Archive of Our Own

Hayato has a theory. Well, it's really less of a theory and more of an…apt comparison. What is it, you ask? It's that Sakura Haruka, for all intents and purposes, is a cat.

It might sound ridiculous to anyone who doesn't know him. After all, Sakura is a human boy, no? That may be true, but Hayato thinks the analogy is sound nonetheless.

Upon his arrival in town, Sakura was traumatized and touch-starved, much like a kitten left to fend for itself in the streets. He had never known affection, had never had friends, was a stranger to even the smallest gestures of kindness.

With fond amusement, Hayato remembers the first day they met. The way Sakura blushed at everything, but was just as quick to lash out, to hiss and kick and yell. Of course, he's not that different still, but something has definitely changed.

And to his delight, Hayato has discovered that with Sakura opening up to them more and growing comfortable in his own skin, he has not lost his cat-like personality, no, instead Hayato has observed many more feline behaviors of his.

Which ones? Well…

⋆˚🐾˖° Zoomies ⋆˚🐾˖°

It's nearing the end of their first year at Furin, months after Noroshi, when their friend group is once again gathered at Pothos after a successful patrol. Hayato observes the other boys as they happily shovel food into their mouths, Nirei is enthusiastically explaining something to Kiryu, while Tsugeura tries his best to follow along.

Calmly, he takes another sip of his green tea, content to enjoy the atmosphere and the presence of his friends, when he takes note of a nervous motion. Next to him, Sakura is eating with single-minded focus, his leg bouncing almost aggressively underneath the table.

"Sakura-kun?", Hayato leans over to inquire, "Is everything alright?"

He makes sure to keep his voice down. Normally, he wouldn't pass up on an opportunity to mess with Sakura a little, however there might be something wrong, so he kindly refrains.

Sakura is clearly not expecting the attention, jumping and hitting his knee on the underside of the table when Hayato's voice rips him out of his daydreams.

"What?", he hisses at him. Hayato smiles, once again reminded of a defensive stray cat. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Hayato tilts his head. In the periphery of his vision, he sees the other three still engaged in a passionate discussion on the other side of the table, so he doesn't dial his volume down any further.

"You seem restless", he explains.

Sakura pouts, his eyebrows furrowing adorably. For someone who only months ago insisted he was an irredeemable delinquent, Sakura is so wonderfully expressive. He really wears his heart on his sleeve. It's an admirable quality, this ability to trust and open up despite painful past experiences that would surely incite even the kindest souls to build up impenetrable walls. And yet here he is, letting them in, growing and changing, having faith. Hayato doesn't think he could ever do that, still struggles with it, which makes it even more of an honor to get to watch it unfold.

"'s alright", Sakura murmurs, "Just gotta move."

Hm. Seems like their patrol didn't have enough action to meet Sakura's daily quota today. The boy's got stamina and energy like no other, always ready to keep going when most everyone else would have long bowed out.

"Shall we step outside?", Hayato suggests. He notices that Sakura has already finished his food, whereas the rest of their group is still eating. It's no surprise, considering both Sakura's healthy appetite and the fact that the others are distracted by their conversation.

"And then what?", Sakura rolls his pretty eyes, "You watch as I run around the park for a while?"

It makes Hayato chuckle. Sakura hasn't always been one for jokes, but he's picking it up rapidly. It suits him, to not take everything so seriously.

Obviously, Hayato's not gonna let his efforts go to waste, so he replies: "If you'd like, I could throw a stick for you to chase!"

Sakura snorts and lightly kicks Hayato with his sneaker-clad foot. Hayato grins, delighted to have brought something close to a laugh out of Sakura.

It's easier these days to make him smile, even laugh on occasion, but it's still a rarity, something all of them cherish dearly when it happens.

"What are you guys smiling about?", Kiryu raises an eyebrow at them.

A little selfishly, Hayato doesn't wish to share their little exchange with the others.

"Oh, nothing really. I was simply -"

Crash.

The five of them turn to look out the window just in time to see a group of young men bulldoze past. They hear indignant yells that quickly become panicked screams. Another crash, and they're on their feet.

Wordlessly, they exit the café to take in the situation outside.

Seems like another group of good-for-nothings has decided to vandalize the shopping street, smashing windows and stealing any goods displayed outside. Pathetic. Considering the age they seem to be, Hayato thinks they'd be better off looking for a job than throwing public tantrums like this.

"Excuse me?", he inquires of the nearest man. He's wearing a truly terrible t-shirt depicting a rather sexual drawing of a young girl. Repulsed, Hayato glares at him. "What is going on here?"

Behind him, he can already hear his friends joining the fray. In an instant, the screams of the townspeople quieten, some even turning to cheers. It brings a small smile to Hayato's face.

"What's it to you, Furin brat?", the idiot spits out.

Seems he's not one to be reasoned with, then.

In seconds, Hayato has the man on the ground nursing a nasty head wound. He looks around, locating civilians who seem to require attention, and moves towards them to help. There's a little boy with a scraped knee who's lost his mother in the chaos, so Hayato stays with him and observes the fight from a distance.

The random group of vandals is no threat, all of them big and dumb but none skilled combatants, so he doesn't deem it necessary for himself to get involved. Instead, he watches Sakura.

Their grade captain is fully in his element, lively grin on his face as he takes down man after man. He's truly a sight to behold, his kicks precise and punches quick, his movements those of an acrobat. A fight is where Sakura truly comes to life, especially now that he's got something to protect. It's beautiful, Hayato could watch him all day.

The brawl ends almost as quickly as it began. The men, if one can even call them that, lie defeated on the street, as Hayato's friends dust off their clothes. Even Nirei had taken out a guy with his new moves, and Hayato couldn't be prouder. He will have to praise him later, Nirei responds well to positive reinforcement.

"Good job, guys!", Hayato cheers, clapping. Then he turns to the child still hiding behind him. "Shall we find your mother now?"

He reaches out a hand, which the boy gingerly accepts.

As they're walking around, Hayato keeps an eye out for a woman that matches the kid's description. Shamefully, the search does not have his full attention, as he finds himself consistently seeking out his friends. Well, one specific friend.

Sakura is running around, picking up signs and plant pots that were knocked over, and chatting with locals. He's gotten a lot better at that, still awkward and overly reactive but thankfully everyone in Makochi finds that just as endearing as Hayato does.

The other boy seems a lot less keyed up now, though he's still clearly coming down from the high of the fight.

"There you are, Kentaro!", a young woman approaches him, immediately kneeling down to take the boy into her arms. She thanks him profusely and Hayato replies politely, but it's an automated response. He's still observing Sakura from the corner of his eye, the boy now hilariously jogging in place as he munches on a pretzel he was gifted.

It's like he's got the zoomies, Hayato chuckles to himself at the thought, A cat indeed.

⋆˚🐾˖° Sleeping in Strange Places ⋆˚🐾˖°

The more comfortable Sakura grows around them, Hayato notices, the more he starts to nap in random places at random times.

It's a show of trust if he's ever seen one, not that Sakura would admit to it, but him being relaxed enough around them to just shut his eyes and go to sleep means a lot. It means he trusts them not to hurt him, he trusts that if trouble were brewing, they would protect him and be able to hold their own.

Hayato considers it a talent, really. He himself could never let his guard down so completely, even around the people he cares about, nor could he possibly fall asleep in a public setting. If he's not in his bed at the designated time, meditation and night-time tea finished, window open just so, then his brain would never allow him to slip into oblivion. Yet, Sakura does it so easily.

So far, Hayato has personally observed the grade captain falling asleep at his desk in the classroom (pretty standard, all things considered), at Pothos, in the grass outside, in Kiryu's room, at the bus stop, and even by the fountain in the mall while they were waiting for the others.

But where he discovers him today really takes the cake.

Hayato and Nirei have been trying to find Sakura for a while. There's class business that needs discussing, nothing urgent, but it'd be good if they got ahead of it while they can. Unfortunately, Sakura wandered off somewhere during lunch and has yet to return.

They search the hallways, and even stop by Class 2-1's classroom to ask Kaji if he's seen him, but no dice.

"Did he go home?", Nirei frowns, concerned.

Hayato shakes his head.

"No, he wouldn't have. Let's try the roof."

After all, it would make perfect sense for Sakura to seek out Umemiya for some advice, or even Tsubaki if she's up there. Maybe he just needed some time away from the noise their class produces for a moment, and the rooftop's the ideal place for that.

"Great idea, Suo-san!", Nirei smiles, almost bouncing up the steps in front of him, "Of course that's where he is!"

They come upon Umemiya the second they walk out onto the roof.

"Oh! Suo, Nirei!", he greets them, cheerful as always, "Are you looking for Sakura?"

Jackpot.

Hayato voices his assent as his gaze roams over the parts of the roof he can see. Very quickly, he spots a person-shaped lump by the vegetable patches. He has his suspicions as to who it might be.

"He came up here to chat for a bit, but now", Umemiya points in the direction Hayato is already looking in, "Well, seems he was tired."

With a polite nod, Hayato leaves the conversation to Nirei and makes his way over to the little rooftop garden. As expected, right there on the floor between two of the planters, rests one Sakura Haruka.

It's almost too adorable of a sight, the boy curled up in the patch of sunlight, mouth open ever so slightly, mismatched eyelashes brushing his ruddy cheeks. He looks like an angel, like something out of a fairy tale, it's hard to believe he's such a ferocious fighter when he's awake.

A glance backward informs Hayato that Nirei has their leader engaged in conversation, allowing him to take a moment to simply observe Sakura in peace. He squats, making sure that his clothes don't come into contact with any dirt, and allows his eye to wander the expanse of the other's sleeping face, so relaxed now that he's unconscious. Hayato is used to seeing him like this by now, yet he rarely gets the chance to fully take it in.

Awake, Sakura is a force of nature. His features are always pulled into dramatic expressions, whether that be anger, embarrassment, or excitement, and his limbs are always poised for a fight. But now it's almost as though he has begun melting into the warm stone beneath him, despite how uncomfortable it must be, and Hayato can see his chest softly rising and falling. Pink lips are pouted ever so slightly, and there's a dried tear stuck to the edge of his sunset eye, now closed. Probably from yawning.

Hayato is almost sad he missed the yawns that usually accompany Sakura's cat naps. He always stretches out, rubbing at his eyes and face, his eyelids drooping. Horribly cute, the whole ordeal.

Sighing, Hayato dares to lean over him just so, a hand reaching out to brush Sakura's bangs out of his face, fingers making barely-there contact with smooth skin. His hair is surprisingly soft, well cared for, surely Tsubaki's influence.

At the skin contact, Sakura wrinkles his nose a little. The tiniest furrow appears between his eyebrows before he breathes out and settles again, forehead pressing just slightly into Hayato's hand. It takes all of his well-practiced self-control to not aww out loud.

"Sakura-kun?", he murmurs.

No response. Hayato continues running his hand through Sakura's hair, using short nails to scratch at his scalp just a little. He probably shouldn't be doing this, feels oddly guilty for it despite the fact that it's not all that big of a deal. Still, he knows Sakura has complicated feelings about his hair, and even worse, Hayato is well aware that if someone saw him like this right now, if Nirei or Umemiya came over, they would be able to see him, to interpret this action as an indication of something that is true and private and too delicate for Hayato to put into words even inside his own head.

It's pathetic, isn't it? He portrays himself as someone so emotionally intelligent, someone who is mature and patient. And it's not like he isn't those things, but he feels that this might just tear that image apart at the seams. When he's around Sakura, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to keep up his composure, emotions shining through that he'd normally not struggle to suppress.

A hassle, really, he should nip it in the bud. Yet, he likes having Sakura around, as well as his other new friends, it's nice. Maybe there is something to the power of love, or whatever it is Umemiya always talks about.

Either way, this is wake up call enough for him to retrieve his hand from Sakura's head, so warm from the sunlight, and place it on his shoulder instead. A much more inconspicuous spot. He shakes him lightly.

"Sakura-kun!", he makes sure his voice is louder and more cheerful now.

Sakura stirs but still fails to awaken. It's sweet, that he inherently trusts them enough to fall into such a deep slumber. Hayato smiles and tries again, this time pinching his upper arm a bit.

That seems to do the trick, as Sakura returns to the land of the living with a sniffle and a big yawn. He rubs at his eyes, and only then do they land on Hayato. They are piercing and sharp despite his very recent nap.

"Good morning, sleepyhead", Hayato grins at him.

Sakura grumbles something unintelligible as he sits up and looks around, clearly reorienting himself. Then, he glares at Hayato.

"Mhm?", he tilts his head, "What is it, Sakura-kun?"

"Nothin'", Sakura mumbles, a blush coloring his cheekbones a lovely pink. He really lives up to his name. "What'cha grinnin' like this for?"

For a split second, Hayato considers telling the truth. He attempts to picture the breathtaking shades of pink and red that would bloom across Sakura's face and ears as Hayato tells him that he's adorable, beautiful, delightful. He doesn't.

"I'm just happy I got to gather more proof", is what he does say.

Sakura blinks at him.

"Proof?", he says and it's clear he's already dreading the answer.

"To support my theory that you're a cat, of course."

He allows himself to relish the bright blush on Sakura's face for a second before swiftly getting up and walking off towards Nirei and Umemiya, more than aware of Sakura scrambling to stand up behind him, cursing him out.

"I'm no damn cat, ya bastard! Shut up!"

Hayato just laughs.

⋆˚🐾˖° Hiding ⋆˚🐾˖°

Sakura has been acting off for a while.

Closer to how he was in the beginning, he's been withdrawn, irritable and distant. It's obvious he hasn't been sleeping well, deep violet bags under his eyes are evidence of that, nor does he have as much of an appetite as he usually does. He's often staring off into space, more introspective than anyone is used to seeing him.

Needless to say, Hayato and the others are concerned.

"Sakura-chan, let's all hang out this weekend!", Kiryu suggests one Friday.

"Huh? Uh, sure", Sakura barely looks like he knows what he's agreeing to.

The plan, other than just spending time together as usual, is to get Sakura to talk to them. They know he can do it, has learned the skills he needs to seek assistance from others, whether it be physical or emotional. But Hayato also knows that these skills are a muscle that requires exercising, and that just because Sakura knows how to do it now, knows that it's okay, doesn't mean he's going to do it without fail every time. It's not surprising that in distress, he might accidentally revert back to old habits. In this case, trying to shoulder all of his troubles by himself.

It's certainly upsetting, Hayato wants to help him more than anything, but he can't say he doesn't understand it.

So, that Saturday they all show up at Sakura's place, as is custom by now. Sweetheart that he is, Sakura keeps things in his room for every single one of them, from Kiryu's plushies to Tsugeura's dumbbells and Nirei's snacks, and of course Hayato's tea. To them, Sakura's run-down little apartment has become somewhat of a second home.

At first, everything seems relatively normal. Sakura looks like he's slept badly yet again, and is obviously only half-involved in the conversation, but he is present and at least tries to participate. This helps Hayato strike some suspicions off his list, as it appears none of them have done anything to offend him and cause this change in behavior. That's a relief, albeit a small one. After all, a personal dispute is something that could have been fixed with ease.

Thankfully, Hayato gets a pretty solid clue when the conversation shifts to the third years. Umemiya, Tsubaki and Co. are set to be graduating in a few short months, and the future of Bofurin has been on everybody's mind in some way, shape or form. Hayato isn't worried, he believes in the foundation their seniors have built and the rest of the student body's ability to uphold and nourish it. He will certainly do his part, and he knows the rest of his class, as well as the current second years, will be just as diligent.

Yet, Sakura seems to have more complicated feelings about the whole thing, as evidenced by his sudden change of behavior when Nirei brings the topic up.

"Oh, by the way!", he chirps, "Who do you guys think Umemiya is going to appoint as the new leader?"

Nirei is the one who knows every student at Furin, so his guess is most likely going to be the correct one, but Hayato still considers the question for a moment. The obvious choice is one of the second year grade captains. As a vice grade captain himself, Hayato knows all of them, though of course he knows Kaji best.

"I think it should be Kaji-san!", Tsugeura suggests then.

They all nod. Well, except Sakura, who has completely vanished into himself and is staring off into space.

"Sakura-san?", Nirei tries to break through to him but their friend doesn't react.

Kiryu looks at Sakura with a calculating look in his eyes, the same suspicion on his face that Hayato feels, but seems to decide not to bring it up.

"Mhm", he chuckles instead, "Maybe Sakura-chan thinks Kaji-chan is a bad choice?"

Hayato barely stifles a laugh. Kiryu can be quite the instigator, which Hayato appreciates.

Unfortunately, this doesn't bring Sakura out of his funk. Quite the opposite even, as the expression on his face suddenly grows panicked and before any of them can properly react, he shoots up into a standing position.

"I- I'mma -"

With this, he turns on his heel and rushes out of the room, leaving his friends behind in a state of confusion. Silently, they all look at each other.

"Did we do something?", Nirei frets.

Hayato shakes his head, and meets Kiryu's eyes. The other boy tilts his head towards the door. Hayato nods.

"I'll go find him", he suggests, already getting up, "Don't worry."

It's a task easier said than done.

From the slamming of the front door, it's obvious Sakura is no longer within the confines of the apartment, so Hayato doesn't waste his time searching for him there.

Instead, he exits the apartment and takes a moment to think. He's familiar with Sakura's neighborhood, having been here many times now, but he must say he's never considered possible hiding spots. Because surely that's what's going on here, right? There's no way Sakura just ran off to another part of the city while they're alone in his room. No, he must be around here somewhere, simply hiding away like an overwhelmed child, or perhaps a spooked cat.

Hayato doesn't blame him. He can guess at what the problem must be, and while he can't say he approves of Sakura hiding from his friends, he understands why he does it. There must be a lot going on his head right now that obstructs him thinking clearly.

Quietly, Hayato wanders the premises. There's not a lot of safe places to hide away throughout the poor excuse of an apartment building, so he ventures a little farther. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a narrow alleyway behind the building and feels a tingle of recognition go up his spine.

That has to be the spot.

Hayato makes sure to keep his steps light when he enters the alley. It's dark and dirty, trash strewn all over the ground, and among it all, he spots Sakura.

The other boy must think he's well-hidden, crouched behind the dumpster as he is, but Hayato can see the tips of his scuffed sneakers with ease.

Intentionally, he makes his steps louder as he continues to approach. As much as he would like for Sakura to open up to them and let them help him, he will respect it if Sakura is not ready for that. If he tells him to leave, go back to the others and tell them he couldn't find him, Hayato would do so.

Fortunately, Sakura does nothing, even though Hayato knows he hears him coming. After all, as long as he's awake, Sakura is a rather perceptive guy.

"Sakura-kun?", Hayato comes to a stop in front of him. Sakura doesn't look up but he knows he's listening. "What's wrong?"

At that, Sakura finally lifts his head. His eyes are red-rimmed but there's no tear tracks on his face.

"Nothin'", he grumbles, "Just needed some fresh air."

Hayato hums and watches silently as Sakura stands up, dusting off his sweatpants. He's looking over Hayato's shoulder, avoiding his gaze.

"I see", Hayato takes a step closer, in hopes of forcing eye contact. It works, Sakura's eyes snapping to meet his. "So this has nothing to do with the third years' looming graduation?"

He already suspected, but he knows he hit the nail on the head when Sakura flinches.

"Whatever, let's just go back."

Hayato would find this tough guy act amusing, Sakura acting like it doesn't matter that he was just hiding among trash like an abandoned kitten, but he's too concerned to find humor in the situation.

"Sakura-kun…", he reaches out to tentatively place a hand on the other's shoulder, "You know we're here for you, right? We worry about you."

Another flinch. A blush.

"'s stupid…", Sakura grits his teeth.

Hayato sighs, half in sympathy and half in exasperation.

"Even if it is", he tightens his grip, "We're your friends, we wouldn't mind."

With a deep breath, Sakura leans back against the wall, causing Hayato's hand to fall back to his side. He immediately finds himself missing the contact.

Not the time, he reminds himself.

"I guess it's just", Sakura bites his lip, "…scary."

"Mhm", Hayato tilts his head, "What is?"

"Y'know…", Sakura mumbles, turning his head to stare at the exit of the alleyway, "With Umemiya graduating and stuff…What if things change for the worse? It's a lot of responsibility for the second years and for us and…"

A moment of silence. Another labored breath.

"And I only just," Sakura groans in frustration, his face bright red. "I only just got used to this whole thing, y'know."

Hayato understands. He doesn't feel the same way, but he can see why Sakura would. As someone who's never had security in his life, never had a family or friends who cared about him, his new life in Makochi must still feel terribly fragile to him.

Now, the man who made this whole thing possible, who essentially built Sakura's new home from scratch, is moving on. Of course, Hayato cannot imagine Umemiya leaving for far off places, he loves Bofurin and Makochi too much to just give up the post and not look back, but even so. Things might change, and to someone who's experiencing consistency for the first time in his life, that's terrifying.

So Hayato takes a moment to think about what he wants to say. He smiles at Sakura's pink cheeks and watery eyes, stepping closer again to grip his forearm in reassurance.

"Do you trust us, Sakura-kun? Kaji and his guys, Nirei, Kiryu, Tsugeura, me?"

Sakura glares at him. "Duh."

Hayato nods.

"I can't promise nothing will change", Hayato makes a considering sound, "But I can promise you that we will do everything in our power to live up to Umemiya's legacy. And I know you will too."

Hayato smiles.

"We're your friends, Sakura-kun, and we love you. Makochi loves you", he delights in Sakura's deepening blush, "And Umemiya was not stupid enough to hinge his whole dream on just himself. Bofurin is not only him, it's all of us who believe in his vision."

Sakura nods, tentative but determined.

"You're right", he mutters, "'s just…"

Finally, Sakura looks at him.

"'s just so…nice. All of this. I don't wanna lose it."

God, Hayato is going to melt. He wishes Sakura knew how precious he is to all of them, how much they cherish him.

"And you won't", Hayato reassures him, because he does know this for sure, "This is your home now, for as long as you want it to be."

Very cheesy, maybe a tad too much, but he means it. And it seems to help Sakura, who looks a lot more like himself again. A small smile has made its way onto his face, and he's absolutely radiant.

"Let's go back inside, hm?", Hayato suggests, lest he loses the rest of his self-control and ends up vomiting his feelings all over the alley, "The others must be worried."

They silently make their way back to the apartment, the route short, but Sakura stops right as Hayato is about to open the front door.

"Hey", he says, another bright blush on his face, "Thanks."

Adorable. Hayato grins.

"Anytime, Sakura-kun."

⋆˚🐾˖° Gifts ⋆˚🐾˖°

After this conversation, there's another curious habit that Sakura picks up. It starts with a tin of tea leaves sitting on Hayato's desk when he walks into the classroom the following Wednesday.

He blinks when he spots it. Nothing changes.

"Mhm", he hums as he examines the tin up close. It's a good brand, one he would buy himself, and a flavor he enjoys on top of that. A gift, perhaps? Yet, there's no occasion for such a thing and the item is missing any sort of card or note that one might expect if it was one.

Did someone misplace it? Unlikely, as for that it fits Hayato's own tastes too much.

"Oh?", Kiryu says when he walks in. He stops by Hayato's desk and considers the tea as well. "A secret admirer?"

Hayato chuckles. "Surely not. There's no note."

Before Kiryu can reply, the door opens again, revealing Sakura. He's carrying some papers, which leads Hayato to believe he isn't only arriving now, but was meeting up with Umemiya or Kaji.

"Morning, Sakura-kun", he calls out, "Did you perhaps see who put this here? I can't seem to figure it out."

Slowly, Sakura approaches the desk. He doesn't even spare the tea a glance.

"D'ya like it?"

What an odd response to the question he was just asked.

"Of course, but I have not the faintest clue how it ended up on my desk", Hayato smiles patiently.

"Oh", Sakura turns a sweet shade of pink and rubs his neck with his unoccupied hand, "That was me. The lady from the tea shop ya like stopped me on my way to school and gave this to me, but I figured ya'd get more out of it than I would."

Oh.

"That's very kind of you, Sakura-kun", it takes Herculean effort for Hayato not to blush or avert his gaze in abashment, "Thank you."

"'s whatever", Sakura shrugs, clearly embarrassed that his thoughtful gesture is receiving this much attention, "Yer welcome, I guess."

Quickly, he hurries to his own desk in order to avoid further conversation.

So skittish, Hayato thinks, Cute.

It doesn't end there.

The next time, their group is walking home after a successful patrol, when Sakura begins to hang back. Hayato, perfectly attuned to his every movement, notices and falls behind himself.

"Everything okay?", he asks.

Pink and orange light bathes the whole city in its romantic glow, courtesy of the sun setting behind them. Sakura looks beautiful with the dying sun rays reflecting in his lovely eyes, a content smile on his face. Hayato could look at this view forever, and still not get enough.

"Yeah", Sakura looks at him and like clockwork, his face slowly colors to match the sky, "I have something for ya."

More tea, maybe? Sakura should tell Kawasaki-san that tea is not his thing, otherwise she'll just keep giving it to him.

"Oh?", Hayato prompts him.

Casually enough that it would seem unbothered to anyone who can't see Sakura's complexion, the other boy reaches into the pocket of his pants. No tea, then? It certainly wouldn't fit in there.

When he pulls his hand back out, Sakura is holding…something. Hayato can't quite make out what it is, the item small enough to be almost entirely obscured by Sakura's fingers.

"Saw this in a shop when I visited Togame…", he grumbles. It sounds like he's not happy about it at all, which amuses Hayato greatly. "Made me think of ya."

Like the petals of a rose, Sakura's hand unfurls to reveal…a key chain?

It's a cute little thing, a silver ring with a small fox charm attached to it. The animal is carved out of wood and carefully painted by hand, definitely not a trinket from a mere souvenir shop. Hayato doesn't quite know what to say.

What does this mean? That Sakura saw something so lovingly crafted and pretty, and thought of him? Bought it for him with his limited funds? It's difficult not to get his hopes up, even though the rational part of his brain, which usually manages to overpower the others, is screaming bloody murder.

"Thank you, Sakura-kun", he cringes when his voice comes out too soft, too vulnerable, "It's wonderful."

With reverence, he takes the proffered object into his own hands, appreciating the handiwork from up close.

"Cool", Sakura mumbles and is quick to catch up with the others, who are far ahead of them now. Hayato chuckles and starts walking too, albeit at a much more reasonable pace, busy attaching the gift to his keys.

After this, it becomes a semi-regular thing for Sakura to offer him small presents. The boy doesn't have a lot of money, so usually it's things he received from the townspeople but has no need for, or less pricey trinkets. Hayato accepts each of them with care and poise, but secretly the whole thing is killing him.

It's not just gifts either, Sakura has also developed a habit of trying to share his food with Hayato. Every time they eat out anywhere, but especially at Pothos, Sakura will set a small piece of his portion aside and nudge it towards Hayato, or he will order a dessert and plop it down in front of Hayato when it arrives.

Not one to eat in front of others, Hayato hopes his avoidance will get Sakura to put a stop to his attempts, but it only seems to spur him on. He cycles through all sorts of foods and desserts, seemingly trying to find one Hayato will accept.

"Here", he says as he once again pushes a little plate over to Hayato's side of the table. There's a teacake on it, small and adorably decorated with little strawberries. Hayato tilts his head in consideration.

"Pothos doesn't sell teacakes", he points out.

This makes Sakura flush and look away, gaze fixed on his own food. Omurice as usual.

"I made it."

Wait, what?

"You…did?", Hayato can feel how wide his eye is, how pink his cheeks must be. He can't quite seem to close his mouth. Why is Sakura baking teacakes? That's not a hobby Hayato was aware he had.

Sakura tries to wave it off, shoveling more rice into his mouth than he probably should. He looks like a hamster someone dropped into a bowl of ketchup.

"'s not a big deal", he mumbles around a mouthful of food, "Ya just never eat anything, but I know ya like this, so…"

"So you made one?"

It's not like teacakes aren't sold in stores, it's not necessary for Sakura to go to such lengths. Especially for him.

"Uh", Sakura scratches his head and drops the spoon in favor of grabbing his bag. He pulls out a little box and hands it to Hayato, who accepts it wordlessly. "I made a few, so here ya go."

Blinking rapidly, Hayato opens the box and indeed, there's several little teacakes inside. Some of them are a little wobbly, and they're not all evenly sized, but each one is cutely decorated and clearly made with care. Hayato's heart seizes dangerously in his chest.

"That's very thoughtful of you", he swallows around the lump in his throat. Only Sakura manages to make him this emotional. It would make him uncomfortable if he wasn't so sure Sakura would never use it against him. "I'm honored, Sakura-kun. Thank you."

The next day, Hayato has officially had enough. This whole thing has been costing him precious sleep, and he needs to talk to someone about it. Which is insane, considering that he decidedly does not make a habit of opening up to people about anything personal, much less something like this. But he needs to know if Sakura acts like this with all of his friends (he hasn't observed it, but he could be wrong!), or if this might mean what he wants it to. It's a vulnerable thing to admit, definitely a weakness someone could exploit, so he thinks long and hard about who to confide in.

"Kiryu-kun?", he eventually settles on, calling the other boy over when everyone's sparring in the gym. "Do you have a moment?"

Despite his seemingly childish nature, Kiryu is actually rather calm and mature. He's also quite observant, much like Hayato himself, so he figures he would make a decent confidant. And of course, Hayato simply likes Kiryu. Though, it goes without saying that he likes all of his friends.

"Sure, Suo-chan!", Kiryu smiles and follows him outside, pulling out his hair tie once they come to a stop by a bench. He shakes out his pink hair, blowing at some of the strands that fall into his face.

"What did you wanna talk about?"

Taking a deep breath, Hayato clinically relays everything that has been happening with Sakura for the past weeks, recounting every gift and food offering to an intrigued Kiryu. When he finishes, the other boy takes a long moment to think, his green eyes bright and intelligent, and an unsettling smirk on his lips.

"He's such a cat, isn't he?", Kiryu giggles, "Trying to give you gifts and feed you. You're lucky he hasn't offered you a dead mouse yet."

Hayato nods in agreement.

"Well", Kiryu continues, "Looks like he's courting you, doesn't it?"

The glare he sends Kiryu in response should be enough to burn him alive, but unfortunately the boy just grins wider.

"Very funny", Hayato comments.

Kiryu rolls his eyes, twirling some hair around his fingers as he hums to himself.

"No but really, think about it!", he leans forward to tap Hayato on the nose, much to his chagrin, "He doesn't do this for anybody else! The last thing he gave me was that plushie, and that was because he was trying to cheer me up."

It's good to know that Sakura is apparently not going around giving everyone little gifts. It eases his mind, but only somewhat.

"He's clearly trying to show you he cares about you without saying it", Kiryu shrugs, "You know how our boy is. Look, I think he likes you, but I can't read his mind either."

For a moment, the two of them sit there in silence. Hayato is deep in thought, whereas Kiryu has pulled out his phone and is tapping away at it.

"You think so?", Hayato finally asks. He tries to make himself sound detached, as if he could not care less whether Sakura likes him or not. It's not his best work, if Kiryu's cheeky smile is anything to go by.

"I do", Kiryu nods, "Do you want him to? Like you, I mean."

Ugh. He definitely wasn't subtle enough.

Reluctantly, Hayato nods in affirmation.

"Good luck, then!"

Yes. He's going to need that.

⋆˚🐾˖° Nuzzling ⋆˚🐾˖°

Sakura is sick again.

"He's got quite the delicate constitution, huh?", Kiryu laments when they all receive Sakura's text. At least he let them know this time!

"Mhm", Hayato agrees. Maybe Sakura should eat more vegetables, it might help out his immune system.

"Are you going to see him after school? I would go, but I promised Akari we'd hang out", Kiryu pouts.

Hayato had already assumed that Nirei and himself would stop by Sakura's with groceries and medicine once classes let out, but Nirei nervously shakes his head.

"I really want to but I promised Sato-san I'd assist her today…"

Hayato glances at Tsugeura, secretly hoping the other boy won't suggest he come along instead. It's not like Hayato dislikes Tsugeura…he'd just rather not spend time with him one on one.

"That's alright, Nire-kun. I'll go by myself and send Sakura your regards."

The others sigh in relief, immediately grabbing snacks and painkillers from their bags and handing them over, intending for Hayato to deliver them to Sakura.

When the final bell rings, Hayato efficiently packs up his things and makes to move towards the door, when Kiryu suddenly appears beside him.

"Perfect time to shoot your shot", he winks at him.

Hayato blinks, smile frozen on his face for a millisecond before he laughs.

"What are you talking about?", he asks.

Kiryu rolls his eyes and bumps his shoulder. He smells of roses.

"Don't try that with me, Suo-chan", he sighs, "Go now, get your man."

Replying to that statement in any way would probably just make things worse, so Hayato says nothing as he walks away.

Stocked up with all sorts of goodies from the nearby konbini, Hayato swiftly arrives at Sakura's building. Already aware of the doorbell situation, and also of the fact that Sakura never locks his front door, Hayato saunters right in.

"Sakura-kun?", he calls out as he toes off his shoes.

He hears a vague grumbling sound from the bedroom, which he decides to take as assent, and slides the door open.

A heart-wrenching sight greets him. Reminiscent of last time, Sakura is curled up on his futon like a sad child, face flushed and tear-stained, the air sickly sweet. At least this time the room doesn't look nearly as dilapidated, colorful accents strewn throughout, as well as a plethora of personal items belonging to both Sakura and his friends.

Kneeling down next to his patient, he unpacks the bag, carefully placing the medicine and food down on the floor. He offers Sakura a bottle of water, but the boy seems to be completely out of it, mismatched eyes unfocused and mouth slightly open as if dazed.

"Oh, Sakura-kun", Hayato tuts, "You should have told us it was this bad."

Sakura only grumbles something incoherent, his eyes seemingly unable to focus on Hayato's face.

"Hurts", he manages to say.

Sympathetic, Hayato nods and immediately grabs some painkillers.

"You'll have to sit up, Sakura-kun."

The only response he gets is a weak grunt. Alright, looks like Hayato's going to need to be a bit more hands-on.

With a deep breath, Hayato centers himself before leaning forward to drag Sakura into a sitting position. The boy sways in place dangerously, so he keeps a steadying hand on his back (pressed between his shoulder blades, actively trying to ignore the warmth seeping through the fabric) as he pops a pill out of the packet and opens the bottle with one hand. He hands both things to Sakura, who is thankfully lucid enough to do the rest himself, albeit not without spilling quite a bit of water in the process.

Quickly, Hayato eases him down onto the futon again. He really looks terribly unwell, somehow both pale and flushed at the same time. Concerned, Hayato places the back of his hand on Sakura's damp forehead.

"Oh dear", he almost hisses when he makes contact. Sakura is positively burning up. "We'll need to bring that fever down."

Yet, before he can get to work, Sakura moves. Not much, but just enough to nuzzle his face into Hayato's hand, pressing into the touch. Hayato freezes.

He should get a move on, Sakura desperately needs tending to. Yet, he finds it hard to command himself to do so, to move away, when Sakura is clearly seeking him out in his delirious state, seems to crave his touch. He's probably just craving anyone's touch, any ounce of affection that he never got when he was sick as a child, but Hayato's heart somersaults in his chest anyway. It's frustrating, how easily Sakura breaks down his defenses, rendering all of his training nigh useless with those big eyes and that winning personality. A nuisance, really.

With a sigh, Hayato carefully traces a path from Sakura's forehead over his cheekbones and down to his chin, his fingers light and almost teasing. It's very reminiscent of that time he found the other boy asleep on the rooftop, but somehow more intimate. To his quiet delight, Sakura revels in the touch, a small smile forming on his face as he rubs his face against Hayato's hand.

Like a cat, Hayato thinks.

"Excuse me, Sakura-kun", he finally manages to tear himself away. Sakura frowns. "I will return shortly."

He hurries off into the kitchen to prepare a wet towel and crush up some fever reducing medicine, which will hopefully make it easier to Sakura to ingest. For a moment, he stands there, in Sakura's less-than-ideal kitchenette, just trying to catch his breath.

"Pathetic", he sighs, "What am I going to do?"

Kiryu seemed to expect him to — what? — confess to Sakura today? Obviously, Hayato would never conceive of doing such a thing, it's way too exposing, but especially not when Sakura is beyond out of it from illness. Which is why he shouldn't read too much into Sakura's actions either, it's not about him, Sakura probably hasn't even registered who is helping him. It doesn't matter that Kiryu thinks Sakura has taken a…liking to him, a few gifts prove nothing.

"I'm back", he announces himself when he returns to the bedroom, speaking loudly to avoid startling Sakura. His worry was unfounded, as Sakura is fast asleep. Soft snores fill the silence of the room, and despite his poorly constitution, Sakura looks peaceful. It's a heartwarming sight.

Without further ado, Hayato gets to work. Gently, he brushes Sakura's hair back from his forehead to make space for the towel, then he mixes the crushed pill into the remaining water inside the bottle, shaking it. It's going to be gross, but it'll hopefully go down easier.

"Sakura-kun", Hayato gingerly shakes his shoulder. When nothing happens, he pokes the other's cheek. Mismatched eyes fly open, meeting Hayato's gaze but not seeing him.

"Time for medicine", Hayato encourages him to sit up, supporting him once again as Sakura chugs the water, seemingly uncaring of the less than savory contents. Well, as long as it works.

With Sakura taken care off to the best of his ability, Hayato figures he might as well prepare something to eat, like soup, for him to have when he regains his wits. However, when he makes to stand up, a hand shoots out and weakly wraps around his wrist. He could break the hold without thinking twice about it, but he stays put.

"Is there something else you need, Sakura-kun?", Hayato tilts his head.

Like a child, Sakura is pouting at him. The redness of his face makes him look like a particularly angry toddler.

"Mhm?", he prompts when Sakura's mouth remains shut.

Yet again, he receives no verbal response, but Sakura does start pulling at him. Curious, Hayato allows him to maneuver his hand to where he wants it and is surprised when Sakura places it on his cheek. It should be way too warm for him to enjoy in his current state, but Hayato is not going to point that out.

Once more, Sakura begins nuzzling his hand and wrist, like a kitten seeking to be pet. It's rather confounding behavior to observe in their tough grade captain, certainly something he'd be horrifically embarrassed by if he were more lucid, but Hayato cannot say he doesn't enjoy it.

He resigns himself to his fate of being a human catnip pillow for a while, happy as long as it seems to bring Sakura comfort, but then something soft and…wet? touches his hand. Surprised, he looks down and what he sees requires a minute to compute.

Sakura is kissing his hand.

Is he a fair maiden from the olden times? What is happening?

"Sakura-kun?", his voice comes out strangled. Sakura just hums and presses another light kiss to Hayato's knuckle. He's glad he washed his hands.

Hayato can honestly say that he is confused, which is a rare occurrence indeed. This is so unlike Sakura, he would have never imagined him doing something like this in a million years. Though, to be fair, he most definitely wouldn't if he wasn't suffering a high fever.

Sadly, as much as Hayato would like to sit here like this for hours, he does need to get some things done to make sure Sakura has what he needs as he recovers. So, with a heavy heart, he carefully extracts his hand from Sakura's grasp.

"I'm afraid I have to go make you some soup, Sakura-kun", Hayato apologizes.

Clearly worn out from the exhaustion, Sakura doesn't fight him. Instead, he closes his eyes and seems to drift off to sleep again almost immediately.

Head spinning, Hayato goes about preparing and subsequently freezing soup, arranging the medicine in an easily accessible way, airing out the room, and changing out Sakura's wet towel. He tries to gauge his temperature again, and it seems to have gone down at least a little. Sakura certainly looks less like a fire hydrant now.

"Alright, Sakura-kun", he leans over the boy to make sure everything is alright, placing another water bottle right by his head, "I'm going to leave now, text us if you need anything else."

Weakly, Sakura opens his eyes. They're heavy-lidded but his gaze is just a little steadier than it was before.

"Suo…", he mumbles. Huh, so Sakura is aware of who is tending to him. That's good.

"Yes, Sakura-kun?"

Gaze now trained on the ceiling, Sakura hums quietly. God, he's really out of it. Did Hayato accidentally administer laughing gas?

"…Like ya."

Hayato blinks, then blinks again.

On the other hand, Sakura looks ready to doze off again.

"I like you too, Sakura-kun", Hayato says. Seems like a delirious Sakura is more open about his feelings, who would have guessed? It's nice to hear that he is appreciated, even though he did already know that. After all, Sakura is quite the easy read.

To his surprise, Sakura reacts with frustration.

"No", furrowing his eyebrows seems to be a lot of work.

Hayato raises an eyebrow.

"No?", he repeats.

Sakura shakes his head. Well, it'd be more accurate to say he attempts to, as it doesn't end up moving very much.

"Not like that."

This is dangerous territory, Hayato realizes all of a sudden. The chance that Sakura is about to say something he might regret once the fever-induced haze fades has just increased by a significant amount. As much as Hayato would love to hear what he has to say, yearns to hear it, really, he knows he should nip this in the bud.

"Let's discuss this when you've recovered", he forces himself to say, and quickly gets up, "I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura-kun."

If he has to lean against the wall outside of Sakura's apartment to steady himself, hands clenched into fists at his sides, then nobody but himself has to know about it.

⋆˚🐾˖° Grooming ⋆˚🐾˖°

Another rather feline habit of Sakura's is that on top of everything else, he's been very…attentive lately. No, that's not quite the right word. Neat? Eh. Something like that.

"Suo, wait up!", Sakura calls after him as they part ways on their walk home. It's only been a few days since Sakura's illness, his voice still raspy from a persistent cough.

Confused, Hayato stops in his tracks.

"What is it, Sakura-kun?"

For a moment, Sakura does nothing but stare. It's rather unnerving, he's not even meeting Hayato's eyes, only staring at his head.

"Is there something I can help you with?", he tries again.

"Shut up", Sakura grumbles but finally moves, taking a few steps to catch up with Hayato. Swiftly, he reaches up and oh, he's touching Hayato's hair now. Deep breaths, he tells himself, There's a reasonable explanation for this.

He finds it only seconds later, when Sakura draws his hand back, a leaf in it that he must have plucked off Hayato's head. Huh. He hadn't noticed it there.

"Thank you, Sakura-kun!", he smiles, "How gentlemanly of you."

Huffing, Sakura drops the leaf to the ground and averts his eyes. As expected, his face has quickly filled with color. So easy, Hayato thinks.

From then on, Sakura occasionally gets this contemplative look on his face, staring hard at Hayato's hair or shoulder or arm and eventually reaching over to brush off a piece of lint or remove some other kind of imperfection. It's endearing, terribly so, and it makes it harder and harder for Hayato to bring up Sakura's fever-induced words from the other day.

This should be evidence enough that his feelings are reciprocated, that Sakura really was going to say what he thought he would, so by all means, Hayato should be ecstatic, right?

However, the thing is this: While Hayato is not afraid, nor is he entirely unconvinced of Sakura's feelings, as Kiryu seems to think, he is wary. Sakura is incredibly new to anything regarding affection, even friendly touches were a novelty to him only a few months ago. Friendship itself is a luxury Sakura has never experienced until he arrived in their town, which leads Hayato to believe he has never had any romantic encounters either.

Because of this, Hayato is afraid to overwhelm Sakura. Romantic relationships come with a different set of social rules than friendships do, and oftentimes with even more affection. Could Sakura deal with that, allow himself to have that, even if he does feel the same? Hayato doesn't know, and he doesn't want to presume. Therefore, he will wait for Sakura to make the first move. It's an exercise in patience, for sure. Some days the feelings threaten to swallow him whole, but he's happy to have Sakura in any way possible, so he refuses to rush anything.

It's a Friday after patrol when Sakura invites Hayato, and only Hayato, over to his place.

"Hey, Suo", he rubs his neck awkwardly, "D'ya wanna come over?"

Thousands of scenarios flitter through Hayato's mind, and he has to remind himself of the reality they're in, the reality in which Sakura is merely inviting him over to watch a movie or something, before he can reply.

"Mhm", he clears his throat, "Of course, Sakura-kun! I'd be honored."

Sakura rolls his eyes but starts walking, Hayato quickly falling into step with him. They enjoy the journey in relative silence, basking in the warm evening air and the soft breeze, the chirping of the cicadas and the golden rays of the setting sun.

"A beautiful evening", Hayato remarks quietly.

When he looks over at Sakura, the other is already looking back at him. Quickly, Sakura turns his head away, a blush high on his cheeks as he nods.

"Yeah, sure."

At Sakura's apartment, Hayato is pleased to discover that even more decorating had been done since the last time he visited. There's a picture frame set up next to Sakura's futon now, the picture inside a photograph of their friend group at the Hanabi festival, smiles on their faces. Something warm and sticky unfurls in Hayato's chest, threatening to choke him.

"I'm making dinner", Sakura announces from the doorframe.

"Oh?", Hayato grins and gets up to follow the other boy into the so-called kitchen, "I didn't know you were a chef, Sakura-kun!"

Like clockwork, Sakura hisses like a kitten that's gotten its tail stomped on, and begins puttering around in lieu of a reply.

A pot is pulled from the rickety cabinet and set upon the camping stove Sakura now owns.

"What are you making?", Hayato inquires, curious. He's only ever seen Sakura consume food prepared by Kotoha or other townsfolk, so he wonders what he will make when left to his own devices. He also wonders why he invited Hayato over for this, but he's not going to complain.

"Jus' yakimeshi", Sakura grumbles as he digs through the cabinets again, this time retrieving a baby pink rice cooker, courtesy of Kiryu, "Kotoha taught me."

That's kind of her. It's good that Sakura is learning to feed himself.

"I see", Hayato watches as Sakura cuts up some green onions and ham. He does it meticulously, yet with an air of uncertainty about him. It's clear he's new to this, unfamiliar with the knife in his hand. "Do you need help?"

"Huh?", Sakura frowns at him, "Ya got a problem with how I do it?"

Of course he'd take it that way. Hayato chuckles and shakes his head, an easygoing smile on his face.

"No, no. I was simply wondering why you invited me over to watch you cook", Hayato teases.

The pan sizzles as Sakura throws the prepped ingredients into it, adding an egg to the mix as well. He stirs it a little and only then acknowledges Hayato's indirect question.

"Why d'ya think? Need someone to try this with me, so I know if it's any good."

It's fortunate that Sakura's looking away from him as he speaks, because for a moment Hayato's friendly mask slips and he frowns, his jaw clenched tight. He didn't expect Sakura to come up with such a cunning plan.

"Eh?", he tries to play it off, "I'm afraid I can't help you with that, Sakura-kun. After all, you know I -"

"Oh, shut it", Sakura groans, his deft hands scooping some rice out of the cooker and transferring it into the pan, "It's just us two."

Hayato lets that statement sit between them for a moment, unsure of what to say. He supposes, after everything they've been through and everything Sakura has shared with them, it's only fair for Hayato to do the same. It is only Sakura, after all.

Still, vulnerability is a double edged sword.

"I -", Hayato coughs a little, "I suppose I can give it a try."

He can't see Sakura's face, but he does see his shoulders relax, a happy hum escaping his throat.

"After all", Hayato continues just to be difficult, "I can't have you poisoning any future dates with your cooking."

Perhaps not the healthiest way to deal with his little crush, but he'll examine that later.

Right now, it's much more amusing to watch Sakura's ears light up like fireflies, his cheeks puffed out in indignation as he turns around, pointing a finger at Hayato's chest.

"Dates? What the fuck are you talking about?"

As if placating a wild animal, Hayato holds up his hands. "Nothing, nothing."

With a glare, Sakura turns around, silently going back to his stirring. Hayato figures he might as well be useful, and decides to grab a bowl and chopsticks for each of them. An advantage of helping Sakura stock his apartment is that he knows where everything is.

He places the bowls on the counter next to the stove, and keeps the chopsticks clutched in his hand. There's a strange anticipation in the air, but maybe only Hayato feels it. He can admit to himself that he's uncomfortable, a little apprehensive, but he won't let Sakura down.

Once the food is ready and carefully divided into the two bowls, they settle down on Sakura's futon, the fold-up table set up on the floor in front of them.

Easily, Sakura snaps his chopsticks and digs in. He happily chews away, making little noises of contentment that Hayato wishes he could record with his phone to listen to when he's home alone.

"Eat", Sakura nudges him, "It's good."

With a sigh, Hayato relents. He slowly snaps his own chopsticks and picks up some rice and egg. The dish does smell good, simple as it is. Sakura's a quick learner.

Hayato leads the chopsticks to his mouth rather clumsily, but manages to get the food inside. It really does taste good, flavorful and comforting. Kotoha would be proud.

"And?", Sakura prompts him. He's looking straight at him, a smug little smile on his face.

Hayato playfully rolls his eyes.

"It's good, Sakura-kun. You've got a lucrative culinary career awaiting you."

They continue to eat in silence, the only sounds their close-mouthed chewing and the chopsticks clinking against the sides of their bowls.

"So", Sakura murmurs, rice still stuffed into his cheeks like a squirrel preparing for hibernation, "Ya can eat. Why don't'cha do it when it's all of us?"

Huh, this must have really been weighing on Sakura's mind. Was he worried about him? It wouldn't be the first time someone (cough Nirei cough) pulls him aside to question him on whether he has an eating disorder. It's really quite invasive, he thinks.

"Oh, it's really not a big deal", he shrugs, poking at the rest of his ham with a single chopstick, "It's just…ah, it's bad for my reputation, you see. I've got no depth perception, so I eat quite messily."

Sakura blinks at him.

"That's it?"

He scoffs and returns to his food. After a second, Hayato does the same, carefully picking up another mouthful. He misses this time, and is glad Sakura doesn't see.

"But you can fight so well", Sakura tilts his head in contemplation, his gaze still trained on his own food, "And like, you always seem so graceful."

Hayato nods, even though the other can't see him.

"Yes. I trained hard to be able to do that, but for some reason I cannot quite get the eating down. It's a little embarrassing."

At this, Sakura turns his head again. He frowns at him, something unreadable in his eyes.

"Who cares? No one would judge you."

Hayato knows that. Still, he's got an image to uphold.

He opens his mouth to say as much, but is prevented from doing so when Sakura's hand suddenly moves towards him. Is he going to hit him? No, that would make very little sense.

And indeed, when Sakura's hand makes contact with his face, the touch is a little rough but overall gentle, a calloused thumb wiping at the corner of his mouth. Oh. He must have had rice stuck there. But why, for the love of God, is Sakura wiping it away like…well, like a lover would? How forward.

It's mortifying on top of that, but Hayato tries not to let his thoughts steer that way. Sakura clearly doesn't care, he's clearly —

What the hell?

Instead of shaking the rice off over his bowl like Hayato had expected him to, Sakura brings his thumb up to his own mouth and licks it off. It being the food he'd just wiped off Hayato's face. No, not just off his face, very nearly off his mouth.

Hayato clears his throat, ready to smooth this weird moment over with a joke, but once again finds himself unable to when Sakura puts his chopsticks down and turns his whole body to face him. Uncertain, Hayato copies him.

"Sakura-kun?", he asks.

There's a determined look on Sakura's face that Hayato recognizes but usually only sees when they're about to go in for a dangerous fight. His eyes are sharp and focused, gaze pointed directly at Hayato's lips. Is there more food stuck there? He darts out his tongue in order to remove it, but finds nothing.

"Suo", Sakura swallows. He looks like he's got something important to say, and like a freight train, it hits Hayato what's about to happen. He finds, all of a sudden, that while he is excited, he is mostly terrified. He sits on his hands so Sakura won't see them tremble. God, this boy makes him come apart in all the worst ways.

"Yes?", he tries to sound aloof. It doesn't quite work.

"You -"

In lieu of continuing his sentence, Sakura suddenly leans forward. The same hand as earlier comes up to his face again, but this time it cups his cheek, thumb stroking jittery circles into the skin. Hayato holds his breath.

He did say he wanted Sakura to make the first move, but if he's honest he never thought it'd actually happen. Hayato was happy to hide away behind that excuse, certain that Sakura doesn't actually feel the same way, not really. Even with all the evidence, he never could fully believe it. Now, he is faced with the fact that Kiryu was right, and that in the end, Hayato really was just scared. Of what? He's not quite sure. Vulnerability, probably.

"Sakura-kun", his voice comes out as a strangled whisper. It's terribly uncharacteristic, he hopes Sakura tells no one about anything that transpires here today.

"I wanna kiss ya", Sakura mumbles. No preamble. His face is bright red, and he's not meeting Hayato's eye, but he's being so much braver, so much more daring, than Hayato ever could have been. What an admirable person he is, their Sakura, who could ever be worthy of him?

Not him, that's for sure. Hayato knows he's not good enough to be the recipient of Sakura's affections, but he is selfish and has been pining after this boy almost since they met. So, he throws caution to the wind and nuzzles into the hand on his cheek.

"What are you waiting for?"

The hand on his face tightens its grip just slightly, fingertips digging into skin to the point where it almost hurts. Then he's being pulled forward, and Sakura leans in the rest of the way to clumsily connect their mouths.

It's a little messy and a lot unsure, but the sensation is unlike anything Hayato has ever experienced. It's better, it's amazing, despite the fact that their noses bump together and Sakura tastes of ham and egg, their teeth clacking before they manage to angle their heads in a way that works better.

Sakura's lips are chapped against Hayato's smooth ones, his hand hot and sweaty where it's still resting on his face, but Hayato loves every second of it. Emboldened, he presses into the kiss with force, his own hands coming to rest on Sakura's knees as he tilts his head farther, cheekily nipping at Sakura's bottom lip.

The other boy yelps in indignation, leaning away from him for a moment, but now that Hayato has him, he's not letting him go again. He follows, connecting their lips once more and reveling in the tiny moan that escapes from Sakura. He catches it, opening his mouth just slightly and pressing the tip of his tongue to the seam of Sakura's lips.

At this, Sakura pushes his face away gently but firmly. Hayato allows it.

"I don't -", Sakura bites his lip, all of him a lovely crimson color, "I don't know what to do."

Neither does Hayato, though he doesn't admit to it. He's simply doing what feels right, and what he's observed people doing in movies.

"We can figure it out", he smiles, "Don't worry."

When Sakura doesn't complain any further, or tells him to back off, Hayato lifts his hands to fist the material of Sakura's shirt and pulls him in again. This time, Sakura doesn't shy away when a tongue presses against his lips, instead opening them the tiniest sliver. He's clearly hesitant, but curious, so Hayato exploits that little opening and pushes inside.

Their breaths hitch in tandem at the strange, new sensation. Carefully, Hayato touches his tongue to Sakura's, his stomach seizing.

They continue like this for a while, clumsily exploring each other's mouths as they pant and giggle. It's strange and wet and awkward, and yet Hayato finds himself never wanting to do anything else ever again.

Unfortunately, they are humans and with that comes the need to breathe. They break apart, both of them heaving, their faces matching shades of pink.

"I like you quite a lot, Sakura-kun", Hayato delivers a peck to Sakura's heated cheek. It's so soft.

"Mhm", Sakura rolls his eyes up to look at the ceiling, his head tilted back slightly. It causes his bangs to fall away from his forehead, making his otherworldly eyes more visible. "I like ya too…"

"Ah, what a relief", Hayato claps his hands together, "So your sick self wasn't lying!"

This successfully breaks the tender atmosphere, Sakura's eyes wide as they meet his again.

"What!?"

Hayato just smiles.

⋆˚🐾˖° Extra: Cuddling ⋆˚🐾˖°

Once they decide to give the whole "dating" thing a try, Sakura's behavior doesn't really change all that much. Which is a good thing, of course, Hayato would be worried if he suddenly became someone else entirely. No, especially in public, he retains his stray kitten persona.

Unfortunately, he does so even when Hayato attempts to show him affection.

"Ah, Sakura-kun!", he greets his boyfriend one morning when he walks into the classroom. It's been two weeks now since they first kissed. "Good morning!"

Sakura nods in acknowledgement and adjusts his course to walk over to Hayato's desk, where he is sitting surrounded by their other friends. When he sees the boy's face up close, he gasps theatrically. There's a band-aid on Sakura's cheek he doesn't remember seeing there yesterday.

"What happened?", he asks.

Sakura rolls his eyes as he leans into the desk. He's looking down at Hayato with reddened cheeks and narrowed eyes, clearly embarrassed by something. Hayato smiles up at him sweetly.

"Ugh", Sakura groans, "Nothing important."

It's a decent attempt, but Nirei's already pulled his notebook out, so they all know there's no going back now. He's going to tell this story whether he likes it or not.

"Oh really?", Kiryu raises an eyebrow, "C'mon, Sakura-chan, tell us! A shaving accident perhaps? Have you started growing facial hair?"

Sakura rolls his eyes.

"Got into a squabble this morning, nothing serious", he mumbles, "But the dick flung a fucking pebble at me."

"A pebble?", Hayato chuckles. How did that even happen?

"Yes, okay!? It was near the river bank and the guy had crazy good aim!", Sakura is now worked up, waving his arms around wildly as he explains himself.

He hears Kiryu and Nirei giggling to themselves, while Tsugeura looks vaguely concerned about the whole thing.

Getting up from his seat, Hayato walks over to Sakura, stopping right in front of him. He's even shorter than usual, leaning against the desk as he is. With one finger, Hayato taps at the band-aid.

"It's alright, Sakura-kun, these things happen", he shrugs, "No need to be so embarrassed."

Sakura huffs, unsatisfied. This must have really hurt his pride, despite how silly it is. It's not like Sakura hasn't gotten beaten up before, many times even, but he supposes the unworthiness of his opponent is what stings.

With a gentle but teasing smile, Hayato ruffles Sakura's hair, ignoring the protests coming from the boy.

"You're still our strong, reliable grade captain, don't worry. Even a rogue pebble won't change that."

Quickly, he leans down and presses a chaste kiss to Sakura's scraped cheek. The others gasp, Kiryu laughing loudly, as Sakura sputters and pushes him away.

"Stop that!", he hisses, now standing at full height, "N-not in public!"

Hayato backs off but can't stop himself from laughing. Sakura is unfairly adorable, even when he acts like this. Apparently it's perfectly fine when he's all over Hayato, removing lint from his clothes and giving him gifts, but this is too much. That's alright, though, Hayato is nothing if not patient.

"My apologies, Sakura-kun."

That evening, the two of them are in Sakura's bedroom, when Hayato brings it up again.

"Is your cheek alright, Sakura-kun?", he asks when the other boy sits down on the futon next to him, fresh out of the shower. There's no band-aid on his face now, so Hayato can clearly see the scratch left behind by the unfortunate attack. It's small, and it'll heal easily.

"'s fine, doesn't hurt", Sakura grumbles.

He tries to get comfortable, which involves pushing and pulling at Hayato until he is in what Sakura seems to consider a satisfactory position, his back against the wall and legs crossed over one another.

"You seemed quite upset about it", Hayato probes.

Sakura shrugs, distracted by his ministrations. He has pulled the blanket over both of them and is now in the process of curling himself up small enough so he can lean his head on Hayato's shoulder. For his part, Hayato makes sure to move as little as possible, so as to not scare him off.

"Just kinda embarrassing, 's all", Sakura mutters when he finally relaxes, the tension seeming to drain from his body as he cuddles up to Hayato. Tentatively, Hayato dares to raise his arm to put it around the other boy's shoulders, his hand coming to rest on his upper arm. Sakura shudders, but doesn't complain, instead even nuzzling into him. Adorable, Hayato thinks he might die.

"The guy was only like…twelve."

Hayato chuckles, he just can't help himself. The mental image of Sakura fighting off some kid, who then throws a goddamn stone at him, is unfortunately kind of amusing.

"These things happen, Sakura-kun", Hayato smiles, though he knows Sakura can't see it, "Don't let it get to you."

When Sakura replies, his voice is muffled due to his face being shoved into Hayato's neck.

"Easy for you to say", he says, his breath hot and tickly on delicate skin.

Hayato soothingly rubs Sakura's arm, humming to himself. He considers bringing up Sakura's aversion to public displays of affection as well, but realizes quickly that that might make Sakura overtly aware of what he's doing right now, which might then cause him to pull away. Hayato would rather die than let that happen, so he stays silent, instead delivering a quick kiss to the crown of Sakura's head.

At times, he really feels like he's managed to domesticate a stray cat. He wonders how mortified Sakura would be if their classmates found out how clingy and affectionate he is in private, not that Hayato would ever tell them. That side of Sakura belongs to only him.

"Do you want to watch a movie? Kiryu recommended one I think you'll like", with one hand, Hayato picks up his phone and scrolls through the streaming service.

Sakura hums noncommittally.

"Mhm?", Hayato puts the phone down again, his hand wandering into Sakura's hair, carding through it the way he knows Sakura likes, "Not in the mood?"

Hayato feels that if Sakura could purr, he would be doing so right now. His arms are tight where he's wound them around Hayato's waist, hands clutching at his silk shirt. He shakes his head ever so slightly.

"What do you want to do instead?", Hayato asks.

The only response he gets is Sakura throwing one of his legs over his lap. It messes up the blanket a little, but neither of them cares. Hayato's free hand vanishes beneath it to caress the clothed leg where it lies.

"Can we just do this?", Sakura mumbles, voice uncertain as though Hayato would ever deny him a thing.

With another kiss, this time to Sakura's temple, Hayato easily acquiesces.

"Happily."