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Aren Kuboyasu was just trying to be a Goody Goody and conceal his past as a gangster, but no one can unlearn a lifestyle in a day. Saiki Kusuo looked lonely (and also very attractive, that was ignored though because Aren was looking for new homies, not a love life), and Aren thought that they could bond over their lack of friends. Through the course of the week, he saw that Saiki had homies and his first thought was that the other was just reluctant to be more than an egotistical asshole. After seeing Saiki interact with his homeboys and girls more Aren went from thinking that Saiki was an arrogant shithead to thinking he was just a big softie with an ice cold exterior shell. Aren noticed throughout their friendship after that first week that Saiki was secretive about everything besides his love for coffee jelly and quiet. He recognized that he didn't truly know anything really about his homeboy even with the occasional hangout between the two of them alone. (He bribes Saiki with coffee jelly, it works a lot more than it should.) It hurts him a little because he wants Saiki to know he is appreciated even if it’s just for giving the group his attention and time occasionally, but he respects the other's privacy and keeps his thoughts to himself. He acknowledges that Saiki doesn't want attention and maybe one day the boy can realize that some openness wasn’t bad every once in a while.
Today is going to be a rainy day. Personally, Aren likes rainy days because it reminds him of when he and the gang would just sit in pensive silence and admire how the rain leaves the streets glistening. Like their home was a good, pretty place and not the crime-riddled neighborhood it was. Even after he left his gang he didn’t speak much if at all on rainy days. Now, all of his homies are concerned when he sits down and doesn't speak to anybody, even Shun. The day passed without a word from Aren in his contemplative silence. No teachers called on him and none of the “Saiki Squad” could find an opportunity to talk to him until lunchtime came about. The friends were getting prepared for an unnecessary intervention which left Aren alone at the lunch table with Saiki.
Kusuo didn't always think of Kuboyasu in a particularly good light considering he first knew that the other was a gang leader. After getting to know him though and relating to his intentions of being normal, or a “Goody Goody” as Kuboyasu calls it, he noticed that Kuboyasu is loyal. Loyal to a fault and respectful of everyone’s privacy (which is more than Kusuo can say, but he literally can’t help that he can read minds) which is more than he can say for the rest of the so-called “Saiki Squad,” (a name he did not consent to, by the way, but regardless). So he can admit that being alone with Kuboyasu is not the worst possible option. (In fact, it is the best one in Kusuo’s opinion, good grief, what can he say, Kuboyasu was not as much of a nuisance as the others.) When he heard the others thinking about ambushing the guy for being less talkative (with good intentions of course but that doesn't matter right now) he decided that Kuboyasu should be able to think without getting bombarded with questions. Poking Kuboyasu’s arm to get his attention, he tells him to follow him to the roof and Kuboyasu complies albeit confused. By the time the “Saiki Squad” gets to their table, Saiki and Kuboyasu have vanished without a trace.
Saiki leads Aren through the halls with a blank expression like he is going to murder Aren, though that’s not likely. Saiki scares him sometimes with that aura of someone who could kill him in the blink of an eye. If Saiki is as strong as his aura suggests, then he is without a doubt Aren’s type-. (Kusuo just started paying attention to Kuboyasu’s thoughts after giving him some privacy and he gets to see all of the ex-gangsters thoughts come to a full stop and it surprises him, which is odd because nothing can surprise Kusuo anymore.) He stops that train of thought right there before he can think or do something stupid since his homie ignores all romantic advances even from Teruhashi so he has no chance which means it’s better to crush his hopes now than letting them get crushed later, right? Hell, he is so screwed and hopeless.
The door to the roof is in sight and also locked under a big padlock which almost causes problems if it weren’t for the fact that Kuboyasu is freakishly strong and impulsive. He instinctively breaks the lock with a kick that even surprises Kusuo because the other did not think about it at all. For a moment they just stare at each other, Kuboyasu mortified and Kusuo slightly impressed at his instincts (and if he blushed at first and then used cryokinesis, well, no one has to know.) He’s mainly disappointed though because, good grief, can Kuboyasu not commit property damage while trying to be a “Goody Goody.” He just sighs instead of voicing this and opens the door and motions for him to get moving so they can have some peace on the roof. Kuboyasu complies, this time without hesitation while taking off his blazer. They find a place to sit down, with Kuboyasu to Kusuo’s right, and just eat their food in silence and watch the rain fall onto the glass walls and ceiling. A new installation after someone fell off the roof in an accident and the parents all pitched, some more than others, to fund this project.
Aren eventually breaks the silence after they finish their food first. “Why’d you take me to the roof with you Saiki?”
A moment passes before Saiki replies, ‘The nuisances were concerned since you weren't talking at all.’
Aren took a second just contemplating all of what that sentence meant. In conclusion, the first realization was that, damn, he accidentally worried his homies over nothing. The second being that Saiki noticed and cared enough about him to make sure he wouldn’t feel guilty or be pressured into explaining anything. That made his heart flutter but he soon clipped his heart's metaphorical wings because he understands that Saiki just liked him being quiet and that he shouldn’t overreact over signs that aren’t there.
Kusuo hears Kuboyasu’s whole thought process and, good grief, realizes that he likes the way Kuboyasu thinks of him. It’s unlike Teruhashi’s or Yumehara’s thoughts about him that are based on this fantasy of him that only benefits them but rather that Kuboyasu respects his boundaries and wants to cherish and protect him no matter the fact that Kusuo doesn’t need protection. It makes him feel in a way no one has ever made him feel before. By the time Kusuo makes a decision, Kuboyasu is ready to leave his feelings locked in a box, never to see the light of day again.
“I’ll just head back down to-” ‘Kuboyasu, can I tell you something?’
Kuboyasu’s confusion is evident on his face but he stays. Kusuo is about to confess the things he feels for Kuboyasu when he sees the worst thing imaginable and jumps behind Kuboyasu.
Aren is admittedly scared when Saiki says he wants to tell him something and he is prepping himself for his heart to get broken when Saiki jumps behind him, grabbing his shoulders in a death grip.
“Saiki, are you ok?”
Saiki doesn't respond besides pointing and a little whimper before ducking his head into Aren’s left shoulder even further. Aren looks to where Saiki pointed and sees the cause of his homie’s distress, a little bug just minding its own business. He is surprised that his unshakeable homeboy is afraid of a tiny critter, but he won’t judge and decides to calm the other down before he works himself into a panic attack.
Spinning himself around to hug his shaking friend Aren starts trying to reassure him, “Hey Saiki it’s gonna be alright, the bug won’t come over here, it’ll leave us alone,” and he just keeps muttering comforting words over and over until Saiki stops shaking and loosens up enough for Aren to be able to get up.
“I’ll go kill the damn thing right now if you want me to?”
Kusuo ponders for a moment now that he isn’t panicking so much and tells Kuboyasu, ‘That would be helpful, yes, thank you.’ So Kuboyasu gets up, walks over to the unsuspecting fiend, steps on it, and just like that Kusuo can breathe and relax a little.
Aren walks back after cleaning his shoe and looks at his homie for a second, at how much calmer and tired he is now that the bug is gone. He sits down in his original spot before this whole fiasco and just looks at Saiki waiting for his homie to say anything whether it be an order to stay or leave.
Saiki surprises him with a third option though, ‘I’m sorry,’ and Aren will not have it.
“Don’t apologize, you did nothing wrong.”
‘But I-’
“Nope, you freaked out because you were scared and that is totally normal, so you did nothing wrong.”
‘Kuboyasu, I’m apologizing for being clingy and not being able to handle it.’ Kusuo tries to get the point across but Kuboyasu will not let his homie think that showing human emotions makes him weak, a concept he knows all too well.
“Saiki,” and the utter seriousness of Aren’s voice has Saiki turning toward him with a look that breaks Aren’s heart, “You shouldn’t have to be able to handle it and I’m sorry that you’ve been conditioned to think that but it’s alright to need help and, more importantly, understand that you have people willing to help including me, our friends, and your family, even if we’re all eccentric and loud. We care and want to help you through thick and thin,” then Aren’s lips curl into a more heartwarming, playful smile as he says, “Besides, I didn’t mind you being so “clingy” except for the fact that you were panicking so you probably weren’t enjoying anything at the moment,” he finishes. Saiki does something no human being has ever witnessed, he blushes down to his neck with tears falling from his eyes and Aren thinks he might die because Saiki looks so angry at first then realizes that his homie just needs a second after Aren’s remarkable speech (what, he’s really proud of what he said, okay, damn).
Kusuo is sobbing into Kuboyasu’s shoulder again because of his words and just listens as Kuboyasu mutters comforting phrases like, “You're ok,” or, “Just breathe,” over and over again. As Kusuo starts to calm down enough to think straight and hear the other's thoughts, he realizes that Kuboyasu is curious but also willing to never hear the answer depending on what Kusuo wants and finds himself wanting to tell Kuboyasu about his psychic powers. He decides that he will in a second after his tears run dry because Kuboyasu’s arms around him feel like a warm, weighted blanket that he can’t find the will to leave yet.
Time passes and Saiki sheds his final tear just as Kuboyasu steels himself and asks, “Do you want to talk about it or leave it alone?”
‘I do want to talk about it, but I need to explain something first that will sound weird and dumb at first.’
“Saiki, I’m all ears and won’t judge no matter how outlandish or weird it sounds.’
Saiki takes a deep breath and states, ‘I am a psychic.’
Aren is shocked a little at first since psychic powers sound absurd, then remembers how absurd his life is and how he used to be a gangster. It honestly explains a lot and fills his head with more questions.
“What kind of powers are we talking and are there any other psychics you know of?”
‘I have telepathy, kinetic powers, invisibility, invincibility, teleporting, levitation, etcetera and yes there are more, both Toritsuka and Aiura are psychics, him a medium and her a fortune teller.’
Aren pauses for a second taking all that in when he realizes, “So you can hear every thought going through my head and know about my . . . previous life before PK,” with a look of apprehension overtaking his features.
‘Yes, and I was worried at first that you weren’t going to change your ways, but you pleasantly surprised me.’
At those last four words, he does a little double-take and melts at the look on Saiki’s face, a small smile gracing his pale lips and a glazed sheen over his violet eyes filled with a peace he had never seen so prominently in his homie before. Aren is just thinking of how much he admires the boy still in his arms when he notices that they went off track and that they have to circle back to the original topic before they forget.
“Saiki, how does this relate to your fear of bugs?”
Kusuo stiffens up at the question since he has almost forgotten the reason for revealing his powers but gets on with it. ‘My telepathy lets me hear every human and animal's thoughts only within a 200-meter vicinity, thanks to my hair clips, except for bugs and Nendou since they have no thoughts for me to hear.’
Aren first thinks of how daunting it must be to hear all those thoughts and know what’s happening at all times just to be surprised by a bug or Nendou, man, that must suck. Secondly, he already knew Saiki was cool but Saiki is amazing for dealing with everyone’s thoughts so well- and he’s hearing this right now.
He hears Kuboyasu contemplate what he divulged, surprised to hear just how spot-on his analysis is and the adoration that comes after until he remembers Kusuo can read his mind.
Aren sighs, “Yeah, mind-reading, forgot for a second about that, sorry,” he ends the statement with a sheepish smile.
‘How come you’re not freaking out at the fact that I can read your mind?’
“I guess it’s because you always could before, and that wouldn’t change now that I know, so why should I act like you’re any different from the homeboy I've come to know and love.”
As that accursed last word leaves his mouth Aren wants to curl up into a ball to die for admitting his romantic feelings for the most romance-averse boy he has ever had the pleasure of meeting. Logically, he knows that Saiki already knows of his feelings and doesn’t hate him now, so that won’t change, but saying it out loud means Saiki will have to acknowledge them which will inevitably end in rejection since Saiki doesn’t involve himself in romantic affairs of any kind.
Kusuo has to do something, but he has no idea what to do. Kuboyasu said his feelings without even thinking about it, surprising Kusuo again for the third time today. (Seriously, Kuboyasu, stop being so impulsive, good grief, even if it does fluster Kusuo, it’s not good for his reputation.) Kusuo knew of the other’s feelings, yeah, but he never thought that he would ever actually confess them. Kuboyasu surprises him a lot, mainly in a good way, so this should’ve been expected in a way. Shoot, he still hasn’t responded and Kuboyasu is spiraling, taking his silence as rejection, so Kusuo does something he hasn’t done in ages, he speaks with his voice.
“Kuboyasu, calm down, I love you too.”
Now Aren’s dying for a different reason, but, hey, at least it wasn’t rejection. Half-formed thoughts are flying through Aren’s head at Mach 20, making everything incomprehensible and unintelligible. He wonders if Saiki can interpret his thoughts for him and tell Aren what his brain is trying to tell him. Aren can’t think of something to respond with, so he improvises.
“Call me Aren.”
‘What?’
“You called me Kuboyasu in your confession, so call me Aren, we’ve both confessed our feelings now, so we’re closer now, right?”
Kusuo chuckles at the absurd request, but since his entire existence is absurd says, ‘Call me Kusuo then, Aren.’
“Ok Sai- I mean Kusuo,” Aren twiddles with his thumbs as he thinks of what they’re supposed to do now, which should be going to class, but Aren just wants to skip after this emotional rollercoaster of a lunch break, so he asks, “What do you wanna do now?”
Kusuo ponders for a moment before deciding, ‘Let’s go through the rest of the day and meet up at Cafe Mami after school, ditching the rest of the misfits today.’
Aren sighs and agrees, tired from the sudden influx of information that has been too much for his brain.
They stare at each other for a second before hugging once more, melting into each other as Kusuo listens to Aren’s calming heartbeat and Aren nuzzles his cheek into Kusuo’s hot pink hair. A moment passes, and then the pair separate and head to their respective classes, going about their day as if they didn’t have their relationship changed forever because, realistically, only 25 minutes had passed. The end of the school day has come about, but Kusuo and Aren’s day has not reached its conclusion yet.
“Let’s get ramen!”
“Come on, Nendou, we always have ramen. Let's get something else.”
Nendou and Kaidou kept arguing over what to eat with Kusuo and Aren spectating the two nuisances bickering like siblings (well, not like Kusuo and Kusuke’s bickering, which involved a lot more violence and experiments, but you get the point). Kusuo didn’t need telepathy to know Aren was tired, not a nap away kind of tired, but a more emotional kind of tired. Understandable considering the guy just learned that the romance-averse guy he’s in love with is a psychic who knows of his past and loves him back. He decides it’s time to interrupt the argument so he and Aren can get to Cafe Mami quicker, ‘I can’t go with you,’ and Aren decides to interject as well, “Yeah, sorry homies, but I can’t join y’all either today.”
“No, you can’t leave me alone with Chibi, Pal!”
“Why?”
Aren’s quicker to the jump with an excuse that’s technically true, “My mom’s expecting me early today.”
‘My grandparents are visiting and my mom wants help with setting up the guestroom,’ Kusuo does have to help set up the guestroom tomorrow, so it’s not a lie.
Kaidou huffs but accepts their answers and leaves with Nendou to go, inevitably, get ramen leaving Kusuo and Aren alone once again.
“Ready to go Kusuo?”
‘Yes, Aren,’ and with that they head off to Cafe Mami.
They walk to the cafe a little closer than usual since they're sharing one umbrella, hands brushing against each other, but never interlocking. Aren gets to the door first and holds it open for Kusuo soon following Kusuo’s lead to a booth in the back as they prepare to dive into uncharted territory for both of them.
Kusuo, surprisingly, is the one to start the conversation, ‘Aren, I know what you’re thinking, literally, and want to set some boundaries first.’
Aren nods because that’s a reasonable thing to do even if this whole situation has been anything but reasonable with Kusuo’s panic attack and revealing of his psychic powers being in the forefront of his mind since he left that rooftop.
Kusuo continues, ignoring Aren’s internal monologue that he will address later, ‘If you try to push me into any kind of sexual situation, I’m erasing you from this Earth and people’s minds with a flick of my finger, got it?’
Aren shudders at the thought of pushing anyone into doing anything sexual, not after what happened to him in his early days as a gang leader. The gangster life generally wasn’t a safe one, but sometimes, no matter the life you lead, some can make themselves seem so safe and trustworthy that you can’t help but trust, and people can and will take advantage of that. He hasn’t thought about that horrific night since he left the gang, but Kusuo’s words bring it to the forefront of his mind, blocking everything else out.
Kusuo stated his one big boundary that could not be crossed and was genuinely happy that Aren seemed on board until the memories started flashing through the other's mind as he registered the sentence he heard and what it entailed. At first, Kusuo was confused about how Aren could suppress a memory so much that even he couldn’t find it, but then remembered he hadn’t looked too hard at Aren’s gangster memories since he wasn’t interested in his former life before PK. Sure, he looked in there for some backstory, but he skimmed over the majority of his gangster days wanting to respect the other guy’s reformation attempts and interested in how far along he would be by the end of the year. Now, Kusuo has to help Aren in the only way he knows how, by repeating Aren’s actions from hours ago that helped him through his incident, so he slides over to Aren’s side and holds him in his arms as the other spirals deeper and deeper into the atrocious memory.
Aren had been a young, naive child when he first became the leader of his gang even though he had been exposed to the brutality of the real world by his parents, there was one lesson that he had to learn on his own, that one can get stabbed from both the front and the back. There was this dingy bar down a block from Aren’s neighborhood. He went every Saturday morning when it would be filled with people too hungover or tired to care that he was too young to have a fake I.D. or go to a bar in the first place. “Bartender Barny” was his first friend, outside of the gang he was slowly getting to know, always making him feel respected and safe in his presence, oh, the irony. He has been a gang leader for six months and he feels that his gang members are finally starting to truly trust him with stuff other than activity in the streets like the names of their families and what they’re like (Sam, one of the newer American homies, has an aunt named Georgia who used to give people squirrels as gifts for Thanksgiving). To celebrate, he goes to that dingy bar on a Friday night to sip some lemon juice from his first friend outside of the gang. By his second glass of lemon juice, Aren’s vision starts to spin and he has a headache but assumes it’s from all the lights of a Friday night and gets another glass. The memory blurs for a second before flashing to Barny standing over Aren’s body with a look of hunger in his eyes that scares Aren. His limbs feel like lead and the only thing he can move is his eyes to just look at his unrecognizable friend who starts to lean in closer with a hand on his zipper, gradually the pants come off as if he’s been waiting and wants to savor the moment. The memory abruptly stops, but the touch stays even as he slowly comes to. Kusuo’s arms are a steady anchor for Aren to latch his focus onto as he tries to swim back to his body from under the sea of sensations and memories which seems so much easier now that Kusuo’s there with his warmth to guide him. Aren breaches the surface and takes a deep breath in time with Kusuo to regulate his breathing patterns again after that nightmarish storm of memories. They just sit there with Kusuo’s arms wrapped around Aren’s slightly trembling frame, keeping all the pieces together until Aren can build himself back up.
“You know what the worst part about that shitty night is,” Aren giggles hysterically as he delves head-first into the nightmare again not even registering what he’s saying as the memories keep playing without his permission, “It went on for hours and hours. I only got back to my house at sunrise and pretended I got into a fight. Two years later, I bashed his head into a car and strangled him with his own belt in a gang war.” his laughter turns to sobs as Aren finishes speaking.
Kusuo rubs small circles into Aren’s back as he says, ‘Let it out, Aren it’s alright because he nor anybody else can hurt you with me around to protect you.’
Aren cried for a little longer before sitting up fully to properly look at Kusuo. The boy is solemn but soft in a way Aren has not gotten to see displayed before, keeping Aren together as his pillar to lean on. There are two little dark spots where Aren's tears fell, but other than that there are no signs of any accidental injuries. Aren used to claw at anyone who held him during the few times he started spiraling when the memories were too vivid to lock in a box, so he’s glad and a little ashamed that he only cried and nothing else.
Aren takes one more calming breath before finally saying, “Sex has never been appealing before, and that night just made it that much more repulsive, so Kusuo, you’re safe from being forced to do that stuff with me, that is, if you still wanna be with me?” It would only make sense considering he just admitted to murdering someone, even scum of the Earth. He’s a mess still all these years later so he wouldn’t blame Kusuo for saying no.
Aren’s questioning tone at the end jump-starts Kusuo’s mind. ‘Aren I still wanna be with you, this doesn’t change that, and I’m sorry even if it won’t undo a damn thing because you didn’t deserve that.' Kusuo finishes his statement by grabbing Aren's cheek ever so softly, making sure that even if his tone doesn't have enough conviction to convince Aren, his eyes will, and, oh, they do.
Time seems to stop for the two boys cuddling on one side of the booth, and maybe it does, Aren doesn't know of all of Kusuo's powers so time manipulation might be within his awing psychic capabilities. They look into each other's eyes with only a want to explore seas of violet and ebony respectively. The sudden lack of space between the two of them, and more importantly, their faces become apparent with both looking at the other's lips with a cautious wanting before Aren leans in and meets Kusuo's lips with a certainty Kusuo has never felt before. The kiss sends electricity down and up Kusuo's whole body, short-circuiting his brain with how gentle yet passionate Aren is despite Kusuo's inexperience. Meanwhile, Aren has never felt so alive kissing someone, but Kusuo has always surprised him since they first met, so the warmth that floods his body surprises him at first, but then he melts into Kusuo before breaking off the kiss and the whine that leaves Kusuo's throat before the other could stop it leaves him clutching his gut with tears falling from his eyes at how hard he is laughing.
'Aren don't laugh, it's not funny.'
"You're right it's hilarious."
The only response to Aren's joke is a deadpan face from Kusuo.
Aren starts coughing from laughing too hard, so he calms himself down before finally saying with a teasing smile, "It's okay though you can always ask for more if you're ever so desperately deprived of kisses."
Kusuo is too flustered from the combination of Aren's smooth words, slightly gravelly voice, and the look of pure, unadulterated love in his eyes to even think before pulling in Aren for another kiss or two. A surprised blush paints Aren's cheeks a lovely pink that make him forget everything except the happy union of their lips.
After they're done with their kisses, both boys eat and talk for a few hours before leaving hand in hand under the shared umbrella. They walk to Kusuo's house first since his place is closer to the cafe than Aren's. With one last hug and kiss, Aren heads off to his own house grinning, giddily remembering what all of today has entailed before realizing that he never officially asked Kusuo to be his boyfriend. Aren groans out loud at his idiocy before falling asleep, exhausted from the emotional turmoil of the day.
The next day Kusuo is up and ready to deal with the nuisances bombarding him when Aren pulls him to the side for a quick chat before class starts. Kusuo raises an eyebrow urging Aren to speed up so he can sit at his desk for a few minutes to hopefully relax (not likely, but you can't fault a guy for trying to enjoy some quiet before the rowdy crowd appears).
"I know, I just realized I was an idiot yesterday and forgot to ask you," with a deeply exaggerated bow Aren continues, "Saiki Kusuo, do you give me the pleasure of being yours and you, mine?"
Kusuo isn't shocked for once, but he's happy nonetheless and immediately replies, 'Yes I would love to be yours and for you to be mine.'
They meet in the middle for a quick kiss before their friends or teachers catch sight of their little secret. They're not ashamed of their relationship, but they just want some privacy for now before revealing it to people and bracing for their reactions (namely Teruhashi and Yumehara).
And that fateful day, when Kusuo gathers all his misfits in the empty classroom to tell them about his abilities, doesn't end with him running away in fear of his returning powers. Rather he and Aren hold hands as he shows them all some of his, unfortunately returned, powers and answers most of their questions. (Surprisingly, neither Teruhashi nor Yumehara has problems with Aren dating him when they see how happy they're together.) That day ends with Aren cuddling him as they sit in Kusuo's bed together, just enjoying each other's presence.