Shori wanted to kiss back, but the visions clouding his mind wouldn't allow it. Visions of that day that Kento had found out about Shori being Dani. About how hurt he was. Then, more visions flooded into his mind, totally different from the guilt-trip ones. These ones were of all the fun times that he had with his ex-boyfriend, with or without Fuma, Sou, and Marius to accompany them. The thoughts and visions resulted into Shori pushing Fuma away more roughly than he had intended to. The older boy can only blink at him, clearly offended. But after a little bit, he sighs, knowing that Shori had made his decision and that he can't make a tantrum about it. It was fair. Both he and Kento had gotten a fair shot because Shori could have chosen either of them. He chose Kento. "I'm sorry, Fuma... I just..." The younger boy starts but Fuma shakes his head at him, silently telling him not to continue.

"It's fine." He smiles at Shori.

"Can we go then?" Shori asks, much to Fuma's surprise. "I just... I can't help feeling that I've ruined the date by doing that. That being said, I really couldn't kiss you. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really." The older boy assures him. "Lets go." The two walked back to the car in silence. The whole drive back home was silent. No one wanted to say anything after what had just happened. More because of the fact that neither wanted to break the silent, yet delicate understanding that they had established.

Once Fuma had dropped Shori home and the two said their goodbyes, he let out a sigh of relief, glad that the awkward atmosphere was gone. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he was going to call Kento, but was surprised to find that the older boy was trying to call him at the same time. "Hello?" He answered the phone.

"Hey, how did your date go?" Kento asks, the curiosity obvious in his voice even through the phone.

"It went fine... Until I tried to kiss him..."

"You what?" He heard the older boy growl and chuckled.

"Relax, lover-boy. He's yours anyway, he doesn't want me."

"He doesn't want you?" Kento repeated Fuma's words from the other end of the line.

"I kissed him and he pushed me away. He doesn't want me, Kento, he wants you. It was clear in his eyes. I'm just the joker.

"That's a little harsh towards yourself..."

"It's true though." There was silence on the other end of the line, so Fuma continued with something that has been bothering him recently. "Are you still angry with us?"

"How can I not be?" The answer was quick and the younger boy could only sigh.

"I told you already, I'm sorry. Just give Shori another chance." Fuma paused for a bit, wondering if he should tell Kento about Shori's depression. The two didn't say anything for a long time and finally, Kento broke the silence.

"Don't get me wrong... I do want him back, but... I don't want to be hurt again. I don't want to regret giving him another chance."

"He won't make you regret it." 

"How do you know?" Fuma sighed at that question, deciding that he needed to tell Kento if anything was going to be resolved between his two friends.

"I never told you this, but... That day after you walked away from us, Shori was really depressed. And not just after you walked away, for a long time after that too. He regretted everything. About doubting you, cheating on you, everything that he did to hurt you." Fuma waited for Kento to answer, but there was no answer. The other had hung up.

The next day, Fuma went to check up on Shori at work. What he didn't expect though was Kento to be there too. "Why are you here?" He questions the older boy, taking a seat at the same table. "And why did you hang up on me last night?"

"I didn't know what to say to you, it was a mix of emotions. Mostly anger towards you for not telling me."

"Sorry..." The younger boy frowns, looking around for Dani but then noticing that the boys weren't in their Chicken Basket getups. "But... Is it just me or did they lose the getups?"

"No, you're right." Looking up, they see Kentaro with a pen and notepad. "We disbanded Chicken Basket."

"Why?" Both boys ask.

"We have our reasons." Kentaro responds. He would have told them, but, he knew better than to make them worry. Especially if they were letting Shori decide between them. The reasoning to why they disbanded Chicken Basket would only make them feel guilty. And he didn't want that to be a factor in the end. Even if Shori was choosing between them, that didn't mean that the one he chose couldn't refuse him. "Anyway, what would you two like?"

Once they had ordered, Kentaro went to the kitchen to give the orders to the cooks that Shori's future brother-in-law finally hired. As he came out, he past by Shori. "Your lovers are here." The younger boy only blinked at him with confusion, watching him walk away. Looking around, he finally understood what Kentaro meant. Kento and Fuma were at one of the tables near a window, talking.

Kento had noticed Shori and looked up to see that the younger boy was staring. As soon as their eyes met though, Shori looked away, continuing his journey to the kitchen. Before he looked away though, Kento saw the feelings written in the younger boy's eyes. He was sad, regretful, lonely, and hurting. This made Kento frown. "What's wrong?" Fuma asks, noticing the frown and turning in his chair to look in the direction of the older boy's gaze.

"Just saw Shori." Kento didn't have to say more, Fuma understood.

"You know, you should go talk to him." The younger boy suggests, earning a incomprehensible look from the older boy. "It was a suggestion, you don't have to."

"Just stop, Fuma." Kento sighs at his friend.

"Shori, why don't you serve those two their food?" Amu suggests, holding the plate of food that was meant to go to the table that Kento and Fuma were at. Shori just shakes his head, telling the younger boy that he won't do it.

"You have to talk to him at some point, you know? I mean... You two are friends, right?" Jinguji asks him, picking up the next order to take out.

"I'm pretty sure that broke along with our relationship." Shori points out sadly, taking another order and walking out of the kitchen before anyone can stop him. So, Takuto took the order to them instead.

"Hey, is Shori okay?" Both Kento and Fuma ask. Takuto and Fuma give Kento a look of surprise, not expecting the question from him.

"What? Can't I be worried? Especially after what you said."

"Well... You hung up, so I thought you didn't care." Fuma explains.

"He's fine now, but I do suggest talking to him." Takuto adds in, serving them their food before leaving the two of them.

"You should." Fuma nods after Takuto leaves. The older boy only ignores him, starting to eat his food instead.

After a long day of work, Shori sighed with relief as he changed out of the uniform he had to wear as a waiter. Once he was out, he glared at the rest of the boys. "Okay, why did you guys basically gang up on me to talk to Kento?"

"Hey, don't say that. Aran and I didn't do anything." Fu points out.

"Same with Myuto and I." Ryuya adds.

"I didn't do anything either." Takuto also adds. "It was only Amu, Jinguji, and Kentaro."

"Nope, don't include me into this." Kentaro shakes his head. "I only told him they were here, nothing else."

"Not the point..." Shori sighs. "Why are you guys being so nosy about this?"

"You need it, Shori." Amu points out. "You seem so depressed these days."

"I'm fine, don't worry." Shori assures. "That being said, I don't think Kento can really help anyway..."

"Shori..." Kentaro starts but the younger boy holds up a hand to make him stop.

"Before anyone else says anything, I'm going. I promised to be home earlier to walk Ai-chan." With that said, Shori exits both the room and the restaurant.

When he arrives home, he changes out of his school uniform and into more comfortable clothing before getting the leash on to his puppy and heading out the door. The puppy led him to a nearby park and he sat down as she walked around nearby. Shori was surprised though when she barked with excitement and went running towards something he couldn't see.

Following her was a bad idea though. He was now face-to-face with Kento. Well, not quite face-to-face since the older boy was petting the puppy fondly, but they would be face-to-face soon enough. He watched as Kento looked up from the puppy, most likely looking around for him. Ai-chan barked at Kento to get his attention before running up to Shori's feet. Picking her up, he looked up at Kento expressionlessly. "She seems healthy, I'm glad." The older boy was smiling softly as he reached over to pet the puppy again. "What's her name?"

"Ai-chan."

"Ai..." Kento frowns at the name. "You named her, didn't you?"

"I did." Shori nods, noticing the frown but not saying anything. As he was about to make an excuse to leave, he felt a drop of water on his cheek. Shocked, he reached up to his eye. He wasn't crying though. 

"It's going to rain." Kento told him, looking up at the sky which had angry rain clouds approaching. "I could walk you home, I have an umbrella with me." Shori looks over to Kento's hand where he hadn't noticed the older boy holding the umbrella before.

"I'm fine." Shori shakes his head.

"You'll be soaked, Shori." The older boy points out, opening the umbrella after a few drops of water had hit their faces. Shaking his head, Kento reaches over to Shori's face to gently wipe the raindrops on the younger boy's cheek with his thumb, but Shori flinches away from him. The older boy is shocked at the reaction. "Shori?"

"I'll be fine... Don't worry about me." The younger replies. Before Kento can respond, they hear the puppy whimper from Shori's arms. She looked up at Kento before looking sad and looking to Shori. Though Shori didn't understand what was happening, Kento had a pretty good idea. He didn't speak dog even a little bit, but he did know that Shori was depressed because of him thanks to Fuma. Taking his hand away, he looks apologetically to Shori.

"Shori, I'm really sorry. About everything. No matter how angry I was, I shouldn't have made you feel worse than you already did. And to break up with you like that... I really hurt you and I'm sorry." Shori can only gawk with surprise at the apology he was given. Mainly because he should be the one to apologize. Realizing that, he quickly shook his head.

"I should be the one apologizing... I shouldn't have doubted your feelings for me. I'm the one who hurt you first. And for that, I'm sorry." He wasn't looking at Kento anymore, but he heard the older boy sigh. He then felt arms around him, but didn't dare to look up at Kento.

"Lets just forget it happened, okay? I don't want you avoiding me anymore. I hate it."

"You think I like it?" Shori questions the older boy softly.

"Then why do it?"

"I was afraid... To face you, I mean. After hurting you like that and getting such a thoughtful gift from you." He pets the puppy in his arms affectionately as he says this. And then he continues. "How could I face such an amazing ex-boyfriend when I was the worst ex-boyfriend... Or even ex-partner that you've ever had?"

"You weren't the worst. You were bad, yeah. But, not the worst." The older boy admits, earning a roll of the eyes from Shori, which he wasn't able to see of course. "But, lets just forget it, please?"

"Okay..." Shori nods. It wasn't said, but they knew it. Both had missed the other.

 

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A/N: And that's it for this chapter. The next is the last... Maybe. But, most likely it's the last. So, thank you to all that have subscribed and bothered to read my story. I really appreciate it.