19. Rose in the dark
That evening, a light rain was falling.
Giginose sat by the window, a spellbook in his hands, though his eyes weren't focused on any page. He could hear the steady sound of raindrops outside, and soft laughter drifting from the kitchen - Barokuro was making hot cocoa for the two of them.
A moment later, Barokuro walked in, holding two steaming ceramic mugs. He set one down on the table in front of Giginose, then casually sat down beside him.
"Don't tell me you've been reading without understanding anything. Your eyes have drifted off several times already."
Giginose shot him a look - one that almost seemed ready to punch him right then - but said nothing.
Barokuro chuckled. "No denial means I'm right. I distracted you, didn't I?"
"...Get lost."
"Ooh? Just one question and your ears are already red?"
Giginose didn't notice it, but indeed... his ears had turned slightly pink.
Barokuro leaned in, resting his chin on his hand, gazing at him with teasing eyes - yet there was a strange gentleness in them.
"Hey, Gigi," he said, voice lower than usual. "You know..."
"...I didn't think you'd let me sit this close. Even less that you'd patch me up and drink the cocoa I made without a word..."
Giginose still didn't look at him. But his fingers tightened slightly on the mug's handle.
Barokuro smiled, leaning even closer, whispering:
"You like me now too, don't you?"
Silence.
One beat.
Two beats.
BAM!
Barokuro flew straight to the floor, face taking a full punch - his left cheek immediately red and swelling.
"AAAH!! I KNEW YOU'D DO THAT!!" he screamed in pain, clutching his face.
Giginose shot to his feet, eyes red with fury. "What the hell were you thinking saying stuff like that?! Who likes you?! Who let you sit close?!"
"I drank that cocoa because I didn't want to waste it! You idiot!!"
Barokuro rolled around on the floor holding his cheek - but inside, he was laughing like mad.
"Yep. You're blushing. First time in my life I got punched and felt this happy."
---
Night fell after the rain.
Giginose had turned off the lights, lying with his back to the other bed, facing the wall. He was no longer furious, but still sulking - the punch apparently hadn't been strong enough to shut Barokuro up.
What Giginose didn't know was - the other bed hadn't been laid on yet.
Barokuro stood in the dark, leaning against the wardrobe, eyes wider than usual. Watching.
Not because of the pain in his cheek - he was used to that. But because of how Giginose had pulled the blanket up over his ears. Because it was the first time Giginose reacted so strongly at the mention of the word "like."
He smiled in the silence.
"So it's real. You're starting to waver."
But deeper than those thoughts... was another kind of silence. A pitch-black silence inside him - where waves of darkness slithered, like a primal instinct.
Not everyone knew. Barokuro could joke and tease, but when he drew his knife, he didn't blink.
He could hear uneven breathing. Catch the slightest furrow in someone's brow. Smell dried blood on someone's collar from a passing breeze.
...and right now, he knew every little movement Giginose made in his sleep.
Because he'd known - for a very long time.
---
A while later, once Giginose seemed to be asleep, Barokuro crept onto his bed.
Carefully. Very gently.
He didn't touch him. Just leaned in close, taking a deep breath...
A soft scent of red roses - familiar. But unique to Giginose alone.
"You're not good at lying," Barokuro whispered. His voice no longer held its usual playfulness - it was like a night breeze: low, quiet, and with a hint of cruelty.
"You reacted like that... because you're afraid of your own feelings. Just like before."
Just like when I saw you sobbing inside that glass cage.
Barokuro stared at the pale red hair for a long while. Then he quietly lay down beside him, careful not to wake him.
His hand slipped under the pillow - where his small knife always rested - never apart from him.
But his heart... it rested quietly in someone else's chest.
---
Giginose opened his eyes.
The soft morning light filtered through the thin curtains, casting a dim glow on the ash-black blanket. He shifted slightly, preparing to get up - when...
Something warm was pressed against his back.
He froze for a second.
Then slowly turned his head.
Barokuro.
He was hugging Giginose from behind, an arm draped around his waist, face nestled into the back of his neck like it was his rightful sleeping place. His steady breathing tickled his skin, carrying a faint scent of catnip. Gentle, fresh - but strangely disorienting.
Giginose frowned. His instincts fired off:
Rip his hand off.
Slap him awake.
Drag him off the bed.
Yell.
But... he did none of that.
Somehow, a part of him just stayed still for a few seconds, watching him sleep - those long lashes trembling slightly, his usually mischievous face now unusually silent and peaceful.
Giginose slowly reached up, about to push him away. But just as his fingers touched Barokuro's arm...
Barokuro murmured: "Don't... Gigi... don't be mad..."
"..."
Giginose blushed - truly blushed. But instead of pushing hard, he just gave Barokuro's forehead a light smack.
Thwack!
"Wake up. You pain in the ass."
Barokuro jolted awake, eyes wide, hair a mess like a bird's nest. "Huh?! What?! I got hit again?!"
"You..." Giginose stood up, regaining his usual calm demeanor. "...hugged me all night."
Barokuro blinked a few times. Then that familiar infuriating smirk spread across his face.
"So you just noticed? I've been hugging you since midnight."
"...You seriously want to die, don't you?"
"Hmm? Nah. I just... like sleeping near people who smell like roses."
WHAM!
Barokuro got kicked off the bed again - this time, the pillow flew too.
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