I will make us fall in love

The pale brown eyes watched the twinkling stars in the night sky. Soft moonlight reflected in his gaze as he marveled at the starry horizon - but suddenly, his peaceful moment was interrupted by a fearful gasp from behind.

"Please... I couldn't get... the money... but I promise..."

A young man, no older than a university student, was cornered in a forest of tall trees. His eyes darted around his surroundings as he looked for an escape.

A second pair of men, dressed in black suits and covered with tattoos, held bloodied baseball bats intimidatingly. The man who was being threatened slowly stepped back, trying to distance himself from the individuals trying to harm him.

"No more talking, you weakling," the larger of the two growled ominously.

The young man looked frightened as he stared at the menacing figures. His lips trembled as he desperately tried to explain his situation.

"One more week... please... I beg of you... I didn't get the money today, but I promise..." he pleaded, slumping to the ground as he begged for help.

His stuttering words and sweating made the yakuza men laugh cruelly and mock him as if his plea for mercy was a joke.

"It's too late for that now."

The man with white hair, merely a spectator until now, stepped forward.

"I will pay off the debt," he said firmly.

"O-oh... thank you, thank you!" their intended victim exclaimed with tears and crawled towards his rescuer.

The yakuza men stared at their fellow clansman with narrowed eyes, scrunching their faces in clear disbelief.

"What are you doing, Takuya? The orders came from master Kazuo," one of them said sternly, gritting his crooked teeth.

"We have to make an example of him or else no one will take us seriously," the other chimed in as he scowled at his side.

Jiro glanced at the man on his feet and told him to get up. There was something about his face that reminded him of his roommate - his skin was light and his features were slender, with delicate eyebrows and a small straight nose.

"Don't borrow money from criminals anymore," he warned and gestured for him to leave. Their victim stumbled away as fast as he could, clutching his chest after being given another chance.

The white-haired one acted swiftly and grabbed the yakuza man's wrist before he could swing at their target with his bat.

"I said I would take care of it," he said gravely.

The two men looked at him suspiciously as if they were questioning his loyalty to their clan.

"You have changed, Takuya," one of them spat, clearly frustrated with their brother's actions.

"Times change," he answered casually and moved away from the situation, leaving them silent with furrowed eyebrows.

(Later that night)

Jiro was exhausted after the night's work. He headed to a local convenience store to get breakfast for himself and his roommate, anxious to see him after the long day he had just experienced.

Musings occupied his mind as he wandered around the shelves, picking up groceries and considering what the other man preferred. He even returned to the store for cherry-flavored sweets to give to his friend, wondering what had become of himself.

The emptiness of the penthouse enveloped him as he entered through the front door. The living room was dark and still, with no sign of life.

It was not the usual sight since he usually worked during the night - but if his roommate weren't up to greet him, he would always check his bedroom to see if he was asleep or if something was wrong.

On that morning as well, he rushed to the guest room and let his gaze fall on the bed.

Natsuo slept peacefully, his teal-colored hair standing out against the black sheets. Jiro wasn't sure why, but the scene was so endearing he couldn't help but smile. After a while, he returned to the kitchen, letting the other one slumber in peace.

When he unloaded the groceries, he picked up the cherry gummies and held the bag in his hand.

How did he end up like that?

He found himself thinking about which bag of candy to buy, so that his housemate could be pleased when he got his hands on it - the one he took to humiliate and torture.

He found himself completely mesmerized by his shy smiles, the way his eyes lit up when he was amused, and how he blushed when their gazes locked.

He found himself dreaming of the other man almost constantly, remembering their interactions, the way his lips felt against his own, and how his heart raced when he realized he was giving in to his desires.

"Morning..."

Jiro had been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't heard footsteps behind him, so the sudden voice startled him. He quickly composed himself and looked over his shoulder, seeing the teal-haired one standing there with sleepy and gentle eyes. His smile grew as he saw the man wearing one of his t-shirts, which was too big for his thin frame.

"Good morning," he greeted and handed him the pouch of gummies.

"These are for you."

"Thank you," Natsuo said quietly with a faint smile.

Jiro wasn't prepared for such a sincere look as he accepted the bag of candy - it was a big contrast to his usual guarded attitude. He moved unintentionally closer to him, but Natsuo backed away, his expression once again cautious.

The penthouse owner sighed as awkward tension settled between them. They hadn't talked about the kiss they shared the night before, but it loomed in the air like a heavy fog.

He kept his eyes on the slender figure as he walked away, feeling the urge to reach out and pull him back. He followed the other with his gaze, watching as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Natsuo has distanced himself from him since their first kiss. Whenever Jiro tried to take a step closer to him, the teal-haired man would take at least ten steps back, creating a wider gap between them.

The yakuza had the plan to revenge that parasite, so when he had stumbled upon him after a long time, he welcomed him into his home - but the more time passed, Jiro became more attached to the other, which distracted him from his original mission.

The man had expected to be satisfied with seeing him suffer, but that craving had now been replaced by a longing to be closer to him.

He now wanted to understand him better, know more about his past, and make him feel safe enough to open up.

He wanted to bridge the gap between them and create a deeper connection than they already shared.

He wanted to kiss and embrace him, drift off to sleep and wake up holding him in his arms.

Jiro had never expected to forgive his former bully so easily, but rather than looking back at his own pain and resentment, he finally chose to move on.

It made him almost tear up when he felt that light inside, something he had never experienced before - he welcomed all the warm and loving thoughts, realizing forgiveness was the only way to peace and healing.

He decided that sometimes plans have to be altered to achieve something even better, so he came up with an entirely different approach - the thought of loving him had certainly not crossed his mind before, but now he couldn't help but long for something more.

"I will make us fall in love," he promised himself.