I swear guys I don't do this shit on purpose. This chapter like always was half typed up the same week I posted the last chapter, and then like always I left it for a year. I even have up to chapter 10 all drafted out. There should be no reason for this tomfoolery. Anyway, enjoy. This is not Betaed as usual and additional notes at are the end.
Ii stared at the shorter honey-coloured blonde in a state of abstract shock when Hani-san finally pulled back.
"You kissed me." The raven said slowly, his red eyes blow wide behind thick false frames.
"You …kissed me." Ii repeated even slower this time as he lightly brushed his fingers across his lips and blinked his eyes owlishly. All the while trying to process the entire situation as heat gradually began to rise to his cheeks and spread across his entire face.
"Yes I-yeah I did." Haninozuka responded, his mouth slightly parted as he too tried to process his own actions.
"Sorry I shouldn't have done that, not without your permission. Could we just forget all off this?" Hani-san stammered, a similar blush setting of the smaller boy cheeks as a sense of realization and dread hit him. There was an extended silence between the two of them before Ii finally responded.
"I don't think, I that is to say…I did not dislike it." Ii fumbled over his words trying to properly convey his feeling before giving up and instead directing his voice to the floor rather than his partner.
"It was nice." The raven finally elaborated softly; his voice was shaky but there was also the faint unmistakable tone of awe that did not go missed to Hani-san.
The blonde in question stared up at Mizuri-san in surprise.
"Oh that's, I yeah, I liked it too." Hani-san stated, struggling just as badly with his words as Mizuri-san was.
The two teens stood awkwardly, both shifting and fidgeting while avoiding the other's gaze. The same thick uncomfortable silence settling over them again.
The silence was only broken by the occasional shuffling of other bodies that happened to be nearby in the large room, more specifically the faint sound of feet faintly dragging across the plush carpeted floor.
"Maybe we should get to work." Ii finally said, swallowing his pride as he attempted to cut the silence.
"I have some books already, but if none of these are really what you are looking for I can always go get some more." The raven spoke, inevitably rambling a bit as he turned his head to look past Hani-san at areas next to his head rather than directly at him.
Hani-san sighed before he spoke, trying to follow Mizuri-san's lead and focus on work instead of the awkward atmosphere between them.
"No it's fine, we can start with this." He mumbled before pulling his chair out to finally sit at the table with the intention of working. His small fingers grabbed at a random book, dragging it closer as he opened it up and began to flip through the pages.
Ii let a small sigh of relief before joining Hani-san at the table, more than to use work as a way of momentarily drowning out his problems. The raven grabbed another book from the gratuitous pile before he spoke again.
"Is there anything in particular you want to focus on with our project? Maybe a specific era or a set of rulers." Ii offered as his face began to lose its red tint, returning to its natural fair complexing as the boy's face gradually became more relaxed and composed.
Before responding, Hani-san took some time to flit through the pages. Sitting in silence for a few minutes as he gathered information, leaving Mizuri-san to do the same as he waited.
"We could try Emperor Antoku, but he never had an Empress so that won't work."
Hani-san said absentmindedly as he furrowed his eyebrows, flipping the page in frustration. Though the annoyance was quickly replaced with surprise when Mizuri-san responded to him, as the blonde failed to realize that he began to voice his thoughts out loud.
"Then we also cannot focus on Emperor Yozei from the Yamato house, but for completely different reasons." Ii began with a sigh. "He had too many empresses, not to mention countless concubines and mistresses."
"Well, emperors weren't really known for their loyalty to the wives. Rather isn't it more common for an Emperor to have countless riches, women inclusive?" Hani-san retorted without looking up from his page.
"Yes, but that does not help in the case of our project." Mizuri-san grumbled as an unfamiliar pout began to settle on his face. The raven was beginning to get fed up with all these emperors and their lack of commitment to one singular partner.
"What about his descendant, Go-Ichijo. It seems he only had one partner, an Empress and no concubines to speak of." Hani-san suddenly spoke, interjecting any of Mizuri-san inner musings about unfaithful emperors.
"It sounds promising, too good to be true actually." Ii says thoughtfully as he looks back over at Hani-san.
"Well, it's the best circumstances but apparently Go-Ichijo was married to his aunt Fujiwara when they were ten and nineteen respectably." The blonde spoke as Mizuri-san scramble for a pen and paper to quickly jot down the information, only stopping when he heard Hani-san's tone shift. Taking on a bitter edge.
"Good to know I subconsciously picked an emperor that I can actually somewhat accurately impersonate. People already have no problems mistaking me for a middle schooler." The blonde continued, slightly upset with not only himself but the situation he put himself in.
"That must be hard to deal with, people not taking you seriously all the time." Ii commented looking at his partner sympathetically.
"Yeah, and sometimes they take me seriously too often." Hani-san says under his breath to no one in particular as he continued to look through the same book.
"I'm guessing you do not want to talk about it?" Ii asked hesitantly after a moment of prolonged silence. His eyes shifting between Hani-san and his scratchy notes haphazardly sprawled out on the page below him.
"Not really. Maybe later, if you tell me why you wear such thick fake lenses that barely classify as see-through, then we can do an information trade."
The blonde said in an almost self-deprecating way as he gave his partner a small smirk. The mental exhaustion clear on his face. His small hand coming up to brush through his hair and back off his forehead for a brief moment before the bangs fell back down.
Following this interaction, the two students worked in what seemed to be a comfortable silence as the continued to scour different books for information related to their topic. With only the sound of pages occasionally being flipped and the scratching of pencil lead against paper filling the air, all until Mizuri-san blurted something out breaking the silence.
"I use them to cover my eyes. My glasses and my long bangs." The raven-haired teen stated bluntly without looking you from his work. His eyes still skimming through lines of text as he spoke. Though despite the seemingly casual tone Ii's tense shoulders spoke wonders to how he actually felt about the topic.
"I like stuffed animals and cute things; I don't always want to be serious." The blonde said responding almost immediately in the same even tone that he was addressed with. Not letting his focus drift from his research but taking note of how Mizuri-san's shoulders relaxed subtly at his confession.
"I…I like cute things too. There's a lot of stuffed animals in my room." The taller of the pair admitted after a brief hesitation. A small smile slipping onto his face as he unknowingly used casual speech with Hani-san for the first time since they met.
"I like sweets a lot, but I don't eat them often." Hani-san countered, a similar smile beginning to spread across his own face as he continued to write. Enjoying the small back and forth that was happening between the two.
It was like this for a few more minutes, back and forth subtle oversharing between the two near strangers. Telling each other small thing that weighed on them that they had not said out loud to themselves much less another person.
"Sometimes my dad-" Ii started before getting cut off by the abrupt sound of a bell ringing signifying the end of another period. The sudden loud sound causing the boy to jump and flinch slightly.
"Oh, I guess the free period is over now." Hani-san said absentmindedly in a soft voice, looking up before switching his gave over to Mizuri-san.
"Yes, I guess it is. We should pack up and head to class." Ii spoke almost numbly as he stared into space in the general direction of where the library doors were. His tone immediately switching back to formal as his walls snapped back into place due to the abrupt interruption. The change not going unnoticed by his partner even though the blonde did not comment on it.
"We can meet back up after clubs get out if you're fine with waiting that long." Hani-san suggested gently, holding off on slipping back into his cold persona until it was more than just the two of them.
"Yes, yes that's fine." Mizuri-san agreed, still sounding slightly as he gathered up some of the books to put them back up on their respective shelves.
The rest of the day passed without incident, though Ii struggled to pay attention to anything his teachers said. Sure the raven wrote down a few notes here and there, but he was mostly operating on muscle memory, and if he were asked to recall anything he would most likely draw a blank.
Mentally the teen was lost in the hazy fog that was his own mind, barely stopping himself from panicking as he replayed over and over again in his mind what he was about to say to Hani-san back in the library.
'My dad- my dad what? He hits me sometimes? He yells too much? What were you going to tell him? You don't even know him that well!' Ii continued to berate himself as his body moved on autopilot, not only for the stupidity of his actions but for the backlash that would undoubtedly happen if that type of information got out.
'I'd be sore for weeks, plus there's no need to drag Hani-san into my messy life as well.'
Ii's monologue did not stop even when someone called out to him multiple times. But rather the sudden feeling of hands-on his shoulders shocking the teen enough to make his body jolt up into a stiff guarded pose. His eyes going wide as he whipped his head around him to see who managed to grab is before his entire body partially sagged in relief at the sight of Shirahata-sempai.
"Hey Mizuri-san, sorry I didn't mean to scare ya, I thought you heard me. I called your name bout seven times before I reached you." The taller brunette explained with a sympathetic smile as he slowly moved his hands off of Ii as not startle him any more than he already did.
"No, I apologize. I was not listening and instead thinking about an upcoming assignment that I need to start working on." Ii said easily lying through his teeth to his senior.
"What did you need?" The bespectacled teen continued as he turned around to better face Shirahata-sempai, adjusting his glasses slightly out of habit.
"I wanted to talk if you're free for a bit. Nothing important but if you're not busy…" He trailed off as he held up his hand for the freshman to take. A blush visibly rising on his face.
Hesitantly the younger of the two reached for the outstretched hand, looking in slight awe as his upperclassman's face shifted from nervous and uncertain to inexplicably joyful with a smile bright enough to rival the sun.
"Ya won't regret it, I promise!" Shirahata-sempai exclaimed after giving his companion's hand a quick squeeze and rushing off to drag him to some unknown place just like last time.
The walk was not that long, with the brunette student guiding his underclassman through the crowd, weaving between other mingling students until the got to a music room that Ii hadn't been too before. And without missing a beat Shirahata-sempai pushed the door open and slipped inside the seemingly empty and unused room, dragging Mizuri-san in after him and pushing the door closed behind them.
"Why here?" The raven head asked as the walked over the large bay window at the opposite end of the room.
"No reason really, I just wanted a place where we could talk alone." Shirahata-sempai responded softly as he looked out the window. Content to remain silent after that as he seemingly gathered his courage and thoughts.
"I'm sure you realized by now right Mizuri-san?" The upperclassman said without turning around or letting go of said boy's hand. In fact, his grip got even tighter as his palms began to sweat.
"I think, I might really like you. I mean I know it's probably not love, not yet, but its more than just simple interest or infatuation. I want to get to know you more and be able to hold your hand like this all the time."
Turning around Shirahata-san slowly reached his hand up to cradle Mizuri-san's cheek, giving the shorter teen ample time to pull away before he made contact.
"I'm not asking for an answer right now, I'm just asking ya to think about it." The brunette spoke softly before slowly starting to close the gap between the two of them. Ready to press a chaste kiss against soft lips.
His advancements only halting when he saw Mizuri-san turn his head to the side. His eyes lowering in disappointment, before he looked back up with a sad smile and a soft chuckle. Settling for placing a kiss on the other's cheek instead near the corner of his mouth.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have pushed so hard so fast." Shirahata commented before pulling away, his hand lingering for a second longer before he trod over to the door, looking back one last time before he left Mizuri-san standing alone in the vast room to contemplate what just happened.
"Don't rush your answer, I can wait. Just, think about it yeah?" The upperclassman said hopefully with upturned eyebrows before the sound of the heavy doors closing echoed in the room.
And normally Ii was not one to curse but, with everything that happened today surely is was acceptable if he made and acceptation this once.
"Shit." He said out loud to himself as he stared at the now long since closed double doors.
Sorry, this is a shorter chapter this time (it's 2000ish instead of 3000 or 4000). There wasn't much to do here, and I'm not making any promises but I want to try and post the 4 other chapters that I already have planned out by the end of this year.
Also here is another teaser that I don't want to forget and don't know where I will place it.
'Mitsukuni threw his partner over his shoulder before pouncing on the larger boy, has hands slamming down by either side of Ii's head. The two of them dripping with sweat and panting as they maintained eye contact. The air heated between them as their bodies remained on edge. Neither one wanting to give up first.
There was a prolonged silence with only the sound of their laboured breathing filling the room before Ii sagged under his partner. His hand reaching up to cascade through damp locks. His eyes glazing over with tell-tale desire.
"Can I?" Mitsukuni asked quietly as he stared down at the raven, his pupils blown wide as his chest rose and fell.
"Yes." Ii practically begged, his voice breaking into a needy whine as he used both arms to pull the other down into a fierce kiss with teeth and tongue clashing behind the sounds of possessive growls and submissive whimpers.'
Like, comment, follow and all that good stuff and I'll see you next time.
Happy New Year.