Chapter Text
That impromptu night out only served to strengthen their bond. Where before there were occasionally lulls in their text conversations, now it was a steady back and forth. It seemed whatever walls that had remained between them came crumbling down after their mutual confessions. Nakamura was giddy with their newfound closeness, rambling to Kawamura almost as often as he was chatting with Hirose.
Whenever he brought their former classmate up she always had to ask "So, when are you going to ask him out?". A question he never quite had an answer to. It wasn't that he didn't want to! Trying to pretend that his former crush hadn't come back in full force would be futile. The issue lied more in the fact that Nakamura was still quite awkward, rarely the type of person to make the first move.
His awkwardness paired with an intense fear of rejection is exactly what had kept him from confessing back in high school. By the time he was a third year he'd had a small cheering squad on his side, urging him to just go for it before they all graduated. Still, even with all their support he couldn't get there. The potential of Hirose not only rejecting him, but looking at him disgusted was too real for him to ignore. Surviving something like that at the ripe age of 18 wasn't something Nakamura believed he could do.
However, seven years had passed since then and Nakamura liked to believe that he had grown. No longer was he a deeply closeted, horrifically socially anxious teenager. He was now an only mostly closeted moderately anxious adult. One who knew that Hirose was attracted to men and did not mind the fact he was gay. So as the days turned into weeks, and he and Hirose only grew more comfortable, he was searching for an opportunity.
Strangely enough, it came from a work event. He and his team had recently been working on a large new exhibit for the aquarium. It was centered around the various ways sea creatures defended themselves, from camouflage to spikes it was a great showing of different evolved features. Since it was such a large addition, the aquarium would be hosting a reveal gala of sorts, open to staff and particularly generous donors. As he read over the email detailing the event, a particular line jumped out at him.
All staff are allowed a plus one for this event.
The idea popped into his head instantly. He and Hirose had talked about visiting the aquarium together, what better time than a fancy event away from the usual crowds? Free food, an open bar, it was perfect. Plus, Nakamura would be lying if he said he didn't want to see Hirose in a suit. Now all he had to do was invite him to go.
Sending the invite over text felt too casual. It would come across as something he put a vague amount of thought into instead of a purposeful request. So, he knew he had to ask Hirose about it in person. Which meant he had to actually meet up with him. This plan of his was quickly gaining a lot of steps.
This hang out wasn't going to be a date though. It was just Nakamura setting the stage so that he could ask Hirose out on the actual date. Makes perfect sense. As he sat in his apartment after work he closed his eyes and visualized his plan.
1) He super casually asks Hirose to hang out that weekend. Go get some coffee and check out a nearby record store. Hirose excitedly agrees expressing how he's soooooo excited to see Nakamura.
2) Nakamura dresses in a "super stylish but still casual" outfit and they meet at the cafe. They chat and Hirose stares at him with those bright shiny eyes of his as Nakamura makes expert conversation.
3) They head to the record store afterwards and Nakamura impresses Hirose with all his music knowledge. At some point Hirose says something like "Wow Nakamura, you're so cool."
4) As they leave the record store, Nakamura suggests they walk in the park. As they admire the scenery he smoothly asks Hirose to accompany him to the event as his date. Hirose blushes and bashfully accepts.
It was foolproof. If there was one thing Nakamura could do, it was think up a killer romantic plan. While in high school he'd had very little success at putting them into action, but he was different now! To prove that fact to himself, he sat up from the couch and grabbed his phone. Without thinking about it too much he typed out a message to Hirose.
Once he had hit send he slammed his phone down onto the cushions of his couch. His face was burning and he buried it deep into his hands. Did he seriously just do that? Invite Hirose out like it was nothing? He was probably busy anyways, maybe he had a futsal game or papers to grade or—
The buzz of his phone interrupted his thoughts.
Nakamura jumped off of his couch with joy. Step one successfully completed! Not that he had doubted himself. It just felt good to put his plan into motion. His celebration almost completely distracted him from the fact that he needed to respond. He flopped back down onto the couch, laying on his stomach as he typed out the details of where they would meet. Great, now he had a few days to hype himself up to ask Hirose on a date.
Nakamura could have had years and he still doubted he would be ready to ask Hirose out on a date. Still time passed, as much as he wished it didn't, and Saturday arrived. He had FaceTimed Hifumi for some outfit advice the night before.
"That one makes you look like a loser." Her girlfriend Miyu so helpfully contributed. Hifumi had tried to shush her before assuring Nakamura he did not, in fact, look like a loser. The three of them had worked together and settled on something that seemed nice enough. A chic simple black turtleneck, his favorite pair of jeans, and a brown overcoat. Decidedly not loser-ish. As he stared in the mirror that morning, messing with his hair for the millionth time, he started to feel silly. The whole thing was silly really, asking Hirose out? No way. Not gonna happen. In fact he should text Hirose to let him know—
His phone buzzed. It almost slipped from his grip as he grabbed it off of his bathroom sink. A text from Hirose, letting him know he was on his way over to the cafe. Shit, Nakamura didn't have any more time to waste panicking in front of the mirror. He quickly gathered himself, making sure he had everything he needed before walking out of his apartment and into the brisk fall air. It was all going to be completely fine.
He ended up getting to the cafe a bit earlier than their agreed upon time. Which, was what he always did, convincing himself he needed to leave fifteen minutes earlier than he actually did. It gave him time to ground himself, breathe in cool air and try and prepare for the day ahead. According to his plan the "asking Hirose out" part wouldn't come until later in the evening. So until then, he just needed to enjoy their time together, which was very easy.
The subject of his thoughts came into view only a moment later. His colorful outfit stood in stark contrast to Nakamura's much more muted palette. The warm orange of his sweater only served to brighten his chestnut hair. He strolled easily down the street, eyes scanning and as soon as his gaze met Nakamura's his entire face lit up.
"Nakamura!" God he's so cute. A smile naturally bloomed on Nakamura's face as they met halfway.
"Hey Hirose. I'm glad you could make it."
"Me too! Thanks for inviting me, now lets get out of this cold and enjoy some yummy drinks." Hirose lightly grabbed his bicep and pulled him towards the cafe entrance. The interior was quite busy, no doubt filled with other people trying to escape the bite of the wind outside. As they passed through the door, Hirose let go of his grip on Nakamura, the lack of contact causing his heart to fall a bit. The sting didn't last long however as they wandered towards the counter, studying the menu.
The space was filled with dark wooden surfaces and warm lighting. The upholstered furniture swallowed the noise of everyone inside, creating a wonderfully cozy atmosphere. Their current seasonal menu perfectly reflected the mood, filled with flavors of cinnamon, clove, and pumpkin. As they stood there weighing their options, neither could come to a solid decision on what to order.
"It just all sounds too good…" Hirose mused, resting his hand on his chin as if deep in thought. Nakamura had to pull his attention back to the menu board.
"I'm having a hard time choosing as well." There was a brief lull as they both considered their options.
Suddenly Hirose perked up beside him. "I've got an idea!" He turned to face Nakamura. "How about we order for each other?" In his excitement he leaned forward, encroaching a bit on Nakamura's space.
"Sure, sounds like fun," Nakamura managed to reply, with his voice only shaking the tiniest amount. Hirose did a small fist pump in victory before excitedly walking up to the counter. It seemed he knew Nakamura's preferences better than he knew his own. A warmth bloomed in Nakamura's cheeks as he quickly turned his attention back to the menu board. Something Hirose would like…
From their time together Nakamura had picked up that Hirose had a bit of a sweet tooth. So, going with one of the more highly flavored drinks would probably be his best bet. They had a few drinks that seemed like they would taste more of sugar than coffee, but the "caramel apple latte" was particularly standing out to him. By the time Nakamura had settled on his choice Hirose was already paid, standing near the pick up counter. Nakamura quickly followed suit, forking over the ¥1300 he owed and taking his spot next to Hirose.
"I'm excited to try what you got me." He lightly bumped Nakamura with his elbow, giving him a crooked smile.
"I'm nervous you're not gonna like it."
"As long as you didn't order me a plain coffee it'll be fine!"
"I know better than to do that." At that moment Hirose's name was called, he gratefully took the mug passed to him and handed it to Nakamura. It was apparent that it was just black coffee, no fancy whipped creams or syrups anywhere to be found. As he took it from Hirose their fingers slightly brushed, sending a jolt up Nakamura's arm. "Black coffee?" He asked looking down at the dark liquid.
"Yup! Of their new special blend specifically." Hirose responded looking proud of himself. "I figured any of the fancy drinks would be way too sweet for you." The way he so clearly remembered his tastes made Nakamura's stomach do a flip. He truly was so kind.
"Your thought was right." The delicious smell of the coffee warmed Nakamura's chest. He didn't take a sip just yet though, wanting to find a seat first. His name was called next, the barista handing him a much larger mug with a swirl of whipped cream sitting on top. Nakamura wasted no time handing it over to Hirose, the two of them naturally moving away from the counter and searching for a place to sit.
Thankfully a small two person table was open towards the corner of the cafe, placed in front of a window with a view out onto the street. They sat down, Nakamura stripping his coat off as he did. Hirose gripped onto his mug eagerly with both of his hands, staring hungrily down at the whipped cream. Nakamura's gaze caught on the way His eyes caught the sunlight filtering through the window. They were practically sparkling.
"So you gonna tell me what you got for me?" He quirked an eyebrow up at Nakamura, who instantly sat up straighter.
"Ah yeah! Sorry, it's a uh caramel apple latte." The description only seemed to make Hirose more excited to dig in.
"That was one of the drinks I was stuck between! Great instincts Nakamura." He shot him another smile. "Well, time to see if it's any good."
"Yeah." Nakamura replied, lifting his own small mug up to his lips. They took their first sips at the same time, the smooth rich flavor of the coffee spreading over Nakamura's tongue. Across from him Hirose let out a little "Mm!".
"Woah! I didn't know you could make coffee taste like that." Hirose's voice was full of wonder as he set the mug down on the table. So enraptured by his drink, he didn't seem to notice the mountain of whipped cream had left him with a bit of a white moustache. A giggle escaped Nakamura before he could stop it. Hirose quirked his head to the side. "What?"
"You've got some uh-" Nakamura gestured around his mouth and Hirose's eyes widened. He licked at his top lip, managing to clear it easily. Is it irrational to be jealous of whipped cream?
"Did I get it?" He wiped at his lip a bit, making extra sure it was clean. Another laugh escaped Nakamura's lips.
"Yeah you got it all."
"How's yours?" Over their past couple meetings Nakamura had picked up on Hirose's habit of leaning over tables. It seemed he had a magnetic pull towards whoever he was talking to. He was doing it now, his elbows resting at about the halfway point of their small shared tabletop. Nakamura could feel his pulse quicken a bit at the proximity. He really was like an excited puppy sometimes.
"It's delicious. This place has some really great coffee, I'm glad we decided to try it." He did his best to give Hirose an easy smile, disguising his inner panic. Hirose didn't seem to notice, nodding excitedly as he took another sip of his latte, being more careful of the whipped cream this time around.
"Me too! Though I'm mostly just excited to hang out with you." God, he was gonna kill Nakamura. There was a serious chance he didn't make it home that night. The way his heartbeat stuttered would have any doctor concerned.
"Ah— yeah?" What a graceful response. Nakamura was impressed he managed to get anything out at all.
"Of course!" Hirose smiled at him, he was so earnest. There was a slight lull in their conversation, Nakamura still too flustered to think of anything to say. Thankfully Hirose picked things right back up, launching into a story of something a student of his had said to him earlier that week. As they fell into a more normal pattern of conversation the tension in Nakamura's shoulders began to ease a bit. They sipped at their drinks, soaking in the atmosphere of the cafe and sharing in each other's presence.
As their mugs came to be empty and the afternoon sun started beaming through the windows onto them, their conversation naturally lulled. Nakamura took a moment to admire the view outside, people milling about on the sidewalk. He hadn't even realized he was zoning out until Hirose said something.
"So, you mentioned something about a record store around here?" He asked. Nakamura turned his full attention back to him. Hirose had already started gathering their cups, obviously eager to get going.
"Yeah, it's right around the corner. I thought it could be fun to check it out together." Before Nakamura had even finished his statement Hirose was excitedly nodding his head.
"Definitely! Let me just put these away." He was already standing making his way over to the cup return tray. He had quite the bounce in his step as he walked, doing his best to avoid bumping into people in the slightly cramped space. Nakamura could have sat there all day just watching him. They had places to go though, and he had a plan to execute, so he gathered his things and stood from the table.
The two of them met near the entrance to the cafe. "You have everything?" Nakamura asked. Hirose did a quick pat down of his pockets before shooting him a thumbs up.
"Yup!"
"Alright then, let's go."
The air outside was quite the contrast to the warmth of the cafe. It wasn't freezing, but it was fairly windy, and Nakamura instinctively tried to hide his face in the collar of his coat. Next to him Hirose shoved his hands deeply in his pockets, doing his best to brace himself against the wind in only his sweater. The warmth of the afternoon sun was helpful, but it couldn't fully fight against the chill of the air. As they continued to walk Hirose's lack of coat only continued to bother Nakamura.
"Are you cold Hirose?" he finally spoke up, making Hirose fully aware of the annoyed expression he had painted on his face. Like he had been cursing the weather itself.
"Wha— No I'm fine!" Hirose straightened up attempting to make himself seem more comfortable.
"Are you sure? You can borrow my coat if you want." Nakamura would have given him the shirt off his back if he asked for it. Hirose just shook his head in response though, continuing on their way down the street.
"I'm fine really Nakamura! Plus you said the record store was close right?"
"Yeah, it's only a couple more blocks—"
"Then it's all good! We'll be back inside in no time." Hirose shot him a smile and Nakamura had no choice but to relent. Maybe he increased their walking speed a bit, but Hirose didn't need to know that. It was only a few minutes until the record store appeared in their sight, a neon sign adorning the outside. They eagerly stepped in, greeted by rows of vinyls, CDs, and cassettes, neatly organized by genre.
"Woah! This place is huge!" Hirose exclaimed as the door shut behind them. There were a few other people milling about the space, but none of them paid the two of them much mind. Nakamura's eyes scanned the store, impressed by the wide selection it boasted.
"Yeah, the pictures online didn't do it any justice." Just as he finished speaking Hirose was hurrying further in, eyes locked on something. Nakamura easily followed after him peering over his shoulder at the vinyl he was now holding in his hands.
"I've never been able to find this cover! It was a special print they did right at release," His eyes lit up as he started to go on a tangent. Nakamura listened best he could, but was a bit distracted by Hirose's expression. As he spoke the fifteen-year-old version of him seemed to peak through, the one who Nakamura had worked so hard to befriend. The sight made a rush of comforting warmth spread through his body. Ten years of life hadn't been able to dull what it was that made Hirose so special.
Something in Nakamura registered that Hirose had stopped speaking, now just studying the record closely. "Are you gonna get it?"
Hirose considered for a moment, his expression torn as he stared at the price tag.
"Probably not, it's pretty pricey… and a teacher's salary isn't exactly huge." He let out a small laugh, though Nakamura could hear the annoyance behind it. As he stared at it a pout appeared on his face. God his pout is so cute. "I haven't been able to find it anywhere else though…" he muttered to himself continuing to study the record in his hands. "Agh, I don't know!" He finally exclaimed, placing the record back where he had found it. Nakamura let out a small laugh at his outburst.
"You don't have to decide right now. Why don't you think about it while we walk around some more?" Nakamura offered. Hirose turned to him tilting his head as he thought.
"Yeah you're right. Come on let's move somewhere else before I lose all self control." He grabbed Nakamura's forearm and gently dragged him away. They moved towards the back of the store, where there were neat stacks of CDs. Nakamura didn't have a record player but he did still have his old stereo, and had a pretty impressive CD collection in his apartment. He was always on the hunt for something new to listen to. "Are you looking for anything specific Nakamura?" Hirose asked, dropping his arm now that they were a safe distance from the album that was tempting him.
"Ah, nothing in particular. I do like to collect CDs though." They continued to drift towards the racks of jewel cases.
"Still a lot of retro city pop stuff?" he asked, now starting to idly look at some of the cases they walked past.
The question caused Nakamura to pause, turning his attention fully towards Hirose. "Uh yeah, I'm surprised you remember."
In high school Hirose had only come over to Nakamura's place a handful of times. On one such occasion he had shown off some of the CDs he liked to listen to, but other than that he didn't talk about his music taste much. He was always embarrassed that he was so behind on the trends.
"Of course I do! I thought your CD collection was super cool. I kind of just listened to whatever was on the radio, so I thought your more specific taste was awesome. More mature or something like that." The words tumbled out of his mouth so easily while he was casually searching through a stack of CDs. At that last comment he looked over his shoulder and shot Nakamura a smirk. He felt his cheeks heat up a bit.
"Well, I'm glad you think my music taste is cool." Trying to shake himself out of his stupor, he moved to stand next to Hirose and start looking through the CDs himself. He couldn't quite focus on any of the cases however.
"I think you're cool Nakamura." Moving to stand next to Hirose had been the wrong choice. Now that they were closer Nakamura could see just how sincere he was when he said that. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest. Desperate for an escape he focused in on the sound of the door chiming at the front of the store. He turned towards the sound, hoping Hirose wouldn't notice his blush. Instead he was met with something much more distressing.
Standing at the front of the store was a guy around his age. He was tall, taller than Nakamura actually, with bleached highlights in his hair. The sort of typical cool and hot guy that girls would fawn over. His good looks were accented by his flashy sense of style, the most striking piece being his red varsity jacket.
Most importantly, he was Nakamura's ex.
On instinct Nakamura did a full 180, hoping that he hadn't been spotted. He crouched down a bit, trying his best to become smaller. If there was a box nearby he would have dove underneath it. With his sudden movement, and most likely very panicked expression, Hirose's brow furrowed.
"Nakamura? Is everything okay?" He searched Nakamura's face, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder. Nakamura screwed his eyes shut, nodding frantically. Very convincing.
"Yes! Yeah, I'm uh I'm fine." His voice came out louder than he intended at first, and he quickly lowered his volume. He didn't dare look behind him, maybe if he didn't look then he wasn't actually there.
"You don't look fine. Do you wanna get some fresh air?" Hirose gently started trying to guide him towards the front of the store.
"No! No sorry I just uh-" Hirose took a small step back from him, shocked at the outburst. "My um… my… ex is up there." He cautioned a glance at Hirose, whose eyes went wide a bit at the admission. Instantly he peered over Nakamura's shoulder searching the store.
"Who? The guy in the red jacket?"
Nakamura simply nodded in response.
"I take it things didn't end well?" Hirose stopped looking, now fully facing Nakamura once again.
"Not exactly… I mean I guess it wasn't terrible? But I don't know it's just so awkward facing him and he can just be… a lot." Nakamura rambled a bit, his gaze falling to the floor. God of course today of all days is when Reiji decides to show his face. It was like the universe was determined to get in the way of his plan. Hirose took another glance around Nakamura's shoulder, obviously watching the guy. His face looked quite unimpressed.
There was a bit of an awkward pause as Hirose seemed to think. "Okay, I have a plan." He spoke up, face determined as he looked back at Nakamura.
"A plan?"
"Yup, to get out of here. Do you trust me?" Hirose offered him his hand, and Nakamura took it without thinking.
"Of course I do." The warmth of Hirose's hand dissipated some of the tension in his shoulders. The panic in his chest started to be replaced by giddy excitement.
"Alright, then let's go." Hirose didn't give him a moment to think, already pulling Nakamura along. As soon as he was turned around, Nakamura's eyes searched for Reiji, he hadn't moved very far from the entrance. He was focused in on some record, the perfect opportunity to sneak past unnoticed. Nakamura averted his gaze, keeping it locked on Hirose and hoping that he couldn't be recognized that easily.
The two of them moved swiftly through the store, hands interlocked, and with every step Nakamura could feel himself being filled with relief. They were going to make it out, avoid any sort of awkward confrontation with his ex, and have held hands to top it off. Maybe the universe didn't hate him afterall-
"Okuto?"
He spoke too soon. Their escape was so close, there couldn't have been more than 8 feet between them and the exit. Naturally Reiji had to have noticed them right then. Nakamura stopped abruptly with Hirose next to him, and ever so slowly turned to face the guy he had been desperately trying to avoid.
There stood Yamada Reiji in all his glory. He walked over to where Hirose and Nakamura stood frozen. Every muscle in Nakamura's body began to tense the closer he got. As Reiji made eye contact with Nakamura, he squeezed Hirose's hand without thinking. He could feel his fingers beginning to shake in Hirose's loose grip. Only a moment later Hirose squeezed his hand back. Reiji's face was pulled into a large smile, eyes trained only on Nakamura. It seemed he hadn't noticed Hirose at all. Nakamura shrank under his intense gaze.
"Ah, hey Reiji…" His voice came out strained, barely above a whisper. Reiji didn't seem to notice, his bright expression not faltering.
"It's been a while! You know I actually was just—"
Nakamura felt a tug on his arm, followed by the weight of Hirose pressing closer to his side. "Who is this Okuto?" the latter asked. Hearing his given name out of Hirose's mouth caused all activity in Nakamura's brain to cease. Fake dating? That was his plan? Was he genuinely trying to kill him?
It seemed Nakamura was forgotten for a moment, as Reiji finally acknowledged Hirose's existence. As his eyes met Hirose's his bright expression dropped. "Oh sorry, I didn't see you there, I'm Yamada Reiji. And you are…?"
Hirose gave Nakamura's hand another squeeze, attempting to push himself even closer. Wow he was really playing it up. "Hirose Aiki! Okuto's boyfriend." He gave Reiji a bright smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Nakamura could tell it was forced, irritation hiding beneath it. Reiji gave a half-assed smile in return before returning his gaze to Nakamura.
"Oh I didn't know you were dating again Okuto." He put a bit of emphasis on Nakamura's name, and Nakamura didn't miss the way he glanced over at Hirose to gauge his reaction. There was an obvious tension between the two of them, aggression thinly veiled behind fake politeness.
Nakamura could barely move, only able to muster a nod in response to the comment. He could feel his free hand shaking and quickly squeezed it into a fist. Reiji wasn't quite finished yet though, fully turning back to Hirose. "Okuto and I went to school together. We were… quite close." The way his voice turned suggestive caused a shiver to run down Nakamura's spine. His gaze was fixed onto the floor. Next to him, he could feel Hirose tense and lean a bit closer to Reiji. It was almost like he was trying to get in between he and Nakamura.
"Really? He's never mentioned you before." His anger was barely hidden anymore. Nakamura could tell things were getting out of hand quickly. He was desperately searching for any sort of any out, and latched onto the first thing that popped into his mind.
"You know A-Aiki, our uh movie starts soon…" His voice was quite weak, practically dying out by the end of the sentence, but luckily both Reiji and Hirose picked up on it. Next to him Hirose nodded, getting the hint. Nakamura braced himself before looking back up at Reiji and meeting his eyes. "Sorry to rush out on you," he stated curtly.
As soon as their eyes met, Reiji replaced his bright smile. "Oh it's no problem. Sorry for holding you two up, though we should catch up sometime soon Okuto." Nakamura took in a sharp breath at that suggestion, but thankfully Hirose wasted no time. Their hands still tightly clasped, and now thoroughly sweaty, Hirose started pulling them out of the store.
"Nice to meet you Yamada!" Hirose called over his shoulder as they left the store. He hadn't even bothered putting any fake politeness in his voice. The cold of the outside was a welcome change to the store interior, it felt like a wake-up call to Nakamura's nervous system.
The two of them didn't exchange any words as they walked. Nakamura just let himself be led along, still trying to shake off the interaction. His emotions were fighting a war internally. Hirose standing up for him like that made his heart soar, but the way he had simply stood there filled him with hot shame. His gut was churning, he felt uncomfortably hot, and nothing was fully processing. The sidewalks were crowded, the noise of everything around him all blending together with the buzzing in his head. Hirose seemed to know where he was heading though, never loosening his grip on Nakamura's still shaky hand.
The further they got from the record store the more Nakamura relaxed. The tension released from his shoulders, he stopped clenching his jaw, and his head seemed to clear. By the time they reached a nearby, fairly empty park due to the chilly weather, he mostly felt tired. Hirose sat him down on an empty bench, but didn't join him quite yet.
"I'm gonna go grab us something warm to drink okay?" And with that he walked off, leaving Nakamura on his own. As he sat there taking in the peaceful scenery around him, the reality of what had just happened finally hit him.
His earlier anxiety was replaced with full body embarrassment. Hirose had met his ex, which was bad enough on its own, but the way Nakamura acted made it worse. He had completely frozen up, barely getting a word out. So lame he couldn't even face someone he had broken up with years ago. And to top it all off, Hirose had been the one to actually do something about it. God, Nakamura was such an idiot. Did he really think he would ever have a chance with someone like Hirose? A loser like him?
The sensation of a warm can pressing against his cheek interrupted his spiral. He jumped a bit at the feeling, looking over to see Hirose standing there with a kind smile on his face. A small laugh left his lips as he sat down next to Nakamura on the bench.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He pulled the can off of Nakamura's cheek and offered it to him. "I hope you don't mind canned coffee, it was the best option they had." Nakamura took it gratefully, a smile growing on his lips.
"No that's great, thanks." He opened the can, taking a sip and letting the sensation of the warm drink fill his body. Next to him Hirose opened his own drink taking a sip. They sat in silence for a moment before Nakamura spoke.
"Sorry about all that." He tried to make it sound casual, but his intense self-judgment managed to sneak into his tone. He still felt a bit too ashamed to meet Hirose's gaze.
"It's totally fine! You don't have to apologize, I'm always happy to help." Hirose shifted next to him. "And that guy was a total ass anyway," he grumbled. Nakamura couldn't help but let out a laugh, finally allowing himself to look over at Hirose. His expression was annoyed as he took another sip from his can.
"Yeah, he's definitely… intense."
"Sure that's a word for it." Hirose continued to pout and it only made Nakamura laugh more. "How'd you end up with a guy like that anyway?"
The question caught Nakamura off-guard and he hid himself in another sip from his coffee. Hirose picked up on his change in disposition instantly and scrambled to backtrack.
"Or, you don't have to tell me! Sorry I shouldn't have asked—"
Nakamura stopped him with a slight raise of his hand. "It's fine, you don't have to apologize. It's just embarrassing I guess." Hirose seemed to move to say something else but Nakamura beat him to it. "But I want to tell you anyway."