too, I mean, who doesn't?"

"I like to read, too, y'know. I like Lovecraft." Someone who looks like they belong in a motorcycle gang, reading Lovecraft, of all authors. "I don't really do much, honestly. But that's cool that you're into the military! I've heard all sorts of crazy stuff about that. Be careful, man."

"T-thanks, Toji!" Kensuke wondered if Toji could tell that he was blushing. God, he really needed to stop getting so excited about such little, trivial things. Toji was just being polite, after all.

"You're very welcome." Funny, Kensuke hadn't thought Toji was the type to say 'you're welcome.' Especially not 'you're very welcome.' The only people he'd really heard use that phrase were his grandparents. "So, what do you like to read?"
"Uh, anything, really!" Kensuke noted that almost everyone around them had started getting up. "U-uh. I think lunch is ending! I'll see you tomorrow, or later, I guess!" Shit, that sounded weird. He definitely won't want to be around you anymore, Aida.

But sure enough, at the end of the day, there was Toji, waiting for him outside school. "Hey, Kensuke! Over here, over here!" Something about the enthusiasm in Toji's voice made Kensuke break out into a huge grin. Seriously, they'd only known each other for a day, and the guy was more excited than his family was to see him on a daily basis.

"I see you, Toji, don't worry!"

"I was wonderin' if I could, I dunno, walk you home?"

"Sure. I-I've never had someone offer to walk me home before, that's awfully nice of you, Toji-kun." Before he had a chance to add anything else, Toji already started walking. He had a big stride, and Kensuke had to take two steps for every one that he took. But really, he didn't mind. It was kind of cute, the way Toji strutted along like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Uh, Kensuke? Where's your house?"
"Oh, it's not too far. I'll lead the way, if you'd like." Kensuke flashed him a smile, and he could have sworn that the Toji was blushing. "It's right down that way." He pointed down the row of tree-lined suburban houses.

"Mine's all the way on the other side of town."

"I'll have to visit sometime."

"Yeah. You will."

Once the pair stopped in front of Kensuke's house, Kensuke couldn't help but being a little bit disappointed that they hadn't walked farther together. It was kind of nice, just walking in silence with Toji like that. "Well, uh, thanks for walking me home. I'll see you tomorrow, I hope!"

Toji gave him that big, stupid grin like he had had in the morning when he'd first sat down. "Yeah, I'll see ya too, at least I hope so!" Toji looked as though he was about to leave, but then leaned over to peck Kensuke's cheek lightly. Kensuke felt his face turn scarlet.

"W-what was-"

"Have a good afternoon, Kensuke!" Toji was already halfway gone by the time Kensuke had recovered from the shock of the incident. "There's more where that came from, by the way!"

Kensuke supposed that that was a good thing.


this is so bad but i needed to write this pairing i needed it there needs to be more