Ritsuka enjoyed the warmth he felt at Mafuyu's side. Each new day brought with it a new experience as a couple. Patience fit his boyfriend like a glove with how careful he was to ease Ritsuka into each new step. Hand-holding had been the most comforting for the two of them. That physical connection that told each other "yes, I'm here with you" was something they both needed. Taking their bandmate's words of caution to heart, they were careful with when and where they clung to each other.

Even though it had been Ritsuka to initiate their first kiss after Mafuyu's first stage performance, it had been Mafuyu that would lead Ritsuka into further intimate moments. Careful not to move too fast, Mafuyu would guide him into short make-out sessions. Their lunch breaks on the abandoned stairwell were spent with gentle touches and even softer kisses. On one particular day, Ritsuka's hands went to exploring Mafuyu, surprising both of them when his hand dug its way under Mafuyu's clothes.

"Hmph!" Mafuyu exclaimed against Ritsuka's lips at the sudden direct contact. Retracting his hand immediately, Ritsuka apologized.

"I-I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention and I just…" Mafuyu grabbed Ritsuka's hands and held them close to his body. His eyes showed no sign of fear, which reassured Ritsuka and brought the oncoming panic episode to a slow halt.

"It's okay, Ritsu, it just surprised me, but in a good way. You can keep going if you like." Mafuyu shrugged out of his cardigan as he pulled his boyfriend closer. Taking Ritsuka's hand, he led it back to his chest, letting it drift along the fabric of his school uniform. Feeling the body heat against the palm of his hand, Ritsuka gulped as he raised his other hand to meet Mafuyu's cheek. Giving Ritsuka the freedom to wander on his own, he wrapped his forearms around his shoulders. Leaning in to kiss once again, Ritsuka started to gather the hem of Mafuyu's shirt into his hand, every intention to invade the skin beneath.

BRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG

The bell announcing the end of their lunch break couldn't have come at a more inopportune time. Starting to lose his breath in the moment, Ritsuka narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Mafuyu, flushed and pliant under his touch.

"We can pretend we didn't hear it, Ritsu."

Thinking of no other reason to attend their next classes, Ritsuka pulled Mafuyu's shirt over his head as Mafuyu seated himself in Ritsuka's lap.

"Hear what?"

Blue eyes took in the sight before him. Mafuyu had always been cute in his oversized shirts and sweaters, but even more so without them. Slim lines against smooth skin, Ritsuka grasped Mafuyu's sides and reveled in the feel of their contact. Exploring the planes of his body, Ritsuka grazed calloused fingertips along the small of Mafuyu's back, earning a chill through his body in return.

Leaning forward, Mafuyu pressed his naked chest against Ritsuka, gently kissing against the base of his neck and chin. "We can keep going if you want," Mafuyu whispered as he rolled his hips against Ritsuka. Feeling the weight of the young man against him pushed Ritsuka forward, abandoning thoughts of panic and retreat. He did want to feel more of Mafuyu, but it had always been a difficult subject to breach. Who could ask for something like that straight-out? Out loud even?

"Yes, let's keep going…" said Ritsuka with bated breath as he gripped Mafuyu's hips. On a normal day, the rise he felt in his pants would have turned him five different shades of red and sent him running to the bathroom. Not today. He liked how it felt to have Mafuyu sitting on him, how it felt to have his arousal shared with the boy he loved.

One of the metal doors opening on one of the floors below them brought their make-out session to a screeching halt. Echoes of footsteps and voices making their way up the flights caused that all too familiar 'Ritsuka panic' to return. Unseating Mafuyu carefully, the two young men quickly scrambled up the next flight of stairs and hid themselves behind the first unlocked door they could find.

"Ritsu… My clothes…" Mafuyu whispered as he hugged against his boyfriend. In their haste, they'd left his shirt and cardigan on the platform of the stairs. Knowing how unique Mafuyu's sweater was around school, he was sure anyone that saw it along with his school shirt would be suspicious of what was going on with him.

A brief flash went through Ritsuka's mind of the time he'd learned of Mafuyu's difficult situation at his last school when rumors of his sexuality had spread. Fearing his lover would face the same stigma again, Ritsuka burst out of their hiding place and reached the stairwell just as the group of students turned up the next flight.

Gathering the forgotten clothing, Ritsuka knew it was too late to retreat back to Mafuyu without drawing attention to them. Hiding Mafuyu's clothes behind him, Ritsuka laid himself out along the platform, back against the wall, and pretended to sleep.

"Oh wow, it's Uenoyama! That guy can sleep just about anywhere, huh? He's probably late for class now, should we wake him up?"

One of the other students chimed in, "Are you nuts? Have you seen how grumpy that guy looks after a nap? He may kick your ass for it. It'd be best to just leave him be. If he misses class it's his own fault."

Ritsuka laid still as he felt the vibrations of their steps as he rested his face against the floor. Once he was sure they were gone, he rushed back to where Mafuyu was waiting for him.

"You got them back!" said Mafuyu with a sigh of relief as Ritsuka handed him his clothes. Disappointment reflected from Ritsuka's expression as Mafuyu put them back on. Catching the look as he straightened out his cardigan, Mafuyu took his hand.

"This doesn't have to end here. Let's continue this somewhere else," he said with a light kiss to Ritsuka's cheek.

The brief bit of encouragement that brought quickly dissipated as Ritsuka thought of their situation. "Where? Our families are home at this time of day, and Tama won't let you out of his sight even if your mother is working."

"Are you jealous of Tama?" Mafuyu said with a laugh, thinking of how his little Pomeranian demands just as much attention as Ritsuka.

"Of course not! But that doesn't leave us with many other options."

A slight smile on his face, Mafuyu dug into his pocket and revealed a key. "Haruki asked me to water his plants while he was out of town this week. I may have mentioned the possibility of-"

"Wait!" Ritsuka said, his fingertips tapping against Mafuyu's lips to stop him mid-sentence. "Please don't tell me you told him about us trying to, you know..."

"He said it was fine, Ritsu. He actually said 'I've been there. As long as there's no messes left when I get back, feel free to spend your time at my place.'"

Ritsuka achieved a new shade of red at the thought of Haruki knowing what they were intending to do. Mafuyu smoothed his shirt down and fixed Ritsuka's as well before tugging his hand toward the door. "I'm not going to push you if you aren't ready, Ritsu. But we have a safe place to go if you want to keep going."

Led by the hand like an obedient puppy, Ritsuka gathered his full supply of courage to answer, "I'm ready, Mafuyu. Please take care of me."

Letting himself into Haruki's apartment, Akihiko set his violin case down at the doorway. Noticing the two sets of shoes that were obviously kicked off in a rush, Akihiko dropped his duffel bag to the ground and cautiously walked into the main room. On his way, he found a trail of scattered clothes that led to the living room. At the end of the path, Akihiko found Mafuyu nuzzled deep into the crook of Ritsuka's arm, both sleeping soundly with a peaceful look shared between them. Taking a step back and resting his hand against his mouth to take in the scene, Akihiko pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. Careful to only focus from their waists up, Akihiko opened up his messages and sent Haruki the picture.

[Haru... Care to explain why we have two naked high schoolers on our couch?]

He saw the three little dots indicating Haruki was writing a reply.

[I thought you were getting back from the competition tomorrow? Mafuyu was housesitting for me and randomly asked if they could use my place if the opportunity presented itself. Knowing Ueno, I didn't expect much, but I guess our boy has finally grown up!]

Akihiko had started to reply when another message came through.

[Don't you dare tease them, Aki.]

His boyfriend knew him far too well.

[Fine. I'll leave them alone. For now. Miss you, get some sleep, you shouldn't be up this late.]

[I know, but it's hard to fall asleep without you with me. Good night, Aki. 3 ]

A brief smile graced Akihiko's face as he pocketed his phone and took another look at the sleeping couple. Pulling out one of Haruki's extra blankets, he carefully covered up the boys and quietly laughed before retiring to Haruki's room for the night.

Briefly waking, Ritsuka noticed the blanket, still too tired to realize that it hadn't been either of them to put it over them. Tucking the end of the blanket gently around Mafuyu's shoulders, he pressed a light kiss to his forehead before drifting back to sleep.