"I swear" Ita muttered under his breath, gripping his pen a little tighter, "I'm going to hit you."
Kiel only smiled wider.
They were sitting in the classroom during lunch break, notebooks open between them. Ita had agreed,against his better judgment to help Kiel with math again.
Which meant he was currently trying very hard not to lose his patience.
"Focus" Ita said, tapping the page. "This is basic algebra. Even you should understand it."
Kiel wasn't looking at the page.
He was looking at Ita.
Specifically at Ita's face.
"What?" Ita snapped, noticing the stare.
"Nothing," Kiel replied casually, chin resting on his hand. "You just look very serious when you're teaching. It's kind of attractive."
Ita's pen froze mid-sentence.
"…What?"
"I'm just saying," Kiel continued innocently, "if math teachers looked like you, I'd actually study."
Ita slowly lowered his pen.
His eyebrow twitched.
"I am literally explaining numbers."
"And I am literally appreciating you."
"I'm going to smack you."
Kiel grinned. "Promises, promises."
Ita actually did smack him.
Not hard but enough to make a clear thud sound as his palm hit the side of Kiel's head.
"OW!" Kiel yelped dramatically, clutching his hair. "Abuse! I'm being abused!"
"You deserve worse," Ita shot back, flipping the page aggressively. "Now focus."
Kiel leaned closer instead.
Too close.
"I am focusing," he said. "On you."
Ita's eye twitched again.
"I am not gay," Ita said flatly, not even looking at him.
Kiel gasped like he'd been personally offended. "Wow. Homophobic."
"I'm not homophobic," Ita snapped. "I just don't want people thinking weird things."
Kiel hummed thoughtfully. "But what if I am weird things?"
Ita slowly turned his head and stared at him in pure disbelief.
"You're hopeless."
"I prefer charming."
"You're delusional."
"Still handsome."
Ita smacked him again.
By the time they packed up to head to the cafeteria, Ita felt like his patience had been stretched thinner than paper.
They walked side by side down the hallway, Kiel still talking non-stop.
"You know," Kiel continued, slinging an arm over Ita's shoulder casually, "if you keep touching me like that, people might misunderstand."
"I'm touching you because you won't shut up."
"Still counts."
Ita shoved his arm off immediately.
From across the hallway, a tall boy stopped walking.
Lucas.
His jaw literally dropped as he stared at them.
"…What am I looking at?" Lucas muttered.
A group of girls nearby also slowed down, whispering behind their hands while glancing at Ita and Kiel.
Ita noticed.
His eyebrow twitched again.
"This is your fault," Ita hissed quietly.
"My fault that I'm irresistible?" Kiel asked proudly.
Before Ita could respond, Kiel leaned slightly closer and said in an overly sweet voice, loud enough for others to hear:
"Baby, don't be shy."
The hallway went silent for half a second.
Lucas looked like he had just witnessed something life-changing.
One of the girls gasped.
Ita's face went blank.
Then,
SMACK.
The sound echoed louder this time as Ita hit the back of Kiel's head.
"Stop being gay!" Ita snapped. "And I am not gay!"
Kiel rubbed his head, laughing. "You keep saying that like you're convincing yourself."
"I'm going to throw you down the stairs."
"Romantic."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
Ita stopped walking and stared at him again, his expression full of exaggerated disgust.
"You're disgusting."
Kiel leaned down slightly since he was taller, grinning right in Ita's face. "But you still sit next to me every day."
"…Because you're stupid at math."
"Sure."
Lucas was still staring.
"…Are they dating?" someone whispered not-so-quietly.
"I can hear you," Ita muttered darkly.
Kiel waved cheerfully at them.
Ita covered his face for a second, dragging his hand down slowly.
"Why are you like this?" he asked, exhausted.
Kiel shrugged. "Because it's fun."
"It's not fun."
"It is for me."
Ita looked at him again.
Annoyed.
Irritated.
Pretending to be disgusted.
But deep down,
He didn't actually feel uncomfortable.
He wasn't embarrassed in the way he used to be.
There was no fear.
No shame.
No pressure.
Just… stupid jokes.
And laughter.
And for someone like Ita,
That felt new.
He rolled his eyes again and walked ahead toward the cafeteria.
Behind him, Kiel called out dramatically, "Wait for me, my love!"
Ita didn't turn around.
But his lips twitched slightly.
"Idiot," he muttered.
And despite everything,
He felt lighter.