UP CLOSE, SUGURU WATCHES the blood vessels in satoru's pale cheeks flare open, spreading a watercolor-wash of pink across his face. he feels the warmth of flushed skin against his palm, the brush of soft white strands over the backs of his fingers. every nerve in his body is on alert, sensitive, tingling with an anticipation he barely understands through the haze of satoru, satoru, satoru in his head.
up close, the sugar and spice of him clouds suguru's senses ( and, along with them, his proper judgement. ) the flash of movement has him looking down again, at the swipe of tongue across lower lip — almost as teasing as the look in those pretty blue eyes. and the weight of his arms around suguru's neck feels right, like puzzle pieces slotting together.
that's what terrifies him about this. all of this. it doesn't feel wrong.
a fresh wave of red spreads over his face at satoru's teasing remark, his taunt, like they're on the court and he's challenging suguru to a contest he knows he'll win. ( not that it would stop suguru from trying. ) ❝ don't be stupid, ❞ he retorts with a slight, exasperated smile of his own, but it isn't enough to get him back on steady footing. satoru always knows exactly how to throw him off-balance.
it's the teasing, the shit-eating grin, and the easiness of it all that finally tips him over the edge. he wants to wipe that dumb smile off satoru's face. so he will. ❝ shut up. ❞ and before he can allow himself another thought, suguru closes the distance, hand still locked around the back of satoru's neck, and kisses his best friend.
he cannot pretend that he hasn't imagined this before. only, suguru's thoughts of how satoru might taste are always quickly shut down. it is a short kiss, gentle and chaste, but it sends a thrill through his body nonetheless. satoru's lips are so soft against his own; as much as some part of him wants to pull his best friend's body flush, tangle a hand in his hair and never let this moment end, the kiss is short and sweet. he pulls away after only a second or two and lets his hand fall back to his side — if satoru's arms were not still around his neck, he would have stepped back to give the other boy some space. instead, suguru swallows, searches his face for any hint of disgust or disappointment. ❝ ... well? ❞