⊱ 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ⊰

After running through a few more scenes, Yae called everyone to the stage to make an announcement. You stood, rocking back and forth onto your heels while you waited with excitement. Gorou stood beside you, glancing over occasionally. He didn't want to admit his feelings to himself, but he knew why he enjoyed looking at you so much.

"Alright!" Yae clapped her hands together loudly, startling almost everyone. "So... I've got the costumes!"

Your eyes lit up at the mention of it, "Really!?"

"Yep. I need you all to try them on in case they need to be adjusted in any way. Then, you can leave," she declared.

Gorou's ear twitched. Though he didn't say so, he was excited to see what all of the outfits would look like. 

"Alright, go on. I've labeled them all, they're backstage," Yae urged.

Everyone immediately rushed behind the curtains.

━━━━⊱✿⊰━━━━

Everyone had gone to the bathrooms to change, and you were one of the first people out. You looked around the auditorium, searching for Gorou, but after not seeing him, you decided to go get one of the sword props while you waited for everyone. You wanted to feel what it was like to be fully in character. The outfit was like the last piece of the puzzle that had been missing before, and it fit you rather well. Honestly, it made you feel awesome to wear it. You hoped Yae would let you keep it after the play.

Meanwhile, Gorou hesitantly entered the auditorium not long after you left to the supply closet. It took him a minute to gain the confidence to actually present himself to real people in those clothes. There weren't too many problems with it. It actually fit him rather nicely.

However... It did show pretty much all of his chest and back.

(it's just the outfit he wears in-game idek how to describe it properly)

"Miss Yae... Is this really what I'm supposed to wear?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest to try hiding some of his skin.

"Yes, it is. Of course, I could alter it if you really want... But consider it carefully before deciding," she answered.

"Okay... Also, have you seen Y/n?"

"She's in the supply closet backstage," Yae snickered. "Wanting to show her your new look, I presume~?"

"N-No!"  

He stomped away, letting his arms fall to his sides as he went to look for you. When he got to the supply closet, you were still searching through a bin of props to find what you were looking for. The light was off for some odd reason, so Gorou flipped the switch, startling you enough to hit your head on a shelf as you tried to stand up straight.

"Ow!" You yelped, turning your head to see who was there.

. . .

Seeing his bare chest, you froze, and he did as well. You never expected for him to have such a toned body, but you had to admit it was nice to look at. He could see your eyes lingering on his chest and glanced to the side awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Um... Y/n?"

"Ah! Yes? What?" You squeaked, as if you'd just realized he showed up.

"...You were staring at me," he mumbled, his tail slowly wagging behind him. You noticed his face was a deep shade of red. He reluctantly looked back at you and scanned your outfit, noting how it fit your form perfectly. You looked pretty.

"S-Sorry," you stammered, turning your head. "I just wasn't expecting to be interrupted and... Um, that looks... really good on you."

Warmth was pooling into your stomach and spreading through to all your limbs as you spoke. Honestly, you wanted to die so badly from all the embarrassment. Gorou could barely believe you were blushing so terribly; it was really cute but surprising.

"You think so...? I might have Miss Yae change it, but I'm not sure yet..."

Your reply was unintentionally hasty, "No, you shouldn't! It looks... very flattering."

Heat flooded into his cheeks and he smiled nervously, "Thanks. You look really good, too."

━━━━⊱✿⊰━━━━

"Why did I tell him not to change it!? I mean, it looked super good, but now I'm gonna have to touch his bare chest if he decides to keep the design!" You cried, slamming your head on the table. "I need more caffeine." 

"Y/n, it'll be alright..." Ayaka said, patting your shoulder. "Just think of it as... not Gorou?"

"But I want it to be Gorou!" You sighed. "It's just gonna be really embarrassing..."

"So... you like Gorou?" She asked, pulling her hand away.

You lifted your head and rested your chin on the table, "Maybe I do... I guess. How did this even happen!? I hated him and now I have a crush on him!? This is unacceptable."

She giggled, "Y/n, it's perfectly fine. I'm sure this happens a lot."

"Not to me!" You whined. "I've never even liked anyone before, let alone the person I thought of as my enemy! What am I even supposed to do with this information? Tell him!?"

"Well... That's typically what people do, yes."

"And what if he doesn't like me?"

"Based on what you've told me, I doubt he doesn't. And if you're still unsure, just look for any signs in his expressions or the way his tail moves. Things like that. He's very obvious, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure only one person has ever liked me before, and I didn't know until he told me."

Ayaka sighed, "Don't you usually speak with Kazuha about these things?"

"I mean, I guess I talk to him about my problems, but this is different. He's friends with Gorou too, I don't want him trying to set anything up so I'll confess or whatever..."

"I see... Well, in the end, it's your decision whether you tell him or not. But if he does return your feelings... I think he'd treat you very well, and that's what you deserve after being stuck with Scaramouche. I want you to have a healthy, happy relationship."

"Thanks," you smiled. "I'll think more about it, I guess."

━━━━⊱✿⊰━━━━

That night, Gorou couldn't sleep, but it was for a different reason than usual.

All he could think about was you. Your eyes, your hair, your nose, your lips, your voice, the way you smiled at him at the carnival, and the way you blushed when you saw him in the outfit for the play. He thought of the way you sounded when you sang, and how your eyes shimmered when you were excited. He grabbed a pillow and slammed it over his face, letting out a muffled scream of frustration. He wanted to see you again, or even talk to you again. Part of him hated it, and he wanted to deny what he was feeling since he'd always claimed it was the opposite, but he knew that wouldn't do him any good. Besides, he liked to think of himself as an honest person.

Suddenly, as if you knew what he was thinking about, he got a call from you. He glanced over at his phone on the bedside table and saw your name lighting up the screen. He rushed to throw the pillow to the side and grabbed his phone, pressing 'accept'.

"Hello?" He said.

"Hey! Um... I didn't think you'd pick up."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Why's that?"

"I... Don't know. Anyway, I didn't wake you up, did I?" You asked.

"No, I was still awake... You called at a good time, actually," he sighed. "But that's not important. Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

You were a bit confused until you remembered the last time you called him in the middle of the night, "Oh, no! I'm fine. I guess I just wanted to talk to you... I'm not having any luck falling asleep, and I know it's usually the same for you, so... I thought I'd call."

His cheeks were gradually fading to a dark red, "O-Oh! Was there anything specific you wanted to talk about...?"

"Not really, I just wanted... to hear your voice."

You seriously couldn't believe you were admitting that, but you were hoping to hear some sort of reaction to what you said. And sure enough, you did. He sucked in a breath and his tail was obviously thumping against his bed. You couldn't stop yourself from grinning.

"R-Really? Ah-"

You accidentally giggled, cutting him off and increasing the intensity of his blush. You covered your mouth with your hand.

"Wh- Stop laughing at me!" Gorou huffed.

"Pfft, I didn't mean to!" You replied, removing your hand from your mouth. "It was an accident, I promise."

"I can hear you still smiling!"

"Well sorry, it's hard not to!"

━━━━⊱✿⊰━━━━

When Kazuha walked into class the following day, he saw that you were in his seat talking to Gorou. He blinked, confused as he approached.

"What are you two talking about?" He asked.

Realizing he was there, you hopped back into your own seat and smiled at him, "Hey, Kazuha!"

"Hey," Gorou greeted with a small wave.

Kazuha sat down in between you, hanging his bag on the back of the chair, "You seem to be getting along well."

"Ah, yeah..." You responded.

"We are," Gorou grinned.

Seeing his smile, you felt heat rush to your face. It was so pure... Childe noticed your odd behavior, but he refrained from saying anything. To avoid making your red face obvious, you focused your attention on Kazuha.

"I'm glad," he smiled. "I'm assuming I won't have to be stuck in the middle of your arguments anymore?"

"Mm-" You hummed, unsure of what to say. Gorou stayed quiet as well.

Kazuha continued, "To be honest, it's always stressed me out, having to deal with you two while having my own issues."

You furrowed your eyebrows, suddenly feeling extremely guilty, "Sorry, Kazu..."

Gorou's ears drooped and he tapped his finger against his desk, "I'm sorry too..."

"You're both forgiven," Kazuha sighed, closing his eyes. "But if I ever end up in that position again, I might have to brand the word 'idiot' onto your foreheads with a hot iron."

"Yes, sir!"