sour apple
ryuuzaou

Summary:
Naegi's afternoon starts with candy, and ends with him, Togami, and a locked cupboard door.

(He can't tell which is sweeter.)


Naegi pops another candy into his mouth as he digs through the mini-fridge of his dorm room. He'd found them in the pocket of one of his old hoodies, recalling the day Chihiro gave them to him, saying that her father had sent her with a bag of them that was far too large for her to finish on her own. And honestly, with a sweet tooth like Naegi's, he wasn't one to refuse.

Speaking of his sweet tooth: he shouts in triumph when he realizes he still has a bit of a mint chocolate bar left over. Yes! This day just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

There's a knock at the door. Naegi closes the fridge and gets on his tip-toes to check out the peephole—Fukawa is on the other side, and she does not look pleased. Damn. He must have jinxed his luck.

With a sigh, he opens his door. Fukawa's eyes widen as if she hadn't expected him to answer, but now that he has, she speaks.

"Naegi!" She snaps his name like he's about to be scolded, and with his downturned luck, he wouldn't doubt it. "You... you must know where Togami has wandered off to. Don't you?"

"I have no idea," he replies honestly. Fukawa slumps, appearing downtrodden without warning. In an effort to get her moving again, Naegi suggests, "I'll help you look for him though, if you want?"

"Absolutely not!" she gasps. Naegi is about to bid her good luck and close the door when she gets a thoughtful look on her face. "Actually... He might reply to you." Seeming to have her mind made up, she reaches out and grasps his hoodie. "I'd love your help. If it isn't too much of a bother, I mean! I don't want to burden you if you're busy! I'm sorry!"

Oh, now he'll feel guilty for saying no. Curse his good manners! "Um, no, I'm not busy. Let's go look." Naegi unwraps one last candy to suck on before placing the rest of them and the chocolate on his dresser, then kicks the door closed behind him as he follows Fukawa. She seems to be walking aimlessly, stopping every now and again to peek through the window of a door. Eventually, Naegi asks her what floors she hasn't checked yet.

She rubs her head, as if trying to remember, then says, "I haven't gone past the second floor."

"Then I'll check there!" And with that, Naegi makes his escape. True to his word, he takes the staircase up two floors, but his honesty stops there. Because, really, why would he actively seek out Togami? Togami's an asshole! A huge asshole! He's arrogant, and self-centered, and snobby, and rude, and has a nice smile, and pretty hair, and a voice like the silk of his blazer, and—no, Naegi, stop right there! With a deep breath, Naegi attempts to push those thoughts to the back of his mind ('attempt' being the key word) and find a place to relax until he can report back to Fukawa.

He decides that the art room is as good a place as any, and makes his way there. It's more open than any other area on the floor, and the lack of artsy students (apart from Yamada, but he's more the type to take what he needs and retreat to his room) ensures that it's almost always empty. Naegi has actually found himself going there to think, some days, toying with some clay to keep his hands occupied.

Today is different, however, because as soon as he walks in he wants to turn around. And he's about to, but the person already occupying the room speaks before he can flee.

"Fukawa, I told you I—Oh. Naegi. It's just you," Togami says, sounding almost relieved.

"Uh, yeah," Naegi responds, standing awkwardly in the doorway. "She's looking for you, though. I'm supposed to be helping her."

Togami's lips curl in disgust. "I will literally pay you to lie to her about where I am. This is the first time I've gotten away from her in the past fifteen hours."

"Yikes. Uh, don't worry, I told her I'd check this floor, so I'm sure she won't find you."

That's when they hear her calling.

"Tooooo-gaaaaaaaa-miiiiii!" calls a voice that is far different than the one Naegi had been conversing with earlier.

"It's Genocider. She wouldn't remember me telling her I'm checking this floor," Naegi says, peering down the hall. He doesn't see her, but he hears her footsteps.

Or, wait, maybe those were Togami's, because all of a sudden someone is yanking him away from the doorway and shoving him toward and into the supply closet. Naegi is about to complain, but a fierce glare from the blond convinces him to keep his mouth shut. Thankfully, the closet is fairly large, so all they really need to do is stay out of sight from the door's window.

That's what they think, at least, until they listen to Genocider's cackling as she cheers that he's left his book, she knows he's here, and she won't stop looking until she finds him. Apparently more desperate now, Togami grabs Naegi by the front of his hoodie and all but drags him to a supply cupboard. He slides them both in sideways and pulls the door closed by the inner mechanism that the handle and lock are attached to.

"Super High School Level Luckster, my ass," grumbles Togami, his expression closely resembling what might be a pout.

Naegi feels him huff, his chest moving against Naegi's where they're—oh, god help him—pressed together.

"Um, Togami?" Naegi mutters, trying to keep his voice low. "How will we know when we can get out? And why would I need to hide, too?"

"Are you incapable of keeping your mouth closed for ninety seconds, Naegi?" Togami hisses, glaring down at him.

Naegi is about to give an indignant reply, but realizes that would only be furthering the other's point, so he closes his mouth and stares at the cross of Togami's tie.

They listen to Genocider rummaging around the art room, humming, for what feels like hours. Eventually, Naegi chances another whisper: "When do you think—mmph!"

He is abruptly cut off by a hand over his mouth. On instinct (one he'd developed from growing up with a sibling), he licks it. Togami barely stifles a shout, jerking his hand back and banging his elbow on the side of the locker with a resounding clang . He's obviously about to snap at Naegi, but the silence of the art room stops him, and they both hold their breath.

"My Prince!" calls Genocider, her voice sing-song and her footsteps approaching the closet more quickly than they would like. "Is that you?"

Naegi is almost tempted to sacrifice himself and let Togami continue his hiding, and he's about to, but Togami shoots him a look that freezes him in place. He gnaws his lower lip and looks just about everywhere that isn't Togami's eyes. To his dismay, the other has yet to avert his glare. Great. And here Naegi was thinking that Togami couldn't possibly hate him more.

They listen to Genocider rummage through the art closet. She's actually toying with the combination lock when the sound of the art room door opening has her pausing.

Heavy footsteps in the art room, heading toward the closet.

'Yamada?' Naegi mouths to Togami, who shrugs and finally looks away at the door of the locker, as if capable of seeing through it.

Naegi's guess is proven true; Yamada makes a high-pitched squeal at the sight of Genocider. The latter cackles maniacally (her usual) and seems to chase him out of the art room. The hidden pair release their breaths at the same time, Naegi in relief and Togami in annoyance. But apart from that, they keep their breathing quiet, listening to the silence of the art room.

"Do you think she's gone?" Naegi whispers.

Togami doesn't answer for a few moments, then he says, "I think so. Open the door."

It's easier said than done, it seems. Naegi needs to force his arm in the small space between the two of them to reach the mechanism. He can barely get a grip on it, but once he does, he pulls the piece of metal that would normally unlatch the door. It rises a quarter of an inch—

Until something stops it.

Startled, but determined not to let Togami know, he lets it drop and then yanks it upward as hard as he can. The result is the sound of metal hitting metal and his finger getting pinched in the mechanism.

Togami frowns. "Is there a problem?"

Naegi, who'd been sucking his finger in an attempt to soothe the pain, rests his finger on his lip as he explains, "It's jammed. I guess Genocider locked it when she twisted the lock like that."

"You can't be serious," Togami mutters under his breath, reaching over to try it himself. It's no use, though; as much as he shakes it, the door stays locked. Togami curses, twisting as much as he can to kick the door with the heel of his shoe.

Naegi can't remember seeing Togami lose this much composure, ever. Honestly, he figured the heir had an endless supply of it. Nothing ever phases him, not death or the trials or even Genocider, so why is he giving himself wrinkles over something like this? Watching Togami like this makes Naegi feel a bit uncomfortable. He realizes that he'd subconsciously been seeing Togami as his own rock, of sorts, in that he would try to channel the composure that Togami always seems to have.

With no idea as to how to handle the situation, Naegi reaches up and grabs the lapels of Togami's blazer to make him stop. "Togami!" Naegi snaps. "Calm down! Take a breath! I'm sure Monobear will let us out eventually."

Togami scowls down at Naegi's hands; he quickly withdraws them, though he notes that with Togami's eyes almost closed like that, his eyelashes really stand out, and they're surprisingly dark and full compared to his blond hair—this is not the time, Naegi, this is nowhere near the time.

"You're going to rely on that thing to get out of here?" Togami asks angrily.

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?" sighs Naegi, frustration finally edging his tone.

"If it hadn't been for you—" begins Togami, but the other interrupts him.

"Oh, don't you dare blame me! It's you that dragged me in here! And I was going to get out earlier—"

"I noticed, but had you done so, you doubtlessly would have given me away—"

"Alright, fine, go ahead and make this all my fault, since you're too full of yourself to accept the blame for once in your rich, spoiled-brat life!"

Togami blinks. "What did you just call me?"

Naegi bites his tongue. He's gone too far, hasn't he? There's something in the icy depths of Togami's eyes that Naegi can't place. Then there are hands on the folds of his lowered hood. Oh god, Togami is going to strangle him, right here, right now. Togami pulls him forward. Goodbye Kirigiri, goodbye Mom, goodbye Dad, goodbye Komaru, this is it, this is the end.

Togami stares at him silently for what feels like hours. Then his brow creases, just barely, and he asks, "Were you eating candy?"

Well, that was certainly anticlimactic.

"Uh," Naegi says, with eloquence. "Um. Yeah. I was. I finished it a few minutes ago."

"Who even likes sour apple?" mutters Togami, curling his lip slightly.

While the fear of strangling isn't quite past yet, Naegi summons up a pout. "It's my favorite flavor," he defends. "It's good. The berry kinds are bland, and..." He trails off when he realizes that Togami isn't listening. Instead, the blond seems busy staring at Naegi again—in particular, his lips. Are they green from the candy? Or maybe chapped? Naegi licks them, feeling more than a little self-conscious, and watches Togami mimic the action.

When taunted by a one certain dual-tone bear later, the two would vehemently deny any and all 'eagerness' that existed, because no way would a SHSL Heir kiss someone so extraordinarily ordinary like the SHSL Luckster. However, they aren't being taunted by a one certain dual-tone bear; they're alone and pressed together and they aren't sure who initiates it, but they're kissing, and they can't seem to stop.

There's no possible way that there's eagerness in his movements when Naegi reaches up to thread his fingers through the other's hair. Nor in Togami's when he holds Naegi's face in his hands, surprisingly gentle for a man of such harsh words.

There's no possible way that their kiss could be considered eager. Of course not! Not to Naegi, whose mind is too occupied with the thought that wow, Togami is a great kisser, he knows exactly what to do with his tongue to even entertain the idea of his own eagerness. Nor to Togami, who's more than a little bit distracted by Naegi's fingers, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck; he doubts the shivers running up his spine are an effect of his chilly hands.

It isn't until several moments later, when Togami is leaning down to mouth at Naegi's throat, that Naegi actually registers what they're doing. His eyes, which had fallen closed, snap open, and he finds himself babbling.

"Togami, Togami I don't think we should be doing this, why are we even doing this, you are way too good for me, oh my god, Togami, oh my god—"

This is the point at which Togami draws back, says, "Shut up, Naegi, think later," and kisses his lips again. And really, phrased like that, who is he to refuse?

At some point, Togami's hands trail down from his face to wrap around Naegi's waist, and once there, he presses the shorter boy against him. The locker seems quite a bit more spacious, now that they're not cringing as far from the other as possible. On top of that, it's easier to forget where they are, what with the thigh that has found its way between Togami's legs and is pressing up against his groin. Yes, that certainly does draw attention away from their close confines.

As soon as Naegi's lips are free again (which isn't until a few minutes later, Togami trailing kisses down his neck again), he breathes, "Just—ah, Togami—why me? I'm so—shit—so ordinary."

"I know that," Togami mutters, his breath hot against his skin. "It's no exaggeration for me to say that question has kept me up at night. I can't stop thinking about you. Do you have any idea how maddening that is?" He accentuates his words with a nip to the junction of Naegi's shoulder and throat, causing the boy to gasp sharply.

"Upupupupu! So this is why Togami says Naegi's name so much during Night Time!"

The latter starts so violently that he hits his head on the side of the locker. He whines, both due to the pain and the sudden and rough suck that Togami adorns upon his neck.

"We're not finished," he murmurs, then smooths the lapels of his blazer and kicks the door open with his heel.

Naegi has no idea how Togami is capable of such fluid motion right after something like that, while it's all Naegi can do to stand without swaying. The only suggestion of what happened is the blush that dusts the blond's cheeks as he strolls past Monobear and out of the art closet. The other stands motionlessly for a few beats, then realizes that Monobear's red eye is gleaming suggestively, and this prompts him to hurry out of the room with his chin touching his chest and his hands shoved in his hoodie pocket. Before he leaves, however, he snatches up the book that Togami had left on the art table earlier.

It isn't until hours later, when Naegi is mindlessly flipping through the pages of Togami's book with his thumb, that he discovers the note. It slips from between the pages, and Naegi is about to panic (what if it's his bookmark? Oh god, he's so dead) until he sees the writing on it.

You're pathetically predictable, wanting to return my book to me. It infuriates me that I find it so endearing. Leave it outside my door just before Night Time begins. Do not expect to sleep in your own bed tonight.