Work Text:
Rin hated everyone.
He hated his parents for giving birth to him, for forcing him into life. He hated that one kid who strutted around like he owned the world, even though Rin could crush him with one hand if he wanted. He hated his brother, because he was Sae. He hated his teachers for assigning this stupid project. He hated Hiori’s parents for not aborting him when they had the chance.
But above all else, more than anything in the world, he hated Hiori.
And it wasn’t simple dislike. It wasn’t the casual irritation one felt toward someone who got on your nerves. Hiori’s smile made Rin want to tear something apart. It wasn’t a smile of happiness. It wasn’t even a smile you could call normal. No, Hiori smiled like he knew secrets the world had forgotten, like life itself was one long joke and he held the punchline. That kind of smile, the one that cut through Rin’s defenses and left a raw, twitching wound in his chest. that’s the smile Rin truly hated.
—
“Rin.”
He didn’t look up.
“Rin.” That velvety, annoying voice called again.
He clicked his tongue. “What?”
Hiori was standing beside his desk, hands tucked casually into his pockets, body relaxed as if the world bent around him without consequence. Rin noticed, with that familiar surge of irritation, that this was the third time he’d been interrupted.
“We’re partners,” Hiori said.
“I know.”
“So you’re going to help, right?”
Rin finally looked up. Those eyes. Bright, unnervingly calm blue, sharp and gentle at the same time. The kind of eyes that made you feel like they could crawl under your skin and leave behind nothing but raw nerves. Rin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “No.”
Hiori blinked. “No?”
“No.”
A pause. Then Hiori laughed, like Rin had just whispered a secret joke instead of delivering a flat-out refusal. “That’s not really an option,” He said.
“Sounds like it is.” he grumbled.
Another pause. Hiori tilted his head slightly, studying him. Not even offended or frustrated, just with a look of interest that made Rin’s stomach twist for reasons he refused to examine.
“Then I’ll come over,” Hiori said.
Rin frowned. “No, you won’t.”
“I will.”
“You don’t know where I live.” Rin shot back.
Hiori smiled. There it was again, that look. “I can figure it out.”
“God, you’re Creepy.”
“A little,” Hiori admitted, with that effortless charm.
Rin scowled, grabbing his bag. “Do whatever you want,” he muttered. “Just don’t expect me to care.” He brushed past Hiori, shoulder deliberately bumping him. Hiori didn’t react.
Rin hated that too.
—
A few days later, Rin found himself outside Hiori’s house. He shouldn’t have been here. He knew that. The house felt wrong. Not peaceful or empty per se. But it was still off, like no one actually lived here, just passed through.
“This is stupid,” Rin muttered.
He turned to leave, but at that very moment the door opened.
“Right on time.”
Rin clicked his tongue. “I wasn’t - ”
“Mm.” Hiori stepped aside, gesturing him in. “Sure you weren’t.”
Rin hesitated, then stepped in. Immediately, the air felt wrong, still, almost oppressive. He followed Hiori up the narrow staircase, each step echoing unnervingly in the quiet house. The house was empty. He could feel the walls closing in, his pulse already picking up, the familiar twinge of panic twisting in his gut as he followed Hiori up to what he assumed was his room.
“Your parents home?” Rin asked, scanning the shadows.
“No,” Hiori said, voice soft. The kind that made your skin crawl without touching you. Something about the way he said it made Rin’s skin crawl, but before he could process it, Hiori was already close, stepping into his space, voice soft.
“Relax,” Hiori murmured.
“I am relaxed,” Rin snapped automatically, even though he absolutely was not. Not even close.
The room felt too still, too quiet. Like sound didn’t belong here. Rin dragged his eyes away from Hiori and forced himself to focus on something normal.
“The project,” he said abruptly, dropping his bag onto the floor with a dull thud. “Let’s just get it over with.”
Hiori smiled again, softer this time. “Okay.”
That should’ve been reassuring.
It wasn’t.
They sat on the floor. Hiori spread out a notebook, pens, and papers with a casual ease. Rin remained stiff, eyes darting around the room, alert to every shadow, every sound, as if expecting the walls to move.
Rin stayed stiff, legs crossed, shoulders tight, eyes flicking around the room every few seconds like he was expecting something to move.
“So,” Hiori said, tapping his pen lightly against the paper. “We need a topic.”
“You didn’t pick one already?” Rin asked.
Hiroi shook his head, “I wanted your input.”
He scoffed. “Why.”
Hiori glanced at him. “Because we’re partners.”
Rin rolled his eyes. “Pick anything. I don’t care.”
Hiori hummed, like he was actually considering that. “Alright,” he said after a moment. “Then we’ll do something simple and easy to present.” Hiori’s lips twitched. “Something you won’t completely sabotage,” he added.
Rin glared. “I said I’d help, didn’t I?”
Hiori laughed quietly and Rin hated that too.
They settled into a rhythm, It wasn’t a good one, but it was something that worked at least.
Hiori wrote. Rin corrected. Rin muttered. Hiori ignored it. Every now and then, their hands brushed over the notebook, and every single time, Rin’s shoulders would tense like he’d been shocked.
It was stupid. It was just a brief touch, nothing more.
That was it.
“You’re gripping that pen too hard,” Hiori said after a while.
“I’m not.”
Hiori nudged Rin’s fingers lightly. Rin froze.
“There,” Hiori murmured. “Better?”
Rin stared at his hand for a second before yanking it back like he’d been burned. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Touch me.”
Hiori stared owlishly at him for a moment. “Okay.”
That should’ve been the end of it.
Time passed. Fifteen minutes, then twenty, maybe thirty actually. Rin lost track.
The work got done, more than he expected. The notes were organized, the outline clear, and somehow, despite everything, they weren’t arguing as much as he thought they would.
Which was Suspicious.
Rin leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose. “We’re done enough.”
“For today,” Hiori agreed.
Silence settled in the room again. Rin became aware of everything all at once, the quiet, the closeness, the way Hiori hadn’t moved away even after they stopped working.
“You always this weird?” Rin muttered.
“Only around you.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Hiori’s shoulder brushed his. Light and barely there, someone who wasn’t paying attention wouldn’t have even noticed. Rin’s pulse jumped into his throat anyway.
“Don’t,” he said, sharper this time.
“Don’t what?” Hiori asked, tone mild.
“You know what.” Rin growled
Hiori didn’t move away though, If anything, he leaned just slightly closer. Close enough that Rin could feel the heat coming off him, it made the back of his neck prickle.
“I don’t,” Hiori said softly.
‘Liar.’
Rin’s jaw tightened. “Stop acting like you don’t.”
Hiori tilted his head, watching him. That same look again, curious, like Rin was something to take apart piece by piece.
“You’re tense,” Hiori murmured.
“I told you - ”
“I know what you said.”
Rin’s chest rose and fell a little too fast. He could feel it now, the way his body was reacting before his brain caught up, heart racing, muscles tight, something restless crawling under his skin.
‘Leave.’
The thought came loud and clear.
‘Get up. Walk out. Done.’
It was that simple. So why wasn’t he moving?
“Why are you still here?” Hiori asked softly.
Rin frowned. “What kind of question is that? We were working.”
“We’re not working anymore.”
“So?”
Hiori turned his head slightly, eyes settling on him, calm, bright, too observant. “Then why didn’t you leave?”
Rin opened his mouth and paused. Because he didn’t have an answer. That annoyed him more than anything.
“Shut up,” Rin muttered.
Hiori’s smile deepened. That look again. It made Rin’s chest tightened in a way he didn’t know if he like or not.
Something shifted.
“Hiori,” Rin started, more of a warning than anything else.
Too late, Hiori moved fast. Rin barely had time to register the shift in weight before he was shoved backward, balance gone, breath catching in his throat.
thud.
His back hit hard on the floor.
“What the - ?!”
And then Hiori was on top of him. Knees bracketing his sides, one hand planted on Rin’s shoulder, the other catching his wrist before he could even think to react.
For a second, Rin’s brain just stopped.
Because this was - God, he didn’t even have the words for it. Everything was suddenly too close, too warm, too sudden.
And hot.
God, it was hot.
Rin’s heart slammed against his ribs, adrenaline spiking so fast it made his head spin. His skin felt like it was burning, like every nerve had suddenly lit up at once. Rin’s skin burned, nerves alight, adrenaline spiking uncontrollably.
“Hiori - get off - ”
“Why?” Hiori asked softly, too softly.
Rin froze.
Hiori leaned down slightly, just enough to close the space, his expression calm, but his eyes were sharp and interested like he was studying something. “Your heart’s racin’,” He murmured.
“No it’s not.”
“It is.” Hiori shifted his weight just slightly.
Rin sucked in a sharp breath. Because that, that did not help.
“See?” Hiori said, almost amused. “Now it’s worse.”
Rin’s face burned. “You’re insane.”
“A little.”
“Get. Off.”
“Make me.”
Rin’s fingers twitched under Hiori’s grip. He could flip this, he knew he could. He was bigger than Hiori in every way, stronger too. So why wasn’t he moving? Why was he just there, pinned, overheating, brain short-circuiting while Hiori looked down at him like this was all some kind of experiment?
“You’re not even trying,” Hiori noted.
“I am.”
“You’re not.”
Rin glared up at him. “You’re enjoying this.”
Hiori tilted his head. “Obviously.”
That did it. Rin surged upward, twisting hard, trying to throw him off, but Hiori adjusted instantly, shifting with him, pressing him right back down like he’d expected it. Like he’d planned it.
Rin’s breath came out sharp. “Hiori - ” Rin snapped, voice sharper now, edged with something dangerously close to panic. Not fear, he refused to call it that.
Hiori didn’t move. He wasn’t forcing it further. Wasn’t pressing harder, wasn’t doing anything more. He was just there. Holding him down like it was nothing. Like Rin struggling underneath him was just background noise.
“You’re strong,” Hiori said quietly, almost like he was thinking out loud. “So why aren’t you throwing me off?”
Rin’s jaw clenched. “I can.”
“You can,” Hiori acknowledged softly, “but you haven’t.”
And that was the problem. That was the twist he couldn’t untangle. His chest tightened, mind rebelling against the fact that he didn’t want to push Hiori away. Rin hated how calm he sounded. Hated the way his own body betrayed him, tense, alert, hyper-aware of every single point of contact.
“Get off,” Rin said again, lower this time.
Hiori’s eyes flicked over his face, slow and deliberate, like he was memorizing something. “You don’t like being touched,” he said.
“That’s obvious.”
“But you didn’t leave.”
Rin’s breath hitched, just for a second. “Shut up.”
“You could’ve walked out the moment I got close,” Hiori continued, like he didn’t hear him. “You didn’t.”
“I said shut - ”
“Why?”
Rin snapped. He twisted hard again, this time with actual force behind it. His arm wrenched against Hiori’s grip, legs shifting, trying to throw him off balance. For a split second, it worked, Hiori’s weight shifted, his hold slipping just enough but then Hiori adjusted again. Faster than he should’ve.
Rin was slammed back down, harder this time. Air punched out of his lungs, a sharp gasp ripping from his throat before he could stop it.
“See?” Hiori murmured. “You’re trying now.”
Rin glared up at him, chest heaving. “I’m going to break your arm.”
“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” Hiori tilted his head slightly, that same infuriating, knowing look settling back into place. “Because if you really wanted to hurt me, you would’ve already.”
Rin froze just for a second but that was enough.
Hiori noticed.
“You’re annoying,” Rin muttered, but it lacked bite now. Something in it frayed at the edges.
Hiori’s expression softened, barely. “You’re interesting.”
“I’m not a project.”
“I didn’t say you were.” he shrugged.
“You’re acting like it.”
Hiori hummed quietly, considering that. Then, after a pause, “Maybe.”
Rin’s eye twitched. “You - ”
“Your heart’s slowin’ down.”
Rin blinked. “What?”
“It was racing before,” Hiori said, like he was stating a simple fact. “Now it’s not as bad.”
Rin went still. And damn it, Hiori was right.
Somewhere between the struggling, the arguing, the sheer irritation of dealing with him, the sharp edge of that panic had dulled. His breathing was still uneven, his body still tense, but it wasn’t suffocating anymore.
Rin’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering through the irritation. “Shut up,” he said again, but it came out quieter this time, less certain.
Hiori watched him closely, like he was waiting for something. Not pushing, “That’s weird,” Hiori murmured.
“You’re weird,” Rin shot back automatically.
“Yeah,” Hiori agreed easily. “But that’s not what I meant.”
Rin scowled. “Then what did you mean?”
Hiori didn’t answer right away. His gaze dipped, not in a way that felt invasive this time, but thoughtful, like he was piecing something together. “You hate being touched,” he said finally.
“No shit.”
“But you stopped panicking.”
Rin’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t panic.”
“You did,” Hiori said, “At first.”
Rin looked away, glaring at the wall like it had personally offended him. “So what.”
Hiori tilted his head again. That stupid habit. “So why’d it stop?”
Rin didn’t answer. Because he didn’t know. And that pissed him off more than anything else.
The silence stretched.
Then Rin snapped, because of course he did. “Are you done?” he demanded. “Or are you just gonna sit there and psychoanalyze me all day?”
Hiori’s lips curved slightly. “You don’t like that?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re bad at it.”
Hiori huffed a quiet laugh. Not offended,. “Mm. Maybe.”
Rin rolled his eyes. “Definitely.”
Another pause. Then Hiori shifted. The pressure on Rin’s wrists eased. Then disappeared entirely.
Rin blinked.
Hiori sat back fully, still straddling him, but no longer holding him down. No force or restraint. “You can get up,” Hiori said.
Rin didn’t move. His body felt weird. Too aware, like it didn’t know what to do without the pressure pinning it in place.
That was new. That was stupid.
“You’re not moving,” Hiori pointed out.
“Shut up.”
Hiori smiled faintly. “You keep saying that.”
“Maybe you should listen.”
“Maybe you should mean it.”
Hiori’s hands moved slowly, fingertips featherlight as they trailed from Rin’s stomach, up his chest and back down again. Rin’s chest rose and fell a little too fast, and he became acutely aware of Hiori’s hand, finally settling again on his chest. This time, it wasn’t tracing, just resting there. He could feel the warmth even through the thick fabric of his hoodie, a quiet, insistently present weight.
Rin’s entire body locked up.
Hiori wasn’t pinning him anymore, wasn’t forcing anything. There was no weight holding him down, no grip locking his wrists in place. Just that light, almost absent touch. And somehow, that made it harder to move.
Rin’s breath caught, shallow and uneven, his eyes snapping down to where Hiori’s fingers traced lazily over his shirt, like he was testing something, mapping something out.
“What are you - ” The words came out rough, thinner than he wanted.
Hiori didn’t answer immediately. His gaze stayed on Rin, steady, thoughtful. Watching, like every tiny reaction mattered.
“You still haven’t shoved me off,” Hiori said quietly.
Rin’s jaw tightened. “I - “ The excuse died in his throat. Because there wasn’t one. Rin could’ve shoved him off easily. Could’ve knocked him off, stood up, walked out, slammed the door, and never come back.
His fingers twitched against the floor, but he didn’t move. Didn’t do anything except lie there, breathing a little too fast while Hiori’s hand hovered, then brushed again, light, careful this time, like he was giving him time to pull away.
Rin didn’t.
“You’re annoying,” Rin muttered, but it came out quieter. Less sharp, as if the edge had dulled without him noticing.
Hiori’s mouth curved, not smug exactly,. “You already said that.”
“Yeah, well,” Rin swallowed, eyes flicking away, “you didn’t seem to get the message.”
“Mm.” Hiori’s fingers paused over his chest, right where his heartbeat had been hammering minutes ago. “I think I did.”
Rin’s brow furrowed. “Then why are you still - ”
“Because you’re still here.” That again.
Rin clicked his tongue, irritation flaring back up just to cover something else. “Stop saying that like it means something.”
“It does,” Hiori said simply.
Rin opened his mouth to snap back but stopped. Because Hiori wasn’t looking at him like before. Not like he was dissecting him or picking him apart. Just looking. Calm and patient.
“You’re weird,” Rin said again, weaker this time.
“Yeah,” Hiori replied easily. “You’ve said that too.”
Silence slipped in, but it wasn’t as suffocating as before. It didn’t press in on Rin’s chest or crawl under his skin. It just sat there.
Hiori’s hand moved again, slower now, almost cautious. Up a little, then back down, like he was checking for that same reaction as before.
Rin’s shoulders tensed automatically but not as bad. His breath hitched, but it didn’t spiral. Didn’t trap him.
And that pissed him off.
“Why is it not as bad?” Rin muttered, more to himself than anything.
Hiori’s eyes flicked up, catching that immediately. Of course he did. “You tell me.”
Rin scowled. “I asked you.”
Hiori tilted his head slightly, considering. “Maybe,” he said slowly, “because I’m not forcing it anymore.”
Hiori continued, voice softer now, stripped of that teasing edge. “Before, you were stuck. Couldn’t move even if you wanted to.”
“I could’ve moved,” Rin muttered.
Hiori didn’t argue. “But now you can.” His hand lifted slightly, hovering instead of touching. Giving space.
“You can shove me off whenever you want,” Hiori said. “You’re choosing not to.”
Rin’s jaw tightened. That word sat heavy in his chest. Because that’s what it was, wasn’t it? Not being trapped. Not being overpowered.
“Don’t make it sound like I want this,” Rin said, quieter than before.
Hiori didn’t smile this time. Didn’t push. “I didn’t say you did.”
Another pause.
Then, after a second, “Do you?” Hiori asked.
Rin’s eyes snapped to him. “What kind of stupid question is that?” Rin stared at him, irritation rising again on instinct but underneath it, there was something else now. Something unfamiliar.
“I don’t hate it,” Rin said finally, like the words were being dragged out of him.
Hiori went still.
“And I hate that,” Rin added quickly, scowl snapping back into place like armor. “So don’t get weird about it.”
“I’m always weird apparently," Hiori said.
“Yeah,” Rin muttered.
A beat passed.
Then, slowly, carefully, Hiori let his hand settle again. Not tracing this time. Just resting on Rin’s chest. He could feel how warm it was even through his hoodie. But he didn’t pull away, didn’t shove him off.
Didn’t leave.
“You’re still on top of me,” Rin pointed out after a moment.
“Mm.”
“That’s weird.”
“Yeah.” Hiori shifted slightly. But instead of immediately moving, he paused, watching Rin’s face like he was checking for something one last time.
Rin rolled his eyes. “What now?”
Hiori’s hand moved from his chest, then up slowly until his fingers brushed against Rin’s cheek. “You’re real red,” he murmured, thumb barely grazing the heat there. “Are ya hot?”
Rin’s thoughts sputtered and crashed. He couldn’t get out words for a moment, Hiori’s soft hand against his cheek was like throwing a match on a gas soaked log, as soon as it touched his entire brain went up in flames. “Uh - Y - yeah,” he admitted, words falling out awkwardly.
Hiori’s thumb stayed for half a heartbeat too long, grazing his cheek, featherlight. Then, in that calm, infuriating voice he somehow always used, Hiori said, “Then take it off.”
Rin blinked, frozen. “What?”
“Your hoodie,” Hiori repeated, casually, like it was the most obvious, natural thing in the world. “You said you’re hot.”
Rin’s face ignited, burning from forehead to neck. “I’m not - That’s not - You’re the one sitting on me, idiot!”
Hiori’s calmness didn’t waver. “Mm,” he said, voice neutral, unshaken. “So take it off.”
Rin stared at him, frozen, jaw tight. Was this another one of Hiori’s ridiculous tests? Or was he actually insane? Detached from reality enough to think this was normal?
“Why don’t you get off first?” Rin shot back, voice sharp.
Hiori tilted his head, that damn tilt again, eyes glinting. “You could make me.”
Rin’s eye twitched. “I swear - ”
“Or,” Hiori cut in softly, “you could just do it.” That stupid calm voice again, like he wasn’t the problem in this situation.
Rin sucked in a breath, jaw tight. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Yeah.”
A beat passed.
Then, muttering under his breath, Rin grabbed the hem of his hoodie and shimmied it awkwardly up over his head, tossing it somewhere off to the side.
“There,” he snapped. “Happy?”
Hiori’s gaze dipped to the fabric on the floor, then flicked back up, scanning Rin’s face. Something subtle shifted in his expression, just a flicker, but it was enough. “Mm,” he hummed softly. “A little.”
Rin scowled. “You’re weird.”
For a moment, nothing moved. Neither of them did. Hiori lingered just a hair too close, chest brushing, gaze steady. Rin’s muscles twitched under the closeness, and every nerve in his body screamed at him to move, to do something but he froze, frustrated and aware, every instinct in conflict.
And then the door slammed open. A voice cut through the tension like a knife through butter, harsh, gravelly, and far too familiar.
“Yo.”
Rin’s brain stalled. The voice belonged to Hiori’s dad, the worst human being to walk in at this very moment. Hiori froze. And just like that, the tension shifted from whatever this was to sheer panic.
Rin’s heart leapt into his throat. He blinked, caught Hiori’s wide-eyed look, and instinctively flailed. Hiori slid off him with a fluid grace, landing on his knees before shooting to his feet, hands up like some sort of overly polite hostage negotiator.
“Uh - hey, dad,” Hiori said, voice absurdly calm.
The man’s gaze swept the room. He paused, looking directly at Rin. “Who the hell - ”
Rin didn’t wait. Adrenaline hit like a tsunami, heart hammering, brain screaming exit. His hoodie lay half-tossed on the floor. He didn’t care. He shoved past Hiori with a panicked grunt, arms flailing, legs moving before his brain could catch up.
The open window loomed. Two stories? Who cares? He launched himself, lungs burning, heart racing. The air smelled like lawn and dust and terrible, reckless choices. He landed hard on the grass below, limbs flailing in chaotic triumph. Somehow, he didn’t break anything vital, barely. Victory.
Through the window, he could see Hiori’s dad still standing there, jaw slack, confusion mixed with irritation, muttering something about disrespect and “kids these days.” Hiori stood behind him, shoulders tense, smirk trying desperately to resurface.
Rin hated everyone. Absolutely everyone. But maybe, just maybe, Hiori was the one person he might not throw a chair at right now.
“You okay?” Hiori called, voice faintly amused despite everything.
Rin didn’t answer. He just bolted down the street, adrenaline still screaming through every vein. Behind him, Hiori’s dad cursed, Hiori laughed quietly, and the world kept spinning.
—
Rin didn’t sleep much that night. Not from fear — well, maybe a little — but from replaying everything in his head. Every brush of skin, every word, every damn smirk. He thought he could shove it all down, bury it behind irritation and sharp words, but it clung anyway.
By the time he reached school, he tried not to think about Hiori. Tried to keep his gaze to the ground. Tried to act normal.
And then he saw it.
Hiori. Sitting casually on the edge of the steps near the entrance, wearing his hoodie.
Rin froze. His stomach did that weird tight twist again. His chest felt like someone had taken a fistful of air out of it, and his hands curled into fists inside the sleeves he still had on.
Hiori noticed him immediately. That smirk. That knowing smirk. “Hey,” Hiori said softly, pulling the sleeves down over his hands just like Rin had. “Miss me?”
Rin didn’t answer. Didn’t even move. Was it bad that he thought Hiori looked good? Rin’s jaw clenched. “That’s mine.”
Hiori shrugged, still smiling. “It looked lonely. I figured it could use some company.”
The words should have made Rin mad. Should have sent him storming up the steps, screaming about boundaries, possession, dignity, everything. Instead, his throat went dry, and his fingers itched to grab the fabric, and the person in it.
“Why do you always have to” Rin muttered, voice breaking somewhere between frustration and disbelief. “do that?”
“Do what?” Hiori asked innocently, tilting his head. That tilt that made Rin want to punch him and pull him closer at the same time.
“Annoy me! Push me! Touch me! Make me - ” Rin’s words stumbled over themselves. He closed his mouth, scowling fiercely, refusing to finish the sentence. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t.
Hiori leaned back slightly, letting the hoodie drape casually over him. “You like it,” he said softly, almost like a statement rather than a question.
Rin’s eyes shot up. “I - no! I mean - shut up!”
Hiori laughed, but it wasn’t loud. Not obnoxious. Just soft, warm and dangerous in ways Rin wasn’t supposed to feel.
“Relax,” Hiori murmured, tilting his head just slightly closer. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Rin’s fists unclenched, almost against his will, and he felt himself slouch. Couldn’t explain why, he shouldn’t have. He Hated himself for it.
“I hate you,” Rin muttered finally, more to himself than to Hiori.
“I know,” Hiori said, calm, gentle, infuriating. “But I like you anyway.”
The words landed like a brick. And Rin couldn’t move.
For a moment, they just sat there. Hiori in the hoodie he shouldn’t be wearing, Rin trying desperately to convince himself that he hated it, hated Hiori, hated this, hated everything.
Hiori’s smile never faltered. He just tilted his head, that ever-present tilt, watching Rin like he already knew the war inside him, already winning it without a single fight.
He hated him, he absolutely hated him.