The library had grown darker as the sun dipped behind the tall windows, casting the shelves in shadow. Most students had already left, their laughter echoing faintly from the halls. Only Mika and Kuro remained, their table strewn with books that neither of them were truly reading anymore.
Kuro closed his text with a soft thud. "You're not studying either," he said quietly, glancing at Mika, who had been staring blankly at a page for the last ten minutes.
Mika didn't answer. His pale eyes flicked to Kuro, lingering too long, too intensely.
[Oh no. Oh hell no. I know that look. He's about to do something f****** stupid. Brace yourself, Kuro.]
{Maybe it's not stupid. BUT WAIT YOU SAID STUPID!!}
[It's always stupid when hormones are involved. BUT OMG YOU ARE RIGHT!!! LETS F****** GO!]
Kuro almost smiled, but then Mika stood, sudden and sharp, his chair scraping against the stone floor. He walked around the table and stopped right in front of Kuro, his presence heavy and unshakable.
"Stand," Mika ordered, his voice lower than usual.
Kuro's heart skipped, but he rose, steady under Mika's gaze. "What is it—"
Before he could finish, Mika grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward, close enough that their chests brushed. Mika's grip wasn't rough, but it was firm, unyielding.
"You keep saying things," Mika said, his tone harsh, but his breath was warm against Kuro's lips. "Things you shouldn't say. You look at me like… like you know something you don't."
Kuro's lips parted. "Maybe I do."
[HOLY S***. He's actually doing it! Finally, cold bastard snapped—]
"Shut up," Mika snapped suddenly, as if responding to Elvastia's voice. His hand tightened slightly on Kuro's wrist, his other bracing against the edge of the table behind Kuro, caging him in. His eyes burned, sharp and conflicted.
{...Mika? Did you just—}
"I said shut up," Mika repeated, but his gaze was locked only on Kuro now, the rest of the world falling away.
Kuro's breath caught, but he didn't back down. "If you want me to stop, you'll have to make me."
That did it.
Mika moved in one swift motion, pressing Kuro back against the edge of the table, his face inches from Kuro's. His hand slid from Kuro's wrist to his jaw, tilting his face up, and for the first time, Mika's control visibly cracked.
"You're reckless," Mika whispered, voice rough, almost pained. "Reckless for letting me this close."
Kuro's voice was soft, steady. "Or maybe I trust you."
The words lingered in the charged air between them. Mika's lips brushed just barely against Kuro's—so faint it could've been imagined—before he pulled back at the last second, jaw clenched.
"Damn you," Mika muttered, his hand still trembling faintly against Kuro's jaw. He didn't let go.
[Wha—WHAT THE F*** WAS THAT?! Kiss him, you coward! You got this far, now you're bailing?]
{...He's trying. This is hard for him.}
[Hard? Hard?! He's hardly—ugh, never mind. You're both disasters.]
Kuro's lips curved into a faint smile, even as his heart pounded. He leaned just slightly into Mika's touch, whispering, "Next time, don't stop."
Mika's eyes darkened, his hand tightening at Kuro's jaw. For a split second, it seemed like he'd close the distance again—but instead, he shoved himself back with visible effort, turning away sharply.
"Pack your things," Mika ordered, his voice harsh to cover the shake beneath it. "We're leaving."
Kuro didn't argue. He only watched Mika's stiff shoulders, the tension in every movement, and knew—Mika hadn't said no. He'd just said not yet.