Hating You

❑ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

Something lit in Akabane's eyes as he watched you, you saw the unsaid words that were dancing in those mercury windows. He stood from his seat at the ledge of a couch, diagonal from where you sat. Pizza was being passed around, most of the guys were planning to spend the night, and some of the girls wanted to as well, but the rest of you were planning to head home in a little over 30 minutes.

You watched every move he made, trying to be as subtle as possible, though still knowing he could sense your eyes on him. It was a weird trait for you both to possess, but somehow, you always knew when the others were watching.

You stayed in your tiny corner while Rio–who sat beside you–talked up some guy named Sugino. Besides Akabane, you actually tried to be civil with the rest of her friends. It irked you that Akabane had to be her best of the bunch, but you found a way around every approaching him.

Carefully, your eyes traveled wherever his legs took him, which was out of the living room and into the kitchen, where the sliding glass door to the pool was. You found yourself standing and following, for whatever reason, you didn't know. No one, not even Rio batted an eye as you scuttled off, like a mouse into the night.

The kitchen was quiet, and though there was a door that closed off the living room from the kitchen–one that had been left ajar when you'd first walked into the house–you decided to keep it closed. Thinking that whatever conversation you were about to have with Akabane, was better kept from the ears of those out in the living room.

Akabane was moving around a plate, another plate, not that you noticed the one already out on the counter. Your first thought was that he must be hungry because in all the hour's pizza and other foods were being passed around, he had not eaten anything. You hated that you knew that and could piece together why he was in here as quickly as you did, but shoved the feeling down. Whatever feeling it was.

You knew he'd noticed your presence, but he said nothing as you sat on the stool you had this early afternoon. He continued moving and you continued watching, only stopped when he finally turned around and met your eyes. They lingered on yours for a second, a frown on his face. It was rare that you ever saw a regal frown like that. As if it wasn't as sad as it was made out to be, but instead, concerned.

That's completely absurd. You told yourself. Why would he be concerned about me? His eyes darted behind him again, he turned back around and popped something–a plate, you guessed–into the microwave. It beeped and he replaced it with another plate. The steeming smell of the pizza filtered into your nose. You had all of 5 seconds to stop your drooling before he noticed.

He noticed, of course. Before you even had the ability to say something, he plopped a water bottle in front of you. Then another, closer to him, but still: in front of you.

Avoiding your eyes, something he's never done–honestly it scared you. Was the world coming to an end? Did Akabane have cancer? And was he trying to make up for the asshole he's been to get into whatever heaven he believes in? If not, then truly, you were afraid.

The microwave beeped and he used that as a distraction. Though your eyes still tried to catch him, he said nothing as he set the plate of freshly warmed-up pizza in front of you. The meat-bun bag from earlier was now demolished, you saved one for later, and had hidden it under your sweater, which you'd discarded earlier in favor of a blanket Rio had offered you.

He kept his eyes on his food, the plate from before the most interesting thing he'd probably ever seen. Or, you thought, maybe he was just that hungry. You wouldn't put it passed him to poison your food, so you waited for him to take a bite of his first. Why was this so damn awkward? Why were you putting yourself through this mess?

You should just walk out, should just leave, and go back into the living room where everyone else was. Where everything was safe because of this, being alone with him, in his house, while there were other people you could be with right at this moment. It felt too...too intimate. Too willing. Regardless of what your head told your heart, it beat faster than necessary, and your stomach let out a low growl.

A chuckle from across the bar table had you scowling, "shut up," he met your eyes, that playfulness from before sparking between you too.

"Or what?" In response, you shoved a pizza slice into your mouth and avoided his stare. It was a rebellious act, and your brain halted as a snort came to form his mouth, "mature." He said in the mocking tone he always used when speaking with you.

You met his eyes with the intensity of a bull, his hands were clasped together on the table as if he were pretending to be a vigilant student. His smile was now a grin, you barely had a moment to think before your leg shot out on its own and kicked his. His eyes grew wide, the blow to his ankle leaving him speechless before he tried to kick you back. You veered your legs out of the way through, leaving a narrow-eyed Akabane. Your smirk, oh he did not like your smirk.

Or the look in your eyes, you supposed. Akabane picked up the slice of pizza he had yet to finish and took another bite. You mimicked him, chewing as you looked up and met his eyes again, something more than intimate was written in them. It encouraged you to figure out what they were shouting. Your eyes filtered up to the stone cup in the cabinet that hadn't seen daylight since the beginning of dawn, then back onto him.

It was unknown to you, why Akabne, at that moment, seemed to resemble you so much. You wondered if the unspoken words in his eyes were being shown in yours. Oddly enough, you found yourself asking, "Why Karma?"

Taken aback, AKabane stared at you with questions, more than you were willing to answer in the moment. So, you clarified the question that seemed to be burning the most and the only one you were willing to answer, "why did your parents name you Karma? It seems kind of....perfect."

For a second his eyes clouded, but the second he heard the hidden compliment, you were sure it was that second, that his eyes, his mouth, his entire face exploded with life. "On one condition," oh gods.

"You're a pain in the ass."

"You flatter me." Asshole.