Chapter 7: Coming on Strong

Author's Notes: Hey guys! Welcome back again! Woo! I posted this chapter by the deadline I set for myself last chapter. I call that a win!

Anyways, thank you all for continuing to read this story, and thanks especially to Tris PhantomEvans and AliceKat for reviewing the previous chapter! You guys are totally awesome!

As for this chapter—Aru is being his usual forward self, and . . . another snoop is born! But who? Don't want to spoil it, you'll have to read it for yourself. Without further ado, here's chapter #7. Read on . . . .

...

At dinner the following weekend, things seemed to be going rather smoothly. Aru had left it up to Yuki to decide where they were going for dinner, and after much deliberation, Yuki decided on a casual burger-joint that was cost-effective for the both of them. After they were seated at a table by the window, Yuki had told Aru stories he had overheard in class while Aru listened attentively, a faint smile on his lips.

Towards the end of dinner, however, as Yuki was in the middle of telling him another joke, Aru decided to interrupt.

"Yuki, is your mother going to be home tonight?"

Yuki ceased his laughter, giving him an odd look. "No, why?"

Aru's smile grew. "Perhaps we can go over to your house after this, so I can get to know you better?"

Yuki made a face. "Okay, see, when you say things like that, how am I not supposed to turn you down?" he said.

Aru blinked. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

"You can't be serious," Yuki replied. "Don't you think you're coming on just a little too strong?"

"Not really, no," Aru responded. "I've been thinking about that question since we got here, so I thought I'd ask you first instead of researching it myself."

Yuki shook his head. "You know, usually I'd tell someone to keep those types of questions to themselves, but this is actually pretty new for you, isn't it? Asking someone first before snooping?" he said. "I don't know whether to feel relieved that you listened to me or concerned at the prospect of knowing what you think about."

Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you trying to tell me that you haven't read my notebook yet?"

Yuki's eyes widened. "Huh? N-no! Of course I haven't! It's your notebook!" he exclaimed, caught off guard.

"I gave you permission."

Yuki frowned. "That still doesn't make it right. Look, I'm going to have to return it to you, now that you mention it."

Aru blinked. "You're returning my gift?"

Yuki looked away. "Well . . . when you put it that way, you make it sound harsh, but yeah, that's the gist of it."

"I see," Aru replied, thoughtfully. "I suppose I'll have to find another way to make us even then."

Yuki's eyes shot to him, his face turning pale. "No thanks . . . you really don't have to."

Aru smirked. "It doesn't matter what you say, Yuki. I'm going to do it anyway," he teased.

Yuki frowned. "Do what exactly?"

Aru gave a sly grin. "Ah, you're curious, huh?" he asked.

"Well, y-yeah . . . knowing how you are."

"Sorry, I'm afraid you'll have to wait. It's a surprise."

Yuki gave a sly grin of his own. "So does that give me permission now to go through your things since you're keeping a secret from me?"

"Sure, but you won't find anything," Aru calmly replied.

Yuki's smile broadened. "Challenge accepted," he answered. "How about we go to your house after this?"

Aru gave a knowing smile. "Why not?"

A wave of excitement passed over Yuki. He was actually getting permission to snoop through a person's things. That didn't happen very often.

Then, a thought occurred to him. For an extremely open guy, Aru sure didn't let on much about himself. He was always looking for specific answers, but never the one to give them. He was an onion with so many intricate layers to him. He grinned. But tonight, he would peel away those layers and find out exactly who Aru was. He would show Aru exactly what it felt like to have all his information out in the open. Maybe then that would teach Aru a lesson about how wrong it was to go through people's things. When in Rome, right?

"Yuki, how about we stop at your house before mine tonight?" Aru asked suddenly.

Yuki blinked, taken aback. "What?"

Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "You wanted to return my notebook, right?"

Yuki's eyes widened. He had forgotten about that. He was supposed to return it, wasn't he?

Still . . . .

Yuki looked away, a slight blush reaching his cheeks. "I, uh . . . I changed my mind. I want to keep it after all," he responded. After all, if he was going to go through Aru's stuff at his house, then he might as well go through his notebook too.

Aru smiled. "I see," he said. "I'm glad to hear that you enjoy my gift, Yukiteru-kun."

Yuki frowned. "Okay, what's with that?"

Aru's eyebrows raised. "What's with what?"

"Yukiteru-kun," Yuki clarified. "Why do you say that?"

"You don't want me to?"

Yuki's eyes widened, and then lowered to the table in thought. "No, it's not that . . . it's just," he began. "I noticed you only say it when you're either being serious or. . . ."

"Or what?"

Yuki blushed. "Or . . . you know . . . affectionate," he said quietly.

Aru's eyes widened. "Oh. I hadn't realized," he replied. He looked down at his hands. "It just seemed . . . familiar, as if I had been doing it all my life."

"I like it," Yuki responded.

Aru's crimson gaze immediately shifted to Yuki's. "Huh?"

"When you do it, I just . . . I feel warm and," he responded. He shrugged. "I like it. It gets my attention."

Aru's face depicted total shock, a blush staining his cheeks. His eyes averted. "I should say it more often," he muttered, more to himself.

Yuki's eyes widened. "What did you-"

"Shall we go to your house then?" Aru interjected, standing up from his seat.

Yuki blinked. "Uh, s-sure, but . . . we still have to pay the bill."

Aru gave a slight grin. "It's already been paid."

Yuki glanced down at the table, and sure enough, the bill was already signed by Aru with a tip included. "What? When did you-"

"You're so cute." Aru laughed.

Yuki frowned, his cheeks red. "You don't call a guy cute," he said.

Aru's eyelids lowered slightly. "How about sexy?"

Yuki's heart skipped a beat. "L-let's just go," he stuttered, getting up from the table.

Aru chuckled warmly, and then nodded his head. "Alright."

As the two exited the restaurant, Yuki smiled.

Tonight, he would have his answers about Aru.

…

Author's Notes: Oh gosh. Yuki has now become the snooper. I guess Aru's been a bad influence on him. I just hope, for Yuki's sake, he knows what he's getting himself into. In any case, we'll see how that pans out in the next chapter. Stay tuned!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! I'll probably have the next chapter out Friday. Talk to you guys next year!

Cheers!