"Why are you looking at me like that?" Rikuo stopped fiddling with his tie to locked eyes with a sullen Kazahaya. His hand still bandaged from their last job making this simple task nearly impossible.

"So you're going out with her again?" Kazahaya leaned against the door frame, crossing and uncrossing his arms.

"Of course I am. It's part of the job."

"Do you like her?"

"That's a stupid question." Rikuo looked down at his tie then back up into the mirror, catching Kazahaya looking madder than before. "Are you jealous?" Unable to suppress a teasing smirk at his roommate's expense. "You're supposed to call me a name or something. Isn't that how this usually goes between us?"

Rikuo's playful expression quickly giving way to a searching look when he realized his roommate had become uncharacteristically quiet.

"Not this time." Kazahaya answered softly, looking away. "I don't think it's very funny."

"What's gotten into you?" His voice kinder than his words. "You are jealous, aren't you?"

Rikuo turned to face Kazahaya who still refused to make eye contact, letting his gaze fall onto Rikuo's tie instead. Kazahaya pushed himself off the door frame and slid his hands gently past Rikuo's in a feeble attempt to help. Kazahaya's lack of knowledge with such things was even more useless than Rikuo's injured hand. Rikuo's attention lingered on Kazahaya's face, mentally willing him to look up. Finally green eyes clash into his own and the hurt in the them shows . He brought his uninjured hand up to Kazahaya's cheek.

"Don't you look handsome." Kakei exclaimed as he entered the room.

The boys jumped apart. Rikuo turned back to the mirror to continue fighting with his tie.

"Here let me." Kakei gracefully knotted it perfectly, "There." He stepped back to admire his work.

"Kazahaya," Kakei playfully questioned him, "don't you think Rikuo looks dashing in this suit?"

Kazahaya balled up his fists and dashed out of the room. Rikuo watched him go, steeling his expression against Kakei's questioning glance.

"What's gotten into him I wonder," Kakei's tone played at being clueless.

In the other room Kazahaya tried not to think about how perfect Rikuo and Yume looked together. How they both smiled so brightly in each others' company. Never had Rikuo responded to female attention. Every time girls swarmed the drugstore to flirt with him, Rikuo always remained stoic and unaffected. But this woman was different. Why? The only conclusion Kazahaya could draw was that Rikuo was in love with her. The thought made Kazahaya's stomach clench.

The entire time Rikuo was out Kazahaya could do nothing other than lay in his bed facing the wall, waiting for the world to end. It felt like his world was ending, anyway. He barely heard Rikuo come home and when he did he found tears had sprung to his eyes. Kazahaya resolved himself not to turn over as he blinked away the tears.

"Hey, Kazahaya. You awake?"

Kazahaya rolled his eyes but remained still.

"Hey, lazy, wake up." Lifting a foot to shove Kazahaya was all it took to make him forget his plan to never speak to his roommate ever again. He launched himself off the bed to pull himself up as straight as he could against Rikuo's impressive height.

"Who are you calling lazy!?"

"Settle down. I need help this." He gestured to his tie with his hurt hand.

Kazahaya softened quickly. That recent injury was an ever present reminder of how Rikuo had once again selflessly protected Kazahaya. Over and over again, Rikuo sacrificed himself and his own safety to protect Kazahaya. And each time Kazahaya grew more and more confused over how he felt about that. It use to make him mad, originally thinking it was Rikuo's way of showing Kazahaya how useless he is but now he knows that isn't the case at all. He genuinely doesn't want any harm to come to him. Shyly Kazahaya closed the space between them and with trembling hands that he pretends to himself are just left over from his rage, he set to work untying the perfect knot Kakei had made hours earlier. Hoping for a better vantage, he gently pushed Rikuo down to sit on the bed behind him. Pulling at the knot with his slender fingers it's trickier than he was expecting. Leaning in, he unconsciously chewed his lower lip, forcing Rikuo to suppress a giggle. He faltered and a tiny snicker slipped out causing Kazahaya to snap his eyes up.

"What's so funny?" Kazahaya hissed.

"You. You always look so cute when you're concentrating." He had meant to say dumb instead of cute but it was there and Rikuo did his best to maintain his cool exterior. Kazahaya however, visibly shaken by the complement, continued to stare wide eyed at his roommate with the tie still in hand.

A hundred ideas flew thru Kazahaya's mind, one of which involved pulling on Rikuo's tie. Whether he wanted to do that to choke him or pull his face closer to his own, he wasn't entirely sure. Rikuo, under the spell of the dumbfounded and very inviting look on Kazahaya's face couldn't stop his hand from reaching up to touch Kazahaya's cheek.

"You asked me earlier...about Yume." His tried to clear the roughness from his voice.

Her name snapped Kazahaya out of his confusion. Anger was a good emotion to cling to, he decided, there's nothing confusing about anger.

At Kazahaya's reaction Rikuo pulled himself back together and brought his hand quickly away.

"What about her? Kazahaya pressed his lips into a thin line and his eyes narrowed.

"Why does she make you so angry?"

Without answering, Kazahaya straightened up and stomped towards the door.

"Look, it was just a job. I enjoyed her company, yes…" He stood and crossed the room in two big strides, cutting Kazahaya off before he could reach the door.

Leaning down to get right in his face to hold him there. Kazahaya tried to slip past but Rikuo grabbed him first, shoving him against the wall so he couldn't get away.

"But I don't like her the way I think you think I do."

Kazahaya looked down, embarrassment clearly written on his face.

"I don't…Shit, I don't even know why I'm telling you this." He took a deep breath. "I….I don't...I don't like girls!"

Consumed with a warring mix of fear and relief, Rikuo felt exposed and vulnerable from his confession. Looking down at his roommate, regret seeped into his marrow, certain that Kazahaya would want nothing more to do with him. And clearly by the way he refused to look up at Rikuo, it was true.

Kazahaya's wide eyes starred down at their feet in shock. And probably disgust, Rikuo assumed. Feeling naked, waiting for his roommate to lash out. This confession had been building on the tip of his tongue for a long while. He so desperately wanted Kazahaya to know how he felt, who he really is, but fear of his rejection was too great. His worst fears had come true as Kazahaya began to tremble under the hands still holding him against the wall. All those times they had joked, their playful banter, the times Kazahaya had called him a pervert, and now he knew the truth. Things would never be the same between them again. Rikuo wished he could take it all back. As much as Kazahaya annoyed him, he would never be able to give him up; couldn't bear the thought of him not being around.

Slowly, Kazahaya brought his wide eyes up to Rikuo's. Those eyes that had entranced him since he first saw them looking up at him when he lay dying in the snow, fluttering under heavy lashes. He had felt an attraction he couldn't resist. Rikuo shut his eyes, wincing at the pain those eyes caused him now. Waiting for the inevitable. His grip loosened and he let his hands fall back down to his sides. Rikuo startled when felt the unexpected pressure of Kazahaya's hands sliding up to his shoulders. No doubt to push him away, Rikuo thought miserably to himself. Whatever Kazahaya planned to do, whatever way he lashed out, Rikuo had made up his mind to just take it. But instead of being pushed away he felt arms encircling his neck, pulling him down. Rising up on tip toes, Kazahaya brushed a timid kiss against Rikuo's lips. Rikuo's breath hitched at the contact, frozen with surprise. That was not the reaction he expected, not by a long shot. Suddenly it occurred to Rikuo that Kazahaya was probably being manipulated involuntarily by the contact between them. It had happened before and his heart sank. He reached his hands up to pull Kazahaya's away but stopped when he heard Kazahaya whisper his name against his lips.

"Rikuo. I think I have something to tell you too."