𝑳𝑬𝑺 𝑭𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑺 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

almost heaven ~ 50

AN: I honestly didn't realise it's been three months????? What the hell? How dare time move so fast, like, seriously???? Slow down, please, I ain't ready yet.
I'm really sorry for the wait. This chapter is shorter than the others, but I will try (remember, try) and update more often...maybe once a week? Once in two weeks? I don't know. I've been feeling really bad lately, and I seriously had no strength to write anything. I'd rather not force myself to write because then nobody will like how it turns out...me included.
Sorry, again.

He walked back to his apartment, and, to his surprise, neither Chikara nor Shion were there; Shouto was.

It reminded him of the time Kyoya was there, silently waiting in front of his door...waiting for him to come back, but it wasn't the same. That time, Yuma had no wish to see Kyoya, but when it came to Shouto...

Their eyes met, and Shouto didn't hesitate as he pushed off the wall and made his way towards him. He didn't hesitate when he reached for him, when he pulled him closer and clung onto him like a desperate child.

For a moment, Yuma forgot how to breathe.

"You weren't there when I came in the morning," Unlike the rest of him, Shouto's voice was calm. "Where did you disappear off to?"

Gently, as if not to frighten him—by the Gods, he's treating him like a wounded animal—Yuma raised his hand to the back of Shouto's head and slowly began threading his fingers through his soft hair. He didn't say anything immediately, instead he...let himself feel the comfort he knew only Shouto could offer him now, or perhaps it was Shouto who needed the comfort. Nevertheless, either way was fine, wasn't it?

"Let's go inside...?" He offered, placing his other hand on Shouto's lower back, intending to lead him to the door.

The only answer he got was a nod against his shoulder.
.
.
.
They went inside, and even with the door closed, locked shut from a force of habit, Shouto did not let go of his hand. He held it and followed after Yuma like a puppy.

"You can sit anywhere you'd like. I'll go wash up real quick and then I'll be back." He turned to look at him, only to see that he was already being looked at.

Shouto's face hardened and his grip only tightened.

It made Yuma's heart ache.

"I'll be right back, okay?" He tried to smile, he really did, but it didn't feel right. It felt too strained, tight, like his skin would break if he continued smiling, so he fully faced Shouto and reached a hand up to his cheek. "Okay?" The corners of Shouto's mouth pulled back in a somewhat grimace, an expression Yuma wasn't sure he ever saw him make. It didn't seem like this was going anywhere, so Yuma had to be a bit...cruel. "Shouto, I've been on two twelve hour flights. I'm tired and I've not eaten anything and I need you to cooperate. Can you do that for me?"

And viola, Shouto let go of him. He averted his eyes and clenched his hands into fists on his sides.

With mild regret gnawing at his insides, Yuma turned around and made his way to the bathroom.
.
.
.
After the quickest shower of his life, he threw on some clothes in a jiffy and went back to the living room. For a moment, he couldn't see Shouto, but then he noticed that he was silently sitting on the sofa. "How'd you know when I'd be back?" He took a seat besides him, pulled his legs closer to himself, and turned to look at him.

Shouto didn't answer, instead, however, he asked a question of his own, "Where did you go?"

Deliberately, he avoided answering his question. Unexpected and highly unusual.