5WIRL + Wanderer COLLAB!!!

Chapter 8

  Kazuha smiled, "I beat you here."
  Kunikuzushi shook his head with a light chuckle as let go of the balcony door. "I guess I just can't stay away from you."
  Kazuha felt like he had just been stabbed. His body made decisions for him, making him speak. "Really?" His face instantly got three shades more red.
  Kunikuzushi laughed as he walked over and put his hands on the rails. "It's raining pretty hard, huh?"
  Kazuha pulled himself back together, "yeah, I wasn't expecting it to be this violent..."
  Kunikuzushi sighed, laying his chin in his hands and placing his elbows on the rails. "But I like the rain, so I don't mind."
  "Me, too," Kazuha smiled warmly at the object of his affection. "There's just something so calming about the sound..."
  Kunikuzushi nodded, "especially after such a rough day of practice." He sighed heavily, closing his eyes, "I'm so tired..."
  Kazuha lowered onto his elbows as well, "ever since we've let Heizou be 'sorta in charge' things have been a little more intense." He chuckled, "well, it's more like he appointed himself to be leader."
  "I didn't think you guys had a leader? You all seem pretty equal," Kunikuzushi pointed out.
  "That's true, but Heizou's got a lot of new ideas so we're letting him take the reins for a while."
  He nodded, "that makes sense... Have you thought about writing another song for the collab? I feel a little weird to have written so many when you guys are the main event." He smiled nervously.
  Kazuha tilted his head from side to side, "I figured we would do some of our other songs and change the choreography a little bit to fit you in. I'd be perfectly happy to write another new one, but I don't know if time will allow us to compose so many new songs *and* make choreography for them..."
  "Yeah, I get that," Kunikuzushi went back to watching the rain, "it was just a thought..."
  "I think it's a good idea, and I would love to write more..." Kazuha said quietly.
  "But we just don't have enough time," he nodded again, folding his hands together.
  Kazuha held his hand out to feel the rain, "it doesn't seem to be letting up at all..."
  "Yeah..."
  "What's on your mind?" Kazuha turned to face him.
  "Oh, just, you know," he waved his hand vaguely. "We've got so much left to do for the show and I've got some personal stuff going on, too. I have a lot to think about..."
  "Well, I'm a pretty good listener," Kazuha smiled.
  Kunikuzushi snorted, "smooth. Real smooth."
  Kazuha shrugged, "I just want you to know that I'm here for you."
  "Geez, it's nothing so series!" Kunikuzushi shook his head, laughing. "It's just something I've never really dealt with before, that's all."
  Kazuha chuckled, "either way, I-"
  "I get it, I get it! Stop being so pure! Just because you're an Angel doesn't mean you have to act like it all the time!"
  "Sorry," Kazuha shrank back, "does it bother you?" He was having such a hard time telling what was too much... He didn't want to be too obvious, but Kunikuzushi seemed oblivious to everything Kazuha had tried previously.
  Maybe Kazuha just wasn't speaking the right love language. He'd touched Kunikuzushi plenty, but that didn't seem to raise his suspicions... Kazuha had complimented him as well... He was spending quality time with him currently and had been doing so since they met... So that just left acts of service and gift giving. But Kazuha couldn't do either of those things right away. They required planning.
  "No," Kunikuzushi laughed. "Did I sound that serious?"
  "Ah- no, I just- You've always got this really intense look, so..."
  "So I scare you?" Kunikuzushi chuckled. "I told you I was a demon."
  "But you aren't!" Kazuha hurriedly objected. "You've been nothing but kind to me!"
  "You really think so?" Kunikuzushi rolled his eyes. "You must have hit your head earlier. I believe about fifty percent of our conversations are taken up by me teasing you or being sarcastic."
  "But I don't mind it," Kazuha held his hands out.
  Kunikuzushi blinked, "then why do you always get so red???"
  Uh-oh.
  What was Kazuha supposed to say?... he couldn't just tell him that he liked being teased! Then Kunikuzushi might think he's weird!!!
  "That's..." Kazuha thought of a million different things he could say, but none of them were true *and* unsuspect.
  "You must be super self-conscious if you get embarrassed so easily," Kunikuzushi said. Then, he closed his mouth tightly, realizing how correct and insensitive that was. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"
  "No, it's- it's true..." Kazuha rubbed his arm nervously, "I just don't mind your teasing because... well, because it's you..." That was the best way he could put it. He still felt horrible, though.
  Kunikuzushi paused, staring at Kazuha's face. Then he turned back to the rainy scenery, "you say some really confusing things, Kazuha..."
  "What's confusing about it?..." he asked quietly, taking a step closer.
  "That you... what you said implies that you trust me or at least feel closely enough with me not to care about what I know..."
  Kazuha knew that was only half true, but he wasn't going to say so. "Of course I trust you."
  "Are you kidding?" Kunikuzushi smiled, though there was no joy in his expression. "It's hardly been—what?—a week and a half since we met?"
  "And?"
  "Huh?! You can't possibly be close with someone you just met! That's like those fairytale princesses marrying some dude they just met!"
  "I wouldn't mind being a fairytale princess..."
  Kunikuzushi burst into laughter, "Kazuha!?! What?!?!"
  "It- I'm not lying... They always get to marry who they love and live happily ever after. I know it's childish, but that sounds good to me..." Kazuha was blushing really badly and felt like he was about to start shaking.
  Kunikuzushi shook his head, "happiness isn't a bad thing to wish for. Though, I will scold you on marrying someone you just met. That's just crazy."
  "If I can't marry someone I just met, then I should be able to at least be close friends with them," Kazuha argued.
  Kunikuzushi sighed, "alright, fine. Think what you want."
  "Thank you." Kazuha closed his eyes with a firm nod.
  "Would you actually marry someone you just met, though???"
  Kazuha laughed, "probably not! I wouldn't want to rush someone into that..."
  "But what if they wanted to marry you, too? Would you?"
  "Ah, well... I'm a little too impulsive when it comes to things like that... I probably wouldn't even think about it before saying yes..." Kazuha sighed, "but, I don't actually think it would be good to marry someone you don't know at all..."
  "Would you marry the person you like right now?"
  Kazuha hesitated. "I... I don't know about marriage... I don't think they would want to, anyways."
  "Huh??? So you like someone who doesn't like you back?! Isn't that counterproductive?!" Kunikuzushi stood up.
  "Uhm- well-" Kazuha laughed nervously, "I don't know how they think of me right now... It's true that we haven't known each other long, so I wouldn't know how they would act if they did like me... I'm just trying to take things slow and figure it out." He held his hands up, "maybe it is counterproductive, but I don't want to rush into things and scare them away."
  Kunikuzushi looked him up and down, "I don't think you can be scary."
  Kazuha was taken aback, "what?"
  "You act way too nice and you're so small and unthreatening. I know you're strong, but you don't look like it. No offense."
  "None taken," Kazuha shook his head. "I know I don't look all that intimidating, but that isn't what I meant. Some people are really off-put by people being so eager to be with them. I wouldn't want the person I like to think I only like them for their body... since we haven't known each other long, and all..."
  "Especially because they're an idol, huh?" Kunikuzushi nodded, "that checks out... but isn't it normally better to just tell people how you feel instead of leaving them to guess?"
  Kazuha smiled nervously, "I believe I've been pretty obvious about my feelings, but I've been trying to... make it even more obvious."
  "Dang, they must be really oblivious, then!" Kunikuzushi laughed.
  "In their defense, they don't have much dating experience. F-from what I know..."
  "Bet you'll feel really lucky when you're finally together," Kunikuzushi chuckled. "That's like an achievement, right?"
  Kazuha nodded, daydreaming, "yeah..."
  Kunikuzushi rolled his eyes, "you are just head-over-heels for this person. I hope they feel loved."
  "Mhm..." Kazuha was lost in a fantasy. He imagined Kunikuzushi's face dusted with blush as Kazuha, the damsel in distress, agreed to marry such a fine prince for saving him from peril.
  Kunikuzushi chuckled, looking back out at the rain. "At least you're having fun..."
  Kazuha snapped back into reality. He couldn't daydream now! Especially because his prince was right in front of him!!! "AH- I'm sorry!" Kazuha blurted.
  Kunikuzushi shook his head, "you're fine."
  Kazuha felt incredibly embarrassed of himself. He couldn't believe he allowed himself to do that...!
  Kunikuzushi looked at his watch, "we should probably head out. Then you can go meet with your beloved and ask them to marry you."
  "I- I wouldn't actually do that..." Kazuha protested quietly.
  "I know! You're way too soft," Kunikuzushi held the door open, "ladies first."
  Kazuha shook his head, "Kuni, please..." but, still, he walked through first.
  Kunikuzushi chuckled, "you are *way* too easy to tease."
  "Sorry..." Kazuha mumbled as they walked across the training room and out the double doors that lead into the hallway.
  Kunikuzushi rolled his eyes as he sighed. Then he looked up, "it's raining so hard you can hear it through the floors..."
  Kazuha nodded, "I'm so glad I brought an umbrella."
  Kunikuzushi laughed nervously, "I'm glad I won't be walking anywhere. You'll probably get soaked, even with an umbrella."
  Kazuha sighed quietly as they descended the staircase. "Yeah... I think I'll enjoy a nice, hot bath when I get home." He smiled at the thought.
  "That's not a bad idea," Kunikuzushi agreed, "I might have to do the same."
  When they came to the front doors Kunikuzushi paused, staring at the downpour.
  "What is it?" Kazuha asked, pulling out his collapsible umbrella from his backpack.
  "Is your computer in your bag?"
  "No, I didn't bring it today," Kazuha shook his head.
  Kunikuzushi sighed, "I love the rain but I wouldn't want to sit out in *that*. It looks almost like a storm..." Then he took his phone out.
  Kazuha gazed outside once more, psyching himself up to go out.
  Kunikuzushi frowned at his phone screen, then shoved it back in his pocket.
  "Is something wrong?"
  "No, it's just Nahida won't be here for a while. She got held up because of the weather."
  "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't live far from here, you could come over while you wait if you want. It's certainly more comfortable than the lobby." He smiled. He didn't regret a thing he said.
  Well, it was more that he wasn't letting himself regret it. He needed to make his feelings more obvious, right? What better way than this?
  Kunikuzushi rolled his eyes with a smile, "you only have one umbrella."
  "Correct," Kazuha chuckled, "but I have a hood and I'll be able to change when we get there."
  He paused, "are you sure your roommate would be okay with it?"
  "She won't mind. In fact, she'd be thrilled to meet you," Kazuha assured him.
  Kunikuzushi folded his arms and thought for a moment. Then he nodded, "alright, let me just give Nahida your address first."
  Kazuha was beaming as he gave Kunikuzushi his address. "Let's go before the rain gets any worse."
  Kazuha and Kunikuzushi made quick work of getting to Kazuha's apartment.
  "Beidou, I'm back," Kazuha called as he opened the door and stepped inside. "You can put your shoes here," he motioned to the cubbies beside the door.
  Beidou came bounding down the hallway, "Kazuha!!! What happened today with-" She came to a screeching halt as she saw the other person. She let out the loudest gasp physically possible.
  Kunikuzushi smiled nervously, "uhm, hi... Pardon the intrusion..."
  "Nononono! You're fine!" Beidou held her hands out. "I just wasn't expecting..." She was at a loss for words. "You are surprisingly more pretty in person."
  Kazuha threw her a glare as he picked up the cat at his feet and walked in. "I have some clothes that might fit you if you want to change."
  "Uh, sure, thanks," he followed Kazuha down the hall.
  Beidou watched them in pure shock. Had Kazuha seriously brought Kunikuzushi home?! And this soon?! She felt so proud!
  Kazuha was very thankful that his room wasn't a mess right now. He set the cat down on his bed and rummaged through his drawers.
  Kunikuzushi stood in the doorway, just looking around. "Why do you live in an apartment? I mean, you probably make a lot of money..."
  Kazuha smiled over at him, "Beidou and I have been roommates for a very long time. I didn't see much point in upsizing when I'm perfectly happy here."
  Kunikuzushi nodded, "alright."
  "Do you live in a house-house?" He asked as he stood up.
  Kunikuzushi shrugged, "a small one. Nahida and I have a lease on it."
  "Here," Kazuha handed Kunikuzushi a pile of clothes. "The bathroom is the next door on the right."
  "Thanks," Kunikuzushi headed out.
  Kazuha frantically looked around his room, making sure there was nothing Kunikuzushi might have seen that he needed to worry about. Thankfully, he didn't have any posters of HARBINGERS or anything like that. The only thing he had to be embarrassed about was the alarming number of pillows and stuffed animals on his bed.
  He ran his hands down his face, feeling how red it must be. What was he doing?! Kunikuzushi was in his home! He hadn't hosted anyone in so long he didn't know what to do! He hadn't thought this far ahead at all!!!
  Then he quickly closed the door and got changed into dry clothes. He could at least do that without dying.
  Kazuha took a deep breath before he left his room. He heard noises in the kitchen and headed that direction.
  He found Kunikuzushi sitting at the counter chatting with Beidou, who was cooking something.
  "Oh, so she's their manager now?" Kunikuzushi asked.
  "Yup. Ning says she's better suited to managing than being in the show." She sighed, "it's a shame the world doesn't get to hear her beautiful singing voice anymore."
  Kunikuzushi smiled, "at least you still do, right?"
  Kazuha assumed they must have been on the topic about idols, they seemed to be talking about The Qixing, which was a unit Ninguang managed and was previously a member of.
  Beidou laughed, "true! Man, I just love her so much!"
  Kunikuzushi chuckled, "it sure sounds like it."
  "Kazuha, there you are! I was starting to think you died!" Beidou waved him over. "I'm forcing you guys to eat my cooking, so you better not complain!"
  "There's nothing to complain about, Beidou," Kazuha shook his head as he walked over and sat beside Kunikuzushi.
  "So what do you do for a living?" Kunikuzushi asked.
  "Believe it or not, I run a shipping and hauling company," she explained as she cooked. "I can't even remember what my official title is anymore! HAHA! But I'm sorta in charge of everything now!"
  Kunikuzushi nodded, "I would have guessed something like that, you look pretty strong."
  "For sure! I could pick you both up like you're nothing!" She laughed heartily.
  Kunikuzushi chuckled, "I'm sure you could."
  "So," she turned to face then both, "how'd you get here?"
  "Uh, we walked?" Kunikuzushi tilted his head.
  "No, I mean, Kazuha almost never invites people over," she shook her spatula at her roommate.
  "Oh, my ride was running late so Kazuha offered to take me here while I wait," Kunikuzushi told her.
  "See, that makes more sense," Beidou nodded to herself.
  Kazuha really didn't know what to say. He felt so out of place in his own home. He hadn't had someone over in... a long time. Especially not someone he was interested in! It had been about half a year since he separated from his last relationship.
  Kazuha also had to keep his eyes on his hands. He felt like his heart might pop out of his chest if he looked at Kunikuzushi, who was also wearing Kazuha's clothes, for more than five seconds. It gave him too many thoughts he didn't want to have right now.
  "I'll wash these and give them back after the weekend is over," Kunikuzushi said to Kazuha.
  Of course Kunikuzushi had to talk about the subject that Kazuha was actively trying not to think about! "Uh- yeah, that's fine," Kazuha forced a smile.
  Beidou giggled to herself, but didn't say anything about it. "It's oddly refreshing to have someone over other than Ning!"
  Kunikuzushi smiled, "well, I hope I'm good company."
  "Just don't break anything and you'll be just fine!" Beidou laughed, "though it seems you've already broken Kazuha, HAHA!"
  Kazuha covered his face and shook his head, "Beidou!"
  She laughed harder, "what?!"
  "It's been a long day," Kunikuzushi chuckled, putting his arm on Kazuha's shoulder.
  Kazuha laid his arms on the counter and put his face in his arms. He didn't want to exist right now!
  Kunikuzushi squeezed him gently, "you didn't have to invite me over if you're so tired."
  "No, it's alright," Kazuha shook his head. Then he whispered, "don't let Beidou bully you... the only people I've ever brought home were people I was dating..."
  Kunikuzushi giggled, "don't worry, I've got thick skin."
  Kazuha sighed quietly. He hoped Beidou would give him some grace.
  Kunikuzushi folded his arms as he leaned back, "what are you making?"
  "I'm making Tofu and Congee," she said over her shoulder, "and I'm almost done now."
  "How long have you guys known each other?" Kunikuzushi asked.
  Kazuha came out of his arm-cave, "a few years now, I think..."
  "Yeah. You know, I'm the one who said he should become an idol!" She turned around with two bowls in her hands, "well, it was kinda both me and Ning. Kazuha's got such a nice breathy voice, it makes all his fans swoon! HAHA!"
  Kunikuzushi chuckled, "I've noticed."
  Kazuha felt like he was being stabbed again.
  Beidou set the bowls in front of the boys before putting small plates in front of them as well, then giving them silverware, too. "Eat up!"
  In front of both of them was a bowl of congee  with honey and a plate of seasoned and fried tofu.
  "It's nothing crazy! Just a simple dish from my homeland," she put her hands on her hips with a prideful smile.
  "Oh, where are you from?" Kunikuzushi asked.
  "Ning, her unit, and I are all from China originally," she leaned forward with her hands against the counter, "Ning and her unit moved here first and then the branch of my company that I was managing changed so I decided to move here, too. That's when I met Kazuha! We both walked up to the front desk at the same time to ask about renting!"
  Kazuha smiled, "it feels like forever ago..."
  "That's 'cause it was!!!" Beidou laughed.
  "Thanks for feeding me," Kunikuzushi inclined his head.
  "No problem! I'm just glad Kazuha has someone he's close with!" Beidou smiled brightly, grabbing herself some food before taking the spot on Kazuha's other side. Then she proceeded to absolutely massacre her food, leaving not even a single grain of rice at the scene of the crime.
  Beidou then dumped her dishes in the sink and washed her hands. She smiled, "I'll leave you two alone now."
  Kunikuzushi was surprised, to say the least.
  Kazuha just giggled, "Beidou doesn't really have manners unless Ning is around."
  Kunikuzushi blinked, "that was just so fast... I hope she doesn't get a stomach ache because of it."
  "Don't worry, she's probably made of steel!" Kazuha laughed.
  After they ate Kunikuzushi insisted on helping with the dishes.
  "What did you do before you became an idol?" Kunikuzushi asked.
  "I had a part time job while I was still in school," he said, "other than that I was just a student."
  Kunikuzushi smiled, "being an idol is the first actual job I've had. With my mother being so popular I never really had to worry about working."
  "Must have been nice," Kazuha smiled.
  Kunikuzushi nodded, "I guess, but there was no one around so it was also pretty lonely. This is so embarrassing, but I kind of ran away and was immediately picked up by HARBINGERS, so I've never really known how hard living is until now..."
  Kazuha pushed him gently with his elbow, "that's not such a bad thing."
  He sighed, "I was so rebellious..."
  "But you're so successful now," Kazuha pointed out, "so I'd say it all worked out in the end. Right?"
  Kunikuzushi chuckled, "I suppose so." He wiped his hands off after finishing loading the dishwasher. He looked at his watch, "it'll still be a while before Nahida gets here." He looked out the window at the dark and rainy weather.
  Kazuha smiled, "you're welcome to stay as long as you need..."
  "Thanks, but I wouldn't want to be a bother," he chuckled.
  "You wouldn't be." Kazuha shook his head. "If you hadn't noticed, I quite enjoy your company."
  "Well that much was obvious," he rolled his eyes.
  Kazuha chuckled as he walked out of the kitchen and switched on the TV, "I've got video games, if you want."
  "That sounds good," Kunikuzushi followed him and sat down on the couch. "I didn't know those were still around," he pointed at the ancient-looking console.
  "It's like a dinosaur, but it's still works," Kazuha smiled. "I'm determined to keep it alive forever."
  "Well, good luck," he shook his head.
  Kazuha handed Kunikuzushi a controller and sat down beside him. "Beidou is very competitive, so I've gotten pretty good at racing games."
  "I'm always up for a challenge," Kunikuzushi leaned his elbows against his knees as he sat forward.
  Kazuha smiled widely as he set everything up. It wasn't long before Kazuha realized that he was absolutely no match for Kunikuzushi. He seemed to be incredibly good at everything he did.
  After ten rounds of losses in a row, Kazuha sighed in defeat. "And I thought Beidou was good at it..."
  Kunikuzushi laughed, "it's been so long since I've played any games like this. I'm even surprised myself!"
  "How in the world are you so good?!"
  Kunikuzushi shrugged as another race started. "I've always been naturally good at precision-based things."
  "It's a good skill to have," Kazuha smiled. He decided to stop trying to compete with Kunikuzushi and just try to beat the game's AIs instead.
  Kunikuzushi, surprisingly, sighed. It wasn't particularly heavy, but Kazuha hadn't expected it. "Yeah, it is sorta nice..."
  "You must have a lot of hobbies, then?" Kazuha asked.
  Kunikuzushi shook his head, chuckling. "Not at all, actually. I've never really had time for hobbies, I've always been doing projects of some kind."
  "Not even one???" Kazuha was shocked.
  Kunikuzushi shrugged, "I can paint, but I wouldn't call it a hobby. I don't paint because it brings me joy or anything. I do it simply because I can."
  Kazuha wasn't sure what to make of this.
  "Sorry, that doesn't make much sense..." Kunikuzushi paused to think. "I've always had a hard time explaining these sorts of things. I guess I just see the world differently than everyone else."
  Kazuha nodded, no longer focused on the game. "I'll do my best to understand you."
  Kunikuzushi snorted, "there you go again, saying weird things!"
  "Sorry," Kazuha blushed.
  "No, it's fine. I like how honest you are," he explained. "I've been told by a lot of people that I'm too blunt, but, to be perfectly honest I would much rather hurt someone's feelings than lie to them. I feel like lying is one of the worst things you can do."
  Kazuha smiled, "I understand. I don't like to lie, either, but sometimes it's hard to tell what's right and wrong..."
  Kunikuzushi nodded, "yeah... You know, when Aether first heard about the collaboration idea he reached out to me and told me about you guys."
  "He did???" Kazuha felt tense. "What did he say?..."
  "Nothing bad," Kunikuzushi laughed, "all he did was sing your praises. He said you were kind and not to hold anything against you because you have a hard time ignoring your intrusive thoughts."
  Kazuha blinked, "hm?!"
  Kunikuzushi giggled, "He also said that you tend not to notice red flags. I guess that means you have really bad taste!"
  "Hey- I- I don't have bad taste..." Kazuha grew incredibly embarrassed as their scores tallied up on screen.
  "Just don't ignore bad signs when you see them," he offered.
  "That's not easy when everyone is so pretty," Kazuha pouted.
  Kunikuzushi shook his head, still smiling. "At least you have an eye for aesthetics."
  "Uhm, thank you?"
  "You're welcome. I noticed because of your outfits. You're always very well put together."
  "Oh-" Kazuha didn't know how to take this compliment. Was it a compliment?... He felt his face get hot again.
  "Oh, Aether mentioned one other thing," he continued, "he said you had a super power."
  Kazuha blinked, "what? But I don't?"
  "He said you can sense people's, like... *vibe* by their smell."
  Kazuha sat up a little straighter, feeling much more tense than before. "Oh... that..."
  "So you do have a super power!" Kunikuzushi laughed, "that's so cool!"
  Kazuha was rather surprised by how childish Kunikuzushi was being about it. "Uh, yeah, I guess..."
  "Then how come you've dated so many terrible people?" Kunikuzushi threw him a side glance.
  "Ah... well... people also drown themselves in perfume and cologne to mask their intentions... if that makes any sense..."
  Kunikuzushi nodded. "So, what do I smell like???"
  Kazuha hesitated, "ah, uhm... Normally, you smell like citrus..."
  "And that means?" He asked.
  "I'm not sure, I haven't met many people who smell like that. I think it just means you're... probably a little more negative-thinking than some people... But you've smelled less like that lately." He pointed out.
  "Then what do I smell like now?" He asked curiously.
  "Ah, well... you're wearing my clothes right now, so you... smell like me..." Kazuha was hardly able to force the words out.
  Kunikuzushi nodded, "that makes sense." Then he pulled the hoodie he had been given up to his face to sniff it.
  Kazuha looked back at the TV screen, trying to ignore how red his face must be.
  "What do you think you smell like?" Kunikuzushi then asked.
  "Maple trees and morning dew," he answered quietly.
  "So, like syrup?" He tilted his head, then began to smile, "you know what, that explains a lot."
  "What?! How?!"
  Kunikuzushi laughed at Kazuha's reaction. He had to put the controller down beside him as he shook with laughter. "Because you're so sweet!" He started cackling and seemed unable to stop.
  Kazuha stared at him, his face only getting warmer and warmer. He slowly started to smile just a little bit. "That's... pretty clever, I will admit..."
  "So now I smell like sour syrup???" He sat back forward, still smiling widely.
  "Sort of," Kazuha replied nervously. "I don't have that strong of a scent, at least I don't think so..."
  Kunikuzushi readjusted himself with a content sigh. "But, seriously, what vibe do I smell like???"
  "You don't smell evil, if that's what you're worried about," Kazuha held his hands out. At this point both of them had forgotten about their game.
  "Nah, I'm just curious."
  "I guess..." he hesitated. He didn't want to make a scene, so he collected his memories. "You smell like you're hurting most of the time... but you also wear perfume, so I could be wrong."
  Kunikuzushi stared at him. "Oh."
  Kazuha got the feeling he said something very wrong.
  "Well, nobody's ever perfectly happy, right?" He offered a tired smile.
  Kazuha opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.
  Beidou came bounding down the hallway and threw the door open. "Oh my goodness, it's a baby!!!"
  "Uhm..." Nahida blinked up at her. "I'm not a baby..."
  "But you're so cute!!!" Beidou cooed.
  Kunikuzushi chuckled as he stood up, "I've lost count of how many people have mistaken her for a child."
  Kazuha turned off the console and stood up as well. "To be fair, she really does look like one."
  "True. Thanks for letting me stay," Kunikuzushi smiled.
  "No problem," Kazuha held his hands out, "I'd be delighted to have you over again."
  Beidou ran across the apartment, "I can't let you forget this!" She ran over to the boys with a bag in her hands.
  "Oh yeah, thanks," Kunikuzushi accepted it. Then the three of them walked to the doorway.
  "It was nice meeting you, Nahida!" Beidou waved.
  "I'll walk you two out," Kazuha offered.
  Nahida smiled as she turned around and started walking, "that sounds great. I'm sorry I took so long."
  "It's okay, I didn't mind having Kuni over," Kazuha assured her.
  Nahida clapped her hands together, "I'm glad." She opened the door to the backseat of the car, "goodbye, see you the next time our fates intertwine." Then she climbed into the backseat.
  Kazuha blinked, "that was kind of ominous..."
  Kunikuzushi chuckled, "she says weird things like that all the time. You'll get used to it eventually."
  Kazuha smiled, "I hope so." Then he wrapped his arms around Kunikuzushi, "bye, I'll see you Monday."
  Kunikuzushi hesitated before awkwardly putting his hand at the small of Kazuha's back. "Bye."
  "Be safe," Kazuha pulled back, taking Kunikuzushi's free hand.
  "I'll try," Kunikuzushi rolled his eyes, "I'm more worried about you, though."
  "Don't worry about me," Kazuha blushed, "I'll be perfectly fine. I've got Beidou as a guard dog after all."
  "See you soon," Kunikuzushi moved towards the car.
  "Goodbye," Kazuha lifted Kunikuzushi's hand to his lips and kissed it.
  Kunikuzushi watched it happen as if his hand belonged to somebody else. Then he hurriedly pulled back and got into the backseat with Nahida, "bye,"
  Kazuha waved as the car pulled away and left. Then he ran inside and scooped up his cat, stroking her while fearing for his life.
——————
  Kunikuzushi turned to Nahida, "what am I supposed to do?..."
  "Buckle in," she answered.
  "No, thats not what I meant," he quickly buckled in. "I mean about Kazuha."
  There was a sly giggle from the driver's seat. "I didn't know you were having boy troubles~"
  "What- Miko?!"
  She laughed, "no, no, keep going! This is entertaining! He seems so endearing! I mean, the way he just kissed your hand!"
  "Stop it! This isn't your conversation!"
  Nahida blinked, "hm? He kissed your hand?"
  Kunikuzushi folded his arms, "yeah, just now."
  "Hmm... oh, you're wearing something different than earlier," she noted.
  "It was raining really hard so my clothes got soaked." He gestured at the bag of his wet clothes by his feet. "Kazuha's letting me borrow these..." he fiddled with the drawstrings on the hoodie.
  Miko giggled, "oh, really? You two are moving quite quickly, aren't you?"
  "Oh, shut up! It's not like that!"
  "Maybe not to you," she shrugged. "But he obviously has feelings for you!"
  "I know," Kunikuzushi groaned, "how am I supposed to get out of this?"
  "You mean you don't feel the same?" Miko and Nahida asked in unison.
  Kunikuzushi sighed, "I don't. I feel bad for him, but I don't know what to say? If I say anything about it, it might make things awkward with the collab."
  "Mhm, that is quite the dilemma," Miko chuckled.
  "You aren't helping," he grumbled.
  Nahida paused for a long moment, "so you don't want to talk to him about it?"
  "I hate to assume anything," Kunikuzushi said, "but it really seems like he feels... romantically towards me... I don't want to hurt his feelings by outright rejecting him, but I feel like not saying anything about it would be... It would feel like I'm sort of leading him on?..."
  Miko nodded, "it certainly seems that way. You need to at least not let him kiss you if you don't want him to."
  "I didn't *let* him! He just did that!" Kunikuzushi said in exasperation.
  "You certainly didn't try to stop him," she laughed.
  Kunikuzushi sat back and folded his arms, "it doesn't matter. He overthinks everything, and I moved away pretty abruptly. He's got to have noticed, right?"
  Nahida nodded, "most likely. But, even with that, we don't know how strongly he feels towards you."
  Kunikuzushi groaned again as he ran his hands down his face. "This is the worst."
  "Is it? Doesn't it feel nice to be wanted???" Miko asked.
  Kunikuzushi sighed, "I don't know... It depends on what he likes me for. I don't particularly care for being wanted by my fans because they don't know me..."
  "But you and Kazuha have gotten pretty close, right?" Nahida added.
  Kunikuzushi sighed more heavily, "I guess... I think he's a great friend, but I don't really want anything more than that. And I don't want to, you know, loose what we have...?"
  Nahida smiled, "then I'd spend some time thinking about it. Kazuha doesn't seem like the kind of person to be dramatic about it if you confronted him."
  "Yeah, he's too nice for that," Kunikuzushi sighed, "I just don't know what to do..."
——————
  "Beidou, I think I'm going to pass out..." Kazuha sat down slowly, still stroking his cat rhythmically.
  "Come on, you're fine!" She clapped him on the back, "you survived!"
  "I know, but, he looked so shocked and... he pulled away really quickly..." Kazuha buried his face in the cat's fur. "He probably hates me now!"
  "Pshhh! He's been nice to you, I don't think he could hate you! You probably just scared him a little!"
  "That's not any better!!!" He sat up, "I don't want him to be afraid of me!"
  "Uh- well-"
  "Beidou!" He whined, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to do?! He has to know now right?!"
  "I mean, he'd be kinda stupid not to," Beidou pointed out.
  Kazuha groaned, "now I'll be spending my weekend in agony!"
  "Huh?! Shouldn't you be all warm and fuzzy and full of butterflies because you kissed him???"
  "It was only on his hand..." Kazuha got red, "he has really soft hands..."
  Beidou burst out laughing, "you are so funny!"
  "No I'm not!!! That's a normal thing to notice!!! You used to go on and on about Ning's waist!"
  "That's because we have been dating forever! I've touched her everywhere and her waist happens to be my favorite spot! Is that so wrong?! I bet you'd have a worse favorite spot on your hubband!"
  "I would not! You're way more dirty-minded than me!!!"
  "No way! You're the one who brought him home and gave him your clothes!!!"
  "It's not like I watched him get changed!" Kazuha exclaimed, "he probably doesn't even like me like that!!!"
  Beidou snorted, "really? Are you hearing yourself right now?!"
  Kazuha paused, "yes."
  "Dude! Tween I was teasing you he put his hand on you so gently! He doesn't seem like the kind of person to do that normally!!!"
  Kazuha hesitated, "Beidou... that was probably nothing..."
  Beidou gave him *the look*, "mhm sureeee. Then what about when you were talked me about your vibe-sense?! That was-"
  "It was nothing, Beidou! Nothing!!!" Kazuha covered his face.
  "Hmmmm?! Are you sureeeee?!?! I mean, the way he smelled your clothes was kinda...~~~"
  "Beidou stop!!!" Kazuha shook his head madly.
  She laughed as she shook him back and forth, "he likes you Kazuha!!! I mean, he was so open with you! He didn't seem to care what you knew about him!"
  Kazuha was so incredibly red, "no... no, I..."
  "Maybe you're just friends *now* but come Monday maybe-"
  "Stop, please," Kazuha sighed, "I cant think straight right now."
  "Yeah, coz you're thinking-"
  "Beidou!"