AsaKiku Gakuen AU
Title: AsaKiku GakuenAU
Pairing(s): England/Japan
Rating: PG/PG-13
Summary: Gakuen AU; Kiku finds Arthur working late in the Student Council office.
Complete?: Yep!
[20:33] iggymochi: Arthur slouched over his desk, scanning through the stacks of paperwork with a critical eye and scribbling notes into his notepad with a sigh. He'd been stuck alone in the council office for almost an hour, and although he knew that the work must be done, he couldn't help but glance a little wistfully out of the window... If only the President hadn't dumped this on him at the last minute!
[20:38] hondadesu: Kiku entered the council office to retrieve his spare jacket, having leant the other one to Im Yong Soo. He had already finished his work for the week, and he was surprised to see Arthur still at work, since the other boy was typically as meticulous as Kiku when it came to getting work done correctly and on time. He absently noted that it was probably work that the President had left undone, and approached the Vice President. "Ah, hello Arthur. Still working, I see."
[20:44] iggymochi: Arthur started, feeling slightly guilty for being caught staring out of the window (never mind the fact that he had only glanced, really) while there was still work to be done. He gave the other a tired smile and a small nod. "Ah, 'afternoon Kiku... What brings you here?" Of the members of the Student council, as eccentric a group as they were, Kiku was one of the calmer members and one who Arthur certainly got along well with. His weary smile grew a little as he regarded the other boy.
[20:53] hondadesu: "I leant my jacket to my brother; I was retrieving my spare one from my office." Kiku glanced over the work Arthur was doing. "If you would like, I would be glad to assist you in finishing the work, Arthur." Kiku smiled slightly at the blonde; his closest friend on the council. They simply got along better than with the other two boys; united by their shared interests in tea, quiet, and football.
[20:57] iggymochi: Arthur blinked. Although he knew Kiku to be a kind fellow, he had not expected to be offered help in his duties after he had already fulfilled his own. He frowned slightly - he did not want to burden the other, but was still grateful for the offer..."I couldn't possibly ask that of you; not when you've had so much to do already..."
[21:08] hondadesu: "It's fine, Arthur, I don't mind the work, and you have had much to do as well. Or am I incorrect in assuming that this is work that Alfred was supposed to do?" Kiku really did not mind the extra work, it would give him something to do while waiting for Yao, his roommate, and his boyfriend to stop kissing and touching and... Kiku blushed, and forced himself to abandon that train of thought, refocusing on the matter at hand.
[21:15] iggymochi: Arthur grinned sheepishly; nothing would get by Kiku it seemed. "Then I will gladly accept... Thank you."
Arthur missed the sight of Kiku's cheeks colouring as he shuffled the mess of papers on the table and retrieved the ones that Kiku had handed to Alfred only a few hours earlier. Pulling them out and trying to restore some order to the pages left, he cleared enough space on the area of table next to him and set them down. He nodded at the chair on the other side of the table, "Why don't you pull that around, and you can help me write up a draft for the summer festival proposal that you collected all of that data for? I'll make us some tea."
[21:30] hondadesu: Kiku dragged the indicated chair in the open space next to Arthur's and settled down to peruse the papers, reading them carefully despite a clear memory of the data they showed. "What kind of tea are you making?" Kiku asked; already beginning to contemplate possibilities for the festival.
[21:37] iggymochi: Giving Kiku a small smile as he rose from his own seat, he shuffled over to the kettle and filled it, bringing out two mugs from the cupboard next to the sink. "I'm afraid I only have some Earl Grey at the moment; I haven't been able to replace any of the others with how hectic everything has been lately...I hope that'll be alright?" He bustled by the sink, preparing the tea, but then realised just which mugs he had left (with Alfred regularly using the room he had not brought traditional cups and saucers for fear that they'd be smashed), though it was far too late to worry about that now! Cheeks burning, Arthur brought the mugs back to the table and set them down, the fairy one for himself and the unicorn one in front of Kiku.
[21:43] hondadesu: Kiku replied "That will be fine, thank you." While he would have preferred his own green tea, Arthur had been kind enough to make him the Earl Grey, so he would be polite. Kiku glanced at the mug design as he raised the steaming cup to his mouth, and stopped startled at the brightly coloured unicorn. Glancing bemusedly up at Arthur, who was bright red and clearly embarrassed, Kiku decided not to ask, and merely began to drink the offered tea, and returned to reading the data report.
[21:56] iggymochi: Arthur was grateful that Kiku hadn't commented on the mugs, though he was sure that his ears were burning now as well as his face... Arthur slid into his seat and took a long sip from his mug, feeling himself calming down as it slid down the back of his throat. He let out a content sigh and began to focus on his work again, finding himself quite glad of the quiet company that Kiku offered. Their progress was steadily silent for the most part, with only small interjections as they verified details; the kind of quiet that never lasted with the other two members of the council present. "Ah, did you manage to ask Vash about our maximum budget..?" Arthur enquired, turning to face the other.
[22:12] hondadesu: "I haven't yet, but I project that it will be somewhere around 74,000 yen." Kiku stopped to calculate briefly, and continued "which is around 500 pounds. [[A bit more than $800]]" He flipped through the stack of papers he was holding until he found the chart dealing with funding, and handed it to the other boy. However, a minor miscalculation of the space between them caused Kiku's hand to brush gently against Arthur's and the shock causing Kiku to leave his hand lingering on Arthur's.
[22:20] iggymochi: As Kiku mentioned the figures Arthur's mind automatically began to process the numbers, calculating the costs of the various components needed for the school-wide festival (not including Alfred's ridiculous suggestions, of course), absently holding out his hand for the papers that Kiku was currently looking for. His calculations, however, ground to a halt when Kiku's hand brushed his own in the lightest of touches. It froze there, just as Arthurs mind had frozen, and Arthur found himself gazing down at the point of contact. He could feel his cheeks beginning to heat again...
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Arthur took the papers gently from the other's grasp, trying to flick through it in a manner nonchalant enough not to betray the sudden pounding in his chest... He tried not to startle the other boy. After all, he was fond of him and did not want to give the impression of being revolted by the contact (or anything equally ridiculous).
[22:57] hondadesu: Kiku’s cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as he swiftly pulled his hand back in towards his body, and he attempted to resume working. However, his mind had other ideas. His thoughts constantly returned to how warm the other boy’s hand had been and how smooth his skin was; if possible Kiku’s face turned an even brighter shade of red, and his ears started to burn. He had enjoyed the contact, short as it was, and also treasured his time in the other boy's company …. Kiku’s brain flashed to what Yao and Ivan were currently doing and wondered for a split second what it would be like to kiss Arthur like that - would Arthur’s skin be as smooth elsewhere on his body, what would it feel like to run his fingers through Arthur’s hair - before moaning softly in embarrassment. ‘What would Arthur think of him now? Surely he was repulsed by the touch, simple as it had been.’ Kiku thought.
[23:17] iggymochi: Arthur could feel the silence between them growing awkward, rather than pleasant as the one that they had shared mere moments before... He tried to get his mind back on track, retracing the steps in his mind as he tried to remember what they had been talking about... No, even as he managed to do the sums in his head, a niggling thought at the back of his mind kept recalling those moments of contact...
Arthur cleared his throat again, attempting to get back to business... He looked back down at the proffered charts and said, his voice a little husky, "I believe from this, and our preliminary list of items to purchase, we should be well under budget if we allow Vash to find the best prices..." He turned to look at Kiku again, and his knee bumped against the other’s lightly, accidentally, as he did so.
[01:58] hondadesu: Kiku jumped as he felt Arthur’s knee brush against his, and turned to Arthur, looking to see if the contact was on purpose, to see if the other boy enjoyed teasing and tormenting him like this. Arthur had turned to look at him too, and they were too close; the blonde was near enough for Kiku to lean forward slightly and kiss him, and all of a sudden Kiku couldn’t take it anymore; he had to get out of there. “I’m sorry, Arthur-san, I’ll work on this and get it back to you tomorrow, I have to… I have to leave.” Kiku fled the room with the paper work clutched to his chest; his jacket abandoned in the office with the boy that made his heart beat faster and louder until it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
[01:58] hondadesu: He ran down hallways turning corners faster than he should have until he reached his haven, his sanctuary; the library. He slowed down as he approached the doors, catching his breath. He followed a familiar path through the shelves, toward a niche near the Asian history section of non-fiction; it was the closest place to home he had in this school: a comfortable couch, Asian inspired design and decoration, and peaceful serenity when he needed to think. No loud classmates, no brothers and their boyfriends, and no blonde British boys that made him breathless.
[02:11] iggymochi: As their knees bumped, Kiku had glanced up and Arthur barely registered how close they had become (had Kiku's eyelashes always been that long?) as he noticed Kiku's dark eyes on him; as if searching for something in his own green eyes...
He must have seen something there, for he suddenly backed up and scrambled for the door. Arthur barely made sense of Kiku's excuse as he dashed through the door, still stunned by the sensation of his heart in his throat, the warmth spreading through his body to the tips of his fingers and toes.
[02:23] iggymochi: Arthur snapped out of his stunned state of reverie as he heard the heavy doors of the council office slam shut. Leaping to his feet without a second thought, Arthur rushed out of the office and into the corridor... He let his gut lead him, allowing his legs to carry him in the direction of the library. In his panicked state he did not stop to question the instinct (though if he had he would still have thought it a sound conclusion knowing his friend as he did), though it did not help him when he arrived there...
His heart was still leaping out of his chest as he trudged down the rows of shelves, not quite understanding what was happening but still certain that it was imperative that he follow Kiku… What had caused him to flee? Had he done something wrong...?
He had almost given up hope of finding the Asian when he spotted him through the shelves. He approached him quietly and crouched in front of the sofa he sat on, bringing their eyes level; effectively cornering the other, though Arthurs gaze was soft.
[02:52] hondadesu: Kiku sat on the couch, trying to calm his heartbeat, wondering how he’d ever face Arthur ever again. He heard footsteps approaching, and Arthur knelt into his field of vision. Kiku’s heart resumed its frenzied beat as he looked into Arthur’s eyes. He wanted to look away in shame, but he was completely incapable of breaking away from the other boy’s emerald green eyes; they gazed back at him wonderingly. He couldn’t speak, the memories of their brief touches in the office flooding him with heat, and he was ashamed to find that not all of it was embarrassment; some part of him wanted more, wanted Arthur to kiss him, touch him, and love him. These final thoughts broke the spell Arthur’s eyes cast on him, and Kiku turned away from the other boy.
[03:06] iggymochi: Kiku broke eye contact and Arthur sighed to himself; although the other boy's face had been flushed, he hadn't looked as though he had wanted him to leave him be, but as he turned away the blond was not so sure.... He couldn't help the slight hurt that flitted across his features.
Reaching out, Arthur took Kiku's chin into his hand and gently guided it around to face him again. He gazed at the other imploringly, willing him not to turn away again.
Shifting his feet slightly so that he could prop himself up against the sofa rather than balancing precariously on his toes, Arthur brought his face closer to Kiku’s once again. His voice was ever so soft, worried that one wrong word would mean that he'd lose the other... The very thought sent an unwelcome pang through his heart. "Kiku...”
[04:07] hondadesu: Kiku slowly turned his head back toward Arthur, partially because of Arthur’s guiding hand and light touch, but Kiku was not resisting. His eyes ran over the lines of Arthur’s face, lines he had memorized from hours of gazing wistfully at the other boy. And the wall in Kiku’s heart crumbled to the ground; he reached out gently and caressed Arthur’s cheek, stroking the skin, feeling the warmth and texture of the other’s smooth skin. “Arthur, I …” Kiku trailed off, unsure what to say to avoid losing Arthur, trying to not be forward.
[04:23] iggymochi: Arthur met Kiku's eyes, feeling some sort of invisible barrier fall away between them as he felt Kiku's soft palm graze his cheek and linger. His confidence returned in a surge with the small gesture; his eyes brimming with trust as he gazed back. He let his thumb run across the edge of Kiku's jaw soothingly as he spoke in comforting tones. "Yes..? You can tell me anything, Kiku..."
[04:54] hondadesu: “Arthur... I.” Kiku paused, “I care about you, a lot, as more than a friend, and more than a vice president, and I...” Kiku took a moment to reassure himself, he told himself that Arthur has stayed here this long, he must feel the same way. He held Arthur’s hand against his cheek anyway, in part to comfort himself and in part to give himself the illusion that he could hold Arthur here if the blonde decided to run away. When he continues, his voice has fallen to a whisper “I think... I might love you, Arthur.” Kiku’s voice trailed off as he braced himself for Arthur’s response, terrified of rejection and even more afraid of losing his closest friend.
[05:13] iggymochi: Arthur could only listen in awe as the words fell from Kiku's lips, barely daring to believe what he heard. Of course he was fond of the other boy, but as soon as he felt his feelings develop into something deeper than friendship he had locked away his heart, believing that those feelings would never be reciprocated. Feeling Kiku's hands resting above his own, however, he had to conclude that it was indeed happening.
Arthur brought his other hand up from where it had braced his weight against the sofa to cup Kiku's other cheek, guiding his face again so that their foreheads touched and he could feel the other’s erratic breath feather against his skin.
He couldn't stop a rather impish grin from forming on his lips as he finally breathed, "Kiku; I rather think I love you too."
Eyelids fluttering slightly, Arthur tilted his head, and pressed his lips to Kiku's.
[17:01] hondadesu: Kiku had thought that his heart couldn’t beat any faster, but as Arthur kissed him it sped up, beating like a drum against Arthur’s chest. Kiku’s hands ran through Arthur’s hair and gently held the blonde’s head in place, not wanting the kiss to end.
Kiku lost himself in the sensation of kissing Arthur, one he had only dreamed of; he didn’t care that they were in public, that anyone could have walked by and seen them. Kiku opened his mouth, inviting Arthur’s tongue, and all of a sudden he could taste tea, saltwater, and a grass-like taste that reminds him of the rolling green hills of the other boy’s, no, he corrected himself, his love’s homeland.
[18:00] mapleisinluv: Stepping quietly, Matthew Williams entered the library. He was looking for a quiet place to read a book, and he thought it was very suitable for that. He went slowly to one of the chairs near the tables and sat there. Then, he got his book and looked across the room. Then, he saw something in the corner. His cousin in particular. Kissing with someone. Matthew didn't see the other face, but he just took the book from one of the shelves and thought: "Aw, let Arthur kiss someone. I love someone else anyway". Then he put his face in a book and began to read.
[15:51] iggymochi: Kiku's soft lips moved against his own, Arthur still almost unable to believe that this was actually happening. He felt Kiku thread his fingers into his sandy hair, and moved one of his own hands down to rest on the other's back. He was almost startled as he felt Kiku’s lips part against his own, not expecting the other to take the initiative. It was a welcome surprise though; he savoured the flavour of the green tea he often found Kiku drinking, a hint of sweetness, a sharp pang of something spicy underlying it all combining to be so unmistakably Kiku...
Arthur pulled back somewhat reluctantly for air, gazing back at the Asian, breathless and with flushed cheeks.
[16:12] hondadesu: Kiku felt a momentary pang of disappointment as Arthur drew away, but that faded quickly as he realized that they were still in the library. “Arthur, we shouldn’t be doing this here! We’re in public!” Kiku whispers frantically. “And we have work to finish!” he cries.
Kiku grabs a hold of Arthur’s hand and begins to lead him back to the student council office. As the silence deepens, Kiku searches for something to say, anything to end the silence, and settles for a teasing “Please take responsibility for your actions, Arthur”. The minute it leaves his mouth Kiku is surprised to find that what was meant as a joke is actually at least partly serious. He does want Arthur to take responsibility, to be his… boyfriend.
[17:07] iggymochi: Arthur couldn't help a small smile as he saw Kiku's expression change as he registered just where they were; his slightly scandalised expression was adorable. He beamed as Kiku took his hand and tugged on it insistently, leading him out of the library...
Kiku's palm wasn't as soft as he'd perhaps expected, though Arthur had to shake his head at the folly of that thought; as soft spoken as Kiku tended to be he was still well known for his prowess in the martial arts.
Arthur was startled out of his musings as he heard Kiku remark lightly; his cheeks heated at the implication and he almost missed the slightly teasing note his voice took on.
But regarding that... he glanced at their entwined hands for a moment before tightening his grip slightly.
[17:19] iggymochi: Now it was his turn to lead as he strode to the council room again, Kiku trailing uncertainly behind him. He had left the door open in his haste to find the other earlier, and this proved a blessing as he pulled Kiku into his arms and shut the door.
Bringing his head down so that it rested on Kiku's shoulder, he finally gave his reply; "I'd like nothing more."
[19:38] hondadesu: Kiku blushed when he felt the Arthur’s hand tighten around his, and followed in slight confusion as the other boy lead him into the council office. Kiku’s mind whirled as Arthur shut the door and embraced him; thoughts of joy, embarrassment and hope spun through his head. When Arthur spoke “I’d like nothing more,” Kiku smiled shyly before giving Arthur a brief kiss to show how happy the response made him; clutching the blonde to his body, not wanting to give up the heat, the comfort, the feeling of being the most important person in someone else’s world. “Arthur… I want to…” Kiku paused; too embarrassed about being forward to properly express what he wanted the other boy to do to him. Kiku’s voice dropped to a whisper as he murmured in Arthur’s ear “Will you kiss me again? Like you did in the library?”
[20:00] iggymochi: Arthur had to lean forwards slightly to catch the muted, embarrassed tone of Kiku's voice, but smirked when he heard what was said.
"It would be my pleasure."