• A cold autumn breeze rustled through Ritsuro’s almond brown hair. Ritsuro zipped up his coat to block out the cold. His mind wandered back to last Friday.
    …
    “Okay class I’ll be choosing your partners for the social studies project” Mr. Matsuda announced. The class groaned. “Now now class, you better like your partner, this project counts as forty-five percent of your grade.”
    Ritsuro’s eyes wandered in Yuki’s direction.
    “Hey Ritsuro,” Takashi tapped him on the head with his pen. “You thinkin’ about a certain golden blonde haired boy,” he snickered.
    Ritsuro quickly turns away from Yuki and blushes.
    “N-No,” he stammers while blushing tremendously.
    “Takashi and Kyoya, Haruhi and Momo,” Mr. Matsuda read off, “Ryuichi and Shuichi, and finally Ritsuro and Yuki.”
    Ritsuro’s heart skipped a beat.
    “Lucky you Ritsuro, I have to work with Kyoya, ugh,” groaned Takashi.
    But Ritsuro didn’t hear it, because Yuki was looking right at him.
    “Oi Ritsuro, you listening to me?” Takashi questioned.
    “Uh yea Takeshi, Kyoya isn’t that bad, I mean sure he’s kinda snooty, but he’s super smart. You’re sure to get an A,” remarked Ritsuro.
    “Now class get together with your partner and pick a topic to do” announced Mr. Matsuda.
    “Have fun,” Takashi winked as he got up to go to Kyoya.
    Yuki walked over to Ritsuro and sat down next to him. He put his hand out to shake. Ritsuro was hesitant at first but then took Yuki’s hand and shook it.
    “I’m Yuki Mustang.”
    “And I-I’m Ritsuro…Ritsuro Yagami,” Ritsuro blushed.
    “Are you ok?” Yuki asked, “You’re turning red.” He touched Ritsuro’s forehead,”Ooo and your really warm.”
    Ritsuro, nervous, stepped backward and tripped over a chair. Everybody laughed, accept Yuki, he offered his hand to help him up, but Ritsuro dashed out of the classroom.
    …
    Ritsuro arrived at Yuki’s house. He rung the doorbell and, who he presumed was Yuki’s mom, greeted him.
    “Oh you must be here to work on the project, right?” she asked.
    “Ye-”
    “YU-U-UKI-I-I-I YOUR LITTLE FRIEND IS HERE,” she yelled up the stairs. Ritsuro heard footsteps then Yuki appeared at the top of the stairs.
    “Oh you made it,” he said delightfully. “You left so quickly so I had to tell your friend to tell you to come to my house to decide on a topic,” he said as he came down the stairs.
    “Yuki, I have to go do some shopping, now please don’t burn down the house.” Yuki’s mom said.
    “Ok mom,” he answered back as she closed the door.
    “What was that about?” Ritsuro asked.
    “My older brother and I were home alone on the Fourth of July and one of his friends came over. He brought some fireworks with him, so we were lighting em’ off and one sorta’ hit the house and almost burnt it to the ground, hehe,” Yuki half chuckled. “Now my mom never leaves me home alone and if she does it’s only for about ten minutes.”
    “Wow, bet you were grounded for a month,” Ritsuro chuckled.
    “Nah, my mom doesn’t believe in grounding, she doubled my chores and cut my pay in half.” Both boys laughed.
    “So do you want anything to drink, eat?” Yuki asked.
    “No I’m fine.”
    “Ok, then lets go up to my room, I’ve already found some sites that have some great facts for a couple of different topics.”
    As Ritsuro walked up to Yuki’s room, his heart beat intensely.
    “Here we are, sorry it’s a little messy,” Yuki said.
    Ritsuro was amazed, manga, anime DVDs, figurines, wall scrolls everywhere.
    “I never knew you liked anime so much…” Ritsuro said.
    “Yea, my friends aren’t really into it so I don’t really get to show that I like it in school.”
    “So then why don’t you join the school’s anime club?”
    “I really don’t have the time; my friends and I are always hanging out at the mall.”
    “Oh…”
    Yuki drifted over to his computer. “I was thinking maybe we could do our project on the Civil War or the Korean War, which do you like?”
    “The Civil War is fine,” Ritsuro replied.
    Yuki and Ritsuro spent the next hour researching, not noticing Yuki’s mom returning home and her relieved sigh of her house still being intact. Then Yuki broke the silence when he tripped and fell on Ritsuro, who was sitting on Yuki’s bed at the time. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Ritsuro taking in his warmth his scent, everything. Yuki moved his face just inches from Ritsuro’s, then slowly moving it closer. Then all of a sudden Yuki’s mom calls up saying Ritsuro’s mom wants him home.
    Blushing, the boys slowly get up from the bed, taking in what had just or was going to happen. Ritsuro packed up his things, said his good bye, and left. He practically ran home from the rush he had.
    …
    “So Ritsuro, from your mood, I can tell something happened,” Takashi said smirking. “So come on tell me.”
    Ritsuro thought back to Saturday and blushed with glee. “Sorry Takashi, but that’s between Yuki and me,” he said happily
    “Aww but come on you can’t leave your best friend in the dark, so spill,” Takashi said as he took a bite his sandwich.
    Just then Yuki walked into the cafeteria, graceful as ever, and came over to Ritsuro’s table.
    “Hi Yuki,” smiled Ritsuro.
    “Hey, we need to go to the library to work on the project”
    “Ok”
    Ritsuro and Yuki got up to go and Takashi winked at Ritsuro as he left with Yuki. They walked down the hallway in silence until Yuki stopped.
    “Yuki…?”
    Yuki grabbed Ritsuro and pressed his lips against Ritsuro’s. Ritsuro couldn’t believe it, Yuki, Yuki the coolest guy in school, was kissing him. He felt joy and weak, Ritsuro nearly collapsed, but Yuki was holding him tightly. And as quickly as it happened it ended, with Yuki continuing to walk to the library, hand in hand with Ritsuro.
    …
    Over the next couple of days, Yuki and Ritsuro continued working on their project, seeming to get a little closer to each other with each passing day, until the day of the school’s annual winter dance, the Snow Ball.
    “Ritsuro are you going to the Snow Ball with Yuki?” Takashi asked as Ritsuro and he walked down the hall.
    “He hasn’t asked me yet.”
    “Then you ask him, I mean you said he kissed you, right?”
    “Yea but…”
    “But nothing, ask him while you still have a chance, a good looking guy like Yuki won’t be available for long.”
    “Yea you’re right….I will,” Ritsuro said confidently.
    “Atta’ boy, Ritsuro” Takashi patted him on the back.
    But just as they turned the corner, they saw Yuki. He was holding Haruhi’s hands and kissed her cheek.
    “Looks… like you lost your chance,” Takashi said solemnly.
    Yuki turned and saw Ritsuro.
    “Ri-Ritsuro wait I can explain,” Yuki said. But it was too late Ritsuro already turned around and was running down the hall crying.
    …
    That night at the dance, Ritsuro went but spent most of his time moping. He did dance with Takashi a couple of times, but his mood didn’t lighten.
    “Ritsuro want some punch or something?” Takashi asked.
    “No…I’m fine,” Ritsuro sighed back.
    “Oh...Ok then,” Takashi walked off towards the snack table.
    Ritsuro sighed.
    “Ritsuro?”
    Ritsuro turned around to see Yuki, looking handsome in his tux, standing behind him.
    “Humph”
    “Ritsuro listen I’m sorry, just let me explain.”
    “Ok”
    “Lets head out to the courtyard; it’s a little loud in here”
    The night air was chilly. The moon shone brightly on the school’s courtyard. Ritsuro and Yuki sat down on a nearby bench. After a long silence Ritsuro started, “Yuki…why…why did you kiss me?”
    “I don’t know, I-I…after what happened that day and how close we were getting I…just had feelings for you. Sorry this is a bit hard to explain.” Yuki answered.
    “…But then why did you ask Haruhi to the dance?”
    “I didn’t, she asked me, I wanted to go with you but, I don’t know, I was confused.”
    “…”
    “I don’t blame you if you never forgive me.”
    “Yuki…I do forgive you.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
    The two boys sat there. Yuki held Ritsuro in his arms, “Ritsuro, I love you.” He whispered in Ritsuro’s ear.
    “I love you too, Yuki.” Ritsuro whispered back.
    Then they kissed under the stars.