Free Sweets and a Gay Awakening

by bintyourbogos

Summary:

Saiki can usually weasel his way out of getting ramen with his friends, but not when Kuboyasu is around. Somehow they end up at a cafe. Alone. Just the two of them. All alone. Only Saiki and Kuboyasu. By themselves. A relationship blooms. You get the idea.

Notes:

Hi guys :) this is my first work I've ever written, so I would appreciate feedback/criticism if anyone would be willing to leave a comment!! I'm definitely not a super creative person, so my writing may have some similarities to other works, but I do want to start taking prompts if anyone wants to give them!! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and let me know if you want more!!! Also if anyone has any ideas they think might be good for the story please do comment! It will definitely help me with the writers block that I will for sure have. And sorry this chapter is so short it's almost 5am and my brain is fried.

Chapter 1

Saiki had just wanted to go home to the coffee jelly waiting in his fridge and his quiet room. He’d almost succeeded too. That was until he’d been invited to get ramen by Nendou. Normally Saiki walked home with Kaido and Nendou and he would just sneak away and teleport home while the two boys were bickering, but that wasn’t an option in his current situation. Kuboyasu had decided to walk with the group until they went their separate ways. Something about recent crime in the area. 

 

Now, Saiki could just say no, but he didn’t want to deal with the pestering that came with it. Teleporting away while everyone was distracted wasn’t an option either, given the fact that Kuboyasu was scarily observant. Saiki could barely slip away from a conversation without the boy noticing and dragging him back. For some strange reason, Kuboyasu always thought it necessary to include Saiki. Whether he wanted to be included or not. 

 

‘Honestly, I could go for some ramen right now. I missed lunch because I was dealing with some half-assed punks trying to shake some kid down in the bathrooms.’ 

 

Saiki heard Kuboyasu’s thoughts and was almost impressed with the boy’s dedication to helping other people. 

 

“We get ramen every day, Nendou. How are you not tired of it? Either way, I can’t go today. My mom wants me home right after school.” Kaidou said, although his thoughts told Saiki that Kaidou had cram school and didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of his friends. 

 

How is that any less embarrassing than having to go to cram school? Was Saiki’s first thought. His second thought was that maybe he could get out of going since one person had already turned Nendou down. 

 

“Ahh whatever buddy, go home to your mommy!” Nendou said with his usual brainless laugh, leaving him and Kaido to continue their usual bickering. Of course, it ended quickly when Nendou somehow remembered that his mother had asked him to be home too. 

 

“What about you, Saiki? We can still go together. I’m kind of hungry anyway.” I hope he wants to go with me, I don’t feel like cooking when I get home, but I don’t want to be the guy who goes to a ramen place by himself. 

 

Saiki considered turning him down, but once Kuboyasu noticed his hesitation and offered to go to a cafe instead, he figured he would tag along. Heck, Saiki may even get some free sweets out of it, given that Kuboyasu had also offered to pay. 

The walk to the cafe was a comfortable one, with Kuboyasu making conversation and Saiki giving his usual short responses. Even Kuboyasu’s thoughts weren’t too much of a bother to Saiki, being that he was simply grateful he didn’t have to go eat alone. 

 

“So Saiki, have you thought about what you’re gonna do after we graduate?” Kuboyasu said, simply trying to fill the silence. 

 

‘Not really’ Saiki responded, genuinely not knowing what the future had in store for him. 

 

“Yeah me neither. Honestly, I think I would just be happy to settle down somewhere and start a family. I’m not sure if I’m even capable of that, though.” Kuboyasu said, very quickly dampening the mood. 

 

Saiki simply didn’t respond and decided to let the boy think out loud about what he thought would be a bleak future. 

 

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reached the cafe and sat themselves down at one of the more secluded booths in the cafe. They ordered quickly and once their food arrived, Saiki was ready to forget about all conversation and dig into some good-looking sweets. His mom most definitely wouldn’t approve of him spoiling his dinner, but what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her. 

 

Happily munching on his delicious strawberry cake (the best in Japan, according to the cafe’s menu), Saiki was perfectly content. He was only pulled out of his blissful state when he noticed some strange thoughts coming from the boy sat across from him. 

 

‘Wow Saiki looks so cute like this, I knew he enjoyed sweets but the faces he’s making are borderline erotic. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone this excited over strawberry cake.’ 

 

Well, that was a shock to Kusuo. He was aware of his tendency to zone out while enjoying his dessert, but he wasn’t aware of his face being “borderline erotic”. Of course, Saiki knew that Kuboyasu was far from straight, but he never imagined anyone other than Yumehara and Teruhashi finding him attractive. He needed to investigate further. 

 

‘I can’t stop watching him, he’s so cute like this, especially his mouth. I wonder what it would look like with my-’ 

 

Okay, that was enough investigating for Kusuo. He was happy to forget the rest of that sentence and continue enjoying his cake. Something was stopping him from tuning out of Kuboyasu’s thoughts, though. Did the boy actually think Saiki was cute? He tried his best to come off as boring and apathetic as possible, although the apathy was hardly an act. It was strange that he had only caught wind of this “cuteness” just now, and from Kuboyasu nonetheless. 

 

Maybe Saiki should spend some time thinking about this predicament when he got home. Right now, though, he was going to enjoy his free sweets and ignore anything else that came out of Kuboyasu’s hormonal teenage brain.

Chapter 2

Summary:

After a tasty meal at the cafe, Saiki somehow ends up at Aren's house. They watch some movies and Saiki realizes how tired he actually is.

Notes:

Here's a new chapter for those of you who are reading!! I'm hoping my updates will stay consistent, but I do work a lot :-)) If anyone starts noticing any grammatical errors or plot holes please let me know and I will do my best to fix them! Comments a kudos are very appreciated and I will be responding to any comments that I see! Thank you for reading and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Once Kuboyasu unlocked the door, Kusuo was met with a home that very much belonged to a former delinquent. Baseball bats with suspicious stains were displayed on the walls, and it was slightly cluttered with other random objects. 

 

“Well, this is it. Make yourself at home and I’ll start setting up for the movies. We’ll probably only get through one or two before it gets too late.” Kuboyasu said. ‘Maybe Saiki will want to spend the night. He doesn’t seem like the type to stay the night anywhere, but we don’t have school tomorrow or anything.’ 

 

Kusuo thought about how a sleepover at Kuboyasu’s house would go, but he was mostly concerned about the fact that he didn’t bring any clothes to sleep in, and that he was due for a shower. 

 

Saiki took off his shoes and went to sit down on the (surprisingly comfortable) couch while the other boy traveled into a different room, likely grabbing what they needed to watch the movies. 

 

When Kuboyasu came back he had a hefty stack of DVDs with him and started setting up in front of the decent-sized television. 

 

That’s a lot of movies. If I do spend the night, does he plan on watching all of those? Saiki thought, slightly surprised. 

 

“I’m gonna go grab us some drinks, then we can start watching,” Kuboyasu said, already walking to the kitchen. ‘Saiki will probably want something sweet to drink. I think we have some soda in the fridge.’ 

 

Happy that Kuboyasu had correctly guessed his drink of choice, Kusuo tried to get comfortable on the couch, bringing his legs up onto the cushion to rest under his bottom. Saiki never really got the pins and needles from cut-off circulation so his most comfortable sitting position was on top of his legs. 

 

Kuboyasu came back holding two bottles of some sweet, fizzy drink and offered one to Kusuo before he too sat down on the couch, close enough that their legs were almost touching. 

 

Once the latest generic action movie started playing, the two boys fell into a comfortable silence. Saiki didn’t care too much about paying attention to the TV, so he let himself drift into random thought while the other boy was internally critiquing the many fight scenes. 

 

About an hour into the first movie, Saiki felt himself starting to get a bit drowsy and unfocused. It didn’t help that Kuboyasu had gotten up to get them some blankets thinking that Saiki might be a little cold but too polite to say anything. The atmosphere was cozy and the warmth radiating from the body next to him made him want to close his eyes and drift off. His sleep deprivation was starting to catch up with him and his head had even started to droop slightly. 

 

Kusuo tried to stop it from happening when he noticed himself leaning towards the warmth next to him, but his body felt like it was sinking into the comfortable cushion behind him and once his head made contact with the warm, solid structure next to him, he couldn’t help but to succumb to a much-needed nap.

Notes:

Thank you to those who read till the end! Leave a comment if you want, and if you see any mistakes please let me know!!

Chapter 3

Summary:

Aren's POV, starting after Saiki falls asleep

Notes:

Hi guys!! This chapter is pretty short, but it's been a few days and I wanted to at least get one chapter out today, so here it is!! Normally I would just stay up later in order to make this chapter longer, but I have a few things I need to do in the morning, so this is what you get.

I made a twitter account dedicated to this AO3 account and my works, so if you want to check that out, my username is @/bintyourbogos and this is the link: https://twitter.com/bintyourbogos

As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, and if there are any mistakes in my writing please let me know and I will fix them as fast as I can!

Also, if anyone is interested, I started a new story!! It's Saiki/Kuboyasu (typical, I know) and I already have a 2,000 word chapter posted! I'll do my best to keep the updates regular on both fics!!

Thank you for reading, I hope everyone has a good morning/afternoon/evening/night! :-)

Aren was so engrossed in the movie he and Saiki were watching that he didn't notice his friend’s grieving battle with sleep. He only became aware of Saiki’s struggle when he felt a weight settle on his shoulder and against his side. The purple-haired boy immediately looked over, only to see Saiki with closed eyes and even breaths. 

 

‘Well, this is something I didn’t expect. Saiki must have been more tired than he thought if he let himself fall asleep in someone else’s home, and on top of someone at that. Should I just let him sleep? What if he needs to go home…? Although, I do remember him mentioning he told his parents he was coming over here. Either way, he obviously needs the sleep, so I’ll just leave him be. He’ll probably wake up before the movie is over anyways.’ 

 

Kuboyasu continued watching the movie, occasionally glancing at his friend to make sure he was okay. By the time the end credits were rolling, Aren could feel himself getting a little tired too. He wasn’t yet sure what to do about Saiki, given he hadn’t woken yet, so he decided to start by turning the television off and putting his glasses on the floor, being that he couldn’t reach the side table without disturbing the boy next to him. 

 

The punk didn’t want to sleep on the couch, but he had mixed feelings about waking Kusuo up. What if he decided to go home once he realized how late it was? Aren didn’t want his friend walking home in the dark. Sleeping on the couch seemed to be the best plan of action he had, so he started carefully maneuvering Saiki to get him into a more comfortable sleeping position. The more Aren moved him around, the more he realized just how asleep Saiki was. Kusuo didn’t even grumble in his sleep, and that made his chest flash with warmth and concern, knowing that his friend probably hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while.

 

‘I should probably sleep on the floor or in my room… this couch is pretty small; I don’t want Saiki to feel uncomfortable when he wakes up. Knowing him, he probably doesn’t want to sleep on the same couch as someone he’s only known for a few months. I think I’ll sleep on the floor. That way, Saiki doesn’t have to wake up alone.’ 

 

Aren started shifting off the couch, but his plan failed when he felt a hand grip on his shirt, keeping him from moving farther than a few inches. He had a short moment of panic, wondering what he should do before Saiki began tugging his shirt even harder. By the time Kusuo had eased his grip, Kuboyasu was completely horizontal, the psychic practically on top of him. 

 

‘Well… I guess this is my life now,’  Aren thought, effectively trapped. 

 

Figuring he could deal with the consequences of his actions in the morning, Aren let his hand rest on his friend’s back, drifting off with the solid weight of Saiki’s head on his chest. 

Chapter 4

Summary:

the two boys wake up, saiki is tired and aren is lovesick.

Notes:

sorry for the short chapter, but i hope you guys enjoy anyways!

comments and kudos are appreciated!

also, if anyone is interested, I made a Twitter account for updates on my stories! If anyone wants to follow that, it's the same username as here! @/bintyourbogos

here's the link: https://twitter.com/bintyourbogos

With the sun shining brightly on his face, Aren woke up with a pink-haired psychic attached to him. The weight was solid and comfortable, making Kuboyasu want to close his eyes and sleep for another few hours, especially since Saiki was still sleeping. He didn’t want to do anything to disturb the boy, so the only logical solution was to let himself doze a little while longer. With the decision made, Aren absentmindedly let his fingers card through Kusuo’s hair while he let himself drift between states of consciousness. 

 

The punk woke up a final time about two hours later, noticing some movement from his friend. Saiki let out a few sleepy grunts, stretching lightly and moving his head to fall into the curve of Aren’s neck, making the other boy shudder. Aren was scared of what Kusuo’s reaction would be, but he couldn’t help noticing how cute he was. He could tell Saiki was still tired (somehow) but figured he would be getting up within the next few minutes, judging by his movements and uneven breaths. 

 

Kuboyasu was proved right when Kusuo began pushing himself into a sitting position, placing one hand on Aren’s chest for leverage while the other searched his face for his glasses. They had fallen off during the night, so Aren wordlessly reached for them and gave them to Saiki, still waiting for him to say something. After a few moments of his friend just silently sitting there, though, he figured he might have to make the first effort towards conversation. Aren wanted to say something if only to break the silence, but he found that he couldn’t bring himself to ruin the quiet they had fallen into. All he really could do was stare. He stared as the sun caught on his friend’s ruffled pink hair; on his perfectly freckled face; on the slightest bit of collarbone that decided to show itself under Saiki’s rumpled shirt. 

 

Aren laid there, Saiki’s hand still planted on his chest with a gentle lean. It wasn’t until the psychic opened his eyes, keeping them half-lidded as he turned to face him, that Kuboyasu realized just how screwed he was.

 

 He may have been able to deny it before, but now? There was absolutely no way. Just the sight of his friend took his breath away, made him want to drop everything and give the boy his full attention. He wanted to hang onto his every word and follow him like a puppy. He wanted to know everything about Saiki, from his middle name to his most personal thought. Most of all, he wanted Saiki to like him; to want to spend time with him. He could go on and on about his friend; about his face, his hair, his clothes, his voice, his eyes, his- 

 

‘Kuboyasu?’ a quiet voice asked, staring at him with furrowed brows and an uncharacteristically emotive face. Saiki had almost looked worried, if only for a second. 

 

“Aren.” He responded, not even giving himself time to think about the embarrassment he would feel the moment it left his mouth. 

 

‘What?’ Saiki questioned, looking confused. Almost as if his sleepy brain couldn’t understand the request, which probably wasn’t very far from the truth. 

 

“You can call me Aren. I mean you’ve already spent the night at my house, right? And we’ve known each other a couple of months now. I mean, you don’t have to, but I feel like we’re close enough now that you can just call me by my first name.” Aren felt himself rambling and forced himself to cut off what could become a very fast and one-sided conversation, wanting to make sure he gave Saiki a chance to respond. 

 

‘Oh…’ the psychic responded, ‘you can call me Kusuo then, I guess.’ 

 

Aren could see the slightest smile on his friend’s lips, and it felt like he’d had the wind knocked out of him. He could only assume that Saiki could feel the quick patter of his heart and the way his breath had stuttered while Kusuo spoke. 

 

Yeah. He was screwed.

 

Notes:

thanks for reading! comments motivate me, so please leave one if you'd like! if you see any mistakes please let me know (i did not proof read)

i'll see you guys next time! :]

Chapter 5

Summary:

The boys have a nice morning with each other and Aren can barely keep it together.

Notes:

Hey... I'm back. Sorry it's been three years I literally have no excuse, but this is like the longest chapter I've ever written so hopefully it kind of makes up for it? Anyways for those who are coming back after I started this fic so long ago, thank you so much for sticking with me even tho I'm kind of the worst. I love you guys and hopefully I can keep up this motivation enough to at least finish this fic.

 

As always, all comments and criticism are welcome since I absolutely did not proof-read this. Also please let me know if these two boys seem out of character, I still love Saiki K but it's been quite a while since I've watched it and I may have lost some nuance along the way.

Thank you once again for all the lovely comments, coming back and reading them is actually what motivated me to pick this story back up.

Saiki awoke with warm sunlight showering his face, and something impossibly warm under him. Good grief was he tired; he’s never been this tired in his life. Well… that’s probably not true, but his point still stands. Years of responsibility had begun to weigh heavily on him, forcing him to keep up appearances despite the bone-deep exhaustion he’d been feeling in the past few weeks. But disregarding the nuisance of responsibility that he faced, Saiki could do nothing but curl into the warmth surrounding him, wanting to sleep for at least a century. Within a few minutes, though, he began to grow suspicious of his cozy situation. 

 

When had he ever been this comfortable? This was definitely not his bed. Probably not even his house, given the lack of harassment from his father. 

 

And God , he did not want to get up, but the unfamiliar sensations he was waking up to forced him into consciousness. He grumbled in annoyance, trying to drive away the syrupy feeling of fatigue that held Saiki so deep in its grip. He quickly planted a hand under him, lifting himself from a prone position that Saiki never slept in. The situation was quite odd, but he felt surprisingly comfortable where he was. There was likely no reason to freak out; he could enjoy one pleasant morning, couldn’t he? 

 

Apparently not, because as soon as Saiki was able to shake some of his tiredness, he realized that the surface he had propped himself up on was moving. Up and down in calculated breaths. 

 

Okay, he has to figure this out quickly, because he’s laying on top of another human. And he doesn’t feel the familiar pressure of his glasses resting on his nose, which means he’s at risk of pulling a Medusa on whoever he’s laying on top of. 

 

Saiki starts to palm around for his glasses, but his search is futile as the green lenses are silently slotted into his hands. He places them sloppily on his face, yet waits a long moment to open his eyes, a million thoughts zapping through his mind, that constant feeling of discomfort starting to settle in his overworked brain. Then, without warning, it all came to him in a flash. 

 

Kuboyasu. He’s on top of Kuboyasu. Good grief, how is he gonna weasel his way out of this one? 

 

Both boys stayed silent for a moment before Saiki decided it was time to face reality. He cracked his eyes open, exhaustion still lingering heavily in his vision. Aren simply stared up at him, breathless, with a strange expression on his face. The longer Aren stared, the more confused Saiki got. 

 

‘Kuboyasu?’ Saiki mumbled in question, not wanting to jar the other boy with anything louder than a whisper. It almost felt inappropriate, with how close they were to each other. On the other hand, Saiki could feel the smallest twinge of embarrassment climbing through him, knowing he couldn’t hide his expressions with how tired he still was. 

 

“Aren.” The other boy quickly replied, confusing Kusuo’s weary brain even more. He made his confusion clear with a soft, ‘What?’ and furrowed brow. 

 

Then, as if a fuse had been lit, Aren began a rapid spiel about the progression of their friendship, speckled with self-doubt and uncertainty. This confusing turn of events forced Saiki to focus very closely on what was being said, trying to absorb as much information as he could. 

 

‘Oh…’ Saiki responded mindlessly as he comprehended the boy’s words, ‘You can call me Kusuo then, I guess.’

 

Saiki simply couldn’t help the slight upward twitch of his lips. It was not a smile. A muscle spasm at most. 

 

I’d better not regret this, Aren.

 

---

 

Aren POV

 

The morning went by swiftly after what Aren would describe as a heart-stopping event. 

 

I can’t believe Kusuo’s letting me call him by his first name. He doesn’t let any of his friends call him that. Does that mean he likes me? Or maybe he was just being polite… I did seem to catch him off guard. I just couldn’t help it with how adorable he looked waking up. 

 

‘Aren?’ Saiki asked, filling the former punk’s brain with his usual even tone. 

 

“Oh, yeah, uh… what’s up man?” Aren replied awkwardly after being ripped from his thoughts, having barely heard what Saiki said. 

 

‘Are you busy today? I can head home at any time if I’m intruding.’ The psychic explained, his gentle expression from that morning still poking through on his face, despite it being mostly blank. 

 

“No!” Aren said, just a little too loud, “Sorry… no, I’m not busy at all today. Why? Did you maybe want to do something?” He asked, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck as he tried to will the slight blush on his face away. 

 

‘I suppose so…’ Kusuo replied absently, ‘What did you have in mind?’ 

 

Kuboyasu had to think quick, not wanting to scare the other boy away by suggesting something weird or boring. 

 

Man this is some seriously uncharted territory with Kusuo. I don’t think he’s ever been this willing to hang out with someone. Knowing Saiki, he probably wouldn’t want to do anything extravagant, especially with how tired he still looks. Okay man get it together. Kusuo’s waiting. 

 

“Well, I have some crappy American video games we can play,” He suggested, before quickly adding, “And we could get some food together later if you’re up to it? On me.” 

 

Aren gave as charming a smile as he could, hoping Kusuo would find his suggestion fun. 

 

‘That sounds fine. You don’t have to keep buying me food though, Aren.’ Replied Saiki, looking up at Aren from his seated position on the couch. 

 

The punk felt his mouth dry and his heart produced a few pounding palpitations. It was a struggle to get any comprehensible words out of his mouth after hearing his own name come from the pink-haired boy. 

 

“That’s alright Kusuo. I’ll be happy to pay since I invited you.” Aren laughed, trying to sound confident while attempting to organize his scrambled thoughts. He was ecstatic that Saiki seemed to be favorable towards hanging out with him, even if they were just playing shitty video games. 

 

A low, agreeable hum came from Kusuo before his expression morphed into an almost bothered one, his eyebrows knitting together in a way that Aren could only find endearing. Before Kuboyasu could start to question what was wrong, though, the other boy’s voice filled his head once again. 

 

‘I didn’t shower yesterday since I fell asleep. I should probably get cleaned up before we do anything.’ 

 

“Oh!” Aren said, caught off guard yet relieved that Saiki hadn’t changed his mind about hanging out. “Did you want me to walk you home? Then we could hang out after,” he offered, feeling slightly disheartened that this would take precious bonding time with Saiki away from him. 

 

Kusuo seemed to ponder this for a moment, his eyes briefly dropping to the ground before he replied, “I think I’ll just have to go without for now. My brother is at home for the weekend.” 

 

Why can’t Kusuo go home if his brother is there? Do they not get along? Should I be worried? What if Saiki’s in danger?

 

Aren’s worried thoughts began to get away from him, but he decided against questioning the situation. He figured Saiki probably wouldn’t appreciate any prying on his personal life.  

 

“You could always just use my shower? I just cleaned the bathroom a few days ago. I can just grab you some of my clothes to wear.” He proposed, hoping that Kusuo wouldn’t find it offputting.  

 

The psychic gave a quick ‘Okay’ before he was being led down a hallway and into the bathroom, Aren hastily rushing to his room to grab some fresh clothes for the other boy. 

 

Once Saiki was settled with the necessities, Aren took the time to try and calm down before he had to face Kusuo again. 

 

This is so frustrating! All I want to do is spend time with Kusuo, but I’m terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. I’ve never seen Saiki be so agreeable before; I could probably mess things up with just one word!

 

Not ten minutes later, Aren was once again pulled from his thoughts when the pink-haired boy emerged from the bathroom, steam wafting out as he walked to join Kuboyasu on the small couch. 

 

Oh wow. 

 

It was all the punk could do to contain his reaction seeing his friend freshly showered and wearing his clothes, water droplets still falling from his hair. The boy was wearing all black, something that Aren didn’t know would be getting him hot and bothered in his living room. He hadn’t thought twice about handing the other boy a pair of comfortable sweats and a soft, worn metal shirt that he had gotten from a concert back in his punk days. 

 

Oh God, I literally can’t look away. How am I supposed to survive in the same room as Kusuo when he looks like that?

 

Kuboyasu’s worries made no difference, though, when Saiki gingerly set himself down on the couch next to Aren, a quiet ‘thanks’ leaving him before Aren could do so much as catch his breath. 

 

“So, are you ready to lose at Shaq Fu ?” Aren grinned, masking his nerves with his usual self-assuredness. 

Notes:

Okay guys I'm sorry for dogging on Shaq Fu but it admittedly got some pretty poor ratings, and I thought it would be fun to include.

Chapter 6

Summary:

Kusuo and Aren play Shaq-Fu, but not for long. Aren worries about his friend, and for some reason, Saiki lets him. The two form a plan to obtain some things from Saiki's house, but things go awry once they get there.

Notes:

Guess who's back...

My deepest apologies for my extended hiatus... motivation has been hard to come by. I wanted to treat you guys with a decent-sized chapter after so long. I hope you all enjoy this and it lives up to your expectations. Please let me know what you think, comments are always appreciated and they keep me motivated! <3

When Saiki–with the help of his clairvoyance–realized that Kusuke had dropped in for a surprise visit, he knew he had to avoid his own home at all costs. To achieve this, he decided that staying with Aren would result in the best outcome. Not that he needed Aren to protect him, but Kusuo did need some kind of distraction if he wanted to forget about his creepy brother.

Wearing someone else’s clothes was a little unorthodox for the psychic, but he couldn’t risk even popping into his closet, given Kusuke’s “hidden” cameras would blow his cover almost immediately. This issue was easy for Saiki to get over, though, as Aren’s clothes were soft and warm and had a calming scent…

Whatever that means, The pink-haired boy thought, deciding those thoughts weren’t worth mulling over.

Despite Kusuo’s usual hesitancy and annoyance at spending time with any human being under the Sun, he couldn’t help but appreciate the thought Aren put into their plans for the day. Saying Saiki was tired would be the understatement of the century; his mind was still foggy with fatigue and his body heavy with exhaustion. Playing unpopular video games from across the Pacific was probably the second best suggestion Kuboyasu could have had, the only better-sounding idea being another nap. On the bright side, he didn’t feel as if he would pass out again due to his tiredness, but he was genuinely struggling to control his reflexes when it came to using Aren’s controller. Shaq Fu shouldn’t be difficult for him by any means, yet not even his hot shower had melted away the thick haze coating his brain.

Aren seemed to unfortunately pick up on this, sneaking glances Saiki’s way every time he made a particularly embarrassing mistake in the game. He decided he needed to say something when his friend failed to jump onto a platform exactly seven different times.

“Hey man, are you doing all right? I know we’ve never played any games together, but I find it hard to believe that you’re this bad at them. You seemed pretty tired this morning, even though we both slept for like… ten hours” Aren said, breaking the silence and flushing immediately as he realized that his comment may come off as rude. He decided to not make things worse by trying to explain himself and waited for his pink-haired friend to respond.

Saiki turned his head quickly, making intense eye-contact with Kuboyasu. “I’m not tired,” barrelled out of him. He gave his friend a squinted, skeptical look, hoping to make Aren just uneasy enough to drop the subject.

 

---

 

‘Wow Kusuo seems pretty defensive right now… maybe I should leave it be… but I’m worried about him, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him act this way’ Aren thought, one side of him wondering what he could say say to appease his friend, while the other side grew in concern, unsure of what could be influencing Saiki’s mood.

“Is it your brother? Do you guys not get along? Is that why you can’t go home while he’s there?” Aren asked without thinking, the anxious side of his brain fighting for dominance and winning.

In response, the psychic only narrowed his eyes further, causing sweat to bead up on Kuboyasu’s browline as he began to grow shaky and nervous. Once again, this is new territory with Saiki, and Aren knew he had to get a grip and start treading lightly. An apology might be warranted. Yeah… the intense stare nearly giving him second-degree burns told him that was a good idea.

“Sorry man, I’m not trying to pry, I’m just a bit worried about you. It just kinda seems like you’re having a hard time focusing… and staying awake…” The punk said, avoiding eye contact with his friend and raising a hand to rub awkwardly at the back of his neck.

Saiki let out a long, heavy sigh fitting for his character. “I’m fine, it’s… difficult to get along with my brother.” He said, letting his gaze flick just next to Aren’s head, who in turn let some of his concern fill his gaze, somehow knowing that his pink-haired friend was omitting bits and pieces of the truth from him. Kuboyasu’s brows furrowed and his gaze flickered horizontally across the floor as he thought of what to say, the Shaq-fu soundtrack played in the background, the game long-forgotten and irrelevant to both of them.

Aren’s gaze finally raised to meet Saiki’s eyes, his face set with a determination so fierce that his friend’s face grew unsettled at the sight.

“How about you stay with me until your brother is gone? It’s not like he can stay forever, right?”

 

---

 

Saiki’s eyes widened and his lips parted in disbelief as soon as the words came out of the punk’s mouth. The psychic could tell his new ‘companion’ was thinking hard, but he was incredibly disturbed to find that the thoughts were moving too fast and too disorganized for Kusuo to even begin to get a coherent understanding. Now that Aren had said the words out loud, though, Saiki was completely stumped on how he should react.

It’s not as if the offer is entirely unthinkable… but how would it even work? Though it’s the weekend, Kusuke could end up staying for weeks.

Saiki was pulled from his own thoughts by the increasingly loud, almost vibrating rumination of his companion’s brain.

‘Jesus I’m an idiot… I’m a complete ass. Of course Kusuo wouldn’t want to stay at my house. His independence is the most important thing in the world to him. I’m the dumbest person to walk the Earth if I thought for even a second that he would want to have an extended stay at my house. Who do I think I am, a fucking motel? He probably thinks I’m a freak now, trying to get him to stay over here…’

The jittering train of thought from Aren caused an unpleasant pressure to begin spreading behind Saiki’s eyes. Self-deprecation was always troublesome for the psychic; it annoyed him and seeped into his own thoughts, poisoning his mind and taking over. He had to stop this before it destroyed the last vestiges of peace he had amassed throughout his stay in Aren’s home.

“That might not be a bad idea,” he mumbled, “It’s not as if it would be difficult to convince my parents to allow it.”

It was all Saiki could do to fend off the thought of his mother screeching with joy at the idea of her antisocial son spending even more time with his ‘friends’.

The punk’s face went slack for a moment, complete disbelief flooding his mind. ‘Am I hallucinating? Did Kusuo just say yes to my proposition? Well, I suppose he didn’t explicitly say the words ‘Yes Aren, I would love to stay over at your house alone with you for days, if not weeks!’ But he didn’t say no.’

Aren quickly composed himself with a deep, steadying breath before he spoke.

“So you’d be down? I promise I don’t want to pressure you or anything dude, I just think you staying here might be a better deal than having to stay with your brother…” he said, trailing off and looking away towards the end of his statement. He didn’t want to come off as if he thought he knew what was going on between Saiki and his brother, but he wanted his friend to know that he understood–more than anyone–the need to disappear from a bad situation. Aren held his breath as he waited for his pink-haired friend to respond.

“I suppose I could be ‘down’...” Saiki replied, his reuse of the adjective almost squeezing a laugh out of Kuboyasu, despite the tense conversation. “All of my things are at my house, though. I don’t have any of my school supplies, or even a toothbrush, at that.” The psychic’s gaze drifted, his mind filled with the different scenarios that could play out if he stopped by his house and tried to disappear again. Kusuke is probably foaming at the mouth, itching for an encounter with him.

Kuboyaso spoke before he could think.

“Let me go with you. We could be in and out in less than ten minutes. It’ll be our little recovery mission.” He grinned, trying to inject a little humor into the conversation, if only to calm his friend’s nerves slightly. His lopsided smile evened out and flattened slowly, until it was almost as if it were never there. Saiki didn’t find that funny. But then again, when had he ever found anything funny? It was no small feat to get the smallest reaction out of him… obtaining a laugh from Saiki Kusuo would warrant an olympic medal.

As Aren’s thoughts ran, Kusuo stayed silent, pondering. He was trying to consider and play out every single possible way that this idea could go wrong. When he finally came to a conclusion, he spoke.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Aren breathed out, this day doing nothing short of knocking the wind out of him over and over again. Whether he was actually hallucinating or not, he needed to take these opportunities where he could get them, knowing Saiki could change his mind and leave him behind at any time. Possibly never speak to him again, if things went really wrong.

“Okay.” Saiki repeated, barely containing the urge to roll his eyes at the thoughts of his insane counterpart. “The sooner the better. Kusuke is out right now, but once we’re there he’ll be on his way back to the house.”

Aren didn’t need to know exactly how Kusuo was privy of his brother’s whereabouts, just that he was.

“Well then, I guess we had better get a move on.” Aren smiled, a toothy, dangerous-looking thing. If Kusuo didn’t have the utmost control over his physiology, he might have even shivered at the devious countenance.

 

---

 

Currents of air rushed past them as Aren raced himself and Kusuo down winding streets, bringing them closer and closer to their destination, both of their hearts thudding with growing anticipation. Although the punk had much less of an idea of what to expect, his demeanor was much calmer than that of Saiki’s. On the inside, that is. Kusuo would rather drown than let even an inkling of fear show on his face.

It was all Saiki could do to calm his nerves, using clairvoyance to stalk his brother, making sure Kusuke was still leisurely shopping with their mother. What was increasingly worrisome, though, was the way Kusuke would inspect his phone every third minute, as if on a loop. The psychic knew his brother had access to both public and private surveillance systems; it was only a matter of time before he was spotted and Kusuke would be on his way to intercept them. Kusuo was prompted to focus on the present when the motorcycle came to a quick, yet effortlessly graceful stop. They were here.

Stepping off of the bike made everything feel all the more real, Kusuos esophagus tightening with anxiety and Aren’s blood pumping with determination and keen awareness. Walking into an empty house only increased the sensations for the two.

“Alright Kusuo, let's grab everything you might need and dip. Don’t focus too much on getting every little thing…” Aren spoke firmly and with conviction as they walked upstairs to Saiki’s bedroom. “What’s important is your school bag… and your toothbrush.” On the word ‘toothbrush’, Kuboyasu tilted his head towards the other boy and gave a sly wink. He wasn’t sure when he had procured the gall to wink at Kusuo of all people, but situations like this always gave him a rush of adrenaline, transforming him into his most confident self.

They made their way into the psychic’s bedroom, Aren quickly snatching the bag he recognized as the one Saiki took to school everyday. He confirmed with his counterpart that everything was present in the bag before they moved on to Kusuo’s closet, gathering school uniforms, pajamas, shoes, and anything else they might need, stuffing them carelessly into a duffel bag that Aren had brought along. They had just finished gathering toiletries from the bathroom when Saiki tensed, Aren doing the same out of instinct. The punk wasn’t exactly sure what had set his friend on edge, but he quickly caught up when he heard the deadbolt clicking open from downstairs.

Their eyes locked and they both stood frozen when the door creaked open, catching on the swollen wood of the doorframe. A loud crack from the door made it obvious that it was forced open quickly, without any care for the integrity of the doorframe. Pounding footsteps moved quickly–erratic, almost–from the front of the house to the bottom of the stairs, each thump sounding closer, more threatening. Saiki could feel a cold, dreadful misery wash over him, anxiety thrumming in his veins. When the thud of a familiar foot landed hard on the solid wood of the first step, the psychic knew he had to do something. What would Kusuke do if he saw him and Aren together? Did it even matter? The most likely situation was that his brother had already seen Aren on the cameras, had already recorded his face into the disgusting database that was his mind.

Kusuo’s arm flew out in the direction of the bathroom door, the wood slamming shut hard into its closed position, the lock twisting aggressively to trap them inside, away from the threat bounding toward them. Aren’s gaze followed his friend’s arm as it moved, tracked the slamming of the door though no one was near it, and honed in on the clicking of the lock, despite a lack of anyone turning it. His gaze trained on the door for a few moments, confusion and disbelief swirling in his mind as he tried to understand what had just happened. The punk couldn’t stay focused for long, though, because mere seconds after the bathroom door shut, it rattled loudly from an outside source. The door strained on its hinges as someone on the other side collided with it, trying to twist the handle and force it open.

“Aw come on baby brother, how could you lock me out? Don’t you want to say hi after all these months we’ve been apart?” Said a sickeningly sweet voice from the other side, a stark contrast to the violent attempts to get the door open.

‘This must be Kusuo’s brother…’ Aren thought, risking a look at his friend, only to see him pale as a ghost, eyes not moving from where they were locked on the closed entrance to the bathroom.

Chapter 7

Summary:

The boys manage to escape Kusuke, but how will Saiki explain himself? What toll do these stressful series of events take on him? A little angst for the soul.

Notes:

Hi guys! Here is another chapter for you all because I love you :-)
I have a few ideas for what I'm going to do next, but you may have to wait until the weekend. Unfortunately my little brother did some dumb teenage shit and got arrested, so I have to spend some time with him and family to support him.
As always, comments and kudos are more than appreciated; I love hearing what you guys think about each chapter! Your kind words truly keep me motivated and I really hope you guys like this one!

Frantic metallic noises fill the small bathroom as Kusuke continues to jiggle the knob, only being stopped by a small, weak locking mechanism. A sudden silence from the other side of the door puts Saiki even more on edge. ‘What is he planning… I can’t even hear what he’s thinking with that ridiculous thought-blocker he wears.’ Kusuo thinks, unsure of where to go from here. He’s inadvertently exposed his powers to Kuboyasu and his psychotic brother is likely to make it through that door any minute now. Aren’s thoughts are running just as wild as his own, and Kusuo hardly has space in his own mind to form a plan.

‘What the hell is going on!? I’ve never met Saiki’s brother but this dude seems insane…’

Aren’s heartbeat was almost tangible to the psychic with how heavily his blood was pumping, adrenaline forcing his body to prepare for whatever may happen next. When there’s a distinct click of the bathroom door unlocking and the handle begins to turn without resistance, Saiki’s breathing stops entirely and he knows he has to make a split-second decision then and there.

In a flash, Kusuo is grabbing his friend by the bicep and the two boys are blipping out of the bathroom, landing right in front of the punk’s motorcycle parked outside of Saiki’s two-story suburban home. Before Aren can even process what has happened to him and shake off the nauseous feeling of teleporting for the first time, Kusuo is grabbing the duffle bag off his shoulder and shoving him onto the bike.

“Let’s go. Now.” Saiki manages to say, climbing on behind him, carrying both the duffle and his school bag with ease. All Kusuo can hear as they peel away, tires screeching, are Kuboyasu’s jumbled, racing thoughts.

‘What in the Goddamn hell just happened!? First the bathroom door shut and locked by itself, then Saiki and I were standing by my bike, even though I don’t remember leaving the bathroom! Did I… did I maybe black out with rage and hurt Kusuo’s brother? And I just don’t remember? I mean… similar situations have happened in the past… Or maybe… was it Saiki? The way his arm suddenly moved and the door slammed shut at the same time… and he did grab my arm right before we both just appeared outside. Is that even possible? Does Saiki have some secret mind powers or something!? Good God this is hurting my brain… I’m so confused…’

All Kusuo could do as they sped back to Aren’s house was give his arm what he thinks is a reassuring squeeze.

I either have to explain this whole thing to him or erase his memory. Good grief, why does Kusuke have to ruin everything?

---

The two boys ease to a stop in front of the punk’s house, but instead of immediately going inside, they both just sit stock-still for a moment, Aren attempting to collect his thoughts and Kusuo following his lead, trying to see what his companion will do next.

“Kusuo…” Aren says tentatively, still gripping the handlebars of his bike and staring straight ahead, “What happened back there?”

In response, Saiki gives a resigned sigh and gently lifts himself off the bike.

“Let’s talk inside, Aren.” He says, not bothering to wait for the other before he’s walking to the door. Kuboyasu’s heart is pumping slightly faster at the non-response he just received, but he gathers himself enough to push down his kickstand with the toe of his boot and trudge anxiously towards his front door. Kusuo is waiting there, standing to the side to allow Aren space to unlock the door. They walk inside silently, Saiki manually shutting and locking the door behind them. He drops his bags behind the old but well-kept sofa and promptly turns to face his counterpart.

“Maybe you should sit down.” He gestures rigidly toward the cushions. “I believe I owe you an explanation.”

Not even one of his premonitions could have prepared Saiki for the shit-storm that has run its course today. He wouldn’t have, in a million years, expected to expose his powers to one of the nuisances that call themselves his friends. That’s the thing, though, isn’t it? All signs point to the fact that they are friends; more so than Nendō, Kaido, or even Teruhashi could have hoped to be with him. Saiki had allowed Aren to show him kindness–had even shown him kindness in return! How utterly selfish of him. Just some blood-sucking scum who thought that maybe, for just a second he could have this. That he could have this relationship. That he could accept this kindness for nothing in return. By God Saiki must be the dumbest person alive, despite his omniscience.

How dare he think he deserved anything other than solitude? How dare he think he could avoid his deranged brother? Had he lost his mind, was he-

“Kusuo?” A hand cupped his shoulder gently, and dark, worried eyes boring into his own startled Saiki from his introspection. Aren was standing right in front of him, knees bent so that he was eye-level with Kusuo.

Jesus, when did that happen? I’m so out of it right now… maybe Kusuke managed to infect me with some superbug and it’s slowly eating my brain.

Saiki couldn’t help but shudder at the thought.

“-usuo.” The grip on his shoulder tightened. “Kusuo!” Aren was pleading now, jostling Saiki’s body in tandem with his shouts. The psychic couldn’t help the slight flinch when his mind was finally brought back to the present, the fog clearing and every sensation becoming that much more unbearable.

“Please say something, you’re kinda freakin’ me out her man,” Kuboyasu pressed, followed by an anxious chuckle, still not letting go of the grounding hold he had on his friend.

“I’m fine.” Saiki responded, shrugging the touch off of him, the feeling suddenly being far too much for him to handle. “Lets sit down.”

The pink-haired boy brought himself to the couch, not sure how much longer he could keep up appearances with this new jittery feeling spreading through his body. Aren eyes him carefully as he sits down, obviously still worried. He carefully sits down next to Saiki, doing his best to not startle him in this strange state of his.

When Kusuo finally begins speaking, Aren feels the reluctance in his voice, the way his sentences flow even more unnaturally than usual. Kuboyasu’s throat is burning, both with worry and an impatience that he’s still struggling to suppress even after months of being on the straight-and-narrow. While he’s distraught and anxious about the way Saiki is acting, he wishes his friend would just spit it out and end this relentless confusion.

“I owe you… an explanation…” Kusuo says, eyes not straying from his hands that are clasped neatly in his lap. “Although I’m sure you could guess by now, there are some things you don’t know about me. Things that… no one knows about me. I-” his voice cuts off, and Saiki’s face goes through a myriad of emotions in a split second, too quick for Aren to identify any of them. Except–Aren watches him closely–except for embarrassment. All signs of what Saiki is feeling disappear from his face the second Kuboyasu’s mind lands on that word. A fragilely blank face turns to look at him before he speaks once again.

“I never meant to involve you in this.” Kusuo’s eyes stay locked with his, “In fact, I never should have gone to that cafe with you. It’s only caused trouble for the both of us.”

Aren’s mind reels as he processes the words, his brows furrowing as he stares into Kusuo’s eyes, trying and failing to seek out an elaboration in Saiki’s expression alone.

“Kusuo… what?” Kuboyasu mutters out, his voice incredulous. “What the hell are you talking about?” His dark brows are starting to convey more than just confusion. Anger? Frustration? It’s hard for Aren to pinpoint exactly what he’s feeling, considering the rollercoaster that Saiki has decided to take him on this past hour. Kusuo’s head turns to shift away from him, giving the punk a view of his side profile.

“You wouldn’t have been dragged into this if I had just gone home. I should have just dealt with it myself.”

Now it just seems as if Saiki is talking to himself, thinking out loud and leaving Aren to put the pieces together alone. The frustration grows until he can’t hold it in anymore.

“What is this, Saiki? What are we doing? You say you owe me an explanation, yet you explain nothing? What is it? You think I’m too stupid to handle the truth?” Kusuo’s head turns fast as lightning to look at Kuboyasu when the words start spilling out of his mouth. “You can’t just say that I ‘shouldn’t have been involved’ when you are the one that involved me.” Aren’s voice is rising in a crescendo and his anger is building as he speaks, “Do you think you’re the only person who’s been through shit? Huh!? Well you aren’t. I’ve been through shit too, alright? You see, the difference between me and you is that I don’t immediately try and ditch my friends when shit goes south,” Aren pauses for a moment, a swelling emotion temporarily muting him, making his voice come back quieter when he continues, “why are you trying so hard to push me away right now? I’ve already seen the strange things that happen when you’re around, why are you acting like you want me to forget about it all? I thought we were friends, man. I can’t- I can’t pretend I know what’s going on with you, but that’s because you won’t tell me.” The former delinquent sounds almost as if he’s begging now. “You said it yourself, Kusuo. You owe me an explanation. You know me. You know I won’t judge you. Now explain.”

To anyone who was a stranger to Saiki, his face might look completely average. But to Kuboyasu, it’s obvious that his eyes are wide with shock, that his mouth is agape as if he’s stupefied. Aren just stares back, his breathing heavy after his outburst. For a long moment, the only sounds in the room are Kuboyasu’s ragged breaths and the whirring of an old air conditioning kicking to life.

“I… I’m sor-” Aren cuts Kusuo off before he can reach the end of his apology.

“Kusuo I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to tell me what’s going on because we’re friends, not because you feel bad.” Aren pleads, watching as Saiki’s mouth snaps shut and his eyes flicker down to his lap.

‘Please don’t shut down on me Kusuo. I just want to help you.’

Saiki doesn't speak. His mouth opens, then closes again. The lights flicker. His hands shake and his chest is moving rapidly with his rushed breaths. Aren feels a sense of dread wash over him, knowing he’s gone too far; pushed Saiki too much. The flickering doesn’t stop, if anything it becomes more erratic. Ceramic mugs and old, heirloom plates are beginning to rattle in their respective cabinets. Books and knick knacks are shaking where they’re organized on Aren’s shelves. The noise grows to a deafening roar, all the while Kuboyasu’s eyes do not leave Kusuo’s face. And for the first time that Aren has known him–that anyone has known him–Saiki looks scared. Not knowing what else to do, Aren reaches out. Warm, steady hands grip onto trembling, icy fingers, and all of the cacophony ceases.

Almost every loose object in Aren’s home has fallen unceremoniously to the floor and all of the lights have gone out, leaving only the afternoon sun to illuminate the living room. The punk’s focus stays on his friend. Saiki’s eyes are squeezed shut and his body is curled in on itself in a way that looks almost painful. Kuboyasu doesn’t know what to say next, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t try.

“Uh… so… correct me if I’m wrong, but… you’re like… an esper, or something… right?”

Clenched eyes blink open and look up at Aren’s own. He blinks back. Cautiously, as if waiting for Kuboyaso to freak out, Kusuo raises one hand, still shaking. Aren keeps a firm grip on Saiki’s other hand, not quite willing to let go. Out of somewhere to Aren’s left, a pencil floats gently between their faces. It spins a few times as Kuboyasu looks on with awe, before it begins vibrating in the air, matching the increasingly shaky hand that is controlling it. Suddenly, Saiki’s hand falls back into his lap, limp. The pencil falls with it. The punk is back to looking at his friend’s face, seeing his eyes droop and his head take a dip before Kusuo gains control and makes eye-contact once again. The psychic finally speaks.

“Does that answer your question?”

Aren could almost cry with relief at hearing his friend’s usual deadpan delivery, even if he does sound more dim than usual. He’s just about to start laughing out of happiness when something stops him in his tracks. Saiki’s eyes are fluttering as if he’s lost control of the ability to keep them open.

“Kusuo?”

Saiki’s body starts listing forward towards Kuboyasu, his eyes now shut entirely.

“Kusuo!?” This time his voice is laced with panic, not sure what’s happening to his friend.

Just as the pink-haired boy is about to fall face-first into the punk, Aren instinctively catches him, leading him into a more gentle fall against Aren’s chest. His heart is racing with worry at this new turn of events. He shakes Saiki, trying to rouse him.

“Kusuo. Hey. Wake up. Please–come on, man, say something.”

No response. Just the sound of the air conditioner clicking off in the background.

Aren swallows hard, his voice cracking on his next words. “Don’t do this to me, Kusuo.”

Then, from somewhere against his chest, so faint he almost misses it, comes a barely-audible mumble,

“I think… I overdid it.”

Kuboyasu freezes, and for a second he isn’t sure whether he should cry or laugh. Before he can say a word, though, Kusuo falls completely limp in his arms.

Notes:

Thank you for reading!! I'm allergic to proof-reading so let me know if you see any mistakes that bother you!! :-)