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There had always been an overwhelming tension between them, the kind that you could cut through with the dullest of knives. Before they had even formally met, Taka was annoyed by Mondo's delinquent tendencies and attitude. Mondo hated how Taka had the holier than thou manner of speech and that he sneered at him before they even spoke. They were complete and total opposites. Only an imbecile wouldn't be able to see it. The constant jabs they threw at each other, insulting each other at every move, did nothing more than sparking more anger. It seemed that Taka would find any possible reason to give Mondo detention, and Mondo made sure to make Taka's life hell after being forced to sit in the empty classroom after school.
It finally got to where their rivalry would obstruct their “school environment,” as Taka had put it. He had suggested that Mondo try and put their feud to rest with a duel. Mondo was fully ready to beat the shit out of the guy, but Taka had instead proposed a sauna endurance contest. The rules were simple; the first to leave the blazing sauna would lose. It seemed fair enough, so both men agreed. When the duel came to fruition, starting with minor bickering, it eventually evolved into a thoughtful conversation. The pair found that they had much more in common than they had previously thought. A rocky childhood—to say the least—a sense of righteous conviction and a tremendous understanding of the rules of leadership. Mondo understood why Taka was so strict on upholding morals now, showing everyone that he was better than his grandfather had been. In turn, Taka apologized for judging Mondo’s attitude harshly at their first meeting. Rather than one victor, a truce had formed. The two left their vitriol to stew in the sauna, exiting together with a newfound friendship.
It had been three years since then. They were now in their final year at Hopes Peak Academy and about to graduate. Mondo had decided that after he graduated, he would be passing the torch of the leader of the Crazy Diamonds down to his right-hand man, Takemichi. Over the years, he had realized he didn’t want to be known for causing trouble his whole life and thought he would use his hands to make things rather than break them. The obvious choice was to learn a trade skill, ergo, Mondo apprenticing himself under a carpenter.
On the other hand, Taka had decided he wanted to further his education. Since he maintained commendable grades in a top-tier school like Hopes Peak, he could essentially get into any university he wanted, especially with him being the Ultimate Moral Compass. As everyone, save for him, had expected, he would be going to one of the top schools in the country. The two men had even planned to get an apartment near Taka’s university.
Since those three years had passed, the two men had grown incredibly close and were practically inseparable at this point. It was rare to see one without the other right by his side, or at least not that far behind. After the sauna, however, that first initial angry tension had morphed into a different kind, one that could not be described simply with words. It was not apparent to either of the men, though, just to everyone else around them. Their classmates often joked that they were like a married couple with how they acted. They might as well have been.
Taka was much more outwardly affectionate towards Mondo when they first became friends. Hugging him, slinging his arm around his shoulder, and patting him on the back were prevalent actions for Taka. He would often smother Mondo in words of appreciation and praise, saying how thankful he was for Mondo’s friendship and how great of a man he was. It always made Mondo rub the back of his neck and blush, stuttering out a small ‘thanks.’ It took some time for Mondo to be almost as affectionate as Taka was, but Mondo had other ways of showing affection. Taka found that Mondo would partake in small acts of service more often than physical touch. Mondo would often help Taka carry his numerous textbooks he couldn’t fit in his backpack or give him rides on his motorcycle if he needed to go somewhere outside of Hopes Peak. The motorcycle rides had to take a lot of convincing on Mondo’s part. Taka feared falling off the bike, but being so close to Mondo and holding onto him for support eased his fears.
Their behaviors only intensified as time passed. Their interactions with each other only seemed to make the tension between them wound tighter . Hands that had lingered a moment too long, the urges to say something about their feelings grew more intense, and the desire to be closer, to hold the other tighter, building inside them both. Of course, both oblivious men had romantic feelings for the other but refused to recognize it for the overwhelming fear of possible rejection. This led the two to the present, practically cuddling each other as Taka studied for his upcoming finals while Mondo was finishing an assignment for one of his classes, which Taka chastised him into doing. Mondo was startled out of concentration by Taka closing his textbook.
“Woah, are you actually done with studying for once?” Mondo said with genuine surprise. He couldn’t help but watch Taka’s hands resting on the cover. Unlike Mondo’s own, his nails were neatly trimmed, which seemed to crack off on their own, with him finishing the job with his teeth.
Taka chuckled, “Yes! I feel quite confident with this exam, so I only wanted to do a quick review to be certain I didn’t miss any material.” He moved away from Mondo’s side to put his textbook away in his backpack. Mondo leaned into his distant person, subconsciously missing Taka’s warmth.
“Hell yeah! You wanna watch a movie or somethin’ then?” he said as he scribbled down the last answer on his worksheet before shoving it away in his bag. He was sure he’d gotten at least half of the answers correct, and that was good enough for him.
Taka turned to him and raised an eyebrow, “Did you finish your assignment?”
Finished, yes. Correctly? Well. What Taka didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. “ Yes , I did. Now you wanna watch a movie or what?”
“Then yes!” Taka beamed. He always looked so cute when he smiled, Mondo thought to himself. Taka made himself comfortable again on Mondo’s bed while Mondo got up and queued up a movie on the small dorm television. Mondo had to fight the urge to scream, enjoying the way Taka looked on his bed. Once Mondo sat back down on the bed, Taka immediately leaned his head onto Mondo’s shoulder, who instinctively wrapped his arm around Taka. A few minutes into the movie, Mondo felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulls it out and sees it’s a text from Chihiro.
From: Chihiro
Hey Mon! How’s the studying going? :)
Mondo types out a response to them, still keeping his arm around Taka.
From: Mondo
Good as it could get, just finished. Watchin’ a movie with Kiyo now .
“Is that Chihiro texting you?” Taka murmured, his voice low. He sounded sleepy and content, and Mondo wanted to scream. It was unfair that he could be so attractive while half-asleep.
“Yeah, I just told ‘em we’re watchin’ a movie,” Mondo said, clearing his throat and taking the chance to peek over at Taka. With only the small television screen illuminating the room, he could only see the subtle shadows of Taka’s sharp face. His fingers itched with the desire to stroke his cheek.
“Tell them I said hello for me, would you?” he asked politely. Mondo watched his lips move, almost missing the words. His face was so close, if Mondo just leaned in a bit…
Mondo snaps out of his brief fantasy. “‘Course.” He says hi btw. A few more minutes pass, and he gets a response.
From: Chihiro
Tell him I also said hi! But seriously… are you ever going to ask him out?? You two are going to be living together soon, for goodness sake! You can’t avoid your feelings forever you know >:(
Mondo felt his eye twitch, an uncontrollable reaction he had when anxious. He didn't want to be thinking about this right now, especially not with the object of his affections right under his arm. Yeah, he had a massive crush on his best friend, and he was really laying it on thick, yet Taka still hadn’t somehow noticed yet.
From: Mondo
Chi, I’m workin’ on it. I’m tryin’ to think of a plan dammit.
Their response was nearly immediate.
When have you ever been good at planning Mondo? Just go for it!
Go for it, as if it was so easy , Mondo thought to himself. While considering this, he got another text.
If you don’t tell him, I might just slip that you’ve had a crush on him since you first saw him. Good luck! :)
Mondo knew that Chihiro was kidding, but it still made him nervous.
From: Mondo
You wouldn’t, but thanks, ya nerd .
He set his phone down and continued to try and watch the movie. However, he found his internal panic overwhelming and couldn’t focus. Should he tell him? Wasn’t asking someone out supposed to be a grand gesture? All of the girls he had ever asked out with public confessions and flowers had rejected his sorry ass, so he just stopped trying a long time ago. Now, he was entirely out of the loop and lost as to what to do. Besides that, what if Taka wasn’t interested? Mondo was sure the result wouldn’t be so tragic that they stopped being friends, but there was so much to consider. Being roommates would be a little awkward after rejection, to say the least.
Unbeknownst to Mondo, though, Taka was going through a similar internal struggle himself. It was getting harder and harder for him to keep his feelings for his friend buried. As Mondo typed away on his phone, Taka snuck glances at him. He watched the way his phone screen illuminated his long eyelashes. He always thought Mondo’s eyes were so pretty, even before his crush on him began to stew inside of him. Befriending Mondo had been as much of a learning experience as it had been exhilarating. He had often bumbled his way through relationship interactions, with his social awkwardness having him miss certain cues. Mondo had been kind enough to help him through it, using their first interaction as a starting point . However, he quickly realized that he had completely and utterly fallen in love with his best friend while learning about people, Mondo particularly, and it terrified him.
Mondo was his first real friend, and Taka didn’t want to ruin what he had with him. Mondo was too important. The thought of losing him was unbearable. However, he must say that the constant physical affection and casual flirting were incredibly unhealthy for his mental wellbeing. Taka was the epitome of morality; however, he was not as innocent as many of his peers assumed him to be, Mondo included. He realized very soon at Hopes Peak that he was far too critical of others and the actions they decided to partake in, so he just decided to encourage others to consider the consequences of their “immoral” activities. As he matured, though, he also found that he may be much too critical of himself as well. Morality only went so far, and Taka found it increasingly difficult to mask his desires, especially the ones he had for his most genuine friend.
The more he buried his feelings, though, the more it would drive him mad. He hated to admit it, but he often felt the extreme urge to climb into Mondo’s lap and kiss him like his entire life depended on it, and often things much more… inappropriate than that as well. Taka’s excuse to have these thoughts was that there was nothing morally wrong with having hormone-driven thoughts since every human being has had them at one point or another. Regardless, Taka, more than anything, wanted to tell Mondo how he felt but did not want to risk the most significant thing that he has in his life right now. It was incalculable the damage that might cause himself, other factors not included.
So there, the two men sat, stewing in their anxieties. Before they knew it, the movie had ended, although neither of them would have been able to recall it, and they both sat in silence for a few moments.
“Do you need to be headin’ back any time soon?” Mondo spoke to break the silence. There was a bitter tone to his voice, and he wondered if Taka had caught it. They’d been together for hours, but it didn’t feel like enough. It never did.
Taka shook his head. “No, it is Friday after all, so we don’t need to be up early for class.”
Mondo nervously scratched the back of his neck out of habit. “Do ya… wanna stay the night?” He always gets nervous asking this question, even though he’s asked it dozens of times. It always felt like something more than it had when they were younger. There was more weight to it now. A worry that Taka might find it odd or strange for them to spend so many nights together in the small room, even if they would live together in a few months.
“Yes! I’d love to, bro! I just need to get a change of clothes from my dorm! I’ll be right back!” Taka beamed, quickly removing himself from Mondo’s grasp and lacing up his boots. Mondo stifled the sigh of relief he felt coming out. Taka took his backpack with him as he exited the room, giving a slight wave to Mondo before closing the door behind him. He immediately took a deep breath as he walked to his dorm swiftly.
He was going to do it when he came back; he was sure of it. He was going to tell Mondo how he felt. Upon being given a challenge, Taka would always succeed. That's just how his brain was wired. His dorm was quiet and empty when he arrived, as it always was. Mondo’s room always felt much warmer, but maybe that had less to do with the space and more to do with Mondo being there.
As Taka retrieved the necessary items for sleeping over in Mondo’s room, Mondo paced his room. He ran his hands through his hair, quickly ruining the pompadour on his head. He wiped the combination of hair gel and hairspray off of his fingers onto his pants, feeling sweat on his hands. He should tell him tonight, but he doesn’t know how and he’s freaking out. He isn’t aware of how much time passes after he decides to sit back down on his bed, his back facing the door. He ties his messy hair into a bun and sighs deeply, pressing the palms of his hands into his eye sockets.
He doesn’t hear Taka come back inside as he growls under his breath, “I can’t fuckin’ do this anymore, Taka… I can’t take it.”
“Do what, bro?” Mondo nearly jumps out of his skin when he hears Taka speak again. He shot up off the bed and quickly turned to Taka with an overnight bag slung over his shoulder and dark eyebrows furrowed in concern. Taka looked confused and worried, and Mondo felt his stomach drop. How could he be so cute while Mondo looked like a mess? To Taka, Mondo looks like he had seen a ghost, his face pale instead of the usual olive tone his skin has. “Mondo? What’s wrong?”
Mondo felt his throat close up. “Fuck… I-It’s nothing Taka. Don’t worry about it.”
“You said my name, though, did you not? So what did you want to tell me?” Fuck, God fucking damn it, shit, oh my God, now I’m fucked. Mondo’s mind was racing, and he didn’t know how to back out of this now. He was losing words faster than he could think of them. There were no believable lies he could tell, so his only choice was to spit it out now.
“Um… can you just sit down for a sec?” His eye twitches again, and his voice wants to rise in volume, but he tries his hardest not to start yelling. Taka wouldn’t like that. No one would, but especially Taka. A confession from a maniac wouldn’t be so well-received. He had always hated it when he yelled.
“Of course.” Taka sets his bag down, sits on the edge of the bed, and begins to take his boots off. Only a mild concern began to bubble up inside Taka’s chest. What could have Mondo in such sudden distress? He was fine when he left. At least he seemed that way. He did notice him rubbing his neck earlier, a nervous habit of his. Taka pondered what he could have been worried about as he meticulously removed his boots. Maybe he hadn’t been enjoying the movie? That couldn't be it; he had chosen the movie. Still, it might have been a regrettable choice, and Taka didn’t remember enough of the film to comment. It also seemed unlike Mondo to be so distressed over something so small as a movie.
Meanwhile, Mondo stood stiff as a board, watching Taka bend over the edge of his bed and pull those stupid fucking boots off that made him sweat if he stared at them for too long. Mondo couldn’t imagine why he would always wear the damn things, especially with his pristine school uniform, although maybe it was for the best that Mondo couldn’t see more of Taka’s legs, so he decided to stare at the back of his head. The urge to touch Taka’s hair was overwhelming. Mondo tried to will his body to make himself pass out. Once Taka finished, he turned around and sat with his legs crossed and back straight, staring up at his friend. Mondo hoped that Taka’s routine habits would have given him more time to think, yet he had nothing.
“Now, what were you saying before?” Mondo’s heart was pounding like a drum in his chest, and it felt like he was going to faint every time his eyes even drifted towards Taka. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Taka’s thick eyebrows furrowed, “Mondo? You look ill… Are you alright? Do you need some medicine?”
No, he was not alright. He felt like he was about to explode, and the look on Taka’s face was only making him want to scream. “We don’t have to talk if you’re not feeling well, and I can stay over another da—”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU’RE ONLY MAKIN’ THIS HARDER!” Mondo exploded, promptly cutting off Taka. Taka flinched, and his crimson eyes widened, but Mondo wasn’t finished. “Jesus Christ! I’m sorry for swearing at ya, but I feel like I’m gonna explode if you keep askin’ me if I’m okay, dammit! Because I’m not FUCKIN’ okay! I haven’t been okay for almost four years, Taka! And it doesn’t fuckin’ help when you look at me with that face like you’re about to cry, so please fuckin’ stop.”
Taka sneered slightly, tears building in his eyes. He blinked, trying to avoid the inevitable effects of gravity. “ Obviously you’re not alright. You know how I feel about you yelling at me, Mondo.”
Mondo groaned loudly into his hands and aggressively rubbed them over his face as he paced slightly. He ignored Taka’s comment and continued his impulsive speech. “God, I can barely handle it when you look at me at all! You’re fucking ruining me, Taka, Christ….”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Taka’s voice was stricken. Regret colored Mondo’s thoughts. He always spoke too quickly. Why did he do that?
“Fuck! I didn’t mean that in the wrong way. I just…” I just can’t hold it in any longer. I can’t be quiet. Mondo grit his teeth.
“What are you trying to tell me, Mondo? Because it seems like you’re trying to hurt my feelings right now.” He was now raising his voice as well, and it only made Mondo more stressed.
“NO! Can you just listen to me and let me fuckin’ talk?”
“I would if I understood what you’re trying to tell me! You aren’t making any sense!” Taka’s agitation was apparent. He was wringing his hands together. Mondo desperately wanted to hold them, to tell him he wasn’t trying to hurt him, but he couldn’t will his body to move. It wasn’t Taka’s fault that Mondo was this way.
“I don’t even know! I didn’t want to be telling you this right now anyway!” It was too soon. Too fast. This isn’t what he had wanted. He should have planned it out.
Taka’s brain was conjuring every sort of terrible thing Mondo could be trying to tell him right now, “Telling me what, Mondo? Why can’t you just say it instead of dancing around it forever?”
“You don’t even know how hard this is for me right now! I’ve been thinking about this for years!”
“What? That you don’t want to be my friend anymore?” Finally, Taka’s tears had begun to spill, his crimson eyes only shining brighter. Mondo flinched. Is that what Taka was thinking? Did he really think he was going to leave him?
Before Mondo was able to speak again, Taka turned away from him and reached for his shoes. Tying up his boots was a process he usually wouldn’t skip, but he couldn’t stay here any longer. He didn’t have to sit here and take this. He didn’t know what got into Mondo, but he wasn’t going to let him yell in his face any longer. “Taka, please don’t leave. I’m sorry for yellin’, really I am! Just please don’t leave. That’s not-” Mondo pleaded as he circled his bed to stand in front of Taka.
“Leave me alone, Mondo. We can talk more tomorrow.” He stood with his bag in hand and his unlaced boots on, tears still rolling down his face but not letting his voice break. His throat ached, and he clenched his jaw.
They were standing much too close for comfort now. Taka could smell the cologne Mondo always wore, and for a brief moment, he hated the scent. “No, you need to listen to me!”
“I’m tired of listening! Now move, Mondo!” He stared intensely into Mondo’s lavender eyes, trying to will him to move without arguing anymore. He couldn’t bear the idea of touching him right now.
Defeated, Mondo moved aside, his heart breaking in the process. Taka sped past him, his untied boots stomping on the plush carpet of the dorm. He flung the door open and slammed it behind him, making both men wince from the noise. Taka rushed back to his dorm, trying to keep his crying at bay and not trip on his laces. He would hate for any one of his classmates to see him in this state right now. Once he was in the safety of his room, he completely broke down. He fell to his knees and let the tears fall onto the floor. He already regretted leaving Mondo like that. The look in his eyes only made him hurt more. He didn’t understand why Mondo was so… he couldn’t even describe it. He couldn’t read people well, to begin with, but he had grown to read Mondo very well. But in his dorm, he seemed like a completely different person. He wasn’t leaving much to Taka’s imagination, so he automatically assumed the worst. But then Mondo's face immediately changed when he said what he thought. Had his assumptions been wrong? Or did you hit the nail on the head? his cruel mind thought. Taka didn’t want to believe it of course, but both of them were too overwhelmed to think clearly, so Taka thought it was best to leave. However, to Taka, it already seemed like a massive mistake on his part. He should have been more patient with Mondo. He should have just kept quiet and listened to what he had to say, maybe it was a big misunderstanding. He knew how terrible Mondo’s anxiety was. Taka was sure he had only made it worse.
Mondo hadn’t moved from beside his bed, staring at the place where Taka had been standing. He clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides to ground himself. He fucked up. He fucked up so badly. He could hardly believe he managed to screw up so royally. Why couldn’t he just say what he wanted to say? Why did his anxiety have to betray him? Why did he have to make things so much harder for himself? He suddenly couldn’t sit still anymore, and the urge to break something was overwhelming. Of course, he’d want to get violent and angry. It was the only thing he was good at. He could hear Taka’s voice in his head saying, You’re a better man this, Mondo.
Was he really, though? Because he certainly didn’t fucking feel like it. He grabbed a pillow off his bead and screamed at the top of his lungs into it, fingers harshly digging into the soft fabric. The dorms were soundproof, but Mondo’s screams seemed to rattle the entire room. He continued to scream until his lungs were on fire, and he could no longer breathe. Mondo peeled the abused pillow off his face and panted heavily, eyes wet from tears building in his eyes. He focused on his breathing so his eyes would dry faster. Weakly throwing the pillow back onto the bed, he slumped down on the plush blankets. Taka had taught him the pillow trick. He always told Mondo to do it if he ever felt overwhelmed since it always helped Taka when he felt that way. Mondo felt exhausted suddenly, and all he wanted to do was sleep forever. He pulled out his phone and typed out a text. He sent it and immediately threw it across the bed. He was fast asleep before he could look at the response.
From: Mondo
Chi, I fucked up. Can we talk Sunday morning?
From: Chihiro
Of course, I’ll meet you at the usual place
~
When Sunday morning came, Chihiro sat patiently on a bench in the courtyard of Hopes Peak. They looked around at the beautiful scenery. Now that summer was rapidly approaching, gorgeous flowers began to thrive. Tulips, daisies, lilies, and carnations gave the air a pleasant and sweet smell. Chihiro checked their watch. It was a few minutes past eleven o’clock, and they were hoping this wasn’t too early for Mondo, even though he did say he would meet them in the morning. He usually slept in on the weekends. They stressed too much about these sorts of things.
They conveniently looked up from their watch and saw Mondo shuffling towards him. They gave him a small wave and smile before they got to take a good look at him. To put it lightly, he looked like hell. Mondo didn’t even bother doing his hair, the longer bleached part curling along one side of his face. He didn’t have makeup on either, prominently showing off the bags under his eyes and the dullness in his irises. Chihiro lept off the bench and scurred to Mondo, worry painting their face. “Mondo! You look awful! What happened?” Mondo ignored him, though, and walked right past them. Chihiro’s gaze followed Mondo’s sulking figure. “Mon?” they said gently. They watched Mondo slump onto the same bench Chihiro had been sitting on, and they quickly joined his side.
“I messed up, Chi. I think Taka hates me.” He said quietly, and Mondo was never quiet. He fiddled with his hands, watching his fingers bend and flex.
Chihiro chuckled lightly. “Don’t be silly, Mondo. Taka could never hate you!” However, when he watched for Mondo’s reaction, it didn’t change at all. Oh shoot, he’s serious...
He shook his head and took a deep breath. “I tried tellin’ ‘im how I felt, and… I fucked it up. I was yellin’, and I kept gettin’ frustrated ‘cause I couldn’t get the words out right, and I made ‘im really upset…” He paused to take a shaky breath. “We ended up fightin’, and he left in tears. I haven’t spoken to ‘im since. He thinks I don’t wanna be his friend anymore.” He wrenched his hands together, visibly very stressed. Mondo told him everything that happened up until where they were now. He had hardly slept since Friday night. All he wanted to do was go to Taka and tell him he was sorry, but every text he sent Taka was ignored. It only made him more and more anxious and regretted he even said anything to him. Mondo just wallowed in his dorm, feeling sorry for himself. He only had enough energy to take a shower.
Chihiro could see the pain in Mondo’s eyes as he spoke. They knew why Mondo looked so unlike his usual self now. They also knew how much he cared for Taka, so they knew just how badly Mondo must be hurting right now. “Oh no… Mondo, I’m so sorry…” They put a small hand on Mondo’s shoulder. Suddenly, Mondo pulled Chihiro into a bone-crushing hug, and they let out a small yelp of surprise. Mondo began to cry, and his sobs shook both of their bodies. Chihiro could feel their heart begin to break hearing Mondo cry. They had only ever seen him cry two other times. One was when he spoke about the accident with Daiya, and the other was when he talked about his late dog, Chuck.
“I don’t know what to fuckin’ do, man. I’m so fuckin’ scared. I don’t wanna lose ‘im, Chi…” Mondo’s voice cracked as he spoke. “I just wanna fix this. I don’t even care if he doesn’t feel the same. I just want my Taka back….” Mondo hated himself for crying in front of Chihiro. He hated himself for crying in the first place. He felt so weak for letting the tears slip through, but once they came, they wouldn’t stop falling.
Even though their chest hurt, Chihiro wholeheartedly returned the hug. They let Mondo hug them as long as he needed to. It was the least they could do for him. It felt like decades for Mondo, but only minutes for Chihiro. Once Mondo got his crying under control, he finally pulled away, and Chihiro could freely breathe. Mondo’s lavender eyes appeared much more glassy now. “I-I’m really sorry I… I didn’t wanna do that in front o’ ya.” Mondo sniffled, covering his face with his arm as he wiped away his tears. He still has difficulty expressing emotions… Chihiro thought, and they sighed softly. “Don’t apologize. It’s alright.” They sat in silence for several moments, Mondo’s breathing stabilizing after a while.
Chihiro finally broke the silence after a while. “Well, if you want my two cents…” They paused to look at Mondo, looking for an expression of approval before speaking again. Mondo nodded slightly, and they continued. “I would talk to him after exams are over.”
Mondo’s eyebrows furrowed, thinking. “After? I don’t know if I can go another day not talkin’ to ‘im, Chi….”
“I’m sure you can. You two need to know what it’s like to be away from each other anyway. Too much time together is unhealthy. Plus, I’m sure Taka doesn’t need any more stress with his exams…” Mondo felt guilt creep up into his chest. He had a feeling Chihiro would say that. Mondo knew he would just end up stressing out Taka and overwhelming him. He always managed to do that with him. He suddenly felt a small punch in his shoulder.
He turned to Chihiro, “What was that for?”
Chihiro gave him a quirked-up brow and poked him in the arm. “I know that look on your face. You’re feeling bad about yourself again. And you shouldn’t be. Everything that happened was just a misunderstanding, and it’s not your fault—”
“It is, though! That’s why I’m in this fuckin’ mess….”
“Hush, let me talk.” Mondo clenched his jaw, shutting himself up. “You and I both know how you feel about him, so it’s not like you were trying to upset him. I think you should use the time away from him to think about what you really want to say to him, though.” Chihiro paused for a moment to watch Mondo’s face. They could see in his eyes that he wanted to make things right as soon as possible, but he knew he had to wait. “So that you can have time to think and not feel rushed.”
Mondo was quiet for a moment but finally nodded in understanding some time later. “‘Aight, I’ll do it. His last exam is tomorrow, so… ya think that’s enough time?”
He pondered for a moment, bringing a delicate finger to his lips, “Hmm… Yes, I think so. Just wait until after.”
Mondo nodded again. “Gotcha.” They sat in silence for another few moments. “I thought ya said you’d tell ‘im yourself if I didn’t do it yesterday.” A smirk crept up Mondo’s face, and relief washed over Chihiro.
He chuckled. “Well, things happened. I am sorry if I made you feel rushed, though….”
Mondo waved a hand in dismissal. “Nah, you know I’ve been wantin’ to do it forever.”
“Yeah, it’ll work out, though, Mondo. I promise.” Chihiro smiled up at their friend, who returned the gesture. “You two are best friends. He wouldn’t leave you now.”
Mondo leaned on his chin and chuckled. “You know you’re my best friend too, Chi.”
“I know. But you two are ‘kyoudai,’ that’s different.”
“‘Aight, fair enough.” Mondo’s mood had already improved drastically. He still looked in desperate need of sleep, though. “Thanks again for talkin’ to me, Chi. I, uh, really needed it…” He looked away as he spoke.
“Of course! You’re welcome, Mondo,” they said thoughtfully.
“You wanna go eat somethin’? I’m starvin’....”
“Sure, I can show you the finalized results of Alter Ego!” Chihiro hopped up off the bench and excitedly began to chatter about their AI program. Although Mondo didn’t understand anything about computers, he had enough sense to know that what Chihiro was doing was amazing. Mondo followed Chihiro to the cafeteria, listening intently to their computer jargon. He felt so much better about the situation now, thanks to them. He just hoped that Chihiro was right this time. He wondered if Alter Ego would tell him the same thing Chihiro told Mondo too.
All the while Chihiro and Mondo chatted, Taka sat at his desk in his dorm, staring blankly at his closed textbook. His mind felt blank yet so full of thoughts, almost like television static. He willed his hands to open his book and start studying, but his hands remained closed in his lap. He couldn’t think about anything other than him. He had been thinking of him since he left, and he wished he hadn’t left him like that. Taka regretted it as soon as he slammed the door behind him. He kept envisioning the look Mondo had in his eyes. He just had one more final to get through, and then he could fix the damage he caused. Just one more day… Taka thought as he took a deep breath and opened up his textbook one last time.
~
Monday came around eventually for the two men, but it of course could not have come by any slower. Taka worked through his final with ease, and he would no doubt ace it per usual. While Taka worked away, Mondo sat patiently in his dorm, holding his phone in his hands. He had two plans running through his head currently and was debating on which was the better option. One plan involved him talking about his feelings, which he already wasn’t betting too much on. The second plan wasn't much better, which was just winging it. However, with how things went the last time he spoke to Taka, the second plan seemed a lot more tempting. Steeling himself, he opened his phone and typed out one more text, and he hoped this plan would work.
From: Mondo
When you’re done with your final, please meet me at my dorm.
He knew Taka wouldn’t see the text until afterward, since “He’s a good student and would never bring his phone with him to class.”, which were Taka's words. Now all Mondo had to do was to sit and wait, and he realized he’s gotten pretty good at that the past couple of days.
Taka let out a sigh of relief as he walked out of the testing site, his last final at Hopes Peak was over, and he felt confident in his work. Now that his final was over, he could attend to other matters at hand. He first headed to his dorm to collect his thoughts, he found that he did his best thinking by himself. Once he arrived, he looked at his phone on his nightstand. He thought about all of the texts he ignored from Mondo, and the guilt ate at him. Maybe he would think of a response now… He opened his phone and saw a new message. From Mondo. He clenched his jaw slightly as his eyes skim over the text. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he pocketed his phone and left his room. It was time to make things right.
After what felt like an eternity, Mondo heard a knock on the door. His head snapped up towards the door and swallowed the lump stuck in his throat. He willed himself to stand and brought himself to the door. He knew who was behind it, he just had to open the door. Here goes nothin’ , he thinks as he shakily turns the door handle and swings open the door. He is immediately met with bright crimson eyes, staring back at him. Taka was standing there, stiff as a board, with his brows furrowed. “Hello, Mondo.” He choked out, keeping his composure, somehow.
“Hey… Taka.” He stood there awkwardly for a moment before moving to the side for Taka to enter his room. Taka strode past him and Mondo's eyes followed his stride as he closed the door. “Before you say anythin’, I’m sorry.” Mondo managed to get the words out correctly this time. So far so good . Taka's back was to him, but he slowly turned to him and his eyes had become glassy and somehow even brighter than before. “ I got a lot t’ say to ya’, but… I don’t wanna fuck it up again so…” He was gonna say more but he had a different thought enter his brain. Actions speak louder than words. So Mondo was not going to rely on his words to convey how he feels. He was going to rely on his actions.
“Fuck it.”
Mondo grabbed Taka’s face and pulled him into a rough kiss, teeth clacking immediately. Their tension had finally cut, and the cut would only continue to go deeper. The kiss was by no means romantic, Taka’s cheeks became wet from the sudden onslaught of tears, and he was holding his breath as if he was drowning. Taka’s eyes watched Mondo’s eyebrows scrunch together as he awkwardly kissed him with his lips pursed tightly. His mind was utterly blank, but Mondo was kissing him, and he suddenly didn't know what to do with himself. Mondo then pulled away with a look of genuine panic painted all over his face. He watched Taka’s expression, his eyes were wide, and he could still see the faint tear streaks on his cheeks, but he couldn't read what Taka was thinking. He just knew that he fucked up.
Mondo backed away, trying his damndest to keep himself from trembling. "Fuck… I'm so sorry, I-I shouldn't have done that, I—". He was cut off by Taka flinging his arms around Mondo, holding him as tightly as he could. Mondo’s arms instinctively wrapped around Taka, his fists balling up the fabric of his pristine uniform.
"Mondo… why did you kiss me?" Taka's voice strained as even more tears began to flow and fall onto Mondo’s jacket.
"I'm in love with you, Taka." The words just fell out of his mouth. "I love you."
Taka pulled away from Mondo, and he was beaming, despite the tears. "I was hoping you were going to say that." With a sudden surge of confidence, he cupped Mondo’s jaw and kissed him, much softer than Mondos had been. His lips were slightly chapped yet soft. Taka had never kissed anyone before, so he was at a loss at what to do, but he just did what felt right, and what felt right was the fact that he was kissing Mondo. He had wanted this for longer than he could remember. It was so much better than he could conjure in his fantasies.
Mondo thought he had actually fainted and was currently dreaming, but it felt too real for it to be a product of his imagination. He snapped out of his daze and kissed Taka back with everything he had, his hands skirting down the back of Taka’s uniform and finding their place on his waist. Taka’s lips were softer than Mondo could have dreamed. He couldn’t help but smirk against the kiss, this was all that he had wanted, and he somehow managed to get it. Even though he fucked up along the way. Taka made a small content sigh and eased into the kiss even more, gently grazing his thumbs across Mondo’s cheeks. He was going to melt. He was so madly in love.
Taka regretfully pulled away from Mondo, needing to breathe, his pale cheeks being dusted with a complimentary blush. Mondo kept a firm hold on Taka’s waist, keeping the distance between their bodies incredibly small, tilting his head to keep his forehead resting against Taka’s. Taka leaned into his touch and sighed contently. Taka’s hands dropped from Mondo’s face and slowly grazed down his neck to his chest, mentally torturing himself by not touching his bare chest exposed by his tank top. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, taking in the past minutes’ events with care. Barely above a whisper, Taka was the first to speak. “Do you mean that Mondo?” His voice was low, and it ignited a small flame in Mondo’s belly.
“‘Course I do, I would never lie to you about that, Taka,” Mondo said, pressing a small kiss to his best friend’s forehead. Something he never thought he would have the privilege of doing.
“How long?”
“Years, can’t remember when it started. It’s been too long.”
Taka smiled, and Mondo could hear it in his voice. “I remember when it did for me.”
Mondo’s heart fluttered, but he mangled to calm his racing heart, and he offered Taka a single raised single eyebrow. “Yeah? When was it for you then?”
“It was after that time I gave an upperclassman detention, and they were about to hurt me. You saw them grab me, and you chased them off.” Taka chuckled, “Even though I had scolded you for threatening them, I was so glad you were there and that you had protected me. It made me realize how much I cared for you and how thankful I was for you.” Taka wasn’t going to admit it right now, but he also felt quite hot under the collar watching Mondo curse out the other student. Maybe another time.
Mondo felt his face grow hot. He remembered that day very vividly. Taka was not weak or defenseless by any means, hell, he was probably just about as strong as Mondo, but he would never hurt anyone unless necessary. So when he saw that scumbag grab his friend, he wasn’t going to let that shit fly. “You’ve always been such a sap.” Mondo gently pressed another kiss toTaka’s forehead, letting the chaste kiss linger for some time. He already longed to kiss him again. One didn’t seem like enough.
Taka pulled away to look up at Mondo, wiping away the remaining tears on his face. “Is that what you had been trying to tell me this entire time?”
“Uh, yeah… I was just so anxious, and I didn’t know what to say. Plus, I didn’t know ya heard me earlier, which made me freak out.” He now felt his ears burning in shame. He had been way too close to ruining their entire friendship. “I’m sorry for yellin’ at ya again. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings either. Or swear at ya. I know I was a total dick.”
Taka was silent for what felt like an eternity, but he smiled when he spoke again. “It’s alright, Mondo. I understand now you weren’t trying to hurt me. I am… sorry for not listening to you before. My first instinct was to think that you were trying to tell me you didn’t want to be friends anymore, and my mind shut out everything else. You’re also not a… you know.” His eyes met Mondos for a moment. “I wish you had just started with the kiss, though.”
Now it was Mondo’s turn to blush, and he broke the intense eye contact Taka was making with him. “Yeah, lesson learned… but, does that mean we’re... um... boyfriends now?”
Taka very much liked the sound of that. “If that’s what you want, then I’d love to be your boyfriend.”
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me? ‘Course I want that, ya dork.” Mondo was ecstatic, so what if that argument is what led up to this? He got what he’s wanted for years, in the end, and he couldn’t be happier than he was right now. He kissed Taka’s forehead again and planted another kiss on his temple, then on his cheekbone. Mondo kissed every part of Taka’s face before finally pressing his lips to Taka’s once more, trying to make up for the botched one from earlier. Taka eagerly kissed back, planting his hands firmly onto Mondo’s chest, subtly feeling the muscle under his skin.
Taka pulled away for a moment, “I just realized something.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
Taka stared directly into Mondo’s eyes, the intensity making his heart skip a beat. “Technically, you were trying to tell me you didn’t want to be friends anymore.”
Mondo blushed. “Heh, I guess you could say that...”