pet shop ✰ kagehina

he'd waited so long

to feel this.
to feel like someone needed him, wanted him,
loved him.
with shōyō, he didn't have to wait anymore.

"what are you staring at me for?" shōyō giggled, shoving tobio lightly in the shoulder.

"just lookin'."

"tobi-ooooo," shōyō whined, shoving him again and drawing a small chuckle from the boy's lips.

the two were sitting underneath a tree near the gym eating their lunches, shōyō donning tobio's black sweatshirt and tobio donning a very happy expression.

"i'm gonna go grab a milk from the vending machine. don't go anywhere."

"okay!"

the boy stood up and ruffled the orange mess of hair atop his boy's head, and walked around the corner. he juggled around in the pockets of his volleyball club jacket, trying to find some money for the machine; he took a struggling glance at the many flavors presented to him, and no matter his many times he's looked them over, he can never choose.
a group of snickering first year boys in their dirty school uniforms walked by, shooting tobio dark glances as they passed. tobio just scoffed and turned back to the machine, fumbling to shove a few coins into the money slot.
some mumbles arose around the corner, and he heard a loud thump; then, as if it was a cue, he heard a small yelp and his boy calling out, "tobio!"

tobio's finger drew away from the button and he darted around the corner to see the leader of the first years with his hands at the collar of shōyō's sweatshirt, and the other few crowding around.

"i'm sorry, but what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

they glanced to each other, and the leader of the group nodded. he roughly let shōyō back onto his stumbling feet and laughed as he fell.

"nothing."

tobio fled to shōyō's side, holding him close to his chest as he sobbed. his hands were trembling with anger as he watched the boy's leave.

"shh, shh, it's okay," tobio murmured, pressing little kisses to the top of the boy's head, "im here. i'm here."

tobio's milk sat abandoned at the bottom of the vending machine, lying in wait, just like them.