"Hey, Shintaro?" A quiet voice called. Shintaro opened his eyes and stretched, reluctantly sitting up from his comfortable place on the couch.
"What is it, Haruka?" Shintaro grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He ruffled his black hair absentmindedly and unzipped his red jacket. Sighing, he laid back down and closed his dark, boringly brown eyes once again. Dark circles rimmed the underside of his eyes, a telltale sign of many sleepless nights spent on the computer. The room was eerily silent. His companion hadn't spoken, which seemed odd to him considering he had just woken Shintaro up. "Haruka?" Shintaro called out, his eyes still closed. Still, no response. Sighing exasperatedly, Shintaro sat up and opened his eyes one more.
"Haruka. What's up?" He asked. Haruka was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch, his brown hair covering his eyes as he looked down at the ground in front of him. He traced the carpet with his fingers, leaving indentions of circle patterns on the floor. He glanced up when Shintaro spoke, but quickly looked away when their eyes met.
"Ah, it's nothing. Never mind." He said quietly, shifting his position so that he now sat on his knees. For some reason Haruka refused to look Shintaro in the eyes.
Shintaro grew increasingly frustrated as the day went on. Haruka hadn't spoken a word since their last conversation, and Shintaro knew that something was wrong but couldn't understand why Haruka wouldn't tell him. After a few hours or surfing the internet, Haruka said it would probably be best if he were to go home. He clutched his sketchbook close to his chest as he walked out of the living room.
"Thanks for having me over." Haruka said, smiling. He still wouldn't look Shintaro in the eyes, smiling at the ground instead. Haruka twisted the front door handle, opening it only a bit before Shintaro's hand slammed onto the wood, forcing it shut.
"Haruka." He said. Haruka turned around, finally looking him in the eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Um.." Haruka stammered, swallowing nervously. "I-it's really nothing. I'm fine."
"Yeah, right." Shintaro sneered. His expression softened and he put his other hand on Haruka's shoulder. "Is your illness bothering you again? We're best friends, Haruka. You can ask me if you need help." He said, smiling gently. He grabbed hold of Haruka's hand, pulling him towards the kitchen. "Want something to eat? That might cheer you up." Shintaro said, grinning. Haruka's face heated up, and all he could manage was a slight nod. Shintaro and him were holding hands. They were holding hands. How had this happened? Shintaro took no notice of how red his face was and how Haruka was struggling to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest. It was beating so fast, he was afraid it was acting up again and he would collapse any minute.
He didn't collapse, though. Shintaro had told him to go wait in the living room for him, saying that he was going to go get them some snacks and maybe a movie to watch. Haruka set his sketchbook down onto a table and flopped ont the couch, curling up with one of the pillows. It still smelled of Shintaro, and he blushed at the realization. He held onto it tightly, breathing in the scent.
"Haruka?" Haruka started with a jolt, bolting upright. He hadn't noticed when Shintaro walked in. His face flushed, and he clutched at the pillow with trembling fingers. "You don't look so well." Shintaro muttered, crossing the threshold. He placed his forehead against Haruka's, their faces almost touching. "You feel warm. Do you have a fever or something?" He asked, concern showing in his eyes. Haruka could barely breathe. Shintaro was so clse to him, it couldn't possibly be real.
"Ah, I get it." Haruka muttered. "This must be a dream. Shintaro wouldn't be this nice if it were reality." He said, lifting his hands to cup Shintaro's face. "Then, it's fine if I do this?" He whispered, moving closer and letting his eyes flutter shut.
"H-haruka? What are you talking abou-" Shintaro started, only to have his sentence cut off midway by soft flesh. Shintaro stared dimly at the boy in front of his, and it suddenly dawned on him. Haruka's lips were on his own. There he was, in the middle of his living room, just an ordinary afternoon after a long day of school, and Haruka was kissing him. His cheeks suddenly burned and time seemed to slow down. His mind reeled with a million thoughts at once, but none of them were as prominent as one – Haruka's lips felt really nice against his own. Shintaro pressed his lips back against Haruka's gently, letting his eyes close as well. The kiss only lasted for a fleeting moment, though, ending with Haruka gasping in surprise and practically flying across the room away from him.
"A-ah.." Haruka stammered. "I-I'm s-sorr..." he murmured, trailing off. Shintaro's face burned with embarrassment, Haruka's face an equally red.
"..'s fine." Shintaro muttered, sitting awkwardly on the couch. Without looking up, he patted on the cushion next to him. "Wanna watch some t.v.?" He asked, glancing up at Haruka. Shintaro could only stare, seeing Haruka's face light up as he spoke. Haruka bounded over and plopped himself down onto the couch next to him, snuggling up against Shintaro. Shintaro sighed, ruffling Haruka's hair. "What a dork." He muttered, leaning against the couch and allowing Haruka to burrow his head into the crook of his neck. Shintaro could feel his smile against the skin of his neck, and smiled a tiny smile as well. These afternoon school days weren't so boring after all.