A Mishap of Mistletoe
"Sensei!"
"Narukami-kun, we need your help in the kitchen!"
"Sempai, how do you work this thing?"
The kitchen was packed with people. Everyone had their hands on either food or some sort of device to prepare said food. The oven was beeping, the stove heated with boiling water, utensils constantly being passed around.
Yu moved into the kitchen, standing at a safe distance and telling the ones who needed help how to work certain things in the kitchen. It had been everyone else's idea to come together and cook together as a group. Meaning, the guys could oversee the girl's cooking to make sure they didn't try anything funny. Though the girls swore they had gotten together numerous times to practice ever since their former mishaps.
Yosuke had already long since finished his contribution to the feast, having prepared a dessert for everyone. The only reason he had finished so quickly was because his best friend had given him a few cooking lessons during their time together the year before. So that left him able to relax on the couch, idly bothering with a few things on his phone before having his eyes stray back over to the scene in the kitchen.
The second he saw a streak of silver fly into the area, he felt himself sit up a bit more.
It was a strange impulse, to suddenly become more attentive whenever his best friend was near. There hadn't been a time that he had ever wanted to be without him. It was odd to feel that way about a person that wasn't someone you held that type of attraction to or feelings for. One he would consider a girlfriend..or well in that case a boyfriend.
The word made him shift uncomfortably where he was sitting. For a while now, he had been dealing with the inner turmoil that came with his sexual identity. It had rooted from Kanji's rescue, and it only grew worse as he got closer to a certain silver-haired individual.
The first time he had a release that didn't involve a girl in a magazine but instead was a guy who resembled, no who was his best friend, leader, and central point of his universe, made him freak out for a straight week. Incessantly talking to him only to feel a strange flirting slip into his texts sometimes. On the phone, he'd catch himself listening more intently to his voice, remembering certain words for later on, like the simple uttering of his name in that low tone.
"Yosuke."
The sound of his name broke his ill-treading thoughts. As he looked up, he saw those eyes looking at him, a hand being held out for him to grab.
"Come on. I think they could use our help."
"Oh right-sure!"
Taking his hand, he sat up from the couch. Giving a smile in return, they started heading to the kitchen, the slightly taller of the two in front, the other trailing along behind.
It was as Yosuke went to step from the carpet to the vinyl floor that he found himself slipping. His socks made him slide, reaching out to grab onto the closest object to him-in other words, he was clutching onto Yu who was steadily using his quick reflexes to try his best to balance him back out.
The balance was upset though, and they went sliding further back, faltering along to end up right at the front door. When did the floors get so slippery? Did Nanako-chan crank up the water and have a slip and slide going on the kitchen when no one was looking?
"Oi-sempai you okay?"
The group stopped in their movements, eyes focusing as some of them had worried gazes that were gradually shifting to something more mischievous. Chie was giggling as Teddie started making a huge proclamation.
"Mistletoe-mistletoe-MISTLETOE!"
"Shut up Ted you didn't even know what it meant until we told you…" Yosuke trailed off as he suddenly felt a heavy gaze on him.
"Come on-do it!" Rise was leaning on the counter now as she felt her inner fangirl kicking in.
"It's just for fun." Chie was trying not to laugh even more which only spurred Yukiko into an obvious giggling fit that she tried to choke back.
Naoto was stuck between blinking and 'aheming' a lot as Kanji was caught in staring and looking away in an attempt to appear disinterested.
"Might as well just appease them to get it over with right?" Yu shrugged a little as he had only spared a moment to glance at the group and then resume his focus on the one in front of him. It was all just in the Christmas spirit, right?
"Uh-aw man…yeah okay fine." Yosuke sighed heavily, trying to give off the look that he wasn't almost desperately wanting for it to actually happen.
Never in his life did he think that he would be silently thanking his annoyance of a roommate for setting up a mistletoe in an ideal location at the proper time. It was all pure accident, mere chance, but still, it left Yosuke breathless already as he was staring into grey eyes, the gaze cut off as he felt lips press onto his own.
It was brief, but enough to let heads tilt in more than needed, lips parting unconsciously, and tongues tentatively meeting before the sharp realization that a group was still present made Yosuke pull back. His socks caused him to slide on the floor a bit, just as he mumbled an excuse of something involving the restroom and him skyrocketing up the stairs was all that Yu was left with.
The others were trying not to laugh too noticeably, the girls blushing and semi-swooning as Kanji was also trying to hide his blush as he went back to cutting anything he could get his hands on.
Yu was left with silence and the unsureity of why his best friend had just rushed off so suddenly made him curious to know the answer. Moving his hand onto the railing, he was steadily walking up the stairs until he reached his room.
"Fuck-shit-why-"
"Yosuke."
That tone. It was that tone.
Yosuke swallowed uneasily, not moving from his standpoint of having his back to the other. The floorboards creaked slightly with the weight of the second person entering the bedroom.
"Y-Yeah?"
"Why did you run away? It was only for fun."
"I just, had to pee you know."
The excuse sounded lame in his mind already, but actually voicing it made him feel even more embarrassed than he already was. It had been stupid for him to run away like that, it probably only made him look more suspicious. No, his thoughts weren't going to go down that path.
A hand on his shoulder stopped how he had been shifting his weight in a nervous mannerism. As he looked at the fingertips grasping a little at his shirt, he felt himself pulled around to face the figure that was standing all too close to him now.
"What would happen if I kissed you again now?"
"W-W-What-are you serious?"
"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious." Yu had that look on his face when he was being serious but still looking completely unfazed. Yosuke loved and hated that look at the same time. It made him feel all the more nervous.
"Quit playing around-"
Yu silenced him with a rough kiss. Hands grasped onto fair-skin cheeks, forcing their lips together more in the movement. A surprised gasp came from Yosuke just as he lost all inhibitions, his mouth opening at the tongue that had traced over his lower lip. The floorboards creaked loudly, feet faltering back at the steps led them to the bookshelf nearby.
A noted book or two that had been bought went unnoticed as their bodies were flush against one another now, tongues running under and over one another, mouths parting more to let out subtle gasps and rapid inhaling of breaths during the heated kiss. The sudden sound of yells to come back downstairs made the kiss end abruptly. Both were breathing uneasily, faces tinted slightly, one from the heated moment and the other from that and embarrassment.
"Why'd you kiss me.."
"You were asking me for it."
"H-How-I didn't even say anything-"
"You don't have to." The silence and apparently blush that appeared on Yosuke's cheeks made the other tilt his head down more to look at him properly at his attempts to look away. "You know I can read you better than any book Yosuke. You wouldn't be my partner if I couldn't do that."
Yosuke found that truth ironic, seeing as, more than half the time he couldn't read Yu at all.
"Partner…Yu…"
"Come on you guys geez!" Rise's voice was echoing softly from down below.
"We should get going."
Silver eyes flashed away before a hand stopped him mid-way.
"Can we…do it again…"
Yosuke couldn't even bring himself to look at the other as he asked such a thing. His eyes were glued to the floor, seeing the distinguished navy color of the other boy's socks.
"We have 20 days left until Christmas and 30 until I leave again. We can do it every day if you want."
Finally letting his eyes trail up, he met silver eyes that were already smiling at him.
"I'd like that." The confession was mumbled slightly, but the way he felt himself being pulled in close again made him feel a subtle streak of confidence in his decision.
"I already knew you would."
The quick kiss that was given before heading back downstairs was more than enough for Yosuke to know that this Christmas was going to be a good one.
~ fin.