A/N: We're back! In case you are only following this story, please know that we have started updating the Lettersverse series as a whole and will be posting weekly updates across the series! We already updated some sincerely chapters recently, and Forever Yours updates are in the horizon as well. Stay tuned for more! Hope you enjoy!


Ever since their return from Sendai, Yukio's life had become an almost absolute disaster. Shura, his rival in most things and the only one who could reliably push his temper buttons, was hanging around the dorms more and more often. She was sticking her nose into places, asking questions, and being overall annoying. When she wasn't dodging around his brother's questions, she was hanging off Yukio's shoulders, calling him names, poking fun at him, to the point where Yukio had snapped so completely, he'd fled the dorms to seek shelter in Renzou's room.

At first, the thought was ludicrous. Leaving his brother in a space where the only influences were Ryuuji and Shura would absolutely be unheard of to Yukio in a normal state, but after so much poking and prodding and giggling, Yukio had been successfully chased off. Not only that, but his father seemed to have the opposite goal in mind. In fact, since they had returned, Yukio had only had the chance to talk to him once before a Pharmacology class where he'd managed to corner the man in the hallway. Unfortunately, Shiro had used their limited time to his advantage and dodged each of Yukio's questions skillfully until time for class had begun and they had no choice but to stop the conversation.

Yukio realized his error as Shiro didn't allow himself to get pinned down again and, thus, the last week had been wholly infuriating and empty of answers to the questions buzzing around his head like a hive of angry wasps.

Why was she here? What was her purpose? Her plan? Why had Amiamon been in the mall? Why was his father being so dodgy with answering questions that should be cut and dry? Had they not been working together this whole time to protect Rin? Was his father still hiding things from him? He'd thought he'd known everything that was going on but-

There was a warm presence against his palm that immediately directed all of Yukio's attention. Tension he hadn't noticed he was holding released his shoulders and a breath exited his nose. His brow unwrinkled and, where he was previously glaring out the window, he merely watched as the trees passed by and his fingers carefully tightened around Renzou's hand.

Renzou. Ren-kun. He'd been his rock this past week. He'd been the one who had distracted him from his troubles, listened to his ranting, offered him comfort and his presence. A fierce surge of a powerful emotion, one that he now knew was love, rushed through him and settled deep in his chest like a warm smoldering ember.

"Hey," Renzou whispered into his ear, though there was no real need to keep his voice down, with Rin enthusiastically making noise in the background. Ryuuji's voice joined in the mix, trying to cajole Rin into calming down, but both were drowned out by Renzou's warm voice and the tightening gentle hold of his hand. Yukio was glad for the long sleeves of his coat that hid away the goosebumps that rose on his skin.

"Where'd ya go? Yer supposed to be helpin' me here," Renzou said, tapping his pencil against the notebook that was balanced on his legs.

"Sorry." Yukio offered him a smile and leaned away from the window. "This week's just been… well, you know. I've been a bit distracted." He tugged on Renzou's notebook with his free hand and leaned in a bit to read his writing. "Ah, right here. You've mixed up ghouls and zombies. Very similar, I know, but their difference lies in their origin and their resilience." Yukio immediately launched into a lecture, explaining to him what he'd missed as helpfully as he could.

"Ugh, why's there gotta be so many of these damn things?" Renzou complained, but he jotted down what Yukio was saying and corrected his answer. He was trying not to rush through the work. Though he typically did not like to spend too much time on homework, much less studying, he'd gained a bit more interest in it lately, especially when he had Yukio tutoring him. The way his cool blue eyes pierced through his glasses as he thoroughly and easily explained concepts that were sometimes too complex to understand with a first readthrough really made Renzou's heart skip a beat.

The young exorcist really had that sexy teacher vibe when his brow was furrowed in concentration. It was a little distracting honestly, but Renzou kept a great poker face, knowing he would fluster the other too much if he said anything about it.

"It's not as if we like having so many of them." Yukio smiled a bit. "Still, you understand, don't you? I know it's a hard concept to grasp, but you're smart, Ren-kun. I know you'll get it." The gentle and encouraging insistence was common too. As was the genuine happiness he felt whenever Renzou got things right.

Yukio glanced out the window. "We'll be arriving soon. Would you like to take a break until then?" He'd also learned that he couldn't work Renzou too hard.

Indeed, Renzou wasted little time in packing his things away, and when he sat back up, he had his favorite gaming console in his hand. "You don't gotta ask me twice!"

Still, Renzou couldn't help but to look out the window with trepidation. He let out a little mournful sigh. "Already, huh?"

The pink-haired teen had not been looking forward to this trip. In fact, he had personally vocalized being against said trip, but he'd been completely vetoed by the rest of his classmates, which had surprised him considering how badly their last trip had gone.

Of course, this was hardly an out-of-town trip this time around. Their teachers were taking them on a camping excursion right amidst the relatively safe forest that dwelled in True Cross Academy Town. There was hardly a chance that anything could go as south as it had gone last time.

Nonetheless, Renzou had not wanted to participate for one reason, and one reason only.

He hated camping. Hell, he hated forests.

He'd had enough of them when he'd been a kid, running around with his childhood friends, hiding away from his family. At first, he truly had found the surrounding nature to be a quiet embrace of peace and solitude. But he'd learned a vital lesson pretty early on. The real problem here, the reason Renzou dreaded heading into any place overpopulated by nature, were the critters that were out there. From beetles, to spiders, to other too-many-legged creepy crawlers… Renzou felt blood rush out of his face at the mere thought of encountering them.

The look was familiar to Yukio, as were Renzou's reservations to this trip in particular. This time, it was Yukio's turn to gently squeeze his hand and lean just a bit closer.

"I bought a bug net for the tent and some extra repellant, just in case you run out," Yukio said softly, doing his best to reassure him. "It'll be alright, Ren-kun." He paused, a hesitation rushing through his chest that stifled his voice before his words came out in a tumbled whisper. "I'll protect you."

If Renzou's heart was merely skipping before, it was now doing complete olympic-worthy somersaults. He squeezed Yukio's hand back with a strong grip, and he had to duck his head quite deeply to hide the rising blush lighting up his skin.

"You're the best, Yuki-chan."

More and more, Yukio was finding out that those little words he'd previously considered embarrassing were worth saying to Renzou. The pink-haired teen always responded to them in a way that both grounded Yukio and sent him soaring. It made everything worth it. Every effort, every word, just for these little reactions.

Yukio had to remind himself that they weren't officially anything beyond friends and, though their words and actions sometimes spoke otherwise, he needed to exercise restraint. He closed his eyes. Couldn't he just… relax? Just for a little longer? It was a traitorous voice in the back of his head that whispered to him.

No, said his iron reason. They had a plan. He should stick to it.

His inner conflict would have to wait, however, as the squealing excitement from his older brother announced their arrival.

"We're here! We're here!"

They got off of the bus in a somewhat organized line, each carrying a sizable backpack filled with camping supplies. Shiemi was helping Izumo along with some of her stuff, happily volunteering her assistance to the somewhat still-injured girl. Renzou was slightly disappointed when Yukio split up from him to stand by Shiro, but his mind was quickly occupied by a more pressing concern and he immediately got out a can of bug repellent from his bag and began to spray himself down with it.

"You'll be fine if you don't wander off into the forest too deeply, Shima-san," Konekomaru reminded him with a small sigh, though his gaze was very sympathetic to his plight.

"I'd rather not take my chances," Renzou responded, applying the spray in a few more locations as he held back an involuntary shudder.

Luckily for Renzou, he was only exposed to the occasional mosquito on the way up to the clearing. The walk itself had been rather uneventful, but when they arrived at the clearing, Yukio's eyebrow had already begun to twitch. Shura was already there, waiting for them with that infuriatingly careless attitude that always put him on edge. Keeping his head down, Yukio took advantage of his father assigning jobs and swiftly got to work in corralling the boys over to the campsite with their supplies.

He was glad he'd taken off the coat. Even without it on, Yukio was sweating to the point where he'd also taken off his tie. The heat was truly unrelenting. Well, it was summer, he supposed.

It took an hour at most for them to finish setting up the tents, with Yukio taking extra care to set up the bug net over his and Renzou's, making sure the inside was clean and sheltered. The girls were still keeping themselves busy, drawing out protective barriers around their camp while Shura half-heartedly supervised them, her attention split between them and the beers she was nursing. As his brother gathered Ryuuji and Konekomaru to head off into the woods, Yukio took a moment to rehydrate. Though not crisp cold, the water cooled him down. It was such a relief, he was tempted to even pour a bit over his head to cool down even further. Something stopped him. Was it decorum? Most likely. Yukio settled for drinking.

"Grah. Damn thing."

Yukio's head turned towards his father's muttering and found him fiddling with a radio that had to be a decade old.

"Whatchu got there, sensei?" Renzou asked, leaning over Yukio's shoulder. Even though it was hot, Yukio didn't shrug him off.

"Just a damn radio. I figured you kids might like it but it seems like this thing's finally kicked the bucket." Shiro ran a hand through his hair. He had also removed his coat, and his sleeves were rolled up and out of the way. He looked even more casual than Yukio had allowed himself to be.

"Sheesh, just what attic did ya dig that out from?"

Shura finally hopped down from the tree branch she had been perched on, attracted by the topic of conversation. She eyed the radio dubiously, her arms crossed under her chest.

"Mine!" Shiro huffed, his hands braced on his hips. "Why? Not to your standards? Why don't you pull out something more shiny, then?"

Shura rolled her eyes good-naturedly, but with a few muttered words under her breath, she pulled out a tablet from the glowing tattoo on her chest.

"I know ya own one of these," she accused, shaking her head slightly as her nimble fingers unlocked the tablet and opened up a music application. "I've never understood why ye've been so resistant to usin' it."

Music filled the air as she pressed her finger down on the tablet once more. Renzou's eyes lit up as he recognized the smooth voice of a popular singer that followed the steady, rhythmic beat of one of the top pop songs of that year.

Shiemi, who was sitting on the ground at the edge of the campsite, a white-tipped paint brush in her hand, let out a happy little gasp of delight.

Shiro leaned over as if suspicious that she'd actually been able to pull out something shinier. And functional! He squinted before letting out a grumpy sounding noise and crossing his arms. "Well, if it works, it works." His tone was clearly somewhat petulant that it wasn't he who'd managed to do it.

"You like this music, Ren-kun?" Yukio looked at him, taking another sip of his water.

"You don't?"

It occurred to Renzou then that he had no clue what type of music Yukio liked, that the topic had never come up between them in all this time.

"Heh, for our straight-laced young teacher, it's more somethin' like this," Shura said, switching tunes with a quick tap. Heavier rock music filled the air. Yukio's face flushed as he heard familiar beats and handed off his water to Renzou before rushing over to her.

"Stop it! Just put on the previous music!" Yukio made a snatch for the tablet, but Shura pulled it closer to herself and turned away from him.

"Aw, what're ya gettin' so embarrassed for~? This is a good one!"

Huh, Renzou thought, his eyebrows raised high. He watched the two of them bicker as he tucked away that piece of information. He hadn't pictured Yukio to like this type of heavy music, and he was already making a mental list of some songs he thought he might like. Renzou himself had a wide variety of genres he listened to, mostly keeping up with what was most popular.

"N-Nobody wants to hear that!" Yukio was wholly invested in trying to twist around Shura and take the tablet while Shiro was just watching them with an entertained grin. Yukio's face was fully red all the way down his neck. "Just change it!"

"Alright, alright already," Shura waved him off with a pout on her lips. She switched the music back to the previous station. "Don't get so hot under that stuffy collar of yers, sensei~"

Renzou's fascination grew as Yukio did exactly that. Even the tips of his ears were flushed with irritation.

Cute. The thought was almost impossible to suppress. Renzou took a short sip of water in an attempt to cool down the rising blush on his own face.

"Sensei, we're done," Izumo called out in her usual uncaring drone.

Shura allowed the momentary distraction. She gave the seals a glance that almost seemed too quick before nodding in approval.

"Alright, great job! Feel free to do whatever now."

Yukio had taken advantage of the distraction to remove his glasses and cover his face, taking deep breaths to calm his beating heart. Eventually, he willed his blush away and straightened back up. He put back on his glasses and turned back to Renzou.

"I'm so sorry about that…" he said softly. "Please just ignore what happened."

"Never seen ya get riled up so fast, Yuki-chan." It was a great look on him, though Renzou wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that Shura seemed to trigger it so easily. Not even Rin managed that to this extent.

"I-..." Yukio's cheeks were still tinted pink as he averted his eyes. "It's just her." He huffed quietly and reached out for his water. He took it back, taking a sip to calm down. "It's fine. I can handle her in small doses."

Before Renzou could attempt to unravel that statement, his eyes couldn't help but to focus on the rim of the bottle now touching Yukio's lips. The rim that his own lips had been on just a second ago when he'd thoughtlessly taken a sip out of that water bottle. All of the sudden, his lips began to tingle. His heart thumped loudly and he had to look away immediately, his hand coming up to rest at the nape of his neck, though he wanted nothing more than to reach up to his lips in wonder.

The effort he had taken to cool down completely backfired on him, though he couldn't say he was displeased about it.

Thankfully, Shura chose this moment to increase the volume of her tablet as she shuffled through a few more stations.

"Oh, can we stay on this one?" Shiemi asked eagerly, having approached the redheaded woman as soon as she had put her drawing tools away.

Shiro grinned as he sat in a fold out chair, watching as the girls wandered over. The music stretched over the clearing effortlessly, the upbeat tune making it easy to feel almost carefree. Yukio's shoulders relaxed as he finished the water and looked at Renzou.

"K-Kamiki-san! Let's dance!" Shiemi's nervous but loud request was easy to hear. Izumo's face turned red.

"Why?! I'm still recovering!"

"Actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea." Shiro smiled from his seat, looking at the girls. "You still need some physical therapy, Kamiki-san. Why not have some fun while you're doing it? Just don't go too crazy and you'll be fine."

"B-But-"

Shiemi's face was looking hopeful. Her cheeks were a little puffed out from the sheer valiant effort she had made and Renzou felt a twinge of sympathy for her.

Looking back at Yukio still sent his heart hammering, but he willed himself to give him an easy smile.

"Come on, let's join in."

"Join in?" Yukio blinked in shock as he looked at Renzou. "You mean, dance?" He glanced towards the girls where Izumo seemed to be slowly relenting, scowling the whole way, before looking back at Renzou. "I don't… I'm not even sure I can… I-I can watch." Nerves gripped him and his face flushed again as he desperately tried to hold on to some sort of composure.

"Come on, Yuki-chan, it'll be fun!" Renzou grabbed Yukio's hand and began tugging him along gently, in case he really was opposed to it. Despite the protests, however, Yukio was easily led into the group.

Shiemi, of course, made things for them much simpler. The moment they got close enough, a delighted grin spread across her face.

A mix of emotions emerged on Izumo's face, all too quick to pinpoint.

"Oh, look, you can dance with them-" Izumo began, still a little too flustered with embarrassment, but her mouth shut with a snap when Shiemi reached for her hand, and then for Yukio's.

"Let's dance in a circle!"

"In a circle?" Yukio's voice was just a tad flustered as he schooled his tone and mostly failed. "Isn't this a little- ah!" Both of the reluctant participants were swept away by the two more excited ones. With Renzou and Shiemi's positions in the circle, it was easy to lead Yukio and Izumo along in a childish spin.

Though Yukio stumbled about for the first few steps, Renzou's hold on his hand was steadying and firm. Looking at him gave him a sort of energy, a rush. His heart beat quickly as he spotted Renzou's genuine smile and his breath quickened, not entirely due to the dancing and spinning. He wasn't the only experiencing those same symptoms, but only a close observer would be able to read the electricity that lingered between the two.

Music continued to fill the air all afternoon, though the four teens eventually broke away from each other with flushed cheeks and laughter under their breaths. Izumo claimed tiredness, though the complaint came much later than anticipated; Renzou wasn't fooled by it, and he wondered if anyone else was. The purple-haired girl had clearly been enjoying herself.

Nonetheless, Shiemi helped Izumo sit down beneath the shade of a nearby tree, before offering to get her medicine and a small snack to go along with it. However, as soon as she began rifling through the bag of medications, Yukio pulled away from Renzou with some reluctance, noticing she was getting a little overwhelmed.

Renzou watched him go with a light heart and wiped some of the sweat that had formed in his brow and the back of his neck. He looked around for the cooler and bypassed Shiro with a wave as he jogged to the giant supply tent.

The sky was beginning to gain a pink tinge, and Renzou was looking forward to dinner, but even more so to some alone time with Yukio. It was perhaps the only thing he had been looking forward to regarding this entire trip.

He couldn't help it. He knew they'd been toeing that line recently, drawing closer despite the restrictions that Yukio had placed on their blossoming relationship. Although Renzou had agreed to the plan and was more than willing to wait for the other, it was hard to stay away, hard to remember that right now they were supposed to be "just friends."

"Shima-kun~~~"

Renzou broke away from his thoughts and glanced up, a bottle of iced tea in his hand, and met Shura's amethyst eyes with some surprise.

"'Sup, Sensei?" he asked as she approached him, twisting open the lid of his drink.

"You've been recruited," she said, the bounce in her step causing her ponytail to sway behind her.

Renzou's eyebrows shot up in confusion.

"Eh?"

"We're a little low on water, actually. Moriyama had a little accident with that pot Rin left out, so we'll have to pick some more up. Come with me and grab those two buckets besides ya. We'll make a short trip of it."

Renzou's brain halted as it tried to process this unexpected trip into the forest.

"Uh," he said, as he scrambled for a polite response to decline her, at the very least a suggestion of who she could take instead. Takara, his mind supplied helpfully, had been doing nothing all afternoon ever since they had put up the tents.

Of course, his mouth betrayed his thoughts as Shura's expectant eyes remained on him.

"Right," he said instead with an easygoing smile.

The smile slipped off his face almost immediately as they stepped into the forest. Renzou's eyes darted around with an unhealthy amount of paranoia as he followed Shura's footsteps. He wished Yukio had come with them. The words they had shared in the bus echoed in the recess of his mind, and a pleased flush colored his face all the way to the tip of his ears at the reminder.

"Don't trail behind now~~"

Shura picked up her pace and Renzou was forced to do the same. His nervous buzz returned, humming beneath his skin.

They really didn't walk too far. Only a few minutes passed before they stopped in front of a small waterfall that broke into a riverbed.

Renzou, however, wasted no time to appreciate the scenery and instead got to work at once. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck out here when it darkened. He filled the buckets and got straight back up, still eyeing his surroundings with trepidation. What drew his eyes next and caused him to frown was not any kind of bug however.

"Uh, Sensei?"

Shura's back was facing him, and she was doubled over, pressing one of her hands against a nearby tree for balance, the other on her stomach.

"Uuuuugghhhh…" she groaned loudly, sounding incredibly pained.

Renzou hurriedly placed the buckets back down on the ground and rushed over to her.

"Are ya okay? What's wrong?"

He wasn't actually sure where to place his hands once he was in front of her, but he only had a split second to spare on that thought, because in the next one, Shura's hands were on him instead, pressing him up against the tree she had been leaning on.

"Wow~ Did you really fall for that old trick?" she said with a quiet laugh. It was much tamer than any he'd heard from her yet, but it was the way she was looking at him that put Renzou on high alert.

Uhhhhhhhhh.

Shura's hands slid up from his chest and wrapped around his neck.

"Ya can't just let yer guard down like that, ya know," she said coyly.

The surrealness of the situation left Renzou fumbling for anything to say. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his heart was thumping faster than ever.

This was crazy. Was he dreaming? A part of him, the completely shameless part of him, couldn't help but to think of some old fantasies of his that had started exactly like this.

And yet—

"S-Sensei, would ya mind—"

"Yes?" Shura purred.

Renzou swallowed. The way she was pressed against him definitely caused his body to react. Who wouldn't when a babe of her caliber was pressed up against you? Shura's voluptuous chest was almost popping out of her too small top and it was hard not to look down at it, or at her, when she was so close.

And yet—

"You're a little too close," he squeaked, slamming his eyes shut. He turned his head away from her, wanting nothing more than to disappear from this spot.

A breathy giggle filled his ear, and it was almost uncomfortable to hear it. He felt her breath over over his cheek as she moved slightly, and he flinched, grimacing with anticipation and uncertainty of what she might do next. He began wondering what would happen if he pushed her away. Before he could contemplate his options, however, the weight on him disappeared. Shura had pulled away and was now snickering with a familiar grin on her face.

Although he was still very confused, a sense of relief began to fill him—

"Oh? Looks like yer not joking around here after all. You really have yer eyes on that spotted four eyes, huh?"

—but it disappeared just as quickly, replaced by an impending sense of panic.

Shura laughed at the naked expression on his face.

"Oh, don't look so surprised. Were ya tryin' to keep that hidden? Yer gonna need a better poker face than that to fool me," she said with a wide smirk.

Renzou's gut churned with anxiety, and the first words out of his mouth were—

"Please don't tell Fujimoto-sensei!"

Shura bounced back on her heels and crossed her arms under her chest with a raised brow. "You're worried about him?" she said, her voice clear with surprise.

"Well..." Truthfully, he wasn't sure why he'd singled out Yukio's dad. He didn't think Yukio wanted anyone to know at all. At least not yet.

"Not really, I guess," Renzou said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just Yuki-chan's… ya know?" He wasn't sure what exactly he was trying to say. Worst of all, although he was uncertain, it looked like Shura understood regardless.

"Anyway," he pressed his hands together in front of him and bowed his head in a pleading motion, "if you could at least leave this be for now, it would mean a lot to me!" he begged.

"Hmm." Shura pressed a finger up to her lips in thought. "Yer certainly not holding back. That's good. He could certainly use that."

When she reached over this time, Renzou couldn't help but to flinch, but Shura's hand only landed on the top of his head, which she ruffled almost affectionately.

"I like you, kiddo."

As she pulled away, Renzou glanced up at her, and the question that had been bubbling inside of him ever since he had become aware of her popped up again.

"Sensei, say, just how long have ya known Yuki-chan?"

"Oh, he hasn't told ya?"

Renzou felt almost foolish for thinking he would get a straight answer.

"We are quite close, teehee. Let's just say no one can get under his skin like I do~" she said, blatantly taunting him. "Now come on, yer gonna really have to pick up yer pace this time!"

The walk back felt like it took an eternity as Renzou stewed in his thoughts. He felt frustratingly confused by the relationship those two had, even more so than ever now.

"She was sort of my rival I guess."

Yukio had said he had nothing to be jealous of, but the more time he spent around Shura, the more something lingered inside of him, a feeling that made the possessive dragon curled up in his chest rear his head.

Renzou remained pensive the entire walk back to the camp. When they arrived, it was as if he was within Yukio's sights immediately. He hurried over, grabbing one of the buckets, his fingers brushing against Renzou's casually, in a way that had the pink-teen swallowing.

Yukio was giving Shura slightly scathing remarks for leading off a student without informing the other teachers. It wasn't really that he was angry about though. That much was clear when Yukio decided to stick to Renzou's side.

His tense shoulders didn't go away, and that made it all the easier for Shura to push Yukio to snap while they were all gathered around their curry that evening. The redhead was pushing his buttons with expert finesse, and Renzou found himself captivated with a hungry sort of fascination as he observed their interactions in silence.

"That childish temper of yers sure looks good on ya, Sensei~" Shura cackled after one-too-many jabs.

The way Yukio's jaw tightened as he glared at Shura, the way his eyes burned with an ire so cool it could freeze hell itself—

Renzou realized the source of his jealousy. He had always found pleasure in making Yukio smile, but a new desire was building inside of him. Just what other type of expressions could he entice out of the other?

After dinner was done, it seemed as though Shura was properly distracted by her increasing intake of beer, leaving them to enjoy dessert in peace. The treats had finally been a brief moment, just a few seconds, where it was just the two of them sharing sweets over a fire. Konekomaru's amicable warning of sugar rushes hadn't even ruined it. Yukio had smiled at him politely before Renzou had given him another s'more he'd made himself.

Yukio had eaten it with a relaxed smile.

Finally, the day drew to an end. The teachers sent people off to their tents as the sky grew darker. Shiro and Shura lingered out by the campfire with alcohol by their feet and portable consoles in their hands, but Yukio was more than happy to duck into the tent behind Renzou.

Yukio crouched, carefully making sure the bug net was properly placed and the tent opening was closed. He was silent for a few moments as he clicked on the small light.

"Did she say anything to you?" Yukio looked over at Renzou, his chest turning tight again. Watching Renzou return with Shura after spending minutes out of sight had given him an anxiety that still refused to let go of his lungs.

Renzou's eyebrows shot up at the abrupt line of questioning. He considered playing dumb for a moment, but there was a jolt of jealousy and desire burning hotly in his stomach again. He stared at Yukio's face, the furrowed lines that anxiously covered his brow, and the only response he could give him was:

"Why'd ya ask?"

"It's just, she's always..." Yukio gave a small grunt of annoyance. "She's always saying weird things, doing childish things. I wouldn't put it past her to single you out." He moved a bit further into the tent and sat down beside his bag, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I'm worrying too much."

Renzou's eyes softened.

"Well, that is yer bad habit, ain't it?" he said, his soft words laced with fondness. He settled down next to him, shoulder to shoulder, purposely bumping into him.

"She really gets under yer skin, doesn't she?"

"You have no idea." Yukio let his glasses fall back in place on his nose, his shoulder still leaning easily against Renzou's. He looked at his friend, his eyes tracing the fond little smile that was so close to him. So close. Their knees were close to bumping together as well. Something else seized his lungs and it was a panicked rush laced with urgency.

They weren't supposed to be together yet and Yukio wasn't that blind as to be able to miss seeing how they've gotten closer and closer. Every minute, every hour they spent together left him wanting. There was more, he knew it. He wanted more, he knew it. Holding hands with Renzou had become less of a taboo given the restrictions and was now something they did every chance they got any time alone, or even at times when they knew their hands wouldn't be seen. It wasn't taboo; it was routine. It was a desire they shared and indulged in.

Despite Yukio slamming on the brakes, they were still moving. They were still progressing, becoming closer and closer and Yukio had no idea how to stop it.

"I should set up the sleeping bags."

Yukio separated himself from Renzou's side to begin doing just that. It left both of the teens feeling cold and somewhat wrongfooted, but they were each equally aware of the game they were playing here.

And yet—

Renzou, in particular, had to remind himself that he had made a promise. But it was so hard to hold onto it when the subject of his desire was so constantly within easy reach. What harm could it do, if he were to reach out just now? All he had to do was grab Yukio's wrist. He was sure he knew what would follow.

Yukio's expression would flicker, his blue eyes smoldering with indecision and desire. Those pale cheeks would burn softly, and Renzou's would follow as he moistened his lips with his tongue, the movement hesitant and hungry all at once.

What other expression would he make then, were Renzou to pull him close? What type of noise would escape his throat the moment their lips met, finally, for the first time?

Renzou had to break his gaze immediately to avoid doing something foolish. He gave a low, casual murmur of agreement as he turned away to set up his own sleeping bag.

The two were still avoiding touching each other when they were done. The sleeping bags were laid out next to each other, but Yukio had managed to put a few inches between them in the small tent. The little things, the little things. He glanced around the tent before he grabbed his bag. Renzou would still be close by but they couldn't indulge so much. There was such a thing as too much. Yukio filled his head with thoughts of his brother and reminded himself that they just needed to wait. He and Renzou just needed to wait.

His rapid thoughts slowed slightly as the routine movements of preparing for sleep took over. Yukio slipped off his shirt with a sigh, happy to strip out of the still damp cloth. He took out the plastic bag he had in his pack to stow away the dirty laundry before he rummaged around to find a more suitable sleeping shirt.

Renzou was in the middle of doing the same. He had already discarded the white button up shirt that he'd been wearing loosely over one of his favorite t-shirts and was digging through his bag for his sleepwear. But he caught movement from the corner of his eye, and when he glanced over, he sucked in a sudden breath.

The skin of Yukio's back was entirely exposed. It was a sight that he had never before been exposed to. Renzou's eyes roved over the muscled curves with intent, lingering over the scattered moles that covered the entirety of Yukio's pale skin. He committed each spot to his memory as one would a constellation, curling his hands into fists, willing his fingers to stay still, to keep distant. The yearning in his eyes burned all the way down to his belly.

Yukio was frozen. He'd heard the gasp and before he could turn around and see, he'd noticed his state of undress. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier? Why didn't he think about this? He could feel the eyes on him. He could feel Renzou's burning stare. Yukio dug through his bag, grabbing a clean shirt at random and pulling his glasses off to tug the shirt over his head. As he did, he glanced backwards. Just a quick look, less than a second.

Renzou hadn't moved. Yukio put his glasses back on, his face coloring steadily. But, Renzou hadn't moved. He had expected his friend to be just a bit closer. Hell, he'd expected a comment, a hand, something.

Instead, Renzou let out another strangled breath and closed his eyes. He willed himself to clear his thoughts and forced his focus back to the task of changing his own clothes. He went through the motions almost mechanically, rushing through the rest of the process, carefully avoiding staring at Yukio.

It was awkward.

The easy atmosphere that had wrapped around the two of them that same morning was nonexistent now and Renzou hated it. The last thing he wanted was to go to bed in this weird mood tonight. He didn't understand how it had escalated to this extent. They'd been having close calls for weeks now, not it had never really felt like this.

Perhaps Yukio had been right after all. Renzou had let Shura's words, her actions, get way too deep into his head. The woman was an absolute menace.

He was not going to let her get between them.

It was with considerable restraint that Renzou turned around once more, and the smile on his lips felt a little easier now.

"Hey," he said, his voice an unnecessary hushed whisper. "Wanna sneak out and check out the stars for a bit?"

"The… stars?" Yukio turned, looking at Renzou with his shoulders slightly relaxed. "But… Father and Shura are still out there." He looked towards the side of the tent where the crackling fire still remained. Even with his protests, Yukio leaned towards the opening of the tent and unzipped it a bit to peek through.

The two were having a quiet conversation, but very much with their eyes still glued to their prospective game consoles.

"I did say sneak, didn't I?" Renzou said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Come on."

Renzou reached over to turn off the lantern inside their tent, and under the cover of the darkness, the two teens snuck away with quiet footsteps until they were out of immediate sight. They kept themselves within the barrier, but far away enough from the rest of the tents and the campire.

It was chillier now. Renzou felt goosebumps rise on the surface of his skin, but the slight discomfort was well worth it when he glanced back at Yukio and saw his relaxed face. His heartbeat slowed down a bit upon seeing it, and he felt the tension that had lined his body dissipate more genuinely out here in the open.

"It's beautiful, out here."

It was ironic, that after all his protests regarding this trip, these were the words falling from Renzou's lips now. His eyes lingered on Yukio's face a little longer before he looked up to gaze at the stars. The full moon shone brightly above them, and there were almost no clouds covering the sky, allowing them to admire the full extent of the constellations that were blinking down at them across the vast darkness.

"It is." Yukio responded softly. Besides the heavy presence of the gun he'd stuffed into the back of his pants, the rest of his body felt light, more relaxed than in the cramped tent where the two of them had barely any room to move. It was strange, how he found himself standing closer to Renzou in such a wide open space than in the tent where he'd been striving to put as much distance between them as possible.

His brow furrowed. Was he overcompensating? A little voice of doubt tickled at the back of his head.

"I used to do this a lot when I was a kid," Renzou told him, his eyes trailing over familiar constellations that he had not cared to look at for many years. "I, uh, got over the whole camping thing by the time I was ten, but before that, I always wanted to do this with you," he confessed.

Yukio stared up at the stars before his eyes glided down to Renzou. The moonlight suited him. The pale light on his complexion was more than just aesthetically pleasing, it made Yukio's heart jump to his throat. He quickly looked away. His hand that rested between them flexed a couple times, his fingers opening and closing, as if it was missing something.

"I… I can't say I was far off. When I was that young, I thought about you a lot too. About going places with you like the playground, the mall." He sighed. "Things got complicated as I got older but…" Yukio shook his head. "I'm just glad we're here now," he murmured honestly. "Together."

Ahh, Renzou thought, loudly and empathetically. His heart was doing somersaults again, diving into the depths of his stomach before flipping back up all the way up to his throat. He swallowed heavily. Ya sure are dangerous, Yuki-chan.

Renzou's brown eyes roved over Yukio's face with a gaze so gentle, it was unmistakable what emotion was being reflected from them.

"Me too," Renzou managed to whisper. The back of their hands brushed as he shifted on his feet, and the contact was electrifying, buzzing through the curve of his spine, leaving him breathless.

Moving away was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, but he managed as nonchalantly as he could despite the sheer ache this left in his heart.

Moving away was not what Yukio had expected. The brush of their hands had opened his fingers upon reaction. He expected the warm presence against his palm, fingers squeezing around his knuckles in a firm but affectionate hold. He'd gotten accustomed to it, Yukio realized with a slight start. He'd gotten accustomed to the touches and the hand holding, the flirting and the whispered words that no one else could hear but them.

Was he overcompensating?

Yukio's eyes returned to Renzou. He didn't seem uncomfortable. There was a wrinkle in his brow that he recognized, the same sort of expression Renzou wore when he first confessed to him. Want. So why wasn't Renzou taking what he wanted like he usually did? Why didn't Renzou just grab his hand and hold it. It's not like anyone was watching.

He wasn't doing it.

It was at that moment that Yukio's want and desire grew exponentially. His heartbeat was beating in his ears. Renzou was giving him distance. He was listening. He was giving Yukio exactly what he asked for. He was… respecting him. Yukio swallowed, his throat too dry to make it feel satisfying.

Was he overcompensating?

What was the harm? That little voice again. That little impulsive voice. They'd been holding hands for so long, they might as well be considered more than what Yukio insisted their label should be. Could he really wait six months for the written exam? Could he suffer like this for another six months? Yukio was quickly finding out that fighting through this for the next hour was going to be tough enough.

But he was listening! Wasn't that worth something?

More than anything.

Yukio turned his head towards Renzou, his eyes locked on him as thoughts battered through his head. Not being caught staring was suddenly at the bottom of his list. He wanted to look at Renzou, drink him in, take in every little detail.

Is this what Ren-kun feels like? Is this the kind of torture I'm putting him through?

It felt like torture. So close, and yet the inches of distance felt like miles. What could he possibly do to close that distance?

"R...Ren-kun." Yukio spoke softly, waiting until he saw the warm brown eyes meet his own. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, his hand once again flexing. "Ren-kun, I love you."

The words rang in the air, and as if shaped like an arrow, they pierced straight through Renzou's heart. He gasped, mouth parting open in surprise as his heart thumped in response.

It was the first time Yukio had ever said the words.

It meant more to him than anything to hear them. The shackles of his restraint cracked, and his fingers rose up without any willing thought coming through his head, though they paused right before touching Yukio.

Yukio, who was staring at him, staring through him with a gaze so emboldened with warmth and affection that he could feel the heat of it pouring into him, seeping into his every pore, rushing through his veins.

"Yuki-chan..." Renzou's fingers trembled with indecision and desire.

Yukio's eyes flickered to the hand paused in the air. So close. So close. Not close enough. Not close enough! His heart hammered against his ribcage as a rush of emotion thundered into a sort of adrenaline. He reached forward, taking Renzou's hand and pulled him closer.

He wasn't thinking about anything but Renzou. There was not a single thought spared for the forest around them, for his father, Shura, or even his brother. There was nothing else in his mind besides one person.

Enough.

Yukio grabbed Renzou's shirt, clenching it tight in his fist as he leaned forward. The hesitation had flown out the window. Restraint didn't exist. In just a couple seconds, from when their hands touched, Yukio pulled Renzou close enough for their lips to touch.

His first kiss. Their first kiss.

It felt like electricity, fire, and thunder all at once bursting in his chest in a way that felt so satisfying. This was it. This was what he wanted. What he needed.

Their mouths melded together, pressing closer until neither of them could properly breathe. It was a sensation unlike any other. The rising tension that had been humming beneath their skin now quivered with delight.

Renzou's knees went weak and his hovering hands settled on Yukio naturally once his brain jump started again, one going to the nape of his neck, the other resting on his cheek. His thumb brushed across the tiny pair of moles under Yukio's eye as his own slid shut.

The fist in Renzou's shirt relented only a little, still gripping but not as tightly. Yukio's other hand hovered before finding a spot at Renzou's shoulder. His glasses skewed against Renzou's face as they pressed close. Yukio tried to tilt his head to relieve the pressure, only to release Renzou's shirt and tug the glasses up and off entirely. His furrowed brow relaxed as he released an exhale of relief from his nose. It felt like relief. It couldn't be anything else.

They held it there, neither of them wanting to separate, not until the need to breathe in overtook them. Even then, Yukio only pulled away the barest of minimums, gasping in Renzou's air to soothe his burning lungs.

The way Yukio's breath hovered over Renzou's lips had him shivering lightly. Renzou's forehead pressed against Yukio's as he licked his lips.

"Yuki-chan..." the pink-haired teen whispered. His eyes slid open, only to be captured by his best friend's beautiful gaze. "I love ya so damn much."

Yukio looked into his eyes. There was nowhere else to look, not that he wanted to look elsewhere. "I… I love you too…" Yukio's words were hesitant but lacking none of the emotion. It was more lack of practice than anything else. The hand on Renzou's shoulder moved up to his cheek where he touched his skin, similar to the way Renzou was touching his. A thought came up unbidden from his stomach and passed out of his mouth before reaching his brain. "I could kiss you for hours," he muttered lowly. Yukio blinked and glanced to the side, his face flushing. "I've never… kissed anyone before. I-I don't know what came over me."

Ugh, don't ya know what yer doin' to me?

Renzou didn't know he could feel this happy.

Now that he'd had a taste, that he'd gotten a green light, it felt almost impossible to pull away, especially when Yukio was saying things like that, when he was looking like that.

It was too easy, leaning in again. Renzou pressed their mouths together, heat searing through him again as the distance between them disappeared. It was a much shorter kiss, the briefest touch of their lips pressing together. Renzou didn't mind being a little greedy.

But he had to ask, had to make sure Yukio was sure.

"Do ya regret it?" he whispered as he reluctantly pulled back, his thumb a gentle caress against the other's skin.

"No." Yukio realized it the same time the word left his mouth. He didn't regret it. He thought he would. How many times had he thought of kissing Renzou when they were alone in his dorm? How many times had he thought of kissing him when no one was watching? How many times had Renzou's smile struck him in such a way and rushed unbidden fantasies of Yukio's lips crashing against his? Each time, Yukio had stamped the desire out, sure that he'd regret crossing that line before it was time.

But he didn't. Now that he'd done it, he didn't regret it for a single instant.

"I don't regret this, Ren-kun." Yukio's hand slid down his cheek to rest on his shoulder again. "I suppose the only thing I regret is that I hadn't done it sooner."

Renzou's eyes closed again as he breathed in deeply through his nose. His heart was soaring. "Ya have no idea how hard it's been to keep away." The moment those words were out of his mouth, he knew they were not true. The tension between them had been mounting, and their mutual desire palpable enough to peek through their respective poker faces.

And it had been Yukio, after all, that had broken first.

Renzou felt a flare of pride and satisfaction at the fact that he had managed to get that much under his skin.

"I… I think I have an idea." Yukio sighed, remembering the feeling of that yawning chasm in his chest and how much he'd just wanted to close it. He wasn't feeling it, being this close to Renzou, still touching him. He wondered if the kiss had satisfied him or woken up a hunger. He didn't know quite yet. Suddenly his face flushed red as he remembered the kind of reputation Renzou had. It had been Yukio's first kiss but was it Renzou's? Yukio had nothing to compare the kiss to but how many girlfriends had Renzou had?

"W-Was it…" Yukio cleared his throat, turning his head away. "I'm aware I sort of… Well there was no lead up to speak of and… I'm sure you're usually used to some kind of warning and… I suppose I…" Yukio was searching for the words in a growing storm in his chest. "What… What I mean is," he paused, "did you like it…?"

That fumbling, unsure expression of his was going to send Renzou to an early grave. Was it possible to fall in love any deeper with a person you were already so deeply in love with?

"It was perfect." Renzou's grin was a familiar one. He turned Yukio's face back towards him with a soft nudge and admired the way the moonlight caressed the smooth skin with the same gentle care Renzou yearned to fill Yukio with.

"Yer perfect, Yuki-chan."

"Oh." Yukio wasn't sure what sort of response he'd expected. Renzou wouldn't ridicule for his kiss of course. He was worried for nothing. He was worrying too much. Again.

I… I really was overcompensating.

Yukio tilted his head a bit into Renzou's touch as he carefully put his glasses back on. He leaned forward again and placed a small kiss on Renzou's lips before leaning back. His mouth was hot with the contact.

"We should head to bed. We're waking up early tomorrow for breakfast."

Renzou licked his lips reflexibly.

Ya really are dangerous, Yuki-chan.

It was unbearable just thinking of pulling away, much less walking back to their tent, no matter how reasonable the idea sounded. He couldn't help but to cajole the other for just a little longer. After all, the night was still young.

"Oh? I think we can skip out on it, don't ya?" His voice lowered into a teasing tilt, and he licked his lips again, chasing the memory of Yukio's taste from them.

"I'm feelin' so full right now, I don't know if I could take another bite," he said, his eyes smoldering with want and affection.

Never before had Renzou uttered more beautiful lies and Yukio fell into them willingly.