🫂 cuddling (ft. rin) 🫂

Sae never cuddled in public.

He didn't hug in public. He barely allowed Shidou to hover near him in public unless he was tired, concussed, or temporarily forgot the concept of shame.

But today?

Today was apparently opposite day, because Shidou was leaning against Sae's shoulder on a bench outside the training facility, laughing while Sae... smiled. A real one. Lazy and smug and soft all at once.

Sae was even brushing his thumb across a bandage on Shidou's cheek, muttering something like,

"If you start fights again I'm putting you on a toddler leash."

And Shidou, demon of destruction, giggled like an overgrown golden retriever and nuzzled the hand like it was oxygen.

They looked... happy. Stupidly, grossly happy.

Enter Rin.

Rin had walked around the corner mid-scene, water bottle in hand, and froze like someone unplugged his brain from the wall.

His mouth opened, shut, opened again. A glitching SIM.

He blinked.

Rubbed his eyes.

Looked again.

Still there: Shidou practically sitting in Sae's lap, Sae letting him, and Sae gently fixing Shidou's hair.

Rin's voice finally rebooted with the processing power of a dying toaster.

"...what. The hell. Is THIS."

Sae didn't even look up. Calm, bored, dangerously serene.

"Rin. Walk away."

Shidou, spotting fresh prey, leaned into Sae even closer and sing-songed,

"Awwww look who's jealous~ Little bro wants a hug too—?"

Rin pointed at him like a feral crusader seeing sin.

"I DO NOT WANT A HUG FROM YOU. OR HIM. OR ANYBODY."

"Sounds like somebody needs one," Shidou whispered, wicked.

Sae exhaled the sigh of a man mentally filing adoption papers for a new brother.

"Ignore him."

"HE'S IN YOUR LAP—!"

"He is not in my lap."

Shidou, already halfway into Sae's lap:

"I could be."

Rin's eye twitched so violently it might have counted as a stroke.

Sae's hand casually drifted to Shidou's jaw, his thumb brushing the corner of his lip—checking for blood from training, an excuse that didn't excuse anything.

Shidou's eyes half-lidded, melted into the touch like a cat getting scritches.

They looked soft.

They looked like boyfriends.

Rin's soul left his body.

"I— WHAT— WHEN— HOW— WHY— WHEN— WHAT—"

"Full sentences," Sae murmured, patting Shidou's head like rewarding a pet.

Shidou purred.

Rin's voice cracked into three separate pitches and one dimension-breaking noise.

"Sae Itoshi. Explain. Now."

Sae finally gave him a look. Calm. Deadpan. Annoyingly gentle around the eyes.

"I don't owe you explanations."

Shidou chirped,

"He loves me~"

Sae elbowed him lightly.

"I tolerate you."

"He loooooves me—"

Sae didn't deny it.

Rin's brain blue-screened again.

"You're dating a feral raccoon disguised as a soccer player."

Shidou gasped offensively.

"Excuse you. I'm a glitter-covered lightning gremlin, thank you very much—"

Sae, quietly, without thinking:

"My glitter-covered lightning gremlin."

Silence.

Shidou froze.

Sae froze.

Rin screamed.

"YOU DID NOT JUST CALL HIM THAT—"

Shidou physically ascended.

"Say it again ~"

Sae covered his face like he regretted every life choice since birth.

"I'm leaving."

"Take me with you," Shidou said, grabbing Sae's sleeve dramatically.

Rin looked ready to throw grass. Or himself off the building.

"I'm telling mom."

"...We don't live with mom," Sae muttered.

"I'M STILL TELLING HER."

He stormed off, muttering curses like an anime villain after losing to friendship power.

Sae watched him go, then sighed.

"He's going to text me seventeen times tonight."

Shidou smirked and leaned closer, arms twisting around Sae's waist.

"Worth it though, right?"

Sae didn't push him away. He didn't even pretend to. He just scoffed softly and tugged Shidou's hoodie strings to pull him closer again.

"Unfortunately."

Shidou's grin exploded like fireworks.

"Say it again."

Sae kissed the corner of his mouth instead, quiet and warm.

"...My idiot."

Shidou melted so aggressively it was a health hazard.

"Yeah. But I'm your idiot."

Sae didn't argue.

Rin, from down the hall in the distance, screamed faintly like a ghost being exorcised.

Art credit: https://x.com/Hurbertholder/status/1904567267116884191