There were two boys sitting in the sandbox at the park. They had been trying to dig a hole to China but then decided to stop because they didn't really want to go to China. And due to the fact that they were tired of digging.
"Want to play tag?" The blond asked. The brunet shrugged.
"Okay." He playfully hit the other boy in the head. "You're it."
"No," the blond shook his head, hitting the brunet back. "You are." But the brunet tagged the blond again.
"Now you are," the blond frowned. Then he tagged the brunet again, this time running away before the other boy could touch him.
"Fine then," The brunet sighed, standing up. "Ready or not 'cause here I come."
Seto knew something was wrong. He just didn't know what. Or actually, no, he kind of did know what was wrong. But that didn't mean he understood.
It hadn't been that long ago, not long at all since the day the invitation was offered. The invitation that changed everything.
Seto stood in the doorway of the classroom, watching from across the hallway a certain blond who was currently getting his books from his locker. His lips slowly curved into a smile. He walked over, gently slipping his hand onto Jou's waist.
"Wha- oh." Jou jumped, surprised at the sudden contact. "Hey," he murmured. Seto twirled a lock of Jou's hair around his finger, staring at Jou almost tenderly. He let go of Jou's waist and leaned against the locker, watching Jou as he stuffed he books into his backpack.
"Want to come over?" Seto asked. Jou looked up and gazed uncertainly at Seto, trying to decipher the question.
"Uh," Jou started.
"I'm sure we will find something to do," Seto said almost innocently. Jou's eyes went wide for a moment, a red tint appearing on his cheeks. He thought for a moment, and then he grinned.
"Alright."
"You've been avoiding me," Seto said.
"No shit Sherlock," Jou replied rather hastily, obviously avoiding Seto's gaze. Seto stared as Jou swiftly turned without even a goodbye or last glance. He frowned slightly, with an almost hurt expression on his face. "But why?" he muttered to himself. He followed Jou.
"Jou," he whispered. Jou stopped instantly at the sound of Seto's voice.
"Don't." Jou's voice was hard and final. And cold. Something which Jou never was. Jou was warm. He was happy. He was…
Their first kiss, fittingly, occurred underneath the cherry blossoms.
They lay side by side in the shade, tree roots digging into their stomachs. They were silent, with only a bird or two chirping in the background. They were locked in a gaze, one which neither could break. They looked straight into the other's eyes, looking for something, something that might explain what was about to happen.
Seto leant over.
They were so close. They could hear each other breathing, slightly heavier than usual. They were immensely close. So close that they could k-
Seto pressed his lips onto Jou's.
But only for a moment for almost immediately after he pushed away and looked up at the sky nonchalantly. He didn't even try to comprehend what just happened, merely concentrated on breathing.
"Don't you hate me?" He almost jumped at Jou's voice. It was so warm, so gentle, and so naïve in a sense. Seto couldn't answer or wouldn't answer more likely, a question which desired such a straight answer. He just couldn't give one.
But then Jou's hand slowly crept over his, the warm touch of another living person, a person who just might, care? But Seto couldn't help feeling that maybe he should pull his hand away. But his mind wasn't working. Or so he convinces himself. His hand seemed to have a mind of its own,to please excuse the cliché. He tightly gripped Jou's hand, pretending to not even notice when Jou edged closer to him, resting his head on Seto's shoulder. But really Seto noticed, having Jou in such a close proximity made Seto suddenly… more aware. Of everything.
Seto had never answered the question. Of course Jou never brought up the question again, but Jou's own answer seemed to stare Seto in the faceit was so obvious.
It was a dull afternoon, a long boring class in which Seto and Jou took two seats in the very back next to each other. Seto had looked up from his laptop to find Jou… staring at him.
Yes, staring at him. At him. Seto smiled at the thought. Then he caught himself and glanced around the room to see if anyone noticed. Seto leaned over, placing his hand on Jou's thigh.
"Jou," he murmured into the boy's ear.
"Meh?" Jou practically jumped, his whole face turning a horrible beat red.
Jou hid his face from Seto the rest of the period. Which is rather unfortunate for then he might have found Seto, in turn, staring too.
It was his fault.
Seto drove home, wondering how in the hell it had come to this. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. This was not what he wanted to happen. Not in the least.
But it was his fault.
If only he had answered the question. If only he hadanswered that bloody question. If only he weren't so proud, so stubborn… And so weak, so weak to actually be afraid that maybe he could be rejected, that maybe his feelings weren't returned even when he knew in the back of his mind they were.
Why didn't he just blurt them out? Just say something, anything, no matter how simple the words. Just something to convince Jou that this wasn't just some fling, something which Seto could simply dismiss and forget about.
It was all. His. Fault.
And what was he going to do about it?
Seto's eyes suddenly blurred, from what he could deduce to be tears. Nothing. That's what he was going to do. And why? Because he was an idiot. What could he do, after he ended it so completely that that folder of his life was permanently closed?
It wasn't like he didn't know the answer.
Oh he knew it. Seto knew it alright.
Suddenly he couldn't drive anymore, couldn't see past his hands due to the amount of liquid blocking them. He didn't care that there was someone honking at him from the car behind him. Didn't care that he was blocking up traffic. He didn't care if people were yelling profanities at him. Didn't care if he was about to get a ticket from some fucking police man.
He knew the answer. In fact, in his heart, he always knew the answer. He just didn't know how to get those words out. Those sacred, scary, three words.
And contrary to what Jou believed, that night affected him too. Everything affected him. Everything about Jou.
Why?
"Jou…" Seto murmured, his head resting on the steering wheel causing the horn to blare constantly.
"I love you."
Thank you for reading.
I hope it doesn't seem too rushed.