The Pink Rose's Promise (BL)

22. The Kiss

"Holy shit, are you kidding me? You two kissed and you're meeting up this week to kiss again and you're still denying your feelings for him?" Yuuhei asked, sounding incredulous.

"I asked you a question, stop trying to change the subject," Ichirou whined, rolling over onto his side on his bed.

"I'm sorry, but can you blame me? I can't tell if you're the most oblivious person to ever live or the most stubborn," Yuuhei said.

"Yuuhei! Just answer the question!"

"Sorry, but that is my answer! The reason why you can't stop thinking about him, the reason why your heart beats faster around him, the reason why you love touching him, and the reason why you constantly want to be around him is that you're in love with the guy! What other reason could there be?" Yuuhei asked, exasperation dripping from his words.

Ichirou glared off into the distance, rubbing his legs together. "You're no help at all."

"Of course not. Just... tell me when you finally realize," Yuuhei said.

"Yuuhei, what- did you just hang up on me?!" Ichirou shrieked, looking at his phone.

Ichirou was in the midst of a crisis. He was desperately clinging to the idea that he wasn't in love with Masahiro. Things would become a lot more complex if he actually fell in love, and he didn't want that. However, he could also see that all signs were beginning to point in that direction. He was in a losing battle.

Ichirou, however, was determined to keep up his belief that he couldn't possibly be in love until the end. If he fell in love with Masahiro, then he would have to admit that he had probably been in love with Masahiro since the beginning. Some part of him had remembered Masahiro all those years later and had believed that he was still the prince that he was all those years ago. At least, that's what he would have to admit if he was in love with Masahiro, and he wasn't, so it was fine.

However, despite the fact that he definitely wasn't in love with Masahiro, Ichirou found himself playing the brief couple of seconds where they kissed over and over again in his mind. Masahiro's lips were a lot softer than he had expected them to be, and the kiss was more gentle than he would have thought it would be, given the situation. The feeling it gave off was a pure, genuine caring sensation, and Ichirou found himself craving that emotion again and again.

The thought of another kiss incoming was enough to drive Ichirou wild. He found himself fantasizing throughout the week about what their redo first kiss would be like. Would it be just as quick as the first one, or would it last longer? Would it be just as gentle, or would it be more passionate? Would Masahiro hold his cheek again, or would he wrap his arms around Ichirou's waist? Would there be tongue involved, or would it be a super chaste kiss again? The possibilities were endless, it seemed.

Ichirou was not focused on sexual things that week at all. It was like he dumped one obsession about Masahiro and replaced it with another. Any time he had a free moment, which was fairly often since he had no job, he was thinking about kissing Masahiro. Ichirou wanted nothing more than to kiss Masahiro some more, without even considering anything sexual. He dared not think about what that meant.

Ichirou's outfit for next Saturday was a bit more daring than his usual style. He was wearing a light yellow t-shirt with an image of a unicorn on the front, a pastel rainbow cardigan, and some pastel pink gingham pants. He put a large bow on his ponytail and made sure to wear some yellow and pink eyeshadow and false eyelashes. He hesitantly put on some pink lipstick, looking shyly at himself in the vanity's mirror.

Ichirou was determined to look really cute if he was going to be kissing Masahiro. He wanted to feel wholly himself. He just hoped that this sort of thing wouldn't lead to Masahiro being grossed out and no longer willing to kiss him.