It's at the cast party that a memory resurfaces. Yuki and Muku in an alley, Yuki in Muku's arms… Tenma had to push it down back then, had to focus on the show and getting a handle on his stage fright, but now it's over, the play and Summer Troupe, and he just knows if he doesn't say something now, he'll likely regret it for the rest of his life.
"Hey, Yuki?"
"Yes?" the sassy, green-haired guy answers. He's wearing a dress tonight, a mauve and peach one. On any other guy it would probably look ridiculous, but on Yuki it's perfect.
Tenma isn't exactly sure what he's trying to achieve here, he just knows he can't let Yuki go without saying something.
"Umm," he stalls, rubbing his neck, trying to think. "Can we talk?"
"Aren't we talking now?"
"Right…"
"What is it, hack? Out with it already."
Yuki's glaring up at him, so much fire in those orange eyes.
"I guess I just wanted to say good job. You nailed your part and I'm really glad we got to act together."
"Oh, well thank you. And I suppose in the end you weren't half bad either."
That's about as close as he'll come to getting a compliment from Yuki, so he'll take it.
"I guess we make a pretty good team."
"What?" Yuki says, a sharp edge to his voice again.
"On the stage, I mean…"
"Yes, we already knew that. Get to the point. What did you really want to talk to me about?"
It's been playing on his mind so much that even Yuki's picked up that he's hiding something.
"I saw you guys," he blurts out. "You and Muku, that day we were passing out flyers. I wasn't spying or anything, I just happened to be there. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I'm happy for you. It's nice."
It's the opposite of what he wants to say, but the words just spill out.
Yuki frowns up at him.
"You've got it wrong. He was just comforting me because I was upset."
"You were upset?" he asks, though his heart is pounding with… What exactly?
"Some boys from school… They were giving me a hard time about the way I dress."
"What? Why? You always look amazing!"
"Excuse me?"
This is the part where he can back-peddle, pretend he didn't mean it. Or he can own it and get an honest reaction from Yuki.
"I mean it. I love your sense of style, it's beautiful."
It's almost what he wants to say.
"You're making fun of me."
"No, Yuki! I'd never do that!"
"Then why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? It's unnerving."
"Is it?" Does Yuki really not like this kind of attention from him? "I'm sorry."
"It is. I don't know what to do with you when you're like this."
Tenma doesn't know either. On impulse, he grabs Yuki's wrist and leads him to a secluded spot.
"Hey! What do you think you're- Ngh!"
His mouth is on Yuki's, kissing him, until the other boy knees him in the groin. He doubles over with the pain.
"If you think that was charming, you're dead wrong. How dare you spoil my make up without at least asking first."
"Sorry," he wheezes out. "Really. I didn't mean it."
"Didn't mean it? What happened then? Your face just slipped and happened to crash into mine? How pathetic."
"I said I'm sorry," he groans.
"And I don't accept your apology until you explain yourself."
By this point the pain has subsided enough that he can at least stand up straight again, albeit with a wince.
He looks into those orange eyes which aren't as angry as they might be.
"You like guys, don't you?"
It's the wrong thing to say, Yuki's expression darkens.
"And even if I do, you think that means I'll let anyone have their way with me? Do you know how insulting that is?"
"I'm sorry, okay? I've screwed this whole thing up."
"What thing?" Yuki demands. "You haven't explained anything yet."
He looks at Yuki who is usually pretty tuned in, and wishes he would just get it.
"I'm waiting…" Yuki says, arms crossed, foot tapping, and it gets the better of Tenma. Yuki's disdain, his own frustration, and the throb of pain that still hasn't completely subsided.
"I don't know! Okay?! I saw you in that alley with Muku and it's been driving me nuts! Then the show ended and I just felt this rising panic that I wasn't gonna be around you anymore!"
"So you decided to molest me?"
"I didn't…" he begins but trails off because he supposes he kind of did. He's at a complete loss when Yuki starts laughing. It's an unexpected, amazing sound.
"You have a crush on me and I just hit you in the family jewels. That's too funny…"
"I'm glad you think so, because from my side it wasn't very humorous."
"You're such a hack."
"And now you're trying to crush my spirit too…"
"Oh, no. You'd know if I was doing that. Believe it or not, I actually don't despise you."
"Seriously? Coulda fooled me."
"Well I am an actor, and we were in the middle of a production."
"What are you saying?"
"Ask me out properly, hack. Perhaps take me on a date or two before you assume I'll just give up the goods. It's the gentlemanly thing to do."
Is he hearing this right? Is Yuki saying he'll date him if he just goes ahead and asks?
"Well," Yuki demands, foot tapping again.
"Right," Tenma says, hardly able to believe that after all this, he might have actually pulled it off.
"Yuki, will you go on a date with me?"
"I will."
Tenma feels himself start to grin, but of course Yuki knows how to kill it.
"But don't think I'll just go through the motions. I'm not a sure thing. You better impress me, or I'll dump you quicker than you can blink. Think carefully, Tenma."
"Right," he agrees, dead serious now and beyond grateful for this chance.
"Now let's get back to the party. Despite what you may think, not everything is about you."
With that parting remark, Yuki stalks off and Tenma is left in his wake, elated, terrified, excited, all the things an actor should feel. He's going to take Yuki's advice and put everything he's got into this, and he's going to succeed.
