Bound by Fate - SaneGiyuu

Fifteen - Ramen

The next day arrived far too quickly for Giyuu. After the quiet night under the stars with Sanemi, he had barely slept. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—feelings he had carefully bottled away, all now bubbling to the surface. It was unnerving, this new sense of vulnerability, but at the same time, there was an undeniable warmth that came with it.

He sat in the café that afternoon, staring into his coffee, replaying last night over and over in his head. The way Sanemi had held his hand so casually, the way he smiled at him like it was the most natural thing in the world—it made Giyuu's heart do strange things. And the worst part? He wanted more of it.

A paper cup clattered onto the table in front of him, startling Giyuu from his thoughts.

"Yo, you good?" Sanemi slid into the seat across from him, his usual smirk in place. His hair was tousled from the wind, and he looked effortlessly cool in a simple black hoodie. "You look like you've been up all night."

Giyuu cleared his throat, trying to shake off the sudden rush of embarrassment. "Didn't sleep much," he admitted, taking a sip of his coffee to avoid eye contact.

Sanemi leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his smirk softening into something more genuine. "Because of me?"

Giyuu nearly choked on his drink. "What? No," he spluttered, though his ears burned with the lie. "I just... had a lot on my mind."

Sanemi's smirk grew wider. "Right. Because we didn't almost kiss last night or anything."

Giyuu felt his entire face heat up. He opened his mouth to protest, but Sanemi's teasing expression stopped him. Instead, he just sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope," Sanemi replied, popping a fry into his mouth. "But hey, I didn't kiss you either. So, technically, we're both cowards."

Giyuu gave him a deadpan look. "That's not how it works."

Sanemi grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Tomioka."

Before Giyuu could respond, someone slid into the seat next to Sanemi with the grace of a cat. "I see you two are still dancing around each other," Shinobu said with a sly smile, her presence somehow managing to amplify the awkwardness between Giyuu and Sanemi by a thousand. "How adorable."

"Hey, I wasn't dancing around anything," Sanemi shot back, leaning back in his chair with a mock casualness. "If Giyuu wants me, he just needs to say the word."

Giyuu's heart skipped a beat, but he rolled his eyes to cover up his sudden nervousness. "I don't think that's necessary," he muttered, though the thought of saying those words—I want you—flashed across his mind for the briefest moment.

Shinobu, of course, wasn't letting this go without some teasing. "Oh, but Giyuu, dear," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "why don't you just admit that you've been thinking about that almost-kiss all day? I mean, look at him, all broody and mysterious. Isn't that your type?"

"Shinobu, I swear—" Giyuu began, but Sanemi interrupted with a loud, exaggerated sigh.

"Yeah, Giyuu," Sanemi said, leaning forward again with a devilish grin. "Isn't that your type?"

Giyuu glared at both of them, suddenly wishing he had chosen a quieter, more secluded spot to hide away. "This is why I shouldn't tell anyone anything."

Shinobu chuckled and waved off his frustration. "Oh, please. You're terrible at keeping secrets, Giyuu. Everyone can see the way you look at Sanemi."

Giyuu blushed harder, glancing at Sanemi to see his reaction, but to his surprise, Sanemi didn't seem fazed. Instead, he just shrugged and gave Giyuu a look that seemed to say, Yeah, and?