Archive of Our Own

Kaidou and Aren walked side by side, just as usual. School had just let out less than an hour ago. Aren and Kaidou both did not have club activities on Wednesdays, which meant they could leave school early and walk together. For this reason alone, Aren began to look forward to Wednesdays more often than he would like to admit. The early evening sun beamed down on them, casting down on Kaidou’s silver hair, lighting it up. Aren let his eyes drift over Kaidou's fluffy hair, imagining how soft it would feel running his fingers through it. His eyes continued and lowered until they reached Kaidou’s face. He was going on a rant about Dark Reunion’s latest plans for wreaking world havoc, and as serious as that seemed, at least to Kaidou, Aren couldn’t help but be distracted by his presence. He tried to listen; he really did. He liked it when Kaidou talked, rambling on about his powers or a new place that would make for the perfect secret lair. Aren liked the way his face got all animated and expressive, going on and on about the topic while Aren listened to him talk. Aren liked listening to the sound of Kaidou’s voice and the way he sometimes tried to make it sound overconfident, but Aren knew deep down Kaidou was a sweet and gentle boy; a boy who had chosen to overlook Aren’s dark past and become his best friend despite it.

And as hard as he tried to listen, he just couldn't. His eyes had a mind of their own, and it seemed all they wanted to do was stare at Kaidou. Aren kept giving vague answers and grunting “mhms” and “yeahs” before Kaidou eventually caught on. Kaidou’s eyes caught Aren’s gaze for the first time since walking, and Aren felt a deep blush spread throughout his face before quickly glancing away. For a moment, Aren felt a pit in his stomach at the thought of Kaidou figuring out his secret.

Sooner or later, he would have to, right? Kaidou would realize why Aren always gravitated towards him in class during their free time. He would realize how Aren always stood closer to him than anyone else. He would realize why Aren always got a little uneasy when Kaidou mentioned girls around him, usually changing the subject to something like Kaidou’s new developing powers or Dark Reunion’s latest strategy; that always worked to get Kaidou to completely forget about whatever he was discussing beforehand.

Instead, all Kaidou said was, “Are you even listening? When you inevitably face the wrath of Dark Reunion’s plan, don’t expect me to come save you.”

“Fair point.”

Aren chuckled, relieved Kaidou didn’t seem to find anything suspicious about his behavior.

Aren couldn’t give anything away. He valued Kaidou’s friendship too much, and he wouldn't risk it for the world. So even though it hurt, Aren knew he needed to put some distance between him and Kaidou. He forced himself to peel his gaze off Kaidou and onto the long stretch of road ahead of them. Up ahead, he saw the vague figure of two people. As they walked closer, Aren's stomach twisted with rage as he realized what was happening. A shake-down. Some punk was robbing an innocent kid. The guy had his hands around the kid's shirt, pushing him against the wall behind them. That stuff really pissed him off. Kaidou seemed to understand the situation as well, because Aren could see him beginning to get worried, his eyebrows creasing together in a way Aren always thought was cute. He forced himself to snap out of it. Now was not the time to be thinking of Kaidou’s adorable traits.

“Stay here,” Aren commanded, putting his hand on Kaidou’s shoulder. “I’ll handle this,” he said, leaving his hand on Kaidou for a beat longer because he just couldn’t help himself.

Kaidou nodded firmly.

“Normally I would go to town on a mere human such as him, but my powers have been unstable recently, so I’ll let you handle it this time,” Kaidou said, slipping into his rehearsed overconfident tone, but Aren could see he was still rattled.

He smiled at him and began walking toward the punk. He carried himself with confidence, slowly walking up to the man. No need to waste energy before the fight even began.

The man gripped the collar of the kid’s shirt, yelling something about handing over all the money he had. Aren grabbed the punk’s shoulder.

“Hey, fella. Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

The man was tall, almost six feet, and had long, black hair that reached his waist, a clear sign that he was a delinquent. Aren himself had long hair when he was a delinquent; it was common among them. So, when he chose the straight and narrow path, his first course of action was cutting his hair. The punk had a wide scar across his left cheek and wild eyes that were hungry for violence. By contrast, the kid on the left looked to be no older than ten. He had big, blue eyes and light brown hair that had gotten all messed up, strands falling in front of his face. Aren recognized his uniform from a nearby elementary school; the kid was probably on his way home, just like him and Kaidou were.

The punk dropped the kid from his grasp at the sight of what looked like a new victim.

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you make yourself useless and hand over your wallet?” he said with a cocky grin plastered across his face, his teeth all crooked.

The guy cracked his knuckles for dramatic effect, and Aren had to stifle a laugh. He used to run into punks like him all the time, usually from rival gangs. They were all bark, no bite. They thought that if they could just intimidate their opponent with a few empty threats, that’s all it would take for them to win. Well, Aren was going to show this punk it takes a hell of a lot more than that.

“No, I don’t think I will,” Aren said, this time with his own grin forming on his face.

His hand was itching with excitement. He could see the guy getting frustrated, and before he had time to react, Aren landed a punch straight into his stomach, sending him flying back. Once on the ground, he lay there, groaning and doubling over in pain. His tough guy act vanished within seconds. The punch left Aren’s knuckles bruised and stinging with hot flashing pain, but it was worth it to teach this punk a lesson. The guy put his arms to the ground and forced himself up, bent half-over and still clutching his stomach.

“Whatever man, this ain’t worth it,” he said, still trying to coat his words with edginess, but it wasn’t working.

The guy turned around and walked the other way, cursing Aren out under his breath. That was easier than Aren thought it was going to be; the punk didn’t even put up half a fight.

Aren turned his attention to the kid, bending down to meet his eye level. The boy was now shaking uncontrollably with fear, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Hey kid, you alright?” Aren asked, but the little boy just stared at him, crying even harder.

Aren wasn’t sure how to comfort the poor guy, so he put his hand on his shoulder and said, “It’s okay. Go on ahead and get home safely.”

Aren gestured with his head towards the opposite end of the street. The kid stood frozen for a second before nodding and taking off. The kid was running so fast he almost would’ve bumped into Kaidou if Kaidou hadn’t moved out of the way.

The realization dawned on Aren. That’s right, Kaidou was there. In the midst of everything. Aren had forgotten he stood there watching. For a second, they simply stood there, staring at one another. There was a look in Kaidou’s eyes that Aren couldn’t quite place. Aren’s breathing grew irregular, which he told himself was due to the fight and not the way Kaidou kept holding eye contact. Aren’s chest tightened, and his face became flushed with heat. Kaidou knew about Aren’s past, right? So he shouldn’t have been surprised that Aren was able to take this amateur punk down without a problem. But if that were the case, why was Kaidou staring at him like that, gaze intense and unwavering? What if Aren had gotten too carried away? He didn’t like reminding Kaidou of his delinquent past; all that was behind him now. He had made a choice, and he sure as hell was going to commit to it. But what if that didn’t matter to Kaidou? What if seeing him like this reminded Kaidou of where Aren came from, and suddenly it was all too much for Kaidou to bear? His thoughts kept spiraling, suddenly felt like the world around him was going dizzy. Before he could say anything to Kaidou, a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Aren, that really you?” Aren’s blood ran cold because he knew that voice. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was, but he did so anyway.

“Holy shit, it is. You look so different. You’re like a total normie now.” Aren ignored his remark on his appearance. He looked a little different, older, but there was no doubt it was him.

“What do you want, Akito?” Aren snapped back. Back when Aren was a delinquent, he was part of a gang. They all treated each other like brothers, but undoubtedly some were closer than others. For Aren, the member closest to him, and his best friend was Akito. When Aren first joined, everybody was rough on him; that's how these things worked. The only way to gain the respect of these guys was to earn it. Until then, nobody gave Aren so much as a second glance, but Akito was different. For whatever reason, he took a liking to Aren, so he looked out for him and taught him everything he knew. The first time Aren had ever won a fight, Akito was right there, cheering him on. Akito taught Aren how to ride a motorcycle and helped clean up his wounds when he, unsurprisingly, fell off many times. He defended Aren to the other members who were giving him a hard time for being the newbie.

For a while, Aren was grateful to Akito, to have someone who cared about him and helped him out. But one day, Aren overheard Akito mugging someone on the street. Aren recognized his voice and began to watch from afar as Aktio threatened them. The closer he looked, Aren saw that it was a woman who looked to be in her thirties, with two small children behind her back.

“Please don’t do this!” she pleaded. “This is all the money we have for dinner this week. Their dad isn’t around anymore, so I’m the only one who can provide for them.”

Aren watched, horrified, as Akito kept threatening her until she gave up her wallet. Aren was used to seeing people get mugged all the time since becoming a delinquent, but this. This was too much. It felt so wrong. The fact that Akito didn’t seem to show any remorse made Aren’s stomach twist with disgust. Since then, he tried to distance himself from Akito; he no longer could look at him the same way. Every time he talked to Akito, he just had flashbacks to that day. The face of the woman, crying and desperate, was burned in the back of Aren’s mind. Aren began to question if he really belonged in the gang, if he truly was meant to be a delinquent.

Not long after, Aren decided to leave the gang and quit being a delinquent once and for all, but Akito wasn’t having it. Akito cursed him out and told Aren that if he walked away, he would be dead to him. Aren hadn’t seen him since, until now.

Not answering Aren’s question, Akito continued, “And who's the little guy? Your new best friend?” he asked, slightly amused, peering behind Aren’s shoulder to take a good look at Kaidou.

“Yeah, he is. Gotta problem with that?” Akito could attack Aren all he wanted, but he wasn’t going to let him mock Kaidou.

“No, just hurt to see you could replace me so easily,” Aktio replied slyly, voice fully lacking in sincerity. Seeing that Aren wasn’t budging, he added, “What happened, man? We used to pick on scrawny guys like him.”

Those words made Aren’s blood boil, partly because he was dissing Kaidou and partly because it was true. Aren wasn’t proud of it, but back in those days he viewed the world into groups of two: those who are strong and those who are weak. The strong dominated the weak; it was the way things worked. If he saw someone weaker than him, he made sure to let them know just what he thought about them. Aren hung his head low, embarrassed at the memories of his past self. That didn’t matter now, he told himself. He had changed.

Akito stood there, waiting to draw a reply out of him. Aren wanted to wipe that condescending smirk right off his face, but he knew that if he started something, he was no better than him. So, he unclenched his fists and began to turn away.

“Walking away already? I never thought I’d see the day you turned down a fight,” Akito replied, quick as ever.

He was clearly just trying to get a rise out of Aren.

“Well, I’m a different man now,” Aren spoke calmly. He wasn’t going to let Akito have the satisfaction of getting to him.

“Are you?” Akito probed, the look in his eyes suggesting he didn’t believe Aren.

“Yeah, I don’t go around seeking trouble anymore. Only time I use my fists is when someone is in danger,” Aren continued.

Akito paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about Aren’s answer.

“If that’s the case,” he said, unfinished.

Akito walked straight past Aren, and for a moment, Aren thought Akito had actually decided to leave them alone. That relief was crushed in an instant when he saw Akito’s fist grip the collar of Kaidou’s shirt and throw him hard onto the gravel below.

“Looks like your friend here has found himself in some danger. You gonna be man enough to do something about it?”

“Shun!” Aren yelled, instantly overflowing with concern.

Aren rushed toward Kaidou, who was now lying on the ground, mirroring the punk Aren had beaten up earlier. Aren bent down and put his hand on Kaidou’s back. Kaidou winced in pain as he put his hands down and tried to lift himself. Aren's stomach dropped when he saw the blood coming from Kaidou’s hands, darkening his bandages. He turned his head back toward Akito, instantly burning with rage.

“You piece of sh–,” Aren yelled out.

“And here I thought goodie goodies didn’t curse. Maybe you’re not as innocent as you claim to be,” Akito interrupted, only further getting on Aren’s nerves.

“Shut the hell up.”

Aren wanted nothing more than to shut Akito up himself. To make him pay for hurting Kaidou.

Akito continued, unfazed, “Face it, you’re still the same man deep down. Whether you get a cheap haircut and some dorky glasses won’t change that. You’ll always be a delinquent, so why don’t you just cut the nice-guy act? Maybe this idiot was stupid enough to believe you actually changed, but I’m not buying it.”

“That’s enough.” Kaidou gritted through his clenched teeth, voice stern.

It was nothing like his fake overconfident tone from earlier; this time, Kaidou’s words were twisted with a burning anger. It sent chills through Aren; he had never seen his best friend so upset before. Aren thought Kaidou must be upset at the way he was called an idiot, but then Kaidou said, “You take what you said about Aren back. He’s nothing like that.”

“Look, your little friend is standing up for you.” Akito’s voice was unamused, like he didn’t actually view Kaidou as a threat.

“I mean it. If you don’t shut up right now, I’ll make you.” Kaiodu’s voice remained steady.

Akito looked down at Kaidou with indifference. “Do you honestly think you're close? Do you know what he’s really like? He’s dangerous and doesn’t give a shit about anyone or anything but himself.”

Akito now turned to Aren.

“Isn’t that right, Aren? We took you under our wing and made you one of our own, treated you like a brother, and how did you repay us? By bailing on us to become some goodie two shoes.”

Aren couldn’t breathe; Akito’s words just sank deeper and deeper into him. Aren thought he could leave that life behind, that he wouldn’t have to think about it anymore. But now his past was coming back to haunt him as Akito stood there before him, glaring down at him with malice.

Aktio continued, voice growing stronger, “But it doesn’t matter, because nobody knows you better than me. So you can try to act like Mr. Nice Guy, but I know how messed up and twisted you really are.”

Aren was frozen. He couldn’t bring himself to talk or to move. His heart thumped harder and harder against his chest. His stomach twisted with worry.

What if Akito was right? What if he were still the same man deep down? What if he could never change?

“Enough! You’re the one who doesn’t know anything about him!”

Kaidou’s words cut through Aren’s thoughts.

“Aren is the bravest person I’ve met. He’s constantly saving others from situations caused by bullies like you. He’s saved me more times than I can count and… and I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s kind and considerate to others around him. And I’m honored to call him my comrade… my friend. So what if his past isn’t perfect? He's making an honest effort to change, which is more than you can say for yourself.”

For a moment, neither of the three said anything. Aren was too stunned to speak, and Kaidou was still glaring at Akito. Akito glanced back and forth between them, as if deciding how to respond. Eventually, he just shook his head and smiled like he found the whole situation hilarious.

“It was nice seeing you again, Aren,” Akito said mockingly, glaring at Aren with a look of disdain before finally walking away, leaving Kaidou and Aren alone in the street, the setting sun painting everything around them in a warm glow.

“Don’t come back, or else you’ll be at the mercy of the Jet Black Wings!” Kaidou shouted one last time. Aren couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Yep, that was Kaidou all right, and he was amazing.

Aren gave Kaidou his hand and helped him up. Afterwards, they didn’t say anything, just stood there in silence as the humid air clung to their skin. This silence was different from before; it wasn’t intense and electrified but rather calm and comfortable. Before long, Kaidou asks, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah man, I’m fine.”

Aren was about to suggest they keep walking when he suddenly remembered Kaidou’s injuries.

“Wait! Dude, what about you? How’s your hand?”

Aren rushed and grabbed Kaidou's left hand before Kaidou could respond. Some of the bright red bandages Kaidou always wore around his arms had become dripped with blood. He tried not to think about how his fingers were running over Kaidou’s warm hand while he inspected it. Aren felt his face flush; he was buzzing with this warm feeling he only got around Kaidou. Aren had always wanted to hold Kaidou’s hand, and here he was so close, but no, now was not the time, especially not with him bleeding. He needed to get a grip. At this rate, Kaidou would notice that Aren’s gaze held feelings much stronger than friendship. Stronger than he ever thought they could grow. He pushed the thought away, shaking his head slightly.

Kaidou must have thought he was worried due to the injury because he said, “It’s really fine, looks worse than it is. My powers of restoration must be at hand, sustaining the injury from worsening any further. Really, it’s a minor inconvenience for the Jet Black Wings.”

Aren couldn’t tell if Kaidou was trying to downplay his injury just to make him less worried.

“Yeah, well, we should still put a Band-Aid on it. Come on, let's walk to the nearest convenience store. I think there’s one not too far up ahead.”

“I mean, if you insist,” Kaidou said, making an effort to let out a dramatic exhale of breath, but secretly he looked relieved.

As they began walking side by side again, Kaidou suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Wait, I already have Band-Aids at home; let's just go to my house so we can save some money.”

“Oh,” was all Aren said.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go to Kaidou’s house; the opposite, in fact. Since the mere mention of it a few seconds ago, it was now all Aren wanted to do. But he had already been to Kaidou's place a few times, and he knew his mother was pretty strict. He didn’t want Kaidou getting in trouble for bringing someone over unannounced.

“Are you sure your folks would be cool with that?”

“Yeah, man, I’ll just talk to my mom. I’m not afraid of her.”

Aren knew Kaidou had to be bluffing because even Aren was afraid of Kaidou’s mom. The first time he ever went over, she sized him up, looking at him like she was trying to decide if Aren was worthy of being Kaidou’s friend. Ever since then, Aren started making a more conscious effort to get his grades up, since he knew Kaidou's mother was an education freak. The last thing he needed was her deciding Aren wasn’t good enough to hang around Kaidou.

The whole way they walked, Aren was even more distracted than before. This time, his thoughts kept circling back to those words Kaidou had used. I don’t know what I’d do without him. What did that mean? Aren felt a small light of hope burning inside him. He knew he shouldn't get hopeful; it would only hurt that much more when Kaidou inevitably revealed he did not feel the same way towards Aren. But even so, Aren couldn’t help himself. His chest grew warm as he thought about Kaidou’s kind words and the way he stood up for Aren back there.

And then there were Akito’s words, harsh and cruel. You’re still the same man deep down. Aren knew Akito was just trying to mess with him, but he still couldn’t shake it off. What if he was right? What if sooner or later everyone around him would see him for what he really was?

They had reached the front door of Kaidou's place when the thought occurred to Aren.

“So what are you gonna tell your mom when she asks about the injury?”

Certainly, Kaidou couldn't tell her he had gotten beaten up by some delinquent, worse, a delinquent Aren used to consider a friend.

“Oh, uh, I guess I’ll just make something up. I already have to keep my dark, menacing powers a secret from her, so this should be no problem.”

“If you say so,” Aren shrugged, hoping Kaidou wouldn't get in trouble.

Once inside, Aren took his shoes off and greeted Kaidou’s family members while Kaidou talked to his mother. They made it to Kaidou’s room without drawing any suspicion, which was a relief.

Once Kaidou closed the door behind them, Aren asked, “What’d you end up saying?”

“That you and I are going to be studying for the Trigonometry test tomorrow.”

“Not that, your hand.”

“Oh, she didn’t even notice.”

“That’s good. Wait, does this mean we actually have to study now?”

“Quit moping; you could use it, you know.”

Aren cursed silently because he knew Kaidou was right.

Aren had been in Kaidou’s room plenty of times before, but he still didn’t miss his chance to take it all in. Kaidou’s bed was to the side, sheets nice and neat, and next to it was a mirror leaning against the wall. Kaidou’s desk was littered with homework assignments, and study books sprawled out half open. Although it was due to his mother’s overbearing nature, Kaidou really did take his studies seriously. Aren knew he went to cram school three times a week, and in school, Kaidou was just as focused. While in class, he was usually deep into the teacher's lecture, which meant Aren could sneak glances at him. Aren wished he could say he hadn’t memorized the way Kaidou’s eyebrows furrowed when he concentrated, or the way he hurried to scribble down whatever notes were on the chalkboard, but that would be a lie. Sometimes, Aren purposely didn’t write them all down so he would have an excuse to ask Kaidou to borrow his notebook and copy them.

“So, where are the Band-Aids?” Aren asked casually.

“Right here, in my drawer,” Kaidou said while pulling out his desk drawer and grabbing the box.

Kaidou's fingers were opening the box, and he was about to take one out before Aren stopped him.

“Here I’ll do it,” Aren said, his voice almost a little too desperate.

“Are you sure? I can do it myself.”

“It's fine, I got it.”

Aren felt a twinge of guilt as he reached for the box of Band-Aids in his hand. He knew his reasons were selfish, but if it meant he could touch Kaidou, then he couldn't pass the opportunity up.

Aren grabbed a Band-Aid and placed the box onto the desk. Aren stepped closer to Kaidou. Aren had a few inches on him, so he leaned over Kaidou quite a bit. Aren’s hand reached out to start unraveling the bandages when he suddenly remembered.

“Wait, isn’t it dangerous to remove your bandages? Cus’ of your powers and stuff?”

Aren shifted his eyes back up, where Kaidou was already meeting his gaze. Kaidou looked caught off guard, as he had forgotten about it.

“Oh! Yeah, well, normally, yes, removing my bandages would release a very powerful, dark energy that would obliterate everything in this room. But it just so happens that there will be a full moon tonight, which temporarily suspends my powers. So, all is safe,” Kaidou said, stumbling through an explanation.

Aren gave a smile and nodded.

“Alright then.”

First, he carefully unwrapped the bloody bandages from Kaidou’s arm. It wasn’t the blood that bothered Aren; he had seen his fair share of that back in his delinquent days. It was the fact that he was so close to Kaidou he could hear his soft intakes of breath, and the fact that his fingers were slowly grazing Kaidou’s hand as he took off the bandages, that made him feel nervous.

Aren could admit he had possibly taken longer than usual to take off the bandages, so he could savor every touch. Now with the badges gone, Aren could properly see Kaidou’s injuries. He had a few scrapes on his hand, a result of hitting the harsh concrete ground when he fell. Aren felt a flash of anger in his chest as he remembered how Akito threw Kaidou down. Aren had the sudden urge to track him down and beat him up, but he knew he was being unreasonable. All in all, the scrapes didn’t look too bad.

“We should wash your hands first, come on,” Aren said, grabbing Kaidou’s wrist and dragging him to the bathroom.

“Hey, wait! I can do it myself,” Kaiodu pleaded, but Aren was already turning on the sink.

It was Aren’s fault that Kaidou got hurt, so he was going to be the one to fix it. He wanted to take care of Kaidou. He grabbed the soap on the counter, a light purple bottle titled “Lavender Daydream”. Aren shot a look, trying to stop his incoming smile.

“It’s my sister’s!” Kaidou insisted.

Aren moved on and added a pump of soap into Kaidou’s hand.

“It might sting a little,” he warned.

“Please, it’s nothing the Jet Black Wings can’t handle,” Kaidou said in that ever-familiar confident tone.

Aren rubbed the soap in, carefully washing the blood and dirt from Kaidou’s hand. He made sure to clean every spot, and once he was done, he ran Kaidou’s hand under the lukewarm water.

“There,” Aren said quietly, more to himself than to Kaidou.

He grabbed the towel hanging from the wall and patted Kaidou’s hand gently until it was dry.

“Thanks. You didn’t have to do all this, you know.” Kaidou’s voice was soft, and he wouldn’t meet Aren’s eyes. “I feel bad,” he added quietly.

Aren’s heart sank a little at those words. There was nothing he wanted less than for Kaidou to feel guilty.

“Don’t,” Aren reassured him, trying to keep his voice gentle. “I want to help.”

Aren fixed his gaze on Kaidou until he finally looked him in the eyes. Aren was reminded all over again of how pretty Kaidou’s eyes were, a dark shade of crimson that made his heart flutter whenever he looked into them.

“Okay,” was all Kaidou said.

Aren remembered he was still holding on to Kaidou’s hand. Worried, he quickly let go. He had gotten too greedy; Kaidou was bound to notice how much Aren was touching him. A flicker of disappointment flashed across Kaidou’s face before he stepped out of the bathroom. Aren followed behind him.

Aren carefully peeled the Band-Aid off and gently laid it over Kaidou’s hand, pressing it down to make sure it stuck. Once they were finished, Kaidou went to sit down on his circular, green rug. He sat criss-crossed under the low table and patted a spot next to him on the rug, motioning for Aren to sit down. Aren’s breath caught in his throat before he forced himself to swallow and calm down, because he could not be reacting like this to every goddamn thing Kaidou did. He silently strolled over and sat down next to him, copying his sitting position.

“Do we really have to study?” Aren whined.

“You’re going to fail tomorrow if you don’t. Plus, my mom is probably gonna check on us anyway,” Kaidou replied.

Once again, Aren knew Kaidou was right.

Before they started, Aren realized he had never actually thanked Kaidou for standing up for him.

“Hey, thanks for what you said back there, for having my back. It meant a lot.”

Aren couldn’t even begin to express how grateful he was for Kaidou. If he wasn't there, he wasn’t sure how he could’ve dealt with Akito.

“Of course, we’re friends after all. I wasn’t gonna let him get away with badmouthing you straight to my face.”

There was that word, friends. That is what they were. Aren valued his friendship with Kaidou so much. So why did his stomach tighten with dread at the sound of it?

“It made me so mad the way he was talking about you. I mean, you’re so amazing, and he’s just some good-for-nothing jerk. Guys like him are exactly why I vow as the Jet Black Wings to be a savior against evil.”

Aren smiled softly.

“What you did took real guts, Shun. Gotta say you were pretty amazing.” He meant every word.

“Please, that was nothing. Besides you’re the one who beat that guy up and saved that kid from being mugged,” Kaidou replied humbly.

“Come on, you’ve seen me do that plenty of times.”

“Exactly. You always come to the rescue, yet you never brag about it or show off. It's… I guess I just really like that about you. I always get stuck in place, never knowing what to do, but you’re so fearless it’s almost inspiring,” Kaidou said, his voice low.

Aren couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Kaidou was the one who told Akito off, the one who stood up for Aren while he just watched, frozen in place. Kaidou got hurt because of him. Aren always wanted to be the one to protect Kaidou. He wanted Kaidou to know he would always have his back, whether from bullies who made fun of Dark Reunion or punks who tried to start trouble; he wanted to keep Kaidou safe. But this time, Kaidou had protected Aren, while Aren just stood there, watching Kaidou get thrown onto the ground. He clenched his hands together into tight fists. How could he let that happen? Kaidou was the real fearless one. He always stood up for his friends. Even if he was scared or didn’t have much confidence, Kaidou still rose up when it mattered. And here he was, telling Aren how wonderful he was. Aren wanted to tell Kaidou how amazing he was too.

Before he could get the chance, Kaidou continued, “You’re kind, Aren, you know that? I mean, you didn’t hesitate to become my friend once you moved here.”

“You’re the one who gave me the chance to.” It was true: Kaidou had decided to overlook Aren’s past and become his first true friend.

“And every day I’m grateful that I did.”

Kaidou had to know how those words would affect Aren, right? He had to know just how nervous Aren was, how dizzy and overwhelmed his feelings for Kaidou were making him.

“You know I’ll always be there for you, right?” Kaidou said softly, only further managing to turn Aren into a hot mess.

“Same here.” It was a miracle that Aren was able to stutter out even that short phrase.

His face felt so hot that he had even begun to sweat a little. His hands felt clammy, and he rubbed them against his pants.

“Hey, Aren?”

“Yeah, Shun?”

“Can I just…”

He didn’t say anything, just simply slid his hand into Aren’s, interlocking fingers. Aren was convinced he had fully stopped breathing. Kaidou leaned ever so slightly, so that their shoulders, all the way down to their hands, were pressed together. Arens felt a deep blush spreading throughout his body. His heart was in his throat, and he was buzzing all over, but he didn’t dare to move an inch. Kaidou’s hand was so warm in his; it was better than he ever thought it could be.

His hand was smaller than Aren’s and soft, nothing like Aren’s rough, bruised hands that came from years of fighting. He wanted to squeeze Kaidou’s hand even tighter, to rub his thumb in circular motions on his palm, but he didn’t want to risk freaking him out and Kaidou pulling away. So they stayed put, hand in hand. Aren felt the world around them begin to fade away. He knew he was in Kaidou's room, and they were… what were they doing there again? Aren couldn’t even remember what they were talking about beforehand. Aren didn’t bother to answer the question in his mind because all he could think about was the fact that Kaidou was right there, holding his hand gently and practically leaning on him.

Aren snuck a glance at Kaidou, who was looking down sheepishly, pink blush bright on his cheeks. Was Kaidou nervous? Aren imagined he looked no better, eyes wide and flushed with embarrassment. Aren’s heart was pounding so loudly inside his ribcage that he was worried Kaidou could definitely hear it. Kaidou turned his head towards Aren, and now their faces were inches apart. If Aren wasn’t already a mess before, he sure was now. This close, Kaidou could see all the details on Kaidou’s face. Kaidou’s blush deepened, and his eyes searched Aren’s face. Maybe it was a dream? But it all felt too real. He could see the soft rises of Kaidou’s chest as he breathed. He could see Kaidou’s soft, light eyelashes fluttering as he blinked. He could see Kaidou moving in closer.

He could feel Kaidou’s lips pressed softly against his.

Aren remained frozen against the touch of Kaidou’s lips, too stunned to move or to think.

Kaidou pulled away and whispered, “Sorry.”

His eyes wouldn’t meet Aren’s, and his face was full of sadness.

Aren’s heart ached at the sight of Kaidou like this. He wanted to tell him not to be sorry, but his throat was so closed up that Aren couldn’t even form the words. So instead he set his glasses aside, cupped the side of Kaidou’s face with his free hand, and kissed him back.

He kissed him fiercely, reassuring him, letting him know he wanted this. He’d wanted it so badly ever since they first became friends. He kissed him for every time he had thought about Kaidou during class, every time he imagined telling him how he felt, every time Aren’s heart skipped a beat when Kaidou rushed excitedly to tell him something new.

Aren’s fingers rose from his cheek to Kaidou’s hair, gripping it as he slid his mouth harder against Kaidou’s, hearing a low sound escape Kaidou’s mouth. His hair really was as soft as it looked. Kaidou’s other hand grabbed the collar of Aren’s shirt, pulling him closer.

In the midst of everything, a realization dawned on Aren. This was Kaidou’s first kiss. A while back, the two of them were hanging out in Kaidou’s room as usual. They were watching the movie adaptation of one of their favorite manga series. During a kiss scene, Kaidou had confided in Aren that he had never kissed anyone before. Aren had told him that it was alright and one day he would find someone to share that kiss with.

The sudden realization in his stomach that Aren was the one who just stole Kaidou’s first kiss made him burn with excitement. He wanted to make this memorable for Kaidou.

Aren was half-aware they were in Kaidou’s room, although it was hard to concentrate when Kaidou bit Aren’s bottom lip, making Aren let out a low groan. While he knew they should stop soon–one of Kaidou’s family members could come in at any minute–he selfishly wanted to keep going. They shifted positions so now they were completely facing one another, all without breaking contact. Their knees awkwardly bumped into one another, sending another jolt of electricity through Aren. They were still holding hands tightly. Aren’s breathing was so irregular that he was basically panting into Kaidou’s mouth at this point. Both their mouths moved into one another, hungry and desperate.

The thought of Kaidou pinned down flashed through Aren’s mind. It was a wonderful image, Kaidou underneath him, eyes gazing up at Aren. As tempting as it was, and it was tempting, he didn’t want to overwhelm Kaidou. It was his first kiss after all, and more than anything, Aren didn’t want to be rough with him. Aren had spent so much of his life being tough, solving problems through fighting and believing strength equaled worth. For once, he wanted to be gentle, to use his hands for comfort, not violence. He wanted to hold Kaidou, to let him know he was safe.

Kaidou broke away for a second to catch his breath, and Aren fought the urge to chase his mouth, which was still dangerously close to his. Kaidou muttered softly, “Aren,” before firmly sliding his mouth back into his. It should’ve been impossible for one single word to melt Aren completely, and yet it did. All he wanted to do was hear Kaidou say his name again, in that lovely, dazed tone. Aren wanted Kaidou to be the only one who said his name. His heart ached with so much love for Kaidou; he wondered how he was able to go so long containing it.

Aren lost track of how much time had passed; all of his senses were completely consumed by Kaidou. At some point, they both pulled away, faces still inches apart. Aren took a second to take Kaidou in; his face was flushed in a beautiful shade of pink, his hair was all messed up, silver strands falling in front of his half-opened crimson eyes, and his soft lips were now all swollen. Both of them were breathing heavily into one another, their sounds of desperation filling the otherwise silent room. The sight of Kaidou looking like this was too much for his heart to handle. Worse, the fact that he had made him look like that. The fact that Aren was able to make Kaidou feel so good filled him with a sense of pride. Aren was so lost in observing Kaidou that he had forgotten to actually say anything.

Kaidou went first. “You’re a good kisser,” he muttered sheepishly.

Aren couldn’t stop a grin from forming.

“Yeah? Did I make you feel good?”

“Shut up,” Kaidou said, this time with more edge in his voice.

He was looking off to the side, and Aren could tell he was blushing even harder now.

“I like you,” Aren blurted out before he could stop himself.

He’d been holding those words close to his chest for so long, he thought they’d never have a chance to come out.

Kaidou didn’t say anything at first, which made Aren immediately sink with regret. What if that was the wrong thing to say? Maybe Kaidou wasn’t ready for anything yet. Maybe Aren had come on too strong–

“I like you too,” Kaidou said, smiling softly, cheeks still tinted pink.

A wave of relief crashed into Aren so hard that he felt his whole body relax, and he couldn’t stop himself from beginning to laugh. Aren had been holding onto this secret for so long, spent so many days worried and anxious and distraught at the idea that Kaidou would never return his feelings. Now, all of that seemed so far away. Here he was, holding Kaidou’s hand and telling him he liked him, and the best part was that Kaidou liked him back.

“Why are you laughing?!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Aren choked through another laugh.

He liked Kaidou so much.

After he had managed to calm himself a little, he added, “Just happy to hear you say it.”

“Yeah, well, it’s true.”

Afterwards, they did actually study. Or well, tried to study but kept getting too distracted. Aren was still giddy at the fact that Kaidou liked him and found it very hard to concentrate on anything after that. So after failing to do more than five practice problems, they decided to call it a day. Kaidou spent the rest of the time telling Aren about how he began creating a plan to infiltrate what he suspected was one of Dark Reunion’s many lairs hidden throughout Japan and investigate for himself. Aren nodded along and asked questions as he talked.

And as wonderful as kissing was, and it was so wonderful, this was just as amazing. Sitting on Kaidou’s floor, listening to him talk, laughing with him, being with him. It was all so great. Aren couldn't ask for anything better.