It's no longer a secret…

"Woosh whoosh! It's cuddle time!" Yumoto shouted happily as he burst into the Earth Defence club room. Wombat froze as soon as he heard Yumoto's voice, the game of jenga he was still trying to complete by himself falling apart and clattering across the desks.

"No no no! I cannot take this torture anymore!" Wombat cried out as he leaped off the chair he had placed Mr. Tawarayama to perch on his lap and scooted out of the room. Yumoto was hot on his trail, calling out to him to give into the cuddles and ascend into nirvana with him.

"I'm starting to get tired of their comedy couple routine." Ryuu sighed as he stared at his phone screen. Beside him, gracefully flicking through his tablet Io nodded in agreement.

"They remind me of another pair, actually." He remarked while glancing up at the other two members of the club.

"I hope you're not referring to us." Atsushi said. He didn't look up at Io but instead kept reading the book in his hands. Beside him En stretched listlessly.

"I'm back to normal so let's just drop it, yeah?"

It was true. After the Battle Lovers had defeated the anti-social kotatsu monster – Komi himself was now back to how he used to be before his long absence from school and was happy with the friends he had made – the negative effects of its radio waves had worn off on both En and Atsushi and their friendship was still as strong as ever, if not stronger. The increased closeness of their bond was subtle but it was there in the decreased space between them and the little knowing looks they gave each other.

"If I were ranking them on their comedic value I'd have to give them only a 'D'." Ryuu grinned "D for dead."

"I agree. More like dismal."

"Oh, or deflated?"

"What about dull?"

"Or deadbeat?"

"That's just an upgraded version 'dead'…"

"W-well, the size of my vocabulary isn't what I like to flaunt!"

"Okay, okay! That's enough you two!" Atsushi sighed, looking up from his book to give the pair an exasperated look.

"You don't need to try so hard to hide it, senpai. I won't judge." Ryuu smirked mischievously as he and Io stood up.

"Huh? Hide what?"

"Surely you know what we're getting at?" Io gave Atsushi a small knowing smile. "Anyway, we have to leave early today so excuse us. See you tomorrow Atsushi-senpai, Yufuin-senpai."

All Atsushi could do was watch them leave them club room. A minute after they were gone he shook his head. What on Earth were hinting at now? He decided not to dwell on the matter and went back to reading his book while En napped soundly beside him. The sun was shining and the air was pleasantly warm so a relaxing atmosphere washed over the room in the comfortable silence. It wasn't too bright and the room wasn't too stuffy or humid and the only sounds were the soft flicking of pages and En's gentle breathing.

Atsushi was about to finish up the chapter of his book when he felt something landed on his shoulder. He blinked then glanced down to be confronted by the shiny, light coloured mop that was En's hair.

"Eh? En-chan, what's wrong?" he asked, confused by this new action.

En didn't reply.

"En-chan?" Atsushi asked again, a bit hesitantly. "Are you still asleep?"

Again there was no reply from his friend. He was about to go back to his reading when En finally spoke.

"What'cha reading?" he asked lazily.

"Oh, it's the 'Galactic Railroad'."

"Is it any good?"

"Yeah, I like it. Not sure if it would suit your tastes, though."

"That so?"

The silence fell between them again. Atsushi tried to get back into his book but found he couldn't help but be overly aware of En's presence beside him. The slow rise and fall of his chest, his soft breathing and the waft of what smelled like coconut drifting up from his shiny hair. Atsushi felt his heart palpitate at an alarming rate in his chest.

What was wrong with him today?

Unable to stand the awkwardness he felt Atsushi moved his shoulder slightly to alert En that he was standing up. En got the hint and lifted his head up a bit. Atsushi stood up abruptly and walked over to where Mr. Tawarayama's corpse was slouched in a chair. No, he shouldn't call it a corpse. That would make the fact that they were in the same room with him, walked around with him and were still taught by him even creepier than the fact that he was being controlled by some strange love-obsessed alien wombat creature.

"Wombat should really take better care of Mr. Tawarayama's body, honestly; although Yumoto certainly isn't helping matters." Atsushi said aloud, shaking his head.

All of a sudden he heard the brief sound of footsteps and then felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around his torso.

"W-what? En-chan!" he spluttered, taken completely by surprise.

"Hmm, your waist is really slender." En mused as he caressed Atsushi's sides, running his hands up and down.

"H-hey! That tickles…!" Atsushi protested while trying to keep back giggles. "W-what's gotten into you today, E-En-chan?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been a-acting strange…!"

"That so? Aren't you the one acting strangely today?"

Had En noticed his bashful behaviour? Atsushi was about to protest again when he felt En tighten his grip around him and rested his chin on his shoulder so their heads were level.

"C'mon Atsushi, you know what I am talking about." He whispered teasingly into Atsushi's ear. "What Io and Ryuu were suggesting… you know it's true. It's not a secret anymore."

En lifted his hand to play with some strands of Atsushi's sapphire hair.

"E-En-chan… you…"

"I've loved you for a long time, Atsushi." He murmured gently. Every time he spoke it sent shivers down Atsushi's spine – and not only because it was directly into his ear.

"I've managed to keep my urges in check so far, but with the trip to the beach and that last monster… I've reached my limit."

"I want you, Atsushi. I need you."

Atsushi felt his heart stop. Then it began hammering against his ribcage as if it was trying to break out. He was aware of the numbness in his legs and the heat rising throughout his body. En gently touched his crimson cheek, turning his face to meet his.

"Atsushi, your face is red." He said.

The minute their eyes met it was like the restraints and barriers that were holding them both back seemed to shatter. En pressed his lips against Atsushi's, who didn't stop him. Instead he squeezed his eyes shut and grasped at En's sleeves. Taking this as a sign of acceptance En pressed their lips together even harder, then carefully commenced his oral invasion, easing his tongue in and wrapping it round and around Atsushi's. Muffled gasps escaped from them between their clumsy, bumbling kiss. Each held a passion, one just newly awakened and the other which had been burning for some time and now these secret feelings were bursting forth, being embraced and accepted by who they burned so fiercely for. They parted to breathe. Atsushi was breathing hard, lips still parted and eyes half shut with a languid look. En's breath hitched in his throat.

"That face… what are you trying to do to me?" he whispered feverishly as he burrowed his face into Atsushi's neck and inhaled his scent in an exaggerated manner, as if he trying to savour every molecule of it.

"You smell like mint… I like mint."

Deliberately and slowly En ran his tongue up from the base of Atsushi's neck right up to his jaw bone, entwining his fingers in his hair.

"Ah! En-chan…!" Atsushi gasped, tilting his head away to reveal more of his neck. En lingered there, licking and kissing it longingly. Atsushi felt his legs grow weak and his body flare up. Some sort of desire was building up inside of him.

"En-chan…En-chan… En-chan!" he cried out sweetly as he felt his self-control disappearing.

"Atsushi… I can't hold back any longer." He said desperately, fumbling to undo Atsushi's tie as he kissed him deeply again.

"Mhm! Mmm…ahh, mhm!"

Eventually En managed to loosen Atsushi's tie. He slipped off his blazer and then his own before gently lowering Atsushi onto the desks. He loomed over him with a hungry, predatory look in his usually glazed eyes.

"Before, you called me 'can't be bothered' and 'listless' – which is true." He grinned as he skilfully undid the buttons of Atsushi's shirt. "Normally I don't bother putting effort into anything and just half-ass stuff. But there is one thing in this world that I can get passionate about… and that's you, Atsushi. I love you."

With that En descended on Atsushi's chest, caressing, lick and kissing every inch of skin. Atsushi immersed his fingers into En's hair and tried to rein in his voice but succulent gasps and pants would escape him, drifting up into the warm air.

He knew that he had to get his own feelings across to his best friend. He couldn't En be the only one to confess. From the back of his throat that was clogged with ecstasy-drenched breathes he managed to force the words out. Even though they were just a whisper the strong, sincere feelings behind them were clear.

"I love you too…"