It was the first time dating, for both of them. Neither of them had been in love before, so this was brand new. They hadn't told anyone, but naturally everyone knew by the morning. Niou was the one to ”help them along” (as he'd said to Marui in class the next morning) after all.
Marui had just frowned and flipped him the finger. Niou had laughed like mad, saying it didn't suit such a small and girly person to do that.

After practice that day, Akaya and Marui walked home together. They didn't say anything, just glancing at each other every now and then. It was cold, and Akaya glanced at his sempai's red hands. They looked cold. The redhead had somehow lost his gloves during the day, and he walked with bare hands as the temperature dropped.
Without looking, he carefully wrapped his hand around the others, who looked at him, surprised.
Marui felt a blush tint his cheeks, but hoped Akaya wouldn't see it.
Akaya didn't, because he was too busy trying to hide his own blush.

The first kiss they had to thank Niou, dressed up as a Yagyuu for, who pushed them under the mistletoe that someone had hung in the clubroom, Yukimura happily clasping his hands and stating that ”It's about time, you haven't kissed once, even though you've been dating for two weeks already.”
It was insecure and short, but it was so warm that they both remained hugging until Sanada entered the clubroom and telling them to go shower already.


When they once more walked home together, this time already hand in hand, they walked a little closer to each other than before, eyes locking for longer spans of time. Marui squeezed the younger's hand as they came up to Akaya's house. He pulled the other close and hugged him. ”Ne.. Akaya.?” he said quietly.
”Yeah?”
”Can you.. kiss me?” the shorter asked, looking at his boyfriend.
Akaya blushed and nodded. ”Sure.” And he pulled the other's face close, for a clumsy kiss that lasted much longer than the first. After a while their confidence built up, and they wrapped closer to each other, Akaya hesitantly asking for entrance with his tongue, Marui allowing it, their tongues meeting in a messy battle. They got so into it, that Marui accidentally bit Akaya's tongue.
”Oww.” Akaya whined, panting.
”Ah, s-sorry.. I didn't.. mean to do that...” Marui stuttered apologetically. His face was burning, even in the cold.
”Ith ohei.” Akaya failed to speak clearly, but still continued. ”Kiff ith beffah?” he asked, sticking out his tongue at his sempai.
Marui's blush reached his ears by now, but he leaned forward and up to kiss the other carefully.
Akaya grinned and wiggled his tongue. ”Thanks sempai, all better!” he sang, giving his redfaced sempai a quick hug before turning to open the door.
Marui's jaw dropped, then he was fuming and blushing. ”You- you moron! You were fine all alone! You tricked me!”


Three days later Marui visited the Kirihara-family for the first time. He was wiggling uncomfortably under Akaya's father's stare, his mother's scrutinazing eyes and his older sister's curious and nowhere near inconspicious ogling.
He was a little scared, but he wouldn't admit to that. Akaya's mother had long and straight darkbrown hair, his sister had as black hair as Akaya himself, but not as curly, and his father's head was even worse than his kouhai's.
Akaya wasn't really paying attention, his mouth never pausing in his talking, but his mother finally got a word in, efficiently silencing her son. “So, how did you ever fall for my idiot of a son?” she asked.
“Kaa-chan!” Akaya protested. “I'm not an idiot!”
“Oh hush you.” his mother answered. “You know you're not the brightest of person.” she turned back to the pinkhaired boy. “So? What do you think of him?”
Marui looked strangely at the woman. “Err.. He's stupid, has to be taken care of all the time, turns into a real demon at times, and is irritating..”
The Kirihara's looked at him strangely in turn. Akaya's father spoke for the first time. “But.. you like him?”
“I- I like him, a lot.” Marui blushed as he said this.
Akaya's sister squealed, rushing over to hug the short teen. “'Kaya, you should have told me he was such a cutie!”
Akaya puffed his cheeks up, glaring at his sister. “I  did  tell you!”
“But not that he was  this  adorable!”
Overall, Marui guessed his boyfriend's family had approved of him. If the boob-hug he was being suffocated by was any indication.


Akaya's meeting with Marui's family didn't go as smoothly though. It was awkward, for both Marui and Akaya, who was biting his bottom lip at the disapproving stare from both of Marui's parents. Marui hadn't really planned for them to be told at all, but his little brothers had walked in on them cuddling and kissing in his room, a day when they  should  have been out of town with their parents, but it seemed like there had been some change of plans he hadn't been told of. And of course, the two small boys had told his parents the moment they stepped through the door, although they themselves didn't understand what they had been doing.
And it seemed Marui's parents weren't really.. open about such things. Not like either of them cared, but it made it impossible for them to meet at the older boy's house from then on. Not that Marui minded, he liked Akaya's family.

“Ne.”
Marui looked up as his boyfriend leaned his chin against the top of his head, wrapping his arms around his sempai. “Mm?” Marui put down his pen where he had been trying to get something done of his math homework. “Nani?”
“Wanna move in with me?”
Marui blinked, surprised. “Err.. A little early to ask such a thing, Akaya?”
“Datte~ I wanna know now!” Akaya complained.
Marui turned around in the young raven's arms, laughing as he ruffled the messy hair. “Baka da na, omae. We're way too young to make such decisions.” He pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips. “Come on, don't be down about it. We'll talk about it again in a few years.”
“Meany.” Akaya pouted, but it didn't last long as he initiated another kiss. “Love you, sempai.”
“Love you too, 'kaya.”

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