Aren't good friends good? Hahha not that I have the most experience with that, but my loneliness is my own doing and I can admit that XD Anyway, it gets a tiiiny bit mature at the end of this chapter, so onward!

It isn't that hard to catch a chicken, so I don't really get why Toujou asks me to help him do it. I mean, they're friendly birds and used to everyone being around, so why does he need help getting one? When I step in the muddy grass, I guess I can see how running might be hard this way, maybe, but there should be no need to run. Well, until the chicken in question keeps avoiding me. It's like she doesn't want me near her, staying a few steps ahead of me the whole time. "Why're you doing this?" I mumble out loud. When I pick up the pace, she does, too. This has never been a problem before! "Stop walking away! I'm trying to help you. It's not my fault you escaped." The silly animal managed to sneak out of the henhouse, probably not knowing that it just rained. Our chickens don't like rain. "Cooperate, will you? I'm not a stranger!" I sigh, slowing to a stop. If I scare her, it might rattle her little heart. I know the cold, wet yard is bothering her, but there has to be another reason she's not acting normal. The chickens haven't been outside in muddy weather for a while, so they also haven't seen me in my raincoat. "Is my jacket bothering you?" Really, they get scared over the weirdest things! One time, someone left a glove on the floor of the coop and not a single bird would step down in the same space it was lying in. Even though it's still cloudy, it isn't raining, so I drape my jacket over the fence and try to get near the chicken again. "Better now, little lady?" I laugh when she lets me lift her off the ground. On our way back to her home, we stay far away from my bright yellow coat and I don't ask her any more questions. I do have one for Toujou, though, when I see him in the coop. "Did you know that was gonna happen?"

Toujou tries to hide a smile and fails so bad at it. "Did I know what would happen?"

"You know what!" I laugh. "She hated my jacket, and I think you knew she would. Now I have to go get it and face the cold unprepared." Toujou just laughs as I head to the door. "I hope you're happy!" My smile doesn't last when I step through the doorway, the rain suddenly back with a vengeance. And here I am, standing without a raincoat. "Perfect." I sigh, running from the shelter out into the rain with nothing to keep me dry. When I grab my jacket, I don't bother putting it on 'cause I'm already soaked and what'd be the point now? I've gotta shower and get ready to drive to the city anyway. A hooded figure is in my path, though, stooped over a pile of bags. Upon closer inspection, I realize it's my own mother. "Mom, what're you doing?"

Her frustrated look changes to one that's more an annoyed look, but I don't know why. She shakes her head and sets a bag down. "Eijun, what in the world are you doing out here without your coat? The storm is only gonna get worse!"

To be fair, I had my coat with me! "There's a very good reason why I'm carrying my jacket and not wearing it." I hold it up to show the proof. "I did have it on, but I had to take it off. The chickens didn't like it, and I couldn't get a hold of one while wearing it. I had no choice! But it wasn't raining until just a moment ago, and that was some bad luck on my part, but entirely out of my control."

"You need some hot tea, then a hot shower."

I nod, ready to take her advice. "That's the plan!"

"Though I do need to ask a favor of you." She smiles and glances down at the bags, probably prepared to throw the mother card at me. "These new garden seeds are too heavy for me to move myself and they're getting rained on. Could you give me a hand here, please?"

Even if she didn't ask nicely, there's no other answer but yes. "Sure! I have a few extra minutes." Being the good son I am, I don't ask her any follow up questions about this chore. I just toss my jacket aside and get to work, figuring I'll be able to shower and pick something decent to wear with barely enough time to not be late. Well, it turns out that these aren't the only bags she needs moved across the farm, and the storm she mentioned is picking up fast. "This is not a two person job!" I remind her while lugging too many bags across the grass, the rain not bothering to show some mercy on me.

"We're almost done!"

"We?" I sigh, knowing that I'm running out of time without even having to look at a clock. "Did you forget I have somewhere to be?"

This only gets me scolded at and, in fact, does not make things go faster. By the time we're done, I have several messages and missed calls on my phone and no time to find something new to wear when I finish the fastest shower I've ever taken in my life. I guess I'll have to deal with muddy boots and old suspenders tonight. The last call was from Raichi, so I call him up on speaker, tossing my bag in the truck and speeding off. "Where are you? We've all been here waiting!" His words are almost lost in the racket going on behind him. It's never busy this time of week, but it's so noisy!

"I'm on my way! Just have a drink and enjoy yourselves. I'll be there as soon as I can." I make good on this promise, rushing down every street to limit how late I am. I don't make any wrong turns or go down any stupid one-way roads this time! The lights don't distract me as much as I pass the random buildings, blurring into the background behind me. Parking is still hell, though, and I have to circle around a couple times before I find a spot and practically run into the restaurant. The hostess uses my name to say hi, not asking where I want to sit or if I'm with a group. She knows I know my way around and lets me navigate through the place on my own. I'm pretty sure I recognize that laughter, so I follow the noise coming from the back. At the bar, Kuramochi is showing off some fancy drink making skills for a small crowd. As I get closer, I notice the crowd is made up of my friends! "You're all here!" I shout so they can hear.

"Eijun!" Wakana turns with a grin.

"You made it!" Raichi adds.

"In one piece, I see." Haruichi nods. Wait, why isn't he in his uniform? And neither is Furuya!

I point at the two of them, casually seated with my other friends. "How come you two aren't busy working right now?"

"It's a slow day of the week." Furuya shrugs.

Haruichi pats the seat next to him with a smile. "We never see you, so we got the night off. Care to join us?"

Wakana gestures towards the bar while I sit. "We were just watching your friend here mix drinks, even if these two won't touch anything but beer." She waves a hand at Raichi and Sanada, smiling anyway while they share a secret I can't hear. "Do you recommend anything, Eijun?"

"Everything I've had here is good, but I haven't had anything with alcohol so far."

"Maybe I'll let him decide, then." Wakana sends a smile Kuramochi's way. "Since he knows what he's doing."

Even though I totally agree with her, I don't get to say so. I'm too distracted by how red the bartender's face has gotten! "Kuramochi! I've never seen you blush before in my life." I laugh at the color painting his cheeks, even after he throws a rag at me.

"I'm not, dumbass!" He scowls, but I think he knows I'm right. "It's just warm back here."

Well, that's a lie. "Yeah, whatever you say." I laugh and ask for any drink as long as it has bubbles and cherries. "So, has it been busy?" I yawn. "Tuesdays are usually pretty slow."

"It's been rather empty." Haruichi replies. "Miyuki probably isn't very busy."

When did I mention anything about Miyuki Kazuya? Can Haruichi read my mind? He's smiling like he can, that's for sure. "Has anyone ordered anything? I'm pretty hungry." My drink is almost good enough to make me forget my growling stomach!

"You're always hungry." Furuya mentions.

Raichi laughs, setting a menu down. "Between us, Eijun, we could eat an entire grocery store!"

While my friends laugh, Kuramochi leans a bit towards me. "If you and chef are dating, why not just ask to see him instead of having to order one of everything? Your little games are annoying as hell." He rolls his eyes.

"Is that how you speak to customers, Youichi?" Haruichi shakes his head with a forced sigh, disappointed in Kuramochi. "What would our boss say?"

"That your guilt trip won't work on me this time! Not when I'm dealing with Sawamoron." Mochi eventually takes our orders down, picking them out from all the joking and laughing around him. He even manages to make small talk with them while doing it! "I'll be back, weirdos." He smirks as he leaves the bar. Sometimes I wonder if he prefers talking with strangers instead of friends. Maybe he's better with smaller groups of friends? Either way, it's nice that he's not in a bad mood!

"So you're getting more time behind the bar? Is it fun working with him?" I ask Haruichi.

My friends overhear, asking him more questions about drinks and working behind the bar. Wakana wants to know if he can do fancy tricks, too, and Sanada wants to know how he got started in the business. He answers politely, having to repeat a few things since he doesn't have a loud voice. He's a good sport about it, I think! Furuya already knows the answers to these questions, so he turns to me and talks about his schoolwork. "One of my projects requires pictures, so you and Haruichi can come with me to the exhibit." He says, talking about a presentation on campus.

"I can be there!" I nod, happy to go anywhere with them, really. Apparently the conversation with Haruichi is over 'cause my friends start to ask Furuya questions about his studies and school in general. Even Raichi asks questions, curious about what university is like. Me and Haruichi help out with some of the conversation, knowing that Furuya might struggle a little. Our Monster has never been too confident in crowds! It isn't much longer until Kuramochi comes back with some plates and takes care of refills. My friends from home have been here a while, I think, judging by the bottles and coasters on their end. To my other side, my city friends are slowly working their way to another round, no empties in sight yet. The point of coming out tonight was for all of them to hang out, but also to get to know my boyfriend more, but I haven't even seen him. I gesture for Kuramochi to lean forward so I can whisper. "Was he busy?" I mean, there aren't many others here and I'd like to see Kazuya.

Kuramochi shrugs. "Still working on your orders. He'll be out soon."

Fine then. I make a face, getting a pat on my back from Wakana. "Don't worry, he'll be here to join the fun in no time!"

"And with your food." Furuya adds with a tiny smile. "Don't forget that."

They're right, I know, but I've had a long day and I want to see my boyfriend's dumb face so maybe I'll feel less tired, or something. I try to join in the conversation about growing up without siblings, laughing here and there, but in the end I switch seats with Furuya so he can better answer questions and I nod along with a smile. "Such sad eyes on such a cute human should be a crime." A voice I'd know anywhere says, sliding my drink aside to make way for my dinner. I blink up at him, not sure why seeing him makes me feel more relaxed. "You alright, honey?" Kazuya asks in a quiet voice.

Funny how I can hear him over my friends. "What do you mean?"

"You don't look like this when you're happy."

I'm not unhappy, really. I was even in a conversation! When I yawn, though, I guess I do feel off my game. "This is the first time I've gotten to sit all day." I shrug. "I guess I'm just beat."

"You never know when to quit, do you?" He sighs, folding his arms across his chest.

"I can't quit!" I don't mean to be so loud, but he doesn't understand how much I have to work if I'm gonna prove myself. "There's too much that has to be done, and I can't rest just because I'm tired." Even though he frowns, I tell him about everything that came up aside from my regular duties. There was the fallen tree, a flat tire, unsorted paperwork, the chicken, the seeds. "I didn't even get a chance to dress nicer."

"You look like Eijun." Kazuya shrugs. "And I kind of like him."

"But I didn't wanna show up in work clothes! There was too much work to do, though." I try to ignore his skeptical glare, but it isn't easy. "What was I supposed to do? Say no and have other people do it, even if it's not their job?"

"So it's your job?" Kazuya arches an eyebrow. "It being your family's farm, I'd figure you wouldn't be so hands on. Why don't you have a specified field, anyway?"

Hasn't he ever heard a word I've said about my work? I sigh, feeling like he should know this by now. "That'd be too boring, and I'm not just some hired help paid to pick potatoes out of the ground! I want the name on our gate to refer to me, and the only way that'll happen is if I can do it all myself and make it look easy. How else will my family trust me with the entire farm?" They have to see that I'm serious about taking over one day, and that I'm not just playing farmer.

Something in Kazuya's face softens, like maybe he's not glaring anymore. He adjusts his glasses, sighing again. "I get it, but you're human. Even you have limits, Eijun. Keep at least one foot on the ground. Don't be stupid and push yourself too far."

"I'm okay, Kazuya." I think he's concerned about me, but probably won't say so, and I don't want him to worry. "Just need a little rest and a lot of food." My dinner is waiting for me, so I dig in. "My friends are excited to see you again! I'm sure they'd like to hear about your creative process behind what they're eating." I gesture towards the loud group beside us. "They've all been drinking, so maybe an easy crowd." It's hard not to laugh at how animated Sanada gets when he's had a few, or how giggly Wakana and Haruichi get when they're tipsy.

"I bet." Kazuya smirks, glancing at the empty bottles and glasses. He opens his mouth to say something more, but every light in the place flickers off for a second, causing a collective gasp from everyone around us, followed by nervous laughter. "Is it still raining?"

I nod, swallowing before speaking. "Supposed to be a bad storm. Will the power stay on?"

Kazuya shrugs, looking up. "Yeah, probably. So, I want to know how that is when you've finished, alright?" He points at my plate, skewers garnished with a fresh salad.

Smiling comes easily now, my whole being more relaxed. "Sure thing, chef!"

Throughout the night, joining the fun gets easier. It's nice to laugh with a group of good folks, nice to unwind and absorb all the positive energy they're sharing. More drinks are ordered, and more food is, too, taking Kazuya away from us for a few minutes each time. Everyone ignores me when I say to stop eating so I can see my boyfriend, and they talk all about him when he's in the kitchen, asking about normal things and things that aren't their business. At one point, I wonder if they're ordering more and more food on purpose just to gossip. "Making me earn my keep. Is this revenge for something, Sawamura?" Kuramochi grumbles behind the bar. "I've never had such a busy Tuesday."

I shake my head with a laugh, twirling a cherry in my drink. "No! My friends don't get out much."

"Yeah." He stares at Sanada, throwing food over Wakana's head and into Raichi's mouth. "I fucking see that. Is this happening all night?"

"No, they're probably gonna call it soon. Furuya's falling asleep, and I'm pretty sure Sanada can't stand all on his own." They went pretty hard on drinks before eating, honestly. I've seen them all worse, so I'm not worried. What does make me worry, just a little, is when the power finally goes out for good a few minutes later. It isn't total darkness, phones lighting up my friends' faces, but it's pretty inconvenient! "Does this mean you're closing?"

Kuramochi scoffs. "Looks like it, moron. Time to get your friends outta here!"

"They actually have rooms here in town, but I'm not sure how to get them there." I turn my phone flashlight on, annoyed at being stuck in the dark.

"Not my problem." Kuramochi mumbles. "I guess I can handle Haruichi and Furuya, but you have to deal with the others."

With a nod, I stand up just as Kazuya comes back with more food for me, discounted at the boyfriend rate. "Shall I make this takeaway?" He leans on the counter, inching closer to see me. I use a tiny kiss to thank him for spoiling me. "We have to close now."

"I need to get my friends to their hotel. I'm not sure they can manage." They are currently using Sanada's phone to make shadow puppets on the ceiling, so there's that. I laugh, turning back to Kazuya. "Do you have that app that gets someone to drive them places?" Looking through my phone doesn't give me any answers, and only causes him to make fun of me. "It's not my fault I forgot the name of that driving thing!"

Kazuya laughs and has the nerve to kiss my forehead after. "You know where they're staying? I can drop them off."

There's an idea! "Yeah, I do." I tell him the name of the hotel and wait for him to pack up to leave. "They made room reservations as soon as we knew we'd be hanging out here. That was a pretty good idea, I think." I admit while I herd them outside.

He laughs at their attempts to sober up and get in his car in an orderly fashion while the rain soaks us all. "Yeah, I guess they anticipated overindulging."

Before we take off, Kuramochi manages to get Haruichi and Furuya in his car. "Thanks for making me a taxi!" He shouts at me. I just wanted to make sure they're taken care of, but he's the one who offered to give them rides! He's lucky they're not the loud kind of drunks or his drive would feel like a million years.

"You're not a taxi if you're not getting paid." Kazuya smirks.

"Fuck you, Miyuki."

This shouldn't make me laugh, but it does. "Thanks again! Tell me when you get home." I wave at Kuramochi.

"Fine, whatever. You owe me one!" He says before driving away.

Kazuya finally shuts the door for my friends, now that they've all buckled up. "You worried about him?"

"Kuramochi?" He nods. "No, but if he's home, everyone's home."

I don't expect him to open my door and wait for me to get in during such nasty weather, but I do appreciate it! When we're on the road, he turns to me. "Have you considered getting a room of your own?"

Um, for what? I'm not drunk! "What do you mean?"

"My door's open."

"You do know I'm completely sober, right?"

"I'm entirely aware."

There's no reason I can't drive back home myself, then, even in a storm. Unless…he just wants me to stay. That must be it! I haven't been to his place since before we were dating. "Does this mean I'm allowed in other rooms in your apartment, and not just the living room and bathroom?"

"Don't act like you're banned from the kitchen."

I laugh, watching the wipers try to clear the rain from the windshield. "How could I have left that room out?" My friends are a lot quieter now than they were a few minutes ago, so I turn back to see what's up. Raichi is playing with the bracelet Wakana's wearing as she hums a song I don't know while Sanada snores on his boyfriend's shoulder. Maybe it's for the best the party ended earlier than we meant! "It's cool if I leave my truck at the bar?"

"So you're taking me up on my offer?"

Well, duh! "Obviously, dummy." I jab his arm. "Don't leave me out in the storm!"

"So dramatic." He says that, but I see his smile! At the hotel, we help the others to the door, ignoring how hard the rain's coming down now. Wakana promises to text me when they're safely in their rooms, and I believe her. I might not be able to make sense of her message when she sends it, but at least I'll know they're alright!

Back in the car, I squeeze Kazuya's hand. "Do you have anything dessertish at your place? I saved room."

He pokes my belly. "How?"

"Miyuki Kazuya, do you have dessert or not?"

"No, but if you're desperate, I can make you something. Want a milkshake?"

Didn't he say he had no sweets? I let out a sigh at his lack of understanding. "How can you make a milkshake if you have no ice cream?"

"You don't need it." He shrugs. Now, this just doesn't make sense! For some reason, Kazuya laughs at me and shakes his head. "Trust me, okay? I haven't lost my mind. Don't look at me like that." Since I do trust him, I don't ask about it again. He's proven that he's more than okay in a kitchen, so he must know what he's doing. When we're at his apartment, I watch him scatter things on the counter next to a blender, like cream and berries and sugar. I'm glad he still has power here! "You're not used to being up this late, are you?" He asks while getting ice.

"What gave it away?" I yawn.

"I wonder." Kazuya scoffs. "Look, I understand that you want the farm and that your family might not fully be on board with that at present. I get it. But you don't have to do it all on your own." He pauses to turn the blender on, staring at me the whole time. "You…you have family and friends who work with you, too. You'll always have support from other workers, and that's…well, that's a good thing, right? Even if you can do everything by yourself, you don't have to."

It turns out he does know how to make a milkshake without ice cream. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand before talking. "I can't take a break from proving myself, Kazuya."

"You don't think doing every imaginable task is proving yourself?"

"I mean, yeah, but I can't stop! Then I'll be a slacker and when the time comes, who'd wanna hand the property over?" I won't stop doing my best, even if it kills me. "They need to see that I'm the best at this."

He sighs, suddenly frowning. "You're their son." Kazuya takes his glasses off to rub his eyes. "They know you. They can see you doing everything, even if it's outside your skillset."

"That's part of the job."

"It's not!" Hearing him raise his voice is weird, even if it's slight. I don't like it. He shoves his glasses back on. "Being a hard worker doesn't mean working nonstop. You can prove yourself without having to do that."

For a minute, I thought he was trying to push my goals aside. Like, suggesting that I'd be better off doing something else other than farming, or farming less. His volume, though, shows that something more is bothering him. He has a weird way of showing how much he cares! "Is this about our talk earlier?"

"What talk?"

"When I said I was tired but fine, and you said I don't know when to quit."

Kazuya sighs again. "You're clearly exhausted, yet you refuse to do anything about it. Why do you think you have to jump through hoops when you're part of their family? You shouldn't have to prove so much to people you're related to."

"But that's just it!" I set my empty glass aside. "That's why I need to do it!"

It takes a moment for my words to make sense to him. He just stares, but I can tell his brain is wrestling with something on the inside. "You want to be seen for your skills, not for your blood." Kazuya finally says. I nod, having gone through this thought process on my own many times. Sure, it'd be easy to just pass the farm through the family, but I want to earn it. I want to deserve that on my own, and that can only be done through years of building up their trust in me. "Just…just take care of yourself, alright?"

His voice is quiet again, eyes on the countertop. Work and family…not topics he likes to get into. I'll fix that. "I'll try not to make you worry, dearest." I walk over and hug him from behind. He covers my hands with his, lifting one up so he can kiss the back of it. I can't help but smile when he puts my hand back to hug him. "You're right, though, I am tired. Will you go to bed with me?"

Kazuya laughs a little, which I feel more than hear. "Yeah." He tugs one of my suspenders. "Let's go."

I follow him to his room, curious what it looks like. The lamp doesn't give off much light, but the room looks cozy enough and the warm scent reminds me of hugs and happiness. "I think I like it!" I nod, grabbing his hands in mine. Instead of saying something, he moves my hands to the buttons of his shirt with a small smile. I laugh at this clear invitation, and we undress each other in the dim lamplight without any kind of rush. Every time I see him without clothes, I remember how lucky I am. His eyes are on me, so does he feel lucky, too? Before we can climb in bed, a rumble outside, somewhere not too far off, means the storm's brought thunder with it. "Did you hear that?" I turn to Kazuya in time to see him nod before he walks over to the window to close the curtains better. "Are you scared?" If my tone doesn't show that I'm joking, me poking him in the ribs surely will! He swats my hand away, smirking at me.

"No, but you'll protect me anyway, right?" Kazuya drapes his arms around me.

"Then who's gonna protect me?"

He squeezes me in a hug, not too tight and not too quick. "Do you feel safe right now?"

Seeing his soft side always makes me feel safe. "Yeah."

"Then I guess I'm the right man for the job."

Another roar of thunder and a flash of lightning outside interrupts us, even with the curtains drawn. "Sounds real close, doesn't it?" I lean back against Kazuya, shutting my eyes and enjoying my skin against his. "Don't let me go."

His mouth finds my neck, arms tightening around me. "Why would I want to?" That's a very good argument, actually. I want to say so to Kazuya, but I can't. Not when he's kissing me this way with all desire and no mercy, pulling me into his bed for the first time. When we part for air, he leans toward my ear. "You're my favorite flavor. You know that?" Kazuya whispers, nibbling at my ear. He knows what his dumb words do to me, and he knows I can't answer him in anything but a moan when my brain's melted into mush. I also know that it takes him apart just as much as it does to me, or else he probably wouldn't do it every time we're in bed. His mouth travels everywhere, leaving wet kisses wherever he can. He makes me forget how to think. Right when I'm taking in a really good view, hands tangled in his hair, the room goes dark.

"What happened?" I manage to ask since Kazuya hasn't seemed to notice anything happening around him.

Thunder crashes outside, shaking the entire room. Kazuya finally sits us up, flicking my forehead. "Storm knocked the power out." I can barely see his outline right in front of me, a series of shadows and shapes I'm not used to seeing in such darkness. I reach out, tracing the curve of his cheek, his forehead, his jaw, just to make sure I'm putting the pieces together right. "Eijun?" He rests a hand over mine, breathless. "Everything alright?"

As my eyes adjust, I feel like I can somehow see Kazuya. I can't really see anything, but I know exactly how he looks right now. His face is flushed, color mostly in his cheeks. His chest is rising and falling faster than usual, which is normal during bedroom activities. His hair is a little messy from where I pulled and ran my fingers through. His eyes are a weird mix of daze and care, mind blurry from all the kissing and touching but focused on the silence and sudden change in atmosphere. I don't know how I can see all of this when I can't even see my hand on his face, but I can. Maybe it's 'cause I know Kazuya so well, inside out and through and through. I find his mouth with my fingers so I don't miss my mark when I kiss him. This must be what people mean when they say you'll just know, and that things just feel right. "Yeah, I'm alright." I can feel my words hit his lips, and I get the urge to say something stupid against them. "I don't think I ever want to be anyone else's but yours." There, I said the stupid thing, and not a single part of me feels bad about dumping sugar on a cactus.

Kazuya's sudden kiss pushes me back on the bed, quickly making sure there's no space between us. It's like all the air leaves my lungs and all my words are forgotten, yet somehow, Kazuya's brain is still working. "All mine." Every touch, everywhere we connect, feels right, feels like nothing could ever feel so good. "All mine." Kazuya repeats this against my skin, and I can't control my volume or the way my body moves with his. I don't want any of it to end, to not be tangled up with him and not feel fire building inside every inch of me. I just want to stay like this, lost in passion and pleasure, where the only other person who exists is this four-eyed jerk I can't get enough of.

Does this look like a chicken? є(•⌔•)э Maybe just a bird XD Whatever: back to business! Just so I'm clear, I'm only directly shipping Sawamura and Miyuki as well as Sanada and Raichi. I left the door open for other pairings since it's not vital to the story. Next update features a little bit mature content and kicks off a major plot. ..thing hahha