Now I know it's you [KyouHaba]

Chapter 18 part 2

AN: Wrapping it up with some smooching.

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Yahaba was just putting away his things in his room when he heard knocking behind him. He jumped up and angrily opened the window.

"Can't you come in through the door like a normal person?" he sputtered.

Kyotani smirked and gracefully climbed down from the tree branch he was sitting on and into the room.

"It's faster this way. I can just climb over from my window to yours."

"You'll kill yourself. And then don't expect me to mourn for you."

"You'd miss me."

Yahaba sighed.

"Sadly, yes. I already got used to your annoying face."

Kyotani grinned, looking around the room. Yahaba cleared his throat.

"What was it about with Oikawa?"

"He offered to help me train as an Elemental manipulator."

That was surprising. Oikawa rarely offered to train others, let alone in the Manipulation.

"That's awesome! Will you... accept it?"

Kyotani sighed, looking torn.

"I don't know. It would be nice if someone finally showed me how to work with it, even though that someone would be Oikawa."

"But?"

"But I swore back then that I won't use the Manipulation anymore. I mean, I already broke that, but that was an emergency, and without your shields, we'd die there with that fucker. And ... also Manipulators don't usually hunt with Clerics."

Oh.

Kyotani turned to Yahaba, looking directly into his eyes.

"I don't want to hunt without you."

Yahaba smiled as if his heart wasn't just trying to beat its way out of his ribcage.

"But you can still learn how to control the fire, right? It doesn't mean you have to use it and actually become Manipulator if you don't wish to. You can keep it as a secret weapon in case something goes wrong. You just won't be burning everything around you. And ... I'm not going anywhere. Even if you decide to become a Manipulator and we won't go hunting together anymore, I'll still be here."

Kyotani stared at him with widened eyes for a moment and seemed to be thinking about Yahaba's words. He then smiled contently and flopped down on Yahaba's bed, looking at him expectantly.

"So ... about us?"

Yahaba bit his lip and sat at his chair, nervously twitching his fingers.

"So eh, I guess you already gathered I ... like you. A lot actually."

"Yeah, I got that."

"So, if you ... would you like to be my partner? I mean romantically, not ... not like in a work way, or ... "

Kyotani chuckled and Yahaba blushed.

"Stop laughing at me," he pouted. "I don't know how relationships work."

"Yeah, I know. Everybody in the Castle knows since that meeting about three months ago where you got drunk and wailed about how you'll die a virgin for like half an hour before Watari dragged you to your room."

"I did what?" choked out Yahaba, hiding his face, red to the tips of his ears. "Why did no one tell me?"

"Because it was funny. Well, at least for us."

"I hate you," he groaned before letting himself being pulled onto Kyotani's lap.

"Nah, you love me."

He rested his forehead on Kyotani's shoulder.

"Unfortunately."

A comfortable silence filled the room, disturbed only by a few crickets outside. Yahaba let himself melt in the blond's arms, enjoying the warmth radiating from him and the fresh mix of pine and Tachibana coming from his skin.

He felt fingers under his chin as Kyotani lifted his head up.

"Would you like to change that?"

Yahaba furrowed his brows.

"Change what?"

"What do you think?"

Yahaba understood and blushed again.

"Oh. W-well, it's not that I don't want to, but ... are you sure you are the right person for that?"

A raised eyebrow.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well I mean, you still didn't answer me if you want to be with me, and besides, I've never seen you with anyone, so I guess your experiences in this field aren't much bigger than mi-eek!"

He squealed as he got lifted up and thrown on the bed. Kyotani straddled his hips and pinned him to the bed.

"You were saying?"

"I ... nothing?"

Kyotani smiled.

"Yeah, I thought so. I like you like this, you know?"

"On the bed or under you?"

"Both."

He kissed Yahaba, surprisingly softly for someone nicknamed 'Mad dog', while moving his hand lower under Yahaba's shirt.

Yahaba shivered and grabbed the other's wrist.

"Wait, wait, wait, the window's still open."

"And?"

"And people are out there and will hear ... everything!"

"And?"

Yahaba flushed a deep red.

"Oh gods, this will be so embarrassing tomorrow."

Kyotani leaned to his ear.

"Dārin, you'll be lucky if you can walk tomorrow."

Yahaba trembled and let out a small whimper, covering his face with his free arm.

Kyotani removed the arm again and gently caressed Yahaba's cheek.

"Hey, I love you, ok? I won't do anything to hurt you, I promise."

Yahaba leaned into the touch, rubbing the other's hand with his thumb.

"I know, it's just ... a bit scary, you know? That ... thing had your face too and ... he said he'll ..."

Kyotani kissed his temple tenderly, calming him down.

"Shh, it's fine. He's dead and won't do anything to you. If anything is uncomfortable for you, say it and we can stop, all right?"

Yahaba took a steadying breath and nodded, relaxing his body.

"All right."

Kyotani gave him a soft loving smile and kissed him again.

"Love you," he whispered, their lips brushing against each other.

Yahaba smiled into the kiss.

"I love you too."

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Dārin - darling

And we are done. It was one of a wild ride and I enjoyed every second of it. Turns out I quite like writing AUs. The possibilities are endless.

Sorry to everyone who expected some smut at the end, not gonna happen with me. Maybe in some later parts, after I do my research (I never expected I'd say that. Welp...)