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He couldn't believe he'd been roped into this. He, Saiki Kusuo, a psychic with the abilities of a god, had found himself trapped in the corner of a high school party. He blamed Toritsuka entirely. The medium had pounded on his front door until his mother opened it, begging her to make him go. She was quick to say yes, and to usher him out the door with a proud smile. He heard her thoughts as he moped his way out the door, so bright and happy compared to his own. Look at my little Ku, growing up and going to parties! Such a social boy, he's matured so much...
So now, the psychic sulked alone in the corner of the crowded room. Music blared, making his head ache more than it typically did, what with the sounds of people's thoughts already reverberating around his head. He watched as his classmates danced and drank and chattered almost louder than the music. Good grief. It's just like the movies, way too loud and sweaty. I really shouldn't have let Toritsuka and mom convince me. He pushed his glasses up his nose, sighing audibly. He looked as if he was about to sneak away when a familiar figure rested against the wall beside him.
"Kusuo! I didn't expect to see you here! With your ability to hear the thoughts of everyone within a 200-meter radius I would expect a crowded party with the added annoyance of loud music would deter you. I suppose someone must have forced you - Toritsuka probably, via your mother. Toritsuka would have wanted company to watch the girls dancing, and telling your mother about the party would have made her excited at the prospect of you being social. I'm surprised you haven't left yet, Kusuo! Though, I am glad to see you here, Aiura has left to talk with Teruhashi so I have no company at present!"
Saiki breathed a sigh of relief. Akechi was a person he could handle, despite his excessive speech pattern. At least his thoughts were too quick for him to decipher. He could find relative peace within his childhood friend. "You caught me as I was leaving."
"While of course I won't stop you if you wish to leave, I would enjoy company. Would you talk with me for a while, Kusuo?"
"...Sure."
The psychic looked down at the blonde boy beside him, tuning out the sounds of the party to listen to his friend. Akechi's cheeks were flushed, presumably from the heat of the crowded room. His bangs stuck to his forehead, and Saiki watched as he reached up to brush them back. Time moved in slow motion. His stomach churned with something akin to butterflies, not that he would ever admit that. Akechi licked his lips before starting a new sentence, and Saiki wasn't quite sure why that made his palms sweat.
The chatty blonde was in the middle of a sentence when the psychic said something he never imagined he'd say to anyone.
"Do you want to get out of here?"
Akechi's lips froze. His thoughts slowed, and for once, Saiki was able understand the words inside his head. Did Kusuo really just ask me that?
Saiki kept his face neutral, wincing inwardly as he realized the possible connotation of his words. "Do you want to go hang out somewhere else? My head hurts in this place." He rephrased, hoping he sounded less like a stereotypical love interest in a romance movie. His friend seemed to return to normal at that, his thoughts returning to their usual, unreadable speed.
"Ok, Kusuo, we can go somewhere else! I would suggest a nightly walk at this hour, to soothe your headache. Will anyone see us leave? I'm sure no one will try to stop us. Perhaps you could teleport us out, it would be must faster than walking, but with all our classmates here we might get spotted, and then your secret would be revealed-"
The pink-haired boy had already placed a hand on Akechi's shoulder and teleported them away to a quiet, well-lit street close to the blonde's home. His friend trailed off as he recognized that the party had disappeared and they were now situated in the street. Saiki caught his eye, and, very faintly, smiled. "Walk with me, Akechi."
The pair walked and talked for what felt like hours, past the closing shops, crowded bars and 24-hour convenience stores. They stopped inside one to browse the sweets, each leaving with a coffee jelly. They ended their walk on a bench in a park, sharing their coffee jelly in silence. If it wasn't so quiet at this hour, someone might have walked past and believed them to be on a date. This is much better than any party.
As Saiki finished his dessert, he heard Akechi's voice, much softer and controlled than it usually was. "Is your head feeling any better, Kusuo?" The psychic smiled softly, and nodded wordlessly. It was nice that his friend was checking in with him. "Thank you for leaving with me. I... I enjoy your company, Touma." Akechi paused, clearly not expecting Saiki to admit such a thing. He knew how private Saiki was about his emotions, especially towards his friends.
"Really? More so than your alone time? I know how much you prefer your quiet time, and sometimes our group can be very pushy when it comes to social engagements. I would never want you to feel forced to spend time with me."
Saiki felt emboldened. Maybe it was the sugar rush from the coffee jelly, but he felt the urge to admit to his longest friend how much his company really meant to him.
"I never feel forced to be spend time with you, Touma. I am glad that we became friends again. And, don't tell the others, but..."
"You're my favorite."
He said the words aloud. Not projecting telepathically, but truly saying them. Akechi noticed, of course, and words evaded him. Instead, he shuffled closer on the bench, resting his head of fluffy blonde hair on Saiki's shoulder. A sign of thanks. Saiki couldn't hide his smile, and he was eternally grateful that it was dark, and no one could see how much emotion he was showing. He turned his head to bury his nose in Akechi's hair. His lips grazed his head, just barely a kiss. Whether it was an intentional move or not, Akechi didn't notice.
Maybe Saiki could finally admit to himself that he had a crush.