Chapter Text
Kyoujurou stood before endless rows of costumes and felt like he had been transported straight to hell. The whole store was bustling with people frantically searching for some last-minute costume they could wear to their Halloween party. And thinking about it, Kyoujurou was no different. He stared at the mountains of cheap fabric in all colors chemicals had to offer, their textures varying between fuzzy and so smooth it almost looked slimy. Especially the costumes based on latex looked and smelled like something straight out of a nightmare. When he reluctantly touched the sleeve of a leopard-print body suit, he shuddered and took a step back. Before this, he had looked at the masks, hoping to find one that was not just a sheet of plastic and looked at least decently wearable. But even there, he had found nothing of use.
Kyoujurou heaved a deep sigh and shook his head. Nothing helped, he just did not feel like partying this year. The past few weeks had been rough, leaving him strained and absolutely not in the mood for loud music, flashing lights and crowds of more or less dressed up people. And even though he usually liked the occasional party, he really was not feeling it. If Tengen would let him, he would just hole up in his apartment and spend the night munching on popcorn and maybe watching a show he liked. But if he proposed staying home alone to Tengen, he knew Tengen would drop dead before he even finished the sentence. He had made clear that he would go to the Halloween party – and that Kyoujurou would accompany him.
“Hey, this looks cool,” a boy somewhere behind him shouted and Kyoujurou instinctively turned around. The boy was holding a cheap zombie mask that would make even the zombies themselves fear that the apocalypse had come upon them.
Kyoujurou grimaced and turned back to the rack with costumes. He did not doubt that the store had carried better ones at some point, but the day before Halloween, the decent ones had all been bought already. If he did not want to dress up as a sexy nurse or the most unremarkable witch ever, he was only left with the options no one in their right mind wanted. And even the thought of Tengen’s disappointment could not make him wear a leopard onesie that was made from an unidentifiable fabric that felt uncomfortably slimy to the touch.
“Nope,” Kyoujurou murmured to himself and before he could think it through, his feet already carried him towards the exit of the store.
The dim light of the grey sky seemed almost divine behind the windows of the store and Kyoujurou quickened his pace, almost knocking down the boy who was now wearing the zombie mask, enthusiastically roaring at everything that moved around him. He looked more like a failed lab experiment gone crazy, but that did not seem to deter him. Kyoujurou shuddered at the thought that tomorrow night, the streets would be filled with kids like this one. That was another reason to hide in his apartment. And after all, the other party guests would not be much different from the kid, just bigger and decidedly more drunk. A horrible thought.
Kyoujurou pushed the door open and almost jumped out of the costume store. When he was outside, he took a deep breath and relished in the cold autumn air. The streets were covered in fallen leaves, muffling his steps when he hurried along the street. He was not sure where exactly he was going but he hoped his destination would have nothing to do with Halloween. He pulled the hoodie he was wearing tighter around his body, trying to keep the warmth that had built up under it. The touch of the soft fabric calmed him down and he slowed down just enough to muster his surroundings. He knew the street he was on as it was pretty close to his university. And if he was not mistaken, there was a little café further down the road that he had visited twice during his first year.
That settled it. Kyoujurou started walking faster again, this time with determination. The leaves crumbled under his feet and every now and then, he heard the squelch of mud under his shoes. The air smelled like rain but when he looked up, the grey clouds looked as friendly as clouds of this color could. The trees at the side of the street however looked like eldritch creatures reaching for him with their bony claws. Only one of them still held on to some of its leaves, a last survivor in this apocalypse. Kyoujurou cast the tree a sympathetic glance when he passed it. They were both still standing, but tomorrow they would fall and succumb to the horrors of Halloween.
When the café appeared in the distance, Kyoujurou sighed in relief. The sign with the café’s name slightly swayed in the wind, creaking sinisterly. But beyond the windows, he could see warm light. The smell of coffee seeped through the crack under the door and his muscles relaxed when he opened the door and dove into the golden shine.
Five minutes later, Kyoujurou sat at one of the petite tables, melting into his armchair. They were both the reason why he loved and avoided this café. The armchairs were so comfortable that he almost felt like he could fall asleep right here and now. But that also meant that they were more than unfit fore studying or doing some work. Once he had realized that he took the best powernaps here and did the worst job at class work, he had reluctantly switched to a different café with harder, uncomfortable chairs.
But for today, this café was perfect. He sighed comfortably and took a sip of his pumpkin spice latte. Even though he was not in the mood for Halloween, he enjoyed the autumn aesthetic the café embraced. Everything was decorated in orange, yellow, brown, and gold with hints of red and green here and there. The barista had even drawn a little smiling pumpkin on his cup and when Kyoujurou looked at her, she was humming to herself happily while preparing a drink for another customer. He was very tall and leaned against the counter nonchalantly while she was busy.
Kyoujurou smiled to himself and looked down at the pumpkin drawing. But when he heard the customer speak, his head shot up so rapidly that he almost dropped his drink. His heart started beating faster when he stared at the tall figure who had his back turned to him. He was wrapped in a coat Kyoujurou did not recognize, but the posture, the voice, the way he carried his body – everything about him was so familiar that Kyoujurou’s heart stopped.
He hastily set his drink aside and looked down at himself. He had mere seconds before Tengen would turn around and his fingers rushed over the edges of his jacket, pulling them closer to hide the hoodie he was wearing. Then, he grabbed his drink with trembling hands, leaned back, and lowered his gaze, hoping that Tengen would leave the café without noticing him. He fumbled for his phone and opened social media, scrolling frantically. But when he heard Tengen thanking the barista, he froze.
His eyes glued to his phone, Kyoujurou listened to the footsteps walking away from the counter. He heard the soft sound of the door moving, felt the breeze on his skin when cold air was swept in, and sighed in relief. And then, Tengen said, “You’ve been watching the same reel for seven times now. Is it really that interesting?”
Kyoujurou’s heart sank and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He heard the faint creaking of the second armchair when Tengen sat down across from him. He could almost feel his gaze on his skin, piercing through both the jacket and the hoodie he had hidden rather poorly. Behind them, he heard the voice of the customer who had just come in.
“Yeah, very interesting,” he said weakly and reluctantly opened his eyes. “Hi, Tengen.”
“Hi,” Tengen replied and eyed him pensively. Something about his face unsettled Kyoujurou. It felt like his maroon eyes were scanning him, ready to unveil each thought and feeling he tried to hide. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Kyoujurou shrugged. A tiny gesture only, not enough to make his jacket open again. He moved his head a little bit, pointing his chin at his cup. “I felt like getting a pumpkin spice latte.”
Tengen nodded and held his own cup up. He had also gotten a small drawing, his one resembling a little ghost trying itself on a scary face. It was so cute that Kyoujurou involuntarily chuckled – and froze when his jacket opened just a little bit.
Tengen raised one eyebrow. “You seem a bit jumpy,” he said. His gaze wandered down a bit and his eyes narrowed. “What’s with your jacket? Are you cold?”
Kyoujurou felt his cheeks turning hot. He grabbed his jacket, pulled it close again, and quickly said, “Yes, kinda chilly outside.”
Tengen was about to nod when his eyes suddenly widened. With a movement quicker than the eye could see, he reached over the small table and grabbed Kyoujurou’s wrist right when he was about to close the jacket. “Wait,” Tengen said slowly, staring at Kyoujurou’s chest. “Is that my hoodie?”
Kyoujurou cursed under his breath and tried to come up with a witty reply. But his mind was resoundingly empty and all that came out was a weak, “… no?”
This time, Tengen raised both eyebrows and he very slowly pulled Kyoujurou’s jacket open, revealing a hoodie that was at least two sizes too big for Kyoujurou. He stared at it intently before looking at Kyoujurou. “Mhm, definitely not mine. I see.”
Kyoujurou’s cheeks had turned into a pair of tomatoes and he casually straightened the hoodie with his free hand, trying not to think about how warm Tengen’s fingers felt against his wrist. “I like to buy hoodies bigger in case I grow some more,” he bubbled, desperately avoiding Tengen’s gaze.
Tengen held his wrist for a moment longer, then he let go and sank back into his armchair. “You’re an adult, Kyoujurou, you won’t grow anymore,” he said, sounding decidedly amused. “But sure, if you say so.”
Kyoujurou slid deeper into his own armchair, hoping the soft fabric would swallow him up. He could still feel Tengen’s eyes on him and a whole whirlwind of autumn leaves tumbled through his stomach. Desperate to distract himself, he murmured, “So, how’s life?”
He almost felt Tengen’s grin on his skin. Considering they saw each other multiple times a week and texted almost every day, that question was decidedly silly and Tengen was probably more than aware that it was a cheap attempt at distracting him. But he seemed to take the bait and for one moment, Kyoujurou was relieved. That was until Tengen replied with a question. “Are you excited for the party tomorrow?”
His heart sank and he grabbed his pumpkin spice latte, holding on to it as if it could save him from this situation. “I, uh … sure, yes,” he said, trying to sound convincingly enthused.
He was not sure whether it had worked, but Tengen did not question him and instead said, “Good! I’m so psyched for your costume. I bet it’s gonna be great!”
At this point, Kyoujurou wanted to switch places with his armchair. Being an armchair and sitting around in a warm, cozy café seemed decidedly better than lying to Tengen’s face. And because lying was no option anyway, he decided for the flight forward. “Uh, yeah. Do you have yours ready already?”
Tengen laughed out loud. “I was born ready!” he said loudly. “Costume’s been done for at least four weeks now.”
Kyoujurou’s heart sank even deeper, falling to somewhere down in his gut. “Then I’m looking forward to it, I suppose,” he said quietly.
When Tengen did not reply, Kyoujurou looked up before he could stop himself. He froze when he saw Tengen mustering him pensively, a strange expression in his maroon eyes. When he spoke, he sounded more serious than before. “Everything alright? You seem kinda down.”
Kyoujurou quickly forced himself to smile and nod. If there was anything he did not want, then to steal Tengen’s joy by letting him see right through him. “It’s nothing, no worries. I have to get going, though. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And before Tengen could protest, Kyoujurou rose to his feet, grabbed his drink with the little pumpkin, shot Tengen a quick smile and headed for the door. While he nestled deeper into the hoodie that definitely was not his, he felt Tengen’s thoughtful gaze on him. And when the door closed behind him, the cold that spread through his body came from inside.