It was a turmoil in his chest.
He could feel the stick of his broom slipping from his fingers and the pounding in his head from the panic.
He couldn't breath.
He couldn't hold on.
The paralyzing feeling of shock filled him, the broomstick left his grasp.
"KAZU!"
In a cold sweat, Kazuna jolted awake, sitting up in bed and panting heavily, gasping for air. His hand clutched the shirt fabric of his chest, feeling his rapid heart beat.
Sweat dripped down his pale face, running a hand through his wet hair and rubbing his eyes.
"Not this again…" Kazuna mumbled to himself, reaching for the glasses on the night stand near his bed. He gazed around the room he shared with four other boys, sighing in relief that he hadn't woken up them up.
Quietly getting out of bed, he put on his slippers and walked into the common room. It was empty, which was no surprise since it was almost five in the morning. He'd forgotten his night robe so he was just in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms.
He took off his glasses and cleaned them off with the bottom of his shirt, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace.
Kazuna exhaled deeply, bringing his knees to his chest and watching the flames dance between the charred wood.
He could still hear the voice calling his name from the dream. Kazuna winced, if only it had just been a dream.
His turquoise eyes reflected the flames. It's been almost four years since his Quidditch accident, but the nightmares still felt as vivid and real as when it actually happened.
He held up his hand, looking at his wrist. The bruises were long gone, but he could still feel the warmth and the strength of the hand that saved him.
'Kazu!... Kazu are you okay?!'
Kazuna's is shoulders trembled, tears streaming down his cheeks as the memories flooded his mind once again.
'Kazu…! Hold on i'm taking you to the nurse!'
'Tomo wait your…..!'
No matter how hard he tried he couldn't forget it.
"Ah, I think he's waking up!"
"Don't be so loud! We're in the infirmary!"
Kazuna's vision was dark and blurry, opening his eyes that felt extremely heavy. As his vision came into focus he made out the familiar faces of his housemates.
"... Akane….? Goshi…?" His throat felt dry and hoarse.
"Don't forget about us!" Hikaru and Mikado cried, being held back by Momo and Nome so they wouldn't jump and hug Kazuna, "We're so glad you're okay! Tomohisa told us not to worry but how could we not" hugging each other and crying even more.
Kazuna stiffened, "T…. tomohisa…?"
Momotaro blinked, "Is something wrong?" worried by the confused tone in Kazuna's voice.
He shook his head in response, "N...no but I-"
"Massu! You're awake!!!!" A relieved pink haired boy ran down through the infirmary entrance, grabbed by his robes when he too tried to jump and hug Kazuna.
"Oi! Ashu! He's not recovered yet you can't just jump him like that!" Goshi scolded the Yuuta who was bawling his eyes out.
"Massu! Massu! I'm so happy you're okay!" Struggling to escape Goshi's tight grasp on him.
"Kazuna, do you remember what happened?" Akane asked after Kazuna seemed to be more awake and alert.
The blond rubbed his head, feeling the bandages under his hair, "All… I really remember is… my broom suddenly acting all weird… and… falling but…. Something…" He looked at his right wrist, it was bruised and had fading marks of what looked to be nail marks, "someone… grabbed me…." He brushed his fingers across the marks.
"That was me,"
Everyone turned to look at the tall silver haired man who had appeared behind them without a sound.
"I'm glad you're alright, Kazu" His smile soft and relieved at the sight of Kazuna having finally awoken.
Kazuna's eyes widened, Tomohisa was covered in bandages. His arm in was cast, his shirt was only draped over his shoulders so he could see the full extent of the bandages.
"Y…. you…" Kazuna's voice trembled, "You idiot!" He cried, startling everyone "Why did you save me?! I didn't ask for your help!"
"Masunaga, calm down!" Goshi pleaded, trying to calm the aggitaed blond.
"Kitakado, I think it's best you leave" Momotaro advised.
Tomohisa looked worried and confused, "... Kazu…"
"Let's go back to our common room." Mikado patted Tomohisa on the back, "What you need is a nice bath"
Mikado escorted Tomohisa out of the infirmary. Momotaro, Yuuta and Goshi trying to calm Kazuna down.
They were in their third year when Kazuna quit playing Quidditch. He'd done so well to avoid Tomohisa for most of the three years after that and now in their final year, Kazuna had finally been able to become a Prefect.
Receiving the news would have been so much better if Tomohisa hadn't been waiting for him outside of the mess hall when they were dismissed. Kazuna didn't stop to pay attention to him but he knew Tomohisa was there to try and catch him by surprise. Thankfully, Kazuna spotted him just as he left and he was able to hide using the taller students.
It was only when he saw Tomohisa that he had dreams of the incident.
Kazuna lifted his head, wiping the tears away with his shirt.
"Masunaga?"
Kazuna jumped, quickly putting on his glasses and looking behind him.
"So it is you, I heard someone leave the room and your bed was empty."
"Oh, Goshi, you startled me…" Kazuna cleared his throat, "I.. I couldn't sleep so…"
Goshi sighed and sat down near Kazuna on the floor, "Are you sure that's all…"
Kazuna rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess all this Prefect stuff has me a bit uneasy, and it's our last year-"
"Enough with the good boy talk." Goshi snarled, "I saw you avoid Kitakado on our way out of the mess hall, You used Aizome as cover."
Kazuna's downcast gaze, told Goshi all he needed to know.
"You always put on this perfect student front, you even quit Quidditch to focus on studying." Goshi leaned back against the couch behind them, "But you really quit Quidditch because something is eating away at you, didn't you?"
Kazuna's eyes shifted to the side, "I'm doing perfectly fine, you don't have to worry about me, I know how to take care of myself."
Goshi snickered, "Really? The guy who's sitting in the common room, crying at 5am can take care of himself?"
The blonds eyebrows furrowed, a faint blush on his cheeks, "I-I wasn't crying!"
Goshi reached over and pinched Kazuna's cheek, "So did water drip from the ceiling and wet your face?"
"What about you?" Kazuna pinched Goshi's cheek in return, "Suddenly becoming worried about me, mister 'getting close to people is a hassle i work alone'"
Goshi blushed, releasing Kazuna's cheek, "I'm human ya know! N-not some emotionless robot!"
"Eh, so even you have a soft side like this Goshi?" Kazuna smiled.
Goshi's blush spread to his ears, clearing his throat "Go back to crying."
Kazuna laughed softly, his smile faded into a frown as he gazed back at the fire.
"It's okay to not always feel 'okay'" Goshi scratched the back of his neck, "You have friends who care about you, but we won't always know what you're feeling…"
'we , huh…' Kazuna thought to himself. Honestly Goshi was one of the fewest people he expected to get along with. Goshi was outspoken and bold with his words, never hesitant to tell it as he saw it. Something that Kazuna needed sometimes to get him out of that stubborn mindset when he decided on something emotionally rather than rationally.
Kazuna inhaled deeply, feeling like the jumble he'd been feeling in his chest was ready to come out, "I… I haven't talked with Tomohisa in three years…. As a Prefect… I'll have to spend more time in the corridors… I'll run into him more often and we might end up talking.." Kazuna gripped onto his shirt.
"Is that it?"
Kazuna looked up, "Huh…"
"Is that all you're worried about? Talking to Kitakado?" Goshi asked in a neutral tone.
"Y…. yes…?" It wasn't all he was worried about, but it was the only thing he felt capable of sharing.
Goshi crossed his arms, "Why are you worried about running into him? You're a Prefect now aren't you? Does that mean you can use your authority to tell him to go somewhere else?"
"I don't think that a very Prefect thing to do…." Kazuna responded earnestly but truthfully if it meant avoiding actual conversation with Tomohisa it didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Aizome was chosen as Head Boy this year, you don't think that guy is gonna take advantage of his authority" Goshi shook his head in disapproval of the thought alone, "But Aizome was only picked because of his face, Prefect is a more respectable position. At least to me."
Silence fell between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The kind of silence that's enjoyable when someone is by your side.
Kazuna didn't realize how much time had passed until they heard everyone come make their way downstairs.
"Kazuna? Kaneshiro?"
They both looked to the staircase as Tatsuhiro made his way down followed by Akane and Miroku.
"Here you two are, when did you guys wake up?" Akane jumped over the couch, landing with his legs between Kazuna and Goshi's shoulders. "I hope you two got enough sleep! today is our first day back!" Akane messed up the hair on both their heads, "Come on get dressed so we can go eat breakfast!!"
"All right, all right we're going" Goshi nodded to Kazuna and they both got up and walked upstairs to change.
--
Kazuna, Goshi, Akane, Miroku and Tatsuhiro were all sorted into Gryffindor. Though at first getting use to one another was a bit difficult, the fact that Akane was so energetic and unfiltered helped break the ice quickly. Within the first few days they went from sitting in their respective areas minding their own business to doing homework together and trying to catch whatever it was Akane made while mixing the potions he snuck out of class. All five of them use to play Quidditch together but after Kazuna's accident they lost their Seeker. Not too long after Tatsuhiro played less frequently ultimately losing their Keeper.
Kazuna and Tatsuhiro held a similar passion for Astronomy. Goshi, Akane and Miroku all excelled in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Then there was Akane who loved to mess around with potions and charms, and Miroku was his enabler.
As the five of them exited the Gryffindor common room and made their way to the mess hall, they were greeted by the familiar faces of their friends from other houses that they'd made in their 6 years attending Hogwarts.
Momotaro and Ryuji, both from the Ravenclaw house. Very intelligent and share a passion for Herbology. They became Prefects along with Kazuna. In their second year they ended up with a room to themselves, having scared off their roommates with the strange plants they kept.
Kento, Yuuta and Haruhi, when the three of them were sorted into Slytherin no one was really surprised. Kento was chosen as Head Boy, the only student position with more authority than a Prefect. The Head Boy was almost always the most popular student in 7th year, and Kento didn't keep that quiet. However, Kento was more than just looks and his grades showed that plenty, much to Goshi's dismay.
Kazuna met Yuuta, at first, through Quidditch. The pink haired boy looked like a kind, excitable young man. Kazuna was…. Very wrong. There is a reason he's become Slytherin's top Beater. When Yuuta and Akane hit it off and became instant friends, their small circle of five began to expand.
It expanded even more when the next year, when a pair of twins showed up in the Gryffindor Common Room searching for Goshi. That was the first time anyone ever saw Goshi smile genuinely. Haruhi and Yuzuki, Goshi had been tutored by their parents since a very young age, they practically grew up together. When they weren't sorted into Goshi's house they pleaded with the Headmaster to be switched but that didn't work out, and they had to settle for their houses, Slytherin and Hufflepuff respectively.
Arriving to the mess hall, the members of the Hufflepuff house were, mostly, seated and eating already.
Kazuna glanced over and saw the silver hair he knew all too well.
Tomohisa Kitakado, the now Hufflepuff Quidditch team captain, eating alongside Mikado, Hikaru and Yuzuki.
Kazuna and Tomohisa had been friends since their first year. He still remembers traveling to Diagon Alley alone, his grandmother was too sickly to accompany him. Everything looked familiar from the trips he'd taken before with his grandmother but now that he was alone he felt so lost.
He remembers tripping and bumping into Tomohisa. How Tomohisa told Kazuna he would help him so he wouldn't be alone. They picked out their wands together, his ended up being 12 inches, it felt stiff and was made of elder and it's core was Dragon Heartstring. Tomohisa's wand was 14 inches, Kazuna thought back endearingly at the memory, Tomohisa's wand was made of Fir a more bendy material than elder, its core was unicorn tail hair.
Kazuna blinked, realizing he was smiling he shook his head, pushing up his glasses and clearing his throat hoping no one saw.
Normally, house members would sit at their designated tables but no one really saw it as a rule so no one followed it. Besides, Kazuna enjoyed eating with everyone before they went their separate ways for class.
Kazuna's eyes once again wandered over to the Hufflepuff table. After his incident, Mikado, Hikaru and Yuzuki became closer with Tomohisa. Kazuna felt his chest tighten. His own messed up feeling had driven a wedge between their friends. They didn't have anything to do with what happened but Kazuna could feel their their discomfort when it came to who would stay with him and who would go with Tomohisa.
He hadn't really paid mind to it before, why had he been so ignorant?
Kazuna's had covered his mouth, he felt sick. He excused himself from the table to the restroom. Everyone looking at him with concern.
"Kazuna, hold on!"
He heard a voice call out to him, but he had to get to the bathroom before whatever was in his stomach came out.
--
"Are you feeling better?" Momotaro asked, handing Kazuna a towel to dry his face after splashing water on himself.
"Yes, thank you Momo..." He exhaled deeply, patting the towel against his cheeks.
"Kazuna… Is everything all right…? You've seemed unease since I first saw you in the hall."
Kazuna could feel Momotaro's eyes observing every inch of him, reading his body language, his eye movements, any change that would reveal he was hiding something.
"No, everything is fine," It felt like he was always saying that, "something must have no sat right with me."
Momotaro frowned, "Kazuna… Is it about Tomohisa again…?"
Kazuna set down the towel and put his glasses back on, responding with silence
The shorter boy moved into Kazuna's line of vision, "You can rely on me, there's no need to deal with it on your own." Momotaro picked up the towel and dried off the parts of Kazuna's face that were still wet, "You've always felt like it was your responsibility to solve everything, but all that does pile up problems until you're no longer capable of solving any of them…."
Kazuna's features saddened, avoided eye contact.
"No matter the situation, you always look like you're about to cry." Momotaro lowered the towel from his cheek, replacing it with his palm, "You helped me grow and accept myself, you showed me how to make friends. I also want to help you, Kazuna…"
Kazuna closed his eyes, leaning his cheek into Momotaro's hand, "I don't even understand…. what it is I need help with myself…."
The tight feeling in his chest, the butterflies that made him want to puke, the headaches, the tossing and turning in bed.
"That's okay." Momotaro smiled, "You don't have to know, all you have to do is take a step forward. Nothing will be solved if you remain in the cage you've constructed."
His chest felt lighter, the way Momotaro observed him sometimes made him uneasy, but at this moment he was glad the fuchsia haired boy could read him so well. Momo knew what it was Kazuna was feeling without Kazuna having to say it, perhaps it was due to the fact that Momotaro was raised by psychic parents.
The bell went off signaling the beginning of the first morning class. Kazuna reassured Momotaro he was feeling well enough to go to his class on his own. Though hesitant, Momo headed in the opposite direction to his own class.
Morning classes went by smoothly without incident. Kazuna sighed in relief as he sat down at bench in the courtyard for some fresh air. It was his free period, meaning it was his turn to patrol the halls but since everything seemed calm he decided to take a short break.
He looked at the pack of gummy slug Yuuta had given him. They weren't exactly his favorite candy but since he hadn't eaten breakfast properly they would have to do until lunch time.
"I didn't know you liked gummy slugs now?"
Kazuna jumped, startled to his feet, "Y-you??" there behind the spot he had just been sitting stood Tomohisa, holding a box with what looked to be Quidditch equipment.
He cleared his throat, "What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in class?" adjusting his glasses to get a better look at the silver haired boy in question.
"I actually have a free period right now, so I thought i would use the time to replace the old Quidditch equipment with these new ones." Tomohisa smiled.
"Your parents never stop investing do they…?" Kazuna said under his breath.
"Eh? Did you say something?"
"I said, you should invest as much time into studying as you do Quidditch." Kazu shoved the bag of gummy slugs into his robe pocket.
Tomohisa blinked, "But life feels much more fulfilling when you do more then just study, don't you think, Kazu?" His smiled beamed, "You should come and play a game with us again like we used to"
Kazuna suddenly felt irritated, "If you want to waste your time on that pointless sport go ahead, but leave me out of it!"
He stormed off, mumbling under his breath. "Stupid Tomohisa… all you ever think about is Quidditch, isn't it."
"Kazu, wait!" Tomohisa caught up to him grabbing a hold of his wrist.
Kazuna felt a sudden pounding in his chest and quickly jerked his hand away, "D-don't touch me!" he held onto his wrist, finding it difficult to breath all of a sudden.
Tomohisa took a step closer, reaching his hand out hesitantly, "Kazu I-"
Before Tomohisa could say another word, Kazuna took off again, but this time Tomohisa didn't follow him.
Kazuna panted heavily, leaning against the wall in front of the entrance to Gryffindor's common room. He looked down at his wrist, holding onto it once more, he slid against the wall onto the floor.
He'd been perfectly fine the past 3 years, why were all these emotions and memories coming back now. He'd worked so hard to suppress everything and now three people had seen him in that state.
It felt like the universe was against him. It was his last year, after this year he could find a job and finally repay his grandmother for taking him in and raising him.
He just needed to make it through this year. He told himself over and over again until he finally calmed down.
After the courtyard incident, Kazuna avoided leaving the common room as much as possible. He was able to switch the time of his free period after much convincing, to be during the block of the last evening class. Which allowed him to use the Prefect bath before anyone else, and by anyone else he meant Tomohisa.
Out of all the people the Prefects shared a bathroom with it just had to be the Quidditch captains.
It was the day night before Christmas break. Kazuna sat on his bed looking over the patrol hours assigned to the Prefects that weren't going home for the holidays.
He would have liked to spend it with his grandmother, but she was so sickly she was worried it might be contagious and told him to stay at school.
Kazuna looked over at the bed next to his, Goshi was already done packing and Kazuna assumed he had gone to find the twins. Akane and Miroku were still packing up some of their clothes and Tatsuhiro had finished and was reading a book while waiting for the other two to be ready.
Kazuna smiled, those three had such nice families. He doesn't have many memories of his parents. He's been with his grandmother for as long as he can remember. She never talked about his parents, whenever he asked she'd dismiss it and change the subject. There were no photographs around the house so Kazuna wasn't even really sure of what his parents looked like anymore.
"Kazu!" Akane's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "we're heading off the the carriages."
"Ah, I'll see you off" Kazuna set list on his bed, putting on his shoes and following his roommates downstairs.
Most of the students returned home for the holidays, but the ones that didn't were to be looked after by the few teachers and prefects that stayed.
He waved goodbye at the carriage until he could no longer see Akane waving back at him. Kazuna lowered his hand, sighing deeply before making his way back to his now empty room.
Kazuna looked at all the decorations that adorned the halls, the castle was always out doing itself from the previous years.
"So you're really going to stay here?"
Kazuna stopped just before the end of the hallway that lead to Ravenclaw's common room.
"Yes, my parents are on a business trip, they wouldn't be home for Christmas anyway."
Kazuna peeked from behind the wall, the voices belonged to Ryuji and Tomohisa.
"Hmmm… Okay but don't do anything dangerous, it's too cold for you to be practicing Quidditch. I don't want to come back and find out you got sick."
The blond felt a pang in his chest. Ryuji and Tomohisa had always been close, they were childhood friends after all.
He bit his lip, feeling the pang once more. Did that… bother him? No, it shouldn't, they're just close friends.
But Kazuna felt an uneasiness swell over his chest. He shouldn't feel like this, they weren't doing anything so why does he feel like he's losing.
"Kazu?"
Kazuna froze, his heart pounded in his chest. What was this, this was different from the panic he usually felt.
"Kazu are you alright?"
Kazuna looked up at the taller male in front of him, "T.. Tomohisa…" He could see the concern on Tomohisa's face.
"... Kazu…?" Tomohisa cautiously placed a hand on the side of Kazuna's arm.
Kazuna shook his head, "I…. I'm fine I… I think I'll go take a bath…" His voice was soft and a bit shaky.
Tomohisa's hand gripped his arm slightly, "Hold on, let me walk you there…"
Kazuna wanted to protest, but his usual wave of frustration was replaced with something else he couldn't quite understand.
Walking with Tomohisa down the hall, Kazuna kept glancing up at him. This is the most time they've ever spent together in three years.
--
The silence in the bathroom felt suffocating. Kazuna thought Tomohisa was just going to walk him to the bath, not take one himself.
Kazuna inhaled the steamy air from the shower, he always found a shower more relaxing than a bath. The warm water trickling down your body, they never ending flow of warmth. The jumble in his chest had been washed away.
His turquoise eyes wandered over to the silver haired body in the bath. Startled when his eyes met Tomohisa's gaze.
Kazuna felt his face heat up, quickly looking away and running a hand through his wet hair.
"You know Kazu," Tomohisa's voice echoed against the walls of the empty bathroom, "I really wish we could play Quidditch together again."
"W… why would I waste my time with such a pointless sport" Kazuna swallowed the lump in his throat, "you're risking your life, and for what? A few points on a scoreboard??"
"So what if we're risking our lives,"
Tomohisa's voice sounded so close.
"What do you mean 'so what'?? You could get hurt!" Kazuna turned toward Tomohisa only to find that taller male was standing behind him.
"If I get hurt, then I get hurt, but you remember the feeling don't you?"
Kazuna stepped back until he was up against the cold wall of the shower.
"We use to have so much fun playing against each other, we said we would become captains together…"
Kazuna trembled, his eyes falling on the scar along Tomohisa's shoulder. He closed his eyes tightly, "But if you get hurt you might never play again!"
"I don't care if i get hurt-"
"Well I do!!" Kazuna glared, he felt tears well up in his eyes, "I care if you get hurt Tomohisa! Every time you have a match… Every time games aren't canceled when the weathers unstable…" Kazuna rubbed his eyes, trying to stop the tears, "I can't stop worrying! … I'm worried that you'll get hurt so bad that you won't be able to play anymore…. I'm scared that one day I'll lose you too!"
"Is that why you've been ignoring me for the past three years…" Tomohisa's tone becoming serious, "were you so 'worried' that you couldn't even look at me..?"
Tomohisa's hand caressed Kazuna's cheek, lifting Kazu's face to get a better look at him.
"If you were worried, isn't that an even greater reason to remain by my side?"
Kazuna's tears continued to fall, "I… it was my fault…" he gasped, "I messed up… and you were the one who got hurt…." His hand gently touching the scar on Tomohisa's shoulder. "I was so scared…. You risked your life to save me… and your broom even ended up getting broken…"
"It was just a broom, I could easily buy a new broom… but I can't buy another Kazuna…." Tomohisa smiled.
"But the broom we-!" Kazuna's voice became desperate, "We picked it out together in Diagon Alley…. It was the first shop we went to after we met…" His forehead rested against Tomohisa's shoulder, "You looked so happy… It was the first time i truly felt happy… the first time I finally felt like… being alive truly had meaning"
Tomohisa wrapped his arms around Kazuna's trembling figure, "Kazu…."
"When I saw you in the infirmary after i woke up… I was scared…" Kazuna hugged Tomohisa tightly, "because of me you'd gotten hurt… I couldn't help but wonder if.. one day you'd be the one broken instead of the broom…."
Tomohisa's hands cupped Kazuna's face, lifting it to look at him again, "If Kazu is with me… I would be unbreakable…"
Kazuna gasped, sniffling and shaking his head, "y… you're an idiot…"
"So I've been told." Tomohisa smiled warmly, leaning down and softly pressing his lips against Kazuna's.
Kazuna clung to him tighter, the kiss didn't startle him. Kissing Tomohisa felt natural, with each touch of their lips Kazuna could feel all his emotions becoming clear. All this time, he'd been in love with Tomohisa and he misunderstood his body's reactions.
The water from the shower head covered both of them in its warmth.
Kazuna felt the coldness of the wall against his back as he was pressed against it by Tomohisa. He gasped against his lips, Tomohisa taking the chance to deepen the kiss.
His nails dug into Tomohisa's back. Their naked bodies pressed against one another. They were finally reunited after three years, no longer as friends, but as something else.
--
"You'll get in trouble if the head of your house finds out you're here…" Kazuna grumbled to the large body making itself comfortable in his bed.
Tomohisa was holding onto one of Kazuna's pillow, inhaling its scent, "They'd only find out if you told…"
Kazuna blushed, looking away, "w..well I might just have to report this pervert who's invaded my bed"
"Eeeh~ So mean Kazu." Tomohisa played along. He extended his hand out to Kazuna, inviting him to join him in bed.
Kazuna couldn't help but smile, taking Tomohisa's hand and, though awkwardly, getting into bed with him.
"Try anything weird and I'll take points away" Kazuna warned, his blush darkening as Tomohisa wrapped his arms around his waist.
"Hmm," Tomohisa chimed "prefects can only deduct points from members in their own house though. I just want to hold you, and never let you go again."
Kazuna pulled the blanket over his head, "Don't say stuff like that so casually!"
Tomohisa smiled mischievously, "I can't help when you act so cute… It makes me feel so happy… that I can hold you and talk to you like this without you running away…"
Kazuna's blush darkened, he could hear an undertone sadness in Tomohisa's voice. He knew Tomohisa wasn't trying to make him feel guilty or anything, but he still felt it. He'd been so afraid of confrontation that it lead him to distance himself from the person who showed him the brightness in his world that had always been so dark.
His bed that had always felt so cold and lonely, right now felt like the safest place he'd ever been in.
--
Kazuna wasn't expecting Christmas break to be so enjoyable. He was able to spend all his time with Tomohisa, Tomo even accompanied him on his night patrols of the corridors. He always thought holding hands, and being lovey dovey was weird, but now that he had Tomohisa he understood it even if it was just a little. Falling asleep and waking up with Tomohisa next to him, eating together, sharing the bath together, making out and just cuddling. For the first time in a long time Kazuna felt genuinely happy.
It felt like he was given a chance to make up for all the time he'd missed with Tomohisa. Though he knew it would be impossible to make up for the three years they missed, they would be able to make many more memories together.
Before they knew it, it was the last night of their break. Sitting in the bath together, Kazuna leaning against Tomhisa's chest playing around with the little bubbles that floated out of the water.
He sighed deeply, splashing his face with water.
Tomohisa hugged him tightly, his cheek resting against Kazuna's shoulder, "It's too bad we won't be able to be close like this once everyone comes back…"
"Yeah…" Kazuna looked at his reflection in the bubbly water, "I wish we could be like this longer…." strands of hair slipped from their tucked position behind his ear.
"I'm sure we'll still be able to spend a lot of time together… Maybe not as close as this, but we'll manage something."
Kazuna nodded in response. Maybe he could try getting his old free period back. It would probably be much more difficult to convince the headmaster to allow it since he'd made it seem so important to switch it the first time.
"Maybe we should…." Kazuna blushed, not finishing the thought.
"'Maybe we should', what?" Tomohisa blinked raising his head.
Kazuna's blush darkened, "N-no it's nothing, forget it…"
Tomohisa nuzzled into the nape of Kazuna's neck, "Kazu… please be honest with me…"
The blond tensed, biting his lip. Once he put it out there, there was no taking it back, "I was just wondering if… we should.. You know… d-do that…."
Tomo blinked, "'That'?
Damn this man that couldn't take a hint, "Y-yeah… the thing.. Two people do in bed…." Kazuna looked back at Tomohisa.
A faint blush dusted Tomohisa's cheek, finally understanding what Kazuna was referring to. He offered a warm smile, placing a kiss on Kazuna's forehead. "Kazu, "
"I-if you don't want to… th-that's okay i just thought.. That since it's our last night like this together we should-"
Tomohisa shook his head, "It's not that i don't want to, I would love to hold you in my arms and make you mine.." He kissed Kazuna's neck "But I would like to do it without feeling rushed. I want to fully enjoy opening up your body, I want to take my time exploring every crevice of your heart. Learning about more about this Kazuna Masunaga whom you've become over the last three years without me."
Kazuna's heart pounded in his chest. The way Tomohisa phrased it did sound a lot better. Besides, if they did it in his room and Tomohisa forgot to go back to his room how would he explain it to his roommates.
Now that he thought about it, what were they going to tell everyone once they came back? Goshi, Momo and Kento were one of the few people who knew about his… 'situation' with Tomohisa. Looking at it, would everyone think it was weird? Just a few days ago he'd been so against even looking in Tomohisa's direction. Now here they were in each other's arms naked.
He found it kind of funny.
They finished their bath, taking their time to walk back to Kazuna's room. It would be a lie if he said Tomohisa went back to his room right away. Kazuna wasn't going to let Tomohisa go without getting as many kisses as possible out of him. He didn't think it was possible to spend hours just making out but that's exactly what they did.
By the time Tomohisa left, Kazuna was smiling like an idiot, holding onto his the pillow that now smelled just like Tomohisa's shampoo. He turned over on his side, clutching it even tighter against his chest.
He really just couldn't believe how happy he felt.
--
"Oi, Masunaga…"
Kazuna heard a voice calling to him.
"Has Kazu ever been a heavy sleeper?"
"Mm, normally he wakes up right away."
His eyes fluttered open, closing from the bright light and burying his face into the Tomo scented pillow, "Mmn… can't we sleep in today too…" he mumbled sleepily.
The four roommates who had just arrived a few minutes ago looked at each other in confusion, "'Today too'…?"
Now they were concerned, the Kazuna they knew wasn't the type to sleep in.
Goshi shook the blond's shoulder, "Masunaga, wake up, you're going to miss breakfast."
Kazuna yawned, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in bed, "Good morning…" he smiled, still feeling a little groggy from his sleepiness.
Goshi raised an eyebrow, "Uh… are you feeling alright…?" he looked at Akane who leaned against his arm, curious at Kazuna's odd behavior.
"I feel fine." Kazua got out of bed, "Oh, you said breakfast was almost over, we should hurry to the mess hall."
While Kazuna's strange behavior worried them, they followed along to the mess hall. As soon as they entered Kazuna spotted Tomohisa sitting in the usual spot with the Mikado and Hikaru. He suspected Yuzuki was probably still helping Haruhi unpack.
Kazuna made eye contact with Tomohisa, Tomohisa gave him a small wave and smile but Kazuna had to look away to stop himself from smiling. He and Tomohisa decided to not tell the other just yet about their relationship. Kazuna was pretty sure the other would bombard them with questions and he didn't feel like he was emotionally ready to be questioned about things he was still trying to figure out himself.
It was a little strange eating without Tomohisa sitting next to him. But he was just thinking about his schedule, trying to figure out any possible time for them to spend together until he managed to switch his free period.
He was so caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't even notice that all his friends had their attention on him. Kazuna set his spoon down, feeling nervous from all the staring "Is… is something wrong…?" he asked hesitantly.
Everyone exchanged looks as if asking each other something mentally before offering mixed responses,
"No, no, nothing at all,"
"It's just you seem well…."
"Different?"
"It's like you're not constipated anymore!"
Goshi punched Yuuta's head, "Ashuu!"
"Ha, ha, well that's how it looks"
Kazuna blushed darkly, "C-constipated?!"
"I think what Yuuta meant is that you seem more relaxed then you usually do." Ryuji clarified.
"O-oh… Well um… I guess I just feel.." He thought carefully of his wording, "really refreshed from... our break." Kazuna cleared his throat.
"Well, I'm glad you were able to relax during our time off," Momotaro smiled, "you certainly seem much happier."
Kazuna scratched the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly "Y… yeah.. I am. I am… happy." He took a bite of the toast, hoping no one noticed his smile.
--
"Has anyone else felt like Kazu is acting very suspicious?" Ryuji asked, sitting on the bench in the courtyard next to Yuuta. It had been almost a week since they returned from Christmas break,
He'd called an emergency meeting right before lunch. They had to sneak out of class but they were all worried about their friend.
"He's been acting super cheerful since the morning we came back and Goshi woke him up." Akane placed his hand to his chin in thought, "He even said something about sleeping in."
Tatsuhiro nodded, "Normally, Kazuna is the first one awake. This is the first time in awhile that we've seen him sleeping like that. It's been happening every morning this week."
"While I'm glad Kazuna is in such high spirits, it is unusual to come back to this sudden change. Normally his behavior is stiff and calculated," Momotaro explained, "But now it seems to have a sort of.. confidence , if i might say, behind it."
"I was here during Christmas break and I didn't see anything strange…" Kento chimed in, "Actually now that i think about it i didn't see Kazuna at all, except for one time he was patrolling near the Hufflepuff wing…"
"But I thought Massu disliked being assigned patrol near Hufflepuff common room?"
"Yes, but when I asked, he told me one of the other prefects had begged him to cover their area and he couldn't bring himself to refuse." The tall blue haired man further added.
"Where's Masunaga right now?" Goshi asked.
"He said he had to make some mail deliveries to students who weren't able to get them during breakfast." Miroku informed them, "He seemed to be in quite a hurry…"
Hikaru and Yuuta exchanged knowing glances, "You know what that means!"
The other looked at them in confusion, "What…?"
"We have to follow Massu and find clues about why he's acting so weird!" Yuuta stated as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
"It most likely that whatever it is that made him change is tied in with these 'deliveries'" Hikaru made air quotes for emphasis.
"Hmm, you may be right.." Mikado agreed.
"Okay! Let's go!" Hikaru and Yuuta went off ahead.
With Kento's help, they were able to give a believable explanation as to why the non-prefects were out of class, "They were given a choice and they decided to work off their detentions by helping us with some errands. Don't you think physical labor has more disciplinary value?"
"It's a good thing Kenty is so charming or we all would have ended up with actual detentions!" Mikado patted Kento's back.
"That was just a few teachers, just hope we don't run into the headmaster…"
Asking a few other prefects out on patrol, they managed to find a trail of where Kazuna had been. It was true that he was making mail deliveries, but what they found suspicious was the path he was taking and how long it took him to get to each class.
"Hey.." Ryuji spoke up, "We've been passing by Tomo's class a lot…"
"You're right, it's almost as if the delivery path has been laid out to pass by Kitakado's classroom as much as possible." Momotaro added.
"Let me check something…" Kento walked to the door, knocking on it before opening it, "Pardon the intrusion, is Tomohisa here, the headmaster would like to speak with him."
The students' whispers were hushed by the teacher before directing her attention to Kento, "Aizome, what a pleasure to see you! I'm afraid Kitakado has been feeling unwell, he's been making frequent trips to the bathroom so I sent him to see the nurse."
Kento smiled, raising his hand in thanks, "I see, I'll head over there right away, thank you again." He shut the door, turning to look at the waiting group, "It seems our next destination is the Infirmary."
"Kenken's quick thinking saves the day!"
"We better hurry, this definitely has nothing to do with Masunaga and we might lose our trail."
"Hm~... I'm not so sure about that~" Kento hummed.
As they neared the infirmary, they were hushed by Kento. They approached the door quietly, pressing their ears against the door,
"I hear voices!" Haruhi whispered.
"I could just be the nurse?" Mikado said unsurely.
Kento carefully pushed down on the handle to open the door, "Nurses don't lock the infirmary door…" Kento pulled out a ring of keys from under his robe.
"Sometimes I forget you're the Head Boy." Goshi grumbled.
"Shh, if we're not quiet whoever is inside might hide." Ryuji warned.
As quietly as possible Kento unlocked the door, he didn't remember the lock being so loud. He paused, removing the key and listening for the voices once more. There were pauses in between but they were still there.
Without wasting time, Kento shoved the doors open stepping into the room, "Normally these doors are unlock-" Kento paused mid sentence.
There on one of the infirmary bed, was Tomohisa with Kazuna splayed under him. Their clothes was undone sloppily, Tomohisa's hands all over Kazuna's chest.
Kazuna quickly pushed Tomohisa off of him, making Tomohisa roll onto the floor, "K-ke-kento! What are you doing here!" He laughed nervously, covering his chest with Tomohisa's robe.
Kento crossed his arms, "Apparently, interrupting."
"Kenken what is it- EH?! MASSU??"
"Kazu, did you see where my tie went?"
"Oh, I think it- NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR TIE TOMOHISA!!!" Kazuna blushed furiously.
"MASSU AND TOMO?!" Yuuta yelled.
"Well this is an interesting development…" Momo's serious tone held a hit of amusement.
"Kazu and Tomo are certainly getting along again!" Akane smiled.
"I'd say they do more then just get along." Kento chuckled.
Kazuna covered his face with the robe. Out of all the ways to be caught, it just had to be when they were practically half naked. Why couldn't they have been detectives when Tomohisa and himself were tending the owl together.
Tomohisa lifted the robe on Kazuna's face to get a peek at him, "Well, now we don't have to sneak around, right?"
Kazuna's face was still red, but the soft look on Tomohisa's face made him smile.
He would always be grateful to have stumbled into that small silver haired boy in Diagon Alley.
"Yeah…"