Nagito's cold was practically gone the following day, but we still spent the day indoors watching movies. He asked if the two of us could spend the day alone together, which I was more than happy to do. I always loved spending one-on-one time with him, especially whenever he would cuddle into my chest and lay his legs over mine. I liked having him on my lap where I could hold him securely, and I was glad he liked it as well.

The week proceeded as usual, but when Friday rolled around, Nagito didn't come home with me. Sonia claimed her parents needed to talk to him about missing a day of school. He promised he would come home after the meeting, but he never did. He wound up calling, claiming that everything was fine and that Gundham and Sonia were going to hijack him for the night instead.

I hated not having him over, especially after him having a meeting with Sonia's parents. He might have said that the meeting went well, but it might not actually have. Sonia and Gundham may have kept him company for the night, but they could have left him to sleep alone in his apartment. I didn't like him being alone, especially after something so serious happened.

Around one in the morning, I received a call from Nagito. I quickly answered the phone, frantically asking, "Hello?"

"Hajime," Nagito sighed and chuckled simultaneously. "Were you really that worried about me?"

"Of course! You just had a meeting with Sonia's parents, didn't come home, and wound up staying at your place because Sonia and Gundham needed to keep you company after that meeting."

"Hajime, I told you the meeting went okay. They just wanted to make sure I was okay and that I wouldn't fall behind because of me missing a day. It was just standard procedure. I'm used to it."

"But you were so worried over missing that day because of them."

"For other reasons. Reasons you don't need to worry about, okay? Everything went well, and Sonia, Gundham, and I had a good night together," he calmly responded. "Think of it as me spending time with my own friends."

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I sound really paranoid, don't I?"

"Well, you had valid reasons to be. That's why I wanted to call you and let you know I'm okay."

"Are they still with you?"

"No, they left at midnight. I've been trying to fall asleep, but I couldn't. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"It's okay. I told you I'd answer your texts the moment I can. The same goes for calls. Besides... I like talking with you."

"Me too." He was silent. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too. Will you be coming over tomorrow?"

"Actually," he dragged out, causing my heart to speed anxiously, "I was wondering if you would come over to my place? You haven't seen my apartment yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't."

"Well, I want to cook you dinner over here tomorrow. Do you think you could?"

"I'd love to," I hummed.

"Great," Nagito exhaled. "I'll text you my address and the entrance code. Come by at six, okay?"

"Okay, I will."

"Wonderful." Nagito was silent again, and so was I. "Goodnight, Hajime."

"Goodnight, Nagito."

I fell back asleep, far more peacefully this time.

^^^

Nagito's apartment building seemed normal on the outside, the same as any other complex would look. So did the inside, with there being a couch, a TV, a recliner, a coffee table, and bookshelves in the living room, along with a dining room table and a large kitchen. The entire place was formal and fancy, as expected of a penthouse suite.

Yet loneliness lingered in the air. It was as if the moment I stepped inside, the whole flat seemed cold and empty. It was as if the owner left and no one had occupied the place in a long time. The moment Nagito popped his head out of the kitchen, it was as if joy finally weaved through the air as he smiled at me.

"Welcome, Hajime."

"Thank you for having me," I greeted as I kicked off my shoes.

"Dinner will be ready in a moment. You can sit at the table if you'd like," he said as he walked back into the kitchen.

Stepping over to the table, I smiled at how eloquently it was set up. There were placemats, main plates with a side plate. A bowl of rolls was covered with a towel with a few side dishes already set up. Crystal wine glasses were placed on the table next to a bin of ice with two bottles of cider inside. And a long candle in a fancy candle holder sat in the middle of the table. Nagito definitely went all out for dinner tonight, and the fact that it was all for me made me feel incredibly special. No one had ever set up a meal so fancy for me.

"I hope you like it," Nagito said as he carried in the last dish. "I tried to make chicken alfredo from scratch, so I hope it turned out well."

"You made it from scratch?"

"I made it all from scratch," he nervously chuckled as he sat down. "I wanted to try making your favorite meal, so I took your usual boxed meals and made them from scratch for you."

"Nagito," I swooned. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he giggled. Pulling out a bottle of chilled cider, he poured us each a glass. "I felt like this would be the best way to thank you for everything you've done for me lately."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you cooked me my favorite meal, and then you practically gave me the parents I'd always wanted. You've even allowed me to stay over so I don't feel so alone here anymore. Then when I was sick, you looked after me and made sure I was okay. And all of that was just the recent stuff. You've accepted me into your friend group. You gave me friends that aren't using me or trying to actively avoid me. I actually feel like I'm part of the group and have had so much fun spending time with everyone."

"They all love you, too," I whispered.

"Growing up, I never thought I could have those things. I thought I was going to be alone forever, that I'd always have to live in loneliness." He shook his head. "But I don't have to anymore. You've made me the luckiest man in the universe. You've done so much for me, so much more than I deserve or could ever pay you back for. Making you dinner was the least I could do for you."

"Nagito," I stated, reaching out to hold his hand, "you deserve so much more than what I've been able to give you so far. If I could, I would give you the world, because you deserve that and so much more. Please don't think you don't deserve to be happy."

Nagito covered his mouth and blinked his eyes. "You're too kind, Hajime. Way too kind."

"I'm just being honest."

"Again, you're too kind."

Nagito's cooking was amazing. I wasn't sure how long he'd been cooking for, but I could taste the effort into wanting to make this a good meal. We talked the whole time, joking and talking like we always did.

When dinner was over, I offered to help clean the dishes, but Nagito claimed he could handle it. While he cleaned up, I examined his living room. Nagito had turned on his record player, playing a melancholy track. I skimmed the book covers on his shelves, peeked at the various records he had, and looked at the few pictures he had hanging on his wall.

There was one of him with who I assumed were his parents, smiling and hugging them in front of the ocean. There was another of him as a middle schooler, staring vacantly into the camera, all dressed up in his uniform. There were a couple of him with Sonia over the years, and a recent one with him, Sonia, and Gundham.

"Hajime?"

I looked over at Nagito. He carried over a tray with a plate of cookies and two mugs and placed it on the coffee table. I walked over to him and sat beside him on the couch. He handed me one of the mugs. "Three creams, two sugars. Just the way you like it."

"Thank you."

"Don't worry, it's decaf," he chuckled, sipping his own mug. When I took a sip, he asked, "Is it okay?"

"It's great," I promised.

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I just want to make sure you're pleased while you're here."

"Don't worry. I'm happy, because I'm here with you," I replied, placing the mug back on the coffee table.

As I looked up at Nagito, his hands reached out and cupped my cheeks. At first, I was startled, but as he leaned in, I placed my hands on his arms and leant in as well, kissing him. The kiss instantly grew more intense, with his lips pressing further into mine. I moved my lips in synch with his, digging my nails into his back as I moaned into the kiss.

Nagito pulled away and stared at me with half-lidded eyes. Watching him panting through swollen lips made him ten times hotter, and I felt the overwhelming desire to kiss him again, going even harder, but I resisted.

"I've been wanting to kiss you like that for so long now," Nagito confessed.

"So have I."

His face fell. "Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to ruin our friendship by pushing your boundaries. You've told me so much about your past that it seemed like you wanted a friend more than anything. I didn't want to break your trust or become unreliable because of how I felt."

Tears slid down Nagito's cheeks as he gazed at me. "Hajime, I've had feelings for you since the day we met."

I gawked at him.

"After our first conversation, I had a crush on you. I kept talking to you, because I wanted to get a little closer to you. The more I got to know you, the more I fell in love with you." He grabbed my hands and held them close to his heart. "I love you, Hajime. I really, really love you."

Lifting his hands to kiss his knuckles, I said, "I feel the same way." Gazing into his tear-soaked eyes, I proclaimed, "I'm in love with you, Nagito."

Nagito sobbed and fell into my chest. I engulfed him in my arms, holding him close as I cried myself. He loved me. I told him I loved him.

"Nagito, will you be my boyfriend?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, lifting his head up and wrapping his arms around my neck so he could kiss me.

He was mine.

It's about time, right? There is still a lot more to this fanfic, so don't worry. You will get to see more of their relationship fold out. I hope you're looking forward to it. Glam on!