“Since we’ve got some time before class starts, why don’t you tell me more about yourself?” I prompted.

“Well…  I-I am afraid there is not much to say.”

“Aw, there’s gotta be something.”

“I am not that interesting.  I was born and raised in Italy.  A few months ago, Papa said we were moving here for business.”

“Business?  What kind?”

“Boring kind,” he said a bit too quickly and sharply.  “I mean…  I do not know much about it.  Papa has said very little about it.”

There was such a hard finality in his voice that I decided to change the subject, lest I upset him.  “What was going through your mind, when you were around Mirai today?  Take me through it all.”

“You do not trust me.”  It was more of a statement than a question.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you; I’ve already told you you’re a fine lad.  I’ve just been looking out for Mirai for pretty much our entire lives.  I wanna know what his future boyfriend is thinking about.”

“I-I…  Future boyfriend?  Really?”

“Yeah, definitely.  But you gotta confess to him; he’s too shy to do so.  C’mon, back to my question.”

“I enjoyed writing with him this morning, and he was so happy and energetic in AP Psychology.  He was a more alert version of himself.”

“What about when things got tough?” I pressed.  “The thing with Taylor.”

“When Taylor insulted Mirai, I…  I was angry.  I was scared for him.  I did not want you and Taylor to get in a fight and I did not want you or Mirai to get hurt.  I made him leave; that is what matters.”

“Would you have done the same if you didn’t like Mirai so much?”

“Yes.  No one deserves to be treated so badly.  Mirai is himself; he should not be bullied for that.” There was a deeper meaning to his words, I knew it; his voice was a bit softer and slightly mournful, as if he was – or would be – treated badly for being himself.

“Glad you feel that way,” I chimed.  “What do you think about dating someone with mental health issues?”

“I have no problem with it.  I do not have experience with it, though, so I might not be the best support.”

It wasn’t my place to explain Mirai’s problems to him, but I felt almost guilty for not giving him some assurance.

“When do you think you’ll confess?” I asked, letting my voice take on a light air; I didn’t want any silence to bother us, and changing the topic might soothe rattled nerves.  I kept my voice friendly, maybe a little teasing, not at all intimidating or under-handed.  I knew how to do this.

Sasuke’s face turned bright red – even the tips of his ears looked hot – and he seemed to fumble over his answer, more like he hadn’t thought about it before instead of not knowing the English.  I didn’t miss the glint in his gaze; he knew I wasn’t all fun and games about this, and I was perfectly fine with that.  Just because I didn’t have him tied to a chair in a dark room with a blazing light in his face didn’t mean I wasn’t interrogating him.  However things turned out, he was going to be around for a while yet, and I wanted to know as much about him as possible.  I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me; it was actually getting more and more certain.

“I…  I do not know.  I have not thought about asking Mirai to be my boyfriend.  I do not want to scare him, and what if he does not like me?”

You are both so oblivious!  He already likes you, and you better treat him right!

But there was something else in his eyes.  Another reason he wasn’t going to ask.  He knew I was serious; did he think he could get away with not telling me the full truth?

“Mirai won’t string you along, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“String me along?  I do not know that phrase…”

“He won’t let you think he likes you when he doesn’t.  He won’t play around.  He’ll say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and I’m pretty sure he’ll say ‘yes’.”

“When is the right time?  It should be romantic.”

“Easy.  Hang with us this weekend.  There’s plenty of good places in town and I’ll let you two have time alone.  You’ll have complete privacy.  You can tell him anything and everything and no one but him will hear.”

I was anxious to get back to Mirai.  He’d texted me that he was on the front steps and needed help.  Like usual, I was worried that he was going to pass out or get sick or be unable to run if someone came after him.  Still, I’d never seen him fail to save his skin; he was fast and an excellent fighter.

I didn’t wait for Sasuke when the bell signaled the end of class.  I raced down the hall, all senses on high alert for Mirai.  My gut was clenched with pain – his pain – and he was whistling for me.  The tri-tone rang in my ears as I sprinted in the direction of the sound.

Please let him be able to walk.  Please let him be conscious at the very, very least.  I need to be able to get him home, and he won’t want to be carried…

Mirai was sitting on the front steps of the school like he’d said, one arm braced across his stomach, his nose wrinkled in pain.  He hauled himself to his feet as soon as he saw me.  He immediately began to wobble and I quickly grabbed onto him.

“Mirai, come on, let’s go home.”

He nodded and, while he didn’t allow me to hold onto him for long, he let me stay beside him.  I murmured encouragement in his ear, urging him on every time he faltered and almost fell.  He finally gave out just before we got to my house.  I hurried to unlock the door and usher him inside.  He couldn’t stand, so I lifted into my arms bridal-style and carried him to his room, not caring if being carried bruised his pride.  God, he was so skinny, it was a wonder he’d lasted so long…

I laid Mirai on his bed, untying his shoes as I did.  He let out a small whimper, his fingers grasping weakly at my shirt but not taking hold.

“I’ll be right back,” I assured him.  “I want you to eat before you sleep.”

When I returned, he was more conscious than before, but not by much.

“You’ve got to eat this,” I urged.

Thankfully, Mirai’s ravenous appetite remained, and he began to devour his food with gusto.  I left him to it and went for the med pack.  The ache between my thighs was getting worse and my gut felt like it was full of lead; he must be in a world of pain.  When I returned, he’d polished off the food and was sipping on the Boost.

“Sooo…  You miss Sasuke yet?”

Mirai spluttered, nearly choking on the Boost.  He stared at me, his eyes wide and a hot blush searing his face.

“Aww, look at how much you’re blushing!  You do like him!”  I gave his cheek a teasing pinch.  He then conveniently decided I didn’t exist and went back to sucking up the last few mouthfuls of Boost through his straw.  I tapped the bottom of the bottle, making him splutter again.  He swatted at me, play-irritation sparking in his eyes.  I laughed then broke off with a wince.  The throbbing in my gut was worse than ever.  I was desperate to know what was causing it but, before I could dare to say anything, Mirai said, “Once I’m back on my feet, I’m going to the studio.”

“Alright.  Call me if you need anything.”

“I always do.”