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Hey Kazutora,
hows it’ going in there? Everything still suck? Out here has been pretty crazy. I met someone new at school and they’re helping with me with the letters cause apparently I’m shit at kanji. They’re cool tho. I had to help them in a fight but they are a delinquent too so I don’t feel as alone out here anymore without you to get in trouble with. Maybe your prison will let me come visit soon or something if I ask my mom for permission. Ciao.
Baji.
No shit you suck at kanji, I’ve been saying that forever. Pretty sure you’ve never spelled my name right up until now, but whatever. Yea, everything in here still sucks pretty bad, the food sucks, I had to shave my head, we aren’t allowed to talk to each other most of the time. It’s boring as fuck. Yea! Ask your mom if you can come visit cause I feel like I’m losing my mind. And don’t go make a new best friend without me, you bastard! I’ll kick your ass! See if you can send me snacks or something, the food here really is shit. Bye.
Kazutora,
Ha! Like you could! I’ve gotten a bunch stronger since you’ve been in juvie so I could probably kick your ass easily. I talked to my mom and she said I’m not allowed to visit you because I’m not family. Have you heard from your mom or dad at all? I called too but they wouldn’t tell me anything or let me talk to you and I got pissed off at the guard and he hung up on me. Asshole. Don’t worry about a new best friend though, it’s not like that. Chifuyu is different. They’re… I don’t know. It’s weird. Whatever. I’ve sent some snacks with this letter, so hopefully those shitty guards actually give it to you. TTYL
Baji,
Those bastards stole the snacks. I didn’t get shit except for your letter. These fucking guards I swear to god I’d beat the shit out of them if it wouldn’t get me stuck in here longer. They’re lucky. And what do you mean different? Like, are they dumb are something? Couldn’t be dumber than you HA! But if they’re helping you with the letters I guess it’s okay for them to be your friend. For now. I’ll fight them when I get out though cause I’M your best friend and if they don’t know that they can fuck off. Write back.
Kazutora,
Idiot. I SAID that they weren’t my best friend, maybe you’re the dumb one! I don’t know though, I kinda… I don’t know. Shit’s weird with Chifuyu like I kinda wanna hold their hand and go on dates and shit but I don’t even know how to ask that sort of stuff. Any advice? Obviously I’d write back, stupid.
Baji,
A DATE? WHOA!!!!!!! LOOK AT YOU MAN GETTING A GIRLFRIEND WHEN I’M OFF IN JUVIE. NO FAIR!! When you told me about them I thought Chifuyu was a dude cause you said they’re a delinquent too and all, but helping with the letters makes sense it’s a chick. That must be why you suddenly sound smart and stuff. She hot? Send me a pic! A sexy one if you can, I’m dying in here! Help!
Kazutora,
Idiot. Chifuyu is a dude, that’s why I’m stuck. I don’t know how to ask out a dude! I thought about asking Draken how it’s going with Emma but he just changed the subject all together so what the hell! Emma was no help either cause she said I should just help him move stuff and he’ll fall in love like how she did with Draken but that’s stupid. So I’m stuck, you help me!
Baji,
EHHH?? I don’t know how to ask out a guy either! Maybe like… punch him and offer to kiss it better or something? I don’t know? Offer to suck his dick and see if he punches you or blushes? I don’t know man! Watch some movies or something, what does he even like? Try to do some of that? Good luck man. I’ll try and think of something in the meantime but I’ve got no ideas except prison stuff. Dating isn’t really a thing in here so I can’t ask anyone for advice, rip.
Kazutora,
Well fuck! He lives in the same building as me so Emma might be onto something with the moving stuff, but he’s already moved in so it might be weird if I just bring stuff over. Apparently he’s into shoujo manga so I tried reading some of that but none of it has helped at all cause I don’t have silver armour OR a horse so now what!?!? Thinking your punch idea might have some merit. Chat soon.
Baji,
You idiot. Have you even talked to him about romance stuff? What if he’s not gay or bi or whatever? Just ask him to hang out on Christmas eve or something and find some mistletoe and kiss him under it. There, easy! If he gets upset you can say it was a joke and brush it off, if not BOOM you got yourself a boyfriend. Fuck. I should maybe try that when I’m outta here. It’s hard being this smart and stuck in here when you’re so dumb and out there. Change spots with me?
Kazutora,
Fuck off. But I’ll try it, doesn’t hurt I guess. Or won’t hurt cause even if he punches me he’s not as strong as Mikey or anyone else so I know I can take the punch. Wish me luck.
Baji,
OR you could just show him these letters and invite him on a lunch date on the rooftop of the school like a blushy loser. HAH! Just kidding. Whatever happens, keep me updated, I’m bored as shit in here.
“Oi Chifuyu.” Baji shouted, a little too loud after classes finished up on the 23rd. “You busy tomorrow?”
Chifuyu raised an eyebrow but answered immediately. “Nope. Alone again on Christmas Eve,” He sighed dramatically.
“Wanna come with me somewhere?”
“Huh? Sure. Where are we going?”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s cool.”
Chifuyu cocked his head to the side in confusion but nodded all the same. It wasn’t like Baji to invite him somewhere out. They lived in the same building, so whenever he’d wanted to hang out he’d just knock on his door and his mom would let him in. Going somewhere else seemed like a waste of time, almost.
That night, Baji could barely sleep, playing and replaying the scenario in his head. He’d tell Chifuyu to ride on the back of his bike because it was cold riding alone. They’d take the rainbow bridge over to Odaiba and look at the giant Christmas tree they had set up there. He’d heard that there was mistletoe all over the Christmas venue, so he’d casually mention it and lean in for a kiss. Option 1. Chifuyu would lean back and they’d seal the deal. Easy Peasy. Option 2. He’d recoil and he’d have to push him or something and play it off like a joke. Less easy, but much more likely, probably. He tossed and turned thinking about what to say in the event of a swerve. Then he remembered that they’d have to share a bike back. Shit. Maybe he should tell Chifuyu to drive on his own? No, that would ruin the romantic part of step 1. Shit. Shit shit shit.
Morning came all too early with a text from Chifuyu “Sup? When are we hanging out?”
Shit.
He had planned a whole night, Christmas lights and mistletoe in the dark…but it was only noon and it would be hours until nightfall.
“Oh uhhh… I didn’t plan anything until later…”
“Oh good! Wanna come see a movie beforehand? There’s a new one out I’ve wanted to see but no one will come with me.”
“Yea sure, I guess. What time is the movie?”
“13:30 in Shibuya. So get ready.”
“Wanna go on my bike?” Baji’s heart was pounding out of his chest when he sent the text, step one of his plan in motion much earlier than anticipated.
“Sure, parking will probably be shit so it'll be easier to park one bike instead of two”
“Yea…”
**
At 13:15 they arrived at the theatre, and Baji looked on in horror at the poster for the movie he was about to see. It was some foreign rom-com but Chifuyu looked excited and he was extra cute when his eyes lit up like that.
He had told his mom he had a date and she’d given him some money for movie snacks and such, and he knew, from the previous research Kazutora had suggested, he should pay for the snacks and tickets and carry everything into the theatre. He was so lost in his planning, he hadn’t noticed that Chifuyu had already gotten them popcorn, drinks, and tickets and was halfway to the theatre before stopping to call out to Baji to hurry up.
As expected, the movie was awful, and Baji kept finding himself spending more time looking at the boy next to him than whatever the blonde actress was doing on the screen. Chifuyu was glued to the movie, leaning forward in his chair, eyes wide and glossy as if he were going to cry at whatever the plot was doing. Fuck he was cute. Several times he motioned to grab Chifuyu’s hand but stopped at the last moment- diverting his fingers to his drink or popcorn before Chifuyu noticed anything strange. Not yet. The mistletoe plan was in action, any deviation would mess up the rest of the night.
“What did you think?” Chifuyu asked him, excited, once the credits started to roll.
“I uhh… didn’t really get it. But you liked it, right?”
“Awe! That’s too bad! It was really good!” As they left the theatre Chifuyu excitedly explained the movie to him. How the plot was this woman trying to dump a guy but they ended up falling in love over a bunch of hilarious mishaps and how a romance like that would be SO perfect and -
Baji's heart stopped. Had he planned this whole thing wrong? Did he need more mishaps? Weren’t dates supposed to go well? Should he have grabbed his hand in the theatre and loudly declared OOPS I WAS REACHING FOR POPCORN? Is that how dates were supposed to go? He cursed Kazutora and his lack of insight, and the lack of clarification on the movies he’d watched in preparation.
“Now what?” Chifuyu asked him, a grin growing across his face.
“Uhhh, let’s go out to Odaiba…” Baji mumbled, trying to hide the blush that had been creeping up his cheeks as Chifuyu talked.
“Oh! Are we going to see the tree!? Wicked!!!!”
Chifuyu nearly ran to the bike and eagerly got on the back waiting for Baji to get on in front of him. He nearly ruined his entire plan, again, by kissing him right there on the back of his bike. If mistletoe could be romantic, so could a flickering alley light and a motorcycle, couldn’t it? No! There was an order to things. If he did them out of order things would go badly.
His grip on the handlebars was tighter than normal as he raced towards the inlet island, Chifuyu wrapping his arms around his midsection to keep steady and warm in the icy wind. When they arrived it was crowded. So crowded. Way more crowded than Baji had anticipated in all of his nightly preparation scenarios. Shit.
He froze in place when he finally found a spot to park his bike, the tree hiding behind the hundreds of other people gathered. He’d be lucky to see it up close without losing Chifuyu in the crowd let alone to find some sequestered mistletoe in the dark somewhere.
Shit.
Baji didn’t even know what mistletoe looked like. He hadn’t thought to try and find a picture beforehand and just assumed it would be obvious, but in the dark away from the lights everything was various shades of grey and black. Shit shit shit.
“Hey you okay?” Chifuyu peeked into Baji’s face as he stood in place spacing out.
“Yea…” He muttered, “Let's try and see the tree up close…”
“Cool! Hey, grab my hand so we don’t get separated.” Chifuyu smiled like the sun and held out his hand. Baji took it happily, hoping that he wasn’t about to blush and give up the whole game. Chifuyu’s hand was smaller than his. Soft. And warm. So warm. He never wanted to let it go.
So he gripped Chifuyu as if he were a lifeline and pushed into the throng of people, headed towards the tree. It was easier to split the crowd than he thought it would be, most couples they passed got out of their way quickly when they saw the determined look on Baji’s face.
“WHOA! THAT THING IS FRICKIN HUGE!” Chifuyu gasped when Baji pulled him up alongside the perimeter of the tree beside him.
“Yea, it’s nice hey?”
“There’s a lot of couples here, aren’t there?”
Baji nodded, noting that Chifuyu hadn’t let go of his hand yet, despite being through the crowd. He hoped it was intentional.
“There’s… lights and stuff all over the place, do you wanna go see some of those in a bit?”
“Sure!”
When they’d gotten their fill of the majesty of the giant tree and its giant shining star, they pulled back from the barrier, hands still clasped together, and wandered down a darker path lit only by fairy lights artfully placed in the trees. There were fewer people here and they were able to walk side by side, and still Chifuyu had not dropped Baji’s hand.
“I think there’s more light displays over there…” He said, hoping against hope that Chifuyu wouldn’t realize their hands were still glued together and wanted to untangle them anytime soon. There really was no reason for them to still be holding them…unless…
“Baji-san…” Chifuyu said quietly, his cheeks growing redder by the second.
“Huh?” He’d been caught unaware when Chifuyu stopped walking, their clasped hands tugging but not falling apart.
“I heard they put mistletoe all over these walkways for couples and stuff…” Chifuyu wasn’t looking at him, but rather at the walkway around them, bathed in a warm golden glow. Baji followed his eyes, a frown growing on his face.
“Yea, that’s what I’ve been looking for but I can’t fucking see anything cause it’s too dark.”
Baji paused, realizing what he’d just said. In horror, he whipped his head around to face Chifuyu who was beet red pointing upwards with his free hand. Oh.
The mistletoe was directly above him, and Chifuyu was rooted to the spot. Did that mean he wanted to… Baji froze, his mouth falling open just far enough for a steam of wonder to escape his lips.
Fuck it.
He leaned in and kissed Chifuyu full on the mouth. It felt like forever, but it was probably only a second or two. When he pulled away, he kept his face close, trying to read Chifuyu’s expression in the dull light while their breath mingled in the cold air. The silence lingered and Baji moved to pull away before feeling a tug on his collar. Chifuyu was pulling him back for another kiss.
He wasn’t sure how long they stood there, nor how many people saw them, but none of it mattered. After months of overthinking and planning, he’d finally kissed Chifuyu…or maybe Chifuyu had kissed him… whatever. All that mattered is that Chifuyus breath was hot on his and he felt warmer than he’d felt all evening and maybe that he had a boyfriend now.
When their lips finally parted and they began moving once more, they were both silent, their clasped hands doing all the talking for them with gentle brushes of the thumb and squeezes. Together they watched the waves on the shore, hand in hand, waiting for the crowds to thin out so they could walk back to the bike as they’d walked through the pathways.
**
At their apartment before Baji headed upstairs to his own apartment, he paused to ask “Does this mean you’re my boyfriend now? I told Kazutora I’d keep him updated…”
Chifuyu’s mouth fell open before bursting into laughter. “Of course it does, Idiot. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yea.” Baji chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll message when I wake up if you wanna come over…”
“You bet!” Chifuyu gave him a goofy thumbs up before realizing he looked silly and disappeared beyond his doorway.
Baji continued to his room, a grin on his face that would probably never leave it, and pulled out a sheet of paper.
Kazutora!!!!!!
I DID IT! I FUCKIN DID IT! I had to watch a boring ass movie but we held hands and kissed and it was AWESOME! Now you gotta catch up to me cause I’m gonna have a boyfriend when you get out and no one likes a third wheel!
The reply came only a day later, and was the shortest letter Kazutora had ever sent.
Baji,
I’ll kill you both.