[fanfic] second kiss
Title: second kiss
Fandom: Kuroko no Basket
Pairing: Akashi/Midorima
Warnings: none
Summary: Things only pick up after the first kiss.
[=]
Midorima had had his fair share of First Kisses. The kicker was that they were usually also the Only Kiss as well, because either he thought better of it or the other party thought better of it or a combination of many (perhaps astrological, he thought once when he was ruminating about it one night) factors that led to that outcome. But when it finally came down to the First Kiss that mattered - that mattered ever since his second year in middle school and he had been waiting for it for years and years - and Akashi Seijuro kissed him, things seemed to fall into place. It hadn't even been an official date or anything, Akashi had just come into Tokyo again for business after his father moved the family headquarters to Kyoto and they had gone out for dinner and afterwards, after two drinks apiece and they had taken a cab back to the hotel where Akashi was staying. Midorima saw Akashi to the door to the lobby, as his mother had raised him to do for any person he saw home, and Akashi had looked up at him, gratefulness in his red eyes, and leaned up slightly to kiss him on the mouth. He rode back home in the cab elated.
He laid in bed for an hour after his head hit the pillow and thought how joyful it was that the chances for that elusive Second Kiss had risen exponentially, at least at this trajectory.
A few days later, Akashi contacted him and informed him that his stay in Tokyo was going to be a little longer than originally planned, as unforeseen problems had arisen at the company. Midorima did not mind this explanation, even when it turned out to be true and not some flimsy fabrication Akashi fed him in an attempt to be coy. Akashi actually did not have much time for him in the following days. But Midorima kept his chin up; after all, with Akashi in the same city limits as him meant that that Second Kiss was a strong, strong possibility.
He wasn't surprised. Cancer had been regularly scoring low, so he knew it was just a waiting game.
On Tuesday, Cancer ranked fourth. Akashi called him two hours after he checked his horoscope for the second day, on another website to confirm his luck. "Would you like to get a late-night coffee with me tonight? I find myself having to retrain some of these people who managed to get hired by my father and if I don't take a break I'll probably strangle one of them."
"Of course," Midorima said. He thought about white porcelain cups and the sweet, sharp aroma of coffee. He thought of the contrast between white ceramic and deep brown coffee and pink lips. He thought about how Akashi's lips might taste bitter. They met in a late closing coffee bar in the heart of Tokyo, a result of cynical salarymen and western influence. The ambiance was quite underwhelming. Midorima began to feel anxiety, especially since he had been eagerly awaiting an opportunity. Lucky item aside, it was a toss up.
And anyway, Second Kisses were such treacherous territory regardless. The fact he was looking forward - or even anticipating, really - to the Second Kiss meant a gaggle of things that made his stomach flip even at twenty-four. Were they dating? Certainly not Dating. It was so uncertain. They were literally everything except kissing friends. Dazed, Midorima ordered a red eye and began to regret his decision immediately.
"Don't you have work early?" Akashi asked.
"Um," Midorima said. "I thought I could keep you company for a little while, I guess."
Akashi looked down at his Americano and blushed. Akashi Seijuro, the boy who had whipped him soundly in shogi in middle school and ran his basketball teams with an iron fist and cried at his high school graduation and insisted he did not when he found out Midorima was going to a university in the next prefecture over, was blushing. Midorima did not know Akashi's face could color in that kind of way. He felt his own face heat a little. "As long as I can without getting in your way," Midorima said quickly. "I don't know how much help I could be."
"You're plenty," Akashi assured him. He drank from a paper cup and the lid was pitch black against his mouth. Midorima should have known better; as a busy man, Akashi would not dilly dally his precious time drinking from actual coffee mugs. "Walk with me back to the office."
They did not speak for most of the walk. Midorima did not feel too bad about this; they spoke extensively in middle school but only often about game strategy. They were not particularly chatty men. He felt like he both knew so much and so little of Akashi it did not feel necessary. He was going to be up for a while, he thought as he drank from his red eye again. When they arrived back at the office, the security guard did not relent in the company's visitor policy after-hours. Midorima certainly had no business being there, even as a supporter or observer. "That's fine," he said when the guard asked for his credentials, even next to Akashi, the beloved son of the corporation. "I'll just take my leave. I don't want to trouble anyone."
"I'll see you out," Akashi offered. The lobby was a vast space of nice marble floors and a delicate fountain a ways from the elevators, where the guard stood. They walked past this fountain and in front of a set of lush green plants. "I'm sorry you had to drink that for nothing," Akashi said. Midorima would not believe his ears years ago at Akashi's apologizing, but it was not too unusual as of late. A lesser man would think an apology was a sign of weakness.
"I don't mind," Midorima said. Akashi's cup was empty. "I'll get that for you. There was a waste can out front." How silly of him, talking about trash. Akashi handed him the empty cup. "I hope you don't still feel like strangling someone."
"I don't think that feeling is going to go away anytime soon." They stood there for three beats before Midorima began thinking this was growing strange and awkward. The sound of water trickling from the fountain and the soft cough of the guard were the only indicators that there was anyone else in the lobby. "So," Midorima began.
"Bend down," Akashi said at the same time.
They looked at each other. Akashi's face was red again. Midorima assumed his was not too far off. The First Kiss had gone off so well and yet this was their predicament now. Midorima was a man of feeling and occasion, and he would have easily ducked out to pick another time to attempt, but one did not disobey Akashi Seijuro. He bowed his head and Akashi gave him a peck, almost familiar in the way children might. "There," Akashi said. "I think it's safe to assume we've both been thinking about that."
"Yeah," Midorima said.
"And so, it's done." Akashi practically scampered off to the elevators without looking behind him. Knowing him, Midorima suspected the red in his ears would go away by the time he faced his inept subordinates again. Outside, he threw out the red eye along with Akashi's empty cup. Even without the coffee, he thought he was probably not going to sleep any time soon anyway.