An extra long chapter! ^^

Chapter 12: Sleepless Night

Kirino crawled silently into his friends bed, hoping not to a wake him up. He looked so peacefully when he was asleep – even more adorable than when he was awake, where his face always showed such a serious expression. The pinked boy sighed as he realized whose fault that actually was.

"Takuto", he whispered the name of his sleeping friend. Kirino smiled, Shindou was so pure and his actions where always honest, all he wanted was helping his friends, without even one selfish thought behind it. Maybe he was naïve … well not maybe, Shindou actually was very naïve, but it was in a rather cute way.

Kirino put the blanket more tighter about his friend, accidentally touching his face. Smiling because Shindou still seemed to be asleep, Kirino now looked at the other boys face more closer, trying to memorize every aspect of it. He still remembered the kiss as if it were yesterday, but thinking of it made his conscious only worse.

It reminded him that he still was in his friends bed – a place where he definitely shouldn't be. Feeling guilty he sighed and sneaked out of the bed, not without leaving a hasty kiss on Shindou's lips though.

But as he was about to leave the room, Kirino hesitated as he heard Shindou suddenly whispering something. "Don't go."

Kirino froze. Had Shindou been awake all the time? Or was he just mumbling in sleep?

"Takuto?", he asked silently. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right, Kirino. Actually … I like to be woken up this way … if … if it is by you that is."

Kirino blushed, good that it was dark so that Shindou couldn't see his face now. Confused as he was, Kirino found himself unable to move and remained at the door. Could this be really true? Maybe Shindou really had the same feelings as he himself …

The pink haired boy knew since long ago that he loved his friend to an extent that couldn't be called mere friendship, it was something way deeper … and way more inconvenient. But Kirino never had any hope his friend would answer that feeling, so he had just tried to be more boyish, hoping to loose this feelings someday.

Well most likely Shindou would have just friendly feelings for him, maybe a kiss was normal for him, since they were close friends after all. Kirino didn't know, he just followed his friends invitation and entered the bed again. It was still dark, so he couldn't see Shindou's face - he couldn't see his friends nervousness, but still feel it.

A nervousness that matched his on. Now laying next to Shindou again, Kirino didn't dare say anything nor to move, so the two boys remained silent for some time.

"Did you want me to do it again?", Kirino asked timidly after some time had passed. He gave his friend a shy look, but it was too dark to recognize anything.

"What?", the addressed boy answered a little too fast.

Kirino hesitated. He wasn't sure if it was really something he should say. But then again, now they were already too far into it. "Waking you up."

"You mean kissing?" Shindou asked, his voice suddenly louder than he intended.

"Sorry, it was a bad idea, I knew." Kirino could neither hide his disappointment nor the embarrassment he felt. "I just thought that it is so dark now, no one will see, not even we will see each other."

"I can turn on the light, if you want, Kirino. It works with a remote, it's quite handy- ."

"Don't!" The pink haired boy interrupted his friend hastily. "It would be to embarrassing for me right now, after you basically rejected me."

"Ranmaru, I would never reject you", Shindou hurried to say. "I couldn't even if I wanted."

Starring into the black night, there was still something that bothered Kirino. "Are you sure you don't see me as a girl now?"

"That again?", Shindou asked, but his voice was still nothing but soft and friendly. "Nobody thinks you're a girl. And I'm the least person who would do so anyway, Kirino. I know that you're a boy, ok?"

"Takuto … ." Kirino was sure Shindou could hear his heartbeat, so loud did it beat. Before he realized anything Shindou had already moved closer to him. Kirino still couldn't see his face, but now he felt his friends body touching his underneath the blanket.

"I like you exactly how you are, so don't worry anymore." His voice was just a whisper as if he were afraid to startle Kirino.

"Thank you, Takuto." Maybe it was because it was dark, maybe it was because of Shindou's words, but Kirino finally found the courage to bend over his friend, trying to look into his eyes. Suddenly he felt the need to see them, to confirm that the person next to him really was Shindou, but it still was too dark. He could merely figure out the shape of his friends face.

So close. Although the had been friends for a long time now, Kirino didn't think he had ever been so close to Shindou. So close that he could feel Shindou's breath.

"Kirino, I like it when you're near me. Can you stay that way?"

The pink haired boy blushed. Naïve Shindou would always say what he thought when the two of them were alone, it hadn't changed.

"Well, it's a rather uncomfortable pose right now." - Considered that his upper body was still bending over Shindou, only supported by his hand on the other side of Shindou's body. "How long do you want me to stay like this?"

Although Kirino couldn't see it, he was sure that his friend smiled as he answered. "Forever would be long enough."

The pink haired boy couldn't think of another reply than to kiss his friend for being so cute. Not rushed, he took his time to feel Shindou's lips and tried to figure out the taste. This time, he put all the feelings he had supressed all the time into his kiss. Kirino wanted Shindou to know, how much he actually felt for him, but it was impossible to put into words, so a kiss had to be the way to tell him.

"Just promise me one thing", Kirino whispered as the kiss finally broke. "When we're alone call me by my first name."

Shindou hesitated. He didn't want to let go of his friend, so as Kirino was about to draw back, he grabbed at Kirino's arms and pulled him closer at himself again. "You're confusing me."

In his voice Kirino a light undertone of annoyance and smiled. Sure, Shindou didn't want to waste time with talking now that the two had found out that there was a better thing to use their mouth for.

"When I called you Ranmaru the other times, you immediately distanced yourself from me and when I kissed you before, you didn't seem to like it."

"Sorry, Takuto." Kirino's hand stroke over Shindou's hair. "I like how your hair is so curly, I wish mine would be this way", he muttered more to himself then to his friend.

But as he felt that Shindou was looking at him, he stopped. Shindou's hand was laying on his now, the warm contact reminded him that it really was his friend next to him.

"I don't know … ", Kirino finally began to answer his friends question. "I was scared … I never expected you would kiss me at that moment. Somehow I felt that I had to stay away from you, to not drag you into this …. And I didn't think you would like me this way, too."

"Of course I like you, Ranmaru. You're my best friend", Shindou whispered. Then before Kirino could answer, he stole another kiss from him. "And tomorrow I will show you something special. It will make you happy again, I'm sure."

"Kirino, nobody sees you as a girl." - haha, actually a lot of people do. Since I have drawn that picture (I don't know if you're remember: it was a KirinoXShindou picture that's now framed and visible for every visitor of our community) one of the guests is basically obsessed with him. She always draws him, but making him wear dresses all the time xD She can draw him perfectly so that it always looks like an official go picture and if I tell her that Kirino is a boy she just starts to shout at me (she has a mental illness and acts more like a child). Well, she also calls Kidou "Rita" all the time, I don't know why though. ^^

Anyway, please review ^^ And thanks for the many reviews I've got - they make me keep writing although I should do other stuff (like learning italian ...)