Runaways [MikaYuu]

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

They danced for hours, but it felt like mere seconds. Maybe it was minutes. It could've been days, and Yuu wouldn't have noticed.

Panting for air and laughing breathlessly, the two slow down. Beads of sweat lined their hairlines and Yuu watched as Mika pushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. "Another round?" He grinned as another song began to play.

"I'm exhausted," Yuu shook his head, still smiling. God, that was so exhilarating. It was more than just living; he felt truly alive, and now he couldn't get enough of the feeling. He wanted the fleeting moment to last forever.

But of course, the moment passes, and they slip through the crowd and head to the back, where Mika explained had a bunch of tables and booths. Not only was the place a dance floor and a bar, but they served food too. Yuu wasn't really hungry, so he passed on that idea.

They sat down across from each other, and Yuu tries not to squirm on the slippery vinyl booth cushion. The table is sticky from alcohol and greasy foods, but Yuu blocked it out of his field of vision the best he could by focusing on the guy in front of him.

They were silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. Only one thought ran around in Yuu's head, and he said it before he could stop himself. "Where did you learn to dance like that?"

Mika shrugged. "I've had practice, I guess. I love coming to this place."

"You're an amazing dancer," Yuu said breathlessly. The apples of Mika's cheeks lit up with a soft blush and he bit his bottom lip, trying to suppress a bashful grin.

"Thanks. You too, Yuu-chan." Mika sounded happy.

Yuu was happy too.

"What else do you do for fun?"

"Well, let's see... Besides dancing?" Mika tapped his chin, eyes casting upward as he thought about his answer. "I like gambling."

"But you're underage!" Yuu was appalled. Breaking the law for nothing more than a trivial game? It was unheard of, in his opinion.

"That's what makes it fun, Mr. Goody-two-shoes," Mika winked flirtatiously.

Yuu stumbled over his words as he tried to respond after seeing Mika wink at him. "Y-yes, I suppose." He stuttered awkwardly.

"Alright, my turn for questions," Mika announced, rubbing his hands together. "Where are you from?"

"Uh, nowhere." Was the idiotic answer that came out of Yuu's mouth. If Mika's eyes weren't trained on him, Yuu would seriously be slapping his forehead in stupidity right now.

"Nowhere, eh? Sounds like a great place," Mika joked sarcastically. "How's the weather up in Nowhere?"

Yuu ended up playing along with the joke, smirking as he did so. "Often quite chilly in the winter months, but in the spring the weather is just gorgeous." Yuu elongated his words, attempting to sound as presumptuous as possible. He couldn't keep up the façade for much longer, and they both began to laugh.

"Next question... what do ya do for fun, Yuu-chan?" Mika questioned after they fell into a comfortable silence when the laughter died down. "Oh, and a serious answer this time, please."

Yuu had to think about that one. What did he do for fun? His life was so boring in the castle, so he had to make his own fun. "I love to read."

And that he did. When he read, he was engrossed, absorbed, almost in a trance. He was transported to another reality. In the castle library, he had read every book cover to cover, some even twice or three times. The stories just didn't get old, and no matter how many times he read them, the stories would remain fresh. Yuu remembered how he will pour himself into the pages every night and read until he became cross-eyed and straining to see under a meager candlelight, the words blurring into nonsense.