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“You said you probably loved me recently!”
It was rare for Haruto’s words to be so drawn out, obviously swallowing down a laugh as he tries to keep a straight face. Koyomi gasped loudly from across the table, hand flying to hide the smile she was sporting while Shunpei stared back at Haruto like a deer caught in headlights.
Haruto crossed his legs, leaning forward enough to cause Shunpei to take a step back, who’s glancing between the pair of siblings-- surprisingly a much better actor than Haruto, or maybe he just lost his touch for hiding his emotions when the other was around. There was a warm feeling starting to make a home in his chest, causing him to shake the fondness off his expression.
Shunpei pulled at one of his earrings nervously, a single dangly one that was a small sun. It was actually only half of the set-- Haruto wore a matching one that was instead a small crescent moon. He had to fight off the urge to reach up and play with his own, something he didn’t do often. The wizard had always been more into necklaces and fussing with them than earrings, but Shunpei had made them, with Haruto and himself in mind.
“Was that a lie?”
He can hear Shunpei make a confused noise as he shifts to look at his sister with a fabricated glare. Her hands are shaking as she looks away, trying to muffle her own playful giggle. The feeling in Haruto’s chest was starting to become harder to ignore, something he wasn’t all that keen on doing these days anyway.
Even though both had been rather reluctant to accept their new friends at first, the group of strays they collected into a weird little family had impacted them in ways they couldn’t have imagined. The effect Haruto had on them was something no one doubted, but the fact that they did the same to him back was an unpredictable string of events. Koyomi wasn’t immune to them either-- watching the small changes his younger sister began to go through due to being surrounded in more love and support than ever before made Haruto feel like everything that’s happened to and around him has been worth it.
A strangled cough causes Haruto to turn his attention back to the man, narrowing his eyes even more as if to demand an answer to his earlier question. He watches Shunpei swallow down, hands fumbling at the air around him; it was an adorable quality, how expressive the wizard’s apprentice was with his hands and the way they always searched to be interacting with something, anything. Most days it was Haruto-- delicate hands twisting in the fabric of his cardigans, gripping at the arm of his jacket to the point where it was uncomfortable. Sometimes just lingering on the small of the wizard’s back, or pressed firmly on his shoulder.
At first, Haruto would try to shove him off or pull some weird move to get just out of Shunpei’s reach before they could become tangled. He’s not sure when he stopped minding it. Nor is he sure when he started to actually crave that closeness.
He’s pulled out of his thoughts again as Shunpei’s voice squeaked out some mumbled words that Haruto had to strain himself to hear.
“That wasn’t…” He’s not looking at Haruto even vaguely, so he taps his foot loudly to get his attention.
For a moment, he almost feels bad with the uneasy look on the other’s face, shifting around to hold his body in an attempt to make himself as small as possible. Haruto’s facade drops for a moment, close to completely breaking the bit to reassure Shunpei and make his own heart stop aching, but his friend is speaking up again.
“I was telling the truth.” His tone was just as earnest as always, not fitting with the act he’s been putting up.
The wizard knew what this was-- Shunpei had developed a talent for noticing even the smallest of changes in his mood. He caught on to the worry that started to well up within him, and like always, knew exactly what Haruto needed.
Learning to allow yourself to be cared for was probably one of the hardest things Haruto’s had to face. But it was nice. Scary and new, but nice. Especially when that person was Shunpei, who was always so understanding and patient with Haruto even though he worked hard to shut the other out. Who was thoughtful with every move and word. Who knew Haruto like the back of his hand before the wizard could even recognize he had his own.
It took Shunpei holding them in his own hands like he was put in this universe for such a task to make him realize.
Koyomi’s laugh makes Haruto painfully aware that he’s just been staring at Shunpei for a handful of seconds too long. So he decided the best next move he could make was an escalation.
He shoves himself up out of the chair a bit too forcibly, smile playing at his lips as he catches Shunpei’s hands instinctively moving to steady Haruto but quickly retracting them.
“Which is it?” His voice raises uncharacteristically, arms crossed over his chest. If this had been just a few months earlier, this sort of interaction would have created a mess. Shunpei not yet fully able to discern what the wizard is trying to express and Haruto being too dismissive of the apprentice’s insecurities.
But right now, Shunpei didn’t even flinch. Just forced himself to take a step back which Haruto quickly followed to keep them close.
“But that was true.” Another step back as Shunpei’s voice cracks harshly, cheeks tinting pink from embarrassment.
Haruto wants to break this bit so fucking bad-- it’s so hard to keep this ridiculous little attempt to make Koyomi feel a bit better surrounding the topic of her amnesia. The wizard was just following the other’s lead, but it was near impossible when Shunpei was just so damn endearing all the time.
“So do you like me or Koyomi?”
Not a question Haruto ever thought he was going to have to ask, considering that Koyomi was a lesbian and Shunpei was a gay man, but it still managed to cause a strange twinge in his chest. It felt childish and almost pathetic, getting jealous over even the thought that the other would choose someone over him.
“That’s not it.”
He watches Shunpei’s arm lazily stretch out behind him to point back at Koyomi, who let out a laugh so wheezy that it almost sounded like it hurt. Haruto takes a few steps so that they are nearly chest to chest, catching Shunpei off guard as he continues to push the topic.
“Eh? Which one, huh?”
Shunpei’s making a few unintelligible sounds as he struggles to find an answer, flush nearly taking over his whole face at this point.
And Haruto just can’t fucking handle it anymore.
Which is why he leans in quickly to press their lips together, gasp coming from Koyomi before she erupted into laughter as Shunpei’s hands went to desperately hold onto Haruto.
They had been dating for a good while now, but it was almost always Shunpei who initiated this sort of affection, especially when others were around. The wizard’s working on it; and like always, Shunpei understands. A hand resting on the inside of Shunpei’s thigh as they joked with friends while out at their daily trip to Hungry’s is more than enough for him-- as long as that hand is Haruto’s.
Haruto makes an attempt to pull away but doesn’t make it far since as soon as their eyes meet Shunpei is tugging his boyfriend right back into him. Not that Haruto was putting up any resistance.
The first time they ever kissed, Haruto had decided that he was never going to kiss anyone else again. He’s kissed people before-- he won’t lie and say that those times weren’t enjoyable, or that Shunpei was better in a technical sense. Honestly, it was a really bad first kiss.
But it was so Shunpei. Putting himself fully into it, every emotion transferring over to Haruto that it left him feeling dizzy and almost undeserving. Maybe it was selfish, but he wanted to be the only person that ever got to experience Shunpei’s devotion.
The way Shunpei’s breath hitched when Haruto had pulled away from that first kiss, holding his face so gently in his hands and looking at him like he had just found the greatest treasure, he knew that he made him feel just as special.
The couple jolts as they fly away from each other as soon as Koyomi slams some weird statue into the table to get their attention. Shunpei drops his head on Haruto’s shoulder who busies himself with lazily running a hand through his boyfriend’s hair, looking over at his younger sister with the shittiest grin.
“This is...truly the worst day of my life. I cannot believe Shunpei chose my brother over me.”
The three are silent for a long moment, and then the room is full of laughter again. Koyomi mocks them for the whole ordeal, but she seems lighter than earlier. Shunpei is firing back at her, half heartedly defending himself to keep her spirits up just a bit longer. Haruto just lets the warm feeling in his chest finally spread throughout him, an expression settling on his face that was no longer foreign.
“I love you.” The shorter man leans up to whisper in the middle of Koyomi’s critique of their acting. “No probably about it.”
It’s not like Haruto needed to hear it or anything, nor did Shunpei need it returned. But he tightened his arm around his boyfriend anyways.
“Me too.”
Not a day goes by where either doubt it.