chasing the Cat (M X M)

Chapter 12: Gentle Teasing

The interruption lingered awkwardly in the air, but only for a heartbeat. As soon as the teacher hurried away to deal with the parents, Hiroshi turned back to Akira, the teasing glimmer still present in his eyes. Akira, however, was already scowling—flushed and visibly irritated, arms crossed so tightly it was a wonder he didn't crush his own ribs.

"You were way too close," Akira muttered, glaring at some invisible point off to the side, refusing to look directly at Hiroshi.

"Was I?" Hiroshi's voice dripped with playful innocence.

"Yes!" Akira snapped, though the heat creeping up his neck betrayed him.

Hiroshi chuckled softly and took a step closer—again invading Akira's personal space like it was his natural right. "But you didn't push me away."

Akira's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a scoff. "Don't read too much into it, idiot. I was caught off guard, that's all."

"Of course," Hiroshi murmured with a grin, clearly not believing him. "Completely caught off guard."

Akira shot him a half-hearted glare, as if daring him to push further, but Hiroshi only gave him a knowing look, one that sent a strange flutter through Akira's chest.

"Stop smiling like that," Akira muttered, turning away to hide his face.

"I can't help it," Hiroshi said with a laugh. "You're cute when you're flustered."

Akira froze, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks in full force. "W-What?! I'm not—!" He turned back to Hiroshi, floundering for words. "You've got a weird definition of cute."

"Do I?" Hiroshi tilted his head, looking genuinely curious. "I think it suits you."

Akira's brain short-circuited for a moment. He could feel the warmth building in his chest again, that awful, wonderful sensation that made him want to run and stay at the same time. His usual defense—sarcasm—kicked in like second nature.

"You're an idiot," he muttered under his breath.

Hiroshi laughed softly, and before Akira could retreat, he leaned in again. This time, his hand brushed against Akira's, fingers lightly grazing over knuckles before Hiroshi's palm slid gently upward, resting once more on Akira's head.

Akira froze, his heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the distant chatter of the lingering crowd. "What are you—"

"Just making sure you're still here," Hiroshi whispered, his voice low and warm. His fingers threaded through Akira's hair, a slow, deliberate motion that sent a shiver down Akira's spine. "You tend to run when things get real."

Akira's breath hitched. "I-I don't run," he stammered, feeling cornered.

Hiroshi's smile was infuriatingly soft. "No? Then why do you look like you're about to bolt?"

Akira's pride flared in response, though it felt fragile under the weight of the moment. He tilted his chin upward, trying to muster whatever bravado he had left. "I-I'm not going anywhere. You're the one acting weird."

"Am I?" Hiroshi asked, his hand still resting against Akira's hair, thumb brushing ever so slightly along the side of his temple.

Akira's chest tightened, the heat in his face unbearable. "You can't just— You—" He huffed in frustration, words failing him entirely.

Hiroshi leaned in closer, until their foreheads nearly touched. "I think you're starting to like this," he teased, his voice barely above a whisper.

Akira swore his heart was going to burst out of his chest. "L-Like hell I do!" he stammered, trying to step back, but Hiroshi's hand on his head kept him grounded—light, but unyielding.

"Sure, sure," Hiroshi murmured, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Whatever you say, Akira."

Akira swallowed hard, feeling completely unmoored, his usual defenses crumbling with every teasing word. "Y-You're so annoying..."

"And yet, you're still here," Hiroshi whispered, his voice dropping just enough to make Akira's stomach flip.

They stood there, caught in a moment that teetered on the edge of something dangerously intimate. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the sound of their breathing and the tension stretched tight between them.

Akira hated how close they were. He hated how his heart ached with something that felt too big and too terrifying to name. But most of all, he hated how badly he didn't want Hiroshi to move away.

"I..." Akira started, his voice barely audible, but before he could finish the thought, Hiroshi's hand slipped from his head—slow, reluctant, as if savoring the last touch.

"There you are!" Another voice cut through the tension, and Akira jumped back as if Hiroshi's touch had burned him.

A colleague of Hiroshi's jogged over, completely oblivious to the charged moment she'd interrupted. "The parents are asking for you. We need you for the final speech."

Hiroshi smiled, that easy, charming grin slipping effortlessly back into place. "Got it. I'll be there in a minute."

As the teacher hurried off, Hiroshi turned back to Akira, who was glaring at the ground, fists clenched at his sides.

"You okay?" Hiroshi asked softly, amusement still lacing his voice.

Akira scowled, his face burning. "Don't ask stupid questions."

Hiroshi chuckled, leaning in just enough to whisper, "I'll find you later."

Akira bristled, heart hammering. "Don't bother."

Hiroshi's grin widened. "We both know you don't mean that."

Before Akira could respond—before he could even come up with a decent retort—Hiroshi gave him one last playful wink and disappeared into the crowd.

Akira stood frozen, his heart still racing, his mind a whirlwind of emotions he didn't know how to process. He wanted to yell, to stomp his foot, to tell Hiroshi to stop messing with him. But more than anything, he wanted to pull Hiroshi back and ask him to stay just a little longer.

"This is the worst," Akira muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck where Hiroshi's hand had rested. His skin still tingled from the contact, and he hated how much he liked it.

With a frustrated groan, he ran a hand through his hair and forced himself to walk toward the exit—away from Hiroshi, away from whatever the hell just happened.

But even as he tried to escape, the warmth in his chest lingered, stubborn and undeniable. And for the first time in a long time, Akira didn't feel quite so alone.

.......