Fic: Freshman Fifteen (Prince of Tennis, MomoKai)
Title: Freshman Fifteen
Pairing: MomoKai
Rating: R
Word count: 3000
Summary: High school's over, and Momo's slacking off.
Notes: A little MomoKai written for prillalar to promote good will for rivals everywhere :D.
Freshman Fifteen
Kikumaru grabbed him around the neck and crushed his ear. "University is so much better than high school," he said. "Wait until you meet everyone! We can be roommates!"
Momo was glad he was living at home. He'd even rather room with Inui, juice and all, except Inui was at Todai, and the only other team member going to Seishun was Ikeda, and Ikeda was a neat freak.
"Where's Kaidoh?" Kikumaru asked, glancing around the restaurant.
"He said he'd be here," Momo said.
Inui pushed up his glasses. "Kaidoh left for the bathroom six minutes ago."
Kikumaru rolled his eyes, and Momo took the opportunity to duck under his arm.
Kaidoh was still in the bathroom. "What are you doing in here, snake?" Momo said, washing his hands at the sink next to him and shouldering him out of the way to get a towel.
"Idiot," Kaidoh said. "Everyone's outside."
"So?" Momo said, and bumped him again. Kaidoh hissed and pushed back, until Momo figured he had enough of an excuse to push Kaidoh back against the door and kiss him. Kaidoh let him for a few seconds, his breath hot and then minty from Momo's gum, before shoving him off.
"You're disgusting," Kaidoh said, spitting Momo's gum into the trash.
Momo grinned.
Fuji came in to wash his hands. "When do you start at Keio?" he asked Kaidoh.
Kaidoh ducked his head and mumbled something that Momo couldn't hear. It was annoying, particularly since Kaidoh refused to even talk about it, like it was all some big secret Momo wasn't in on.
"Momo!" Kikumaru said, when Momo left the bathroom. "Come settle something for us." He and Inui were arguing about the migration pattern of geese. At least that's what Momo thought they were talking about. Possibly it was girls. Maybe he needed better friends.
Inui left an hour later, then Fuji. "I have to go, too," Kaidoh said, so Momo followed him out even though his bus stop was the other way and it was two degrees outside.
"Are you seriously going running tomorrow?" Momo asked, as they turned down the street to Kaidoh's house. He shoved his hands in his coat pockets. He wished he hadn't forgotten his gloves again.
"Just because you're slacking off," Kaidoh said.
"Who's slacking off?" Momo said, even though it was mostly true. Whatever. He didn't need Kaidoh to tell him. His hands were still cold, so he stuck them under his armpits.
"Here," Kaidoh said, and shoved a fistful of wool into his stomach. "You look like an ostrich."
Momo put them on. Kaidoh's mom bought the best gloves, with the really soft wool, not the scratchy kind. "You don't even know what an ostrich looks like," he said.
"I know it looks like you," Kaidoh said.
It was too cold to talk anymore, and Kaidoh didn't live far. When they reached his house, Kaidoh paused and got a weird look on his face.
"So, um," Kaidoh said. His face scrunched up like an old man's. Momo wondered if he was going to be sick. Maybe Taka-san's sushi skills weren't so great after all. "I guess I'll see you around."
"Keio's not that far away," Momo said. "I can't believe you're going to miss me that much."
"I'm not going to miss your big mouth," Kaidoh said, but at least now he looked like he wanted to punch Momo, which was better than that weird sick look.
Momo pulled off the gloves. "Here," he said. His breath came out in white puffs. His toes were frozen into tiny icicles. "I better get home."
"Idiot," Kaidoh said, opening the house gate. "You might as well keep them."
****
Kikumaru was right, college was a million times better than high school. Momo skipped three classes his first week and the teachers didn't seem to care. Then he felt guilty, because his mom kept asking about them, so he mostly went after that. Still, it was nice to know he didn't have to.
He texted Kaidoh:
college is sweet
Kaidioh texted back:
try studying sometime
He joined the tennis team, but picking up tennis balls and carrying water sucked without someone to gripe at. He liked the other team members but it wasn’t the same.
He called Kaidoh. "I know you're bored without me there."
"Do you know what time it is?" Kaidoh said.
Momo craned his neck to look at the clock, but it was the wrong angle and he'd have to move to see it. He held his phone away from his ear to check the screen. "Oh. Whoops."
Kaidoh hissed, but it was only a category two hiss: annoyed, but mostly reflex. Probably Kaidoh hadn't even been sleeping.
"Are you coming home for Golden Week?"
"No," Kaidoh said. "My parents are going to my aunt's. Why?"
"Moron," Momo said. "I figured we could do something. Play tennis. I'll kick your ass in a match."
"Sure," Kaidoh said. "And monkeys will fly." There was a pause. "You could, uh. You could come here if you wanted."
"You really are bored without me," Momo said, and Kaidoh made a sound that was maybe a category three hiss, so he added, "Sure, I could do that."
Kaidoh emailed him directions from the train station, even though Momo knew how to read a map. He sent his dorm building number, too, which turned out to be a squat white building in a quiet residential neighborhood.
"We're not supposed to have guests," Kaidoh said, when he met him at the front door. "But my RA said it was okay."
"Breaking rules already, mamushi," Momo said.
"Shut up," Kaidoh said, turning red.
Kaidoh's dorm room was ridiculously and unsurprisingly neat. Even his model Kamen Rider collection was in an ordered row on the top of the bookshelf, but then under it was a row of thick stuffy Japanese literature books and a biography of a music artist Momo had never heard of.
He dropped his backpack on the bed, and that was kind of weird, too, because they'd never actually been alone all night in a place without either his or Kaidoh's parents a short distance away. He wondered if Kaidoh was thinking about that, too, but Kaidoh just said, “Come on.”
Kaidoh showed him around campus, which was fine for a bunch of old buildings, then they went to a coffee shop for tea and snacks. A guy came over who knew Kaidoh, and they started talking about some class they shared, Meiji literature or something else equally boring, so Momo pulled out his phone to play Dragon Quest Mobile, fist-pumping when he gained a level. Kaidoh's friend looked over like he was some kind of freak. "You guys are friends?"
"Not really," Kaidoh said.
"Hey!" Momo said.
Kaidoh treated him to ramen after that, which really was the least he could do. And then they were back in Kaidoh’s room.
"So, um," Momo said.
"The showers are still open," Kaidoh said, red and scowling like all this sudden awkwardness was Momo's fault.
Momo wasn't sure that would make things better, particularly since the shower attendant kept glaring at Momo suspiciously. And he couldn't help glancing over at Kaidoh, even though he'd seen Kaidoh in the shower hundreds of times. It made him feel like a pervert. Then he caught Kaidoh looking, too. Ha.
Back in Kaidoh's room, clean and squeaky and with soap in his ear, Momo surveyed the bed. It was pretty narrow. All the awkwardness was back.
"We could put the mattress on the floor," Kaidoh said.
"Okay," Momo said, and they wrestled it down. "So, um," he said, but then Kaidoh made an irritable sound and grabbed Momo by the back of his neck, and after the first painful bump of teeth they were kissing.
Momo'd forgotten how nice it was to kiss Kaidoh. Girls were cool and soft and pretty, and Kaidoh was all angles and hard planes. Kaidoh's shoulder was hot under Momo's hand. He liked the way Kaidoh kissed, even though it was messy and made Momo's jaw ache, because sometimes he just wanted to dig his way into Kaidoh to figure out how he worked. Kaidoh kind of made Momo crazy.
They ended up on the mattress. Kaidoh smelled like soap. His hair was damp under Momo's fingers, and stuck to them when Momo tightened his fist a little.
"Do you want to, uh," Kaidoh said, not looking at Momo.
"Yeah," Momo said.
He scooted down and tugged Kaidoh's towel free. Kaidoh's stomach contracted. They'd never done this before, though Momo had thought about it. Kaidoh hissed when Momo licked the head of his dick and arched up when he closed his mouth over it.
It was salty and a little soapy, and maybe it wasn't the best thing Momo'd ever done, but the sounds Kaidoh was making kind of were. He tried to take in more of it and give a little suction, because that's what he would want, and Kaidoh seemed to like it, too.
Kaidoh said, sounding hoarse, "I'm going to."
Momo pulled off rapidly, because he didn't want that.
"Asshole," Kaidoh hissed
"Whatever," Momo said. "You couldn't pay me to do that." He fisted Kaidoh's dick, and Kaidoh finally shut up when Momo kissed him, and then Kaidoh was banging his hips against Momo's hand and coming messily between them.
"Your turn," Momo said, wiping his hand on Kaidoh's towel.
"Mmm," Kaidoh said, staring up at the ceiling like he wasn't about to move anytime soon. Momo elbowed him, and Kaidoh's eyes narrowed. "Fine," he said, then flipped Momo on his back and scooted his shoulders under Momo's legs, and Momo knew why Kaidoh had been making those sounds before.
It was pretty much the best thing that had ever happened to him. Kaidoh's mouth made all these sweet sucking sounds, and Momo knew he was making embarrassing sounds, too. Everything built up and built up. "Hey, um," he said, not quite getting the words out, but Kaidoh just sucked harder, and it really was freaking fantastic when he came.
Kaidoh wiped the back of his mouth with his hand.
"Show off," Momo said.
“Not everyone’s a wimp,” Kaidoh said. He found the blanket, which didn't quite cover both of them, but Momo was warm with all the heat Kaidoh put out, the metabolic freak. He wondered what Kaidoh would do if he spooned him, then decided it was safest not to find out.
The next day Kaidoh walked him to the train station. "So, uh," he said.
Everything that ran through Momo's head sounded pathetic. Call me made him sound desperate. Thanks was just weird. He didn't know why he even cared-it was just Kaidoh. He'd never had to think about what to say before. "See you," he said. "Don't study too hard."
It was beyond lame, but Kaidoh didn't seem to mind.
****
Kaidoh didn't call. He didn't call for three weeks. Momo wondered if he was supposed to call-what was the etiquette for something like this? He pulled out his phone and stared at it, thumb on his contact list.
It rang.
It was Tachibana An. "The theater downtown is showing Juon tonight. Do you want to go?"
"Sure," Momo said, because he was never one to let a girl see a movie alone. Besides, he’d never be able to talk anyone else into seeing it.
He bought An popcorn and an ice cream for him. It was warm in the theater so he spent all the opening scenes licking ice cream before it could get all over his hand. An grabbed his arm at the first scary part, and Momo didn’t mind or anything, but it made him wonder. It wasn’t like they'd never gone to the movies before. Or went for dinner or coffee, and there was that time she got tickets to the Japan Open and Momo had to sit next to Kamio the whole match, because for some reason she'd invited both of them.
After the movie, it was nice enough out to walk to the train station rather than taking the bus. An linked her arm through his. "You're free for dinner, right?" she said.
Maybe this actually was a date. "Er, sure," Momo said. He kind of liked how she snuggled up against him, her arm warm against his side. He bet kissing An would be a lot nicer than stupid, non-calling Kaidoh.
"Great!" she said. "I told Syusuke to meet us after the movie. He doesn't like horror, you know." She slipped her arm from Momo's and skipped ahead. "Oh, there he is. Syusuke!" she called, and there was Fuji, smiling and waving and leaning down for An's hug.
"Did you know Fuji and Tachibana An were dating?" Momo asked Kikumaru at the university dining hall the next day.
"Everyone knows that,” Kikumaru said.
Fuji called a few weeks later, but it was just to invite him to a party at his new apartment. Kikumaru brought beer. "Here," he said, thrusting one of them in Momo's hand. It was wet from condensation and kind of slippery, and Momo switched it to his other hand to wipe his hand on his jeans.
He didn't know most of the people crammed into the apartment-Fuji had a lot of friends-but then he saw Inui and even Oishi, who he hadn't seen in three years. Momo headed over to them, then Inui moved and there was Kaidoh.
Kaidoh didn't seem to have seen him. Momo ducked behind a fern, but it only came up to his waist. Kaidoh held an unopened beer like it would bite him before putting on the side table that held the fern Momo was hiding behind.
"Uh," Momo said. "Hey."
"Hey," Kaidoh said. Someone jostled Momo from behind and his beer sloshed over his hand and onto the floor. Now his hand was all wet and he had no idea what to say.
"I better," Momo said, gesturing to the kitchen, and Kaidoh's face closed up.
"Sure," Kaidoh said. "I better, uh, yeah." He turned and walked away.
Momo drained his beer then hunted down Kikumaru for another.
Sometime later, he found himself on Fuji's couch. Inui sat on the arm next to him, taking notes. Kikumaru was there next, talking to him about something Momo didn’t understand, then Fuji, and he really didn’t understand what Fuji was saying. He got used to moving his legs so people could walk by.
Kaidoh sat next to him.
"I can't believe you're drunk," Kaidoh said.
"I'm just resting," Momo said. “How is Keio?”
Kaidoh didn't answer right away. "Fine," he said.
"So what are you doing back?"
"We’re on break, moron," Kaidoh said. He leaned back on the couch, and it was nice hanging out with Kaidoh again like they were back in high school, leading the tennis team, except that nothing was the same and this Kaidoh had moved on.
It was all very depressing. "So we're not, I guess, anymore," he said.
"You're even more of an idiot drunk," Kaidoh said, but Momo thought he looked kind of sad, too.
Then Kikumaru was shaking him awake.
"Ugh, what," Momo said, because his head felt like Kikumaru was hitting it with a hammer.
"Rise and shine, Momoshiro," Kikumaru said.
Fuji made them breakfast. It didn't help Momo's head, and for the first time he could remember in his life, he wasn’t hungry.
Kikumaru helped himself to Momo’s breakfast. “Fuji makes the best tamagoyaki.”
“You can finish mine,” Momo said.
****
When he finally did call, it rang five times before Kaidoh picked up. "What do you want?" Kaidoh said.
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Momo said, and there was a long silence. Fuck. “I mean, um. What are you doing tomorrow?”
"I'm going running," Kaidoh said.
Of course he was. "How about after?"
“Afraid of a few miles?” Kaidoh said. “Maybe you should stay in better shape.”
“I’m in perfect shape,” Momo said.
"Then meet me at the park at seven," Kaidoh said.
Kaidoh was jogging in place when Momo showed up. He glared at Momo, even though Momo was only six minutes late.
"Blame the bus," Momo said, but Kaidoh just turned and started jogging down the park path.
Kaidoh was right; Momo really was out of shape. His tennis team workout was light compared to what they did in high school, and he didn't have Kaidoh's masochistic streak to do it all on his own.
He kept up for the first mile, then Kaidoh started inching ahead. Momo's lungs caught on fire and starting eating him from the inside out, and he would have given anything to stop except that it was Kaidoh. So he made up the lost inches and stuck it through another mile, and after that it wasn't so bad.
He was still glad as anything when Kaidoh finally stopped. Momo's legs gave out and he stared up at the sky feeling like he'd never be able to move, ever.
Kaidoh sat down next to him. "You drink too much,” he said. “That was only four miles.”
Momo was pretty sure he'd be able to breathe again, but for now it was still touch and go. "I’ll be fine in a minute,” he said. “And I don’t drink. Except for, you know.”
“Shut up,” Kaidoh said, but he stretched out on the ground next to him.
They were both sweaty and gross, and Momo couldn't move, but he kind of wanted to kiss him.
"So are we going to do this?" Kaidoh said, after a couple of minutes.
"I don't know," Momo said. He knew Kaidoh wasn't talking about the run. "Do you want to?"
Kaidoh was silent a bit, and Momo's stomach dropped. Then finally: "Yeah."
"Okay," Momo said. "I mean, yeah, me too."
"Next time call," Kaidoh said.
"Hey! You could have called too," Momo said, flicking the back of Kaidoh's wrist, which was the most he could manage.
"Come on," Kaidoh said. "We still have two more miles to go."
“In your dreams,” Momo said. “I’m not moving.”
“Slacker,” Kaidoh said, and Momo grinned.
“Yeah,” he said.
END
Pairing: MomoKai
Rating: R
Word count: 3000
Summary: High school's over, and Momo's slacking off.
Notes: A little MomoKai written for prillalar to promote good will for rivals everywhere :D.
Freshman Fifteen
Kikumaru grabbed him around the neck and crushed his ear. "University is so much better than high school," he said. "Wait until you meet everyone! We can be roommates!"
Momo was glad he was living at home. He'd even rather room with Inui, juice and all, except Inui was at Todai, and the only other team member going to Seishun was Ikeda, and Ikeda was a neat freak.
"Where's Kaidoh?" Kikumaru asked, glancing around the restaurant.
"He said he'd be here," Momo said.
Inui pushed up his glasses. "Kaidoh left for the bathroom six minutes ago."
Kikumaru rolled his eyes, and Momo took the opportunity to duck under his arm.
Kaidoh was still in the bathroom. "What are you doing in here, snake?" Momo said, washing his hands at the sink next to him and shouldering him out of the way to get a towel.
"Idiot," Kaidoh said. "Everyone's outside."
"So?" Momo said, and bumped him again. Kaidoh hissed and pushed back, until Momo figured he had enough of an excuse to push Kaidoh back against the door and kiss him. Kaidoh let him for a few seconds, his breath hot and then minty from Momo's gum, before shoving him off.
"You're disgusting," Kaidoh said, spitting Momo's gum into the trash.
Momo grinned.
Fuji came in to wash his hands. "When do you start at Keio?" he asked Kaidoh.
Kaidoh ducked his head and mumbled something that Momo couldn't hear. It was annoying, particularly since Kaidoh refused to even talk about it, like it was all some big secret Momo wasn't in on.
"Momo!" Kikumaru said, when Momo left the bathroom. "Come settle something for us." He and Inui were arguing about the migration pattern of geese. At least that's what Momo thought they were talking about. Possibly it was girls. Maybe he needed better friends.
Inui left an hour later, then Fuji. "I have to go, too," Kaidoh said, so Momo followed him out even though his bus stop was the other way and it was two degrees outside.
"Are you seriously going running tomorrow?" Momo asked, as they turned down the street to Kaidoh's house. He shoved his hands in his coat pockets. He wished he hadn't forgotten his gloves again.
"Just because you're slacking off," Kaidoh said.
"Who's slacking off?" Momo said, even though it was mostly true. Whatever. He didn't need Kaidoh to tell him. His hands were still cold, so he stuck them under his armpits.
"Here," Kaidoh said, and shoved a fistful of wool into his stomach. "You look like an ostrich."
Momo put them on. Kaidoh's mom bought the best gloves, with the really soft wool, not the scratchy kind. "You don't even know what an ostrich looks like," he said.
"I know it looks like you," Kaidoh said.
It was too cold to talk anymore, and Kaidoh didn't live far. When they reached his house, Kaidoh paused and got a weird look on his face.
"So, um," Kaidoh said. His face scrunched up like an old man's. Momo wondered if he was going to be sick. Maybe Taka-san's sushi skills weren't so great after all. "I guess I'll see you around."
"Keio's not that far away," Momo said. "I can't believe you're going to miss me that much."
"I'm not going to miss your big mouth," Kaidoh said, but at least now he looked like he wanted to punch Momo, which was better than that weird sick look.
Momo pulled off the gloves. "Here," he said. His breath came out in white puffs. His toes were frozen into tiny icicles. "I better get home."
"Idiot," Kaidoh said, opening the house gate. "You might as well keep them."
****
Kikumaru was right, college was a million times better than high school. Momo skipped three classes his first week and the teachers didn't seem to care. Then he felt guilty, because his mom kept asking about them, so he mostly went after that. Still, it was nice to know he didn't have to.
He texted Kaidoh:
college is sweet
Kaidioh texted back:
try studying sometime
He joined the tennis team, but picking up tennis balls and carrying water sucked without someone to gripe at. He liked the other team members but it wasn’t the same.
He called Kaidoh. "I know you're bored without me there."
"Do you know what time it is?" Kaidoh said.
Momo craned his neck to look at the clock, but it was the wrong angle and he'd have to move to see it. He held his phone away from his ear to check the screen. "Oh. Whoops."
Kaidoh hissed, but it was only a category two hiss: annoyed, but mostly reflex. Probably Kaidoh hadn't even been sleeping.
"Are you coming home for Golden Week?"
"No," Kaidoh said. "My parents are going to my aunt's. Why?"
"Moron," Momo said. "I figured we could do something. Play tennis. I'll kick your ass in a match."
"Sure," Kaidoh said. "And monkeys will fly." There was a pause. "You could, uh. You could come here if you wanted."
"You really are bored without me," Momo said, and Kaidoh made a sound that was maybe a category three hiss, so he added, "Sure, I could do that."
Kaidoh emailed him directions from the train station, even though Momo knew how to read a map. He sent his dorm building number, too, which turned out to be a squat white building in a quiet residential neighborhood.
"We're not supposed to have guests," Kaidoh said, when he met him at the front door. "But my RA said it was okay."
"Breaking rules already, mamushi," Momo said.
"Shut up," Kaidoh said, turning red.
Kaidoh's dorm room was ridiculously and unsurprisingly neat. Even his model Kamen Rider collection was in an ordered row on the top of the bookshelf, but then under it was a row of thick stuffy Japanese literature books and a biography of a music artist Momo had never heard of.
He dropped his backpack on the bed, and that was kind of weird, too, because they'd never actually been alone all night in a place without either his or Kaidoh's parents a short distance away. He wondered if Kaidoh was thinking about that, too, but Kaidoh just said, “Come on.”
Kaidoh showed him around campus, which was fine for a bunch of old buildings, then they went to a coffee shop for tea and snacks. A guy came over who knew Kaidoh, and they started talking about some class they shared, Meiji literature or something else equally boring, so Momo pulled out his phone to play Dragon Quest Mobile, fist-pumping when he gained a level. Kaidoh's friend looked over like he was some kind of freak. "You guys are friends?"
"Not really," Kaidoh said.
"Hey!" Momo said.
Kaidoh treated him to ramen after that, which really was the least he could do. And then they were back in Kaidoh’s room.
"So, um," Momo said.
"The showers are still open," Kaidoh said, red and scowling like all this sudden awkwardness was Momo's fault.
Momo wasn't sure that would make things better, particularly since the shower attendant kept glaring at Momo suspiciously. And he couldn't help glancing over at Kaidoh, even though he'd seen Kaidoh in the shower hundreds of times. It made him feel like a pervert. Then he caught Kaidoh looking, too. Ha.
Back in Kaidoh's room, clean and squeaky and with soap in his ear, Momo surveyed the bed. It was pretty narrow. All the awkwardness was back.
"We could put the mattress on the floor," Kaidoh said.
"Okay," Momo said, and they wrestled it down. "So, um," he said, but then Kaidoh made an irritable sound and grabbed Momo by the back of his neck, and after the first painful bump of teeth they were kissing.
Momo'd forgotten how nice it was to kiss Kaidoh. Girls were cool and soft and pretty, and Kaidoh was all angles and hard planes. Kaidoh's shoulder was hot under Momo's hand. He liked the way Kaidoh kissed, even though it was messy and made Momo's jaw ache, because sometimes he just wanted to dig his way into Kaidoh to figure out how he worked. Kaidoh kind of made Momo crazy.
They ended up on the mattress. Kaidoh smelled like soap. His hair was damp under Momo's fingers, and stuck to them when Momo tightened his fist a little.
"Do you want to, uh," Kaidoh said, not looking at Momo.
"Yeah," Momo said.
He scooted down and tugged Kaidoh's towel free. Kaidoh's stomach contracted. They'd never done this before, though Momo had thought about it. Kaidoh hissed when Momo licked the head of his dick and arched up when he closed his mouth over it.
It was salty and a little soapy, and maybe it wasn't the best thing Momo'd ever done, but the sounds Kaidoh was making kind of were. He tried to take in more of it and give a little suction, because that's what he would want, and Kaidoh seemed to like it, too.
Kaidoh said, sounding hoarse, "I'm going to."
Momo pulled off rapidly, because he didn't want that.
"Asshole," Kaidoh hissed
"Whatever," Momo said. "You couldn't pay me to do that." He fisted Kaidoh's dick, and Kaidoh finally shut up when Momo kissed him, and then Kaidoh was banging his hips against Momo's hand and coming messily between them.
"Your turn," Momo said, wiping his hand on Kaidoh's towel.
"Mmm," Kaidoh said, staring up at the ceiling like he wasn't about to move anytime soon. Momo elbowed him, and Kaidoh's eyes narrowed. "Fine," he said, then flipped Momo on his back and scooted his shoulders under Momo's legs, and Momo knew why Kaidoh had been making those sounds before.
It was pretty much the best thing that had ever happened to him. Kaidoh's mouth made all these sweet sucking sounds, and Momo knew he was making embarrassing sounds, too. Everything built up and built up. "Hey, um," he said, not quite getting the words out, but Kaidoh just sucked harder, and it really was freaking fantastic when he came.
Kaidoh wiped the back of his mouth with his hand.
"Show off," Momo said.
“Not everyone’s a wimp,” Kaidoh said. He found the blanket, which didn't quite cover both of them, but Momo was warm with all the heat Kaidoh put out, the metabolic freak. He wondered what Kaidoh would do if he spooned him, then decided it was safest not to find out.
The next day Kaidoh walked him to the train station. "So, uh," he said.
Everything that ran through Momo's head sounded pathetic. Call me made him sound desperate. Thanks was just weird. He didn't know why he even cared-it was just Kaidoh. He'd never had to think about what to say before. "See you," he said. "Don't study too hard."
It was beyond lame, but Kaidoh didn't seem to mind.
****
Kaidoh didn't call. He didn't call for three weeks. Momo wondered if he was supposed to call-what was the etiquette for something like this? He pulled out his phone and stared at it, thumb on his contact list.
It rang.
It was Tachibana An. "The theater downtown is showing Juon tonight. Do you want to go?"
"Sure," Momo said, because he was never one to let a girl see a movie alone. Besides, he’d never be able to talk anyone else into seeing it.
He bought An popcorn and an ice cream for him. It was warm in the theater so he spent all the opening scenes licking ice cream before it could get all over his hand. An grabbed his arm at the first scary part, and Momo didn’t mind or anything, but it made him wonder. It wasn’t like they'd never gone to the movies before. Or went for dinner or coffee, and there was that time she got tickets to the Japan Open and Momo had to sit next to Kamio the whole match, because for some reason she'd invited both of them.
After the movie, it was nice enough out to walk to the train station rather than taking the bus. An linked her arm through his. "You're free for dinner, right?" she said.
Maybe this actually was a date. "Er, sure," Momo said. He kind of liked how she snuggled up against him, her arm warm against his side. He bet kissing An would be a lot nicer than stupid, non-calling Kaidoh.
"Great!" she said. "I told Syusuke to meet us after the movie. He doesn't like horror, you know." She slipped her arm from Momo's and skipped ahead. "Oh, there he is. Syusuke!" she called, and there was Fuji, smiling and waving and leaning down for An's hug.
"Did you know Fuji and Tachibana An were dating?" Momo asked Kikumaru at the university dining hall the next day.
"Everyone knows that,” Kikumaru said.
Fuji called a few weeks later, but it was just to invite him to a party at his new apartment. Kikumaru brought beer. "Here," he said, thrusting one of them in Momo's hand. It was wet from condensation and kind of slippery, and Momo switched it to his other hand to wipe his hand on his jeans.
He didn't know most of the people crammed into the apartment-Fuji had a lot of friends-but then he saw Inui and even Oishi, who he hadn't seen in three years. Momo headed over to them, then Inui moved and there was Kaidoh.
Kaidoh didn't seem to have seen him. Momo ducked behind a fern, but it only came up to his waist. Kaidoh held an unopened beer like it would bite him before putting on the side table that held the fern Momo was hiding behind.
"Uh," Momo said. "Hey."
"Hey," Kaidoh said. Someone jostled Momo from behind and his beer sloshed over his hand and onto the floor. Now his hand was all wet and he had no idea what to say.
"I better," Momo said, gesturing to the kitchen, and Kaidoh's face closed up.
"Sure," Kaidoh said. "I better, uh, yeah." He turned and walked away.
Momo drained his beer then hunted down Kikumaru for another.
Sometime later, he found himself on Fuji's couch. Inui sat on the arm next to him, taking notes. Kikumaru was there next, talking to him about something Momo didn’t understand, then Fuji, and he really didn’t understand what Fuji was saying. He got used to moving his legs so people could walk by.
Kaidoh sat next to him.
"I can't believe you're drunk," Kaidoh said.
"I'm just resting," Momo said. “How is Keio?”
Kaidoh didn't answer right away. "Fine," he said.
"So what are you doing back?"
"We’re on break, moron," Kaidoh said. He leaned back on the couch, and it was nice hanging out with Kaidoh again like they were back in high school, leading the tennis team, except that nothing was the same and this Kaidoh had moved on.
It was all very depressing. "So we're not, I guess, anymore," he said.
"You're even more of an idiot drunk," Kaidoh said, but Momo thought he looked kind of sad, too.
Then Kikumaru was shaking him awake.
"Ugh, what," Momo said, because his head felt like Kikumaru was hitting it with a hammer.
"Rise and shine, Momoshiro," Kikumaru said.
Fuji made them breakfast. It didn't help Momo's head, and for the first time he could remember in his life, he wasn’t hungry.
Kikumaru helped himself to Momo’s breakfast. “Fuji makes the best tamagoyaki.”
“You can finish mine,” Momo said.
****
When he finally did call, it rang five times before Kaidoh picked up. "What do you want?" Kaidoh said.
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Momo said, and there was a long silence. Fuck. “I mean, um. What are you doing tomorrow?”
"I'm going running," Kaidoh said.
Of course he was. "How about after?"
“Afraid of a few miles?” Kaidoh said. “Maybe you should stay in better shape.”
“I’m in perfect shape,” Momo said.
"Then meet me at the park at seven," Kaidoh said.
Kaidoh was jogging in place when Momo showed up. He glared at Momo, even though Momo was only six minutes late.
"Blame the bus," Momo said, but Kaidoh just turned and started jogging down the park path.
Kaidoh was right; Momo really was out of shape. His tennis team workout was light compared to what they did in high school, and he didn't have Kaidoh's masochistic streak to do it all on his own.
He kept up for the first mile, then Kaidoh started inching ahead. Momo's lungs caught on fire and starting eating him from the inside out, and he would have given anything to stop except that it was Kaidoh. So he made up the lost inches and stuck it through another mile, and after that it wasn't so bad.
He was still glad as anything when Kaidoh finally stopped. Momo's legs gave out and he stared up at the sky feeling like he'd never be able to move, ever.
Kaidoh sat down next to him. "You drink too much,” he said. “That was only four miles.”
Momo was pretty sure he'd be able to breathe again, but for now it was still touch and go. "I’ll be fine in a minute,” he said. “And I don’t drink. Except for, you know.”
“Shut up,” Kaidoh said, but he stretched out on the ground next to him.
They were both sweaty and gross, and Momo couldn't move, but he kind of wanted to kiss him.
"So are we going to do this?" Kaidoh said, after a couple of minutes.
"I don't know," Momo said. He knew Kaidoh wasn't talking about the run. "Do you want to?"
Kaidoh was silent a bit, and Momo's stomach dropped. Then finally: "Yeah."
"Okay," Momo said. "I mean, yeah, me too."
"Next time call," Kaidoh said.
"Hey! You could have called too," Momo said, flicking the back of Kaidoh's wrist, which was the most he could manage.
"Come on," Kaidoh said. "We still have two more miles to go."
“In your dreams,” Momo said. “I’m not moving.”
“Slacker,” Kaidoh said, and Momo grinned.
“Yeah,” he said.
END