"She knows this feeling all too well. She feels her heart begin to swell. Handsome stranger, you have- heck!"
Mezou was only half paying attention, at first he mistook the music for something someone was listening to on their phone until he heard the sound of a sour note and the innocent cursing... And the fact that he's right next to the music room. Wow, Mezou, observational skills are super on the mark today!
He pokes his head into the doorway the room to find none other than Hisakawa, sitting on a stool with his back turned to him. In front of him was a device attached to a laptop, presumably a microphone based on the guitar in the smaller boy's hands.
Now, Mezou knew that the first year could play; he and Jirou bonded over the love for music, once Mezou was even able to stay while they played together. He doesn't even remember what he had come to Jirou's room for that day anymore, all he could think of was music. The sweet voice that resonated with the sounds of a guitar played by almost expert hands stuck in his head for at least a week.
He wouldn't say that he fell for the boy's music; it's ridiculous to claim such a thing, almost as ridiculous as "love at first sight." Both things based on such frivolous notions... But it helped him fall for everything else.
Gold eyes that lit up in every sense of the word. An endearing shyness that made his voice as soft as the rest of him and made him seem smaller than he really was. The way his hands moved when he talked, or when they flapped out of overflowing joy. His love and devotion for his friends and family. His unwavering kindness.
... God, no wonder some of the others figured it out so fast, he's fucking gone for this boy.
In the time that Mezou took to lose himself in his thoughts before coming back to reality, the subject of those thoughts had started the song back up. He was able to hold the song for a little while longer before he just stops and lets out another "curse." To Mezou, it sounded fine, but then again maybe he's missing something. He was never one to pay too much attention to music... Maybe until now. Regardless, he chooses this moment to stop watching like a creep and actually talk to this boy.
"Hey," he greets simply as he softly knocks on the doorframe.
Even with the gentle approach, though, Hisakawa still yelps and practically jolts out of his skin. He nearly falls off the stool grasping frantically at the guitar, narrowly avoiding it hitting the floor. He scrambles to keep himself from falling onto the floor for an almost comical amount of time until he finally gets the stool and himself upright. His body is stiff as he looks back at Mezou, guitar clutched closely to his chest and face beginning to get redder by the second.
He stares for a few moments of awkward silence before he gives a small wave."... Hi, Shouji."
Mezou takes this opportunity to step inside, the other's face almost seeming to get redder as he approaches. He must be imagining things. "Is everything alright? You seem to be having trouble."
"Oh, you heard that?" The younger boy laughs nervously, one hand releasing his guitar to run his hands through the back of his head, where his hair is shaved down. He seems to be debating whether he wants to tell Mezou, which was understandable. Whatever he's doing isn't any of his business in the first place. He's about to say this when Hisakawa continues, "it's just... I-I can't seem to get this song right... I don't know why, though, I've been practicing this song all week and I was- I was doing really good yesterday... It's just been a really, really off day, I guess... First I couldn't find my pencil so I had to borrow Sora's, but then I found it in my pocket an hour later so I had to give- I had to give it back to her... Then my dad mentioned during lunch that Cabbage has been acting weird, which is normal with him, though he really is just a good cat like all the others and I don't understand why people say he's weird... But Dad said that he's been acting more weird, so- so I'm a little concerned, but I bet he just..." He shakes his head. "S-Sorry, I'm rambling! Ah, the point is that I've been stuck on this song... But- But it's okay, really! I'll just keep practicing!"
Logically, Mezou has no reason to stay at this point. He should wish him luck and leave him be. He's an accomplished guitarist and has a lovely voice, he'll get through it... But it's unherolike to just leave him hanging. Mezou may not be musically inclined, but he's got to have some kind of advice to give, or at least some support... He has a very good reason to stay that totally doesn't involve his gay crush. Being supportive is what friends do. Totally heterosexual and platonic.
"... Well," he begins, "you could play a song you already know? Just to take a break from whichever one you're doing right now? Maybe that'll help? Although, I don't really have any advice for the cat issue. Your dad's on his own."
Haru lets out a short laugh, and the fluffy mass of hair on the top of his head almost seems to bounce at the slightest movement. "I think I'll try it!" He pauses a moment, biting his lip in hesitancy before speaking again. "Could you, uh... Maybe stay and listen? So I have a second opinion?"
"Uh... Sure, I'd love to." Mezou moves back and sits on the couch nearby, watching as Haru looks around and picks a guitar pick off the ground, dropped from the scare earlier.
He adjusts his hold on the guitar with a nervous little smile and runs the pick over the strings, a little melody ringing through the air. He's quiet for a moment more before his face, particularly his eyes, lights up and adjusts his seating on the stool before he begins to play.. The melody carries on for a moment before the boy starts to sing.
"Everything you do it sends me/ Higher than the moon with every twinkle in your eye/ You strike a match that lights my heart on fire..."
Mezou's never heard this song before, nor the other song Haru had been trying to play... But to be completely honest, he wouldn't mind it if his version is the only version he's ever going to hear. Somehow, he doubts that the original can top this
... Nevermind, this isn't heterosexual in the slightest... Nor is it platonic. At least, not on Mezou's end. Though the flushed cheeks and shy smile on the first year's face as he played let him pretend that it was mutual.
Before long, the song was finished, and Hisakawa lowers the guitar to drink from a water bottle nearby. He still seems rather meek and nervous, drinking more from the bottle than Mezou thought someone his size could take at one time. Maybe he's nervous about performing in front of someone? He had done so with Jirou, but then again that was with someone... Whatever, it's fine.
With an unseen encouraging smile, Mezou claps for the other in congratulations. "You did really good. I'm very impressed."
The flush deepened on the other's face. "Tha-Thank you!"
"Sure, it's the truth, after all. Now do you think-"
"I like you, Mezou!"
... Wait, what?
Mezou was taken by surprise at the proclamation, his face starting to burn as he process what was just blurted out to him. Did he hear that right? His quiet, awkward pining wasn't a waste of time for once?
Hisakawa's eyes grew to become the size of dinner plates. His posture became stiff while the grip on his guitar tightened and he held it in front of his chest. He averted his eyes and began to babble again, "I... I'm- I'm sorry, I just... I just used your n- your first name, didn't I? An- And that came out nowhere, didn't it? I just- I just- I wasn't trying to make this weird or anything, I- I- I-"
Mezou could tell that he was starting to get worked up, so he approached slowly, addressing him clearly but not too loud or harsh so he doesn't scare him. "His- Haruki- Haruki, hold on a second. Listen to me." The other stops rambling, but he takes a moment to look at Mezou. He only looks him in the eyes for a second, but that's not uncommon. The larger of the two takes a deep breath to steady himself. He didn't think he'd be able to do this yet, but it wouldn't be fair not to admit this now. "... Haru, I have to come clean. I like you too. Like... In the not straight way."
This earns a small, shy laugh out of him. He pushes some brown locks out of his reddening face. He doesn't say anything, instead biting his lip and looking at the ground as if trying to consider something... Maybe what to say, it seems like the right situation for that.
It's now or never, Mezou decides as he continues, "... If... If it's okay with you, Haru... I'd like to be able to be called your boyfriend... If you'll have me, of course-"
He's cut off once more by the smaller boy tackling him- well, sort of. Mezou doesn't really stumble, but there's a weight being thrown at him. He looks down to find that the weight was a whole ass boy wrapping his arms around his neck.
There's his answer, he supposes, wrapping all six of his arms around the shy little thing that decided to steal his heart.
Who knew that accidentally spying on someone would get you a cute boyfriend?
I was working on this, and then I wrote my TF2 oneshot, then two days later I came back to finish this. are you proud of me for getting out two gay things in two days? bc I'm proud of myself for getting out two gay things in two days. I hope you liked it!
btw, the song at the beginning is "Absolutely Smitten" by Dodie Clark!