You Belong To Me

Chapter 4

By the time they headed out, it was rather dark outside, the whole world feeling quiet. Shouta linked arms with him, looking especially tired and worn out.

"You okay?" Hizashi asked, stopping and turning to him. "Really. Something's wrong."

He shrugged, both of them getting interrupted by the same girl from earlier who'd come running out behind them. Shouta turned around with a frown, instinctively tightening his grip on Hizashi's arm.

"What's up?" He squeaked out, not expecting to have another death grip on his arm today.

"What do you want?" Shouta grumbled at the same time, straightening his posture.

"I just wanted to say bye! You're awesome, Mic. Thanks for talking to us… while you could," She finished, avoiding eye contact with Shouta.

"Of course! Any time, any time!"

"Go back to your friends now," Shouta spoke up, starting to walk away and pulling Hizashi with him. "I'm his friend, you have yours."

The girl gave Hizashi a concerned look, which he quickly smiled off and turned around, waving goodbye to her, feeling his heart quicken and a bit of his own worry set in.

What the heck, Sho?

Something's not right here. With him.

The rest of the walk home was oddly silent, Hizashi making a few comments here and there, but otherwise nothing was said. Shouta let his hair down, the pitch black instantly covering his shoulders and falling in his face.

"Thanks for dinner," Hizashi said, following Shouta out to his back porch and sitting next to him on the swinging bench. He leaned on him, letting out a tired sigh.

Tired didn't begin to describe how he felt right now. Keeping up that charismatic mask all day with all this added… stuff? Wasn't easy in the slightest.

Feeling his eyes droop, he scooted closer to Shouta, looking lazily up at the evening sky. Hints of pink and yellow swirled around, turning the clouds a bright orange as they floated by.

After a while of sitting like that, Shouta reached for his pocket and pulled out a small box and lighter, offering it to Hizashi.

"Huh? Nah, I don't smoke, Sho. Never knew you did either." He commented, closing his eyes and humming softly as the sun trickled away.

He shrugged, lighting one for himself and tucking the box back into his pants pocket. "Ever since this year's class. There's shit constantly. If you want one just ask, if you need to destress." Shouta said, losing all the tenseness he usually had as he breathed the smoke into the evening sky, watching it dance and twirl in the wind.

"Wouldn't have expected you of all people," Hizashi laughed sleepily, barely able to stay awake at this point.

"Is it an issue?"

"Nah. It's all good." He yawned, scooting to the side so he could lay on Shouta's lap, facing up at him. "No judgment here. I ain't a hypocrite."

Shouta smiled. "Oh yes, go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Don't mind my legs."

"Shut up. Just for that, I'm stealing it from you out of spite."

"Go ahead," He held it down for Hizashi so he'd actually be able to reach it. He took it, taking a few drags before handing it back.

"Some thief you are. Do you know what stealing is?" Shouta joked, running his fingers down Hizashi's hair.

"Mmhn" He barely replied, beginning to fall asleep. "Maybe,"

Shouta let him sleep until he'd finished the cigarette, bending at an odd angle to put it out on the ground, then nudging him awake.

"You need to go to bed. In an actual bed."

"I don't wanna move." Hizashi said, still not entirely awake yet. "It's warm here."

"It's freezing outside."

"You're warm. Whatever." He sat up, looking at Shouta and feeling his eyes sting. "Do you wanna use the bed tonight instead of the couch? As bros, obviously."

"Sure," Shouta agreed with a smile, walking with Hizashi to his bedroom and laying on top of the covers while Hizashi buried himself in them. Hizashi scooted next to him, falling asleep nearly instantly.

Shouta looked down at him, feeling his own exhaustion start to take a toll on himself.

I love him. Maybe one day he'll feel the same.

It's so nice having him around. Why can't Nemuri see how happy he makes me?

Why can none of them see how much I love him?