Mikado sits on a bench surrounded by park and waits for something to happen.

Anxiety tosses his stomach from one hand to the other, twirls it around, fries it in acid. He doesn't know why he lets Kida talk him into these things.

How did he ever think a blind date was a good idea?

The fact that he could simply leave passes through his mind but doesn't return. It wouldn't be fair to the girl, or to Kida. An ache settles in Mikado's throat at the memory of Kida's excitement when he was rummaging through Mikado's closet, the shine of his eyes when he held an outfit against Mikado's shoulders and said "perfect."

No, he can't leave.

"Just wait in the park at noon," Kida had said. "It'll be worth it, I promise." Wink, nudge. Typical Kida.

He promised, Mikado reasons, crossing one denim-clad leg over the other. Kida has good taste in girls. They've been friends forever; Kida knows him.

Who is he kidding.

Kida doesn't know that his honey-clear eyes haunt Mikado's, that Mikado has reached for the filigree of his hair countless times before remembering himself, and pulling away, that Mikado dreams of their play-fights degenerating into something far less innocent.

Kida doesn't know him at all.

Staying isn't fair to the girl either. Mikado picks nervously at the buttons of his shirt.

"Having second thoughts?"

Insult to injury walks up to Mikado: Kida clad in a loose white tank top slung over slim black pants, with the familiar yellow bandana circling his slender neck and the familiar pearlescent grin splitting his face.

The unfairness is inhumane.

Mikado manages to crank words out of his faltering mouth. "N-no, I-I'm staying."

"Really?"

Kida parks himself on the bench.

"And why is that?"

Mikado can feel Kida's body heat filling the space between them.

"Because, I...because I trust you."

"Do you?"

The smile in Kida's eyes wilts a little.

"What if I told you that your date isn't a woman?"

"Eh-!"

Perhaps Kida knows Mikado better than he'd thought.

Kida holds up a finger. "There's more. Your date isn't a stranger, either."

At this Mikado blanches. A blind date with a male classmate? Is this one of Kida's practical jokes?

Kida sighs into his chest. "The last confession is the hardest." He lifts his head, almost defiantly.

"Your date is me."

Mikado searches Kida's face disbelievingly. Kida means it, means all the unsaid words behind it. This is no joke.

They fell in love with each other, independently of each other.

Mikado laughs, laughs his eyes into tears at the horrible sweet irony of the world. He laughs with no awareness of Kida's face darkening.

"Yeah, it's a riot."

"What? No-"

"There were kinder ways to handle that, Mikado."

Kida moves to get up. Mikado grabs his shoulder, digging his fingernails in with all his heart, with all his will.

Kida flinches soundlessly. "Haven't I suffered enough? Let me go."

"I won't. Not after all the time I've spent wishing for this."

"Mikado-?"

The question turns into an answer. "Mikado."

Mikado's hand slides down to curl around Kida's.

"You promised that this would be worth it."

"I did, did I?"

"Yes. You did." Mikado gives Kida's hand a squeeze.

"Well, if I promised..."

~~~End.

A/N: What am I doing with my life. Cheers.