How they met each other's families?Thoughts on each other's family?Favorite family member?Favorite family member of their lover?

...

The Shins

Fall semester had proven to be Sena's personal Hell. Which really said a lot since he came from Deimon during Hiruma's reign and was a personal puppet of said-reign. He had stupidly loaded up on intro science courses in anticipation of declaring his major and applying to the program he wanted in his sophomore year. Football practices were twice daily, with extra-long strategy sessions afterwards, and games lined up one right after another. Other than group activities (such as festivals and his birthday party) the only times he really got to see Shin were at games, or the one or two dates they had managed to eke out (including their 6 month anniversary date). If they both weren't equally obsessed with football and facing each other at the Rice Bowl, they might've ended up breaking up they saw each other so little.

The only good thing that came out of it was an actual joke Shin had made about his improvement at texting, which had become their main form of communication. Speaking of which…

[To: Seiju-chan] u guys did amazing against tkk today :) Sena typed the moment he fell into bed that night. He frowned at the nickname before letting out a groan. Suzuna, Monta, and Riku had all taken to changing it whenever Sena forgot to keep track of his cell. Usually to very embarrassing ones, this one wasn't so bad in comparison. And he was too tired to be bothered into changing it. Especially when Seijuuro replied a moment later.

[From: Seiju-chan] One game closer to meeting you at Christmas Bowl. Your match with Hokkyo was superbly played.

Sena couldn't stop the grin- full of excitement and affection at once.

Enmas up against SKD for the semis theyve been training extra hard since spring

You could always punch Agon again first.

Sena barked out a laugh and slapped a hand over his face. That didn't exactly sound like Seijuuro, which made the laughter more shocked than anything.

That was Sakuraba's suggestion, not mine. I do not recommend it.

The laughter choked and sputtered as he tried to stifle it as humor tipped the shock.

If it happens again U get to punch him my knuckles hurt for a WEEK

Sakuraba told me to inform you that I laughed. …he said 'huffed loudly enough he heard it'. It was laughter. I don't understand why he wanted me to explain it in detail.

I get it dont worry Sena grinned and his thumbs hovered over the keys. Did

He froze, staring at the single word and the blinking cursor. He'd been antsy and really excited about it for days, but how to bring it up? Did they even have time between now and semis with final exams about to start, too? But he couldn't help it. Even Sakuraba hadn't been there and Sena was dying of curiosity. After chewing on his bottom lip just long enough it started to hurt, he backspaced and tried again.

Are we going to wait until winter break to visit your parents?

He hit send before he could second guess himself anymore. The ensuing silence had Sena fidgeting on his bunk, bare heel tapping against the bed frame and thumbs drumming on the flat screen of his phone.

"I'mgonnakillyou," Riku mumbled from where his face was smashed into his pillow across the room.

"Sorry! I'm stopping! Go to sleep!" Sena exclaimed, feet bracing against the ceiling and whole body freezing. Riku turned over to face the wall and was out in seconds. With a relieved sigh, Sena slowly let himself unfreeze and sprawl over his bed. Finally, his phone lit up next to his cheek. After a wary glance in Riku's direction, he flipped over and eagerly swiped open the text.

We both have next weekend free. We can go after practice.

Thats great! Sena grinned, stomach swooping and clenching in both excitement and nerves. Meet at OU?

No, my parents are sending you a car.

Sena stared at the screen, blinking. Slowly, his mind churned over the look of Oujou campus, the easy way Shin paid for groceries and their few dates that actually needed money, even the thoughtless manner he paid for that new phone. Money hadn't actually come up then until Sena mentioned getting a cheaper phone would be better because Shin might break it, not for any economic reasons.

Sweat dripped down his temple. Is… AM I DATING A RICH GUY?

A car…? He prompted hesitantly.

My mother insisted she would send our chauffeur to pick you up. It would be rude otherwise. I'll most likely already be there.

"What kind gift am I supposed to bring to a family that has a chauffeur?" Sena squeaked. He could feel his pupils dilating.

…

Suzuna busied herself with checking his hair and tugging on his clothes here and there. Sena just gulped and let her fuss. The tin can of expensive European cookies (that he'd spent an entire month's allowance on until his mother found out and scolded him for not asking for extra to cover it) rattled in his hands. His emotions were pingponging between happy to see Seijuuro for the first time in a month, to terrified of going to a friggin' mansion and breaking something, to excited he'd finally be meeting Seijuuro's mysterious parents, to horrified by the idea that they'd hate him on sight. There was no hiding how very not rich he was, and his best clothes included his Enma sweater (by far his cleanest since he'd never worn it) and slacks that were several centimeters too short, made obvious whenever he sat down. I just won't sit down, Sena told himself, eyes spinning.

"Sena, I think you're hyperventilating," Suzuna warned worriedly.

"N-No I-I-I'm n-n-n-n-not," he forced past chattering teeth.

"This would be cute if it wasn't so pathetic," Suzuna sighed, patting his unruly, misbehaving hair one last time. Riku snorted from behind his psych 101 textbook.

"They're gonna love you, Sena. Don't be such a worrywart," Monta said encouragingly, slapping Sena's back so hard he stumbled forward and almost dropped the cookie box. It didn't help his palms were sweating like crazy.

"B-But he h-has a chauffeur," Sena protested, his eyes wide and agonized. "How in the world did I end up dating someone whose family has a chauffeur?"

"Because you're not dating him for the chauffeur, you dimwit," Riku scoffed with over-exaggerated eyeroll. "You're dating him because you're both football nuts and the best in the league, arguably best in the fuckin' world."

"He's right. I got it!" Monta cried, half-choking Sena as he wrapped his wiry, but densely muscled arm around the runningback's neck. "Whenever you get freaked out by the castle-"

"He's not a prince, Monta-kun," Suzuna interjected in exasperation.

"Just picture Shin-san in his football uniform! Max great idea! You aren't scared of him on the football field!"

"H-His football uniform. I c-can… I c-can do that," Sena whispered.

"Or just remember rich people aren't mythical creatures and you're just the same as them," Riku muttered under his breath, going back to his psychology text.

"Oh! Oh! I think I see it! It looks shiny and classy enough!" Suzuna exclaimed, shading her eyes.

Monta and Sena froze, eyes wide, as a long, shiny, European car, a glossy black and even shinier chrome, glided to a stop in front of them. The door opened and a tall man, wearing a hat and suit more expensive than some of Sena's amefuto gear combined walked around the hood. The older gentleman bowed and held up a small sign with Sena's name on it.

"I presume Kobayakawa, Sena is among you?" the man asked in an overly polite tone. His eyes swept right over the fish-gaping Monta and Sena, lingered on the wide-eyed Suzuna, and then landed on Riku. "I'm with the Shin Family," he seemed to address Riku.

Whose blue eyes widened and a slight flush crawled over his cheeks and nose before he slammed his book shut with a dark scowl.

"Kobayakawa, Sena is right here," Riku snapped, simultaneously yanking Monta back and kicking Sena forward.

Cookies rattled as Sena almost stumbled right into the man. He cringed awkwardly, back hunched and head ducking as he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled breathily.

"H-Hi- I mean, g-good afternoon. That's me, I'm Sekawa- Kobasena- Kobayakawa, Sena. Yup, that's me," Sena stammered, going dizzy and light-headed.

All three of his friends groaned inwardly.

The gentleman merely lifted an eyebrow and bowed again. "If you'll allow me, Kobayakawa-san," he offered, swinging open the back door and gesturing Sena to enter.

"Uh, yes, th-thanks. Uh, I'm Sena. I mean, you know that, I meant you can call me Sena. What's your name?" he asked, bowing in return about three times. The man stared silently.

"Hoshino."

"O-Oh, n-nice. Nice to meet you. Please t-take good care of me," Sena said politely, bowing again. "My m-mother thought I should get you something too, it's n-not much." He held out a small box of vitamin drinks and bowed hurriedly.

For the first time, the chauffeur's cool composure broke as his lips twitched.

"It's unnecessary to gift the chauffeur, but very appreciated all the same. Be sure to thank your mother for me," Hoshino replied, taking the drinks and bowing once more. "If you'd please enter the vehicle, Sena-san?"

"Y-yeah, th-thanks. Bye, guys!" Sena called over his shoulder with a wave. They waved back. He of course tripped his way inside and settled with a grunt onto cool, leather seats that fitted to his body like silky butter. (No one said he was good at similes.)

Hoshino drove him through Tokyo expertly, the engine purring and the turns so smooth Sena barely noticed. Compared to friends' scooters or game busses or the occasional taxi, this ride through Tokyo was the nicest, least terrifying one Sena had ever had. Hoshino kept silent the whole way, but the stereo played low-volume classical music. Instead of his anxiety ramping up higher the closer they got, Sena was relaxing into the comfortable seat, eyes drooping shut, as scenery flashed by and violins echoed between his ears. Which of course led him to being completely unprepared for his destination when the car began to slow. The loud hissing-fizzle of an intercom, and Hoshino's quiet voice, had Sena jerking upright, eyes blinking rapidly to clear them.

Only to blink more and then widen impossibly as his jaw dropped somewhere near his ankles. He pressed up close to the window, cheek flattening to cool glass, while the car rolled through the large, ornate, iron fence.

"Whoa," Sena whispered. Maybe Monta-kun was right. It might actually be a castle! He thought to himself as he sweatdropped apprehensively.

There was an actual lawn, with a broad graveled driveway leading up to the house. Mansion. Mini-castle. He was pretty sure those giant, first-floor windows were bigger than the wall outside his parents' house. Giant windows set into pretty yellow brick walls with columns holding up the second- and third-story balconies and… (what were those things called? Oh right) were those actual turrets on each side? Were those fancy naked statues on the lawn? Was that a marble fountain in the middle of the roundabout in front of the house? Yes, the answer to all of those were yes. As the car finally stopped, Sena stared upwards, gulping painfully, taking in the sweeping stairs towards the large double doors, the beautiful velvety-looking curtains hanging in every window, the stone urns overflowing with vibrant flowers and shrubberies.

At the top step, a short, broad-shouldered, barrel-chested man stood grinning widely. Sena was so absorbed in gaping, he didn't even notice the car coming to a complete stop, or Hoshino leaving the vehicle. A dark figure crossing his line of vision and the click of the door under his hand had him leaning back just in time for the door to swing smoothly open.

"If you please, Sena-san," Hoshino gestured with a slight bow.

Sena gulped, grabbed his cookie tin, and gracelessly shuffled out. The moment his feet touched the ground, the short, but big man, hustled down the steps. His large hands were rubbing together delightedly, his light brown eyes twinkling and grin somehow wider and happier. The man had a bit of a gut, but his arms still strained the fabric of his lawn shirt with bulging muscles. His khakis were rather tight on his hips and thighs—though the latter tightness seemed to be more on par with his arms in muscle rather than extraneous fat. There was something about his chin and shoulders that looked familiar, but Sena just couldn't place how. His hand was swept up into a bone-crushing handshake before he could figure it out.

"Well, aren't you a fine looking young man! It's a pleasure to meet you! This is Kobayakawa, Sena, eh, Hoshino? You didn't kidnap me the first cute boy that fit the description you found, did you?"

"No, sir, I wouldn't," Hoshino sighed, put-upon and weary.

The man's head tilted back, mouth gaping wide, as he guffawed.

"Hoshion here is just too damn serious. Sometimes I think he's really my son's father and not me. It's a very sordid idea, isn't it? I just love to tease them for it," the man joshed jollily, winking and tugging Sena along towards the stairs.

Sena yelped quietly, pressing the cookie tin to his chest, and stumbled up the stairs. The words finally computed and he stared at the man's profile.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, are you…?" Sena stammered, disbelieving and dumbstruck.

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm glad my wife wasn't here to see it. You'd think she was the heiress of old blood, not me. Well, heir, not heiress. I'm Shin, Seisuke."

If Shin, Seisuke wasn't dragging him along, Sena probably would've stopped dead. Maybe even fallen down. Because no way was this Shin Seijuuro's father! The over exuberant laughing, the inappropriate teasing, the loud, booming voice—this man was half of Seijuuro's genes? … though… the shoulders and jawline… those were just like Seijuuro's. Maybe if the older man had a little less weight and a little more height, his body type would look a little bit more like Seijuuro's, too. Most Japanese didn't pack on muscle quite that well, like the Shin men apparently did.

"Ah, there she is! My lovely wife!" Seisuke crowed happily, his free arm gesturing in front of them.

Sena whipped his head around. The sight of bright, white marble floors and dark wood paneling under walls covered in tasteful, pale yellow, silk wallpaper were barely noticed, and the gleaming knight armors and giant expensively framed paintings even less so. Instead, his eyes were magnetized to the sweeping staircase at the end of the long corridor. It reminded him of one of those Disney movies, he couldn't remember which one, with the top of the staircase branching into two directions and a huge wall of windows. Sunlight streamed through, blinding him momentarily and gilding the dark wood with gold. A tall, statuesque woman slowly made her way down the stairs, one elegant hand lying on the banister at her side. She was willowy and slender where her husband was broad and stout. Shin, Seisuke wore casual clothes, not out of place on a tennis court, but his wife wore a powersuit, grey with almost invisible pinstripes and a blue satin blouse, the kind that had a cascade of ruffles down the chest. Her shining black hair- ah, Seijuuro's- was done up in a perfect knot and clipped neatly. Along with her hair, she shared her son's dark eyes, even the shape similar, the same nose, the same mouth- though hers she rouged with eye-catching crimson- and the same stern resting face.

Sena swallowed painfully as her eyes swept over him, her arching brows contracting, before she glanced at the wrist captured by her husband's grip.

"My love, he is not a child in need of a guide. I am sure you have discomforted him enough already," she admonished in perfectly polished Japanese. The kind Sena heard in fancy movies and TV shows. Not even Shin talked so formally and perfectly.

"Ah! I didn't even think about it! Excuse me, my boy," Seisuke exclaimed, dropping Sena's arm and slapping his hand against the smaller footballer's back instead. Sena 'guh'ed in surprise.

So, Seijuuro gets his strength from his dad.

"I-It's f-fine. H-Hello, Shin-san," Sena stammered, bowing to the elegantly beautiful woman in front of him.

"Please, dear, call me Juuri," she offered, bowing politely. He bowed again, blushing brightly. "My son's friend, Haruto, informed me just over fifteen minutes ago that their American football practice ran late today. In Seijuuro's haste, he broke his phone. Please, do not blame him for his absence or his lack of warning," she informed him.

Sena felt all the blood drain out of his body. He was a wisp of smoke, a ghost, in his sudden debilitating fear.

"H-He's n-not h-here?" Sena whispered hoarsely.

Seisuke's booming guffaw had Sena almost jumping right out of his shoes. "I know we old folks are boring, but we'll keep ya entertained somehow. Won't we, my dear?"

To Sena's surprise, Juuri's stern gaze broke, fondness and something mischievous glittering in her dark eyes.

"Why, yes. Yes, we will."

Sena gulped painfully. "I… I have cookies?" he squeaked desperately.

"Then, I'll ring for tea. My love, you know where to take him, I suppose?"

"Righti-o! Follow me, Sena," he announced, taking off down the hallway. As Sena tremblingly followed his stomping footsteps, Juuri set her hand on his shoulder and met his gaze.

"He is a good man, but he spent many years in the West. Forgive his boorish manners if you can. I will be with you two momentarily," she advised kindly.

Sena bowed again. "H-he's not so bad. Neither of you are!" he quickly assured her desperately. A small smile graced her face, making her look motherly rather than flawless and intimidating. She then turned and clicked away. He blinked, noticing the high, expensive heels on her feet, then noticed his own sneakers still firmly on.

"So weird…"

"SENA! ARE YOU LOST?!" boomed Seisuke.

"Coming!"

Sena wiped away tears, stomach hurting and breaths gasping, just a mere half an hour later. His whole body was shaking as he tipped forward. In the middle of wheezing gasp, the door to the parlor swung open. The runningback glanced up, vision blurred and one hand wiping at his eyes again. In the doorway, Shin stood, flummoxed and speechless. It was probably one of the most openly bewildered expressions Sena had seen on Shin's face. He looked as if someone had just thrown a football right in his face and he hadn't seen it coming. His face was flushed, his shirt gaping at the collar and his hair still damp and dripping. From his shoulder, his duffel bag thumped against his hip and jostled him out of his staring.

"Mother, Father… Sena…" he greeted, eyes darting over them and their various red-faced expressions.

Then, his eyes landed on the array of photos and heavy books filled with more. And the gasping laughter- or more restrained chuckles from Juuri- made sense.

"These are great! My parents have some pictures of me, but there are so many! You frowned even as a baby!" Sena blurted, waving a photo in his hand even as he burst into laughter again.

"I see," Shin sighed, shoulders slumping.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, son. Get in here and face your fate!" Seisuke ordered with a laugh and wide sweeping gesture.

"Sena provided us with some delicious snacks, though I made sure to have your usual set out," Juuri added as she got to her feet. Shin stepped to his mother, raising his cheek to be kissed, expression resigned.

"Thank you, Mother. I'm sorry I'm late, Sena. I'm glad they kept you entertained," Shin said as he sat down next to Sena on the loveseat. Though his tone was mild, there was something vaguely grumbly about it. The duffel bag flopped forgotten to the ground at his feet.

"It's been great! You didn't tell me you were born in Germany! Or that you've been to Switzerland almost every year for Christmas until high school! Look, look, you're at Rome in this picture!" Sena exclaimed, waving a photo of Shin, in blue shorts and with an adorable Pikachu backpack, glaring over his shoulder from where he stood on a small dock.

"That's Venice. The canals are in Venice. I was not fond of Venice," Shin corrected with a dark glance at the gondola just barely seen to the side.

"Poor dear, boats tend to cause him a great deal of motion sickness," Juuri confided as she re-sat on the sofa by her husband.

"Everything gives him motion sickness. It's why he runs everywhere these days! I wasn't surprised at all when he told me he wanted to start running, remember?" Seisuke proclaimed while nudging at Juuri. She gave him an exasperated and affectionate smile.

"Yes, my love."

"Actually, we did go to the amusement park and tried a roller coaster, so I knew that!" Sena replied, grinning ear to ear. Seisuke and Juuri exchanged a glance, and quickly looked away, hands covering their mouths and their shoulders shaking.

Shin scowled.

"Seijuuro, sweetheart," Juuri began when she finally to pulled herself together, "why don't you show Sena the house and the grounds? We have a lovely dinner being prepared, and I am sure you two would like to have a short break from us."

"Really? But I was having so much fun! We were just getting to middle school!" Sena protested with a slight pout. "I wanted to see all him getting into sports. He said he did track and soccer for a while…"

"Next time, dear," Juuri promised. Sena blushed, chin to forehead, at the endearment.

Seisuke clapped his hands together. "My lovely wife is right. You need a break from us. Once you're sitting at dinner, you'll be trapped with us for hours. Go stretch your legs and gawk at my family's wealth. It probably misses being appreciated." Seisuke laughed at his own joke as he reached for another cookie from the tin.

"Thank you, Mother, Father. We'll see you at dinner," Shin said, already on his feet and bowing. Sena jumped up and bowed repeatedly.

"I had a great time! Really! Oh, um, you probably want this back," Sena realized with an awkward chuckle. He held out the Venice photo. Juuri held up a hand and shook her head.

"Keep it, dear. We have plenty of others to peruse."

"Really?! Thanks!"

He stumbled after Shin, waving over his shoulder and trying to dig his wallet out of his backpack at the same time. Keeping up with Shin was actually proving difficult, especially with his attention being torn and Shin using his longer legs to their maximum advantage. His sneakers squeaked over tile until Shin led the way up the staircase. His toe clipped the stairs, jerking him forward and making him over-correct backwards the entire way up, like a slinky going the wrong way.

"H-Hey, wait! Slow down, I'm trying- ack! Wait a sec," Sena pleaded as he tried to slip the picture in his wallet without bending it accidentally. Shin slowed his pace so they were side by side.

"I shouldn't have been late," Shin grunted quietly. Sena glanced over at him, eyes wide and baffled.

"Huh? Oh, you mean today? I mean, I guess I was kinda terrified at first, your dad is very… uh… Western, but they were very nice! You look just like your mom! Has anyone told you that?" Sena chattered on gaily. He finally finished with the wallet and swung his backpack over his shoulder once more.

"Yes, most of my relatives have mentioned it. You… You're not upset with me?" Shin asked again, brows furrowing low.

"No, it wasn't your fault. Your phone broke, right? At least you tried to let me know," Sena reassured him. With a lopsided smile, Sena laid his hand on Shin's arm. "You're not upset that they showed me all those embarrassing pictures, are you?"

Shin snorted softly. "I was a child. There was nothing embarrassing about it."

"So… does that mean you still have that Pikachu backpack?" Sena teased hesitantly.

"No. I deemed it inappropriate after my eighth birthday," Shin replied firmly. Sena buried his chuckles behind his fist. "My… mother and father… they didn't… make you uncomfortable?" Shin inquired slowly. He wrapped his hand around Sena's elbow to lead him down another hallway.

Sena's eyes widened, mouth parting in a surprised exhale. Large beautiful vases- a various patterns and shape other than all being as tall as him- were set up along the hallway, and pretty tables with shining crystal bowls full of fragrant petals squatted in the spaces between. Mirrors gleamed on the walls, almost blindingly so as sunlight poured in from giant windows. There were heavy drapes rather than pretty curtains hanging from these windows, with braided golden ropes holding them open.

"N-No, they're were great. Why didn't you tell me this was where you lived?" Sena blurted, almost tripping over the thick, cushiony runner lying down the length of the hallway. It was subdued scarlet in color, with strange paisley-like patterns of gold, ivory, and emerald. "You live in a castle!"

"It's my home. It is not a castle, Sena," Shin argued with a shake of his head. He pushed open a door.

Inside, it was a lot more modest. Typically Shin and unsurprisingly, making Sena smile. There was a simple- if large and expensive looking- desk with old high school textbooks and novels still on its shelves, and a large brass lamp on its desktop. A wardrobe- big enough to fit Kurita- was standing in the corner. One door was open to reveal a large mirror and a few white Oujou High uniforms still hanging inside. Shin dropped his duffel at the foot of the bed. It wasn't some giant four-poster thing with stairs leading up, it was actually set pretty close to the ground, with no footboard and only a simple, unadorned headboard with dark blue bedcovers on it. There was a door off to the side, just ajar enough that Sena could see the gleam of a bathroom sink, but he followed Shin to the small table and the floorchairs near the balcony doors. He dropped his own bag next to the table and settled on the ground next to Shin, ignoring the chairs so he could lay his legs out in front of him and lean back on his hands.

He could also sit as close as he wanted to Shin this way, their arms and thighs innocuously sharing heat.

"Were you worried about me and your parents meeting without you?" Sena asked absently, filling the easy silence that had fallen.

"Somewhat. I know how nervous and timid you can be," Shin replied with a shrug. They were close enough Sena could feel the movement.

He chuckled and, a little daringly, tilted just enough to lay his head on Shin's shoulder.

"Yeah, I was pretty terrified at first. And your mom? She's kinda scarily perfect, just like you, actually," Sena laughed. "I think that made it easier, you know? She reminded me so much of you, it was hard to stay terrified. Especially when she and your dad pulled out all those books. You dad kept joking that he thought he'd never get to embarrass you with those pictures, like he thought you'd never date, or something," Sena recollected with a headshake.

"I'm not surprised. My father is a romantic. He's been disappointed for years that I never showed interest in anyone. They didn't…" Shin broke off, frowning even more and body suddenly stiff.

"Seijuuro?" Sena sat up straight to meet Shin's eyes. "What is it?"

"… You had a good time, the whole time?" Shin asked again, scowling heavily.

"Yes, I promise! It was fantastic. You don't have to be so worried. I wouldn't lie to you. I mean, your dad was off-putting at first, he kept shaking my hand and forgetting to let go, but it was fine. I really do like them," Sena replied earnestly, beginning to feel concerned at Shin's strange questioning. The tension in his body finally left, his shoulders slumping for a moment before he sat up straight again. "I really like your mom, I don't think I can say that enough. She's kinda amazing."

"Good. I'm…relieved. My mother is amazing. My father says she 'walks on water', however, it's just a strange hyperbole he uses. She cannot walk on water." Shin's nostrils flared slightly, his eyes closing, as he regained some control over himself and broke off his almost ramblings abruptly.

"Seijuuro… are you worried about something?" Sena queried outright, a frown slowly forming on his own face.

Shin glanced at him, face blank and inscrutable. After a long moment of intense eye contact, he slowly shook his head. His hand reached up, thumb pressed to the wrinkles on Sena's forehead. His eyes crossed as he tried to look up, before he burst into laughter.

"What are you doing?" Sena demanded with an amused huff.

"I made you frown even though my parents were welcoming and kind. I'm sorry," Shin explained quietly. Sena reached up to pull Shin's hand down. With a blush spreading over his face, Sena slipped his hand into Shin's, fingers entwining.

"You were worried for me. It's not surprising. I was panicking about it all afternoon, and even up to your doorstep. But I'm fine and we're gonna have a great dinner with your parents before I have to go back home. Right?" Sena asked, his free hand fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"Right," Shin agreed.

"Until then… instead of seeing the rest of your house… um…" Sena's blush stained his entire face, crawling up his ears and down his throat. At Shin's quiet, inquiring noise, Sena gulped and closed his eyes. "I missed you. I wouldn't mind staying here. Just us two? Until dinner?" he rushed out, cringing slightly.

"I would like that," Shin agreed without pausing.

Sena glanced up, mouth quirking into a smile. "Yeah?"

"I missed you, too. We've been busy," Shin pointed out. He reached out and cupped Sena's tomato-red face, thumb brushing over his cheekbone.

Sena sighed, melting into the touch. He never realized just how much he missed being this close to Shin, how much he missed the gentle, caring way Shin touched him when they were alone, until they ended up alone again. It was like he'd been on standby, and all the longing he'd buried—under amefuto, and friends, and homework—came back with a vengeance. Moving lightspeed quick, he caught Shin's hand so he could press his lips, not quite a kiss, to his wrist. Sena liked the feeling of Shin's pulse beating against his mouth—steady, constant, and soothing.

The quiet scraping of the floorchair over hardwood had Sena's eyes popping open, his body jerking away in mortification, only for Shin to tug him forward by their linked hands. He squawked in shock as he overbalanced, face knocking into collarbone and pectoral. Then, Shin lay down, his arm around Sena's shoulders, their hands still entangled, and Sena's cheek smooshed to Shin's sternum.

"Okay?" Shin grunted.

Sena grinned against cotton before snuggling closer, one leg wrapping around one of Shin's. This way, their bodies connected in one long line of heat, only their clothes between them. The floor was kinda uncomfortable, sure, and his arm where it was trapped under his torso would probably go numb soon enough. But… well…

"Okay," Sena agreed.

They had so many things to catch up on, assignments and amefuto news and plans for the upcoming winter break to discuss. Instead, Sena watched their hands rise and fall from where they on Shin's slowly expanding and contracting chest and listened to the steady, constant, soothing thump of his heart. They fell asleep on the floor within minutes.

Only Juuri knocking on Shin's door an hour or so later managed to wake them.

...

I made up Hokkyo*** It was not in the manga. Same with the parents, of course. I hope you liked them! XDD

I am SO sorry it took this long to update. I started it pretty soon after the last chapter, but got, like, 2 pages in and couldn't do anything else. I had a very shitty week, ending with a very shitty three hours, until today, at 11 pm, I suddenly just started writing again. It's now 2:25 and I have shit to do tomorrow, because I'm MOVING AGAIN and still haven't finished packing (I need one more box and some bungee cords... which I have no idea how to say in Chinese...). AT LEAST i MANAGED TO UPDATE! AT LAST! I hope you enjoyed the cuddles?