yamajima
Title: It took me 100 years to find you
Author: hotfruits
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yamada/Yuto. Nakayama Yuma/Shida Mirai.
Word Count: 6399
Disclaimer: Nope
Summary: AU. Yamada Ryousuke's life has never been perfect, but upon entering high school, he seems to have fallen into a fairytale. With new friends like fiesty Shida Mirai and the decepitvely punk Nakayama Yuma, Yamada ends up finding himself and true love.
Written for crazy_otaku911.
I apologize for this. ;_;
He remembers when he was thirteen years old, legs tucked under his chin with one arm wrapped around them, the other holding a stick as he poked at the muddy ground in front of him. He was missing a shoe, his hair was a mess and his eye was quickly swelling shut, making it uncomfortable to wear his glasses. He knew he should start heading home soon, but he didn’t want his parents to see him in this state, bloodied and torn and with tears streaking down his cheeks.
He should be used to the teasing; four-eyes, fatty, loser, but he wasn’t, each time hurt more than the last and truthfully, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it.
He remembers another time, when he’s fifteen years old and staring up at the stars above him. His shirt is untucked and his jacket is under his head, cushioning it from the dirt ground below. His arms and legs are strewn out, and he feels a spider crawling on his hand but he doesn’t mind it, just ignores it as he counts the stars above. He always loses track after a hundred, or when his phone begins ringing, and he glances at the caller ID every time, even though he knows its just his sister calling, asking where he is.
He doesn’t feel like going home though, he doesn’t want them to see the blood on his stomach or the blood in his hair, matting it down and dripping down his forehead.
He’s sixteen when things begin changing, his first year of high school. He tries to remain as inconspicuous as possible, keeping his head low and his pace quick as he dodges past the chatting students. One boy trips him and he falls to his knees, his eyes tearing up at the stinging pain. He uses his hands to help himself up, stumbling a bit before hurrying away, ignoring the snickers that follow after him.
He makes it to class a minute before the bell rings, and he quickly locates a seat, behind a girl with twinkling eyes and shoulder length black hair. She turns in her seat as he takes his, and introduces herself as Shida Mirai.
He smiles softly at her, mumbling his name quietly. She quirks an eyebrow at this, but says nothing, turning back in her seat when the teacher begins taking roll. He looks around the class as he hears the students names, curious in who’s who, taking a special interest in a few of them; like Nakayama Yuma, who has dyed hair and a smirk on his lips, twirling a pencil in between his ring covered fingers. There was also Morimoto Shintaro, who had a bowl cut and a big nervous grin, whispering animatedly with the girl next to him, who’s name he couldn’t remember now.
The person who intrigued him the most though, and he didn’t know what it meant when his breath caught a little as the other stood up, was Nakajima Yuto. The boy was tall, very tall, with mile long legs and dangling arms. He had a happy smile on his face, and black bangs obscuring his eyes.
“He’s cute,” Mirai whispered to him, causing him to jump in his seat. The boy next to him looked at him funny, but he ignored it, and the way Mirai was smiling at him.
“Ask him out then,” he awkwardly replied, pulling at his coat sleeve with nervous fingers.
“I just might,” Mirai winked and turned back around, and he sighed, grabbing his pencil when the teacher began writing notes on the board.
He dropped his pencil a few hours later, cracking his fingers and twisting his wrists, causing them to pop. He grabbed his bag and took out his lunch, making his way out of the classroom when Mirai caught up to him, looping her arm through his. He looked at her strangely, but she just smiled and led him down the hall and into the courtyard, towards an abandoned table that was shaded by a large tree.
“Sorry for dragging you away like that,” Mirai apologized as she began to eat her lunch, and he took notice of the cute shapes her vegetables were cut into. “I just moved to Tokyo, and haven’t made many friends yet, besides you of course,” Mirai giggled, popping a carrot into her mouth.
“That’s alright,” he opened up his own lunch and began eating, feeling awkward and uncomfortable and weird and, “I don’t have any friends myself, so I’m happy we’re eating together.”
Mirai looked shocked as she set down her chopsticks. “You don’t have any friends?” she asked incredulously, “No way, you’re so cute, the girls must love you!”
He shook his head, staring down at his lunch. He wondered if Mirai could see the scar on his chin, spreading across the left side of his jaw. “Not really, but that’s okay,” he said, hoping Mirai would take the hint that he wanted the subject to be dropped.
She did, and began rambling about Nakajima, her eyes moving excitedly as he spoke, “God, he is so cute, right! I love tall boys, no offense of course,” she glanced at him, winking, and he wondered if she did that a lot, “But those legs, they’re soooooo long. I bet he’s a dancer with legs like those.”
He found himself laughing as Mirai continued to talk, and he wondered if this is what it felt like to have friends.
Because it felt nice.
Really nice.
The rest of the day continued on, with Mirai sneaking looks at him every few minutes, rolling her eyes at the teacher or complaining about the time. Soon enough, school was over and Mirai once again had her arm looped with his, leading them out of the school with her head held high, while he kept his directed at the ground, out of habit more than anything else.
“Hey, what’s your cell phone number?” Mirai asked as they exited the building, pulling her cell phone out of her coat pocket. “We should hang out soon and study, or just hang out,” Mirai giggled, and he smiled at her bubbly personality.
The two exchanged numbers, and Mirai gave him a big hug before walking off, going in the opposite direction of him. He began walking away too, but a group of students stopped him, blocking his path.
“Yamada-kun,” one of the girls walked up to him, poking his chest with a sharp nail, “What are you doing with that girl, she’s way too pretty to be hanging out with a fatty like you.”
“Yeah,” a boy piped up, slinging an arm around his shoulders, causing him to sag under the weight. The boy grabbed his glasses and threw them to the ground, before stomping on them, cackling. The other students began to laugh as well, and he could feel his eyes tearing up as he felt himself being shoved to the ground, landing on his side with a hard thud.
“Hey!” a voice screamed out, and he looked towards the source, seeing a blurry head of spiky hair, “What the hell is wrong with you assholes, picking on a kid so much smaller than you. Does it make you feel good, hmm?” the boy asked rhetorically, bending down and grabbing him under the armpits, hauling him to his feet. “Leave this kid alone, or I’ll break your fucking face.”
The boy began to lead him away, an arm around his shoulders.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said weakly, closing his eyes as he walked along. He was practically blind without his glasses anyway, and this way, the boy who saved him wouldn’t see his cowardly tears.
“Yeah, and just let those jerks kick your ass? Brilliant plan kid, really,” the boy said sarcastically, suddenly stopping. He stumbled forward for a second before stepping back, figuring they were waiting at a stop light.
“You’re Yamada, right?” the boy asked, and he nodded. “I’m Nakayama Yuma, I think you’re in my class.”
“I am,” he nodded again, finding himself feeling very surprised that the boy with the rings saved him. “Thank you, by the way,” he said, walking again as he heard the ding from the crosswalk sign.
Yuma shrugged, “Yeah, whatever. You going to be okay from here?”
“I’ll be fine,” he opened his eyes, squinting at the road signs ahead. He couldn’t read them too well, but he’s had to find his way home without his glasses plenty of times, so he knew he’d be fine.
“See you tomorrow!” Yuma called out as he left, and he waved to the other boy, his thoughts racing.
Two friends, well, one friend and whatever Yuma was to him, he wasn’t sure yet, in just one day?
He smiled, deciding not to ponder too much on it, in case he jinxed it all or something.
Friends.
For the first time in a long time, he was excited for school the next day.
***
Yamada felt uncomfortable as he walked through the hallways, his hands clutching his backpack straps. Everyone was looking at him, more so than usual, and he didn’t know what to make of it. Ducking into class, he took his seat behind Mirai and slumped forward onto his desk, burying his face into the polished wood surface.
When he looked up, Mirai was staring at him, her mouth hanging open.
“What?” he snapped, bringing the girl out of her daze. “Why is everyone staring at me today?”
Mirai brought a hand to her face, gesturing towards her eyes. He blinked, copying her gesture and Mirai sighed, clicking her tongue.
“Your glasses, Ryo-chan,” his eyebrows shot up; he has a nickname now? “You’re not wearing them.”
“Uh, yeah. I um,” he faltered, not wanting to hell Mirai about what happened yesterday, “I broke them, and I couldn’t find my spare pair, so I had to wear my contacts today. I hate them,” he blinked, trying to dispel the tingling sensation in his eyes.
“Oh,” Mirai simply said, and then added, “You look really good.”
He blushed, clearing his throat. “Thanks,” he stuttered, and was grateful when the teacher began role call, saving him from possible embarrassment.
“But really,” Mirai started up again as they went out to the courtyard, sitting at their table.
Their table.
That felt good to say.
“You look amazing without glasses, not that you looked bad with them, of course,” Mirai added, rushing over her words. “Really though,” she pointed at him with one of her chopsticks, a serious expression on her face, “If I see you wearing your spare pair, I’m going to gut you with this,” she gestured towards the chopstick in her hand and he gulped, scared to ask if she was joking or not.
“Yo, Yamada!” he looked over his shoulder and saw Yuma coming over towards them, grinning lazily. He sat across from them and took out his own lunch, ignoring the surprised looks, well, his surprised look and Mirai’s semi-disgusted one.
“Hey, I’m Yuma,” he introduced himself to Mirai, “Nice to meet you, Mirai-chan.”
“Don’t call me that,” Mirai glared, wielding her chopstick at him. “Or I’ll gut you with this.”
Yuma chuckled, amused, while he couldn’t help but be concerned for their safety. Mirai was a lot scarier than he had ever anticipated.
“Baby, you can do whatever you want to me,” Yuma laughed when Mirai got up, throwing her weapon at him. She stalked off, and he made to get up after her, but Yuma stopped him, saying, “Hey, you look pretty good without glasses.”
He threw his hands up in the air, a little exasperated. “How can I look good without glasses, but not with them. It’s still the same face!”
Yuma shrugged, “I don’t know, I guess,” he paused, a hand on his chin, “Your glasses were kind of big and bulky, and they hid your eyes. Without them, you can see your eyes better.”
“So?” he asked, not getting the point Yuma was making.
“You have nice eyes,” Yuma’s grin became softer as he said this, and he couldn’t help but blush at the compliment.
“Anyways,” Yuma coughed, his bad boy persona back in place, “We should hang out this weekend, you know, catch a movie, do a little shopping, whatever,” Yuma took a drink from his water bottle, “And you should bring that foxy friend of yours,” Yuma’s grin reminded him of a lion, who was plotting the best way to capture its prey.
Which is probably what Yuma was doing, to be perfectly honest.
“I’ll ask her if she wants to,” he said, definitely not making any promises. It was pretty clear Mirai didn’t like the other boy, but who knows, she might agree to it.
“Ew!” Mirai shouted as soon as he voiced the idea, brushing her hair before class.
“He’s not that bad,” Yamada said, “It’d be fun?”
Mirai turned towards him, her expression unimpressed. “Yeah, about as fun as hanging out with a creepy pervert,” she looked back towards the window, using its reflection to fix her bangs. “We could hang out though, just the two of us. That,” she grinned, “would be fun.”
He chuckled, “Alright.”
The bell rang, and two shuffled back into class, making their way towards their desks when he felt himself falling. Throwing out his hands, he braced himself for the impact, but it never came. Opening his eyes that he hadn’t realized he closed, he found himself face to face with Yuto, the tall boy Mirai liked.
“You alright?” the other asked, and he noted that Yuto’s arms were around his waist. He tried not to think about how nice they felt as he stood up, nodding. “Well, that’s good, be careful,” Yuto ruffled his hair and sat down at his desk, and he scurried towards his, ignoring the concerned look Mirai shot him as the teacher ordered them to grab their English books.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to concentrate on the English words in front of him, but found that he couldn’t. His heart was racing for some reason, and he could feel a small sweat breaking out on his forehead. Unconsciously, he glanced over at Yuto, finding himself spacing out as he watched the other boy. All sorts of thoughts invaded his mind, like; how much he liked the shape of Yuto’s nose, the way it slopped down and centered his face. He also took notice of Yuto’s eyes, surrounded by dark lashes, and his jaw, which looked strong and manly, unlike his own.
When the bell rang, he shook his head, trying to force his thoughts about Yuto’s muscled arms and friendly smile out of his mind. Getting up, he and Mirai walked out of the school, with Yuma trailing behind them. As soon as Mirai left, Yuma flanked to his side, an arm around his shoulders as he led the other away from the school.
“I can walk by myself, you know,” he said, finding himself shrinking under the scrutinizing stare of the students surrounding them.
“Yeah, but then someone might try to kick your ass again, and I’m not cool with that,” Yuma said, and he couldn’t help but smile. Under his tough, swearing and slightly perverted exterior, Yuma seemed to be really nice and caring.
“Hey,” he smiled, a plan forming in his mind, “We should hang out this weekend, even if Mirai can’t join us. What do you say?”
Yuma grinned, nodding, “Sounds good to me, yo,” he said, before walking off, giving him a small salute as he crossed the street.
He saluted back, laughing to himself as he walked away as well, amazed at how good it felt to truly laugh.
This was going to be a good year, he could feel it.
***
The rest of the week passed by easily enough; he and Mirai were caught exchanging notes in class, so they had to stay after one day to clean up the classroom. It was alright though, the two had fun dancing around with brooms and singing into them, pretending to be rock stars.
He really liked Mirai; she was a wonderful friend, and sometimes he wondered where she had been all his life. The two just clicked, and although she scared him at times, he really was grateful to have her in his life.
He also really liked Yuma, and he could tell that Mirai was warming up to him as well, which made him feel a little better about tricking her into hanging out with them. He had agreed to meet both friends in front of the mall entrance at the same time, and he hoped that this way, Mirai wouldn’t threaten them with whatever sharp object she had on her.
“Ryo-chan!” he heard Mirai call out from his left, and then a moment later, he heard Yuma say, “Yo, Yamada!” from his right.
“You invited him?” Mirai asked, hands on her hip. He shrugged, giving her an uneasy smile as Yuma joined them, his hands in his pockets.
“Ugh, fine!” Mirai scoffed, entering the mall and Yuma gave him a thumbs up, the two following after her.
Mirai led them into a pretty modern looking store, and she immediately flounced over to the dress section, admiring a few of them. “Oh my god, look at this!” she said, holding out a yellow sundress, “Isn’t that gorgeous?”
“It’d be even more gorgeous on you,” Yuma said with a smile, and he couldn’t help but snicker at Mirai’s flushed cheeks.
“Shut up, pervert,” she stuck her tongue out at him, and he could tell she was just joking around, instead of actually meaning it, like she usually did.
“Hey, Yamada, come here,” Yuma gestured towards him, and the two went over to the men’s section of the store.
“I think you need some new clothes,” Yuma said, gesturing towards his worn out jeans and loose fitting white t-shirt. “What do you think Mirai-chan?”
He was expecting Mirai to snap at Yuma again for calling her by that nickname, but to his surprise, she didn’t. “I think you’re right,” Mirai walked over to them, eyeing the shirts on the rack. “Let’s give Ryo-chan a makeover!”
“A what now?” he immediately asked, eyeing his two friends nervously.
“It’ll be fun!” Mirai grabbed his hands, bouncing a little in place. “Some new clothes, get your hair fixed-”
“What’s wrong with my hair?” he asked, tearing his hands away from Mirai’s and clutching his head, “I like my hair!”
“It’s lame,” Yuma said, reaching forward and tugging on a strand, causing him to yelp.
“But-” he tried to protest, but Mirai was already grabbing his hand, tossing her dresses over the rack as she dragged him back out into the mall, Yuma following behind them and keeping his gaze locked on Yamada, making it impossible for him to escape.
“God damn it,” he cursed as they approached the hair salon, glaring at his friends, who just smiled back at him. Well, Mirai smiled, Yuma kind of cackled as Mirai booked him an appointment.
Three hours later, he stumbled into his house, Mirai and Yuma following behind him as they helped him carry his many bags of clothes. He quickly ushered them to his room, closing the door behind them and dropping his bags to the floor, groaning as he flopped onto his bed. He could feel two more bodies plopping down beside him, and then Mirai began playing with his hair, smiling at him.
“It looks so good,” she commented, “I don’t know what it is, but the brown really brings out your eyes, and the cut really flatters your face shape and stuff.”
Yuma snickered, but Mirai ignored him, still playing with his hair. He could feel his eyes closing at the comforting touch, reminding him of those years ago when he came home after dark, stumbling and crying into his mother’s arms.
“Ryo-chan, are you,” Mirai paused, and he opened his eyes, sniffling, “Why are you crying?”
Yuma sat up, looking over at the two of them in concern.
“I’m just,” he bit his lip, avoiding Mirai’s gaze, “I’ve never really had friends, and now I have you two, and I’m just,” he let out a small sob, burying his face into his pillow.
“Ryo-chan,” Mirai whispered, bringing him into a hug. “I’m glad we’re friends too. At first I was really sad that we had to move here, but now that I know you,” she paused, “And Yuma, I feel really happy.”
“Same here,” Yuma added, rubbing his back, “I’m kind of a loner myself, but I don’t know, you guys are just awesome I guess.”
He pulled away from the pillow, glancing at Mirai, then Yuma, before looking back down. “Thanks,” he wiped at his eyes, and then sat up, asking, “Do you guys want to stay for dinner?”
“Sure,” the two said simultaneously, and Mirai blushed while Yuma smiled, giving her a wink.
He smiled too, feeling the heavy burden he’d been carrying around for years getting lighter.
***
If he had thought people were staring at him last week, then he didn’t understand the true meaning of the word stare, because this was just a little too insane and made him very uncomfortable.
“Stupid Yuma and stupid Mirai,” he muttered as he walked into class, spotting the two chatting at Mirai’s desk. Yuma was sitting down in her chair, while Mirai sat on top of her desk, and he could see Yuma’s arm leaning against her thigh.
He smirked, tossing his backpack onto the floor, laughing when the two jumped apart, clearing their throats.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” he continued to laugh, sitting down in his desk. Yuma got up, clapping him on the back a little too hard as he went to his own desk. Mirai blushed and quickly sat down, grabbing her notebook from her backpack.
“Hey, what happened to your crush on Yuto?” he asked, and Mirai turned around, her cheeks still a light pink.
“Long legs are nice and all,” she said quietly as their teacher entered the room, “but I don’t know, I think I might like the bad boy who is secretly very sensitive, type.”
“I knew it,” he said, causing Mirai’s blush to darken. He opened his mouth to say more, but their teacher interrupted them, beginning to explain a new assignment to them.
“I’ll be pairing you guys into groups of two, and you’ll be picking a scene from a story in our English book,” she held up said English book, “To perform for the class. First…”
Mirai looked back at him, looking concerned, “Oh my god, we better get paired together. I don’t know anyone else in the class besides you and Yuma.”
“Maybe you’ll get paired with Yuma though,” he pointed out, and Mirai cutely shrugged, turning back around.
“Nakajima Yuto and,” the teacher glanced down at her list, “Yamada Ryosuke.”
His eyes snapped forward as he heard his name, before looking over at Yuto, seeing the boy smiling at him. He gulped, and smiled weakly back, wondering why it felt like his stomach had just dropped to his knees.
When class dismissed for lunch, he joined up with Mirai and Yuma as he normally did, but before they even left the classroom, Yuto stopped them, asking for Yamada to stay behind.
“See you guys later,” he waved to Yuma and Mirai, and then turned his attention towards Yuto.
“Since we’ll be partners for this assignment, I thought it’d be a good idea to hang out,” Yuto chirped, grabbing his bag from his seat and slinging it over his shoulder, “Come on,” he said, and the two left the classroom, going in the opposite direction of the courtyard.
Yuto led him towards the hallway where the third years had their classes, and where the staircase that led to the roof was. Students weren’t allowed up there though, but Yuto gestured for him to hurry up, walking up the set of stairs. They reached the door to the outside and Yuto pushed it open, letting him pass through first. The door swung shut behind them, and he smiled, admiring the scenery the rooftop offered.
“Wow,” he said, and Yuto hummed in agreement, dropping his bag to the floor. He followed suit, and the two walked over to the ledge, leaning onto it.
“So, what story do you want to do?” Yuto asked, and he shrugged, not really caring too much. He was much more interested in the view, of the tall buildings in the distance, of the students playing soccer in the field, and, especially of Yuto, standing right next to him.
There was that funny feeling again.
“How about Briar Rose?” Yuto asked, interrupting him from his daydreams.
He shrugged again, nodding his head, “Sure, sounds good, just one question though.”
“What’s that?” Yuto asked, looking very excited for their assignment.
“Who will be Briar Rose?” he asked, and he laughed as the smile fell from Yuto’s face, who eventually began laughing too, until the bell rang, signaling them that it was time to head back to class.
“How did it go?” Mirai asked as soon as he sat down, looking at him expectantly.
“It went fine,” he said awkwardly, not sure what Mirai was expecting to hear from him. Apparently it wasn’t that though, because she rolled her eyes, turning back in her seat.
Grabbing his pencil, he began to take notes, resisting the urge to look over at Yuto, although he wasn’t sure why he wanted to look at the boy in the first place.
He just did.
Really badly.
Peeking through his bangs, his eyes widened when he saw Yuto staring at him. Blushing, he quickly looked away and turned back towards his notes, biting his lip as he scribbled furiously in his notebook.
***
It was the weekend again, but instead of hanging out with Mirai and Yuma, he was meeting up with Yuto at the park, so that they could practice their play.
During the school week, the two established that he’d be Briar Rose, which he had been reluctant to agree too, but was becoming more okay with the idea. He wasn’t sure what they were going to do about that kiss scene though; Yuto hadn’t seem too disturbed at the idea of kissing him, which seemed really weird, because weren’t straight boys supposed to be grossed out at the idea of kissing another boy?
Besides, he didn’t want his first kiss to be in front of the whole class, by a boy he didn’t know too well, but for some reason, made his knees wobbly and his skin feel hot.
He arrived at the park a few minutes early, but he could see that Yuto was already there, waiting for him by the swing set. He walked over and the other greeted him with a smile, giving Yamada a big hug and twirling him around, causing him to squeak in surprise and cling to him.
“Yama-chan!” Yuto set him back down, and he wondered where all these nicknames were coming from. “I’m so excited, our story is definitely going to be the best.”
“I don’t know,” he teased the other boy, “Mirai and Yuma are doing West Side Story, and I hear it’s going to be pretty awesome. They’re going to be doing the scene where Tony and Maria first meet.”
Yuto chuckled, “That’s cool. You know,” Yuto said as he began to walk, leading them away from the swing set and towards a more secluded area, “You guys are an interesting group of friends.”
“What makes you say that?” he asked, curious, because he had that thought too.
“Well, Nakayama is all tough, Shida is really bubbly and you,” Yuto paused, looking over at him, “You’re just different altogether.”
He raised a brow at Yuto’s statement, but didn’t question him, just opened up his book and asked, “Shall we practice now?”
Yuto nodded, and Yamada laid down in the grass, his eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest. Yuto began speaking in English, reading some lines he made up to accompany the story. He couldn’t help but snort when he heard Yuto exclaim, “Wow, beautiful flowers!”
Yuto talked some more, making his way towards him, and he could feel Yuto kneeling beside him, his face close to his and making it harder to breathe, for some reason. Then, as if in slow-motion, a pair of soft lips brushed against his cheek, and his eyes snapped open, looking up at Yuto in shock.
“She’s awake!” Yuto cheered, clapping and he slowly got up, his head whirling from the kiss, replaying the way it felt against his cheek a thousand times and then suddenly, he understood those weird feelings he’s been having.
Because when Yuto kissed his cheek, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed, that the kiss wasn’t on his lips instead.
“Yama-chan, you okay?” Yuto asked, bringing a hand to his forehead and he jumped, clearing his throat.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied, pushing aside his confusion. “Let’s do it again, your English is still a bit awkward.”
Yuto nodded, and he laid back down in the grass, eyes closed, mind blank until Yuto kissed him on the cheek again, and he made a mental note to call Mirai that night.
He needed a girl for a problem like this.
***
When he was done practicing with Yuto, he texted Mirai, asking if they could meet up. She quickly responded, saying that she’d be at his place in twenty minutes. He smiled and quickened his pace, and he ended up arriving there the same time as Mirai.
“Hey,” Mirai greeted, and the two exchanged a hug before he opened the door, letting Mirai enter first and then closing it behind him.
The two went up to his room and flopped onto his bed, Mirai yawning as her head hit the pillow. He chuckled and snuggled close, trying to find the best way to say what was on his mind. Mirai patiently watched him, playing with his hair, giving him a comforting smile.
“I like someone,” he blurted out, and Mirai squealed, her hand flying to her mouth as she wiggled around.
“Oh my god, who!?” she asked, grinning widely.
“Well,” he started, and then stopped, taking a deep breath. “I um, I like,” he looked away, saying in a whisper, “Yuto.”
“Yuto!?” Mirai practically shouted, “Long legs Yuto?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “I like Yuto, a lot.”
“Since when?” Mirai asked, her hand in his hair again.
“It’ll sound clichéd, but,” he blushed, causing Mirai to call him a cutie, “Since the first day I saw him. I just didn’t know what I was feeling was a crush until today when he kissed me.”
His eyes widened as he realized what he just said, and before he could correct himself, Mirai was tackling him with a hug, squeezing the life out of him and shrieking in his ear.
“No, not a kiss on the lips!” he pushed Mirai away from him, breathing hard, “Just on the cheek.”
“Oh,” Mirai blushed, chuckling, “Sorry,” she apologized, and then asked, “Wait, why did he kiss you on the cheek?”
“For our story, we’re doing Briar Rose and he’s the prince,” he sighed as Mirai teased him, pinching his chubby cheeks. “I don’t know what to do though, I really like him but,” he stopped, faltering.
“I don’t know what you should do, to be honest,” Mirai patted his cheek, “Just wait and see how it goes, I guess? And no matter what happens, Yuma and I will be here for you, okay.”
He smiled, kissing Mirai’s nose and making her let out another squeal.
***
The next week passed by without any problems; he and Mirai gossiped during class, and Yuma walked him to the crosswalk everyday, but now Mirai joined them, angry that he hadn’t told her about the bullying problem. He didn’t want Mirai to worry though, and besides, with Yuma protecting him, no one dared touched him.
The only thing that was different that week was Yuto, and how he was now a part of his life. Their presentation wasn’t until Friday, but the two still met up during lunch, practicing their skit, and also just getting to know each other. He was surprised to see that Mirai was right about Yuto being a dancer, and a damn good one at that. The younger boy tried to teach him a few moves, but he ended up falling onto the ground, knocking his chin against the floor of the roof and causing his eyes to tear up. It hurt like hell, but when Yuto picked him up and kissed his bleeding chin, he couldn’t help but feel a little better, and also wonder…
Did Yuto like him back?
Sometimes it seemed like it. Yuto always greeted him with a big hug, and occasionally a kiss on the cheek. He also seemed interested in everything he had to say, even though he knew he was a boring and lame person. Regardless, Yuto treated him as if he were something special, and that made his heart beat so fast, he was sure it would burst out of his chest.
This infatuation could not be healthy.
Eventually, Friday rolled around, and he could barely contain his nerves as the teacher called on them, telling them that it was their time to present. Yuto grabbed his desk and brought it to the front of the room, setting it down. He joined Yuto and sat on the desk, keeping quiet as the other explained their story.
“We’re doing the scene from Briar Rose, where the prince wakes up the princess after her one hundred years of being asleep,” he said, ignoring the chuckles from the back of the class. “I’m playing the prince, and Yamada is Briar Rose.”
Laying down on the desk, his legs dangled over the edge as he closed his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. Yuto began talking, and he noted with a sense of pride how good Yuto sounded, his English perfectly pronounced.
He couldn’t help but let his mind wander though, nervously anticipating their kiss. They had always practiced the kiss on the cheek, but for some reason, every time Yuto kissed him, his lips landed closer and closer to his own. He wasn’t sure how he would react if Yuto actually kissed him, in front of the whole class none-the-less. It would be horribly embarrassing, but also disappointing, because he doesn’t want his first kiss to be like that, not for some stupid play where he’s sleeping beauty and Yuto is the tall, handsome prince.
He tensed when he felt Yuto’s hand on his cheek, and then it happened.
Yuto kissed him.
On the lips.
Eyes opening, he looked up at Yuto in shock, forgetting his lines, forgetting to breathe, just forgetting everything except how to run, the door to the classroom shutting behind him. He rushed down the hallway and made his way towards the stairs that led to the roof, going up them two at a time. When he reached the top of the stairs, he burst through the door, collapsing onto the ground.
His legs hurt from the run and his chest was heaving with every breath, but the worst of it all was the tears streaming down his cheeks, and it felt like with each tear he shed, his heart broke a little more.
Hearing the door open behind him, he didn’t even bother to try and move when Yuto fell down next to him, taking him into his arms.
“Yama-chan, what’s wrong, why did you run out of class?” Yuto asked, and he found his face cupped in between Yuto’s hands, looking up into those concerned eyes of his.
“I like you,” he confessed, “A lot, but I didn’t want my first kiss to be like that, not for some presentation, especially not from you.”
“Yama-chan, I,” Yuto began, but Yamada interrupted him, saying, “Don’t worry, I know, it’s okay. How could I expect a wonderful guy like you to like me, I’m just this ugly, uninteresting, fat loser,” he sobbed, remembering all those cruel words from before, suddenly feeling every scar ache on his body. “I dyed my hair and I got new clothes and contacts, but it doesn’t change anything, I’m still me and that-”
His eyes widened when he felt Yuto’s lips on his again, so soft and warm and comforting.
“I like you, just the way you are,” Yuto said when he pulled away, smiling, “Glasses, no glasses, black hair or brown. You’re not fat, and I’m going to hurt whoever put that thought into your mind,” he kissed him again, a little deeper this time, and Yamada found his eyes falling shut as his hands gripped Yuto’s shirt, clinging to him.
“You’re very interesting to me,” Yuto said, breaking the kiss one more time, “You’re quiet and thoughtful, and I’m always wondering what’s going on in that head of yours. You’re a good friend to Mirai and Yuma, supporting them in wanting to be together. Most people would get jealous,” he paused, his breath mingling with Yamada’s, “And just, I don’t know, do I really need a ton of reasons as to why I like you?”
Yamada smiled and shook his head, before bringing Yuto into another kiss, too happy for words.
***
He’s sixteen when his life changes around; he meets Mirai and Yuma, his best friends, who are currently cuddling on his bed, exchanging small kisses, Mirai’s graceful hand contrasting quite nicely with Yuma’s rings and black fingerless gloves.
He also meets Yuto, who doesn’t mind his dorky glasses or badly styled hair, but he decides to keep the contacts and hair products anyway; they make him feel more confident in himself, and considering his issues, he thinks he probably needs that.
“Oh, it’s our scene,” Yuto interrupts him, pointing to the small TV in his room. They’re laying down on the floor, watching Sleeping Beauty and although it’s the Disney version, they don’t mind.
Just as the prince kisses Aurora in the movie, Yuto leans over and kisses him, and he’s so happy he can’t even think straight.
So he doesn’t, he just kisses back.
Author: hotfruits
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yamada/Yuto. Nakayama Yuma/Shida Mirai.
Word Count: 6399
Disclaimer: Nope
Summary: AU. Yamada Ryousuke's life has never been perfect, but upon entering high school, he seems to have fallen into a fairytale. With new friends like fiesty Shida Mirai and the decepitvely punk Nakayama Yuma, Yamada ends up finding himself and true love.
Written for crazy_otaku911.
I apologize for this. ;_;
He remembers when he was thirteen years old, legs tucked under his chin with one arm wrapped around them, the other holding a stick as he poked at the muddy ground in front of him. He was missing a shoe, his hair was a mess and his eye was quickly swelling shut, making it uncomfortable to wear his glasses. He knew he should start heading home soon, but he didn’t want his parents to see him in this state, bloodied and torn and with tears streaking down his cheeks.
He should be used to the teasing; four-eyes, fatty, loser, but he wasn’t, each time hurt more than the last and truthfully, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it.
He remembers another time, when he’s fifteen years old and staring up at the stars above him. His shirt is untucked and his jacket is under his head, cushioning it from the dirt ground below. His arms and legs are strewn out, and he feels a spider crawling on his hand but he doesn’t mind it, just ignores it as he counts the stars above. He always loses track after a hundred, or when his phone begins ringing, and he glances at the caller ID every time, even though he knows its just his sister calling, asking where he is.
He doesn’t feel like going home though, he doesn’t want them to see the blood on his stomach or the blood in his hair, matting it down and dripping down his forehead.
He’s sixteen when things begin changing, his first year of high school. He tries to remain as inconspicuous as possible, keeping his head low and his pace quick as he dodges past the chatting students. One boy trips him and he falls to his knees, his eyes tearing up at the stinging pain. He uses his hands to help himself up, stumbling a bit before hurrying away, ignoring the snickers that follow after him.
He makes it to class a minute before the bell rings, and he quickly locates a seat, behind a girl with twinkling eyes and shoulder length black hair. She turns in her seat as he takes his, and introduces herself as Shida Mirai.
He smiles softly at her, mumbling his name quietly. She quirks an eyebrow at this, but says nothing, turning back in her seat when the teacher begins taking roll. He looks around the class as he hears the students names, curious in who’s who, taking a special interest in a few of them; like Nakayama Yuma, who has dyed hair and a smirk on his lips, twirling a pencil in between his ring covered fingers. There was also Morimoto Shintaro, who had a bowl cut and a big nervous grin, whispering animatedly with the girl next to him, who’s name he couldn’t remember now.
The person who intrigued him the most though, and he didn’t know what it meant when his breath caught a little as the other stood up, was Nakajima Yuto. The boy was tall, very tall, with mile long legs and dangling arms. He had a happy smile on his face, and black bangs obscuring his eyes.
“He’s cute,” Mirai whispered to him, causing him to jump in his seat. The boy next to him looked at him funny, but he ignored it, and the way Mirai was smiling at him.
“Ask him out then,” he awkwardly replied, pulling at his coat sleeve with nervous fingers.
“I just might,” Mirai winked and turned back around, and he sighed, grabbing his pencil when the teacher began writing notes on the board.
He dropped his pencil a few hours later, cracking his fingers and twisting his wrists, causing them to pop. He grabbed his bag and took out his lunch, making his way out of the classroom when Mirai caught up to him, looping her arm through his. He looked at her strangely, but she just smiled and led him down the hall and into the courtyard, towards an abandoned table that was shaded by a large tree.
“Sorry for dragging you away like that,” Mirai apologized as she began to eat her lunch, and he took notice of the cute shapes her vegetables were cut into. “I just moved to Tokyo, and haven’t made many friends yet, besides you of course,” Mirai giggled, popping a carrot into her mouth.
“That’s alright,” he opened up his own lunch and began eating, feeling awkward and uncomfortable and weird and, “I don’t have any friends myself, so I’m happy we’re eating together.”
Mirai looked shocked as she set down her chopsticks. “You don’t have any friends?” she asked incredulously, “No way, you’re so cute, the girls must love you!”
He shook his head, staring down at his lunch. He wondered if Mirai could see the scar on his chin, spreading across the left side of his jaw. “Not really, but that’s okay,” he said, hoping Mirai would take the hint that he wanted the subject to be dropped.
She did, and began rambling about Nakajima, her eyes moving excitedly as he spoke, “God, he is so cute, right! I love tall boys, no offense of course,” she glanced at him, winking, and he wondered if she did that a lot, “But those legs, they’re soooooo long. I bet he’s a dancer with legs like those.”
He found himself laughing as Mirai continued to talk, and he wondered if this is what it felt like to have friends.
Because it felt nice.
Really nice.
The rest of the day continued on, with Mirai sneaking looks at him every few minutes, rolling her eyes at the teacher or complaining about the time. Soon enough, school was over and Mirai once again had her arm looped with his, leading them out of the school with her head held high, while he kept his directed at the ground, out of habit more than anything else.
“Hey, what’s your cell phone number?” Mirai asked as they exited the building, pulling her cell phone out of her coat pocket. “We should hang out soon and study, or just hang out,” Mirai giggled, and he smiled at her bubbly personality.
The two exchanged numbers, and Mirai gave him a big hug before walking off, going in the opposite direction of him. He began walking away too, but a group of students stopped him, blocking his path.
“Yamada-kun,” one of the girls walked up to him, poking his chest with a sharp nail, “What are you doing with that girl, she’s way too pretty to be hanging out with a fatty like you.”
“Yeah,” a boy piped up, slinging an arm around his shoulders, causing him to sag under the weight. The boy grabbed his glasses and threw them to the ground, before stomping on them, cackling. The other students began to laugh as well, and he could feel his eyes tearing up as he felt himself being shoved to the ground, landing on his side with a hard thud.
“Hey!” a voice screamed out, and he looked towards the source, seeing a blurry head of spiky hair, “What the hell is wrong with you assholes, picking on a kid so much smaller than you. Does it make you feel good, hmm?” the boy asked rhetorically, bending down and grabbing him under the armpits, hauling him to his feet. “Leave this kid alone, or I’ll break your fucking face.”
The boy began to lead him away, an arm around his shoulders.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said weakly, closing his eyes as he walked along. He was practically blind without his glasses anyway, and this way, the boy who saved him wouldn’t see his cowardly tears.
“Yeah, and just let those jerks kick your ass? Brilliant plan kid, really,” the boy said sarcastically, suddenly stopping. He stumbled forward for a second before stepping back, figuring they were waiting at a stop light.
“You’re Yamada, right?” the boy asked, and he nodded. “I’m Nakayama Yuma, I think you’re in my class.”
“I am,” he nodded again, finding himself feeling very surprised that the boy with the rings saved him. “Thank you, by the way,” he said, walking again as he heard the ding from the crosswalk sign.
Yuma shrugged, “Yeah, whatever. You going to be okay from here?”
“I’ll be fine,” he opened his eyes, squinting at the road signs ahead. He couldn’t read them too well, but he’s had to find his way home without his glasses plenty of times, so he knew he’d be fine.
“See you tomorrow!” Yuma called out as he left, and he waved to the other boy, his thoughts racing.
Two friends, well, one friend and whatever Yuma was to him, he wasn’t sure yet, in just one day?
He smiled, deciding not to ponder too much on it, in case he jinxed it all or something.
Friends.
For the first time in a long time, he was excited for school the next day.
***
Yamada felt uncomfortable as he walked through the hallways, his hands clutching his backpack straps. Everyone was looking at him, more so than usual, and he didn’t know what to make of it. Ducking into class, he took his seat behind Mirai and slumped forward onto his desk, burying his face into the polished wood surface.
When he looked up, Mirai was staring at him, her mouth hanging open.
“What?” he snapped, bringing the girl out of her daze. “Why is everyone staring at me today?”
Mirai brought a hand to her face, gesturing towards her eyes. He blinked, copying her gesture and Mirai sighed, clicking her tongue.
“Your glasses, Ryo-chan,” his eyebrows shot up; he has a nickname now? “You’re not wearing them.”
“Uh, yeah. I um,” he faltered, not wanting to hell Mirai about what happened yesterday, “I broke them, and I couldn’t find my spare pair, so I had to wear my contacts today. I hate them,” he blinked, trying to dispel the tingling sensation in his eyes.
“Oh,” Mirai simply said, and then added, “You look really good.”
He blushed, clearing his throat. “Thanks,” he stuttered, and was grateful when the teacher began role call, saving him from possible embarrassment.
“But really,” Mirai started up again as they went out to the courtyard, sitting at their table.
Their table.
That felt good to say.
“You look amazing without glasses, not that you looked bad with them, of course,” Mirai added, rushing over her words. “Really though,” she pointed at him with one of her chopsticks, a serious expression on her face, “If I see you wearing your spare pair, I’m going to gut you with this,” she gestured towards the chopstick in her hand and he gulped, scared to ask if she was joking or not.
“Yo, Yamada!” he looked over his shoulder and saw Yuma coming over towards them, grinning lazily. He sat across from them and took out his own lunch, ignoring the surprised looks, well, his surprised look and Mirai’s semi-disgusted one.
“Hey, I’m Yuma,” he introduced himself to Mirai, “Nice to meet you, Mirai-chan.”
“Don’t call me that,” Mirai glared, wielding her chopstick at him. “Or I’ll gut you with this.”
Yuma chuckled, amused, while he couldn’t help but be concerned for their safety. Mirai was a lot scarier than he had ever anticipated.
“Baby, you can do whatever you want to me,” Yuma laughed when Mirai got up, throwing her weapon at him. She stalked off, and he made to get up after her, but Yuma stopped him, saying, “Hey, you look pretty good without glasses.”
He threw his hands up in the air, a little exasperated. “How can I look good without glasses, but not with them. It’s still the same face!”
Yuma shrugged, “I don’t know, I guess,” he paused, a hand on his chin, “Your glasses were kind of big and bulky, and they hid your eyes. Without them, you can see your eyes better.”
“So?” he asked, not getting the point Yuma was making.
“You have nice eyes,” Yuma’s grin became softer as he said this, and he couldn’t help but blush at the compliment.
“Anyways,” Yuma coughed, his bad boy persona back in place, “We should hang out this weekend, you know, catch a movie, do a little shopping, whatever,” Yuma took a drink from his water bottle, “And you should bring that foxy friend of yours,” Yuma’s grin reminded him of a lion, who was plotting the best way to capture its prey.
Which is probably what Yuma was doing, to be perfectly honest.
“I’ll ask her if she wants to,” he said, definitely not making any promises. It was pretty clear Mirai didn’t like the other boy, but who knows, she might agree to it.
“Ew!” Mirai shouted as soon as he voiced the idea, brushing her hair before class.
“He’s not that bad,” Yamada said, “It’d be fun?”
Mirai turned towards him, her expression unimpressed. “Yeah, about as fun as hanging out with a creepy pervert,” she looked back towards the window, using its reflection to fix her bangs. “We could hang out though, just the two of us. That,” she grinned, “would be fun.”
He chuckled, “Alright.”
The bell rang, and two shuffled back into class, making their way towards their desks when he felt himself falling. Throwing out his hands, he braced himself for the impact, but it never came. Opening his eyes that he hadn’t realized he closed, he found himself face to face with Yuto, the tall boy Mirai liked.
“You alright?” the other asked, and he noted that Yuto’s arms were around his waist. He tried not to think about how nice they felt as he stood up, nodding. “Well, that’s good, be careful,” Yuto ruffled his hair and sat down at his desk, and he scurried towards his, ignoring the concerned look Mirai shot him as the teacher ordered them to grab their English books.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to concentrate on the English words in front of him, but found that he couldn’t. His heart was racing for some reason, and he could feel a small sweat breaking out on his forehead. Unconsciously, he glanced over at Yuto, finding himself spacing out as he watched the other boy. All sorts of thoughts invaded his mind, like; how much he liked the shape of Yuto’s nose, the way it slopped down and centered his face. He also took notice of Yuto’s eyes, surrounded by dark lashes, and his jaw, which looked strong and manly, unlike his own.
When the bell rang, he shook his head, trying to force his thoughts about Yuto’s muscled arms and friendly smile out of his mind. Getting up, he and Mirai walked out of the school, with Yuma trailing behind them. As soon as Mirai left, Yuma flanked to his side, an arm around his shoulders as he led the other away from the school.
“I can walk by myself, you know,” he said, finding himself shrinking under the scrutinizing stare of the students surrounding them.
“Yeah, but then someone might try to kick your ass again, and I’m not cool with that,” Yuma said, and he couldn’t help but smile. Under his tough, swearing and slightly perverted exterior, Yuma seemed to be really nice and caring.
“Hey,” he smiled, a plan forming in his mind, “We should hang out this weekend, even if Mirai can’t join us. What do you say?”
Yuma grinned, nodding, “Sounds good to me, yo,” he said, before walking off, giving him a small salute as he crossed the street.
He saluted back, laughing to himself as he walked away as well, amazed at how good it felt to truly laugh.
This was going to be a good year, he could feel it.
***
The rest of the week passed by easily enough; he and Mirai were caught exchanging notes in class, so they had to stay after one day to clean up the classroom. It was alright though, the two had fun dancing around with brooms and singing into them, pretending to be rock stars.
He really liked Mirai; she was a wonderful friend, and sometimes he wondered where she had been all his life. The two just clicked, and although she scared him at times, he really was grateful to have her in his life.
He also really liked Yuma, and he could tell that Mirai was warming up to him as well, which made him feel a little better about tricking her into hanging out with them. He had agreed to meet both friends in front of the mall entrance at the same time, and he hoped that this way, Mirai wouldn’t threaten them with whatever sharp object she had on her.
“Ryo-chan!” he heard Mirai call out from his left, and then a moment later, he heard Yuma say, “Yo, Yamada!” from his right.
“You invited him?” Mirai asked, hands on her hip. He shrugged, giving her an uneasy smile as Yuma joined them, his hands in his pockets.
“Ugh, fine!” Mirai scoffed, entering the mall and Yuma gave him a thumbs up, the two following after her.
Mirai led them into a pretty modern looking store, and she immediately flounced over to the dress section, admiring a few of them. “Oh my god, look at this!” she said, holding out a yellow sundress, “Isn’t that gorgeous?”
“It’d be even more gorgeous on you,” Yuma said with a smile, and he couldn’t help but snicker at Mirai’s flushed cheeks.
“Shut up, pervert,” she stuck her tongue out at him, and he could tell she was just joking around, instead of actually meaning it, like she usually did.
“Hey, Yamada, come here,” Yuma gestured towards him, and the two went over to the men’s section of the store.
“I think you need some new clothes,” Yuma said, gesturing towards his worn out jeans and loose fitting white t-shirt. “What do you think Mirai-chan?”
He was expecting Mirai to snap at Yuma again for calling her by that nickname, but to his surprise, she didn’t. “I think you’re right,” Mirai walked over to them, eyeing the shirts on the rack. “Let’s give Ryo-chan a makeover!”
“A what now?” he immediately asked, eyeing his two friends nervously.
“It’ll be fun!” Mirai grabbed his hands, bouncing a little in place. “Some new clothes, get your hair fixed-”
“What’s wrong with my hair?” he asked, tearing his hands away from Mirai’s and clutching his head, “I like my hair!”
“It’s lame,” Yuma said, reaching forward and tugging on a strand, causing him to yelp.
“But-” he tried to protest, but Mirai was already grabbing his hand, tossing her dresses over the rack as she dragged him back out into the mall, Yuma following behind them and keeping his gaze locked on Yamada, making it impossible for him to escape.
“God damn it,” he cursed as they approached the hair salon, glaring at his friends, who just smiled back at him. Well, Mirai smiled, Yuma kind of cackled as Mirai booked him an appointment.
Three hours later, he stumbled into his house, Mirai and Yuma following behind him as they helped him carry his many bags of clothes. He quickly ushered them to his room, closing the door behind them and dropping his bags to the floor, groaning as he flopped onto his bed. He could feel two more bodies plopping down beside him, and then Mirai began playing with his hair, smiling at him.
“It looks so good,” she commented, “I don’t know what it is, but the brown really brings out your eyes, and the cut really flatters your face shape and stuff.”
Yuma snickered, but Mirai ignored him, still playing with his hair. He could feel his eyes closing at the comforting touch, reminding him of those years ago when he came home after dark, stumbling and crying into his mother’s arms.
“Ryo-chan, are you,” Mirai paused, and he opened his eyes, sniffling, “Why are you crying?”
Yuma sat up, looking over at the two of them in concern.
“I’m just,” he bit his lip, avoiding Mirai’s gaze, “I’ve never really had friends, and now I have you two, and I’m just,” he let out a small sob, burying his face into his pillow.
“Ryo-chan,” Mirai whispered, bringing him into a hug. “I’m glad we’re friends too. At first I was really sad that we had to move here, but now that I know you,” she paused, “And Yuma, I feel really happy.”
“Same here,” Yuma added, rubbing his back, “I’m kind of a loner myself, but I don’t know, you guys are just awesome I guess.”
He pulled away from the pillow, glancing at Mirai, then Yuma, before looking back down. “Thanks,” he wiped at his eyes, and then sat up, asking, “Do you guys want to stay for dinner?”
“Sure,” the two said simultaneously, and Mirai blushed while Yuma smiled, giving her a wink.
He smiled too, feeling the heavy burden he’d been carrying around for years getting lighter.
***
If he had thought people were staring at him last week, then he didn’t understand the true meaning of the word stare, because this was just a little too insane and made him very uncomfortable.
“Stupid Yuma and stupid Mirai,” he muttered as he walked into class, spotting the two chatting at Mirai’s desk. Yuma was sitting down in her chair, while Mirai sat on top of her desk, and he could see Yuma’s arm leaning against her thigh.
He smirked, tossing his backpack onto the floor, laughing when the two jumped apart, clearing their throats.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” he continued to laugh, sitting down in his desk. Yuma got up, clapping him on the back a little too hard as he went to his own desk. Mirai blushed and quickly sat down, grabbing her notebook from her backpack.
“Hey, what happened to your crush on Yuto?” he asked, and Mirai turned around, her cheeks still a light pink.
“Long legs are nice and all,” she said quietly as their teacher entered the room, “but I don’t know, I think I might like the bad boy who is secretly very sensitive, type.”
“I knew it,” he said, causing Mirai’s blush to darken. He opened his mouth to say more, but their teacher interrupted them, beginning to explain a new assignment to them.
“I’ll be pairing you guys into groups of two, and you’ll be picking a scene from a story in our English book,” she held up said English book, “To perform for the class. First…”
Mirai looked back at him, looking concerned, “Oh my god, we better get paired together. I don’t know anyone else in the class besides you and Yuma.”
“Maybe you’ll get paired with Yuma though,” he pointed out, and Mirai cutely shrugged, turning back around.
“Nakajima Yuto and,” the teacher glanced down at her list, “Yamada Ryosuke.”
His eyes snapped forward as he heard his name, before looking over at Yuto, seeing the boy smiling at him. He gulped, and smiled weakly back, wondering why it felt like his stomach had just dropped to his knees.
When class dismissed for lunch, he joined up with Mirai and Yuma as he normally did, but before they even left the classroom, Yuto stopped them, asking for Yamada to stay behind.
“See you guys later,” he waved to Yuma and Mirai, and then turned his attention towards Yuto.
“Since we’ll be partners for this assignment, I thought it’d be a good idea to hang out,” Yuto chirped, grabbing his bag from his seat and slinging it over his shoulder, “Come on,” he said, and the two left the classroom, going in the opposite direction of the courtyard.
Yuto led him towards the hallway where the third years had their classes, and where the staircase that led to the roof was. Students weren’t allowed up there though, but Yuto gestured for him to hurry up, walking up the set of stairs. They reached the door to the outside and Yuto pushed it open, letting him pass through first. The door swung shut behind them, and he smiled, admiring the scenery the rooftop offered.
“Wow,” he said, and Yuto hummed in agreement, dropping his bag to the floor. He followed suit, and the two walked over to the ledge, leaning onto it.
“So, what story do you want to do?” Yuto asked, and he shrugged, not really caring too much. He was much more interested in the view, of the tall buildings in the distance, of the students playing soccer in the field, and, especially of Yuto, standing right next to him.
There was that funny feeling again.
“How about Briar Rose?” Yuto asked, interrupting him from his daydreams.
He shrugged again, nodding his head, “Sure, sounds good, just one question though.”
“What’s that?” Yuto asked, looking very excited for their assignment.
“Who will be Briar Rose?” he asked, and he laughed as the smile fell from Yuto’s face, who eventually began laughing too, until the bell rang, signaling them that it was time to head back to class.
“How did it go?” Mirai asked as soon as he sat down, looking at him expectantly.
“It went fine,” he said awkwardly, not sure what Mirai was expecting to hear from him. Apparently it wasn’t that though, because she rolled her eyes, turning back in her seat.
Grabbing his pencil, he began to take notes, resisting the urge to look over at Yuto, although he wasn’t sure why he wanted to look at the boy in the first place.
He just did.
Really badly.
Peeking through his bangs, his eyes widened when he saw Yuto staring at him. Blushing, he quickly looked away and turned back towards his notes, biting his lip as he scribbled furiously in his notebook.
***
It was the weekend again, but instead of hanging out with Mirai and Yuma, he was meeting up with Yuto at the park, so that they could practice their play.
During the school week, the two established that he’d be Briar Rose, which he had been reluctant to agree too, but was becoming more okay with the idea. He wasn’t sure what they were going to do about that kiss scene though; Yuto hadn’t seem too disturbed at the idea of kissing him, which seemed really weird, because weren’t straight boys supposed to be grossed out at the idea of kissing another boy?
Besides, he didn’t want his first kiss to be in front of the whole class, by a boy he didn’t know too well, but for some reason, made his knees wobbly and his skin feel hot.
He arrived at the park a few minutes early, but he could see that Yuto was already there, waiting for him by the swing set. He walked over and the other greeted him with a smile, giving Yamada a big hug and twirling him around, causing him to squeak in surprise and cling to him.
“Yama-chan!” Yuto set him back down, and he wondered where all these nicknames were coming from. “I’m so excited, our story is definitely going to be the best.”
“I don’t know,” he teased the other boy, “Mirai and Yuma are doing West Side Story, and I hear it’s going to be pretty awesome. They’re going to be doing the scene where Tony and Maria first meet.”
Yuto chuckled, “That’s cool. You know,” Yuto said as he began to walk, leading them away from the swing set and towards a more secluded area, “You guys are an interesting group of friends.”
“What makes you say that?” he asked, curious, because he had that thought too.
“Well, Nakayama is all tough, Shida is really bubbly and you,” Yuto paused, looking over at him, “You’re just different altogether.”
He raised a brow at Yuto’s statement, but didn’t question him, just opened up his book and asked, “Shall we practice now?”
Yuto nodded, and Yamada laid down in the grass, his eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest. Yuto began speaking in English, reading some lines he made up to accompany the story. He couldn’t help but snort when he heard Yuto exclaim, “Wow, beautiful flowers!”
Yuto talked some more, making his way towards him, and he could feel Yuto kneeling beside him, his face close to his and making it harder to breathe, for some reason. Then, as if in slow-motion, a pair of soft lips brushed against his cheek, and his eyes snapped open, looking up at Yuto in shock.
“She’s awake!” Yuto cheered, clapping and he slowly got up, his head whirling from the kiss, replaying the way it felt against his cheek a thousand times and then suddenly, he understood those weird feelings he’s been having.
Because when Yuto kissed his cheek, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed, that the kiss wasn’t on his lips instead.
“Yama-chan, you okay?” Yuto asked, bringing a hand to his forehead and he jumped, clearing his throat.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied, pushing aside his confusion. “Let’s do it again, your English is still a bit awkward.”
Yuto nodded, and he laid back down in the grass, eyes closed, mind blank until Yuto kissed him on the cheek again, and he made a mental note to call Mirai that night.
He needed a girl for a problem like this.
***
When he was done practicing with Yuto, he texted Mirai, asking if they could meet up. She quickly responded, saying that she’d be at his place in twenty minutes. He smiled and quickened his pace, and he ended up arriving there the same time as Mirai.
“Hey,” Mirai greeted, and the two exchanged a hug before he opened the door, letting Mirai enter first and then closing it behind him.
The two went up to his room and flopped onto his bed, Mirai yawning as her head hit the pillow. He chuckled and snuggled close, trying to find the best way to say what was on his mind. Mirai patiently watched him, playing with his hair, giving him a comforting smile.
“I like someone,” he blurted out, and Mirai squealed, her hand flying to her mouth as she wiggled around.
“Oh my god, who!?” she asked, grinning widely.
“Well,” he started, and then stopped, taking a deep breath. “I um, I like,” he looked away, saying in a whisper, “Yuto.”
“Yuto!?” Mirai practically shouted, “Long legs Yuto?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “I like Yuto, a lot.”
“Since when?” Mirai asked, her hand in his hair again.
“It’ll sound clichéd, but,” he blushed, causing Mirai to call him a cutie, “Since the first day I saw him. I just didn’t know what I was feeling was a crush until today when he kissed me.”
His eyes widened as he realized what he just said, and before he could correct himself, Mirai was tackling him with a hug, squeezing the life out of him and shrieking in his ear.
“No, not a kiss on the lips!” he pushed Mirai away from him, breathing hard, “Just on the cheek.”
“Oh,” Mirai blushed, chuckling, “Sorry,” she apologized, and then asked, “Wait, why did he kiss you on the cheek?”
“For our story, we’re doing Briar Rose and he’s the prince,” he sighed as Mirai teased him, pinching his chubby cheeks. “I don’t know what to do though, I really like him but,” he stopped, faltering.
“I don’t know what you should do, to be honest,” Mirai patted his cheek, “Just wait and see how it goes, I guess? And no matter what happens, Yuma and I will be here for you, okay.”
He smiled, kissing Mirai’s nose and making her let out another squeal.
***
The next week passed by without any problems; he and Mirai gossiped during class, and Yuma walked him to the crosswalk everyday, but now Mirai joined them, angry that he hadn’t told her about the bullying problem. He didn’t want Mirai to worry though, and besides, with Yuma protecting him, no one dared touched him.
The only thing that was different that week was Yuto, and how he was now a part of his life. Their presentation wasn’t until Friday, but the two still met up during lunch, practicing their skit, and also just getting to know each other. He was surprised to see that Mirai was right about Yuto being a dancer, and a damn good one at that. The younger boy tried to teach him a few moves, but he ended up falling onto the ground, knocking his chin against the floor of the roof and causing his eyes to tear up. It hurt like hell, but when Yuto picked him up and kissed his bleeding chin, he couldn’t help but feel a little better, and also wonder…
Did Yuto like him back?
Sometimes it seemed like it. Yuto always greeted him with a big hug, and occasionally a kiss on the cheek. He also seemed interested in everything he had to say, even though he knew he was a boring and lame person. Regardless, Yuto treated him as if he were something special, and that made his heart beat so fast, he was sure it would burst out of his chest.
This infatuation could not be healthy.
Eventually, Friday rolled around, and he could barely contain his nerves as the teacher called on them, telling them that it was their time to present. Yuto grabbed his desk and brought it to the front of the room, setting it down. He joined Yuto and sat on the desk, keeping quiet as the other explained their story.
“We’re doing the scene from Briar Rose, where the prince wakes up the princess after her one hundred years of being asleep,” he said, ignoring the chuckles from the back of the class. “I’m playing the prince, and Yamada is Briar Rose.”
Laying down on the desk, his legs dangled over the edge as he closed his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. Yuto began talking, and he noted with a sense of pride how good Yuto sounded, his English perfectly pronounced.
He couldn’t help but let his mind wander though, nervously anticipating their kiss. They had always practiced the kiss on the cheek, but for some reason, every time Yuto kissed him, his lips landed closer and closer to his own. He wasn’t sure how he would react if Yuto actually kissed him, in front of the whole class none-the-less. It would be horribly embarrassing, but also disappointing, because he doesn’t want his first kiss to be like that, not for some stupid play where he’s sleeping beauty and Yuto is the tall, handsome prince.
He tensed when he felt Yuto’s hand on his cheek, and then it happened.
Yuto kissed him.
On the lips.
Eyes opening, he looked up at Yuto in shock, forgetting his lines, forgetting to breathe, just forgetting everything except how to run, the door to the classroom shutting behind him. He rushed down the hallway and made his way towards the stairs that led to the roof, going up them two at a time. When he reached the top of the stairs, he burst through the door, collapsing onto the ground.
His legs hurt from the run and his chest was heaving with every breath, but the worst of it all was the tears streaming down his cheeks, and it felt like with each tear he shed, his heart broke a little more.
Hearing the door open behind him, he didn’t even bother to try and move when Yuto fell down next to him, taking him into his arms.
“Yama-chan, what’s wrong, why did you run out of class?” Yuto asked, and he found his face cupped in between Yuto’s hands, looking up into those concerned eyes of his.
“I like you,” he confessed, “A lot, but I didn’t want my first kiss to be like that, not for some presentation, especially not from you.”
“Yama-chan, I,” Yuto began, but Yamada interrupted him, saying, “Don’t worry, I know, it’s okay. How could I expect a wonderful guy like you to like me, I’m just this ugly, uninteresting, fat loser,” he sobbed, remembering all those cruel words from before, suddenly feeling every scar ache on his body. “I dyed my hair and I got new clothes and contacts, but it doesn’t change anything, I’m still me and that-”
His eyes widened when he felt Yuto’s lips on his again, so soft and warm and comforting.
“I like you, just the way you are,” Yuto said when he pulled away, smiling, “Glasses, no glasses, black hair or brown. You’re not fat, and I’m going to hurt whoever put that thought into your mind,” he kissed him again, a little deeper this time, and Yamada found his eyes falling shut as his hands gripped Yuto’s shirt, clinging to him.
“You’re very interesting to me,” Yuto said, breaking the kiss one more time, “You’re quiet and thoughtful, and I’m always wondering what’s going on in that head of yours. You’re a good friend to Mirai and Yuma, supporting them in wanting to be together. Most people would get jealous,” he paused, his breath mingling with Yamada’s, “And just, I don’t know, do I really need a ton of reasons as to why I like you?”
Yamada smiled and shook his head, before bringing Yuto into another kiss, too happy for words.
***
He’s sixteen when his life changes around; he meets Mirai and Yuma, his best friends, who are currently cuddling on his bed, exchanging small kisses, Mirai’s graceful hand contrasting quite nicely with Yuma’s rings and black fingerless gloves.
He also meets Yuto, who doesn’t mind his dorky glasses or badly styled hair, but he decides to keep the contacts and hair products anyway; they make him feel more confident in himself, and considering his issues, he thinks he probably needs that.
“Oh, it’s our scene,” Yuto interrupts him, pointing to the small TV in his room. They’re laying down on the floor, watching Sleeping Beauty and although it’s the Disney version, they don’t mind.
Just as the prince kisses Aurora in the movie, Yuto leans over and kisses him, and he’s so happy he can’t even think straight.
So he doesn’t, he just kisses back.