Ren POV (1st person narration for the first time!)

"Ren-chan?"

"Yea?"

"Wanna come home for some ramen?"

Oh...

What started as a light series of flutters in my stomach, rapidly intensified as hard thumps that pulsated mercilessly throughout my body, making it hard to be sensitive to anything but the loudness of it all, thrumming in my ears. I whipped out my sunglasses and put it on, almost like a reflex action, in an attempt to hide as much of my face as possible before his hawk-like gaze would notice it.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude," I said, my voice sounding a little more high-pitched than usual.

"Nah. We'll grab some groceries, and maybe whip up something more than just ramen," he responded. I felt a bit reassured he probably didn't notice my voice going all weird.

"Okay, let's go."

When we reached the station, the flow of the bidirectional crowd in the station kept shoving me closer into his personal space than I'd have normally preferred. It was better when I trailed behind him and face-planted a few times into his warm back with a light gasp, because now he was behind me, and that was a VERY dangerous situation for an already flammable air between us.

Be it because of someone pushing me or him, having him pressed against my back was more wilder as there was not only the gasp of shock, but also the treacherous situation my heart that raised my temperatures and hackles. Sometimes, even my goddamn vision blurred, as if I was going to faint. All I knew was that being wrapped in all that sexual tension between us, was not good for me in the long term, especially if we were to remain as friends.

Wait... sexual tension?! Since when?! ... And why?!

The heat and colour stayed permanently on my face, and I was grateful he was still behind me, unable to see my face. The layers of clothes I had on, hid the goosebumps that I felt all over my body. The heat from his body that was now permanently pressed into my back, felt like it had always been there. And in some moments when he'd add more space between us, I felt an... an acute sense of loss...

Honestly, what was this all about? What is this feeling?! We'd just gotten back to being friends, and I'm definitely not the type to... get it on... with a guy so soon... So why...

But before I could sort my thoughts further into that direction, the train silently zoomed into the platform.

It was quite crowded, but I wasn't surprised. It was a weekend after all, and a bustling city like Osaka would definitely see some crowd and movement in its transportation system during non-peak hours.

Atsumu entered after me, and we stood somewhere next to the fibreglass protecting the passengers sitting down, from the people standing near the doorways. The doors of the subway compartment beeped shut behind me, and I glanced behind slightly to see him from the corner of my eye, standing right behind me... with a frown... but not directed at me though. I looked in the direction of where he looked at, and found a few men gazing intently... at me.

I looked away, thinking they'd look away as most people would when they make eye contact with strangers, but when I looked back after a while, they were still peering back at me. I felt myself squaring my shoulders, standing more upright than I usually would, and gazed right back at them, raising one of my eyebrows as well.

I can play the game too...

But before either parties could have known who'd be the winner of this ridiculous staring match, I sensed Atsumu shift behind me.

Suddenly an arm grazed my waist as he stepped around from behind me, blocking my vision to where the men stood, and then turned around to face me. He seemed to have a poker face on, gazing down at me, with one of his hands gripping the hanging loop. Momentarily, an errant thought tried to bring a blush on my face as I realised that this was the closest we had been today. His other arm was still wrapped around me which I had forgotten about, till he bent down a little towards my face, startling me in the process. He tightened his grip around my waist, lifted me up and took a step forward, just to have me pinned against the metal wall near the doors.

I choked in shock to his sudden move, but he didn't seem to even hear me at all. After he plopped me back to the ground, he briefly looked over his shoulders towards the men, before turning around and fixing his gaze outside the glass windows.

For a moment, I was astonished at his nonchalance. The thought of the creepy men behind him were completely forgotten as if that incident had never even happened.

How was he not affected at all? Was I the only one feeling this?

Even though I was bothered by his coolness, I was grateful that he didn't look at my face. Because I knew my face red hot (something that was happening way too many time for me to be even noting down about), my eyes and mouth were probably comically wide open, and I didn't want him to see how much I was affected by it, especially when he was so calm about it.

Did I imagine it today morning? Did I read too much into his gaze at the shrine? Were we just being friends all this while? Did last week not happen at all?

The lack of any conversation between us was welcomed, as I needed to sort out my thoughts. One minute he was super hot... his personality I mean... and then he became super cold. But yea, I couldn't find one rational reason as to why I wouldn't be affected by it. If I fell for him once before, why would it be any different now?

Wait... Did I just... think about... FALLING?! Was I... was I falling for him?

But before I could think any further and get to the bottom of this complicated situation between us, I was pulled out of my musings when I felt a now familiar hand on my waist, and heard him say, "Let's go Ren-chan. We're here."

Atsumu POV (It's a "this chapter only" thing)

I was this close to doing some serious damage to their ugly mugs, before I realised that there wasn't much space in the subway for me to carry out justice. There was a pregnant lady sitting right next to the doors, a mother who was standing nearby with her two kids desperately holding both of their hands in one of hers, and a few other innocent bystanders.

To beat the crap out the fugly men and not do some serious damage to these innocent people? That didn't seem very plausible to me. Not to mention it would create a huge scene and Ren-chan would probably frown in a way that would completely fuck up the awesome mood that's been between us since morning.

So when I sensed her stiffening up, probably because she realised that they were staring at her, I did the next best thing that I could. I manually repositioned her like a shogi piece (not that I've ever played it) and glared at them like they'd die if their eyes landed on her again.

But what I didn't account for was... her...

She was a little heavier than I remembered her to be, but still light enough. Her body felt softer, hotter, and the dreams of her that I've been plagued with all these years, came rushing back to me in a matter of a few milliseconds. I looked out of the windows, at the mundane city scenery whizzing past, in the hopes of cooling my thoughts.

I wasn't the hormonal teenager I used to be, but I was very much still needing... needs... to be fulfilled. Hell, I am the most hot-blooded male in West Japan if not, all of Tokyo. That Ushiwaka-kun seemed to be getting it a lot too... Not to mention that slick-headed brands' favourite, Tobio-kun... But no. Not more than me for sure!

But that wasn't the point.

The point was... Ren-chan and her feelings... not my dick!

She seemed a lot calmer around me and I'd be fucking dumb to do anything to spoil that. At the shrine today I think a tiny TINY part of my heart melted when I saw her look at me with an expression anything apart from anger, exasperation or irritation... It felt so good... Better than that time when I received Bokkun's nasty spike and pissed the shit out of him.

... That was a good day...

Okay but that's not the point...

The point is to enjoy this... It's okay... Because I'm mentally raising a can of the finest Asahi beer to the good times that would come rollin' in for us.

Maybe not today... but definitely soon!

Ah! My stop's here...

"Let's go Ren-chan. We're here."

Ren POV (1st person narration)

As expected.

The boy is still as organised, and very much a minimalist, as I predicted he'd be.

Damn, I forgot how good it feels to see a guy actually be CLEAN! No wonder I was so entranced by Kiyoomi-kun, but I think it'd be better to take that information to my crematory grounds. Otherwise, poor Kiyoomi-kun would be sent to his crematory grounds instead, prematurely.

"Woah, would you stop stripping in front of people?!"

When I was taking my shoes off and aligning them by the door step, I literally watched him take off his t-shirt and was then moving on to pulling down his pants, almost down to his boxers, all on the way to his room. When he managed to remove his jacket, I would never know.

"Eh? But if I don't remove them how will I wear my jammies?"

Is this boy for real?

"Are you - are you serious?! Just change behind some closed doors for heaven's sake! You don't need an audience!"

"Hahahaha! Chill Ren-chan, it's not like you haven't seen me topless before."

"That's not the point! Just stop stripping out of no where!"

"Okay okay! I'll be back in a few minutes, before I start cooking. Let me just get comfy."

Sigh.

It was a while, and before I could completely calm my heart rate, he came back out in a black muscle tank and grey joggers.

GOD.

GAWD!

Why of why? Why did I feel like I had to French this man who looked like the finest of French cuisine served on a silver platter?!

...

No! No, Renny. It's too early. You don't do this... pace this... pace yourself!

...

But it's not... You've known him forever... What's the big deal?

... Right?

All the while when I was battling my inner demon and angel, he had finished prepping the ingredients and was about to soak in the noodles in a simmering pot of water, when he looked at me.

"Ren-chan! Are you in the mood for a hotpot ramen, or I'll just prepare two bowls, and boil and season with all the ingredients?"

I think I saw a little mass of beautiful side boob peek out of his muscle tank when he moved about the packet of noodles. I didn't register all the details, but his biceps and glided around smoothly when he moved, and I was entranced by his... grace...

After that, everything else including the simmering pot and delicious smells wafting about in the room, were a blur for me, because in a matter of moments, my legs had found themselves locked around his lower waist, my chest flushed up against his sturdy ones and our lips clashing in passion against each other.

We were drowning in our own passion, and the rubber band that finally snapped today, brought me the first of the many waves of passion and excitement.

Oops... ?