Ch 68: Worth it.

Okay, so, Kentaro had not planned for this.

His first kiss turned out to be... well, far from romantic. He always thought it would play out like those scenes in those corny teen flicks, where the pair would stare dreamily into each other's eyes, gravitate toward each other like magnets, then BAM! Soft lip to lip contact under a cherry blossom tree or some shit, probably after a third date...

But this one... this kiss was far from perfect; very clumsy, teeth knocking together upon impact— their lips were probably going to bruise from the sheer force of it— but he hoped it succeeded in one thing; Getting the message across.

He wanted Haruki to know that he felt the same way. To know Kentaro liked him back, and in a romantic way.

Except... the other person froze up, possibly from shock, and Kentaro briefly wondered if he'd completely lost his own damn mind. Sure, Haru had expressed his very non-platonic interest in him, but that didn't necessarily mean he was ready to dive into kissing or any form of intimacy right off the bat. Maybe the older teen wasn't even into it.

And Ginger had just, uh, attacked him unprepared.

The thought of it snapped Kentaro back to his senses instantly and broke the short lip to lip contact, heart racing and cheeks blazing. Internally, he panicked; That was not okay!

Haruki's expression was no different; face painted a colorful red, lips still slightly parted and a little bruised from the contact (did that hurt? Nomura, you fool!), and eyes searching in their disbelief.

"I, uh..." Ginger stuttered, realizing belatedly that he was still cradling the older teen's face, and hastily releasing him as he drew back, scratching his neck awkwardly. "Th-That was—"

"Why?" Haruki's tone grew surprisingly serious, and though he didn't sound angry, his voice held a trace of hurt confusion.

But why would he still be hurting? Didn't people usually kiss to express their feelings? Or maybe Haru really hadn't been into it and was trying not to get mad? Kentaro didn't have to wonder long since the other continued with his dangerous train of thought.

"Ken, that... Kissing would mean... I don't know if other people do it for fun, but to me it's..." Haruki sighed, looking away from him, evidently conflicted. "If you only did it to shut me up, then—"

"No way!" Ken's hands made as if to hold him again, to pull him close in comfort and assurance, but he wasn't certain if his touch would be welcomed at the moment and so he refrained. Instead, he spoke in what he hoped was his sincerest voice, "I wouldn't do that to you."

Haruki expression morphed into that of a bitter smile, "Right. Because that would be too cruel of a rejection."

"Stop that! Don't... Why are you so hellbent on thinking I'm rejecting you?"

"What else am I supposed to think, Ken?" he tiredly dragged a hand down his face.

"I don't know, maybe the fact that I might actually like you back!" Kentaro's voice rose in desperation.

And Haruki found himself speechless for the second time that night, wide eyes staring at the ginger-haired teen as if he'd declared the most shocking news in the world. And for some reason, it broke Ken's heart a little.

Especially when the older whispered, "Don't say things you don't mean."

Kentaro's throat constricted painfully, but he let himself talk. His voice wasn't nearly as collected as he'd hoped as he asked in genuine disbelief, "Is that really so shocking?"

Haruki didn't respond. And maybe he had every right to feel that way, to have such a hard time believing him. Anyone probably would, after witnessing Ginger's initial reaction towards Haruki's confession in the kitchen.

God, he was an idiot.

Hands uselessly fidgeting in his lap, Kentaro finally spoke again. "I'm really sorry about earlier, Haru. This day's been just so... I wasn't paying attention; didn't notice how nervous you were until it was too late. I guess I thought...." he trailed, raising his arms to drag his palms down his face before raking through ginger locks in frustration. "Shit, I thought you were being purposely cryptic again, saying stuff you thought I wanted to hear but holding different meanings entirely. I didn't realize you understood what those words meant to me."

Haruki looked like he wanted to defend himself but didn't, fists lightly clenching while his gaze still refused to meet Ginger's. Even in the dim light, his eyes still looked a little red and puffy from his unexpected emotional outburst earlier, which made Ken's heart twist. That'd been the first time he'd witnessed Haruki openly cry in front of him, and it'd been his fault.

The fear of losing Kentaro, even as a friend, had left Haruki shaken to the core.

"But I was wrong, I see that now."

Ken continued softly, and in that moment decided to throw caution to the wind. He drew closer to his friend again, gently taking his hands. Haruki needed reassurance at that moment, and keeping his distance only fueled his self-doubt, something Ginger wasn't a fan of. He missed the confident side of his best friend that had been pushed aside recently.

"I should have opened up about my feelings earlier. A bit dumb on my part, considering how incredible you are."

Haruki shook his head but didn't pull away, swallowing as if trying to compose himself while avoiding meeting the other's eyes.

"No, listen. I mean it," Kentaro told him, still not pushing Haruki to face him. Instead, he let his gaze wander before focusing partially on the screen in front of him. "When I first found out about Mr. Harada's plans to bind my mother and me to the family, I just... fell apart."

That caught Haruki's attention, his dark eyes searching Ginger's face with curiosity. Kentaro had shared most things that had happened at the Estate during their time apart, but not in great detail. This was new. This was before the fights, before Ken gained a reputation as a troublemaker.

This was when Ginger felt most defeated.

"It wasn't just about my mother's situation, you know?" Ken's lips formed a helpless smile before turning into a chuckle at Haru's bewildered expression. "You always joke that I've been obsessed with you from the start, so maybe don't act so surprised when I admit how heartbroken I was at the thought of never seeing you again."

That brought a blush to Haruki's cheeks, who quickly looked away, mumbling, "We would have met again, Ginger."

"Oh?" Ken's eyes crinkled with amusement. "How can you be so sure?"

"Even if you had made your debut as Chairman Harada's heir, we would still have crossed paths in the future," Haruki explained as if he was that certain. "As adults."

"Yeah, maybe," Ken agreed, his smile tinged with a touch of sadness. "But the circumstances would have been different. With the relentless media attention, I would have lost my freedom, and simply seeing each other would have been a hassle. And who knows, maybe you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me then—"

"As if!" Haruki exclaimed as if Ken had lost his mind.

"Right, right, just teasing," Kentaro chuckled, not having expected such a strong emotional response. He felt a little overwhelmed himself and did the first thing that came to mind, leaning in and pressing their foreheads together in what he hoped would comfort them both. He still hadn't released Haruki's hands, as if he was afraid the guy would suddenly change his mind and leave; think this was all a mistake.

Was it a mistake?

Ginger gently stroked the older boy's knuckles, as if to calm their slight tremors. "Honestly, I never thought you felt that way about me until today. It sounds too good to be true."

Haruki snorted softly at those words, his response carrying little bite as he muttered, "Yeah, right. Consider yourself lucky."

"Sure," Kentaro chuckled again, pulling his best friend—wait, what were they now—into a tight hug, resting his face near the crook of Haru's neck, where dark, tousled locks tickled his nose. Haruki reciprocated this time, wrapping his arms around Ginger's waist, bringing their bodies closer on the shared couch.

This hug felt different; it meant something. And maybe their embraces had become meaningful for a while now, even though they had never openly acknowledged it.

"I really like you, Haru," Kentaro whispered, finally expressing his feelings clearly. "I think I have for a while."

Haruki chuckled, a hint of moisture in his voice as he tried to deflect, "This isn't a competition."

"True, because I'd win if it were," Kentaro laughed with him.

"Ugh, you're insufferable."

But they wouldn't have it any other way. The day had been emotionally draining for both of them, and they still didn't understand how things had escalated so badly. At least now everything seemed to be back to normal.

... Or was it?

What even was their new normal now?

Kentaro was about to ask that when he felt Haruki slump against him, letting out a deep sigh. So instead, what left his lips was, "You okay?"

The other person hummed, reluctantly withdrawing from the embrace to carelessly flop against the sofa while suspiciously rubbing his eyes again. "A little tired is all."

"It is late," Ginger nodded in acknowledgement, glancing at the time on the TV screen. A minute past midnight. And also, Haruki had cried a little earlier, which was known to exhaust people... but of course Ken wasn't about to say that to his face. "We could always head on to bed, call it a night," he suggested, even though he wasn't quite ready to call it quits himself.

"Yeah... we could," Haruki said as much, yet his reluctance was also very evident.

Perhaps Haruki felt the same as Ginger, afraid that the night's magic would vanish by morning, leaving them wondering if their conversation had been a dream. Kentaro reached for the TV remote to check how much longer the fantasy film had. About forty more minutes. "Or we could finish the movie if you're up for it," he proposed, turning his attention back to Haruki.

The other boy nodded, grabbing a random blanket, which happened to be Ken's, but Haruki didn't seem to mind. It was thicker and warmer, and they could share. "Fine by me. Though, you'll have to give me a quick rundown since I honestly have no clue what this plot is about," he chuckled.

Ginger wasn't much clearer on the plot either, but he shared what he'd gathered from when Haruki was dozing. It didn't help much since the story had developed, and Ken hadn't been paying much attention from the start, but they both watched, turning it into a game of predicting the inevitable cliché ending.

They weren't exactly snuggled up as they watched the film, but they were pretty damn close. Kentaro wanted to cuddle, but he wasn't sure what their new normal was. Would it be too much? Haruki seemed to enjoy their earlier cuddle when he was half-asleep, so maybe...

"Told you," Ginger snapped to when Haruki spoke, his voice muffled by the blanket pulled up to his nose. Their heads were so close that turning towards each other would mean speaking directly into each other's ears. Maybe Haru's intense focus on the TV was to avoid feeling self-conscious.

"Told me... oh." Kentaro blushed a bit, as he hadn't been paying attention until that moment, noticing the on-screen kiss unfolding. They had both predicted a kiss scene, given the chemistry between the characters, but Haru had guessed the exact pair correctly.

And wow, those Western actors were really going for it.

"Thanks for volunteering to clean my room tomorrow," Haruki teased, then corrected himself, "Today."

Ken shouldn't have let Haru set the terms. "Yeah, yeah, I won't die from it."

"Don't be a sore loser, Ginger."

"Bite me."

The on-screen kiss was still ongoing. And heavens, were the characters moving on to a bed? Ken hadn't want to think about it, truthfully, but his mind inevitably wandered back to the kiss he'd shared with Haruki. That embarrassing attack. Was it too late to disappear into the floor?

"Fake and rehearsed," Haruki suddenly mumbled. "Only reason it looks good on camera."

Kentaro sputtered, "H-Huh?"

"The kiss," Haruki explained matter-of-factly, giving Ken a sideways glance. "Real-life ones are probably... different. More..."

It was then that Ginger noticed the pink tint on the corners of Haruki's ears and across his cheeks. The soft glow from the television laid bare all the secrets, no matter how much the older teen tried to act composed and cool.

"And better."

"Better?" Despite his heart racing and his face likely resembling a ripe strawberry, Ken hesitated to accept those implied words. "I don't think... In real life, it's messy, and people are..."

"Real," Haruki interjected calmly. "Their actions and emotions are genuine."

"Haru..."

"I actually liked it when you kissed me," the words tumbled out before Haruki could stop them, and suddenly self-aware, he buried his face deeper in the blanket they were sharing. "It caught me off guard, but... I liked it."

And Kentaro knew he was screwed.

He gulped, eyes trailing anywhere but the general area of Haruki's covered lips, suddenly feeling like a creep for staring. God I would hope so, since it'd make kissing you a second time less embarrassing.

Kentaro didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until he heard the almost whispered response:

"I'd like that."

*

Haruki didn't even know where the sudden surge of confidence came from.

One minute he'd been thinking of ways to calm the tension these two obsessed-with-each-other characters had brought with their sudden kiss, the next he was comparing them to Kentaro's kissing skills and promptly implying that they made out again.

They'd just settled their disputes, could he not rush them just yet?

To be fair, Ginger kissed me first...

Yes, to shut you up, dumbass!

Still, Haruki didn't back out. He didn't want to. He hadn't even had the chance to reciprocate the first time, so of course he wouldn't let it slide. And who knew when they'd kiss again? The mood was just right at this moment.

Kentaro was the first to ease away from the sofa, adjusting himself into a more composed sitting position, a hint of nervousness evident in his demeanor that made Haruki wonder if he had pushed their situation a little too far. He often liked being right, but if it really turned out that Ginger had only kissed him just because he hadn't known how else to shut him up, then—

"Should we?"

Haruki straightened slowly at the uncertainty in that question, causing the blanket to slip off his shoulders as a sudden surge of apprehension washed over him. Maybe he really had messed it up. "N-No pressure, we don't have to if it's too much."

"I want this too," Kentaro confirmed as he finally turned to face him, and suddenly Haruki became aware of just how close they were. The movie kissing scene was probably over, but neither of them seemed to care about the film anymore. Haruki sure as hell didn't, his attention now fixated on the way Ginger's hand sought his on the couch, intertwining their fingers once connected. "But this time, could you take the lead?"

Haruki's brain almost short-circuited. Lead? But he didn't know how...

"Please?" Kentaro's lips curved into a small smile as he somehow managed to look up at the older teen through his lashes, despite having the height advantage.

I'd even strip if he asked, and... Okay, that is NOT what is happening here!!

"Okay," Haruki managed, and no, he did not croak, but he still felt a little tentative. Kentaro wasn't giving him any tips here. Lifting his free hand to gently cup the other's face, Haruki tried not to suffer from heart palpitations as he drew a little closer, giving a soft warning. "Here goes."

Ginger simply nuzzled his cheek against Haruki's palm in confirmation, and that was all the encouragement Haruki needed to lean in and finally press their lips together.

It wasn't the fiery, passionate contact they had just witnessed in that fantasy movie; rather, it was a gentle and cautious brushing of lips against lips. Yet, Haruki couldn't shake off his self-consciousness. He was inexperienced, and hell he'd figured Ginger would be in the same boat as him, but...

... Was this any way for an inexperienced person to kiss?

Haruki tried to stifle the gasp that threatened to escape as Kentaro's other hand moved to encircle his waist intimately, drawing their bodies as close as their current position allowed. Their lips moved in harmony, parting long enough for them to adjust to the new closeness, before boldly meeting once more in another tender kiss.

And in that moment, Haruki was lost. His bones seemed to melt away, his body warming with his focus solely on their intertwined fingers, the gentle caresses of Ginger's arm around his waist, and the concerningly expert movements of his crush's lips which refused to part with his own. The kiss was tongueless, and it was warm, and it was enough.

Their lips parted with a small smack when they finally separated for air, breaths coming out in shallow pants as neither teen moved from the other's personal space. Haruki didn't know about Ken, but his own heart was at the risk of stopping completely, face burning so hard it was incredible he hadn't caught fire already. It didn't help how Kentaro's half-lidded gaze studied his lips, admiring the slight swell and redness, before those beautiful grey crystals slowly travelled back up to meet his gaze and made Haruki's heart almost leap out of his throat.

Haruki already knew he'd fallen, but not this hard.

"Where..." he couldn't help taking a small gulp to at least 'try' and make his heart settle a little, "did you learn to kiss like that?"

It was a silly question, and Haruki's voice came out small. He knew the kiss was the first real one for them both, but those words were really all he could think of. But Kentaro's resultant relieved chuckle was worth the three seconds of feeling like an idiot.

Resting his forehead on the other boy's shoulder, Ken shifted so his other hand could join the first around Haruki's slim waist as well, closing his eyes in contentment.

"I take it the kiss wasn't that bad this time?" Ginger responded with his own question in whispered curiosity.

"It wasn't bad the first time either," Haruki's hands also left their post, one encircling the redhead's shoulder's to return the embrace, while the other gently carded through Ken's soft fiery locks.

They both lingered like that for some time, content in the comfortable silence, until Haruki finally asked what'd been weighing on his mind.

"So... What are we?"

The question made the other teen tilt his head, and Haruki could feel Ginger's gaze on him. He hesitated to meet those grey eyes, nervous about what he might hear.

"What do you want us to be?" Kentaro asked, uncertainty in his tone. Haruki finally met his gaze.

He understood their hesitation. They both feared it might have been a spur-of-the-moment decision, driven by tension. But Haru had come to realize that he saw his best friend in a different light for some time now. Being 'just friends' with Ginger was no longer enough, and he doubted it ever would be after what had transpired between them.

"Go out with me," Haruki's words didn't sound like a request, so just to be safe, he added, "Please? Maybe see how things go?"

It was clear it was a done deal when Kentaro's face lit up with a smile Haruki felt like he hadn't seen in ages. "Wow. You said please and everything."

"Don't test me, Ginger," Haruki replied with a smile, lacking any real edge in his words. "But really, go out with me?"

Kentaro grinned and hugged the older boy a little tighter, hiding away his own reddened face once more in the process. He probably thought he was sleek, but Haru knew a 'yes' when he saw it.

"Okay."

It had been an exhausting few hours, but the outcome had definitely been worth it. This was finally the start of their new normal.

~~~~~~~