Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/2452622.
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M/M
Free!
Tachibana Makoto/Yamazaki Sousuke, side! Matsuoka Rin/Nanase
Haruka
Yamazaki Sousuke, Tachibana Makoto, Matsuoka Rin, Nanase
Haruka, Hazuki Nagisa, Ryuugazaki Rei, Matsuoka Gou
drabbles, crack-fic, FullofCrap, dares, First Dates, First Kiss, First
Love, High School, Out of character characters, main!Soumako,
side!Rinharu, Games, Hurt/Comfort, Onesided, Keep reading and
you'll see, hopefully smut
Published: 2014-10-16 Chapters: 1/2 Words: 6879
It all began when Rin came up with this stupid idea.
by ever_blue
Summary
“I love you,” Sousuke muttered, a hard whisper into his cell phone. Heat crept up his face
to flush his cheeks as he willed all his emotion into that one single sentence. The person on
the other end of the line didn’t respond, or more like couldn’t respond to the raven-haired
male’s sudden confession. It was a long, dreadful silence. All Sousuke could do was push
on a little further, and just get this over with. “Did you hear me? I said I love you,
Tachibana."
Well, shit.
What the fuck did he just do?
Why the fuck did he do it?
Oh, right.
He was friends with Matsuoka-fucking-Rin.
Or, to put it short, how Sousuke was too stubborn (and horrendously cheesy) for his own
good.
Notes
Hello! Author of 'I have a little over 9 months left' here. I got sidetracked. I'm so sorry.
Well, this came into my mind and i couldn't shake it off for quite some time so i decided to
put it in actual words.
Bear with my horrid english ;_;
Much loves!
Yay for SouMako week!
See the end of the work for more notes
“I love you,” Sousuke muttered, a hard whisper into his cell phone. Heat crept up his face to flush
his cheeks as he willed all his emotion into that one single sentence. The person on the other end
of the line didn’t respond, or more like couldn’t respond to the raven-haired male’s sudden
confession. It was a long, dreadful silence. All Sousuke could do was push on a little further, and
just get this over with. “Did you hear me? I said I love you, Tachibana,” he said, louder, more sure
of himself than the previous time, hoping his voice didn’t waver or quake, praying that his
message was through, loud and clear.
And with that, he hung up.
Shit.
What the fuck had he just done?
Why the hell did he do what he just did?
Oh.
Right.
Because he was friends with Matsuoka-fucking-Rin.
“There. I fucking did it, Rin. I hope you’re happy now.” Sousuke placed his cell on his lap and
proceed to glare at said redhead, who had been stifling a laugh throughout the entire scenario.
Here they were, in their dorm, with Rin finally being able to double over with laughter, guffawing
like a lunatic, heavily gasping for air, grabbing at his stomach and actually crying from the pain of
laughing. Tears were smudged all over his cheeks, and there was something to Rin’s annoying
laughter that somehow reminded Sousuke of a dying hyena who had been rammed over with a
sledge hammer. And that was really saying something. The taller male stood up from the chair he
sat on, went over to his idiot of a friend and gave him a sharp jab in the ribs.
That had finally stopped Rin from his hideous laughing/dying animal calls.
“Sh-shit, Sou! That hurt!” The male clutched the place where he was jabbed, doubling- over on
his mattress and scowled at Sousuke, who was glaring down at him with those droopy eyes of his,
with an equally fierce scowl of his own. But then, his brain hit the replay button of his best
friends’ confession to his other good friend back in Iwatobi, and again, he had to stifle the next
line of giggles that were about to erupt. But evidently, he failed.
Sousuke sighed, hoping his friend would choke on himself or something.
“I win the dare, Matsuoka. You owe me 20 bucks.”
Rin looked up with watery eyes (definitely not from crying) and nodded, lips still curved up into a
devilish grin. “That was worth the 20 bucks, dude. Damn, I should’ve recorded the whole thing!
You should’ve seen yourself blush, Sou!” He fished out a 20 from his wallet and handed it to
Sousuke, and to his surprise, Sousuke had actually thought twice before grabbing the cash, folding
it neatly before shoving it in his sweat pants’ pocket. “Though next time, you should really give
Makoto the chance to answer. That was rude of you.”
“There won’t be a next time, Rin,” he huffed, shoulders slumping, exhausted from the training
(we all know that there was more to it) and hoisted himself into the top bunk. “G’night. And
thanks for the 20. I earned it.”
And earned it he did.
Soon after, Rin, still smiling from that little episode, could hear a soft snoring from above. It was
already half past one in the morning, and he should get some shut eye, too, but his mind wouldn’t
allow it, still in the hype from what he had witnessed.
He always knew Sousuke was never the kind to turn down dares.
No matter how stupid, absurd, embarrassing or life-threatening as they seem, Sousuke Yamazaki
will never turn down a dare.
As long as Rin promises to pay, of course. There wasn’t really a reason he should turn down a
dare, because he wasn’t a chicken, and his friend is a bitch, and really, why the hell should he not?
He tucked his arms behind his head, staring up towards the base of the top bunk, reminiscing the
times when they were younger. He was particularly fond of this moment where he had dared
Sousuke to enter the ladies room back when Rin was still in Iwatobi. Sousuke, looking as cool as
ever actually agreed to do it, but at what cost? His favorite popsicle, Rin’s treat. They walked
towards the nearest washroom and the raven-haired boy had entered the female’s room without
once turning to glance at Rin, much to the latter’s’ surprise as he stood outside waiting for his
painfully stubborn friend to return. There were a few yells that came from the ladies washroom,
but that was about it. Sousuke reemerged, nonchalant, and they went to get their popsicles.
Having dared the larger male to confess to the other large male was one of the best dares he had
come up with so far.
‘I should do this to him more often,’ thought Rin with a smile, the stupid game bringing back the
good ol’ times. He wouldn’t mind if he had to give away his last cent, because really, it was god
damned worth it. Maybe he should start planning his next dare, and maybe-just maybe, Makoto is
going to be involved in this round, again.
‘Speaking of which, I wonder how Makoto feels now after that little confession.’
--
“Haru-chaaaaan, what am I going to dooooo? Ya-Yamazaki-kun…he said…he said he loved
me!” Makoto shrieked (a very manly shriek, mind you) into his phone in a horrendously ungodly
hour. He panicked, because, who wouldn’t, after receiving such a confession in the dead of night?
His mind was a mess, his heart was stammering so hard it was about to rip his chest apart, his
palms were sweaty, his face was burning up like a furnace which could definitely make tea and oh
god oh god oh GOD SOUSUKE IS IN LOVE, with ME?
“Calm down, Makoto.” Haru sounded annoyed, but there was a hint of worry in there,
somewhere. Makoto felt relatively guilty for waking his best friend up because he needed to talk
to someone, only to deafen Haruka with his panicky school-girl squeals. “Are you sure it wasn’t
some kind of nightmare?”
“No, no. I’m sure of it, Haru. H-he called me, and it’s still here in my call log, saying Yamazaki
Sousuke, 1:37 a.m. He said he loved me, b-but I don’t know, because we don’t talk at all, in fact, I
don’t think we’ve ever had a proper conversa-“
“How do you feel towards Sousuke, Makoto?” Haru cut Makoto short, voice already growing
weary into a half-sleeping state. The brunette held on tightly to his covers, because it was cold,
and because he was only in his boxers, and because he was confused as hell. Yamazaki-kun loved
him? This couldn’t be, could it? If he had shown any interest towards Makoto at all, that would
have made a little (maybe not a lot, but still) more sense.
But how did he feel about Sousuke?
It was hard for Makoto to find somebody who was bigger than him, and that was really saying
something. The first time he had laid eyes on Sousuke, well, he couldn’t recall now in that hazy
state of mind he was in, but damn, the taller male was a stunning piece of art. But was he attracted
to the other male in that way?
“I-I don’t know, Haru, I really don’t-“ Makoto stammered, not being able to catch a breath or to
find the right words to say. He was tired, sleepy and confused, but his heart pumped adrenaline
via his blood vessels all over his body, and he couldn’t help but fidget. “Haruuuu, what am I
going to dooo?” He howled again, hoping he didn’t wake his family up. He was hoping for a
logical explanation of to what had just happened, or else he wouldn’t be getting any proper sleep
tonight.
Haru huffed through the phone.
“Was he drunk?”
“No, I don’t think so, he-“
“Well, if he loves you as much as I love water, you have my blessing, Makoto. Though I am not
very fond of Sousuke myself. Goodnight.”
And the line went dead.
“E-eh?! HARU!” He squealed another manly squeal before slamming his mouth shut with his
palm. He groaned with exhaustion and disbelief at his best friend. He had just hung up on him like
that, without really giving Makoto any solid suggestions or what he needed most –comfort. That,
and gave him his blessings instead. What was that supposed to mean?
He rolled back on his bed, placing his cell on his night stand and sighed, body heavy and drained
of all energy.
‘Yamazaki-kun wasn’t serious…was he?’
--
“So, are you up for another dare, Sou?”
All he got from Sousuke was another harsh glare. It was a Sunday, but the both of them had got
up earlier to head to the school’s gym. Rin was on the weights while Sousuke was on the
treadmill, jogging at a brisk pace with his jersey soaking with sweat. Rin didn’t have to ask twice
to know that his awe strikingly handsome friend would never turn down any dares. Never.
He was too full of pride for that. He is not a chicken.
Sousuke slowed down his pace, and eventually, he got off the machine and stood right next to
Rin, taking on a few weights himself.
“You actually have been planning another dare for me the whole night through, haven’t you.
You’re the spawn of Satan, Rin. I don’t even know why I put up with you.” He huffed with each
rep, making sure not to take it too far or his shoulder would suffer again. Rin was looking at him
expectantly, but he wasn’t sure if he was up to it yet, not right after the scene he had caused last
night. He hadn’t been able to sleep well in guilt of what he had done to poor, innocent Tachibana.
Surely, the other male would’ve succumbed to confusion by now.
Though he wasn’t really all up to it (and didn't want to jeopardise any other victims of Rin) … he
might’ve been just a tad bit curious to know how much Rin was willing to pay.
“Well, yeah, and right now I feel like some sort of love-matching genius.” This got a snort from
Sousuke. “And I think it would end pretty nicely, if you do your part well enough.”
Rin was grinning his devilishly wicked shark-like grin again, and the taller male wasn’t sure if he
was up for the challenge. But he wasn’t about to back away now. Nope. He was Sousuke
Yamazaki, and damned if he turned down a Matsuoka dare, his father will surely disown him if he
found out his son was actually a chicken who can’t even say yes to a dare.
“Fine. Spill it.”
The redhead dropped his weights on to the floor and gave Sousuke a ‘you’re-so-going-to-regretthis’ look.
“Okay. For 30 bucks and a year-long supply of Cola, you’ll have to make Makoto fall in love
with you.” Sousuke widened his eyes in shock and was about to say something and protest but
Rin continued. “That, and you’ll have to convince him to be your boyfriend. You’ll have to take
up all the responsibilities of an actual boyfriend, being a sweet-heart to him and everything.”
“Why Makoto, of all people.”
Rin smirked. “Because he is patient enough to actually put up with a grumpy jerk like you.” Said
jerk was about to slap his best friend at the back of the head when he continued. “And besides, it’s
a win-win situation no matter how you look at it. You get to date Makoto, and hell, maybe he’ll
melt your heart enough to make you a nice guy again. And for Makoto, he gets to get time away
from Haru, because God knows that is what he needs. And Haru…”
“So, it this some kind of elaborate scheme to get Tachibana away from Nanase to have him all to
yourself?”
“Well, if you put it that way…”
Sousuke sighed, weighing the dare, giving it much thought. Rin was right, though, it was a winwin thing no matter how he looked at it. Tachibana was pretty attractive, and pretty, and what the
fuck did he just call a guy as buff as him ‘pretty?’ Maybe, just maybe, he could enjoy his time
together with the other male, and something might just start from there. A flower blossoming in
the winter. But the chances were low, though. The only two things he knew about Tachibana was
that he swims backstroke and he was glued to the hips with that darned Nanase.
Speaking of which, this was beginning to feel like some sort of set-up for him to snatch Tachibana
away and render Nanase companionless. Sousuke guessed that this was where Rin made his
grand entrance.
His heart wanted to agree to all of this, but his mind said otherwise. Would it be wise to play out
Tachibana’s feelings like this? He did confess to him the night before, and he would have to
confront him sooner or later anyway. What if he couldn’t feel anything towards the guy in the end,
would the dare still be a success, or would it mean that he had just lied to Tachibana all because he
was dared to do so? Well, if he didn’t manage to catch feelings for the other guy, he could pull up
with some sort of excuse, and all of it could just end there, so why not.
Besides, it was well worth 30 bucks and free cola for the rest of the year.
“Okay. I accept your dare.”
Now it was Rin’s turn to widen his eyes in shock. “You sure about this? I mean, I don’t want to
pressure you or anything but…” The redhead knew Sousuke wasn’t one to commit in a
relationship. Though, he knew the taller male had a few past flings before, and that he was a very,
very good flirter when he needed to be. Surely Sousuke was able to woo Makoto enough to have
the brunette fall head over heels with him, but what about Sousuke himself? Rin was worried his
friend would slip and perhaps their cover would be blown. One slip and it would cost Rin his
greatest friends. But if things go right, Sousuke might just get trapped in the holy light of Makoto,
so full of passion and kindness and everything angelic. Hell, it might be Sousuke who ends up
falling in love first, because what kind of fucking idiot wouldn’t be charmed by the ever-so-perfect
Makoto?
All of that, and Haruka would be his.
“If you do fall in love with him, though, don’t come complaining to me saying I didn’t warn you.”
Sousuke pursed his lips. He will make sure that this challenge would cost Rin every cent he was
paying to enjoy the show. He was damned sure that Rin was just full of himself. If anything, he
would be the one to charm the pants off of Makoto first. He had a heart made of steel, it would
take a millennium for a stranger to turn it into an actual beating heart again.
“Trade bunks with me and I’ll have Makoto needing me enough to forget about Nanase.”
“Game on, grumpy.”
--
It had been two days since Sousuke confessed to him, and things seemed like they were getting
back to normal. It had started normal enough, on a beautiful Tuesday morning, and he continued
his routine as per normal, burying the confession to the deepest pits of his mind. It had started with
pulling Haru out of the tub; groaning when the raven-haired boy went off to grill even more
mackerel instead of changing and heading to school; getting to his class a little later than he should
–it was all routine. But his routine went totally off-track when he was down at the pool during
swim practice, and Sousuke was there. There, as in literally 2 feet in front of him. By the pool.
“Y-Yamazaki-kun!” He was blushing, and he was sure of it. His face felt hot, his body even
hotter though he was already in his swimwear. The memories of that night came rushing back in
to his vision, and lucky for him (or unlucky), no one has arrived to the club, yet. Not even Haruka,
who had been called out by a teacher for some unknown reason.
He gulped, face burning red.
Never in his life had he felt so self-conscious of his own body.
“Just call me Sousuke, really. No need to be so formal.” Sousuke smiled one of those rare smiles
he reserved for a special cause. Yeah, he had got onto the train and headed down to Iwatobi just to
meet his ‘crush’ (much to Rin’s chagrin) and even used his own allowance to buy a box of fancy
seashell chocolates (because Rin had told him that Makoto loved chocolates) by a store and here
he is. Right in front of Makoto Tachibana. So, of course he was going to flash his rare smiles.
Makoto was really out of it. There Sousuke was, a hand in his pocket and another hand wrapped
around a box of chocolates and suddenly the brunette became hyper aware of…well, everything.
The way Sousuke is smiling at him like a blind man seeing light for the first time. The way
Sousuke smelled, it rendered him breathless. His turquoise eyes, shinning, glistening the same way
HaruThe thought of Haru’s words send a jolt through him, slapping him awake.
‘You have my blessing, Makoto.’
“Sousuke… well, call me Makoto.” There it was, he had managed to find his voice again. He
allowed his body to feel a little more relax, letting it adjust to the tension in the air. He smiled, eyes
crinkling as he did and decided that Sousuke Yamazaki is a nice man, after all.
--
Rin was right. Fuck, he was more than right. Makoto wasn’t just any normal mortal; the man in
front of him was an absolute angel in a human body. All softness and smiles, kindness and
warmth, passion and love and exactly everything the opposite of sin.
It made Sousuke feel a tad guilty.
This was just a dare, after all.
‘Damn you, Rin. If you had properly introduced him to me before, I would already be doing
terrible, terrible things to him.’
After Makoto had asked him to drop all the formalities, he couldn’t help but notice how wellsculpted the brunette’s body was. Those arms and the shoulders definitely marked him as a
backstroke swimmer. The broadness of his chest was not to be messed with but most of all, the Vcut was standing out so much that Sousuke found it hard to look away from it, harder to stop
himself from looking anywhere lower than that. His hips were damned hypnotizing, all rock hard
muscles that could definitely be compatible with Sousuke’s own. And that ass…
‘Okay, so maybe not everything about him is angelic.’
“Uh…Sousuke?”
Makoto was looking at him, confusion evident in his tone and a soft blush on his face. Sousuke
snapped out of his trance and closed the distance between them with one long stride, his smile
never once wavered. He placed the box of chocolate in the brunettes’ hand with a gentle touch.
“Rin told me you liked chocolate, so…” He let his voice wander off; hoping Makoto would get
the message. “And I apologize for that night, for…” His voice sounded softer than he wanted it to
be. All he could do was hope that Tachibana didn’t find it too out of character.
Hell, he felt like he was living in some sappy love drama.
“Sousuke…you didn’t have to, really. But still, thank you, because these are my favorite.”
Makoto was giving him such a natural smile, it made Sousuke wonder if he could one day smile
like that, too.
--
Sousuke found himself smiling more than he was supposed to, because it had felt like second
nature when it was with Tachibana. Talking and chatting about the little things with Makoto with
their feet dipped into the pool. They talked, but neither one of them brought up the topic of
Sousuke’s confession the other night. Instead, they submerged themselves in topics of their
hobbies, food preference, and ways to strengthen their swimming techniques and what not.
“You should totally do some reverse crunches. I do them at home and that’s how I get the even
tone of muscles. Rock hard abs.”
“Really? I barely go to the gym, but when I do, it’s usually just the treadmill for me and Haru. We
don’t normally lift.”
“You look like the kind who can pin me down without much effort, though.”
Makoto chuckled again, sending another wave of who-knows-what through Sousuke’s body, like
electricity running through his veins. It was weird, not being able to pinpoint exactly what he was
feeling at that very moment. Yeah, Rin had warned him about the hazards of being around
Tachibana, but this was slightly out of his game. Yeah, he had past relationships, but being around
Makoto made him forget all about his previous failures. He felt comfortable, and Makoto had this
warmth radiating off of him which started seeping itself under Sousuke’s skin. And yeah, he
caught himself glancing sideways and watch as Makoto laughed, and even find himself laughing
along with him, too, too many times he could count.
He was in deep shit now, wasn’t he?
He had prepared himself for the fall, but he had never imagined it to be this soon. He had prepared
himself for this, but then he realized that there was nothing could’ve prepared him for this.
Well, no way he could back out now.
“Mako-chaaa- wait. It’s Yamazaki-chan!”
‘Yamazaki-chan?’ Thought Sousuke, blinking twice, cringing inwardly.
Well, now there was definitely no way to back out. In a literal sense.
The both of them turned around to see the other four entering from the main gate, and soon a
yellow tornado made its way to Makoto, glomping him from the back, nearly pushing Makoto into
the pool with the sheer force. Sousuke grimaced, hoping his supposedly ‘love-interest’ didn’t get a
dislocated hip or something. His teal eyes met bright pink ones, a flashing mob of blonde hair and
his ears (and unfortunately Makoto’s) were bombarded with a stream of endless question. He
didn’t answer them because he didn’t want to, but it was because he couldn’t, never given a
chance, and Nagisa was yapping on and on and“Sou-chan! What are you doing here with Mako-chan? Aren’t you supposed to be in Samezuka?
Where’s RinRin? Why isn’t he here with you? Ah! Is he going out with Ai-chan-“
‘God, what is with this kid and the –chans? And who the fuck is he calling RinRin?’
“-? So what brings you here, huh? Did you come to tell us that there’s another joint practice? Are
we invited? It’s been so long since we had a joint practice, don’t you think, Rei-chan –“
‘Too much enthusiasm. How did Rin survive this. How does anybody survive this.’
But for Makoto’s sake, he remained quiet while the blonde continued his stream of questions
without ever once stopping for air. His head hurts.
“And why are you looking at Mako-chan like you’re about to kiss him, huh? Ooooh! Are you
guys dating now? Are you are you are you? Mako-chaaaan why did you not tell us about this
earlier?”
It was the Rei-chan guy (nice glasses, dude) who finally put an end to the madness by pulling him
away like a mother cat would pull the kittens away by the neck. Nagisa was protesting, but Rei
stood firm. It finally ended. His headache was subsiding, and he glanced over to Makoto who was
smiling an apologetic smile. Sousuke gave him a knowing glance, hoping that his eyes were able
to convey the message ‘it’s okay.’ He glanced around the group again, where he saw a familiar
shade of red hair and ruby eyes. Standing at the back of the group was Gou and he gave her a
welcoming small smile.
“Hello, Gou. Nice seeing you again.”
“You too, Sousuke-kun! Why are you here?” Gou asked, and this time, he felt comfortable
enough to actually say:
“I’m here to bring your captain out on a date.”
There was a moment of utter silence; even Nagisa was quiet, allowing the message to sink itself
in. He wasn’t much of a mind reader, but he could see that their faces were ones of understanding.
Makoto was silent, right next to him, giving him a small, meek smile. The silence was broken off
by Nanase in the back of the crowd, who gave the brunette by his side a deep, knowing glance
with bright sapphire eyes. Oh yeah, Rin had once told him that ‘they can actually read each
other’s mind. Don’t get so freaked out by that, yeah?’
“You can go on ahead, Makoto. We can handle ourselves today.”
--
“So…that went well,” muttered Sousuke, his hands deep in his pockets, walking side-by-side with
Makoto, who still hasn’t erase the look of guilt off of his face. They were walking along the calm
shores of the Iwatobi beach, and the sun was just about to set, yellow rays turning orange as the
ocean engulfed it, little by little, over the horizon. It was a pretty remarkable sight to behold.
“I’m sorry about my friends. They are a…very enthusiastic bunch, don’t you think?” Makoto was
staring out into the ocean; head turned away from Sousuke, his body’s outline illuminated by
what’s left of the sun’s fading rays. But from what the taller male could make out, the brunette
was actually smiling.
“Yeah.”
Sousuke wasn’t really paying attention to the conversation. He let his mind wander off, to a time
before there was Tachi- no, Makoto. He wouldn’t describe his past as dull, because it could never
be dull whenever Rin was around. Rin, his greatest friend, greatest rival, greatest everything, his
pillar of strength and courage.
How could Rin fail to notice that it was actually him Sousuke have loved, all these years?
“Sousuke? Are you alright? You seem off… is something bothering you?” Makoto whispered as
his brows furrowed, hoping he wasn’t in the way of the taller male’s thoughts.
Having his name mentioned, it snapped him back into the present. Rin had knew, hell, who
wouldn’t have known –he was so painfully obvious. Rin figured him out, but instead, the redhead
decided to leave his love unrequited, and even matched him up with another friend of his. It was a
way of Rin telling him to give him up, a way to show Sousuke that he was genuinely concerned
about his friend, and also, a way to show that it wasn’t Sousuke who Rin was interested in, it was
that Nanase.
But, it was also thanks to Rin that he was able to move on from…well, Rin himself. His previous
relationships were nothing but sea foam and dust now. They were insignificant, just a phase of his
previous days. Sometimes, they were nothing but a mistake, while others felt nothing more than
just a burden. He could let his past go free now, and move on, for the sake Rin, and for himself.
Because now, he has his eyes set on a new goal.
“Yeah, I’m fine, so don’t give me that look, Makoto. You know, for someone your size and
height, you are too damned adorable at times.” He gave a small smirk at the male who was
walking on his other side, finally made his mind clear enough to pay full attention to his partner.
The way Makoto blushed made him want to kiss those lips of his, there and then.
And he knew, he knew, he was already in love.
‘Thank you, Matsuoka-fucking-Rin.’
--
“Thanks, again, for treating me to dinner, Sousuke.”
“Don’t mention it, really. You’re a lighter eater than I am.”
They were now heading back to Makoto’s house (mush to his disbelief, and Sousuke had insisted,
being the gentleman that he is) because it was already well past eight in the evening. Sousuke had
decided on having Ramen for dinner, and it was the younger’s’ job to locate the best Ramen shop
in town. Makoto had led him to this little hole-in-the-wall style shop, cozy, warm, and they had
lingered there far longer than they had planned to.
Well, it was a good opportunity for Makoto to know more about Sousuke, anyway.
The topic from two nights ago had not been touched still, but he didn’t mind it anymore. He had
enjoyed his dinner with the raven-haired boy who was annoyingly a tad bit taller. Not like he
doesn’t enjoy dinners with Haruka, no – but Makoto was really getting sick of being able to eat
one kind of fish, whether it was at Haru’s house or eating out. He had missed the taste of salmon,
the texture of unagi.
That aside and Makoto doesn’t feel like he was talking to a walking wall anymore.
Despite his cool, uncaring demeanour, Sousuke enjoyed the small talks, the small things, much to
the other's relief. Makoto was able to talk more openly with him, feel more comfortable despite
having not felt uncomfortable (because Sousuke did claim that he loved him) and actually engage
in real conversation.
‘Am I abandoning Haruka for Sousuke?’
He laughed, shaking the thought out of his head. On the contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t
really that attached to Haru on the hips. He had others he could rely on, too. He had Rei, Nagisa,
Gou, Rin, and now, the newest addition, Sousuke. Haru had his own world of his own as well,
and Makoto was pretty sure he himself was involved in the Nanase verse, but not as much as Rin
had a tight, suffocating grasp on his best friends’ world, a grasp which Makoto had once longed to
own. The moment Haru raced Rin again, the both of them had left destruction in their wake,
leaving Makoto in the dark.
Haru would be Haru, his best friend, and that is a fact that not even time could change.
Sousuke however…was something much more different than what he had expected. Something
that Makoto needed time to figure out altogether.
They arrived at Makoto’s doorstep; their journey had been quiet, but comfortable. Sousuke never
once checked his cell, never once pulling it out ‘because it is rude to do so on a date,’ he had
mentioned which made him blush like mad, because it was a date. But now he does, because it is
getting dark, and it is getting late. Makoto glanced worriedly at the taller male again. Would
Sousuke be able to make it back safely to Samezuka? Did he know his way to the station?
And more importantly, had Sousuke really meant what he had said that night during the phone
call?
“Sousuke…” he whispered, but it came out too loud to be a whisper, and the aforementioned man
locked his turquoise eyes with emerald ones, both of them illuminated merely by some street
lights. “A-about that night…when you said –“
“When I said I love you? I meant it, Makoto.”
The brunette gaped at him. “How-how did you –?”
“Manage to guess? Well, I’m not Nanase, but your face blew your cover, perhaps since the
moment you saw me.” Damn. Was he really that bad at hiding things? “We didn’t really got the
chance to know each other before, but I guess I was already attracted to you the first time I met
you.”
His tone was so cool, so calm, like the sea.
Sousuke had walked up closer to Makoto, and the latter was really hoping that his parents had
brought the twins out so that he wouldn’t get caught in the act. The taller male was now 5 inches
away from his face, and Makoto could feel Sousuke’s fingers, gently caressing his cheek. 4 inches
now, and Sousuke smells like chlorine and miso and cinnamon and something musky, everything
burning in his trachea and numbing his mind.
3 inches, and he noticed how Sousuke’s eyes were the color of teal-turquoise, and it was boring
into his emerald ones with so much intensity.
2 inches, and Makoto could feel his own cheeks burn up, and Sousuke moved his fingers from his
jaw to entangle itself in his olive-brown hair.
1 inch left, and Makoto could feel Sousuke’s breath, minty and fresh, and his heart was pumping
too fast, too hard in his chest cavity.
It was Sousuke who closed in the remaining distance between them, and landed a small, sweet
peck on Makoto’s cheek.
Cheek.
'Of course...'
Sousuke distanced himself again, but still, the kiss lingered on his cheeks, and it felt blissful. “My
confession two nights ago still remains to be answered, you know. I didn’t want to push my luck
too far, not until you were sure that you wanted to be with me. Not until you…not until you were
able to feel the same way I feel, so…”
Oh.
So, it was his turn to say something.
But was he already so sure of his feelings?
Sousuke was giving him a chance, he could back out of it now, or he could…
Did he like Sousuke as much as Haru loved water?
No, but…
Maybe something could start from there.
Sousuke noticed the strange silence and decided it was best to just leave it at there. “Well I guess if
you don’t want to answer me now, or don’t have an answer, it’s –”
“Ask me out properly.”
The taller male shifted his glance from the ground to meet expectant emerald eyes which were
waiting for him for a response. Sousuke was, no doubt, shocked by the request. Was this really the
same Tachibana he had fell in love with just a few moments ago? Where did the sudden burst of
courage and mischief come from?
Sousuke grinned. “If you insist.”
Makoto watched, his whole body shivering, breath hitching as Sousuke got down on one knee,
holding his hands in his own. He was grinning, and the taller male was chuckling. This would be
a night he would never forget.
“My dearest Makoto, though I am no photographer, but I can definitely picture you and me
together. From the very first moment I saw you, I asked my friends for a Band-Aid because I
scrapped my knee falling for you. I need you like a bird needs to fly, like fishes need water. I love
you, I really do, and I believe in love at sight because I didn’t have to look at you twice to know
that I already fell for you. Would you please be my boyfriend?” He could notice the faintest blush
adorning Sousuke’s cheeks. “Because if you don’t, I would have to go home embarrassed to death
and this would probably haunt me for the rest of my existence.”
Makoto was caught in hysteria. He wanted to laugh, to break down into giggles there and then,
because Sousuke is the cheesiest guy he had ever met. His eyes were tearing, and his sight was
blurred. The taller male was still on his knees, waiting for an answer.
“If you stop it with those pick-up lines, then yes, I will be your boyfriend.”
Sousuke stood up and pulled him into a warm embrace, chuckling as he did so.
“Baby, I was just getting started.”
--
He was on his bunk, smiling like he had struck the jackpot. Well, technically, he had, and his prize
was winning Tachibana Makoto. The moment he stepped into his room, Rin was already there,
looking at him expectantly, already having moved up to the top bunk, leaving the lower bunk all
to himself.
This was the best dare Rin had ever come up with.
“So? How did it go, you cheesy arse?”
Sousuke just grinned.
“Nanase is all yours, RinRin.”
“So I can take that as a good –WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING RINRIN?!”
--
Makoto could only smile, the memory fresh in his mind. Right now, he was in a relationship with
Sousuke Yamazaki. Though he did not want to admit this, but internally, he was screaming like a
school girl. Sousuke had just confessed to him again, this time with much added passion. Sousuke
had used horrible pickup lines on him, and he had said yes. He had said yes, and god, he was
had used horrible pickup lines on him, and he had said yes. He had said yes, and god, he was
happy.
Buzz.
He was already on his bed, after showering, unable to do anything else but squabble in happiness.
He noticed the bright light his cell was emitting and reached out to grab it.
It said,
[Missing you already. Did you have a good day? –Sou]
He smiled, already formulating what to reply but –
Buzz.
Another one?
[Rin’s bugging me to go out with you again so he can have Nanase to himself. What do you
say? Wanna go to the gym with me this Saturday?]
He texted back, and wondered if Rin was already seizing the chance to claim Haru from his side.
[Gym sounds nice! Not doing anything, really. Thinking bout you. I already miss you and
your cheesy pick-up lines. And my day was great, all thanks to you. Tell Rin that he already
has Haru all to himself since the beginning of time, I won’t mind ^^]
He hit the ‘send’ button, lips spread wide into a smile.
Makoto would need to get used to this.
Buzz.
[Mako, Rin here. Did he really use his photographer and band-aid pick-up lines on you.
Cuz if he did I will castrate him]
How in the world? Did Rin snatch his phone?
Buzz.
[Sousuke here. If I received a dollar for every time I saw someone as beautiful as you, I’d
still have a dollar.]
Buzz.
[Rin’s so annoying. You like me cheesy pick-up lines, don’t you? Hope we’re not bothering
you]
He typed back feverishly, giggling as he did. These two were impossible. Though, the brunette
might me just a splash jealous of Rin who was able to see Sousuke 24/7.
[Yes, Rin, he used those lines on me but please don’t castrate him okay? I just got him not
long ago]
[Though they are too cheesy, I like them. And no, I’m not busy right now so it’s okay]
Send.
Buzz.
[You are the reason why men turn gay. If you were ground coffee, you’d be espresso cause
you’re so fine.]
Buzz.
[If it weren’t for the sun, you’d be the hottest thing ever created.]
Buzz.
[Makoto seriously. Give the okay sign and I’ll knock him senseless.]
He laughed, unable to take any more of those nasty pick-up lines and Rin’s constant threat to
punch his boyfriend.
His boyfriend.
That word was still so foreign to him. Sure, he has had a few past crushes before, but he had never
entered any serious relationship. He hadn’t thought he would have to come out of the closet
someday before, because he was never attracted to any men in that way before. Would his parents
approve?
He saved that thought for later, because it was a very special date to him.
11th of July.
He texted back.
[Don’t kill him please. I like them so it’s okay. Anyway, I am going to sleep now, Sousuke.
See you this Saturday. See you soon, Rin. Goodnight, both of you.]
Yes, he’ll need time to get used to this.
-“I told you so, Sousuke. I told you so.”
“Rin, just shut the hell up.”
“You’re a lucky man, Sou. I’d bet there were others who were on the waiting list to tap that ass,
and you just went in like ‘fwoosh.’ You swept him off his feet –“
“I swear to god, Matsuoka.”
“ –by using your dumb, shitty pick-up lines. You gotta be glad Makoto is an angel –“
“…yeah, he truly is an angel. Thanks, Rin.”
They were getting prepped for sleep, but the redhead just couldn’t let it rest. He had read their
entire conversation, the stupid butterfly stroke swimmer, every damned thing. Sousuke was feeling
rather restless himself, but it was going to be another long day tomorrow for him, too long until it
was Saturday. Rin was going on and on and on and on (like how his blonde friend had did) about
how he should really treat Makoto super well and how Rin is going to go in for that Nanase.
“…You know, Sousuke. You should probably tell Makoto about how all of this started off as a
dare before he finds out himself.”
Sousuke held his cell up close to his face, re-reading the conversation between him and his new
boyfriend (and of course, including Rin as well) and chuckled, relishing this new feeling of
happiness and bliss. He sent one last good night text to his new lover and switched it off
completely.
“Yeah, I will. This was really the best dare you could come up with, Matsuoka-fucking-Rin. I
thank you.”
“G’night, you cheesy bastard.”
End Notes
Updated for the Additional Tags! Sorry if i dissapointed some of you ;___;
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