Chapter Text
Pinned to a wall and late for class, Giyuu was at a loss for words. What was he doing in the abandoned sports shed making out with someone? And more importantly—why was he making out with Shinazugawa, of all people?
He felt the warm embrace of the other’s lips on his as he held his breath, like he was being dared not to say a word. As a pair of desperate lips interlocked with his own, Giyuu’s hands clenched the fabric of his uniform pants. One of Shinazugawa's hands rested on the back of Giyuu's neck, keeping him pinned against the paint-chipped walls of the equipment shed. The place reeked of sweat-soaked gym clothes and decaying gear, the air thick with dust and age. Time had not been kind to the building—equipment crumbling away against the weight of its own rusty counterparts, creaking in time with their heavy breaths And yet, despite the bleak setting, they were completely caught up in the moment.
The bell rang sharply across campus, signaling the end of the period. Students scrambled to their next class, their chatter and footsteps echoing in the distance. But Shinazugawa didn’t move. Unbothered by the sound, he taller one carried on as if oblivious focused only on Giyuu.
"We're—huh—gonna be late for class," Giyuu said between ragged breaths."We both know I couldn’t care less about that," Shinazugawa muttered, leaning in again.
"Well, I do. So—hands off."
Giyuu reached up to pull his greedy hand off. The curled fingers still tightly gripped on his neck. There was a brief moment of resistance, but it softened. Reluctantly, Shinazugawa let go as the second bell rang, warning them they were officially late for fifth period.
Giyuu peeled away from Shinazugawa, moving to fix his tattered collar. He grabbed his bag and turned to leave, but a hand caught his wrist.
"You still have the English homework?" white hair boy said, his tone hesitant and a little demanding
"Yeah. I do."
" Good. Then you have reason to come back. Same time tomorrow?" The boy turned with a poorly hidden bashfulness, nodding in response. Giyuu stood frozen there for a second before jogging off, flustered. His steps were uneven, quick—like his brain was trying to outpace his own tizzy emotions.
He didn’t slow down until he reached the back entrance of the building.
As he scrambled in, Giyuu desperately tried to look presentable after kissing the school delinquent within an inch of his dignity. Busy retying his now-wrinkled tie, he bumped into someone.
"Well, look what we have here." He looked up to see a classmate, Tengen Uzui, towering over him. There was no sign he intended to let Giyuu go on his not-so-merry way.
"Late to class, and your shirt’s half untucked. Busy morning?"
"Like you have room to talk. Let’s see—who is it this week? Suma? Makio?" Giyuu paused with a blush. A hickey-covered Kyojuro stood awkwardly behind Uzui, terribly hidden.
"Judging by the state of your new playmate, I’d say that speaks louder than any guess."
"Hey, I don’t speak of your alleged playmate, and you won’t speak of mine."
"Whatever," Giyuu muttered, trying to mask his blush with the most monotoned tone he could manage.
Finally reaching the classroom, he pulled his hair back into its intended ponytail. Shinazugawa seemed to have a thing for undoing it whenever they “exchanged homework answers.” He still looked like a promiscuous mess. Let’s just hope no one notices.
He took a deep breath and quietly turned the doorknob. The once bustling environment at a standstill as he stepped inside.
"Look who finally shows up. Tomioka." The teacher folded his arms. "This isn’t like you. You're an honor student with perfect attendance. What held you up today?" Giyuu stood there, fumbling to deliver the pre-rehearsed excuse he had saved in case Shinazugawa took too long. He had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.
"I was—umm—helping the gym teacher move supplies out of the closet."
"Well, whatever the reason, we’re glad you’ve decided to join us. Take your seat. Sabito, explain the assessment to young Tomioka." Giyuu quickly walked over to his desk and dropped his head down.
God, I hope that worked. I thought saying I came from over there would be smart in case someone saw me... Now that I think about it, it just confirms I was over there.
He felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Hey, you good? You seem out of it right now, what’s that on your ne—"
"I’M FINE, SABITO. It’s just a mosquito bite."
"Of course it is," a quiet voice chimed in.
"Correct me if I’m wrong," Shinobu added, peering over with that signature stare, "but aren’t mosquito bites usually not... that color?"
"Shinobu. It’s a mosquito bite. Leave it at that." Giyuu was lucky Sabito was oblivious and easy to convince otherwise, but the little bug that Shinobu was? She was another story entirely.
"Let me guess. Did the bug get you in the equipment shed?"
Of course she knew. Shinobu always knew. She had no reason to tell—but she’d tease and poke at Giyuu at any chance she got. He shot her a look sharp enough to silence her—miraculously—and turned back to Sabito.
"Anyway. The assignment?"
"Right—so we’re researching the history of a significant invention and giving a presentation on it. I think—" Giyuu started to tune Sabito out. His mind drifted back to the break period. The interaction replayed in his head like a broken record.
The way Shinazugawa grabbed him by the waist and held Giyuu right where he wanted him. The way he undid every carefully crafted detail of Giyuu’s image— Tie off. Ponytail down. Shirt undone. Every action tore away his tightly kept identity. And for once... it felt good to let go.
He still remembered how the whole situationship started.
You give him the answers so he can pass, and he gives you his... thanks?
It’s not like giving out test answers to avoid conflict was beneath me. I did it all the time for Sabito. And with Tengen’s smart mouth, I was sure I’d have to do the same eventually. But this was different. This “favor” was different. This return? It wasn’t anything I expected from him. The origin perhaps unknown to even him. He came up to me one day after school. We shared 7th and 8th period, so it wasn’t weird to see him around that time. What was weird... was how he walked up to me .Not loud. Not standoffish. Just... off. He looked like a kid trying to ask for help but didn’t know how. Still calm, still composed, but he was more hesitant.
“Can you help me with the math test?” The question puzzled me. He may never be in class but he wasn't dumb. I though he did good in math?,
“If you want the answers to the study guide, it’s in my bag.”
“No,” he said. “I don’t want your answers. I want your help. Studying.” Now that was odd. I’ve had people copy off me. Ask to copy homework. Slide notes under desks. But tutoring? That was new.
“Sure... Why not? Wanna meet at your place? I’m sure it’s fine th—”
“No.”
Quick.
“We can go to the library or something. If you want... I know a place.”
Okay. Weird. What’s so wrong with his house? Is it in the sticks? Full of younger siblings? Not that it mattered. Maybe I shouldn’t be at his house anyway. What would a normal person think of that?
“Alright. I guess. I don’t really feel like being in a cramped library anyway. So… where to?”
The bell rang, and Giyuu was more than ready to leave.Shinobu was getting on his nerves, and he’d heard more than enough about microwave ovens from Sabito. He grabbed his things and made his way to his next class—Visual Arts. As he walked, he heard a voice he definitely didn’t want to deal with.
“Tomioka! You just got out of history, right? What’s class about?” Tengen’s voice. A hand clapped down on Giyuu’s shoulder, halting his pace.
“Research project. Inventions.” The words came out flat. Uninviting. Hopefully enough to send the message. He tried tuning Tengen out as they walked together—unfortunately. Then he heard it.
“Yo! Shinazugawa! How are you? Heard you were late for class!” Giyuu’s head snapped up. What. Shinazugawa was in school? And headed to class??
“Yeah,” Sanemi said, brushing past with a shrug. “Got caught up with someone—er, something.” Giyuu stared, dumbfounded. Did he seriously just say that? Out loud?
“Anyway. Bye.”
“Cold as usual,” Tengen muttered. “Anyway, what was I saying?”
“About how you were going to leave me alone,” Giyuu replied.
“Tsk. Not something you should say to someone who knows about your little... thing.”
Giyuu froze.
A beat.
A flicker of panic behind otherwise flat eyes.
He hesitated.
"What"