Chapter Text
Luca glances at the man beside him, holding his hand so tight as if afraid he will let go. He squeezes it a little, raising it to place a soft kiss on his fingers.
“I love you,” Luca whispers to his fingers, an uncontrollable smile sewing on his lips as the other laughs brightly. A hand cups his cheek as he is gently forced to raise his face. Then, he receives a kiss on the lips, so light and sweet and Luca wants to taste that forever, to know that until his death, until they meet again in their next life.
He knows he loves this man just as much as he loves him as well.
His tender love whispers after moving away, “Well, you know my answer.”
Luca chuckles before pulling him in, kissing him again as if it is the only way he can tell this man how much he loves him.
How did this start again?
Luca does not know whether to thank that old lady professor of his. First of all, she was strict as heck. Second, Luca never failed her subject. However, that one time he failed, he thinks he never did.
In the future he does, but in the past? Luca almost dug a hole into the ground and rest never in peace.
“I told you not to fail her subject, Luca.”
Luca groans into his palms, stomping his feet on the grass as the chair creaks the more he animatedly moves his body around.
“I told you Ike, I tried my best!”
Ike is about to say something when Vox cuts him off, “So what do you plan to do? Your coach will nag you forever, right?”
“And you might be benched for the next competition.”
Luca raises his head, glaring at the foxy lad who chomps on a sandwich. “That did not fucking help, Mysta.”
Mysta snickers, shaking his head. Ike simply nudges him before pushing his now clean plate away from him.
“I can’t tutor you, Luca. I’m busy with the council.”
“Me too,” Vox says, but turns small when Ike shoots him a questioning look, murmuring “Oh, really?” by the side. He coughs to elevate the bubbling laughter inside him, seeing Ike react even more from it. “I do help in the council and study really well. So yeah, my boy, I can’t help.”
Luca silently looks at Mysta. The man gulps down his food without a problem, shrugging his shoulders.
“Don’t even think about asking me.”
“Did I even say something about it?”
“You looked at me.”
Luca shows a stupid look before sighing, “There’s still another problem.”
“You should eat first.” Vox points at his untouched tray filled with food. He shakes his head, pushing it away with a finger. His body begins to sway and limp side by side, ignoring the weird glances he gets from others in the cafeteria.
A curse drawls out of his mouth, whining as his sanity continues to pull his soul back into his body. The three worriedly exchanged glances, seeing their usually boisterous, endearingly loud friend looks so drowned in his problems.
He exhales loud, facing the three who await his words.
“Do you remember ‘Melody’?” Luca whispers, the four of them unconsciously nearing one another on the table. They shift to make a small circle in the middle, the three staring pointedly at Luca who begins to sweat.
Vox almost cackles out, “Just say it’s about Shu, dumbass.”
“No way!” Luca half-shouts and whispers, shaking his hands in panic. He turns to look at all sides, lips quivering before whispering again. “Someone might hear you!”
Ike slaps Vox’ back whom Luca thanks, gaining the tiniest satisfaction and away from the man’s teasing about his crush. Oh god, his crush! Someone help him, why did he have to fall for someone in his class, in his failed subject.
It’s so embarrassing, Luca thinks. He shrivels like a near dead plant, hearing his heart beat faster and louder in his chest. If only he can scream, then he will. He remembers how his knees weaken when he hears Shu’s name flowing out from his professor’s mouth. It was actually good since Shu Yamino, who has his heart on a leash, is the top student of his class under the said professor. He knew that the love of his life man could definitely help him pass everything as he was too busy juggling his time between his academic and sports life.
Still, he cannot handle the idea of getting closer with him because of his poor grades. It is too much for his weak heart and simping mind. C’mon, the idea of sitting across from him, hearing his voice teach you, his fingers holding your pen, the godly handwriting of his in your notebook and his eyes looking right at you to see if you are listening (in which Luca doubtingly would not)... who can handle it!?
He is not gonna lie. He clearly likes that man for years. Three straight years. You cannot tell him to forget every single feeling he had for him just for the sake of listening as Shu tutors him without distraction…
Because the man is the distraction himself!
Luca refocuses on what is happening in front of him when Vox and Mysta are laughing, even snorting as they clap their hands like a seal. A whole paragraph full of all curses Luca knows is typed on his mind, glaring at the two.
Ike is the only one who does not laugh. But when his lips break into a smile, Luca rolls his eyes, moving away from them. He relaxes his back on the chair, crossing his arms and pouts like a child.
“I hate you, guys. You’re all so mean.”
“Oh dear.” Ike is definitely amused. The bespectacled man tries to hide his laugh from him by clearing his throat. “I can understand the dilemmas you are currently—”
“Dilemmas!—” Vox wheezes, clutching his stomach as he laughs.
“—facing in your life. Please dial 0502 if you have any—”
“Don’t use his birthday!” Luca shouts as he throws half of his body into the table, slamming it with a hand. Mysta nearly falls off his chair while Luca swears at Ike who now laughs out loud alongside the two.
“Ah fuck, this is so funny.” Mysta says as he wipes the tears from his eyes. He giggles a few more, watching Luca, their entertainment as of today, ‘meanly’ gives him his scary glare.
In the fits of his giggles, Mysta decides to help for once. “Look, grab this chance! I mean, you can woo him too! Good grades plus a great boyfriend? That’s a win-win situation!”
Luca is appalled at the words that came out of his friend’s mouth, “I don’t even know how to face him right now and you’re telling me to woo him!? Are you out of your fucking mind!?”
“Idea man, idea.”
Luca is close to grabbing Mysta’s neck and flinging it around when someone clears their throat behind him. His face morphs into confusion when the three stop laughing, smiles almost etched on their faces while giving a meaningful gaze on him.
What…?
He freezes in place when he hears his voice.
“Uh, sorry to bother you. But can I talk to Luca for a sec’?”
How unlucky can he be today?
They are quite far from the cafeteria, with Luca pulling Shu away from his friends to avoid more tea spilling out of their mouths. Shu does not bother to ask, quietly waiting for him to stop.
And when he does, Shu casually greets him like an old-time friend.
“Hi, Luca.”
Luca swallows hard, mouth turning dry when he meets Shu’s eyes. He stiffly stands there, fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
Oh my gosh. “H-hey, Shu.”
Shu gives him a quizzical look but has a small smile on his adorable turtle-like lips. His eyes go back to Shu’s eyes, trying not to fall down to the floor, in the middle of the hallway, in the midst of busy-bodied students.
His heart rapidly beats when Shu giggles around his nervousness. Oh, he prays that he does not look stupid right in front of him. Please, he had enough of looking like a clown whenever he was around Shu.
“It’s been a while since we last talked.”
“Uh yeah, yeah. Both busy,” Luca, still embarrassed, crookedly smiles. Shu adoringly blinks at him before nodding his head. They are not that close, compared to the three, particularly since they have just been ‘classmates’ in a few subjects since entering university. Although knowing each other when they were in the last year of senior high school, Luca and Shu had never gotten close with one another.
If you omit the fact that Luca fell in love at first sight of Shu, then maybe they would have been great friends. Yet Luca disagrees, he will probably fall in love with Shu either way.
“So,” Shu starts, turning sideways as he rummages through his tote bag. “I’ll be giving you my schedule. Don’t worry, Prof already informed me and I agreed willingly.”
He did? Why? Luca wants to ask but stops himself. Maybe Shu does this because he is acquainted with him. Not friends really (he thinks), they barely talked because Luca gets cold feet around him.
“We’re friends, so it’s all nice.”
“F-friends?” Luca croaks out, blinking numerous times as Shu nods, still having his eyes on his bag. Luca closes his slackened jaw by the time Shu raises his head.
Okay, scratch that. We’re friends.
Luca already sees the future. He will cry buckets of happiness the soon he meets the three later.
“Here.” Shu hands out his schedule printed in a small paper, no larger than a ⅛ index card. It is a complete one, along with his self-study hours and violin practice. “Give me yours as well, so we can work on how we’ll go with the tutoring.”
Luca cannot even form words to say to him. He grasps the soft paper in his hand gently, seeing Shu expectant gaze at him. “How… How are you even prepared? Wait, are you even sure about this?”
“Mhm, quite sure.” His gleeful voice still confuses Luca. The brunette smiles wide at him, gorgeous amethyst eyes reflecting his image. “The Prof told me yesterday—“
“Yesterday?” Luca exasperatedly says, brows furrowing as Shu looks nothing near surprised. The smaller calmly nods again, locking his hands together by the sling of his tote bag.
“Yeah. She was about to call you yesterday. I told her if it was possible not to, since you were coming back from a joint practice at the other uni.”
Luca breathes slowly. His mind is nowhere near comprehending Shu’s words. How does Shu know what he was doing yesterday? They do have a certain circle of friends, but knowing where he was? And even doing this all just for the sake of helping him pass?
This is not a reasonable explanation for Luca to believe that nothing is going on. Or maybe, he is just overthinking…
“Why?”
Shu shoots him a questioning look for a second, but shakes it off with a short sigh before showing a fond smile to the big, endearing guy looking so disoriented in front of him.
He’s still cute, Shu thinks.
“‘Cause we’re friends.”
Luca’s soul fades away after hearing his answer.
Guess he will have to use Mysta’s idea, after all.