I brought you coffee- A Naegami fic (ENG)

Three

«Wait, start from the beginning again. Why do you need my help?»

«I need you to analyse my feelings and understand what Makoto is doing to me. I think I'm starting to consider him as a friend, a really good friend actually.» Byakuya was completely serious. It was a Saturday afternoon and he and Touko had met up at their favourite café; the heir sitting in front of a cup of green tea and matcha cookies and the writer in front of a cup of rose flavoured tea and a slice of strawberry shortcake.

«You're asking me to be your therapist? Because of Makoto?» Touko kept staring at Byakuya, who only nodded in response, taking a sip of his tea. The girl sighed, leaning back against her chair and crossing her arms. «First of all you'll need to explain exactly what you...feel and when you feel it and, most of all, what you think about Makoto. And be honest about it. I know it's hard for you and I know you have a hard time dealing with your feelings, but I need you to make an effort, otherwise I won't be able to help.»

Byakuya knew Touko was right, but he wasn't sure where he should have started. Slowly, he began to open up, explaining how he and Makoto had become close, how they had started talking outside of their job too, texting and sharing their interest in tv series. He went on to explain, although with a bit of difficulty, what he felt when he was around Naegi or when he received his messages. Or, again, when he received "goodnight" messages, or a "goodmorning" on Sundays when they weren't at work. 

He also talked about how amusing and endearing the way Makoto used emojis in his messages, reflecting his real-life expressivity (after admitting that, he threatened Touko, making her promise to keep everything for herself) even though he thought it was a shame how they couldn't mimic the way the boy's freckles seemed to laugh along wth him. When the heir finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, pointing his gaze towards Touko, who was looking at her own cup with a concentrated look on her face while biting the nail on her right thumb; a habit that always came out when she was nervous or deeply immersed into her thoughts.

«Have you ever thought that, maybe... you don't see him just as a friend?» Touko spoke up, daring to expose her theory to Byakuya as she raised her eyes to look at him. He stared back at her, confused.

«Elaborate, please. What are you insinuating?» Byakuya could see that the girl was trying to hold back a smile; clearly she was plotting something.

«I mean...well, I have no say in what you truly feel, that's something only you can fully understand, but maybe... you have a crush on Makoto?»

Byakuya wasn't expecting that kind of statement. «Me? A crush on Makoto?» He was completely dumbfounded.

«Would that be so weird?»

«First of all, I'm not a schoolboy anymore. And before you can start your speech about how crushes aren't just a schoolboy's thing: I know. But I don't...have a crush.» He wanted to show confidence in what he was saying, but he faltered towards the end of the sentence.

«Alright, tell me why you're not in love.» Touko encouraged him, trying to understand her friend's motivations, despite knowing him far too well and knowing he was trying to lie to himself.

Byakuya had to think about it. He started thinking about what it meant to be in love: clichés like feeling butterflies in your stomach and constantly being in a good mood and feeling like the world was great and wonderful. That's how people often described "being in love" to him. But Byakuya didn't feel butterflies in his stomach, nor did he see the world in a better light. When he was around Makoto he felt calm, he didn't feel judged and he never felt like he had to meet high standards in the way he behaved. He didn't feel like he was going to die when he was away from the other boy, but he somewhat missed him, reason why his messages always improved his mood. His favourite moments through the day had become their lunches out together and every evening, when, after having dinner, they would both throw themselves onto the couch in their respective homes, simultaneously watching the same episodes, knowing that despite the distance they were connected by that little thing. 

Byakuya loved the sense of stability and familiarity that Makoto gave off and, despite the boy's clumsiness was one of his flaws, it wasn't a clumsiness that the heir saw coming from stupidity (which he would have found quite irritating), but rather derived from the fact that Makoto was a way too good and hardworking person, focused on doing his job, a bit too much sometimes. In Byakuya's eyes, the way the secretary always found the energy to smile and the fact he was tenacious, always pushing through the hardest days, made him a person worthy of respect. He was the only kind of person with whom Byakuya felt like he could have a good connection. He was the only kind of person with whom Byakuya could have ever accepted a...relationship.

The realisation froze the heir, who felt unsettled by his own feelings.

«I think you found the answer within yourself.» Touko broke the silence, stifling a giggle and looking at her friend with a sly smile.

«Shut up, don't you dare comment further.» His words were sharp, but it was an attempt to distract her from noticing the involuntary blush creeping onto his cheeks. The idea of being in love "like a schoolboy" embarrassed him. He was an adult man, it wasn't the time to act like a young boy and chasing after his own secretary. But Touko didn't leave him alone, teasing him and drowning him in suggestions for his love life, inspired by the various books and fan fictions she had read, reassuring him that they would have absolutely worked on Makoto.

Byakuya listened to her in silence, knowing that he probably wouldn't have paid attention to the sickeningly sweet ideas his friend exposed, despite being grateful for how hard she was trying to help him. The things she was suggesting weren't in his style, they would have felt forced; he would have found on his own a way to make a move towards Makoto. He needed to investigate first. He needed to understand if the boy felt a similar way towards him. That would have definitely been tricky. Byakuya had no idea what a good excuse to spend more time with him would be.

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DO NOT HAVE RPS UNDER MY STORIES PLEASE