Given Butterflies

A glimpse into knowledge

I hated working with Akihiko! The man was a beast! How do you get ripped like that at only twenty years old! I growled as he dropped a heavy box into my arms. He stood on the ladder leading to the stupid loft. I grunted, catching the box. Mafuyu peeked down from the loft.

Damn he was so... cute! His face had dirt on one cheek and a dab on his nose. He wiped at his sweaty brow. I was sure it had to be hot up there. He was pushing the boxes from the far back up to Akihiko, who in turn, was dropping them on me. Then I would take them out to Haruki. Some he went through, most he just checked over and told me to take them to the basement or stack in a corner.

"Last one!" Akihiko called.

"Hey, there's a window here..." Mafuyu's voice floated out as the door closed. Mafuyu. I sighed as I carried the box down the hall.

Mafuyu. The name darted around my head as it did since he first told me it. He was cute. The way his ginger locks flopped over his face. That tiny little smirk he got when he was picking on Haruki. The way he stares into space as if looking at something we normal people can't see.

A fist grabbed the back of my shirt. I was pulled back. Turning I saw Akihiko's muscles bulging as he dragged me away from the open maw of the stairwell. I nearly fell down them!

"Watch what your doing! Yayoi would be pissed if I got you hurt." He growled.

"Yeah, so what?" I huffed. "Just because your sleeping with her..." I shot at him.

"I'm not." He informed me. I gaped at him. He brushed past me. His back held stiffly as he carried a large box down into the basement. I hurried after him.

"You're not still with that other dickhead, are you?" I demanded. Akihiko glanced at me. His eyes like darts stabbing into my brain.

"No, he broke up with me some time ago." He muttered.

"Damn, that sucks." I hissed.

"Yeah, still live with him though." He sighed setting the box down on the pile he had stacked up. He turned taking my box and adding it to the stack.

"Ue, you like guys, don't you?" he asked. We backed out of the confined space. I wasn't sure how to answer him.

"Look, I'm the last person to judge you, ok. It's cool if you do. Hell, it's cool if you don't. What do I care?" He closed the door.

"Yeah, um I yeah I sorta do." I mumbled. He chuckled.

"Only sorta? Like Mafuyu." He arched his eyebrow as he lit up a cigarette. We headed back up the steps.

"Yeah, I, I like him." I mumbled. "Like that." I added just to be clear. He punched me in the shoulder.

"I feel ya kid!" He snorted. "Ugh the first time I had feelings for Ugetsu..." He shook his head. "Damn, love sucks." His eyes traveled up the stairs. He sighed drawing in a deep drag on the cigarette.

"How do you know you're in love?" I asked.

"When you think of someone else's happiness before your own." He said. His eyes turned to look at me. "When you don't let your bullshit taint their life." He added. Was he talking about Haruki? I frowned.

"Akihiko?" I whispered.

"Mmm?" he asked. We paused.

"How..." I stopped. My eyes darting around. I looked down at the stairs. Akihiko had one foot on the step above and one on the one he was on. I was slightly below him.

"Kid, I'm here to help you, but you have to ask for it. Can't read minds yet." He teased a little.

"How do you ask someone out?" I asked in a rush. Akihiko sighed.