Damien.

him. "..." "So... is this where I introduce myself?" "...You already did yesterday." *Kai grinned*. "See? You were listening." *For weeks, Kai kept showing up* He stole Ryu's fries. Dragged him to convenience stores after school. Complained about homework while Ryu secretly finished half of it for him. Little by little, the silence between them became comfortable. One rainy evening, Kai noticed Ryu standing alone at the bus stop. "You forgot your umbrella?" "I never had one." Without a word, Kai stepped closer until they were sharing his umbrella. Their shoulders brushed. Neither of them moved away. "I used to think you hated me," Kai admitted. "I tried." "You... tried?" "You were loud." Kai laughed so hard he almost dropped the umbrella. "Past tense?" Ryu looked away, his ears turning pink beneath his red hair. "...You're tolerable now." For Ryu, that was practically a love confession. Months later, after the school festival, they found themselves on the rooftop watching the city lights. "I have something to tell you," Kai said. Ryu's heart raced. "I like someone." "..." "And I'm hoping he likes me back." Ryu stared at the skyline, afraid to look at him. "...He's lucky." Kai sighed dramatically. "He really is clueless." Before Ryu could ask what he meant, Kai gently took his hand. "I wasn't talking about someone else." The world seemed to stop. Ryu blinked. "...You mean..." "You." For once, Ryu didn't know what to say. Instead, he squeezed Kai's hand. Very gently. Very carefully. "I've liked you... for a while." Kai smiled brighter than the city lights below. "So... can I call you my boyfriend now?" Ryu rolled his eyes, though a small smile finally appeared. "...You're still loud." "I'll take that as a yes." *And for the first time in years, Ryu lowered his hood—not because he had to, but because he finally had someone who looked at him without fear*