Chapter Text
1
Hakkai
To this day, Hakkai was still not proud of himself for lying all those years ago about his situation at home and how he was “taking Yuzuha’s punishments”. He doubted he’d ever not feel an ounce of shame whenever he looked back at that one Christmas night.
However, if you asked him if he’d do it again if he had the power to go back in time, he would say yes in a heartbeat. Not only did it change his and Yuzuha’s (and to an extent, Taiju’s) lives for the better, he had also gained something irreplaceable that he’d cherish for the rest of his life.
Not something. But rather, someone irreplaceable. Multiple someones.
“This movie is terrible, ” Takemichi - who was sitting beside him - whined, rubbing his eyes harshly with his sleeve, his face damp with the tears that kept spilling out of his eyes. If Hakkai wasn’t used to his friend’s crybaby tendency, he’d be worried about Takemichi’s hydration. “Why are we watching this? Who chose this?!”
“ You, dumbass,” Chifuyu - who was sitting on Takemichi’s other side - said, stealing some of the popcorn from Takemichi’s popcorn box. Hakkai recalled that he’d already finished his own 10 minutes into the movie they agreed to watch this weekend.
And now, 10 minutes before the movie would end, Hakkai himself was sipping air out of his soda cup.
Takemichi, on the other hand, still had most of his food (Hakkai figured he was too busy crying to even chew) - well, at least he still had it before Chifuyu started eating them.
“I told you it’s too sad for you,” Chifuyu finished, just as he finished the last of Takemichi’s snacks.
Hakkai grinned at that. “Don’t think I didn’t see how you rubbed your eyes a couple of times, Chifuyu.”
“Shut up, Hakkai.”
Hakkai shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the movie. It was almost ending and Hakkai wouldn’t miss the last scene. Contrary to what Takemichi said, it was a good movie despite it being sad! Maybe he’d ask Yuzuha to watch it with him again next time.
His friends, on the other hand, didn’t have the same idea as him and continued with their bickering.
“I can’t believe you ate all my popcorn.”
“What? You weren’t eating it anyway. Besides, that’s payback for eating the last popsicle in my fridge the other day.”
“I already replaced that!”
“Excuses, excuses-”
“Shhhh!!” someone from the back of their seats hushed them and Hakkai heard the quiet apology from Takemichi before they quieted down and - Hakkai guessed - turned their attention back to the movie.
Then there was silence. Only the lines from the actors could be heard in the cinema.
That was until Hakkai heard the familiar - more muted and repressed this time - sniffles coming from his friend beside him.
Before he could offer his own comfort to his obviously suffering friend, Chifuyu had beaten him to it.
“Are you crying again?” There was teasing laced in his voice.
“Shut up, Matsuno. I’m sad because of this damned movie and I’m even sadder because someone ate all my food.”
“Oh for the love of-” Chifyu sighed, acting a lot more exasperated than he really was. From the corner of his eyes, Hakkai noticed him scoot closer to Takemichi - as much as he could with the armrest between them. “Come here,” Chifuyu said and opened his arms - like he was asking for a hug - so Takemichi could - Oh.
As if they’d done this multiple times already, Takemichi leaned into Chifuyu’s space and rested his head on Chifuyu’s shoulder, as Chifuyu wrapped his arm around him and rubbed a comforting hand on his back. “There, there-”
“Stop saying that-”
“I’m comforting you as a good friend and this is how you talk to me? I see how it is, Hanagaki.”
Takemichi huffed at that, and if Hakkai was looking at them properly, he would have noticed the fond smile that stretched Takemichi’s lips. A smile mirrored by Chifuyu, who turned his attention back to the movie, resting his head on top of Takemichi’s. All teasing and arguments about food seemed forgotten at this display of casual intimacy.
Ah…
He wasn’t particularly close to either of them before that whole mess with his brother during that one fated Christmas evening. They were in the same gang, but they weren’t friends . But after that night, things changed and what was once forced companionship at most turned into a precious friendship Hakkai wouldn’t exchange for anything. Toman might have dissolved years ago, but the friends he made while he was in it would - if Hakkai could keep it - stay forever.
It’s nice to have friends, Hakkai thought, his grin unnoticed by his two companions as he watched the remaining three minutes of the film.