A Mural of You

14 - Addicting

Things had changed a lot since then, especially Kunikuzushi.

He was so much more openly expressive, as if sharing secrets had been the key to one of his walls. He reminded (Name) of Albedo a little with how genuine he was. If he didn't like something, he didn't skirt around it, he told them clearly. When he was happy, he would light up like you wouldn't believe.

His smile was something new, it hadn't been used as much as everyone else's. That's what made it so much more addicting to look at. His eyes crinkled at the corners, his nose scrunched a little, his cheeks squished. His smile was small sometimes, but when he smiled in full, (Name) felt a piece of their heart melt. Such genuine happiness was a rare thing to come across.

He would touch them more obviously, too. Before, all the knee nudging and everything else had been done under the table where others couldn't see. Now, after finding out if they were comfortable with it, he wouldn't hesitate to grab their hand to lead them somewhere. If they were worried, he turned to a comforting hand cupping their cheek or a gentle touch petting their hair.

It never occurred to either of them how intimate these actions were.

Sometimes, Kunikuzushi would just stare at (Name). Not judgementally, no, he would rest his face in the palm of his hand, leaning on the table as he stared at (Name) with a fond gaze. After noticing, (Name) would mirror him, turning it into a playful contest of who would look away first. If it wasn't for wasting class time, they would have stayed like that for hours at a time, chatting the day away.

That's what they did on weekends. (Name) would say they were going to the library to study, but somehow got lost on the way. Oh, however did they end up at Kunikuzushi's house? They would go up to his room, sit on the floor, the bed, the windowsill, wherever they wanted. Together, the pair would work on their project and talk and talk and talk. Truth be told, they just wanted to hear the other's voice.

They couldn't go to (Name)'s house, Kunikuzushi understood why. So, if they got bored of his room, they would go for walks. They would walk through parks and to places they were certain not to be seen by anyone.

Joined at the hip as they were, they still separated during most lunch hours. Except today, that is.

-------

(Name) laughed as Kaeya and Albedo both wore matching crimson expressions. They had been playing truth or dare upon Kaeya and Venti's suggestion, and Diluc had dared the pair to hold hands. Kaeya was hesitant, not wanting to make Albedo uncomfortable. Albedo was as bold as Kaeya was hesitant, grabbing his hand without a second thought.

They table quieted when a new voice spoke, "Mind if I join you?"

(Name) recognized the voice immediately. They whipped their head around to face him, "Ku- Mouche?"

He greeted them with a small smile, "(Name)?" Clever, teasing mirror he was.

They moved over quickly, "Sit, sit! What are you doing here?"

"Felt like seeing what all the lunch time commotion you keep mentioning is all about," he replied with his signature shrug. He looked over the other four at the table, "Hello," he greeted, polite as always with people he didn't know.

Venti waved energeically, Albedo nodding once with a smile. Kaeya waved with his free hand, other still in Albedo's hold. Not that he was complaining. "Nice to meet you, Scaramouche," Diluc said as he examined him. "(Name) speaks of you constantly, I was wondering when you would appear."

(Name) groaned as Kunikuzushi smirked. "Really Diluc?" They buried their face in their hands in embarrassment.

"Hey now, nothing to be all flustered about," Kunikuzushi told them as he took their hands away from their face. "I would talk about me all the time too."

(Name) smacked his arm lightly with one hand, "You and your superiority complex aren't welcome here!"

"The fact that you're holding his hand still says otherwise," Albedo stated.

(Name) rolled their eyes, "You're still holding Kaeya's though?" They tried not to smile when Kunikuzushi wouldn't let them release his hand.

"I know," Albedo replied in a flat tone. "I'm quite enjoying it."

Kaeya looked to him quickly, "Really? Me too."

Now that the attention was off them, Kunikuzushi leaned closer to whisper to them, "Is this Kaebedo?"

(Name) nodded. "Yeah. Look at them, do you see what I mean?"

"Completely."

Venti groaned loudly, "Ugh! They're holding hands like a middle school couple in the halls," he complained as he gestured to Kaeya and Albedo. "They're smiling and laughing like newlyweds," he waved a hand at (Name) and who he knew to be Scaramouche. "Diluc, come kiss me so we can be like high school couples at seven in the morning."

Diluc broke into a coughing fit. "Excuse me?" He asked once he had calmed down.

"Well we're the only two here who aren't dating another, why not just date each other?"

"We aren't dating!" The other four protested.

Venti nodded slowly, "Sure, I'll believe you." He looked back to Diluc, blinking excessively, "So Diluc? What'll it be?"

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"How?"

"You already know."

"I'm not going to kiss you, Venti."

"I know."

They bickered back and forth, the others watching for a while until they broke into their own conversation.

"So," Kunikuzushi asked them, "Are you guys really not dating?"

Kaeya shook his head as he replied, "No."

Albedo smirked, as he did when he knew what he was about to say would fluster Kaeya. "Yet," he replied simply.

Sure enough, Kaeya spluttered. "You- Yet?"

"Yet," Albedo confirmed. "You will find out in due time, don't worry."

"When is time due? Can it be now?"

Albedo shook his head with a smile at Kaeya's childish impatience. "Later, okay?"

"Later?" Kaeya didn't understand until he caught Albedo's thought with just a glance. "Later," he agreed.

Kunikuzushi looked at them quizically, "You can understand each other with just a glance?"

"We do that all the time," (Name) told him with a nudge to the shoulder. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know," he replied with a smile and a nudge over his own.

Venti coughed, "A tell tale sign of love."

The rest of the table shot him glares and told him to shut up.

(Name) still couldn't get over the feeling of Kunikuzushi's hand in theirs, it was just as addicting as his smile.