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The week before Valentine's Day was absolute torture.
Not because of the holiday itself, but because Ryo wouldn't stop whining about it. Sakuya sat on the edge of his best friend's bed, watching as Ryo sprawled dramatically across the mattress like a starfish, his ginger hair catching the afternoon light coming through the window.
"It's not fair," Ryo groaned, kicking his legs. "Yushi has Sion. Riku has Jaehee. And here I am, completely and utterly alone."
"You're not alone," Sakuya muttered, picking at a thread on his jeans. "You have us."
"That's not the same and you know it," Ryo said, rolling over to look at him with those annoyingly pretty eyes. He propped his chin up on his hands, ginger bangs falling across his forehead. "I want someone to ask me out. Someone to give me chocolates and flowers and do all that romantic stuff."
Sakuya's throat went dry. He looked away quickly, his blonde hair falling in front of his face. "Maybe someone will."
"Maybe," Ryo said, and there was something in his voice that made Sakuya's heart skip. He sounded almost... hopeful. Almost like he was waiting for something specific.
Over the next few days, Ryo's hints became increasingly obvious. He'd lean against Sakuya in the hallway at school, his short frame fitting perfectly under Sakuya's chin. He'd text him pictures of couples holding hands with a single sad emoji. He'd sit closer than necessary during their group hangouts, his shoulder brushing against Sakuya's, and when Sakuya would tense up, Ryo would just smile that infuriatingly cute smile.
By Thursday, Sakuya was a mess.
He couldn't focus in class. He kept replaying moments with Ryo over and over in his head. The way Ryo laughed at his terrible jokes. The way he'd grab Sakuya's arm when he got excited about something. The way he'd shown up at Sakuya's house at two in the morning once because he'd had a nightmare and wanted company, and they'd stayed up until dawn just talking.
Sakuya had been in love with his best friend since they were teenagers. Years of friendship, years of pretending it was just that. And now, with Valentine's Day looming, Ryo was making it impossible to keep pretending.
The problem was that Ryo was terrifying. Not scary in a dangerous way, but scary in the way that made Sakuya's pulse race and his palms sweat. Ryo was beautiful in a way that seemed unfair. He was bubbly and bright and could talk to anyone, and sometimes when he laughed, Sakuya forgot how to breathe. Plus, Ryo loved to tease him mercilessly, climbing into his lap uninvited and poking at him until Sakuya's carefully constructed cool exterior crumbled into flustered tsundere protests.
And if Sakuya actually confessed? If he actually asked Ryo out? Ryo would absolutely exploit every moment of vulnerability, every stammer and blush. He'd tease Sakuya until the end of time.
But the alternative was watching Ryo wait for someone else. And Sakuya couldn't do that.
Friday night, Sakuya made a decision. He'd do it on Valentine's Day itself, at midnight. That way, it would be official. That way, there would be no taking it back.
He spent all day Saturday in a state of nervous energy, checking his phone every five seconds, jumping at every notification. At 11:47 PM, he texted Ryo.
**Sakuya:** You awake?
The response came immediately.
**Ryo:** Always for you ;)
Sakuya's heart nearly exploded out of his chest. He took a shaky breath and typed back.
**Sakuya:** Come over?
**Ryo:** On my way.
Ryo lived only a few blocks away, so it took him maybe ten minutes to show up at Sakuya's window (because of course Ryo climbed through the window instead of using the door like a normal person). Sakuya watched as his best friend tumbled through with characteristic grace that was somehow both elegant and chaotic, landing on the carpet with a soft thud.
"You're being weird," Ryo announced, brushing himself off. He was wearing an oversized hoodie and pajama pants, his ginger hair messy from sleep. He looked soft and warm and absolutely adorable, and Sakuya felt his courage start to waver.
"I'm not being weird," Sakuya said, but his voice came out gruff. He was sitting on his bed, trying to look casual and probably failing miserably.
Ryo padded over and flopped down next to him, immediately pressing against his side in that way he always did. "You're definitely being weird. What's going on?"
Sakuya checked his phone. 11:52 PM. Eight minutes left.
"Nothing's going on," he said, but he was already reaching out, his long fingers brushing against Ryo's ginger hair. Ryo made a pleased sound and leaned into the touch.
"You're in a mood," Ryo observed, tilting his head to look up at him. "A good mood or a bad mood?"
"A nervous mood," Sakuya admitted, because he'd never been good at lying to Ryo anyway.
"Why are you nervous?" Ryo's eyes were bright with curiosity, and something else that looked a lot like anticipation. His hand found Sakuya's on the mattress, their fingers barely touching.
Sakuya checked his phone again. 11:55 PM.
"Because," he started, and then stopped. His throat felt tight. "Because I've been thinking about something all week."
"Yeah?" Ryo shifted closer, his whole body turning toward Sakuya now. "What have you been thinking about?"
"About how you've been whining about Valentine's Day," Sakuya said, and he heard himself sound almost like his usual self, that dry tsundere tone that made Ryo's eyes light up with amusement. "About how unfair it is that everyone else has someone."
"And?" Ryo prompted, his voice soft.
"And I'm an idiot," Sakuya continued, "because I've had someone right in front of me this whole time, and I've been too much of a coward to do anything about it."
He could feel Ryo's breath catch. The room seemed to go very quiet.
Sakuya checked his phone one more time. 11:59 PM.
"Ryo," he said, and his voice was barely above a whisper. "Will you go out with me?"
For a second, nothing happened. Ryo just stared at him, his pretty eyes wide, his mouth slightly open. Then his face broke into the biggest smile Sakuya had ever seen, and suddenly Ryo was moving, his small frame practically launching itself at Sakuya.
"Yes!" Ryo squealed, and then his arms were around Sakuya's neck, and they were both tumbling backward onto the bed. "Yes, yes, yes! Oh my god, Sakuya, yes!"
Sakuya caught him automatically, his hands settling on Ryo's waist as they landed in a tangle of limbs. Ryo was laughing, bright and bubbly and so full of joy that Sakuya felt like his chest might burst.
"You're ridiculous," Sakuya said, but he was smiling too, that rare genuine smile that he only ever showed Ryo.
"I'm ridiculous?" Ryo pulled back just enough to look at him, his ginger hair falling across his face. "You waited until one minute before midnight to ask me out. That's the most Sakuya thing I've ever heard."
"Shut up," Sakuya said, but there was no heat in it. His hand came up to brush the hair out of Ryo's face, and he found himself staring at his best friend - his boyfriend now, he corrected himself - and couldn't quite believe this was real.
"Make me," Ryo said, and his voice had dropped to something softer, something that made Sakuya's pulse quicken.
So Sakuya did.
He leaned down and kissed him, and it was like every moment of the past years suddenly made sense. Ryo's lips were soft and warm, and he tasted like the hot chocolate he'd probably been drinking before he came over. Sakuya's hand slid into his ginger hair, tilting his head for a better angle, and Ryo made a pleased sound against his mouth.
When they broke apart, Ryo was flushed and breathless, his eyes still closed for a moment before he opened them and looked at Sakuya like he'd hung the moon.
"Hi," Ryo whispered.
"Hi," Sakuya whispered back, and then he was kissing him again, because he could. Because Ryo was his boyfriend now. Because he'd been waiting years for this.
Ryo's hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer, and Sakuya found himself sinking into the kiss, into the feeling of finally, finally having what he'd wanted for so long. He pulled back to catch his breath, but Ryo followed him, pressing kiss after kiss to his lips, his jaw, the corner of his mouth.
"I can't believe you waited until midnight," Ryo said between kisses, and Sakuya could hear the smile in his voice. "That's so dramatic."
"You're one to talk," Sakuya said, but he was already kissing him again, pulling him closer until Ryo was practically in his lap. "You've been dropping hints all week."
"Because I was trying to be patient," Ryo said, his voice muffled against Sakuya's neck. "But you were taking forever, and Valentine's Day was almost here, and I was starting to think maybe you didn't like me like that."
Sakuya pulled back to look at him, his hands on either side of Ryo's face. "I've liked you since we were teenagers. I'm an idiot."
"You're my idiot," Ryo said, and kissed him again, softer this time, more deliberately. His small hands came up to cup Sakuya's face, and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, his tongue brushing against Sakuya's lower lip.
Sakuya groaned softly and pulled him closer, one hand sliding down to Ryo's waist while the other stayed tangled in his ginger hair. They kissed like they were trying to make up for lost time, like they could pour years of unspoken feelings into every touch.
When they finally broke apart, both breathless, Ryo was straddling Sakuya's lap, his hoodie riding up slightly. Sakuya's hands settled on the bare skin of his waist, and he couldn't help but smile at the way Ryo shivered at the touch.
"You're so pretty," Sakuya said, and immediately felt his face heat up at the admission. "I mean - that came out wrong."
Ryo laughed, that bright bubbly laugh that made Sakuya's heart flip. "I know what you meant, you tsundere idiot. And thank you." He leaned down and kissed Sakuya's forehead, then his nose, then his lips again. "You're pretty too. Unfairly pretty. I've been dealing with it for years."
"You're the one who's unfairly pretty," Sakuya said, his hands tightening on Ryo's waist. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"
"I'm starting to get an idea," Ryo said softly, and he kissed him again, slower this time, more intimate. His fingers traced patterns on Sakuya's chest, and Sakuya found himself tilting his head back, giving Ryo access to his neck.
Ryo took advantage immediately, pressing kisses along Sakuya's jawline and down his neck. Sakuya's breath came faster, and he pulled Ryo closer, his fingers splaying across his back.
"Ryo," he said, his voice rough. "We should probably talk about this."
"Talk?" Ryo pulled back, his pretty eyes bright with amusement. "You want to talk right now?"
"No," Sakuya admitted, pulling him back down for another kiss. "I absolutely do not want to talk."
They fell back into it, kissing and touching and tangling around each other like they were trying to memorize every inch of each other. Ryo was warm and pliant in his arms, responding to every touch with soft sounds and gentle caresses. Sakuya couldn't believe this was real, that he'd finally stopped being a coward and told Ryo how he felt.
Hours passed. They kissed until their lips were swollen and tender. They held each other close, Ryo tucked against Sakuya's chest, his ginger hair tickling Sakuya's chin. They talked in whispers about how long they'd both felt this way, about all the moments that had meant something more than friendship, about the future.
"So we're really doing this?" Ryo asked at one point, his small hand resting over Sakuya's heart. "We're really together?"
"Yeah," Sakuya said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "We're really together."
"Happy Valentine's Day," Ryo said softly, and Sakuya could hear the smile in his voice.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Sakuya echoed, and then he was kissing him again, slow and deep and full of all the love he'd been holding back for years.
By the time dawn started to break outside Sakuya's window, they were tangled together under his blankets, Ryo asleep with his head on Sakuya's chest, one small hand fisted in his shirt. Sakuya stayed awake, just watching him, still hardly able to believe that this was his life now. That Ryo was his.
He pressed a gentle kiss to Ryo's ginger hair and closed his eyes, finally at peace.