The rain came hard, slamming against the windows. Heavy winds only urged the rains to fall harder, raddling the panes where the glass sat. Thunder clapped, the lightning illuminating the night sky with such fierceness it left the entire dorm silent in their beds with fright.

The redhead curled up under the covers of his bed, shuddering with fright as he listened to the water slap across the building of Saotome Academy. His spared a brief peek over the edge of the sheet, and regretted it instantly. Shadows came at him from every direction, every nook and sharp edge looking like the weapon that would be his death. The sight frightened him to no end, and the boy couldn't take it any longer. Upon hearing the next thunder strike, he bolted from his bed, taking a nose dive into the bed across the room, and curling up into the now grumbling Tokiya's back.

"Guh, Otoya! What are you doing?" he snapped, struggling to look over his shoulder at his roommate as he clung to his back for dear life.

"Can I sleep with you? I'm scared," he replied back softly, his childlike voice muffled as he buried his face into the soft cotton fabric.

Tokiya pulled at his shirt, ignoring the whimper of Otoya as he turned to face the boy now intruding on his sleeping space. Not even having the chance to speak, the boy curled up into his chest, whimpering once more. He could feel his friend's body quivering with fear, and for the first time since he could see the frightful sight beyond their bedroom windows. While it did not scare him, he could see the reason the innocent minded boy in his bed was so terrified. To Tokiya's dismay, his compassion and feelings for the boy now in his space overpowered him, and nodded in the darkness. "Fine, you can stay here."

Otoya nodded thankfully where he laid, burrowing closer into the embrace as the older male pressed his back to the wall, giving him room to share. His head lay on Tokiya's bicep, feeling the muscles flex beneath as it wrapped around his shoulders in an awkward embrace, the other arm rubbing his arm tenderly. It had only taken a little time for the boy to calm, and he relaxed in his roommate's arms.

An hour had passed, the witching hour came, and the older male had still been struggling to fall sleep. It was not often his personal space was so invaded. Well, truthfully, Otoya had done it quite often. But to invade his sleeping space was new. He didn't know how he felt. The warmth radiated from the sleeping redhead as he snuggled up into him, arms held close to his own chest, fingers curling around Tokiya's shirt as he nuzzled further into the embrace. His cool breath still smelled of mint, blowing into Tokiya's face and causing every hair on his neck to stand and sending chills up his spine.

One in the morning came, and it was then that the boy in his arms shifted, but did not wake. Instead, he relaxed more, and his arm went around Tokiya's waist. The action brought their bodies closer, as if that were possible, and he could feel everything about his roommate. His heart had been racing, pulse pumping, and Tokiya was thankful his friend was asleep, or he would have never noticed the blush when Otoya's hips unintentionally brushed against his own.

Two o'clock said the green digits of the clock on his nightstand, and Tokiya had yet to sleep. His mind swirled with images, feelings, and things he never thought he should think. It was no secret he and Haruka had been starting to blossom into something more than friends. But after weeks of intense gazes, flirtatious smiles, and voicing feelings that he wasn't sure he truly felt were honest had started to grow almost mundane. Starish was just starting, and he had enough on his plate. Adding the fact he felt he were almost leading his recently made friend on did not help. And that was what he felt . . . while he greatly cared for the woman, something was lacking that he did felt was too important to be without . . . A spark. Her music did something to him, caused a spark in his heart. But, it was for his career, his love for his own music, and little spark was caused that made him feel something for her. Did that mean he didn't like Haruka? No, of course not. Something about her called to him, but he was beginning to think it was more for his own benefit than due to a romantic interest in her.

However, someone else had started to catch his interest in that way. After weeks of local concerts (while they were country viewed ones), he had spent a great deal of time alone with the person, and gotten to know them on a level he did not allow himself to before. And as he listened to them sing, something they were greatly passionate about, he couldn't help be caught in the allure of their voice. The exuberance of their personality contrasted greatly against his own, but that was something that intrigued him greatly. He enjoyed their desire for life, the way they were always so cheerful and charismatic, even in the darkest of situations. It was a trait he greatly enjoyed about this person. And while he was thankful to have them as a close friend, something in the back of his mind longed for more, begged for it even. But he knew it could never be . . .

He stared down at the smiling Otoya in his arms, and couldn't help wonder if maybe he ever thought the same. Did he think about him like he thought of Otoya? Did the boy ever look at him, and just feel something, anything that seemed almost romantic? It bothered Tokiya to think he was feeling things for his roommate like this. He had always been straight, but he couldn't help feeling such things for Otoya. The emotions haunted his every thought, and not a day went by that he didn't look at the boy and wonder if Otoya even felt a smidgen of what he felt for him.

Three o'clock finally came, and the rain had stopped not long before. The redhead shifted in his arms, and he turned his attention from the ceiling to his rather angelic and innocent looking face. The moonlight now was shining through the window, casting a small streak of light across their faces, and giving Tokiya the chance to see the face he had been longing to see since he crawled into his bed. "Tokiya," the boy murmured as he shuffled, his eyes fluttering open slowly and settling on his face. "Nee, what time is it?"

"It's just after three, go back to sleep," he urged softly, his thumb rubbing little circles on his roommate's forearm tenderly.

"Mmm," was all Otoya muttered, forcing his exhausted gaze to turn and look out of the window. "It stopped raining." His eyes locked on Tokiya's once more. "I'm sorry I bothered you, Tokiya-kun. I'll go back to my bed now."

The older male's arm tightened around his friend, almost upset by the thought of his leaving. Of course Otoya was not blind to the defensiveness, and a smile formed on his lips, a blush starting to darken his cheeks as he glanced up at his roommate. "Tokiya . . ." he said softly, sounding almost as if he were caressing the name.

"Yes?"

Hesitation arose on his face, and Tokiya couldn't help grow nervous as the silence dragged on. Though before he could speak, he was silenced by something soft pressing to his lips. It had taken a moment for the older male to comprehend what was happening, a small gasp of surprise escaping his lips at the realization that Otoya had in-fact kissed him . . . was still kissing him! It was an innocent one, but there was no concealing the feelings burning behind those hungry lips.

The younger boy pulled back, searching the stunned face of his friend for some sort of reply. His blue eyes remained huge with shock, and a humiliated blush replaced his nervous smile. "Sorry!" he said softly, quickly pulling back to from Tokiya's arms and bolting back for his own bed.

It had taken a moment for him to collect his thoughts. Had that just happened? Had Otoya truly just kissed him? Yes, yes he had. Tokiya's body shuttered with delight, fingers brushing against his still faintly moist lips as he sat up in his bed and glanced at his roommate. Otoya's back had been to him, face under the covers as if it would hide the mortification he was radiating.

Without a second thought, he threw the covers off himself and strode with gentle footsteps to the other side of the room. Tokiya climbed into the bed without even asking, startling the shuddering Otoya under the covers. "Tokiya?" he asked softly, his voice sounding broken and lost. "What are you doing here?"

"What was that?" he asked in return, his tone cold but somehow almost indifferent.

The mood of his voice startled the already sullen boy, and his face darkened further. "I didn't mean to. I just . . ." His sentence drifted, an apologetic look being the most he could conjure with his attitude currently.

The blush cracked the older male, and he couldn't help smirking at the adorableness of his friend. Without hesitation, he forcefully put his lips to Otoya's smiling against the kiss at the surprise on his face.

Otoya's lips had been just as sweet and warm as before, moist, and incredibly appealing to him. The younger boy's body was radiating heat, quivering with delight as Tokiya's arms snaked around his waist and pulled him so close every inch of them had been touching. His hand slid up Otoya's shirt, thumb making tender little circles on his lower back and causing him to tremble with excitement.

But it was not enough for him, he wanted more of his friend, he wanted to taste him entirely. Hesitantly, his tongue brushed against the bottom edge of his lip, begging for access. A small moan escaped the redhead's lips, and he could only assume it was a sign of "permission granted". It wasn't long before their tongues were battling for dominance, and the sweet taste of mint toothpaste and Pocky candy drove his senses wild.

Every inch of his body tingled with ecstasy, heart beating at a hundred miles an hour while his blood pressure doubled. It had felt like hours passed before the need for air became more evident, but he couldn't pull back; he couldn't bear the thought that this kiss would end.

In a last ditch effort to get the most of this, Tokiya shifted, suddenly dominating the now very submissive Otoya. His body hovered over his, straddling him as he pushed his mouth harder onto the younger males, deepening the kiss. His mouth clung to Otoya's, tongue brushing against the back of his teeth, nibbling playfully at his bottom lip and bringing about another excited moan from the redhead.

To both their great dismay, they couldn't bear the need for air any longer, and pulled back with a small gasp, clinging to the air around them as if it were their last breath. Otoya's fingers were still tightly curled around the cotton shirt of his roommate, enjoying the smell of his cologne when Tokiya's head rested against his shoulder briefly while he let the air accumulate inside him. "What was that?" he asked finally, his tone faintly teasing.

A soft chuckle blew his breath against the boy's neck, and Tokiya smiled at the shutter of enjoyment from it when he pulled back to look at him. "You did it first. You're always saying you want my advice . . . I was just showing you how to really do it."

Otoya smiled at the playfulness in his words, and his gaze focused on the rather appealing look of hunger and desire in his normally rather stoic and indifferent roommate. This was not Tokiya, he never did things like this. He liked Haruka, and he stuck to himself; he didn't go around kissing men, or being playful, with Otoya especially. "I like you," he heard himself say, feeling the blush coming on before he could register his own words.

He expected a frown to form, for the old Tokiya to return. Instead, a smirk played on his lips, and he leaned in to let his nose skim across his jaw and neck. "Well guess what," he murmured in return, briefly nuzzling his neck before he pulled back to speak. "I think I'm in love with you."

The words rung in his head over and over, the smile formed before he could decipher how he felt about them. "Really?"

A simple nod was all it had taken to reassure the boy as Tokiya leaned in to press his lips to the base of his neck, kissing rather passionately. "Absolutely," he whispered anyway, letting his mouth explore the entire length of his neck before he let it meet with Otoya's once. "Absolutely in love with you."

Tokiya had meant the words, that kiss had helped him realize that. There was no denying it. He could have said to himself a hundred times it was a lie, that he liked Haruka or Tomo-chan, or any other woman on earth . . . but it would have been the biggest lie he could ever say. No matter what he thought, no matter what he did, his thoughts always returned to Otoya, and his heart would leap at the thought.

It was Otoya . . . it was always Otoya . . . He smiled against his mouth, murmuring a few more times he loved him, the smiling growing into an exuberant grin when Otoya purred it back.

Four o'clock . . .

Five o'clock . . .

Six o'clock . . .

Every day of his life . . . It will always be Otoya . . .