Archive of Our Own

Monday, November 23rd, 2020 

“Inumaki.” 

Toge glanced over, lifting an eyebrow as he looked up from his phone. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, stopping mid text to look over at the person calling his name.

“Did you get that?” Maki asked. Her hair was pulled back in a bun yet a few loose strands of the dark, green-tinted hair fell down. She wore an apron around her waist. Her glasses had a drop of water on them that Toge knew was probably irritating her. 

Toge shook his head. He took a closer step toward her where she stood at the counter, a bright, young boy standing on the other side. Another boy stood next to him. He looked less excited to be there. With a frown on his face and tired eyes, he turned his head around and looked at the cafe as if he needed to inspect it. 

Maki flicked her wrist back and handed Toge a piece of paper. He grabbed it and disappeared into the back again, knowing just what it would be. 

“Your order should be ready quickly,” Maki said to the customers. “Inumaki is quick.”

“See, Fushiguro? I told you,” the one muttered, elbowing his friend in the arm. “Come on. Let’s go sit down.”

Maki, with her polite, customer service persona, gave them a small wave paired with a smile as she watched them head to one of the empty tables in the cafe. Her hand fell, and she let out a sigh, her hand slapping on the table as she began to drum her fingers in thought. 

“What’s wrong?” Looking over, Maki spotted the tired-looking boy walk up to her. He placed down a serving tray and leaned against the counter. Crossing his arms, he raised one of his thin eyebrows. 

Panda. A slightly chubby boy with dark circles under his eyes like you would not believe. Even though he looked tired all the time, his personality came across the opposite. He was nice and had a quite open personality. 

Maki’s eyes drifted back to where a strained-looking college student sat in the back of the cafe, slid into a booth that Maki tended to call his ‘usual spot’. He leaned over his books, face in his palm as his eyes seemed to scan over the textbook a million times. 

“He’s in here every day, isn’t he?” Maki asked. She crossed her arms and frowned. “Some people are just so dedicated to college.”

“You stay up until three AM sometimes doing work,” Panda pointed out.

“This isn’t about me,” Maki snapped back. 

A hum that sounded behind them caused Maki and Panda to turn, watching as the third barista walked up with a small tray with two drinks. He placed it down on the counter and looked between his two co-workers before tilting his head in question.

Maki looked in the direction of who they were talking about, picking up that Toge was curious about what they were discussing. “We were talking about how that guy is always sitting back there working,” Maki explained. “He seems low on his drink,” she pointed out. “You should get him a refill.” 

Toge raised an eyebrow. She knew well enough that it was somewhere along the lines of, ‘Why me?’ It was unfortunate that Maki and Panda didn’t know sign language, however, they were too focused on college work to learn a whole new way of communication. They felt bad about it, but Toge let them know he was used to working with the situation, and since it was them, they understood him more than most people did even if it was just simple hand gestures.

“You don’t need to talk to give him a refill,” Maki said, pulling a notepad she had in her apron pocket out. There was already something scribbled on it, and she handed it to the light haired worker in front of her. “This is his usual,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at him. “At least, the same exact thing he’s been ordering for days.” She looked back. 

Slowly taking the note from Maki, Toge raised an eyebrow as he pinched the paper and grabbed it. Knowing that she wouldn’t understand his more complex questions based on hand movements, Toge wanted to ask something like, ‘What are you possibly doing that makes it so I have to take an order out and not you or Panda?’ but that was too long, he sighed and turned around to get the order ready. 

Toge always worked quickly, but now that he was the person who was going to bring it out to someone, he felt his movements slow down a peg. He wasted his time making the order as best as he could despite not being a perfectionist at all. It was a coffee with two spoonfuls of sugar, two milliseconds of creamer, and a small mountain of whipped cream. He remembered making it before. Of course, he did. Toge ended up having to make it at least three times a day.

Staring down into the cup, Toge repositioned the turtleneck over his mouth and sighed. He picked it up, holding it by the handle to stop himself from burning his hand on the hot glass, and made his way over to the table where the tired-looking college student sat.

The quiet barista placed it down in front of him, pulling the customer’s attention.

“Oh,” the college student said. Bags sat heavily under his dark eyes. Unexpected to Toge, he smiled. A bright smile, something that normally wasn’t paired with such a tired expression. “Thanks.” 

Toge nodded. He collected the empty cups and headed back toward the counter. 

Maki and Panda watched him as he walked back to his space. He moved back to leaning against the counter, typing away on his phone. It wasn’t as if they could blame him for preferring the device to social interaction. If they were in his position, they would definitely hate serving tables as much as he did. 

“Hey.” 

Panda glanced up from the dish tray he carried, leaning over slightly to pick up an empty cup that was left on a table. He pushed the tray against his hip and walked over to the table where the person who called out to him sat. 

“Need anything?” He asked.

It was the tired college student from before. He chewed his lip and looked over to the counter. Maki was wiping down the surface with a washcloth; Toge was somewhere in the back probably cleaning up, but of course, he was out of sight. 

“What’s the light haired one’s name?” He asked. Panda blinked a few times, wondering if he had heard the college student correctly. Asking about Toge, the most unapproachable looking person that Panda had ever met. Of course, Panda knew well enough that Toge was a troll and idiot at heart but not everyone got to experience the hellfire that was Inumaki Toge. 

“Inumaki Toge,” Panda responded with. He picked up the empty cup that sat on the table in front of the student and placed it in the tray. “He’s nice, I promise. There’s just one thing about him.”

“What’s that?”

“He doesn’t talk. By choice, mostly. If he knows you well and you’re in private, he’ll open up, but for the most part, he’s mute.”

The college student raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

Panda sighed. “I’ll show you,” he said. “Inumaki!” It took a few seconds for the light-haired man to pop his head around the corner and look into the cafe. He blinked twice at Panda. “Can you take out the trash for me?”

Toge pointed to himself, an eyebrow raising, and then it furrowed as he pointed to Panda. He sighed with an irritated nod and turned back to disappear behind the wall.

“Like that,” Panda said. “We’re not sure the exact specifics of everything, we just have a basic understanding, but he doesn’t talk.”

The college student pursed his lips. “Huh.”

“What? Why do you ask?” Panda asked. 

“No reason. I just hadn’t had him bring me anything or even see him in my last few weeks of coming in here. I was curious.” 

“Then you should talk to him,” Panda found himself saying before he could stop himself. “He comes across way too many people that can’t understand him for his own good. Sometimes I’m afraid he might attack someone.” Panda quickly looked over at the guy. “Not that he would attack you. I’m just saying. I think you might be able to.”

“I thought he didn’t serve tables.”

“Maki and I will figure something out,” Panda said with a grin. “You should head home though. It’s late.”

Tuesday, November 24th, 2020 

“Inumaki, you’ll also be serving that table back there.”

Toge lifted his head quickly. He pointed to himself and looked between his co-workers. He shook his head; he simply disagreed.

“Inumaki, it’ll be fine,” Maki tried to reassure. “You brought him a drink just a few days ago,” she said. 

Toge widened his eyes and shook his head a little as if to say ‘So?!’ He blinked twice while waiting for a response.

“It’ll be fine,” Maki repeated. Toge couldn’t fight, not at this rate. He just sighed and rolled his eyes before heading into the back. 

The slightly-irritated barista closed the door behind him. He knew that Maki and Panda would give him a minute or two by himself before they came to check on him. They knew well enough to give Toge time or he would drag them into the back room, close the door, and yell in a whisper in a string of curses. He slapped his pocket and held a hand over it, scratching the cloth and feeling the notepad he had tucked away. If worse came to worse with this, at least he was ready.

Toge wasn’t forced to do anything for the first half of the day. Maki and Panda left him alone for the most part. He stayed in the back making drinks and cleaning, which he would normally do. This time around, Panda would come into the back and take the drinks that Toge prepared instead of the light-haired one having to come out and drop them off. By the time it was lunchtime, that was when it really started to go downhill for Toge.

“Hey, Inumaki.”

Toge looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow. Maki was in the doorway. 

“Could you bring this next order out?”

Toge glared at her. His wrist dropped, lazily holding his phone. They had a deal: Toge would deal with the least amount of social interaction before he was forced to purely serve that one, tired-looking college student.

Maki rolled her eyes. “It’s lunchtime, so we’re a bit slammed. It’s just Getou-senpai and the idiot. You don’t have to serve anyone else. We just need the help right now.”

Toge’s eyes lit up for a moment.

“Except the one college student.”

His shoulders dropped. Maki swore she heard him mutter something under his breath, sometimes he couldn’t help himself from saying a curse word very quietly, but she ignored it. 

Toge turned to get the drinks ready. Maki never told him what he needed to get ready, but getting told ‘Getou-senpai and the idiot’ was enough for him to know. One straight-black coffee that Toge personally cringed while making. The other wasn’t even a coffee. It was a smoothie with just about every fruit in the kitchen that Toge could add in. Drinks that were completely opposite for two people who were somehow dating; Toge would forever question how they possibly lived with each other despite having two totally different tastes. He stopped questioning it and set the drinks on a tray. With a sigh, he picked it up and made his way out from the back for the first time that day.

He stepped out and looked around. A hand was reached up to pat the turtle neck to check if it was still covering over his mouth as the other hand balanced the tray. He spotted them near the back. They tended to stay away from the front.

Toge made his way over and set down the tray on the table, quickly taking them off and placing them in front of the people who he knew they belonged to.

“Toge!” The one with white hair called out. “I didn’t expect you to be the one to serve us,” he said. “See? It’s nice. Now I can compliment you to your face.”

Toge rolled his eyes, and he looked at the other. His long, black hair was clipped back. He gave Toge a soft smile and a wave.

“Sorry, Toge. How are you?” Suguru asked.

Toge shrugged. He lifted his hand and waved it around. Typically, he was honest with Suguru, and Toge was feeling pretty ‘eh’ in that moment considering he had to actually be serving people.

“Understandable.”

Toge shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

“Hey, why do you respond to Suguru instead of me?” 

Toge decided to start signing instead of doing whatever he could with facial expressions and hand movements to converse with the two teachers.  ‘I did respond to you,’ he signed.

“You rolled your eyes at me,” Satoru pouted.

Just to make him even more irritated, Toge rolled his eyes again and looked back at Suguru.

“Toge!” 

Toge couldn’t help but crack a smile, not that anyone would see it so he didn’t care. He picked up the tray and waved the two before walking away. As he was making his way back to the counter so he could disappear into the back, the college student walked in. He sighed to himself mentally before he sped up his pace. It seemed like serving Satoru and Suguru was a quick warm up.

As Toge made his way around the counter, Maki tossed him a glance. He looked up and turned his head in the other direction as he did, a way of saying, ‘Yes, Maki. I know.’ Toge walked into the back to get the ‘usual’ that the college student would get. Before he disappeared to the machines, Toge heard Maki call out to him that his order was already on its way.

He worked an average speed, wanting to keep himself in the back for as long as he could. Though it was one drink, and it was one easy drink. Again, a cup of coffee with two spoonfuls of sugar and two milliseconds of creamer poured in, then the small lump of whipped cream to float on the top. To Toge, it still seemed too bitter, but this wasn’t his drink. He was thinking too hard about it to waste time. With a sigh, he placed it on the tray. If he took too long, Maki would be sure to yell at him. 

Toge made his way back out. Before he passed around the counter, he made sure to glare at his two co-workers. They felt it. Both of their backs straightened out, but they didn’t look Toge’s way. They continued working as usual as if nothing was wrong, but they were well aware they’d be getting some type of lecture after work. 

Making his way through the cafe, Toge made sure he kept his mouth hidden behind the turtle neck as he dodged someone who was making their way out. He got to the table in the near back, a few tables away from his two teachers, and stopped at the table with the college student from before. The tired-looking student was too engaged in a textbook to even notice Toge. It was when the quiet barista placed down the drink when he took notice of him.

He lifted his head from the work he was reading over and gave Toge a similar smile as he did the first time he served him. “Hey,” he said. He watched as Toge lifted the drink from the tray and set it down on the table aside the textbook. “Thanks.”

Toge gave him a simple nod and turned to leave.

“Wait.”

He paused and took a deep breath. Toge turned and looked back, making eye contact with the other. Blue eyes. A really nice, dark blue. 

The college student didn’t seem to have anything prepared to say. He bit his bottom lip and looked around in front of him as if he was searching for something to say or ask Toge. 

‘If he asks for my name, I’m walking away.’  

“Inumaki Toge, right?”

Toge’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. His lips parted, too, but the turtleneck covering his mouth hid that fact from the college student. Toge figured Panda or Maki told him. How else would he know? Toge didn’t even have a name tag since he wasn’t supposed to be serving people. The back was his domain, and he was in an unfamiliar terrain. He finally decided to nod in response.

“Okkotsu Yuuta,” the college student finally introduced. He even reached a hand out for Toge to shake. It took a few seconds of Toge’s eyes bouncing back and forth between Yuuta’s outstretched hand and his dark blue eyes, but eventually, Toge shifted the tray he held to one hand and accepted his handshake. Yuuta’s hands were cold yet soft, like a rock being smoothed by the ocean waves. He flinched upon contact not expecting it to be so comforting, which confused Toge considering he got by in life mainly using physical contact. “I know you can’t—” Yuuta paused, “talk or respond. I just wanted to introduce myself.”

Toge blinked a few times. A second later, his shoulders relaxed. He let them fall with a huff of relief escaping his nose. Before he could stop himself, Toge lifted his arm and held it horizontally, the tray tucked underneath his arm. His other hand moved in one swift chop motion. ‘Thank you,’ in JSL. It was instinct, and by the time Toge realized he just made a meaningless hand motion to the college student, he mentally sighed.

“Yeah, no problem,” Yuuta said, reaching for the cup of coffee Toge had placed down.

“What?” Toge whispered under his breath. If his arms didn’t squeeze to his sides in surprise, he probably would’ve dropped the tray. Yuuta had looked over at him quickly, his other hand having to quickly support the cup of coffee he almost dropped that. Toge’s hand reached up and covered his mouth even through the turtleneck. Before Yuuta could ask, Toge took a step back before he turned and sped walk to back behind the counter. 

After the accidental speak-out incident, Toge returned to complete silence in the back again. That was until Maki called out to him about forty minutes later that Satoru wanted another smoothie. The man was a different breed.

Toge complied, of course. He could make the smoothie with his eyes closed from how often Satoru ordered it. It was done in a few moments. Toge didn't even bother putting it on a tray to bring to Satoru since it was one drink. 

He set down the drink in front of Satoru who lit up at the sight of a refill.

“Thanks, Toge,” Satoru said. “Are you alright?”

Toge turned his head in question. 

“We saw what happened,” Suguru said. He had his cup of coffee at his lips with an elbow on the table. His head pointed in the direction to a few booths over. Toge turned his head and looked, spotting the back of the head of the tired college student. He looked back over at Suguru. “What happened?”

Toge brought his hand up and tapped the turtleneck over where his mouth was.

“You talked?” Suguru asked.

“Why?” Satoru cut in before taking the first sip of his new smoothie.

Toge tapped his chest. ‘He understood me.’ 

“He did?” Satoru asked. “Wait, he understood you? Like, just your random hand movements or actual JSL?”

Toge held up two fingers as if to say ‘the latter.’

“So he knows it,” Satoru muttered. He brought a hand up to his mouth and bit his finger in thought. “Hey, Suguru,” he said while looking over. “Do you remember that kid?”

“Should I?” Suguru raised an eyebrow. “I typically remember all my students.”

“He wasn’t yours, but he was friends with someone that was in your class,” Satoru explained. “He’d show up to walk with them after class.” Satoru looked over at Toge. “You should be friends with him, Toge,” he said. “He’s nice, and if he knows JSL, he’ll be easy to get along with.”

Toge sighed. He signed ‘thanks’ again before picking up Satoru’s empty cup. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Suguru and pointed to his cup of coffee.

Suguru lifted a hand. “I’m good for now. Thanks, Toge,” he said. “But Satoru is right for once. I think you should try and have a conversation with him.

“What do you mean for once?” Satoru pouted. Suguru ignored him.

Toge gave him a nod before he headed back to go behind the counter. 

It seemed that Suguru had told Maki or Panda what happened because the two didn’t ask Toge to serve the college student, Yuuta, again that night. He stayed in the back making drinks as he always did. Though, after learning that he knew JSL, hiding in the back didn’t feel right. So, here Toge was making a refill for Yuuta despite not being asked to.

Toge dribbled his fingers on the counter, chewing his lip. Since he was stuck in the back by himself out of view of the customers, or anybody else, he pulled down the turtleneck. He actually wasn’t as much of a fan of it as he made himself out to be. Sometimes it got hot or itchy even. It was nice to get a fresh breath of air. 

“Inumaki?” 

Toge spun around, clapping a hand over his mouth. It was just Maki, and she and Panda have already seen it before, so he let his hand fall once he knew it was safe. A scar on the corners of his mouth that stretched a little to his cheeks. It was a fairly dark, jagged line on both sides — a scar that was probably his biggest insecurity. 

“He’s the only person left in the cafe.”

Toge sighed, spinning around. He picked up a damp washcloth and began to wipe down the counters. Lifting a hand, Toge pointed to himself, then made a talking puppet with his hand, and then pointed his thumb back in the direction of the cafe.

“You’re gonna go talk to him?” Maki asked, putting together the rough, random hand motions. It was enough for her; she nailed it. 

Toge gave a thumbs up.

“Are you sure?” She asked. 

Toge spun around and nodded. He tossed down the washcloth and lifted the turtleneck back over his mouth. Without another hand motion to tell Maki anything, he picked up another cup of coffee he prepared and walked past her. 

He brought the cup of coffee over to the college student who was heavily engrossed in his textbook once again and placed it on the table for him. Yuuta looked up, watching in silence, ironic, as Toge slid into the booth across from him. He blinked at him this time. It was weird receiving someone blinking at him. Toge understood what others felt when he’d just look at them in confusion now. 

“Thanks?” Yuuta hesitantly said as he slid the cup closer to him. “Though, I didn’t expect you to sit down.”

Toge tapped his chest and then tapped a bit lower. Another way of saying ‘understand’ which Toge was hoping Yuuta would understand that he was asking if Yuuta understood him.

“Yeah,” Yuuta replied. He took a quick sip of his coffee and placed it back down. “Is it that weird to find someone who does?”

Toge nodded quickly. 

Yuuta sighed. He leaned back in his seat and picked up a pencil, beginning to twirl it in his fingers. “Yeah, schools should be required to teach JSL.” It seemed there was something else he wanted to say but bit back. “So, why are you here? Not that I’m bothered.”

‘You understood. Not many people do. Can’t really blame me for jumping to someone who finally understands. It’s refreshing,’ Toge signed quickly without thinking. He paused, his hands dropping after he realized that he probably just moved too fast for Yuuta to understand.

Though apparently, that wasn’t the case because Yuuta laughed. 

“Understandable,” Yuuta said. “I’m glad I could be that person then.”

Toge smiled. Yuuta picked up on that too.

“Hey, you smiled,” he said, pointing to the side of Toge’s head. “Your ears moved.”

Toge put a hand to his ear and covered it. Yuuta was so observant, probably as much as Toge was which was saying a lot. For the first time in his life, Toge felt like he was speaking with someone who spoke the same language. 

He lifted his hand and tucked in his three middle fingers, thumb and pinky out, and shook his wrist.

“Phone?” Yuuta asked, already digging into his pockets. He pulled out a phone and slid it over on the table to Toge. “Here.”

Toge picked up his phone. He didn’t waste a split second putting in his own contact and adding a little onigiri emoji next to his name. The barista returned the phone to the other who looked at the device to see what he had done.

“I take it you like onigiri,” Yuuta said.

Toge shrugged with a nod, a smile on his face that was still covered by the turtleneck, but it seemed Yuuta was still able to tell he did. 

“So this means I can text you?”

Toge lifted his hand and gave a thumbs up. He stood from the booth and gave a quick glance over near the counter. Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he saw two heads quickly duck behind the corner. He sighed mentally and looked back at Yuuta. Toge gave him a wave before he walked away.

It typically took Toge only a few moments to fall asleep. He was quick to fall asleep, but at the same time, he was so easy to wake up. Lying on his back on his bed, arms and legs stretched out like a starfish, Toge let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes. He was about to fall asleep, slip into the weak hold that unconsciousness had on him, though the dark of his eyelids that grew slightly lighter pulled him out.

Toge blinked and sat up, turning to look to where the light source was from. His phone screen sat lit up as the device was on his nightstand.  He reached for it, rubbing his eye as he slouched over his phone and stared at the screen. It took a moment for it to focus, but eventually, Toge could see that he received a text.

Unknown Number [20:24]: Hey

Toge fell back in his bed, holding his phone up as he stared at the screen. “Oh,” slipped in a whisper from his lips. ‘Okkotsu.’

Inumaki 🍙 [20:25]: okkotsu?

He had to make sure first, of course. Toge gave a lot of people his number considering it was one of his favorite ways to communicate with people.

Unknown Number [20:25]: I was scared you wouldn’t remember me

Toge quickly created a contact.

Inumaki 🍙 [20:25]: listen ik you’re not like me

Inumaki 🍙 [20:25]: you just know jsl for some reason

Inumaki 🍙 [20:25]: but you have no idea how nice it was to have someone who understands after many years of misunderstandings

Inumaki 🍙 [20:26]: i don’t think i could forget you if i tried

Okkotsu [20:26]: I’m glad I learned it then

Inumaki 🍙 [20:26]: when did you

Okkotsu [20:26]: Well I wanted to be completely fluent and made sure I remembered it

Okkotsu [20:26]: I didn’t just want a basic grasp on it 

Okkotsu [20:27]: So I actually focused on it all throughout high school

Okkotsu [20:27]: I’d work with the deaf students 

Inumaki 🍙 [20:27]: aw you were a little helper

Inumaki 🍙 [20:27]: were you a teacher’s pet 

Inumaki 🍙 [20:27]: i bet you were the type of student to put the apple on the teacher’s desk

Okkotsu [20:28]: I

Okkotsu [20:28]: Maybe

Inumaki 🍙 [20:28]: were you a hall monitor 

Okkotsu [20:28]: …

Inumaki 🍙 [20:28]: THATS SO FUNNY

Okkotsu [20:28]: You know what I regret texting you actually

Inumaki 🍙 [20:28]: DID YOU WEAR ONE OF THOSE LIKE

Inumaki 🍙 [20:28]: WAIT LIKE A SASH THAT SAID HALL MONITOR 

Inumaki 🍙 [20:29]: walking around asking people if they have a hall pass

Inumaki 🍙 [20:29]: DID YOU DO THAT

Okkotsu [20:29]: Well obviously 

Okkotsu [20:29]: That was my job

Inumaki 🍙 [20:29]: DO YOU HAVE PICTURES

Okkotsu [20:29]: You’re not getting them

Inumaki 🍙 [20:29]: PLEASE

Okkotsu [20:30]: No

Inumaki 🍙 [20:30]: sick and twisted 

Inumaki 🍙 [20:30]: i have a picture of me in high school you can have that

Okkotsu [20:30]: Tempting

Inumaki 🍙 [20:30]: ok so that means yes

Okkotsu [20:30]: No that means I’m thinking

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: think faster

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: 5

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: 4

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: 3

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: 2

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: 1

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: say yes

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: do it say yes

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: i literally dare you

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: okkotsu: “yes”

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: omg you said yes

Inumaki 🍙 [20:31]: thats crazy give me 

Okkotsu [20:32]: You’re putting words in my mouth

Inumaki 🍙 [20:32]: no we’re texting i’m putting words on your screen

Okkotsu [20:32]: I’ll bring them into the cafe the next time I’m there then

Okkotsu [20:32]: How does that sound?

Inumaki 🍙 [20:32]: sounds like i actually want to go to work now

Okkotsu [20:32]: The night goes by quicker if you sleep, you know

Inumaki 🍙 [20:33]: are you pushing me off 

Okkotsu [20:33]: WHAT 

Okkotsu [20:33]: No no no

Okkotsu [20:33]: It’s just late

Okkotsu [20:33]: And we’ll see each other tomorrow??

Inumaki 🍙 [20:33]: yeah i work tomorrow

Inumaki 🍙 [20:34]: tuesday, wednesday, and friday

Okkotsu [20:34]: Classes end for me around 3 tomorrow

Okkotsu [20:34]: You’ll still be there?

Inumaki 🍙 [20:34]: yes sadly i’m closing tomorrow

Okkotsu [20:35]: Without the others?

Inumaki 🍙 [20:35]: shocking but yes i can do things on my own

Okkotsu [20:35]: Wait that’s not what I meant

Inumaki 🍙 [20:35]: IK DW

Inumaki 🍙 [20:36]: maki and panda have something to do so i was going to work the cafe and let them leave early

Inumaki 🍙 [20:36]: something with studying and volunteer services

Okkotsu [20:36]: I’ll make sure to stay until closing then

Inumaki 🍙 [20:37]: don’t you already do that

Okkotsu [20:37]: Well

Okkotsu [20:37]: Touché 

Okkotsu [20:37]: Good point

Okkotsu [20:37]: See you tomorrow Inumaki

Inumaki 🍙 [20:37]: gnight

Okkotsu [20:37]: Goodnight 

Toge let his phone fall on his chest. He returned to staring up at the ceiling. They only texted for a little over ten minutes but the entire time, Toge couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He reached up, his fingers dragging along the scar on the left side of his face and over his lips to his right. 

Maybe he would actually talk tomorrow. Something about Yuuta just put him in a good mood — a mood good enough to say a few words. Toge typically only spoke around Maki, Panda, his two most trusted teachers (Satoru and Suguru), and his mother. Yuuta’s personality drew him to Toge’s interest. He wanted to add him to the special list of people that were the very few that heard him speak.

Toge turned on his side, his phone falling on his bed and getting lost in the sheets. He knew that he would wake up in a panic searching for it in the morning, but he didn’t care. Pulling the blankets up and over, Toge buried his face into the blankets and sighed. 

Or maybe he was too scared to say anything. His voice was scratchy and quiet. It was much more annoying to try to listen to than to try and understand what he was saying through gestures or instead of simply texting or writing something down. 

He closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

“Breakfast?” 

Toge looked up from his phone. He sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through his social media feed as he was waiting for time to pass. His classes for that day were short. He had two in the morning at seven to eight and then another one at eight-ten to nine-thirty. It was a thirty-minute walk meaning that Toge needed to leave in twenty minutes if he wanted to make his classes on time. 

He shrugged in response, giving a small hum with a higher pitch that told his mother ‘yes’.  His mother didn’t waste another second getting a plate in front of Toge.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. Toge always spoke in whispers. 

“Your voice sounds better,” she said, placing a glass of cold water next to his plate. “How’s therapy?”

Toge would’ve let his head hit the table if there wasn’t a plate of food in front of him. He just made a low huff and rolled his eyes. 

“I take it that it’s not good?” His mother asked. Toge just looked at her before putting his gaze back on his food. “It’s not speech therapy if you’re not speaking, Toge.”

“Don’t wanna,” he muttered. 

“Does it still hurt?”

Toge shrugged. “If I talk too much,” he whispered. 

“Your sessions are only an hour-long,” his mother pointed out as if he didn’t know. “Is an hour still too long?” 

Toge didn’t reply in any way. He just began eating his food. If he wasted enough time, he wouldn’t have to respond to her. 

“You know, if you’re not gaining anything from the therapy, paying for it is a waste of money, Toge.”

He didn’t respond again. Instead, he pushed the half-eaten plate of food forward and stood up. He tapped his wrist as if to tell her that he was going to be late, picked up his bag, and left the house. 

Toge placed down a smoothie.

“You always make the best smoothies, Toge,” Satoru said. 

‘Don’t you have classes to be teaching or something?’ Toge signed to him. ‘Why are you here?’

Satoru frowned. “It’s Wednesday. I don’t teach until two,” he said in a pout as if he was a child who had just gotten yelled at. “Did you end up talking to Yuuta?” He asked while circling the straw in his drink. 

Toge nodded.

“How’d it go?”

Toge definitely wasn’t going to tell Gojo Satoru that he got his number and was texting him last night. He shrugged in response and picked up the tray he placed on the table. Giving him a wave, Toge left back behind the counter.  

Just as Yuuta had said over text last night, he showed up a little after three. He took a seat in the same place he had every single time he had gone there. As he settled in, placing his laptop and books on the table, Toge worked in the back getting the order ready that he had memorized. He walked up to the counter with it sitting on a tray, stopping when Panda stood in his way.

“You’re gonna take it?” Panda asked. He raised an eyebrow, which was hard to see considering his eyebrows were so thin, but Toge was very observant when it came to facial expressions.

Toge nodded.

“Since when?” Maki asked behind him. She walked in, a hand on her hip. Her eyes flicked to the front door where someone was walking in; before she could further question Toge, a customer stole her attention, and she had to move to the register. 

Thankful that Toge only had to deal with ‘explaining’ to Panda, he looked at his co-worker in front of him. He gave another half-assed shrug before walking past Panda, knowing that he wouldn’t try and stop him. Panda typically let him go after one failed questioning attempt. Maki was not the same. 

He brought the tray straight to Yuuta’s table. Toge wasn’t blind, either. He was good at picking up the feeling of other people having their eyes on him. A few customers who had never seen Toge before looked at him strangely. It probably had something to do with the turtle neck all the way over his mouth. He knew that Satoru was looking at him as well. The teacher had probably been waiting for him to come out, too. From behind him, Toge knew that Maki and Panda were watching him.

Toge ignored all of the stares and stepped up to Yuuta’s table.

He placed it down and smiled even though his mouth was hidden behind the turtleneck. Though, he knew that Yuuta would pick up on it. It made his chest feel scared when Yuuta smiled back at him.

“Thanks, Inumaki,” Yuuta said. “Are you my personal barista now?”

Toge glared at him, crossing his arms. He tapped his toe a few times, squinting at Yuuta. 

The college student laughed before he lifted the drink and took a sip. He pursed his lips as he removed the hot cup from his lips and placed it back down. “Not that I have a problem with it,” he said. Toge didn’t know how to respond to that, but thankfully, with Yuuta, he didn’t have to. “So when do Zenin and Panda leave you to work everything by yourself?” He asked.

Toge held up two fingers.

“Two hours?”

Toge nodded.

“At seventeen,” Yuuta mumbled under his breath.

Toge turned his head, the inner parts of his eyebrows lifting up in worry. Yuuta’s face instantly changed, and he laughed, waving his hands in front of him.

“Don’t worry! I’ll be here still,” he reassured. “I was just thinking out loud.”

Relief washed over Toge. He let out a breath he had been holding and moved the tray against his chest. His heart had been thumping so hard he was afraid that Yuuta would be able to see it. 

Toge tapped the back of the tray, hoping that Yuuta would catch on to what he was saying so he didn’t have to put the tray down and sign it out. He wouldn’t have a problem with that. Toge was glad that there was someone around who understood JSL, but the feeling of someone understanding Toge was something on a whole other level. He pointed back into the kitchen with his thumb to help explain his point.

Yuuta’s eyebrows lifted slightly when he realized. “I’m good,” Yuuta said. “I don’t think I have the budget to even keep ordering this much coffee every day.”

Toge felt good about how Yuuta understood him. ‘Do you want anything else?’ was what Toge had been trying to ask — and successfully did. The entire pain that Toge had to go through with everyone else, even his own mother, was gone just from being around Yuuta. 

What he didn’t feel good about was Yuuta’s comment. ‘I don’t think I have the budget to even keep ordering this much coffee every day.’ That meant he wouldn't come into the cafe as often in an effort to save money. What was his job? How did he get money? If he was always in here, when did he have time for a job and school? 

Regardless, Toge gave a nod and turned around to head back to behind the counter. 

Toge only had to go an hour by himself after Maki and Panda left. They apologized for leaving him to take care of the cafe alone to which he let them know that it wasn’t that big of a deal since it wasn’t ever busy around that time anyhow. Still, they promised him a treat for the trouble. 

The cafe was nearly empty apart from a couple at a table finishing off their drinks and Yuuta. Toge had finished cleaning up in the back, so he grabbed a dish tray and started to walk around the cafe, picking up the dishes that were left behind.

Toge started to sweat; it began to get hot. Usually, he didn’t move around much, though going from table to table, his neck was beginning to sweat. 

He headed back behind the counter and moved into the back.  Toge set down the tray and pulled the turtleneck down, taking in a breath of fresh air. The cool air of the cafe hit his face, and he sighed in relief. Toge walked into the office and closed the door behind him. Quickly, he took the turtlenecks off and changed into a white t-shirt he had in his bag. He looked in the small mirror in the office, fingers dragging on the jagged scars at the corners of his mouth. Toge sighed before he picked up a mask to wear in order to hide his scars. 

After changing, Toge returned to the back to clean the dishes he had picked up. By the time he returned out front, the couple had left and the only person left in the cafe was Yuuta who was way too focused on his laptop to probably realize he was the last one left.

Toge headed to make another cup of coffee for Yuuta, and then he made one for himself which was a lot sweeter than Yuuta’s ‘smidge of milk and sugar plus a little bit of whipped cream’ he always ordered. He placed both drinks on a tray, and then he added a small plate to which he put a few desserts they served there as well.

Making his way out, Toge flipped off the ‘OPEN’ sign before he headed to Yuuta’s table. He set the tray down and took a seat on the other side, setting his own drink in front of him before doing the same with Yuuta. That was what got the college student’s attention. He looked up from the screen at the new drink and smiled.

“Thanks,” he said. Yuuta looked around. “Wait, already?”

Toge nodded. 

“Oh,” Yuuta said. He closed his laptop which revealed the tray that Toge brought over. “Woah, woah, I told you I didn’t have money—“

Toge put up a hand and shook his head. 

“You’re not paying,” Yuuta stated.

Toge nodded and pushed the plate forward.

“No.”

Toge shoved it a smidge closer.

“Inumaki.”

“Okkotsu.”

Yuuta sat up straight, eyes snapping open in surprise. He did not expect Toge to talk. If Toge was being honest, neither did he. It just came out. Instead of reacting to his own actions, Toge pushed the plate closer. Yuuta stared at him for a bit frozen, but soon, he relaxed. He leaned an elbow on the table, set his face in his palm, and reached for his drink with his other hand.

“How much?”

Toge raised an eyebrow and pointed to the sweets as if to ask, ‘How much are the sweets?’

“No, no.” Yuuta shook his head. “How much can you talk?” He stiffened once he realized what he asked. It must’ve sounded better in his head to him. “I didn’t mean to intrude though! You don’t need to tell me.”

Toge put a hand up to hopefully stop Yuuta’s freaking out and lightly shook his head to let him know it was okay. He opened his mouth behind the mask to speak but stopped. ‘Anything,’ was what he was about to say because Toge could say anything — just not correctly with the numb tongue and an unfixable speech impediment. ‘Th’ was a bitch for him to say. 

“Enough,” he settled on with the addition of a shrug.

“You don’t like to, do you?” Yuuta asked. 

Toge shook his head. 

“Well, don’t worry!” Yuuta said with a smile. “I’d like to say I’m pretty pro at JSL.” He chuckled. “Probably not as good as you, obviously. I’ve only done it for around seven years; I’m sure you’ve done it your whole life.”

Toge lifted a hand and nearly pressed his thumb and finger together, leaving open a small gap.

“Almost?” Yuuta asked.

Toge nodded. ‘Since I was four,’ he signed. ‘So around fifteen years.’

“Hey, I almost got half the experience!” Yuuta pointed out. Toge scoffed with a grin cracking on his face. “I’m curious about what happened, but if you don’t want to say, I won’t ask, of course,” Yuuta said, picking up his coffee to take another sip.

“Car accident,” Toge muttered out loud. Yuuta paused the drink at his lips, staring at Toge. “Four years old. I had something in my mouth. The car crashed. Whatever I had in my mouth went down and messed up my vocals. Damaged my tongue,” he began to explain in short sentences. It happened sometimes. People naturally had the urge to sprout their feelings and talk a lot whenever they had a lot to say or whenever they bottled everything up. Toge had those talking spurts once and a while, especially considering he almost never spoke. It was only human nature for him to finally speak in a ramble of words rushed with emotions. He typically did it in front of his mother, Panda, or Maki, to which they would fall completely silent and only listen to him until he was done talking. 

Usually, afterward, he would have to stay away from hot foods and frequently use a throat healing spray for a bit after gaining the scratchy throat. Regardless of the pain for however long it lasted after, Toge never regretted the rants. It felt good to finally let everything off his chest.

“I don’t actually feel my tongue much,” he mumbled, still talking behind the mask. His hushed voice and the cloth probably made it difficult for Yuuta to hear. “Still confused how I can taste things, which I barely do. The taste needs to be really strong to.” Toge reached up and curled his fingers around the top of the mask. He was contemplating showing Yuuta the scars from the object that cut his mouth, but he fought with himself. 

“Talking hurts, doesn’t it?” Yuuta softly asked once Toge had fallen silent and showed no signs of beginning to speak again. 

Toge nodded in response and drummed his fingers on the side of his own drink. He didn’t even know why he had gotten himself a drink in the first place. With the mask on, he couldn’t drink it. Not if he didn’t want to show Yuuta the scars which was still a battle in his own mind about whether he would or not. 

“Then you don’t have to,” Yuuta said. “I mean, I know JSL. You can relax. I understand you.”

“I understand you.”  

The words that Toge wanted to hear come from anyone . Toge hated the past fifteen years of struggling for people to understand him, but the sentence “I understand you” was now something that Toge strived to hear regardless of whether he wanted them to be or not; he wished that they didn’t have to be special to him since other people threw the words around meaninglessly, but they were.

Instead of responding with something, Toge smiled, looking down at the whipped cream that sat floating in his own drink. Behind the mask, he pursed his lips, hoping to hide the fact that he was smiling since Yuuta was able to tell, mask or no mask. 

“Are you gonna drink that?” Yuuta asked. “It’s gonna get cold.”

‘I don’t even know why I got it,’ Toge signed. ‘I probably won’t.’

“Why not? Looks good,” Yuuta said, lifting his own drink to his lips and drinking some of it down. He tilted it back too far, and the whipped cream in his own coffee got on his nose. When he lowered the drink, he went cross-eyed trying to look at his nose. Toge laughed a little, trying to hold it under his breath as best he could. Laughing hurt the most if you didn’t count yelling, but the problem was he could control how loud he yelled though Toge couldn’t stop himself from laughing. That’s what made it the worst. 

Toge picked up a napkin and handed it to Yuuta.

Yuuta smiled. “Thanks,” he said. For the first time, it seemed as if Yuuta was slightly embarrassed. The pigment in his cheeks changed a little. They were a bit pinker than they had been a moment before. Most people wouldn’t notice how it changed, but of course, Toge did.

Toge leaned back in his seat. He brought his hands up to his mouth. Pressing a finger on the mask where the corner of his lips started, Toge slowly dragged it to the ends of the scar. Yuuta slowly took in a deep breath and nodded.

“I get it,” he said softly. “I’m not forcing you to take it off, either, but can’t that be annoying to wear all the time for that reason?”

Toge shrugged and nodded.

“Well,” Yuuta began. He finally picked up one of the desserts Toge brought over and plopped it in his mouth. “I’m not going to say anything about it if you do take off the mask, not unless you want me to,” he said with his mouth full. He pointed at Toge and then to the crumb-filled plate in front of them. “I will pay you back for this.”

Toge rolled his eyes, but he reached up, hooking his fingers around the top of the mask. He lightly tugged on it, keeping his eyes on Yuuta who was looking between his cup of coffee and another sweet. Slowly, he pulled it down and off, tossing it in the seat next to him. Toge pursed his lips as he sunk lower into his seat, waiting for the moment that Yuuta would look at him and give reaction to the ruined skin on his face.

Yuuta’s eyes flickered up. It was very little but Toge noticed his eyes widened a little. His lips shifted, and Yuuta gave him a soft smile before pointing to the sweets. 

“Do you think it’ll taste good if I dunk this in that?” He asked while moving his finger to point at his drink. Toge didn’t know how to respond at first because Yuuta didn’t respond. No comment. Barely a blink of the eye. Nothing. 

‘Try,’ he finally signed.

“You gonna try with me?” Yuuta asked. 

Toge blinked a few times before he couldn’t stop a laugh from slipping out. That was probably the first time that he had shown his teeth, laughing as his lips parted and eyes shut for a second. He nodded and reached for one of the treats. 

Toge slipped on his coat from the back office and moved his bag on his back. He made sure to turn off the lights and lock the door to the office before leaving, heading out into the kitchen to do the same and do the routine of closing the cafe. As he made his way around the counter, Yuuta was picking up his laptop bag and setting the strap on his shoulder. He gave Toge a look with a smile before he turned and leaned into the seat.

“Here,” Yuuta said. He walked over to Toge, his fingers stretching out the strings of the mask Toge had thrown off before. “As much as I like seeing your smile, I’m sure you want this.” He fit the mask over Toge’s face, carefully setting the strings behind his ears. “Good?”

Toge slowly nodded, letting a small ‘Thank you’ slip from his lips in a mumble. His voice was scratchy, and there were a few painful prickles that he felt in the back of his throat. He stopped and put a hand over his throat, his eyebrows twisting a little as he ground his teeth together. 

“Hurt?” Yuuta asked, a hand on his shoulder. He looked sad. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Toge quickly waved his hands in his face. ‘No, it’s not your fault,’ he quickly signed, hoping to change Yuuta’s mind that it wasn’t because of him. In reality, it really wasn’t. ‘I was the one who chose to actually talk. That’s on me,’ he finished. As the night moved on, Toge ended up talking more than he usually did, even compared to times talking with Maki and Panda. Since he was so excited that he could talk with someone who understood him, Toge talked a bit louder than he normally would’ve, pushing his limits. 

Yuuta’s face didn’t change much. His eyebrows lifted up slightly. 

Toge furrowed his, squinting his eyes at Yuuta. He was going to step on Yuuta’s toes if the man didn’t realize that Toge wasn’t just saying it so his feelings weren’t hurt and that he was being serious.

Before Toge could possibly inflict harm to reassure Yuuta, the college student laughed and placed a hand on Toge’s back. “Alright, alright, if you say so. Come on.”

For the trip home, Yuuta walked him back. Since it would be hard to see any signing in the dark, the two headed down the sidewalk in almost-silence. It would have been silent if it hadn’t been for Yuuta. The college student hummed a tune under his breath. 

Toge liked it. It was a lot better to listen to than his normal playlist of music he’d listen to on the way home. He started to prefer it even though it had only been a minute or two of experiencing it. Yuuta’s soft, low humming brought him comfort. 

“I hope you’re leading the way,” Yuuta said. Toge glanced over at him and blinked a few times. There was enough light provided from the streetlights for him to see it. “Well, I was hoping to walk you home.”

Toge tried to make over-exaggerated movements in his signing so it was easier to see in the dimly lit streets. He folded his middle and ring finger down and lifted his hand. His pointer finger touched his chin, and in one motion, he pulled it a bit from his face as he folded down his pointer finger and thumb. ‘Mother.’

“You live with your mom?” Yuuta asked. Toge frowned at him, furrowing his eyebrows a little. “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing!” He quickly defended. “I was, uh, well—” he stuttered. Toge laughed, lifting a hand and slowly shaking his head to tell him it was alright. “You had me worried there for a second,” Yuuta mumbled.

Pinching his pointer and thumb fingers in front of his nose, Toge did a small chop in the air with his thumb tucked in. ‘Sorry.’ He smiled at Yuuta who sighed in relief and gave a small laugh.

“Well, what? You don’t want me meeting your mom?” Yuuta asked. 

Toge shrugged, looking ahead of him as he walked. He wasn’t too sure about the answer to that question. For sure, Toge wanted to keep Yuuta in his life, and it didn’t matter how he was in his life as long. As long as he wasn’t an enemy or something, Toge would be complacent with it. Toge was only worried about his mother asking too many questions about Yuuta, though maybe she wouldn’t even be awake by the time they got there. She tended to turn in to sleep early.

“Don’t mind,” Toge muttered.

“Hey, no speaking,” Yuuta quickly said. “You already hurt your throat. I don’t want you hurting it more.” He looked up at the sky, and then his eyes went to the street light poles they passed while walking. “There’s enough light for me to see any signing.” He started humming again instead of talking when he suddenly stopped. “Wait, did you say I could meet her?” He asked.

Toge nodded.

“That’s crazy — that’s not saying I don’t! I do, like I really, really do, but it’s just —look at me, Inumaki. I definitely got some coffee on my shirt which was totally your fault for flinging the donut holes at me. She’s going to think I’m an absolute mess—”

Toge grabbed Yuuta’s arm and pulled him to a stop so he could reach up with his other mouth and cover the other’s mouth. He stopped Yuuta from rambling off. Looking up at the college student, Toge watched as he blinked a few times at him. Slowly, he dropped his hand from the other’s mouth.

“Sorry,” Yuuta whispered. 

Toge shook his head, smiling. ‘It’s okay. It was—’ Toge stopped himself by putting his hands behind his back. His hands flattened on his back and his posture got straighter as he racked his mind about what he almost just signed by pure reflex like words slipping off someone’s tongue. ‘Cute’ . If he had finished his signing, that would’ve been a disaster. Yuuta probably wouldn’t think he was weird for it, but he would definitely tease him about it. 

“Was what?”

Toge shook his head quickly. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Yuuta’s and started walking again. 

When they reached Toge’s house, they stopped in front. Toge didn’t dare step in upon seeing his mother’s car parked out front. There was the possibility that she was already asleep, but he wasn’t going to take that chance.

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home or something?’ Toge signed. ‘It’s kind of cold out.’

“That would kind of defeat the purpose of me walking you home,” Yuuta said. He rocked back and forth on his heels. Letting out a huff of air, he watched as a small, faint cloud slipped from his lips. “I can hardly see my breath; it’s not that cold.”

‘We never agreed that you were walking me home,’ Toge signed, squinting at him. 

“Yes, we did,” Yuuta said. He reached forward, pressing his finger in the center of Toge’s forehead as to say ‘We telepathically agreed’ . “You know we did.” He moved his hands back to his pockets and smiled.

Toge gave up only because Yuuta was right. ‘Text me when you get home,’ he signed.

“Of course.”

Toge waved to Yuuta, backing up to the door and putting his other hand on the handle. He opened the door, stepping through but looking back to watch Yuuta make his way back down the street where they had come. 

Stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, Toge yawned and reached for his phone on the counter. He clicked the screen on to a heavy amount of notifications despite only taking a ten-minute shower. Some notifications from social media apps, Maki and Panda texting their group chat asking how closing up went with more apologies for leaving him alone, and then, finally, the texts that actually interested Toge.

Okkotsu [20:44]: Fear not I made it home

Inumaki 🍙 [20:57]: no people in white vans with candy trying to pick you up and take you home ?

Okkotsu [20:57]: You know what? There was one

Inumaki 🍙 [20:57]: did you go with them

Okkotsu [20:57]: Almost

Okkotsu [20:58]: I was tempted

Inumaki 🍙 [20:58]: damn you should’ve

Inumaki 🍙 [20:58]: i like candy

Okkotsu [20:58]: Do you??

Inumaki 🍙 [20:59]: i’m not a psychopath okkotsu of course i like candy

Okkotsu [21:00]: Mhm

Okkotsu [21:00]: What kind?

Inumaki 🍙 [21:00]: mhm

Inumaki 🍙 [21:00]: gummies

Inumaki 🍙 [21:00]: why

Okkotsu [21:01]: Just wondering

Inumaki 🍙 [21:01]: squints

Inumaki 🍙 [21:01]: uh huh

Okkotsu [21:01]: Goodnight Inumaki !

Inumaki 🍙 [21:01]: night

Thursday, November 26th, 2020

With his face sitting in his palm, Toge let out a quiet sigh under his breath as he sat in the back of his college class. His other hand held a pencil in his hand, bouncing the eraser on the desk in pure boredom. He hated when he actually had to go to classes. Toge preferred it when they were given an assignment and left alone for weeks to work on it so they could come back, get another assignment, and be left alone for another long period of time. 

Physical classes were always a pain in the ass. There was always someone who tried to talk with Toge. It seemed that every single time he didn’t speak and used JSL, they still didn’t learn their lesson that Toge didn’t speak . 

He dragged the lead of the pencil on a sheet of paper, sighing again. Toge lost himself in drawing random lines, so when someone sat down in the seat next to him, he paused and looked over.

“Oh,” he muttered. Toge put his eyes back on the paper. “Hi.”

“Did you listen to anything I said?” 

Toge moved his wrist so he could write on a section of the paper that was clustered by scribbles. He wrote out, ‘If I’m being honest, no.’ 

Suguru sighed. “You’re lucky you’re my favorite student,” he muttered. 

‘How so?’ Toge wrote on the paper quickly before returning to random lines. 

“Because I knew you weren’t going to listen so I typed up a paper for what the assignment is,” Suguru said. He tossed a piece of paper that landed on Toge’s open laptop keyboard. “Though next time, I won’t be easy on you.”

‘Yes, you will,’ Toge wrote.

Suguru sighed again. “Yeah, whatever.” He stood from the chair and sat on the table instead, leaning back on his palms and kicking his feet up on the chair he was sitting in previously. Whoever said that college teachers would be strict and terrible was wrong. Suguru acted more like a college student than Toge did. “You actually show promise though. The others—” Suguru looked around the room to the other college students. “Not as much.”

“Thanks,” Toge said under his breath. 

“Shit.”

Toge looked up, wondering why Suguru suddenly sounded irritated and swore. His eyes followed Suguru’s line of sight to the entrance of the classroom. Two students with cameras walked in. 

“I hate when the yearbook comes in,” Suguru muttered under his breath. “The kids in this class barely pay attention anyway,” he added. “It gets them so off topic when someone comes in to take pictures of them, especially when they have a chance to be on the front page of the college website.”

“Oh,” Toge suddenly mumbled out. 

‘Pictures. Yearbook,’ Toge thought.

“What?” Suguru asked, looking at him. “Do you want to be on the website or something?”

Toge shook his head. He looked down at the paper to write again. ‘No, I just remembered something,’ he quickly scribbled. 

“Mhm,” Suguru hummed. “Well, you’re welcome, I guess.” He flicked Toge in the forehead. “You’ve got ten minutes left of class,” he said before walking away. 

Right when Toge was done talking with Suguru, he pulled out his phone and pulled up the texting screen.

Inumaki 🍙 [11:49]: HEY

Okkotsu [11:49]: Good morning to you too Inumaki

Inumaki 🍙 [11:49]: YOU FUCKER

Okkotsu [11:49]: Good weather yeah

Inumaki 🍙 [11:49]: YOU NEVER BROUGHT IN YOUR PHOTOS

Inumaki 🍙 [11:50]: FROM SCHOOL

Inumaki 🍙 [11:50]: HALL MONITOR

Okkotsu [11:50]: Oh

Okkotsu [11:51]: Yeah I guess you’re right. I forgot

Inumaki 🍙 [11:51]: the worst

Okkotsu [11:51]: IM SORRY

Inumaki 🍙 [11:51]: i was kidding you’re actually the best

Okkotsu [11:51]: Oh

Inumaki 🍙 [11:52]: wait i didnt mean to compliment you

Inumaki 🍙 [11:52]: i take it back

Okkotsu [11:52]: Screenshot

Inumaki 🍙 [11:52]: DELETE IT

Okkotsu [11:52]: No 

Inumaki 🍙 [11:52]: d13

Okkotsu [11:53]: :((

Inumaki 🍙 [11:53]: dont 

Okkotsu [11:53]: Don’t what

Okkotsu [11:53]: :((

Inumaki 🍙 [11:53]: youre evil

Okkotsu [11:53]: You learn something new every day

Okkotsu [11:54]: Aren’t you in class right now?

Inumaki 🍙 [11:54]: i fear nothing 

Okkotsu [11:54]: Uh huh

Okkotsu [11:55]: Because I vaguely remember you telling me a story about how you hurt your throat once by screaming because your friend jump scared you in public 

Okkotsu [11:55]: Only vaguely

Okkotsu [11:56]: I could be wrong 

Okkotsu [11:56]: But I don’t know my memory is very good

Inumaki 🍙 [11:56]: eat shit

Inumaki 🍙 [11:56]: he JUMPED at me 

Okkotsu [11:57]: Sure

Inumaki 🍙 [11:57]: youre the worst never text me again

Okkotsu [11:57]: You don’t mean that

Inumaki 🍙 [11:57]: youre ANNOYING

Okkotsu [11:57]: :D

Inumaki 🍙 [11:58]: i need to pack up my things 

Inumaki 🍙 [11:58]: but ill text you later 

Okkotsu [11:58]: I thought you said to stop texting you 

Inumaki 🍙 [11:58]: nevermind this is our last means of communication

Okkotsu [11:58]: Talk to you later

Inumaki 🍙 [11:59]: mhm

Okkotsu [11:59]: Petty

Inumaki 🍙 [11:59]: SHUT UP SO I CAN PACK UP

Toge leaned against the armrest of the couch. He had his feet kicked up, playing on his phone as he waited for his mother to finish cooking whatever dinner she had planned. The TV played in the background, and his laptop sat open on the coffee table with a single paragraph typed up for his class already finished. 

“Toge.”

Toge glanced up from his phone and looked at the woman standing over the back of the couch. She leaned on her hands on the couch and raised an eyebrow at Toge.

“You have your stuff out but you’re not doing it?” She asked.

Toge shrugged and turned his head back to his phone screen.

“Well, if you’re not going to be doing your actual work, can you do something for me?”

He turned his head back over and raised an eyebrow in question.

“We’re out of potatoes,” his mother said. “Could you run and get some? I can’t leave the food here alone.”

Toge let his phone drop into his lap so that he could sign. ‘I’d be here. Technically, it wouldn’t be alone.’ Before his mother could respond, Toge sat up. ‘But yeah, I’ll go.’ He stood with a stretch and sighed. “Money?” He asked while turning around.

His mother seemed a bit shocked that he had talked out loud willingly. She snapped out of it quickly though. Other than Yuuta, she was probably the quickest. She headed into the kitchen. It only took a few moments before she came back and handed Toge enough money.

“Here,” she said. “Please be careful.”

‘It’s a trip to the store,’ Toge signed while backing up so his mother could see his hands. He stopped near the door and grabbed his coat off the hanger. “I’ll be fine,” he said as his hands were busy slipping through the sleeves. His hand fished around in his pocket and pulled out a mask. He gave her a wave before he slipped from the house.

The walk between Toge’s house and into town wasn’t very far. He was pretty lucky to live on the outskirts of his neighborhood to have a walking distance between where he lived and the store. Toge tugged on the mask that sat over his face, making sure it was there. He wore it so frequently that he dismissed the feeling of a mask as if it were a part of him. Whenever he took it off while he was alone in his room and was able to take a deep breath of fresh air made wearing masks nearly twenty-four-seven actually worth it; the feeling of the cool air hitting his face after wearing something that restricted him was a drink of fresh water after near dehydration.

Toge always put headphones in when he went into public. He made sure it was obvious that he was listening to music to try and make it so that no one would make an effort to talk to him. In the unfair world that Inumaki Toge existed in. Not many people understood that not everyone was the same.

With his eyes scanning the aisles for anything that would catch his eye, he accidentally bumped shoulders with someone. Instinctively, Toge raised his hand and pinched in front of his nose, then followed by tucking in his thumb and doing a small chop in the air. ‘Sorry.’

He thought that it would be enough because even around the people in his life that didn’t completely understand JSL, Maki and Panda were an example, they at least knew some of the few basic signs. 

Though, of course, that only applied to the people that were constantly around Toge. The world wasn’t fair like that.

“What did you just do?” Toge felt his shoulder get grabbed and pulled back. He nearly dropped the basket that hung in the crease of his elbow on his other hand. His heart skipped a beat when he felt someone’s thumb harshly press into his wrist. The person who had his hands on Toge pushed him back a little. 

Out of reflex, Toge couldn’t stop himself when he went to explain with signing as a wince came from his mouth. He tended to communicate in both ways simultaneously in response to a situation that startled him. If he felt like he was in danger in a situation, Toge fell completely mute and only resorted to signing as if he couldn’t remember any other means of communication which included talking. 

The guy didn’t seem to like it when Toge began signing when he slapped Toge’s hands to stop them from moving.

“Are you mocking me? Run into me and then you—”

“Quit.”

The guy stopped, and even Toge felt himself freeze upon hearing the voice. He felt a hand on his back, which was a lot more comforting than the other guy, and someone moved to stand next to Toge. 

“Go.”

“This asshole—”

“Lay another hand on him and I’ll do the same to you ten times worse.”

With wide eyes, Toge blinked a few times at the person who — if he was being honest, he saved him. Behind the mask, his lips parted slightly in surprise, but he ran his tongue along his bottom lip and bit it before looking to see the other guy’s reaction to the threat.

“Whatever,” the guy muttered before walking off.

“What a dickhead,” Toge’s savior mumbled under his breath, and then he turned to Toge, grabbing his hands and holding them up to look at them. “Are you alright?”

Toge nodded.

“You sure?”

Toge slipped his hands from the hold. ‘I’m fine, Okkotsu. Really. Thank you,’ he signed. ‘I didn’t know you could—’ Toge’s hands paused in the air. One hand reached up to scratch the side of his face in thought. ‘I didn’t know you could get that scary.’

“Was I scary?” Yuuta asked, sounding kind of worried. 

‘A bit,’ Toge signed. He reached up to Yuuta and touched his forehead with his pointer finger. “Not to me,” he whispered.

“I’m glad then,” Yuuta replied. “Come on. You should get what you were here to get. It’s starting to get dark outside.”

On the walk home, which Yuuta told Toge he would walk him home again , Yuuta carried Toge’s bags for him. Toge wasn’t for it at first, that was until Yuuta told him it gave him free hands so he could sign. He let Yuuta carry them after that. It was a good point after all. 

“I see, I see,” Yuuta said as they walked back. Toge had explained what he was doing that day from getting up, to going to classes, to heading home for some work, to heading out to run to the store for his mom. “I was kind of upset I didn’t get to see you today. You weren’t in the cafe, and then I remembered you told me you worked Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays so you wouldn’t be in today.”

‘You remembered that?’ Toge asked while signing.

“I told you,” Yuuta said as he looked over at him. He poked him in the forehead. “I have a very good memory.”

‘You didn’t remember to show me your school pictures,’ Toge replied.

“Or maybe I was just waiting until you brought it up but you never did,” Yuuta countered. 

‘You’re evil.’

Yuuta laughed, which seemed like music to Toge’s ears. “So you’ve said.”

“Toge!” Even though it wasn’t Yuuta who was called for, he looked up too. The two stopped on the sidewalk as a woman ran toward them. She was slightly out of breath dressed in a pair of sweats with a jacket pulled over a t-shirt to help protect her from the cold. “What was taking you so long? I started to get worried, and I called you, and you didn’t pick up.”

“Huh?” Toge reached into his pocket, ignoring the hold that the woman had on his shoulders. “Oh.” He looked up at her as he slipped it back into his pocket. ‘Sorry,’ he signed. ‘I’m an adult though, mom. It was just a trip to the store.’

‘So this is his mom,’ Yuuta thought. ‘She doesn’t look anything like him at all.’ Toge’s mother was tall, much unlike Toge himself who was probably a good four inches shorter than her. Her hair was black and long, reaching down to her mid-back. She wore big, round glasses and had dark eyes that it was hard to see her pupils. It was as if she was the opposite from Toge. 

“I was just a little worried,” she said with a sigh. She put a hand on Toge’s head and ruffled his hair. Yuuta could hear Toge let out an annoyed huff, but he could tell he wasn’t actually annoyed by his mother. She looked over at Yuuta. “Is this a new friend? I don’t think I’ve met him before,” she said.

“Okkotsu Yuuta,” Yuuta said. He held out a hand for Toge’s mother, and she shook it with a warm smile.

“Aikawa Hantaisoku,” Hantaisoku introduced. “Hanta is fine as well,” she said. Yuuta took note of how she didn’t have the same surname as Toge, but it slipped his mind when he noticed how cold she looked. She had taken her hands off Toge to wrap them around herself yet she was still shaking. It seemed as if her teeth were going to begin chattering any moment.

“Well, I don’t mean to keep you out in the cold,” Yuuta said. He handed Toge his bag. “Here you are,” he said, his fingers slipping from the plastic bag to let it drop into Toge’s hand. He took a step back to begin his walk back. “See you later—”

“Okkotsu.” A hand tugged on his sleeve and pulled him to a stop. Yuuta met the purple eyes, which even stood out in the dark. The light of the streetlights couldn’t put up a fight with them. Toge nudged his head toward the house that Hantaisoku came running from. “Dinner.”

“You sure?” Yuuta asked. He looked between Toge and Hantaisoku. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“I mean, as long as Toge is alright with it, I don’t mind!” Hantaisoku said. “To be honest, his father can get a little boring and he—” Toge’s mother flicked him on the forehead, “is a pain.”

Toge rolled his eyes, but his mother laughed.

“We’d be happy to have you.”

Yuuta chuckled and nodded. “Alright then. Thank you.”

Toge had to ignore the glances he’d get from his mother on the way back to the house. He was sure that she had tons of questions about Yuuta and about how Toge had just invited him over to dinner upon Hantaisoku and Yuuta’s first meet. 

They stepped through the front door, Toge holding it open for his mother and Yuuta to step through. After he closed it, he began to slip off his shoes. 

“I’ll try and be quick!” His mother had shouted after tossing off her shoes a lot quicker than Toge and rushing into the kitchen. 

Toge pulled off the jacket and set it on the hooks, and then he ripped off the mask to be free from the suffocating cloth that hooked on his face. Massaging the corners of his mouth, Toge started to head into the living room. 

“Come on,” he whispered as he walked past Yuuta. 

Yuuta followed behind him, watching as he picked up his things from the coffee table. He walked over to him and handed his things to Yuuta. Without a word, he took them from Toge, but he was still confused as to why. 

Toge whistled, and his mother was quick to pop her head in the doorway. ‘We’re going to my room, okay?’ He signed. Toge reached over and grabbed Yuuta’s sleeve again, dragging him and then lightly shoving him toward the hallway. He signed something behind Yuuta’s back, but Yuuta couldn’t see it.

“Twenty minutes,” she replied. Toge must have asked how long dinner would take. He gave a thumbs up and continued to push Yuuta down the hallway.

Again, Toge held the door open for Yuuta and closed it behind them. He pointed to a desk that sat on the far side of the room, and Yuuta took that as a sign to place down the things he handed to him. Toge stepped up to a body mirror he had in the room and tilted his head at his own reflection, a hand reaching up under his shirt to scratch his stomach like an old man. He yawned and stuck his fingers in his hair, purposely messing it up as he turned to Yuuta.

‘Mind if I take a shower?’ He signed after he took his hands from his hair. ‘I’ll be quick,’ he added, and then he lifted his hand, middle three fingers tucked in before he circled his pinky in the air as if to say, ‘I promise.’  

“Go ahead,” Yuuta said. “I might just snoop around and go through all your things,” he joked. 

Toge shrugged, heading over to his closer. He opened it and pulled out a sweater, laying it over his arm before he turned around. ‘You can,’ he signed. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide.’ He headed for the door.

“So it’s fair game if I find your school photos?” Yuuta asked.

Toge turned around. ‘I don’t keep my own school photos in my room. That embarrassment stays far away from me. Good luck.’ Yuuta laughed, and Toge smiled before he left the room.

Yuuta wasn’t serious about snooping around. It had just been a joke, but now that he had permission, he kind of had the urge to look around. Toge’s room was basically spotless as if someone wasn’t even living there. All doors and drawers were closed, things in the room were lined up almost perfectly. Despite the look of zero life, there wasn’t a speck of dust around. Yuuta was beginning to wonder if this was even Toge’s room. 

He sat down in the desk chair and patted his legs, spinning around a little to scan the room. There was a TV show poster on the wall, and next to the poster was a bookshelf. The top and bottom actually had books, though the middle shelves seemed to be spots for Toge to keep his knickknacks. 

Yuuta tucked his foot underneath him and spun in the chair to the desk. He looked at it. The cup of pens and pencils that sat off to the side, the small organizer that he could see sticky notes, paperclips, tacks, and other things in. A small bookshelf sat on the far side of the desk against the wall, the top shelf had college textbooks, however, the bottom shelf had books with blank binders.

‘He did say that I could snoop around,’ Yuuta thought, biting his tongue. He reached for one, but he stopped himself halfway. ‘He said I could but that doesn’t mean that I should. Maybe it’s a test. Maybe Inumaki’s testing me. He’s the type to do that.’ Though Yuuta had the urge to see what they were. The more he thought about it, the more he began to burn with curiosity. ‘Really quick. He won’t even know.’

Yuuta reached forward and snagged the first, blank, unnamed book. He pulled up his other foot on the chair and looked down at the cover of what he grabbed. Even that was blank. Would the book be blank too? 

He opened it to the first page. Blank. Yuuta furrowed his eyebrows and squinted at the book. A frown sat on his face.

So then he turned another page, and Yuuta’s face dropped. His shoulders unstiffened, and his eyebrows relaxed, mouth falling slightly open. There was word, after word, after word, after word—

Yuuta moved his thumb over the sides of the pages and ran it down, flipping the pages of the book. As he got a millisecond of a peak of each page, Yuuta could see that every single line of the book had been filled with scribbles — they looked like scribbles to him since he was just flickering through it though Yuuta knew that there was much more to it than just a blank, unnamed book.

So it had words. Yuuta figured it out. He learned what he had been wanting to know. With a sigh, he closed the book.

‘So that means I should put the book back now.’ Yuuta looked between the empty spot on the shelf where he stole the book and then looked at the book itself. 

He opened it to the first page with words. ‘Who showers that quickly anyway?’

When Toge opened the door to his room, he paused when he saw Yuuta sitting at his desk, feet tucked under him with one of Toge’s books in his lap. It didn’t seem that Yuuta noticed him when he opened the door, so he took a step in, softly closing the door behind him so he didn’t draw any attention to himself. 

He followed the wall of his room, moving past the closet to set his dirty clothes in the basket. Toge moved in front of his mirror and looked at himself, stepping closer as he reached his hands up to place a pointer finger on the corners of his mouth. He dragged his fingers along the scars to the end of it and stopped. They were a lot darker after his shower, and that was only because, even though he covered it with a turtleneck or a mask, Toge put makeup over it. 

The light-haired one turned around to look at the one reading his books. He was still reading, and he was still unaware that Toge was back in the room.

Toge laughed lightly through his nose and walked over to Yuuta. He put his chin on his shoulder as he tried to get a look at where in the book Yuuta was.

“Huh?” Yuuta turned, and when he met eyes with Toge, he nearly fell out of the chair. “Inumaki!” He caught himself with his foot and turned in the chair toward Toge. “I was just — I didn’t know you’d be out quickly — well, actually, I think I lost track of time—” Yuuta stopped when Toge started laughing. He watched in silence as Toge covered his mouth with one hand and the other moved to his stomach. His eyes squeezed shut as he leaned down a little to laugh. 

Yuuta couldn’t say a word because he couldn’t find anything to explain how he was feeling. He was embarrassed for getting caught reading Toge’s books but that feeling was blown out of the window the moment that Toge broke down into laughter. His laugh was light and soft, and it jumped as he had to take another breath to laugh again. Yuuta felt his chest twist like wringing out wet clothes — an aftereffect of the twist was like the wrinkles left in the cloth after you untwisted the shirt, a tingling feeling left stuck afterward. 

It was interrupted when Toge started coughing. The hand that was over his mouth moved to his throat, and the other hand that was wrapped around his stomach held a finger up to stop Yuuta from jumping from his seat to check on him. As he coughed, he laughed through them, a smile still on his face. He started to take deep breaths with small bits of laughter cutting through. Soon enough, he calmed himself down and sighed, backing up and plopping down on his bed. He still smiled, little giggles still jumping out every few seconds. 

Toge took one deep breath before he snapped his fingers. He pointed to something on his desk. Yuuta followed to where he was pointing, the small shelf organizer on his desk, and then he looked back at Toge.

‘There’s a spray in there,’ Toge signed. 

Yuuta turned and opened the drawer. He found the spray and spun back around, tossing Toge the bottle.

Toge uncapped it quickly and sprayed it in his mouth. His face twisted in a sour expression before weakly sticking out his tongue. Shaking his head as he put the cap back on, Toge dropped the spray in his mouth and pulled his feet up on the bed with him.

‘Those are the times when I wished I couldn’t taste anything,’ he signed, and it was obvious he meant it in a displeasing way. ‘Tastes awful.’ Toge picked it up and tossed it back at Yuuta. ‘Try it.’

“Try your—” Yuuta turned the bottle in his hand and read the label. “Try your medicine throat spray?”

‘Unless you’re a coward.’

Yuuta uncapped the spray. “Well, now I have to.” He raised the spray to his mouth and paused, looking at Toge who sat grinning from the bed. Yuuta squinted at him for a second before risking it all and spraying the medicine in his mouth. 

Right when it hit his tongue, Yuuta coughed. He almost dropped the bottle before Toge snatched it from his hand, and he leaned over on the chair coughing. Sticking his tongue out, Yuuta tried to stop himself from tasting the disgusting medicine. When he looked up, Toge had a hand over his mouth to stop his laughter as he handed Yuuta a water bottle. 

‘So?’ He signed, but Yuuta held up a finger as he chugged down the water. Letting out a gasp, he looked at Toge.

“Terrible,” he croaked. 

A soft knock on the door bought their attention. Toge let out a whistle in response. The door opened, and Hantaisoku popped her head in. 

“Is everything okay?” She asked, sounding a bit worried. “I heard a lot of coughing. Are you okay, Toge? Do you need—“

“Fine,” he cut off vocally. ‘Dinner?’ He signed.

“Mm-hmm! Come out to eat before it gets cold.”

Yuuta took a seat next to Toge at the table. He looked kind of nervous as he sat which was probably because Toge’s dad was sitting there across from him. The two hadn’t met yet, and Toge’s dad didn’t exactly have the kindest look on his face all the time.

While Toge’s mother brought over the dishes of food, Toge elbowed Yuuta in the side. It got his attention, and he looked over at him right away — anything to stop him from accidentally making eye contact with Toge’s dad.

“He’s fine,” Toge whispered only so his dad couldn’t read his signing to Yuuta. “Don’t worry. Relax.”

“I am calm,” Yuuta lied in a mutter under his breath.

“Then stop bouncing your knee.”

Yuuta stopped. “Shit.”

Toge laughed and shook his head, putting his attention on Hantaisoku when she brought over a dish and placed it down on the table. She finally took a seat down next to Toge’s dad and smiled.

“Did you introduce yourself yet?” She asked, swatting a hand back to hit the man next to her in the chest.

“Oh, no, I haven’t,” he replied, unaffected by her light, playful hit. “Aikawa Aito,” he introduced, reaching across the table for a handshake. Yuuta accepted it, of course, and shook the man’s hand.

“Okkotsu Yuuta,” Yuuta said. ‘His last name isn’t Inumaki either.’

“I’m surprised you’re here,” Aika said. 

Yuuta raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Usually, Toge—” Aika stopped talking when a metal spoon hit him straight in the forehead.

“Toge!” Hantaisoku scolded, looking at Toge who lowered his hand from throwing the spoon. “That’s dangerous!”

‘He’s just lucky I threw the spoon and not the fork.’

“Why did you throw it in the first place?” Hantaisoku, Aika, and Yuuta all asked. Toge blinked a few times, looking at the three pairs of eyes that looked at him, waiting for an answer to why he chucked a spoon at his own father’s forehead.

Instead of answering, Toge reached over and stole Yuuta’s spoon. “Let’s eat,” he muttered.

On the walk home, Yuuta looked up at the sky. He tilted his head back, watching a small cloud float in the air in front of him before he turned his head to look at Toge.

“Did you throw a spoon at your dad to cut him off?”

‘Obviously,’ Toge signed once he caught Yuuta’s eye and knew the other was looking at him. 

“What was he going to say?” 

‘Don’t you think I cut him off for a reason?’

“Yeah, but I still want to know,” Yuuta said with a shrug.

‘Well, too bad,’ Toge signed. ‘Any other questions?’ He asked, lightly bumping shoulders with Yuuta. Toge took that chance to slip his arm around Yuuta’s, though he stopped himself from pushing his hand into his pocket to hold his hand.

“Maybe. If you don’t mind answering it,” Yuuta said quietly. He still had the question about his parents on his mind. Toge gave him a thumbs-up as if to tell him, ‘Ask away.’ When Yuuta didn’t look over at him when he went to ask it, Toge felt kind of worried. He always made sure to look at Toge. “Why isn’t your last name Aikawa?”

“Oh,” Toge muttered out loud. He understood why Yuuta didn’t look at him. The other probably felt as if he was overstepping his bounds with such a question — Toge clearly had much more to his past than what he had already told. “Not my biological parents.” Toge looked ahead and smiled, though it was a sad smile with a crooked hook at the end. “My real parents didn’t survive the crash.”

“I’m sorry,” Yuuta said.

Toge shook his head. “It’s fine. It’s not like they were the best parents in the world. Not saying they deserved that but I don’t think I would even be alive if that didn’t happen,” he said, his voice getting quieter as he spoke, trying to preserve how much he could talk before it started to hurt. “I don’t want to say I’m glad it was me over them but they weren’t exactly good people.”

“I get it,” Yuuta replied. Toge just nodded, and they kept walking in silence.

They didn’t walk that much further before Toge broke it. He had been fighting with himself in his head ever since he wrapped his arm around Yuuta’s.

“Can I hold your hand?” Toge quietly asked. Yuuta glanced over, catching Toge’s eye. He seemed a bit shocked by the question, but it quickly changed into a soft smile.

“I’m not gonna take my hand out of my pocket though. It’s cold,” he replied.

“I can work with it,” Toge muttered. He slipped his hand into Yuuta’s pocket, sliding his fingers between his. Since his hand was so small, there was enough room in Yuuta’s pocket for the both of them. “How are your hands colder than mine?” He asked in a whisper.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” Yuuta said, and he laughed. “But thanks. You’re warm. Tingles.” 

“Mhm,” Toge hummed.

Now in the silence, with their palms pressed together, Toge’s hand doing all the work in warming them up, they stayed close as they walked down the sidewalk. People passed them by, and neither of them wanted another incident that happened in the store so they kept close together.

Toge didn’t expect them to stop so soon, but Yuuta stopped walking so he did as well. 

“Here?” Toge asked, looking up at the building with about six stories.

“Here,” Yuuta replied. He looked down over at Toge. “I really wish you didn’t walk me here. The company was nice, of course, but now you have to walk home alone by yourself.”

Toge shrugged, and he pulled his hands from the pockets — his own and Yuuta’s. ‘It’s fine,’ he signed. ‘It’ll be good to learn the route.’

“For future use?” Yuuta asked with a grin. Toge couldn’t help but smile, curling back his tongue behind the mask. He nodded. “Perfect.” Yuuta grabbed Toge’s hand and gave it a single squeeze — Toge swore he felt it connect all the way to his chest unless it had been an illusion. “Get home safe, okay? Text me when you’re home. I won’t be able to sleep at night, and it would be all your fault.”

‘If I make you tired, you might come into the cafe to order some coffee,’ Toge signed, a curl beginning at the corners of his lips, though the smile was hidden behind the mask. Yuuta noticed, of course, he did. He always did. Reaching forward, he tapped the tip of Toge’s ear as if to say, ‘You’re smiling.’   

“Or maybe I’ll be too tired to even make my way to the cafe shop.”

‘You would come to check on me,’ Toge replied.

“You think?”

Toge nodded.

Yuuta smiled, looking back to the building. It seemed like he didn’t want to part ways with Toge. Maybe he didn’t, but he didn’t say anything about it. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “How about this?” Yuuta began as he looked back at Toge. “ You promise to text me and I promise to come in and visit you tomorrow while you’re at work?”

Toge lifted his hand, three middle fingers tucked in and pinky sticking out toward Yuuta. With a soft smile, Yuuta raised his hand and wrapped his pinky around Toge’s, giving it a small shake to officialize the promise. After he slipped his finger from Toge’s, Yuuta gave him a wave before he headed into the apartment building. When the door closed, Toge slipped his hands into his pocket and pulled out his headphones for the walk home.

Inumaki 🍙[22:13]: i made it home 

Okkotsu [22:13]: God I was about to call you

Inumaki 🍙[22:13]: you were that worried

Inumaki 🍙[22:14]: you know i can walk right?

Inumaki 🍙[22:14]: its my tongue thats numb not my legs 

Okkotsu [22:14]: YES I KNOW

Okkotsu [22:14]:  I can’t want to know you got home safe?

Inumaki 🍙[22:14]: no

Okkotsu [22:14]: You promised me 

Inumaki 🍙[22:15]: and thats the only reason why im texting you

Okkotsu [22:15]: So you wouldn’t text me if we hadn’t made that promise?

Inumaki 🍙[22:15]: maybe

Inumaki 🍙[22:15]: if you had something i wanted then maybe i would

Inumaki 🍙[22:16]: but i would merely use you

Okkotsu [22:16]: Mhm

Okkotsu [22:16]: Like what?

Inumaki 🍙[22:16]: like what what

Okkotsu [22:16]: Like what do you want?

Inumaki 🍙[22:16]: um

Inumaki 🍙[22:16]: idk that candy we were talking about

Okkotsu [22:17]: Is all you want candy?

Inumaki 🍙[22:17]: why are you suddenly asking me what i want

Inumaki 🍙[22:17]: just say you wanna kiss me and go

Okkotsu [22:17]: I want to kiss you

Inumaki 🍙[22:20]: YOURE SO FUNNY MY STOMACH HURTS FROM LAUGHING

Inumaki 🍙[22:20]: die

Okkotsu [22:20]: Mhm

Okkotsu [22:20]: It’s late and since you have work you should sleep

Inumaki 🍙[22:21]: you love pushing me off

Okkotsu [22:21]: You know I don’t mean it like that :(

Okkotsu [22:21]: You seem to be the type to get really spaced out and unproductive if he’s tired

Inumaki 🍙[22:22]: well youre not wrong

Okkotsu [22:22]: See? Get good sleep

Okkotsu [22:23]: Who else will bring me coffee tomorrow?

Inumaki 🍙[22:23]: so that means youre coming in again ?

Okkotsu [22:23]: Mhm

Okkotsu [22:23]: Unless you don’t want me to show up

Inumaki 🍙[22:23]: nononono 

Inumaki 🍙[22:24]: shut up

Inumaki 🍙[22:24]: bring the school photos this time

Okkotsu [22:24]: Remind me this time

Inumaki 🍙[22:24]: i thought your memory was good

Okkotsu [22:25]: Maybe it’s just an excuse to get you to text me then

Inumaki 🍙[22:25]: alright fine ill make sure okkotsu yuuta gets his little reminder about how he looked like a little nerd in middle school 

Okkotsu [22:25]: Goodnight Inumaki

Inumaki 🍙[22:25]: g’night

Toge let his hands fall in his lap, sitting in his desk chair with his feet pulled up in a crossed position. He stared at his reflection in the black screen of his phone.

‘I want to kiss you.’

That was stupid. Toge wanted to scream for Yuuta even making that joke. It had made him sharply inhale, which made him start coughing, which made him have to taste that disgusting medicine again. He was glad that he was able to calm himself down enough to reply. The three minutes in the time that he didn’t probably seemed suspicious to Yuuta because he was just joking so why should Toge be freaking out about it?

‘Though what if he wasn’t joking?’ Toge shuddered at the thought. When had he begun to think about Yuuta in that way? ‘You’ve known him for three days, Toge. Calm down.’ Toge chucked his phone over his shoulder where he knew it would land on his bed. ‘But in those three days, he’s been the easiest person to get along with since forever.’ His eyes landed on the book that sat on his desk. He could see a yellow sticky note popping out from the center of the book. Yuuta must have marked the page that he was on. ‘And he looked so cute when he was nose deep into the book — my book at that.’

Toge wanted to let himself fall from his chair and lie on the ground to count sheep. 

‘Stupid. I hate him.’ Toge groaned, picking up the book from his desk and sliding it back into the place it belonged. He pulled himself up from his seat and made his way to his bed, flopping down face-first into his pillows. ‘But I don’t. I’ve known him three days and I think I would cry if I never talked to him again.’ He sat up quickly and grabbed his pillow, hugging it. ‘He’s already met my parents. Who does that? Who am I? What am I doing?’ If Toge could scream, he would scream into the pillow. He was desperate to know what that felt like, but if he screamed, he would completely destroy his vocals for a good month. ‘I need to sleep.’  

Friday, November 27th, 2020

Fridays in the cafe shop were always the busiest which meant they were the absolute worst for Toge. Instead of wearing the turtleneck like he usually did, Toge had to wear the mask. He had on short sleeves that he’d roll up like a tank top. Even in the back where Toge was left to make order after order, Toge began to sweat from the heat. He ran around in the back rushing for milk, creamer, sugar, the coffee pot, the cupboard, the sink — it was as if he was doing laps in the kitchen. 

Toge was just glad that he wasn’t a waiter. He swore that if he ever had to run around the cafe to all the different tables, he’d probably just toss the drinks in the trash and walk out the back door. 

It always died down a few hours after lunchtime. When Toge stopped getting orders, he came out from the back in the kitchen to check on how Panda and Maki were surviving the workday.

Maki was leaned over the front desk, forehead resting on the counter. Panda was sitting on the other side, head resting in his palm as he finally found the time to scroll on his phone. He looked up at Toge as he walked in.

“Hey, Inumaki,” he grumbled, giving a small, half-assed wave. He really seemed beat. Maki lifted her head up, standing up and turning around. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms.

“How was the back without having to deal with the commotion out here?” Maki asked. Toge could tell she got jealous of how Toge’s domain was the back and he didn’t have to deal with customers. Her temper was not the shortest thing in the world and sometimes customers weren’t the kindest. 

Toge gave a thumbs up in response. He stretched his arms above his head, yawning behind the mask. Already, he felt tired even though the workday was only halfway over. He wished he had classes on Fridays. Toge heard they were fun, and by that, Toge had heard that the college professors let you have the period to work on things meaning it was just a whole class of silence and working. Though he didn’t have that luxury. 

“Whatever,” Maki muttered. “Okkotsu is over there,” she said in a lowered voice. “He came in during the rush hour.”

Toge tried to play off how he very much did care with a shrug as if to say, ‘So?’

“Go talk to him before more people start to come in,” Maki said. “Now.”

“Pushy,” Toge muttered under his breath. Maki looked at him quickly, as did Panda from his phone. He gave the two his signature ‘What?’ look. 

“Nothing,” Maki muttered. It was obviously something, and Toge knew what it was.

He never just spoke up, even to them in the cafe if he was being quiet enough for no one to hear. Toge had just been so used to talking with Yuuta that speaking out loud just slipped out.

Toge rolled his eyes in response, pointing to himself, and then made a taking gesture with his hand as he moved out from behind the counter. His hands moved to the back of his apron where he made sure it was situated around his waist properly. 

He made his way over to the same back table and slid into the booth without warning, plopping down as if he was relaxing in the comfort of his own home.

“Tired already?”

Toge lifted his head to look. Yuuta had tilted his laptop screen down and leaned his face into his palms as he looked at Toge, that soft smile that Toge had grown to love over such a short amount of time. He nodded.

“How long do you have left?”

Toge sat up and held up five fingers. 

“That’s a while,” Yuuta said, picking up his coffee and taking a sip. Toge would guess he was addicted to coffee. 

‘Don’t remind me,’ Toge signed. ‘You have the middle school photos?’ He asked.

Yuuta rolled his eyes, but he turned in his seat, reaching over in his bag. He pulled out an envelope and held it up. Toge went to snatch it, but Yuuta was quicker.

“Hey, you see it after work.”

‘I need the fuel. Show me now.’

“Drink some coffee.”

‘You’re the worst,’ Toge signed, sinking lower in the seat and letting his hands fall into his lap when he was done. 

“Mhm,” Yuuta hummed. He reached forward, shifting aside some bangs that had fallen into Toge’s face when he let his head drop a little. “Well, don’t cover those,” he muttered quietly. “Since I can't see your whole face ‘cause of the mask, all I have is your eyes, and you want to take that away from me? That’s cruel, Inumaki.”

Toge didn’t know what to say, or he didn’t know any way to respond. Even through all the ways that he knew how to communicate, Toge had nothing. He simply stared back as Yuuta’s fingers brushed his hair to the side and then traced down the sides of his face to lift his chin. There were times Toge wished he wasn’t wearing a mask. One of those times was now. 

He wanted to know what it felt like when Yuuta was holding his chin, tilting it up, or at least he wanted to know what it felt like when Yuuta’s fingers lightly skimmed down the side of his face. Regardless of what he wanted, there was still the barrier of the face mask blocking him from knowing, and he wasn’t going to take the face mask off, at least not with the cafe half filled.

The sound of more customers coming in stole their attention, Toge’s head turning to look and Yuuta’s hand pulling away from his face. From the corner of his eye, he could see Maki staring at him to get back. With a sigh, Toge looked back over at Yuuta.

‘Go to go,’ he signed.

“Good luck.”

After a lot of persuading, Toge was able to successfully make Maki and Panda let Toge close up the cafe that day. They found it suspicious, even though Toge knew that they knew why he wanted to close up, but they agreed and let him, leaving at the first chance so that they could get home and sleep.

Toge cleaned up in the back, wiping down the counters, putting the stuff away. Since he was the only one left, he peeled the mask off his face and tossed it in his bag. Before he left the back, he made one smoothie for himself and one coffee and then cleaned up that mess too.

He headed out into the cafe and walked past the booths until he got to the back, placing down the coffee and smoothie as he sat down. Toge let out an over-exaggerated groan as he let himself flop down into the seat. He put an arm over his eyes so the ceiling lights didn’t blind him. 

“Done for the day?”

Toge gave a lifting hum for affirmation. 

“Ready?” 

That’s when Toge quickly sat up. He planted his palms on the table, almost shaking Yuuta’s new coffee if the other hadn’t already had his hands on it, sliding it over to the side so it was out of the way. Yuuta rolled his eyes, shutting his laptop and slipping it away before he pulled out the envelope he showed before. 

He held it out to Toge, but when he went to grab it, Yuuta yanked it back last second.

“I do recall you saying you were giving me pictures in return.”

‘I don’t have them with me,’ Toge signed.

“Then you don’t get these,” Yuuta replied, moving to put them back in his bag.

“Wait,” Toge said, grabbing his sleeve. “Come on,” he muttered. He took his hands off of Yuuta to sign.  ‘I’ll show you the next time you’re at my house.’

“Mhm, I don’t know,” Yuuta said with a grin. “You might have to pay me for the wait I’ll have to do. You get these now. On the other hand, I have to wait. That’s not fair.”

Toge squinted at him. ‘I’ll be right back,’ he signed before getting up from the booth.

He came back from the back room with his bag, setting it down in the seat next to him before he began to dig through it. Toge pulled out a blank book and set it on the table.

‘You can borrow it so you can finish it,’ he signed.

“Really?” Yuuta set down the package and picked up the book. “Wait, you’re serious?” He opened it, flipping through the pages until he got to his sticky note. While he was distracted, Toge snagged the envelope. He didn’t waste time opening it while Yuuta wasn’t paying attention.

The first photo was, in fact, young Okkotsu Yuuta standing straight and tall with his hands tightly to his sides and a hall monitor sash on. He looked pretty proud to be handed the title. Toge bit back his laughter and moved to the next photo.

Then he got to see young Okkotsu Yuuta on his knees crying in front of a cone of ice cream that had been dropped on the ground. That made Toge laugh, and he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. 

Yuuta looked up from the book. “Hey, wait!” He tried to reach for the photos, but it was Toge’s turn to yank his hand back so they were out of Yuuta’s reach. “Inumaki.”

‘You got your part of the deal,’ he signed, holding the photos clasped between his fingers as best as he could so that he could sign. He began to lay them out on the table. ‘Plus, you were cute,’ Toge added before beginning to shift around the photos to what he assumed was chronological order. Another image of Yuuta made him giggle under his breath, a picture of young Okkotsu Yuuta holding up a stuffed bear with a smile. It must have been his birthday.

“Was cute?” Yuuta asked. He closed the book and slid it off to the side. “What am I now?”

“Huh?” Toge took a quick glance up and then back to the photos. “I dunno,” he muttered. “Something went wrong.”

“Hey!”

Toge laughed. ‘Kidding,’ he signed. Toge started to scan the photos again. In one that Yuuta looked around ten years old, there was another small child. They were just a baby, and in the picture, they were reaching toward Yuuta to grab and pull his hair — which was hilarious in its spiky positioning but Toge wasn’t curious about Yuuta’s hair more than he was the other child. He turned the picture around to Yuuta and pointed to her.

“Huh?” Yuuta leaned over to look. “Oh, that’s my younger sister.”

‘Younger sister?’ If Toge could shout in sign language, he would. Thankfully, Toge was talking to Yuuta, so the other took note of how surprised Toge was by noticing him jump out of his seat a little bit. ‘You have a younger sister?’

“Yeah,” Yuuta said with a laugh. He picked up the photo to get a better look at it. “This was when I just met her when she was a newborn. She’s ten years younger, so it’s a huge gap.” He put the picture back down and folded his arms on the table, leaning over it a little to get a look at the pictures Toge laid out. “She’s ten now.”

‘Can I meet her?’

“You want to meet my sister?” Yuuta raised an eyebrow. “Ten-year-olds are mean. Why would you?”

“I do,” Toge said out loud, eyes fixated on the other pictures. There was another one of young Okkkotsu Yuuta singing on a swing set and the next one was him falling off of it. Toge laughed, looking up from the photo to look at Yuuta. He didn’t look as amused as Toge did, half-closed eyelids with a downward curve at one of the corners of his lips. Despite looking unpleased, he was clearly embarrassed by the light blush on his cheeks. ‘Blushing,’ Toge couldn’t help but point out. ‘Come on. It’s not that embarrassing. You were just a kid.’

“You’re still making fun of me.”

‘You’ll have your chance to make fun of me,’ Toge signed, rolling his eyes. 

“I might not.”

‘Why wouldn’t you?’

Yuuta shrugged. “I have a feeling you were just as cute as a kid.” It seemed as if he went to say something else, but he bit his tongue and stopped himself. 

‘I was—’ Toge paused, ‘quiet,’ he finished signing.

“Quieter than now?”

‘I didn’t talk until I was sixteen.’

“Seriously?” Yuuta asked, sounding somewhat surprised.

Toge nodded. 

“Did you talk at all before that?”

Toge shook his head. ‘No, I was too young, and my parents didn’t like me speaking.’ He sighed and looked back down at the pictures. ‘As I said, they weren’t the best parents in the world.’

“Yeah, sorry.”

Toge looked back at Yuuta to put his hand up and smile as a way to tell him it was alright. He put his attention back to the photos and picked up the hall monitor one. Waving it in the air, Toge grinned.

“Ha-ha, very funny,” Yuuta said in a monotone voice. “Give me that,” he said, snatching it from Toge. “Making fun of me for protecting my school. You’re cruel.”

Toge laughed. “Sorry, sorry,” he said through giggles. “Apologizes.”

Yuuta’s glaring had dropped quickly. He leaned on his elbows on the table and reached forward, holding Toge’s face in his hand. Toge froze, staring back at Yuuta’s face, a concentrated expression as he moved his thumbs on the edge of Toge’s scars. He followed them down to the corners of his mouth, the tip of his thumb sliding into the crack of Toge’s lips a little. 

Suddenly, his face lifted, and he pulled away. “That reminds me,” he muttered under his breath. Toge was confused, because how did touching Toge like that remind Yuuta of something? What could it possibly remind him of? He watched closely as Yuuta dug around in his bag again and pulled out a small, paper bag. The college student moved aside the photos and plopped the bag right in front of Toge.

Toge tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, eye glancing up at Yuuta.

“Open it,” Yuuta said. He reached over and picked up all of his photos as he waited.

With a sigh, Toge reached for the bag. He pulled it closer before he opened it, sticking his hand in. 

‘Wrappers? No, there’s something in them. More bags? Bags in a bag?’ Toge grabbed one of them and pulled it out. “Gummies,” he said quietly under his breath. Toge quickly looked inside the bag and then dumped them all on the table. A pile of about six separate bags of gummies sat on the table. “You’re stupid,” Toge whispered, but he still smiled. Then Toge realized that he didn’t have anything for Yuuta. His lips parted a little, eyebrows raising as he lifted out of his seat a little and looked at Yuuta. “I don’t have—”

“It’s fine,” Yuuta cut off. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I—” Toge paused. ‘Let me walk you home then,’ he moved to sign.

“Is that all?” Yuuta asked.

‘All I have at the moment,’ Toge signed, averting his eyes a little to tell he was guilty that it was all Toge could do for Yuuta who spent money on him. 

Yuuta smiled. “Then okay.”

Standing outside of the cafe, Toge pulled his headphones out from his pocket, but then he remembered that he was walking Yuuta home, so he moved to put them back.

“Wait, wait.” Yuuta stopped him, putting a hand on the one that moved to put away the headphones. His hand was cold already, probably from when he was tying his shoe, but Toge swore he was colder than he should be already. “What do you listen to?”

“Huh?” Toge looked between his headphones and then back to Yuuta.

“Let’s listen while we walk,” Yuuta requested. “I’m interested.” 

Toge blinked at him a few times before nodding. He plugged his headphones into his phone and handed Yuuta the earphone. Their height difference didn’t help — or maybe it did because, in order for them both to share, Toge had to stay close to Yuuta. Again, he slipped his hand in Yuuta’s pocket and joined hands.

On the walk there, Toge forgot that Yuuta was walking next to him. Listening to music, he got distracted and began humming to himself. He was remembered when the song ended and Yuuta squeezed his hand. Quickly, he looked over at him and caught Yuuta’s eye. His face flushed with embarrassment, and Toge turned his head to look away.

“Oh, sorry,” he muttered. He thought that Yuuta wouldn’t hear him through his mask and how quiet he was, but Yuuta had sharp ears.

“No, I liked it,” Yuuta said. “I like hearing you.”

Toge looked over at him, a bit surprised. Right away, Yuuta’s face fell into a worried expression.

“Not that I want you to talk all the time — I mean, it’s nice to hear your voice, I like it. It’s soft, and it’s light, and I think it’s really cute,” Yuuta began rambling off so much that Toge stopped walking to listen to him, his other hand that held his phone in his pocket turned down the music. “Though that’s not saying I hate the sign language or anything! That’d be rude — and ableist — and I like talking to you that way too, but you know, talking to you verbally is nice ‘cause I get to hear you when I feel like no one else gets to — not being possessive over you or anything. You’re not mine—”

Toge couldn’t stop himself from laughing. He grabbed onto Yuuta’s sleeve with one hand, the other one clapping over the mask on his face. Yuuta worried too much for Toge’s own good that he couldn’t help but find his sputtering nonsense to be one of the cutest things in the world. He couldn’t stop himself when he wrapped his arms around Yuuta and pressed his forehead against his chest. The last thing that Toge wanted to do was ruin the moment by damaging his throat from laughing too hard, so he struggled to calm himself down, using Yuuta’s comfort to do so. He calmed his breathing and was left with light chuckles, hands gripping the back of Yuuta’s jacket. 

Not expecting it, Toge felt Yuuta’s hand in the back of his hair. It felt nice, the way his fingers threaded through from top to bottom then back to the top again. Toge never thought that getting his hair played with would feel so nice . He couldn’t help but look up, and Yuuta looked back at him. 

From the corner of his eye, Toge could see someone on the sidewalk walking past, so he pushed Yuuta back so they were out of the way. He unwrapped his arms from around Yuuta no matter how much he didn’t want to. His hand curled around Yuuta’s and moved them back in the other’s pocket.

“Come on,” he muttered quietly.

Instead of talking outside to part ways, Toge stepped inside the lobby. He slipped his hand from Yuuta and tugged on the earphones, pulling it from both of their ears. Even though there was no one else in the lobby, not even someone at the front desk, Toge kept his mask over his face.

Yuuta acted strangely. He looked over at the elevator and then back at Toge, rocking on his heels. Toge whistled to get his attention with the addition of snapping his fingers in his face. Once Yuuta was looking at him, he signed, ‘What’s wrong?’ The college student looked back over at the elevator. Was he waiting for someone? He bit his lip and put his attention back on Toge.

“Nothing, it’s fine.”

Toge didn’t believe him. He squinted at him and crossed his arms.

“I promise!” Yuuta said quickly. “I promise,” he repeated quietly. “You should head home before your mom starts running down the street again.”

Toge ran his shoulder into Yuuta’s.

“Sorry, sorry,” Yuuta said through a chuckle. He reached toward Toge, placing the tips of his fingers on the corners of Toge’s mouth. Dragging them out, he stuck out his tongue as he concentrated and then stopped them in the middle of his cheeks. “Did I get them? Tried to memorize your scars.”

‘Why would you want to memorize my scars?’ Toge signed, Yuuta having to look down to read before he looked back at Yuuta. He had a confused expression on his face.

“What do you mean? They’re you. Of course I would want to.” He tapped his fingers on Toge’s cheeks a few times. “You cover your face most of the time if it’s not just us so I try to picture your face.”

“Hover,” Toge mumbled. 

“Huh?” He blinked a few times before he realized what Toge meant, and Yuuta pulled his fingers off his face, hovering them over where he had pointed. Toge reached up, tugging down the mask to his chin. Yuuta moved his fingers back where they had been before and frowned. “I was close,” he mumbled sadly.

“Mhm,” Toge agreed with a nod. “You were.”

“I’ll get it next time,” Yuuta said, pulling the mask back over Toge’s face again before he put his hands to himself. “Text me when you get home?”

‘And if I don’t?” Toge signed.

“Then I show up at your house and make sure you’re there, of course,” Yuuta said with a shrug. “Maybe call in for a missing person’s report.”

Toge rolled his eyes. ‘You’re overdramatic.’

“If I know you’re alright then it pays to be.”

Toge stepped on Yuuta’s foot. “Sap,” he muttered. “Closeted romantic.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Yuuta said, frowning a little. He didn’t seem at all affected by Toge stomping on his toes. “You’re on the receiving end.”

‘Are you admitting you’re flirting with me?’ Toge signed.

“Well,” Yuuta trailed off, looking to the side. He scratched the side of his face and let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah?”

Toge wished that he wasn’t talking with someone who could easily read his facial expressions. He knew he saw the moment that Toge’s cheeks got a little red. It was clear he noticed it even over the top of the mask. He for sure noticed how Toge shifted on his feet a little, and he for sure noticed how Toge’s eyes had widened about a hundred percent.

‘I’ll text you when I get home,’ he signed because now Toge needed to get out of there. He needed to be alone so he could talk out loud to himself alone in his room about all the things about Okkotsu Yuuta that made his mind race. ‘Later, Okkotsu.’

Toge had texted Yuuta right before he got in the shower, leaving his phone back in his room because he didn’t want it near him. He wanted time to think, go over everything that had happened in the last five hours. Then he started to think back further over the past four days. 

‘How long does it take to develop a crush on someone? It doesn’t seem like it took that fucking long,’ Toge angrily thought as he ruffled a towel through his hair. He chucked it down on the counter and leaned over it, staring at himself in the mirror with furrowed eyebrows. ‘Four days? Did it take me four days? I feel like a middle schooler falling in love with the popular boy.’ Toge slapped his own face, holding his cheeks in his face. ‘But he’s not even the popular boy. He’s just cute.’ Holding his own face, the thought of Yuuta’s hands on his cheeks made him flinch, and Toge quickly pulled his hands away. He groaned, leaning over the counter. ‘Toge, you’re so fucking fucked.’

Quickly, he lifted his head up. “I wanna kiss him,” he whispered to himself. ‘Shut up. Shut up right now, Toge.’ Dramatically, Toge let himself safely fall on the ground, and he hugged his knees, back against the counter doors. “Stupid. This is stupid.”

After Toge had pulled himself up from the bathroom floor and made his way back to his room, he checked his phone. 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:12]: home 👍

Okkotsu [23:13]: Oh thank god I was getting worried again 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:36]: i know how to WALK HOME

Okkotsu [23:37]: I don’t know 

Okkotsu [23:37]: What if you got lost?

Inumaki 🍙 [23:37]: what if i got hit by a bus

Okkotsu [23:37]: DONT SAY THAT

Inumaki 🍙 [23:37]: I SAID WHAT IF 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:37]: i would want hall of fame playing at my funeral 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:37]: and all of my greatest hits 

Okkotsu [23:38]: Your wish is my command

Inumaki 🍙 [23:36]: thanks ❤️

Okkotsu [23:33]: Question before I make you go to sleep

Inumaki 🍙 [23:36]: why are you making me go to sleep 

Okkotsu [23:13]: Because it’s late and I know you were tired :(

Inumaki 🍙 [23:36]: fine 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:36]: ask away

Okkotsu [23:38]: Do you want to come over tomorrow

Okkotsu [23:38]: It’s fine if you can’t because you have homework or if you just don’t want to

Okkotsu [23:39]: Like whatever you’re fine with

Okkotsu [23:39]: I just thought

Okkotsu [23:39]: I don’t know

Okkotsu [23:39]: I can’t cook but I can order something 

Okkotsu [23:40]: Whatever you want 

Okkotsu [23:40]: We can watch a movie or something 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:40]: okkotsu yuuta 

Okkotsu [23:40]: Yeah?

Inumaki 🍙 [23:40]: i can be over at 17

Okkotsu [23:40]: You’re serious???

Inumaki 🍙 [23:41]: no i said it so that I could text you right after you order everything and spend your precious money just to leave you alone with no money, a bunch of food, and a broken heart 

Okkotsu [23:42]: I wouldn’t be surprised

Inumaki 🍙 [23:42]: UNPROVOKED 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:42]: HOW LOWLY DO YOU THINK OF ME???

Okkotsu [23:42]: Not at all

Okkotsu [23:43]: I think I think too highly of you actually

Inumaki 🍙 [23:43]: great

Inumaki 🍙 [23:43]: how so 

Okkotsu [23:44]: Well I think you’re really cool to start 

Okkotsu [23:44]: From everything you’ve told me, you’ve had a hard life yet here you are

Okkotsu [23:44]: You’re like /the/ role model for mute kids 

Okkotsu [23:45]: You’re kind of amazing Inumaki

Okkotsu [23:45]: And 

Okkotsu [23:47]: I think you’re really cute 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:47]: are you confessing to me

Okkotsu [23:48]: Mhm

Okkotsu [23:48]: No, not yet 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:48]: yet???

Okkotsu [23:49]: Can I finish?

Inumaki 🍙 [23:49]: fine

Okkotsu [23:49]: Cute includes you and your laugh and your everything 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:50]: stupid

Okkotsu [23:50]: I’m not done 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:50]: UGH

Okkotsu [23:50]: And then how easy you are to get along with

Inumaki 🍙 [23:51]: you say that but you’re 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:51]: you

Okkotsu [23:52]: Maybe that’s what makes it so perfect to me

Okkotsu [23:52]: And you’re really talented 

Okkotsu [23:52]: Like your writing

Okkotsu [23:52]: I fell in love 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:54]: with my writing?

Okkotsu [23:54]: Mhm

Okkotsu [23:54]: You can say that

Inumaki 🍙 [23:54]: okkotsu 

Okkotsu [23:54]: I’ve already finished the book you wrote

Inumaki 🍙 [23:55]: the one i gave you at the cafe???

Inumaki 🍙 [23:55]: how did you even read it that fast?

Okkotsu [23:55]: I wanted to read it

Okkotsu [23:56]: And I wasn’t going to sleep until I told you goodnight so I was waiting for your response

Inumaki 🍙 [23:56]: sorry i took a shower 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:56]: but omg

Inumaki 🍙 [23:56]: i 

Inumaki 🍙 [23:57]: i can bring the next book tomorrow

Okkotsu [23:57]: Would you??

Inumaki 🍙 [23:57]: yeah

Okkotsu [23:57]: Perfect

Inumaki 🍙 [23:57]: okkotsu 

Okkotsu [23:58]: Mhm?

Inumaki 🍙 [23:58]: was that all?

Okkotsu [23:59]: No, there’s more 

Okkotsu [23:59]: But you should sleep

Inumaki 🍙 [24:00]: fine

Inumaki 🍙 [24:00]: tell me the rest tomorrow

Okkotsu [24:00]: Of course

Okkotsu [24:00]: Goodnight Inumaki

Inumaki 🍙 [24:00]: goodnight 

Toge wanted to chuck his phone at his wall, but he was sure that even with the screen protector, he would shatter it. Instead, he dropped it on his bed and curled up in a ball, resting his forehead on his knees. 

‘He shouldn’t have said anything,’ Toge thought. ‘Okkotsu should’ve just asked me to come over and ended it with that. Why did he have to say that?’ Toge ground his teeth together which was a habit he picked up on because he couldn’t scream out in frustration. ‘And now we’re going to pretend like that whole conversation didn’t happen while we’re hanging out at his place, and eating takeout, and watching movies, and me wanting him to kiss me.’ Toge slapped himself in the forehead. ‘If he doesn’t, I will.’ Toge sighed. “No, I won’t,” he whispered. Toge plopped back on his bed and closed his eyes. ‘Goodnight.’

Saturday, November 28th, 2020

For the first time, Toge actually felt nervous. He opened the doors to the apartment building and stepped into the heated lobby. A young girl was working at the front desk. He walked up to her. 

“For Okkotsu, right?” She asked before he could say anything. Toge nodded, a bit surprised she beat him to the punch. She smiled. “He told me someone was stopping by for him. You can just go right there.”

Toge nodded and waved to her before heading off. He went straight for the elevator and stepped in, hitting the third floor. Just as the elevator rose, the anxious feeling in Toge did as well. He tapped his toe; the grip he had on his backpack straps tightened; he chewed his lip.

When the elevator came to a stop, he almost didn’t step out in time. The doors began to close, and he had to rush past before he was brought back down to the first floor. He stepped out into the hallway, walking past the rooms until he found the right one.

With one deep breath, he knocked on the door three times. He only had to wait a few moments before it opened, one happy-looking Okkotsu Yuuta opening the door. 

“Inumaki, hey,” he said with a smile, stepping aside. “Come on.”

Toge entered the apartment, taking a look around. It was open to the living room, to the left was a counter and over that was the kitchen. There were two closed doors on the right. Probably a bedroom and bathroom. 

“You live alone?” Toge asked, slipping off his shoes.

“Yeah, my mom doesn’t live around here, but she pays for it,” Yuuta explained. “She loves to bring it up, too,” he muttered, heading into the kitchen. “You can have first picks on the couch,” he called out.

“Mhm,” Toge hummed. He headed into the living room, taking a seat down on the far left side of the couch. Placing his bag in his lap, he pulled out one of the bags of gummies that Yuuta had bought him.

“I’m surprised you didn’t eat them all in one night,” Yuuta said as he walked over. He sat down on the other side of the couch, placing two cups of water on the small coffee table in front of them.

“Shut,” Toge said, taking out one of the gummy worms and throwing it at Yuuta, hitting him square in the face. Yuuta frowned, but he still picked it up and ate it. “Order.”

“Food?” Yuuta asked. Toge nodded. “What do you want?”

“Mm,” Toge hummed. He pulled out his phone and texted Yuuta his order instead. The other grabbed his phone from his pocket once he felt it vibrate from the notification. He stood from the couch with a smile.

“Alright, give me a minute,” he said, walking away. 

While Yuuta was ordering, Toge got more comfortable. He pulled the blanket that sat over the back of the couch and rested it over him, feet tucking underneath him.

Yuuta returned a few moments later, waving his phone a little in the air to show he was done. He plopped down next to Toge and looked over at him.

Toge dropped his phone in his lap so he could sign. ‘How much?’

“I’m paying.”

‘Over my dead body.’

“I was the one who invited you over,” Yuuta defended as he reached for the remote on the coffee table. He stretched a little and then clicked on the TV. “My treat.” He tugged on the blanket. “Share.”

‘Why are you always so cold?’ Toge fought, but nonetheless, he let Yuuta pull on the half of the blanket and pull it over him.

“I don’t know,” Yuuta muttered. “I’m just a cold person. Why, you mad that I have one more weapon?”

Toge turned his head. ‘Weapon?’ He signed. 

“Yeah,” Yuuta said. Before Toge knew it, he felt cold fingers pressing into his sides. He hissed, flinching back as he moved back on the couch. The hands didn’t stop, continuously attacking Toge’s bare skin with its cold touch. Toge collapsed to the floor, Yuuta falling down with him, fingers still tickling Toge. 

“O-Okkotsu,” Toge breathed out through a laugh that ripped through, hands fumbling to stop the other from using his cold to attack him. “Yuuta.”

That’s when Yuuta came to a stop, hands stopping hovering over Toge’s bare stomach, his shirt pushed up so Yuuta could attack. Toge’s hands were wrapped around Yuuta’s wrists yet the hold was weak. 

“Did you just call me Yuuta?” Yuuta asked. 

Toge let go of him. ‘Sorry,’ he signed. ‘I didn’t mean to—‘ Yuuta cut him off by grabbing his hands, and he shook his head. 

“No, it’s fine,” Yuuta said. “I like it, actually. I was just surprised.” He found himself whispering as if he didn’t want Toge to hear even though he was talking to him. A faint blush of red was on Yuuta’s face. Toge had originally thought it was from getting hot from messing around but then he pieced together that it wasn’t the case. 

He grinned. “Yuuta,” Toge said. Even though most of his tongue was numb, he felt as if he could completely feel the name roll off.

“Stop that.”

“Yuuta.”

“Inumaki.”

“Yuu-ta,” Toge broke up. Yuuta backed up from hovering over Toge, moving to lean back on his palms. 

“Inumaki.”

Toge had waited for Yuuta to back up off him a little so he could get as much of a spring in his jump as he could. Quickly, he grabbed the other’s arms and pinned them to the floor. While he was being tickled, Toge was trying to figure out a way to get payback. He didn’t know he’d find the answer so soon. 

Toge leaned down next to Yuuta’s ear. “Yuutaaa,” he dragged out, talking in a low whisper. He got close enough for his lips to lightly touch Yuuta’s ear; he got close enough that he could almost see the hairs stand up on the back of Yuuta’s neck. 

“Toge.”

Toge sat up a little. For some reason, he didn’t expect Yuuta to fight back with his name. Why didn’t he? He had no idea. 

Taking advantage of Toge being caught off guard, Yuuta tried to push back on the grip that Toge had on his wrists. He pushed him back a little causing Toge to wobble a bit, though Toge recovered quickly, snapping out of his small trance and pinning Yuuta’s arms back down. Yuuta fought against it, or at least, he tried to.

“Oh, my god. You’re stronger than you look,” Yuuta groaned, his head hitting the floor. Thankfully, it was a soft carpet. His fight with Toge weakened until he gave up, not putting up against him when he realized that he couldn’t win.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Toge asked considering his hands were a little full. 

“You’re tiny.”

“Tiny?”

“Short,” Yuuta clarified.

“I could kill you right here, right now.”

“But will you?”

Toge glared down at him. “I could spit in your eye right now.” 

“Don’t you dare.”

Toge was about to get ready to carry out his threat, but there was a knock on the front door. They both looked toward it, Yuuta tilting his head back and Toge lifting his head up. Toge looked back down at Yuuta who took only a second later to return the look. 

“Are you going to get off me so I can answer the door?” Yuuta asked.

Toge didn’t respond, but he continued to glare down at the other.

“You’re never going to get your food if you don’t.”

“Continue it after?” Toge asked.

“You think I’m going to let you pin me to the floor again?”

Toge shrugged. There was another knock on the door. Yuuta looked back over at it then quickly back to Toge.

“Okay, fine, I give up. You win. Can I get the door now?”

“Yes,” Toge said, a grin on his face. He hopped off of Yuuta and helped him up before the other scrambled to the door.

“Sorry,” Yuuta said to the delivery guy. “Oh, yeah,” he said. Yuuta looked over his shoulder. “Toge, can you get my wallet? It’s in the kitchen.”

Toge was frozen for a moment. He had the blanket in his hand as he picked it up from the floor. His candy was on the ground too, but luckily, none of it spilled. He locked eyes with Yuuta before snapping himself out of it and nodded, heading for the kitchen. Toge found it on the counter. Before he left the room, he lifted his t-shirt over his mouth.

He brought it to Yuuta and handed it to him. The delivery guy looked at him weirdly, but he seemed to brush it off and wait for Yuuta to pay him. 

“Here you go. Sorry about that,” Yuuta apologized, handing the guy the money and getting the food in return. “Have a nice night!” Yuuta said before closing the door. He turned to Toge and watched as he dropped the t-shirt from his face. “Sorry, I forgot. I would’ve grabbed my wallet myself.”

‘It’s fine,’ Toge signed. ‘I’m used to having to cover it last moment anyway,’ he added. Toge snagged the food from Yuuta and let the straps of the bag rest in the crease of his elbow so he could sign. ‘Let’s eat, loser.’

Toge had his back leaned on Yuuta as he ate, his tray of food sitting in his lap as his feet were pulled up and taking over the other half of the couch. The lights were shut up, the TV illuminating the room with flashing colors. Toge liked movies. It meant he didn’t have to talk while being in someone’s comfort because who talks during movies? He could communicate in his favorite way — touches and actions, or even sometimes incredibly low whispers that didn’t even leave a tickle in his throat. 

By the time that Toge finished his food, Yuuta was almost done. He leaned off of the college student and tossed the empty container on the coffee table. Before he returned, Toge made sure to get a nice drink of water to make sure he didn’t choke on his food, which he did quite often considering the permanently damaged throat. He sat back, leaning on the other once again before he sighed in comfort and let himself relax. 

Yuuta was comfortable, surprisingly. Toge would’ve thought otherwise considering the other was so cold all the time but having his cheek against Yuuta’s arm made him feel a tingle from the warm versus cold battle that their skin had. In the comfort of Yuuta and the flashing LED lights from the TV in the darkened room, Toge felt his eyes get heavy.

A semi-loud bang woke Toge up, and he quickly sat up, looking around the room. He caught eyes with Yuuta, able to make out the outline of his dark blue eyes even in the dark. 

“Sorry,” Yuuta apologized in a whisper. “I should’ve turned the TV down when you fell asleep.”

“Mm,” Toge hummed, half-awake. He blinked a few times, his eyes being blinded by the bright TV screen. His eyes moved back to Yuuta so he didn’t have to look at the TV. ‘Water,’ he signed. 

“Huh? Oh,” Yuuta said, quickly reaching toward the coffee table. He handed Toge a glass of water, and he chugged it down quickly. “Do you always need water next to you when you sleep?” He asked in a quiet voice, taking note of Toge’s sleepy state.

“Mm,” Toge nodded. ‘My throat dries out when I sleep sometimes even if I’m just breathing through my nose.’

“Note taken,” Yuuta replied.

‘I’m going back to sleep now,’ Toge signed. ‘Where was I lying before?’ He signed before looking around.

“My lap.”

“Huh?” Toge looked, piecing it together. ‘I must’ve fallen into his lap.’ Toge cleared his throat. ‘Okay, goodnight,’ he signed before letting himself fall back down. Yuuta seemed a bit surprised, but he let Toge lay his head on his lap once again. His hands found Toge’s hair, threading his fingers through it. The cold tips of his fingers skimming Toge’s scalp sent shivers down the other’s spine, but Toge liked it.  

With the fingers carefully threading through his hair, Toge didn’t want to sleep. Especially since he could now hear Yuuta’s soft humming now that the TV’s volume was turned down to almost nothing. The last thing Toge wanted was for the night to end. He would have to get up, gather his things and leave, and then he would have to actually spend his Sunday catching up on the work he skipped out on by going over to Yuuta’s in the first place. If Toge fell asleep, the night would pass by like the snap of his fingers.

Toge sat up, looking at Yuuta who seemed shocked that Toge hadn’t fallen back asleep yet. He looked over at him almost right away, pulling his eyes away from his phone that he scrolled through as he ignored the movie. 

“Toge?” Yuuta asked softly.

“Yuuta,” Toge said just as quietly as he leaned closer.

“I thought you were going back to sleep,” he whispered. They were both whispering despite being the only two people in the whole apartment. No one would hear them, but it didn’t seem like it mattered. It was as if they didn’t want even a bug to hear them. Low whispers was all they needed to understand each other when it came to verbally speaking; both of them had sharp ears and an understanding for each other that they didn’t need the other to speak to know what they wanted. Though sometimes they just liked listening to the vibrations of the other’s voice, and for that, they only needed to be soft-spoken.

“I was,” Toge said. He couldn’t stop himself from moving just a little bit closer, his lips only a few inches from Yuuta’s. “Change of plans.”

“Is your change of plans to kiss me?” Yuuta asked.

“Are you always this straightforward?” Toge asked. He wanted to flick him in the forehead, or maybe punch him in the forehead. Either or. 

“Not really.”

“Liar,” Toge muttered. Were they an inch away now? “You basically confessed over text to me.”

“Then what do you seem so afraid for?” Yuuta asked.

“Your smartass remarks and cocky comments.”

“Then I’ll keep going,” Yuuta said, a small grin on his face. “What do you think my lips taste like?”

“Did you forget I can’t taste?”

“You can,” Yuuta said. “Though you just need a really strong taste.”

“You better really kiss me then if you want me to give you a good answer, huh?” The more Toge spoke, the lower he talked, wanting to drag out how long he could talk for before his throat started burning. 

Yuuta didn’t kiss him though. Instead, he backed up and held Toge’s face in his hands. He leaned forward, pressing his lips on the tip of Toge’s scar on his left cheek and kissed down to the corner of his mouth, and then he did the same on the other side, kissing along the scars until he reached and stopped at Toge’s lips. 

“Sorry, I’ve been wanting to do that since — well, I think since I saw them,” Yuuta quietly admitted. His thumb dragged on Toge’s bottom lip. “Your lips are really soft, you know?”

“Yuuta.”

“Mhm?”

“If you don’t kiss me in two seconds, I’m punching you in the gut.”

“Brutal.”

Toge went to punch him in the gut, he really had meant it, but he was surprised when he finally felt a pair of lips against his. His raised knuckles weakly hit the other in the stomach before his fist unclenched, his hand flattening out and instead moved to the other’s side. He let his eyes close seeing that Yuuta’s eyes were closed, kissing through the tingling feeling on his lips. For a moment, Toge was afraid he had lost feeling in his entire mouth, his lips going numb. 

When Yuuta pulled away from the kiss to look at him, Toge couldn’t stop himself from raising his hand and dragging his fingers on his own lips to see if he could feel them. He sighed from relief when he could. 

“What’s wrong?” Yuuta asked. “Are you alright?”

Toge looked up at him. He blinked a few times before he cracked into a smile and laughed a little. Of course, Yuuta was worried. Toge didn’t speak or sign to tell him he was alright. He reached for his face to kiss him again, his finger tucking and wrapping around the collar of the other’s shirt to pull him closer. 

After the kiss, he pulled him into a hug, burying his face into Yuuta’s shoulder. He took in a deep breath, a smile cracking on his face that he swore could be permanent from how unbreakable it seemed to be.

“You’re tired,” Yuuta muttered. 

“Huh?” Toge pulled away to look at him.

“Your shoulders slumped, and you let out a deep sigh, and you got heavier—“

‘Are you calling me fat?’ Toge signed because Yuuta had his eyes on him and there was enough room between them for it.

“What?! No! I was—“ Yuuta was cut off from Toge’s laughter. He reached over and put a kiss on Yuuta’s cheek. Yuuta sighed. “You always make me worry,” he pouted.

‘Don’t worry,’ Toge signed while chuckling. ‘I don’t think there’s a thing you could say that would make me hate you.’ 

Yuuta smiled. He wrapped his arms around Toge and fell back, bringing Toge down with him. Pulling up the blanket that had been resting over Toge when the other had fallen asleep earlier, he repositioned it over the both of them. 

“Comfy?” Yuuta asked softly, running his fingers in Toge’s hair. Toge couldn’t find words. Instead, he hummed in agreement. His cheek resting on Yuuta’s chest, body laying on top of him, the blanket pulled over them. He felt a kiss on the top of his head before he fell asleep.

Monday, November 30th, 2020

Leaning over the counter, Toge chewed his bottom lip as he played on his phone. The coffee shop wasn’t that busy — so much to the point that even Maki was on her phone. Since Toge worked in the back, and was nowhere near being made to work the register, he didn’t look up when the bell rang through the cafe to tell that someone entered.

With his eyes still on his phone, Toge continued to skim through his feed. He shifted his weight to his other foot and let out a small huff of boredom.

“How do you make money if you don’t even work?”

Toge looked up finally, the voice belonging to someone who was standing in front of him and talking to him. He met eyes with the dark blue eyes, and Toge couldn't stop himself from smiling once he saw who it was. Putting his phone down, Toge stood up straight.

Yuuta seemed to notice that Maki and Panda took attention to how he and Toge were talking. He looked back at the boy standing across from him and lowered his voice so only Toge could hear him. “So do they know sign language?” He asked.

Toge shook his head.

“Really?” Yuuta asked. ‘So I can tell you that I’ve always wanted to tell you how cute you look in an apron and they wouldn’t even know—‘ Toge grabbed his hands and slammed them down on the counter to get him to stop signing. “You’re blushing,” Yuuta whispered to him since he could no longer sign.

“Eat shit,” Toge replied even quieter than Yuuta.

“You need to work on flirting.” 

Toge flicked him in the forehead.

“Ow,” Yuuta whined. “So, what? Like ten minutes for my coffee?” He asked.

Toge held up five fingers before walking away. 

He came back with the coffee in the time that he said he would, but he came back to a situation he wished wasn’t playing out. The barista completely forgot about Maki and Panda and how they would take the chance to talk to Yuuta if Toge happened to turn his back. 

Quickly, he made his way to the three and whistled to pull the attention to himself. They all looked at him. Toge placed down the cup of coffee and slid it to Toge.

‘Don’t talk to them,’ he signed to him. Maki and Panda were left confused but didn’t say anything when they watched Yuuta reply in JSL back.

‘Why not?’

‘Because,’ Toge signed, ‘they’re either going to tell you embarrassing stories or you’re going to slip up and tell them we’re dating.’

‘I like embarrassing stories.’

‘Go shut up in your booth and drink your coffee.’

‘Harsh. Is that any way to treat your customer?’

‘Yuuta.’

Yuuta chuckled, picking up his coffee. “Okay, I’m going, I’m going.”

When Toge dropped by to give Yuuta his coffee refill, the other grabbed his sleeve before he could slip away. He pulled the other down easily, placing a kiss over the mask on Toge’s face. 

Toge backed up quickly, flustered and caught off guard as he hit Yuuta in the arm with the tray he held.

“It’s fine. No one was looking,” Yuuta said. “Are you coming over after work?”

Toge sighed and moved the tray under his arm so he could sign. ‘Yes, of course.’

“Perfect,” Yuuta said with a grin. Toge responded with the roll of his eyes and walked away. 

Laying on the couch, Toge did what he did best — ignoring his homework as he scrolled through social media. What he didn’t expect was a heavyweight to suddenly sit on top of him. He let out an ‘oof’ as he moved his phone to see what had literally hit him.

“Heavy,” he muttered, rubbing his fingers through the head of hair that buried its face into his side. Yuuta slowly lifted his head, his cold hands slipping underneath Toge. 

“Calling me fat now?”

Toge rolled his eyes. Yuuta laughed, resting his head back down.

“I love you, Toge,” he mumbled into Toge’s side.

Toge smiled. He let his arm hang over the edge so he could safely drop his phone on the carpet. Wrapping his arms around Yuuta, he sunk lower into the couch. “I love you too.”