Beta read by SinikkavonWolperting
This is the 1st prize for my Tumblr giveaway. Which, I am about to do another, so head there if you wanna enter the next one. There is also a picture to go along with this, which has been posted there.
I'm not used to these kinds of stories, so praying I did it justice. c: Also, as a disclaimer, I am not a poet by any means. lmao.
The blond didn't know how long he sat there...staring...his eyes only darting away when his target glanced his way. What the hell was he doing? This is all he had been capable of doing for the last week or so...just looking at the guy and unable to make that first move. Hizashi wiggled his pencil in his fingers, the motion picking up speed as his frustration with himself flared and his nerves prickled.
"Hmmmmmmmm!" he hummed to himself. The noise swiftly transformed into an growl before he practically dropped his pencil and slammed his head down. "I can't do it," he muttered, voice muffled with his face pressed against his desk.
There was a light and amused chuckle next to him before a hand clapped him playfully on the back. "You're hopeless," Nemuri sighed before getting to her feet and moving around to lean against his desk. He peeked up just over his sunglasses to see her peering down at him, a humored grin gracing her features. "What, is you plan to just stare at him?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Of course not!" he snapped nervously, shooting to sit back up. He instantly glanced away when he felt the all too familiar heat rise to his face. "I'm...gonna do something...the time just has to be right," he muttered, his ramblings dying as he sank deeper and deeper into his chair. "It's just...so difficult...I mean LOOK at him!" he exclaimed, gesturing with both hands and looking over his shoulder. The blond instantly released a stifled yelp and quickly turned back around when he found those deep and watchful eyes staring right back at him.
"D-Do you think he saw that?" he whispered, not daring to check for himself.
Nemuri glanced over, her face a mask of slyness as she checked it out for him. "Oh yeah, he definitely did," she replied, so matter-of-factly. He saw the whole thing, the dramatic reveal and all," she went on, only making matters worse with every word she uttered.
He slithered deeper and deeper until he eventually let out a tortured and elongated groan that finally made the girl cease her ramblings. "Just stop," he whined, placing his head back down on his desk while more of the students filtered out. "What do I do?" he asked after some time, desperate for any kind of answer. "You're a girl, you know how this stuff works better than I do," he moped, turning his head just enough to look up at her.
"Well, I would, but it's not a girl you're dealing with, remember?" she asked, tilting her head quizzically to the side. "Hey, there is one thing you could try," she spoke up after seeing the defeat in those emerald orbs. "Everyone likes a good poem, right?" she questioned. "Just write one up, and I'm sure he'll be groveling at your feet." Nemuri smiled down at the blond, clearly pleased with her own solution to all this.
He let out another saddened sigh. "I guess, what other choice do I have?" Taking a deep breath and glancing back to make sure the coast was clear, he pushed himself up to his feet. "I'll try to write something up...but, I'm going to need you to look over it when I'm done. ...That is, if you don't mind."
The other simply nodded her head, instantly agreeing to be his pair of second eyes. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll be fine, you've always been rather skilled when it comes to words," she assured. Which, he was thankful for; he needed every ounce and inkling of encouragement he could get. Of all four years he's been at this school, this had to have been the most terrifying thing he's had to do. But, he could do it, he'd never be able to live with himself if he didn't at least try.
Determination set in his mind, Hizashi gathered his belongings and hugged his bag close to his chest as he fell into a steady stroll and started heading down the hall. He barely paid attention to what he was doing, too much in hurry to get home and get started on the letter. Despite his heart thrumming a million miles a second, he was beyond excited to get started. However, he had no idea where to even start with it. Where was he supposed to begin? There was so much to say in so few words, Was it possible to accomplish?
His feet hit the floor hard as his speed increased. His head low, he rounded the next corner. And, he noticed right after it was too late. He, and the person he bumped into both fell back; papers and books scattered across the slick flooring. Groaning, and gripping his upper arm which he was sure was going to have a bruise come tomorrow, Hizashi opened his eyes and uttered a small apology
"S-Sorry, I was-" he started, the words catching in his throat the moment he noticed who it was. "I...I, uh," he stammered, face on fire.
Shota let out a small and slightly irritated hiss as he stumbled up to his feet and began looking the mess over. Without a single word, he leaned down and began collecting all of his things back up. "It's fine," he muttered, sounding more than a little bored.
"L-Let me help," the blond offered, already lending a hand before the other had the chance to reply or accept it. Silently, the both of them gathered all the loose papers together, or they did until the dark-haired boy paused and gazed down at the flyer in his hand. Curious as to what had his attention, Hizashi leaned over and quickly scanned the paper over. Again, his pulse sky-rocketed, and before he could stop himself, he snatched the paper away. "That's nothing," he blurted out without thinking.
The other student blinked a couple times in confusion at the reaction. "It's just a prom flyer," he replied, not seeing the big deal...they were all handed them, it was nothing to get all worked up about. "Is that everything?" he asked as he got back to his own feet, his books held firmly against himself, more securely this time should someone else bound around the corner and cause it all to happen all over again.
"Are...you alright?" Shota asked after some time, seeing that the blond still hadn't moved from the spot, in fact, he appeared to be on the verge of fainting. But, before he could lean close enough to place a hand on his shoulder, the other shot back upright, a bit of forced enthusiasm slipped onto his features.
"Yeah...I-I'm, uh, I'm fine," he stammered, letting out a nervous chuckle and then instantly fell quiet once more. "I...have to go though. I have a lot of homework to do, and yeah...see ya!" he practically yelled with a wave of his hand before finally running away. Damn, he was such an idiot, he completely made a fool of himself. Before, he had no problems talking to the guy, but here lately, he wasn't sure what happened, but he could barely look at him without going red in the face.
'Get yourself together,' he thought to himself, cutting his attention down to the flyer that was still held in a death grip in his hand. There was only a few days before prom...he was running out of time. At this rate, he'd be going by himself...or not at all. The latter sounded more ideal. And, to be honest, if he wasn't able to go with Shota, then he'd prefer just staying home and sulking for the whole weekend.
Once more, he picked up his pace. This time, though, he made sure to watch where he was going. He wasn't sure his heart could take another run-in like that. It still hadn't calmed down since the first one.
He had one chance to get this right; if he screwed it up...that was it, he was done for.
The next day, Hizashi stood out in front of the school, his eyelids like weights, trying their best to pull closed. At the time, he hadn't realized how late he was staying up until the first signs of the day shone through his window...right across the sheet of paper he had been slaving over for hours. He didn't even have time to rewrite it to be more appealing to the eyes. There were still scrawls and remnants of the old words that had been erased and replaced.
Despite all the time and effort that he put into it, all the time he slaved into crafting it, he couldn't shake the nagging pull in his gut that it just wasn't good enough. Nothing would have been, and he knew that. But, it was all, and the best, he had. So, with a silent prayer to himself or whatever else was listening, he dragged his feet and moved forward against the will of his body.
Nemuri was instantly aware of the blond's misery the moment he dropped into his seat with that same over dramatic sigh that he always did. They still had a few minutes until class started, so she casually slipped over and hovered over his desk. "So?" she asked, leaning against the surface now, "did you do it?" There was no need to ask that, it was clear from the bags under his eyes and the mess of his hair that he had clearly been up to something all night. And, if it wasn't working on that letter, then she was at a loss for what it could have been.
Without a word, he pulled the slip of paper from his bag and handed it over. Never once did he look her in the face though. He was far too embarrassed for the words that were sloppily scrawled out. "Just...go easy on me…" he pleaded, voice small.
With a sly grin, the young hero-to-be began scanning over the poem, and she couldn't stop the small chuckles that managed to slip away regardless of her best efforts to keep them at bay. She couldn't help it, there was just no words she could use to describe what she was reading. Sappy, perhaps, but that wasn't strong enough of a word.
"You know what?" she said after some time, "I think it's perfect."
"You really think so?" Hizashi asked, not sounding all too convinced. He was sure she had to have been messing with him. He could point out at least ten things that was wrong with it. Actually, the whole thing, the entire thing was one big mess-up.
She simply nodded with a hum of confirmation. "Yup, now, the hard part." He visibly paled, already knowing exactly what was coming. "Now, you have to give it to him."
His heart stopped mid-beat and his next breath caught in the center of his chest. "Can you do it for me?" he questioned nervously, arms raising to drape over his head and hide it form view. What, was he supposed to just walk over there and slap it on the guy's desk? Yeah, because that wouldn't be awkward or forceful at all. "I-I can't do it...this was a bad idea. I should just ball it up and throw it away and forget all of this…" he complained.
At that, Nemuri rolled her eyes and slapped the letter back out in front of him. "Stop overreacting to this. You don't have to give it to him directly, just slip it in with his things. That's not so bad, now is it?"
"I dunno…" he replied. It was more ideal when compared to the first option, but he still wasn't sure about all this. In theory, this was great, but when it came to execution...he would prefer to just pull his own teeth. "I'll try," he finally gave in after another few seconds. But, by then, the bell was ringing, and whatever courage he had managed to gather would slowly wane as the time stuck in class ticked on.
His foot tapped impatiently, and the time dragged on torturously. He was going insane, but at the same time, the closer it got to first period being over, the more nervous he became, and the more he wished he had more time. His thoughts were just jumbled and weren't making any sense...he didn't know what he wanted anymore. Oh yeah, he wanted all this to be over and to jump forward in time when all this was already dealt with and everything had run smoothly.
Then, it sounded out, the blaring sound that brought sighs of relief from so many others, but only a small groan from Hizashi. This was it, it was time. By now, he knew Shota's schedule: he'd head out for a few minutes, leave his things where they were and then return. That left him more than enough time to do what he needed to do.
So, he waited, gave the other a few minutes to head out. The moment he had his opening, he took it. Standing next to Shota's things, he took a quick look around to make sure there were no witnesses. With the coast clear, he didn't hesitate before shoving the paper underneath his notes. There was no way he'd miss it this way. Heart now painfully lodged in his throat, the blond raced back to his own desk and slinked back in before a single soul could know what he was up to.
"See?" Nemuri said upon his return, "wasn't as bad as you thought it would be."
"Yes it was," he argued without missing a beat. "It was the single most difficult thing I've had to do."
"Until you ask him out," she shot back just as quickly.
"I know, I know, don't remind me...baby steps," he groaned. She had to admit, this little thing was a huge step for him. For weeks, she's had to listen to him complain about this, and this was the first real move he'd made.
Cutting him some slack, the girl stood away from his desk. "Now, we just wait until he reads it, and when he sees it's from you…" she paused, seeing the distant look in his eyes as she said that. "You did sign it, didn't you?" Slowly, he shook his head, a horrified expression adorned his face. "How is he supposed to know who it's from then?"
"I-I can go back," he blurted, already moving to stand. But, as he glanced over, he sat right back down. Shota was back, taking his seat. He couldn't go back now. "I'm an idiot," he whispered to himself, placing his head down before he began tapping it rather harshly against the wooden surface. "I'm" thwack "such" thwack "an" thwack "idiot."
"Hold on now, it's not the end of the world," Nemuri reminded. "It might be better this way. Now, if it turns out he doesn't like it, nothing lost," she shrugged. "If he doesn't, then don't claim it was from you. But, if he does, then you go over and be damn proud of your handiwork."
Why couldn't he be that positive about things? "You're right," he breathed out. She had a point...there was still a way this could work out. Trying to keep that in mind, and hold onto that outlook, the blond turned to watch on just as Shota noticed the stray piece of paper peeking out from under his own.
Confused, the dark-haired boy pinched the corner of the rather wrinkled paper and slowly began to pull it out from under his notes. He didn't remember that being there before he left, and now his curiosity was piqued. Once it was finally completely revealed, an eyebrow rose at the barely legible writing scribbled upon it. But, if he really concentrated, he could make out the words. Glancing around before starting, he took a deep breath and placed it back on top of his notes and began reading it to himself.
If ever I did see a light
One that could shine as bright
As the spark that lies within
I'd wonder where it's always been
But, that hope for such a sight
Is nothing more than a hopeless plight
Because I have this crippling fear
That nothing could ever compare.
Like the night, you pass in silence
Most just don't have the patience
Needed to love the dark for what it is
To cherish it for all its qualities
But, I am here, to appreciate those stars
The twinkles like tiny and disant radars
That are hidden underneath all that darkness
And go unnoticed by those so thoughtless
Shota, I know how to accept every aspect
Every perfection and every defect
That lies within your expansive night
Because for me, you are more than the twilight
You are the dark, the dusk, and the sunlight.
Shota could only stare at the paper held tightly between his hands now, and unbeknownst to him, he now pulled it in closer, subconsciously hiding his face from view of all others. What was he doing, why was his face so damn hot? Who the hell wrote this? He didn't think it were possible to feel this embarrassed before, it was unnatural and all new to him. The dark-haired boy risked a quick glance over the edge of the paper, his eyes searching for any signs of the culprit. One by one, his eyes darted from one student to the next. Then, they finally stopped to rest on one in particular...Hizashi. He was the only one out of all of them that seemed to go out of his way to appear busy.
He found himself unable to look away as he watched the blond work on whatever it was he he distracting himself with. As much as he believed him to have been the one to write this, it was still a little surprising to see such words come from someone like him. But, looking down at the paper once more, the stains and scribbles adorning it was enough to make it all even more believable.
Blinking a few times, and lightly shaking his head, Shota neatly folded the paper up and slipped it into his belongings, making sure it was secure and in a place where it couldn't easily be noticed or slip out on its own. Taking a deep breath, he did his best to straighten up and act as though nothing has happened. The last thing he wanted was some nosey classmate to start asking questions. Luckily, he didn't think anyone had noticed him reading it. Well, no one other than the giver of the poem.
Why did he have to get it now though? He would have much rather have gotten it at the end of the day. But no, and now he had to sit there awkwardly in class. And, dammit, his attention was again wandering towards Hizashi without his permission. Before he could glance away, the other chose that exact moment to look over his shoulder. Both of them, immediately and at the same time, swiveled their heads in the opposite direction. Shota again felt that burning heat rise to his cheeks. He was sure of it, they made eye contact for at least a split second.
He had no idea how he was going to make it through the rest of the day, not when the two of them had nearly every class together...there was no avoiding crossing paths with him. They would have to speak to one another at some point. Either that or they would have to ignore each other, but that would only make things awkward.
The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if it really was him though. It wasn't like there was a signature...there were so many others it could be. Besides, Hizashi was with Nemuri a lot. If anything, it was more likely that he had a thing for her. He blinked heavily a few times, trying to clear his mind of his wonderings. To be honest, he really hoped it was from him. He closed his eyes, his mind instantly drifted back to the idea of it really being written by Hizashi, despite his conscious telling him repeatedly that thinking about it wasn't going to help any. In fact, the more he did that, the more his gaze traveled in the blond's direction.
For a while, his eyes remained on him, and only ripped themselves away when their teacher strolled in and requested their attention. Class that day was nothing short of tortuous, and he was frequently looking to the clock, praying that time would just hurry the hell up. His thumbs twirled circles around one another as the seconds ticked on, and the questions burning inside him seared his core.
Finally, what had to have been ages, the bell rang, signalling their freedom for the weekend. Silently, Shota let out a sigh of relief, thankful for the short day. There were still preparations for prom to be made, so this day was cut short to make time for that.
Without wasting a single moment, and not giving Hizashi the chance to book it like he always did, the hero-to-be sauntered over, false confidence in his steps.
"H-Hey," he stuttered, approaching the blond from behind.
Almost instantly, the other jolted, the unexpectancy of his classmate nearly scaring him half to death. Heart thrumming painfully, Hizashi cast a curious and anxious look over his shoulder, and his eyes widened as recognition set in. "Shota?" he questioned, voice barely above that of a whisper. "Uhhh, did...did y-you need something?" he finally managed to work out, his eyes constantly shifting to and from the other. Nemuri took that as her cue to casually stride away, moving only a couple feet but making sure to still stay within the blond's line of sight should he need rescuing.
Surprisingly, Shota hesitated as well, a soft rosey hue colored his features before he lowered his gaze; embarrassment gripped him tightly. "Was it from you?" he asked, figuring that was enough of a questions. If it was, then he'd know how to answer, and if not...then it had to have been someone else.
At first, Hizashi didn't reply, he didn't know how to. His mouth opened and closed a couple times, and it took him a few more seconds to realize he had been staring at the other for quite some time. So far, only a small and nervous noise had escaped his trembling lips. Not knowing what else to do, he cut his eyes over to Nemuri, who in turn just made a 'go for it' gesture with her hands.
Swallowing thickly, he finally got a couple words out. "The...note?" he asked, tone pitched a couple octaves higher than normal. All Shota replied with was a short and subtle nod. "Um...what did you think?" Hizashi asked, terror now filling his heart. From where he sat, it was difficult to wage just how the other took it. It didn't appear as though he hated it, at the very least. He wanted so badly to chew on his nails, the wait for the reveal was killing him slowly from the inside out.
"It was...surprising," Shota responded, that pink tint darkening by a few shades. "But...I did appreciate it," he added, getting more bashful and anxious by the second. "So...thanks," he muttered, getting ready to turn around. However, a hand reached out and suddenly gripped his wrist with desperate force before he could take a single step.
"Wait!" Hizashi blurted out, hating himself the moment he did it. What in the world had come over him so suddenly? "I wanted to ask you something…" he murmured, causing the other to turn back around in anticipated curiosity. "What I wanted to ask was...um," he cleared his throat awkwardly and willed his eyes to gaze into the other's, "will you go to prom with me?" Everything stopped: his breaths, his thinking, his heart.
The change in Shota's features was almost instant, his expression shifted from timid to shocked in the blink of an eye. Now, it was his turn to fall silent, lost of what to say or how to react. He already had his answer, already knew exactly what he wanted, but getting it out there in actual words was a struggle.
A few incomprehensible utterings made there way out before, ultimately, he mumbled, "I…well, I guess I'm not doing anything tomorrow," he replied, doing what he could to play it casual, but he was failing miserably.
Hizashi wasn't sure if he heard right...was that a yes? It didn't sound like a no to him. The corners of his mouth tugged and his chest finally loosened, allowing air to fill his lungs once more. "Oh...great!" he responded, on his feet before he could stop himself. Even more, he took it a step further and threw his arms around the other. The action yanked a startled gasp from the dark-haired boy, but he didn't try to pull away. He didn't return it either; he simply stood there and accepted it, eyes wide and hands hovering uselessly.
"So…" the blond muttered, pulling away after a staying in that position for a few seconds passed what was normal and comfortable, "should I come you your place...or?"
"I'll go to yours," Shota replied without hesitation. Hizashi going to his place would mean having to explain it to his parents...and that wasn't something he was looking forward to. "I'll be there around six...if that's alright with you," he said, waiting for the other's approval. Eventually, once everything had the chance to process and make sense in his overjoyed mind, Hizashi nodded with an elated hum.
His jaw reamined hanging open, even after the other had turned his back and strolled away. He couldn't move, he was too excited to react. There was no telling how long he would have stood there either if it weren't for Nemuri returning and slapping a heavy hand on his upper back, nearly toppling him over from the force of it.
"Well, I'll be damned…" she muttered, following it with a low and impressed whistle. "I didn't think you had it in you 'Zashi...but you actually did it." She gave him a couple more pats of cratulations before rounding to peer at his face. "Hey...you still alive in there?" she questioned, waving a hand in front of his vacant gaze.
"He said yes…" he muttered in baffled belief. "He really said yes...Nemuri, he said yes," he repeated over and over, slowly getting louder with each announcement. By now, he had both of her wrists in his hands, his own practically shaking with his excitement. "Oh God, what if I make an idiot of myself? What if I already have!? I mean, you saw, I must have stared at him for half of that conversation!"
Before he could get too worked up, she wriggled her hands free and pressed both of them down on his shoulders, calming him almost immediately. "Hey, calm down...you did fine, alright? And, like you said, he said yes. So, you couldn't have screwed up too bad if he still agreed to go with you."
"Right, you're completely right," he sighed, knowing all too well he was just overreacting. Everything would be fine, he just had to play it cool. There was so much to do before tomorrow night though, he still had to get something to wear, he had to inform his family so they could get ready….and a gift. How could he have been so stupid and forgotten to think about that? There was no time to think about it anymore, he had no idea what he should get him either.
As if sensing his inner turmoil, Nemuri offered one of her famous warm and kind smiles. "It's going to work out. He's not the type to be all that picky, you and I both know that."
"I know...that's the problem," he breathed out, snatching his bag form the floor and throwing it over his shoulder. "Him not being picky just makes it more difficult to make sure things are perfect." Regardless of all his accumulating worries, he made himself pause and take a deep breath. "Just play it cool," he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes for a couple seconds more.
"You have all day to get ready got it...don't give yourself an aneurysm of it though," Nemuri chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll be going as well, so if you need any advice, I'll be on standby," she informed with a wink. It was left at that as they offered their goodbyes. Neither of them had the time to spare, both needing to get things ready for Prom and all.
The walk home was a slow and thought-filled one for the young blond. No matter how many times he told and lectured himself that he was overthinking and that everything would be fine, he couldn't convince his concerned mind otherwise. Before he knew it, he was standing before his door, and all the nerves that had had the time to settle down were flaring up again as he was reminded that his parents would have to be told about this. Of course, there was no worries about them being accepting of this, but they could be a bit...over the top when it came to people he was going out with. If he hadn't scared Shota away, then he had no doubt his parents just might finish the job.
Holding his breath, he pushed the door open and he instantly glanced around, searching them out. "I'm home!" he announced, his voice echoed off the interior of his house, and he paused in anticipation for the replies back. It didn't take long before two 'Welcome back's greeted him.
"I...um, I have some news," he added, a bit lower, but not low enough to be missed by the both of them. By the tone in his voice, both of them were in the living room, standing before him, in a matter of seconds. The two of them stared at him expectantly.
He took a deep breath before strolling over to take a seat on the couch; he had a feeling he'd need to be the one sitting for this. "Well...you guys know how Prom is tomorrow and all?" he asked, shrinking as the look in their eyes lit up with the mention of it. "Well, I kinda have a date for it now," he mumbled, looking down.
They exchanged a wary glance before his mother spoke up, her elation clear in her words. "Is it that Nemuri girl?" she asked, happy if that was the case, but at the same time a little skeptical. She's seen how she dresses, after all. But, she was a good kid.
Slowly, Hizashi shook his head. "No...it's another friend of mine," he explained. He took another breath in preparation before he looked from on to the other, looking both of them in the eyes. "You remember Shota, right?" he asked. "He's been over a few times."
That's when it clicked for them, and a few emotions flashed across their features, ranging from confusion to surprise, but none of them came across as negative. "Are you going with him?" his father asked, taking a seat next to his son. "Is that what you were so nervous to tell us?" he chuckled, fully understanding the reluctance, despite there being nothing to really worry about. "Look, your mother and I, we aren't oblivious, we've seen this coming from a mile away," he shrugged, taking it so casually.
Hizashi was frozen...they knew? His eyes were widened and his mouth fell open. "So...you two are ok with this?" he questioned, wanting to make absolute certain.
"Of course, whatever makes you happy," his mom assured. "Besides, I like that kid, he's quiet and respectful...he might be good for you," she added under her breath with a sly smirk. "Don't think we didn't notice you staying up all night working on that letter for him either," she added with a slight wink. Then she let out a small laugh of amusement at the change of color that adorved his cheeks.
"Please...don't say anything like that tomorrow," he pleaded, sinking lower into the cushions.
The rest of his day and night was spent discussing things through with his family, planning, going over what was needed and what was required of them all. First thing in the morning, the three of them were to head into town and pick up what they needed. If they could help it, this was going to run smoothly, and they would do everything in their power to make sure this went well for their son. He deserved this after working hard at that school for all these years. And, it was about time he finally met someone he deemed worthy enough to ask out. For that alone, they were proud.
This was it, it was the day, the day he never imagined ever being a reality. If, a few years ago, he was told he'd be going to prom with his best friend, he would have rolled his eyes. But, lo and behold, here he was, getting dressed in his rented suit and for the first time in forever, making sure his hair was presentable. Shota let out a heavy sigh as he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror; he hardly recognized himself.
He tucked a piece of stray hair behind his ear and glanced himself up and down one last time. It was about time to start heading over. He had already met Hizashi's family in the past, but for some reason, it was as though he were seeing them for the first time all over again. It was so different this time; he was no longer coming over as a friend, and he still wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was all so new to him.
With a shake of his head, the boy finally stepped away from the mirror and quickly made his way through the house. He wanted to be out of here before either of his parents got home from work. He was sure they wouldn't be too upset about all this, but it was a lot to explain, and he honestly wasn't quite ready to tell them everything just yet. Maybe, if all this went well, then he'd explain it all to them in the near future.
Shota tugged on the edges of his suit as he strolled out the door, making sure it was in pristine condition by the time he got there. It was still a bit of a walk...plenty of time and opportunity for things to get a little messed up. He just prayed he could get there without the slightest of incidents.
The entire way, his hands were stuffed in his pockets, fiddling with the lint that rested at the bottom of them. The close he got to the other's house, the more uneasy he became. He had no reason to be nervous though, he was rather fond of Hizashi's family, and from what he could gather, they would be rather accepting of all this. He was just over-worrying himself with all this, that's all that was.
As if time had zoomed by, he slowed his pace once the building came into view, and his mouth dried at the sight of it. "It's fine…" he reminded himself. He wouldn't have to be here for long. Just to see them and say hi and all that, then the two of them could be on there way, and everything would be relatively normal from there. They would have a good time, and it would only be uphill from there.
Shota stopped right in front of the door and raised his hand to knock. There was only a moment's delay before he willed his hand to move and give the door a few knocks. Each one resounded and matched so perfectly with the beats of his heart.
Then the footsteps started, growing closer by the second until the door was pulled open and he was met with the cheerful and welcoming face of Hizashi's mom. "Uh, hello," he greeted, giving a half bow as his eyes shifted.
Just like Hizashi, he guessed it ran in the family, she momentarily forgot about personal space and pulled him into an embrace. "It's so good to see you again," she said over his small squeak crushing surprise. "You know, when we were told you were the one going to prom with our little 'Zashi, well, we were overjoyed that a lovely young man such as yourself would agree to accompany him." She glanced in either way and slowly leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Between you and me, I never thought he'd ever get a date before he hit his twenties."
Without knowing what else to do in this situation, Shota let out a forced and amused chuckle before slowly working his way out of her hold. "It's...good to see you too," he added, not wanting to come off as rude with his nervous silence.
Thankfully, and he let out a relieved sigh, Hizashi came within view, saving him from this moment. "Hey!" the blond nearly shouted, hand waving as he came closer, only to freeze midstep once he took in the other's appearance more closely now...he didn't think he'd ever seen the guy so cleaned up before. Before he could stop it, the heat was rising and he straightened himself up. "I-I didn't expect you to be here so soon," he stuttered, anxiety kicking up a storm from within. He had hoped he'd be over that by now, but that was asking for too much, it seemed.
"I'm a little late, but yeah, I'm here," Shota replied, having almost the same reaction to seeing Hizashi in his suit. He'd never seen him wear one like that before, and he knew it would be quite some time before he was able to get the image out of his head. Not that he wished to.
His mother practically squealed to see the both of them dressed up so nicely and so close together. "Will you look at the two of you!" she exclaimed. "I'll be right back, I have to go get my camera!"
"Mom, no, you don't need t-" but it was too late, she was already bounding up the stairs, her ears deaf to any and all objections. "I am so sorry...she gets like this," he apologized. "That's why...why I never asked before," he admitted. "I knew this would happen, and then it would make everything weird, and-"
"It's alright, it's not that big of a deal," Shota promised. It wasn't Hizashi's fault. Besides, having caring parents like that wasn't such a bad thing or anything to be embarrassed about. "She's just excited," he shrugged. On the inside, however, he was on the verge of a panic attack. Pictures? He was never told anything about that; he wasn't exactly a photo kind of guy. But, if it made Hizashi's mom happy, then he wouldn't complain about it.
Not a moment later, she was on her way back down, camera in hand. She didn't waste a single moment before she began motioning them together, a smile plastered on her features. "A little closer now, don't be shy," she encouraged, waving her hand to get them closer. "Perfect!" she beamed, holding up a finger fur them to hold it while she snapped the photo. There were a few more flashes and a few more instructions until she was finally done. She stared down at the screen as she filtered through the new shots. It was clear she was enjoying this far more than they were and far too much for her own good.
"Oh...I almost forgot!" Hizashi blurted out. "Stay right here, I-I'll be right back!" he said, doing the same as his mother, stomping up the stairs without giving anyone the chance to realize what the hell was even happening. These things really did run in the family then.
In silence, Shota and the blonde stood there, thankfully the woman was too engrossed in looking over her handiwork to really say anything. Shota took that as his invitation to have a seat saying as Hizashi was taking a few minutes. He leaned back and made himself comfortable and glanced around the room; it looked almost like he remembered it, there was a bit of new decorations, but it was pretty much the exact same.
Then, the pounding footfalls descended once more, and he glanced over to see the blond approaching with his hands behind his back. Eagerness in his eyes. "I wasn't sure what to get...so, I hope this cuts it," he muttered, looking down for only a second before raising his attention back to the other. In an instant, he pulled his hands back around and revealed what it was he had hid behind his back.
Shota was at a loss for words as he stared at the gift, his words sticking uncomfortably to the inside of his throat. "Hizashi...you didn't have to…" he mumbled, but still reached out his hands to accept the gift. In his hands, draped over them, lied a scarf. It wasn't anything too fancy, but it was remarkably soft.
"I know...but your other one, no offense, but it was starting to look a little...worn," he shrugged with a sheepish smile. Despite it not being appropriate for his current attire, Shota winded the material around his neck and adjusted it slightly.
"Thank you," he muttered, giving the fabric a few more feels before letting his hands drop back to his sides.
Before things could fall into another odd silence, Hizashi glanced to the clock and a jolt ran through him. Already, it was nearly seven. He had planned on them leaving a little bit earlier, but they got carried away. "We should probably head out soon. If you're ready, that is," he suggested, nodding his head towards the time.
The other followed his attention and offered the blond a small nod of acknowledgement. "Yeah," he breathed out, "I think I'm ready." His head lowered just a little, enough so to hide a portion of his face under his new scarf. The both of them said their goodbyes to Hizashi's mom, uttering the same to his dad in passing as he returned home from work. It would have been rather nice to be able to chat with him for a bit as well, but there was no time for that. Though, there was plenty of opportunities for that in the near future, especially if things continued upward from here.
They started down the street, and for some time, it was quiet. The only sounds filling the space around them was other citizens passing by and the occasional car. Glancing over, Hizashi inched a little bit closer, little by little until there was hardly any room between the two of them. Then, his heart pounding, and without looking, his hand drifted outward and brushed over Shota's. He didn't give a chance to react and went for it. Before the dark-haired boy knew what was happening, his hand was held in the blond's firm grasp.
He didn't pull away though. Instead, he returned the gesture, swallowed his nervousness and wrapped his fingers around the hand slipped into his own. There were almost at the school now, and it wasn't until realizing that that all his fears started to surface. What would others think, he was pretty sure no one, aside from Nemuri, even knew about the possibility of those two being together in any way. Unintentionally, and without his awareness, his grasp tightened, the action instantly pulled the other's focus over to him.
"Everything alright?" Hizashi asked, concern heavy in his tone. He slowed his pace down instinctively in order to look the other over, and it didn't take much to notice the drawn expression on his face,
Shota took a deep breath and shoved all his worries down to the pits of his mind. This was supposed to be a fun night, for the both of them, there was no reason for him to cause them both concern if there was no real need for it. "Yeah...just a little nervous," he admitted, keeping it as vague as he possibly could.
"Yeah, same," the blond agreed with a forced and reassuring smile. "Everything will be fine though, I promise."
The other wasn't sure if he completely believed him or not, but he desperately wanted to. Then again, he had no reason not to unless something happened. Everyone at UA appeared to be rather friendly, so he had no earthly idea where all these nagging voices were coming from. "You're right, I know you are," Shota said in return, his grip loosening just a fraction.
Both of them, with their heads held high, hands interlocked with no signs of letting go, they waltzed up to the front of the school. Shota ducked marginally as the two of them received a few curious glances. Hizashi, on the other hand, didn't appear to be phased by it. As far as he was concerned, he was the winner in all this, and he really couldn't care less what others thought of the two of them here together. The only person's opinion he cared about at this moment, was Shota's.
"Ready?" the blond asked, glancing over to give one last nod of assurance. With a gesture of compliance, the both of them strolled on in, only to stop a few seconds later as the music, the talking, and just all the sounds of the event altogether hitting them upon entrance.
They walked a few more feet in, just to make sure they weren't unnecessarily blocking the way, and chose a spot closer to the wall. "I'll be right back," Hizashi muttered under the thrums of music, "I'm going to go get us something to drink real quick." The moment he walked away, Shota felt as though there were so many eyes resting on him, watching him from all around. Slowly, he crept closer to the wall until his back was against it, and tried to will himself to blend with the shadows. He was well aware of how childish and foolish he was being, but he really didn't care at the moment. Of course, there was the want to be here, more than anything, still, it was so strange when looking at all the other couples that walked about.
Within just a few more minutes, Hizashi returned, couple of plastic cups filled with punch in his hands. "Here," he offered, holding one out to Shota. But, again, his brows knit together at his obvious discomfort.
"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked once more, his heart dropping with the sight of his worried features. "We really don't have to be here if you don't want to be," he offered. Making Shota uncomfortable was the last thing he wished.
"No!" Shota blurted out before all the words could fully form. "I mean...I want to be here, really." He took a deep breath to calm himself and lighten up his expression, for Hizashi's sake. "I just feel like everyone is staring," he mumbled.
At that, the blond let out a small and amused chuckle. "Is that what this is?" he asked, receiving a short and shy nod as response. "No one is staring, and even if they are, so what? It shouldn't matter what they think anyway. If they are, it's just because they're jealous...jealous that I got the best date, and they didn't," he concluded with a lopsided grin and a very awkward thumbs up.
Even in the dark, the reddening of the boy's cheeks could be easily seen. "You really think that?" he asked, more than a little embarrassed...but flattered nonetheless.
"Of course I do!" Hizashi exclaimed, grabbing the other by the hand without warning. "Now come on, I didn't ask you to come with me so we could just hide out in the corner all night." He gave the other's arm a light tug, trying to encourage him to follow after him. They both placed their beverages on a nearby table, knowing full well they'd be forgotten in only a few short minutes. "I told you, it doesn't matter if anyone looks, no one will say anything, and if they do, well, I'll take care of it," he promised.
Finally, Shota eased up a little and gave into the blond's wishes and slowly stalked along after him. He should at least be trying to have a good time, that's what all this was for. Nothing else should have mattered; he was here with Hizashi, and he knew for a fact that he wasn't going to let anything happen.
"Alright," he replied after a momentary pause, and he walked side by side with Hizashi, staying right next to him until they were standing towards the middle, surrounded by so many others. He risked a few wary glances around; his chest lightened when, to his surprise, there really wasn't anyone else gawking at the two of them. It was relieving, to say the least.
Slowly, just as the last song ended, and a new, more calming one began, Hizashi carefully guided one of Shota's hands to his shoulder and the other he gripped in his free hand. His own was laid gently on the dark-haired boy's side. And, he held that sharp and dark gaze, keeping it on him to make sure it never wandered away from his emerald orbs. The more he focused on him, and only him, the better this would be for the both of them.
After a moment, once the both of them got over the initial strangeness of this position, they started to move along with the rhythm, same as all those that moved around them. All the while, Shota never even thought about looking away, not that he wanted to. It was calming in a sense, easing to the soul to just keep his eyes on the blond and pretend as though there was no one else around; to him, in that moment, they were the only two in that whole room.
As they danced, Hizashi flicked his eyes away only a few times, eagerly seeking out a certain someone. But, he dared not look away from the other for too long. After a few attempts at this, his scrutiny, at last, landed on the familiar navy hair in the distance. Nemuri stood there, her own eyes fixed on the both of them as a mischievous smile graced her features. When he cut his attention over again, she held out here hand and gave a small thumbs up and a wink.
All he did was turn the corner of his mouth upward in return; it was enough of a gesture for her to understand. He then turned back to his date to find him no longer looking his way, but downward instead.
"Thanks," he muttered, voice barely audible over the various other sounds.
Confused, a jolt ran through the blond, and he paused, eliciting the other to do that same. "F-For what?" he stammered, not at all understanding what he was talking about. It sounded to be genuine to him though.
"You know…" he murmured, unable to raise his gaze back up, "for asking me to come here. If you hadn't, I'd probably still be at home, doing nothing like I normally do," he shrugged, trying his best to play it off as casual, but the appreciation was too noticable to hide. "So, yeah, thanks for all that," he said, a bit louder, as he leaned his head forward to lean his forehead against the others shoulder.
Hizashi was at a loss for words; was he really thanking him. It was...strange, and backwards, and he didn't like it. Well, not that he hated it, it was just wrong to him. "Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "I should be the one thanking you. For accepting to come here, that is. Do you have any idea how devastated and humiliated I would have been if you had rejected me?" He removed his hands from where they were in order to place them on either side of Shota's face before he lifted it up to make him face him again.
"Look, you don't need to thank me for anything, got it?" he asked, daring the other to say anything against that.
He simply scoffed in amusement. "Yeah, yeah, I think I get it," he answered, grabbing the blond's wrists to pull his touch away. "Still, I'm grateful you did, I don't think I would have had the courage to do it myself," he admitted.
Wait…"So...you wanted to ask me out?" he asked in disbelief, unsure if he had heard him right.
He felt the movement against him, the motion that indicated the other's slight nod. "Yeah...for a while now, actually. I was just, I dunno, I guess afraid that you wouldn't have felt the same way." He took a deep breath, utterly relieved to finally get that out in the open; it was as if a weight, one that had set on his soul for far too long, had been lifted at last. "I'm glad you did it though...or else this probably never would have happened."
He didn't know what to say, he couldn't have expected to ever hear anything like this. And to think, all this time, all this worrying...all of it was for nothing as it turned out. He didn't know how else to react, his body just acted on its own, and he just started laughing. He wasn't sure why himself, it just sort of came out. This, of course, earned him a bewildered look from his date, as well as a few others, but it didn't appear as though he had really noticed it.
"Wow...so, I was nervous about asking you...for no reason at all," he muttered, flatly.
"Pretty much," Shota replied, back to his normal, matter-of-fact tone that Hizashi had grown accustomed to after knowing him for years. "But, to be perfectly honest with you..it was kind of, ya know, adorable to see you get all flustered like that," he said. Although he said that, he was blushing himself, which helped take away some of the bite he was going for.
The blond pursed his lips slightly at hearing that. "Well...I seem to remember a certain someone fairing about the same yesterday," he mumbled in embarrassment.
Shota just shook his head slowly, surprised by how natural this was already beginning to feel; it was almost like nothing different had happened between them and this was just how it always had been. It was nice, to put it simply. "Shut up," he replied, all spunk gone from his voice. Falling into a comfortable silence, he placed his hands back where they were previously, prompting the blond to do the same. This time, they carried on without pause, without worrying about the happenings around them.
Time began to pass by without their noticing as they only paid attention to one another. It wasn't until the last song of the night was announced that they realized just how much the crowd had thinned out. The first of the students had left, most growing bored after just over a couple hours of being there.
"You wanna stay for the last one, or are you ready to head out?" Hizashi asked, pulling himself away for the first time in about half an hour. Glancing down, it was easy to see the dark circles that had developed under the other's eyes. Before Shota could answer that, the blond's eyes narrowed in concern. "Did you sleep last night?" he asked.
The dark-haired boy let out a long and deep yawn and shrugged his shoulders. "I got a couple hours," he said, trying to brush it off as no big deal. "I'm alright though, I'll live for a while longer," he assured, forcing himself to keep his eyes completely open. Even now, they tugged, trying the best to shield his gaze.
Sensing the obvious lie, Hizashi yawned as well, but he did a pretty poor job of making it come across as genuine. "Well, I'm actually starting to get a little bit sleepy, but it's up to you," he said, knowing that he wanted to leave. He was never one for staying out for long periods at a time, this much already was pushing him to his social limits. "Whatever you want to do though, I'm honestly alright with either of those options."
With that in mind, the other let out a small and relieved sigh. "Well, if you're really tired," no that he was buying that for a single moment, "then I guess we can head out." Just as he stepped back, allowing the other the room to move, Hizashi linked his arm through his and began to lead the way. However, before they could make it outside, the blond paused and slowly retrieved his arm.
"One moment...I'll be right back," he said, glancing over his shoulder for a split moment and jogged away. Shota hummed in confirmation as the other left him behind, charging back inside. Once in, he quickly searched the area, but this time it didn't take long for him to locate his target. Smiling to himself, he closed the short distance to Nemuri. Without warning, he threw his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace, squeezing a small squeak from her.
"Thank you so much," he whispered as he released his hold.
She responded by giving him a solid pat on the upper arm. "Seriously, sometimes I wonder what you would do without me," she said with a hint of narcissism in her tone. "So, how did it go?" she asked, voice begging for every juicy detail he had to offer.
"It went so freaking great!" he exclaimed, but left it at that. "But, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow...he's kind of waiting outside," he explained, clearly in a hurry to get back out there. "I just wanted to tell you that before I missed you."
Her eyes widened with that information. "What the hell are you doing then? You could have told me that later, now get back out there to him and don't keep 'em waiting!" she ordered, grabbing his shoulders and turning him around. She gave his back a few light shoves. "Hurry up, get going already."
"I am, I am," he replied as he skipped forward a few steps in order to free himself from her clutches. "Seriously though, thanks," he added. He turned around and just missed the thoughtful smile that replaced her earlier, sly one, and quickly began to make his way back out the door and towards his date.
"You good now?" Shota asked upon the other's return. Hizashi gave him a small nod and a hum. "I guess I should be heading home then," he muttered, something sorrowful tugged on his words.
It didn't exactly take a genius to figure out the reluctance he had in actually leaving. "Or you could come back to my place," he offered. "Maybe have dinner with us?" he asked awkwardly. "My parents already said it was alright, so if you want to. The thought of having a meal with his family was more than a little terrifying, but at the same time, it was one of the most inviting things he's ever been tempted by.
If it meant spending that much more time with him… "Yeah, I think I'd like that," he said. This time, to Hizashi's surprise, it was Shota he reached out for his hand first, and he made the first step. This went leaps and bounds above what he could have dreamed of, and to think, this was only the beginning; there were so much more their future held. Hizashi beamed internally just thinking about it.
Anyway, there it is, the second and third prizes will be posted as soon as I am able to get them done and beta read. C: