Work Text:
“A reunion?”
Yachi looks up from her desk, which is completely covered with sheets of paper and art supplies, to give Hinata an inquiring look. He nods at Yachi from her bed, where he is currently lying, scrolling through his phone.
“A four-year reunion with Suga-san and the others. Look!”
Without so much as a warning, Hinata carelessly throws his phone at her. Yachi yelps, and fumbles to catch it, nearly dropping it twice before it is finally secure inside her hands.
“Geez, Shouyou, you could’ve just sent me a screenshot!” Hinata merely laughs at her complaint, and Yachi glares shortly at him before turning her attention to the phone screen. She inspects the message Hinata received from Suga, and her brows furrow in surprise. “It’s at a bar?”
“A club!”
Yachi purses her lips, and shoots Hinata a disgruntled look.
“I don’t like clubs…”
“You’ve never even been to a club before!” Hinata exclaims, sitting up on the bed.
“Yeah, but I already know that I’m not gonna like it!” Yachi leans forward on the chair to hand Hinata his phone, and then returns her attention to the drawing she had been working on. “Loud music, bright lights, lots of people-”
“Drunk people,” Hinata corrects her, flopping back on the ‒frankly alarming‒ cushion collection that Yachi keeps on her bed.
“Lots of drunk people…” Yachi mock-shudders, and turns her head to give Hinata a horrified look from over her shoulder. “It is everything I hate, all in one place!”
“God, Yachi, you’re like an old lady!” Hinata complains with a roll of his eyes. “First, I had to convince Kageyama, then Tsukishima, and now you! You don’t wanna see our old senpai?”
“I do, but not at a club!”
“Old lady,” Hinata mumbles dejectedly.
Yachi sticks her tongue out at him, and returns to her work. Hinata stares at her back with a small frown, and heaves a dejected sigh. He really wants Yachi to go with him to the reunion, but convincing her will be hard unless he comes up with a good reason for them to go. Suddenly, as he scrolls through Suga’s texts, an idea strikes him.
“Shimizu-san will be there.”
Hinata knows that his plan has succeeded, when the sound of Yachi’s pencil scratching the paper stops almost immediately.
“Is that so?” she says after a while. Hinata can tell that she is doing her best efforts to keep her voice as emotionless as possible. She is not succeeding, though.
“Yup. Your unresolved high school crush, Shimizu Kiyoko-san, will be at the reunion.” Hinata taps away on his phone with feigned disinterest, but he is aware of every single one of his roommate’s movements. She has stopped drawing, hanging on to his every word, and Hinata knows he has her in the palm of his hand. “It’s too bad you won’t be there. I’m sure she’s looking forward to seeing you after all these years.”
Yachi is silent for a while, and although Hinata can’t see her face, he can clearly picture her expression in his mind. Three years of being roommates has left him with a vast knowledge of Yachi Hitoka’s person, to the point where he can accurately predict her reactions and responses to any given situation. Right now, as he impatiently taps his fingers on his phone, he already knows the next words that are going to come out of Yachi’s lips.
“When is the reunion?”
Hinata can no longer suppress a grin, and he has to bite his lip to stop himself form laughing out loud.
“You’re so gay, Yachi.”
Yachi turns around on her chair to glare at him, a light blush dusting her cheeks pink.
“Sh-shut up and tell me the date already!”
֍֎֍֎֍
They spend three hours picking out Yachi’s outfit, after the one she had planned during the whole week suddenly wasn’t appealing to her anymore. By the eight unsuccessful attempt to assemble an outfit for her, Hinata retorts to asking Yamaguchi to help him, both at finding an outfit that Yachi will like, and at calming her down before she melts to the floor. Every discarded dress and rejected pair of shoes only serves to increase Yachi’s anxious thoughts, and to decrease Hinata and Yamaguchi’s patience. They stay strong, though, grateful for the fact that they were already dressed themselves when they decided to embark in the adventure of helping Yachi Hitoka pick an outfit.
By the time Kageyama and Tsukishima arrive at their apartment so they can all leave together, Yachi’s bedroom is an absolute mess, and Hinata and Yamaguchi look like they are ready to pass out. But Yachi is fully dressed, in what she has (finally) deemed an appropriate outfit for a night in the club: black skinny jeans, low-heeled ankle boots, and a loose, sleeveless grey top; AKA: the first outfit Hinata had put together for her. Much to Hinata and Yamaguchi’s relief, she has opted for doing her hair the usual way, and going makeup-free. The process of deciding eyeshadow colors is not one they were willing to participate in.
“I’m sorry, I took too long to pick my clothes!” Yachi apologizes once they leave their apartment, headed to the encounter point Suga had arranged a couple days earlier.
“It’s fine, Yacchan,” Yamaguchi reassures her. “You look really cute, and that’s what matters.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Shimizu-san will be all over you tonight!” Hinata interjects before Yachi can say anything, and Tsukishima snorts loudly next to him.
“Sh-Shouyou!” Yachi exclaims, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink.
“So that’s how you convinced her to come?” Tsukishima asks, and Hinata wiggles his eyebrows at him in response. Tsukishima smirks, and nods his head. “Smart.”
“Evil,” Kageyama and Yamaguchi say in unison, giving their boyfriends nearly identical looks of disapproval.
“I hate it when you agree with Kageyama,” Tsukishima says with a look of disgust. Kageyama shoots him one of his nastiest glares, and flips him off. Tsukishima scoffs, and opens his mouth to continue teasing him, but Yamaguchi cuts him off.
“Unbelievable, you’re already fighting! Can we have one peaceful night out?”
Ignoring their friends’ banter, Hinata leans closer to Yachi, bumping their shoulders together.
“Are you nervous?”
Yachi flinches at the sudden proximity, way too caught up in her own thoughts to notice Hinata getting closer. She relaxes instantly when she sees Hinata’s smile of complicity, and heaves a small sigh.
“How could you tell?”
“Yachi, you are always nervous.”
“Shut up, that’s not true,” Yachi mumbles with a small frown, and Hinata merely chuckles in response. Yachi sighs again, and turns her head to stare at the sidewalk ahead of her. “It’s just that… I haven’t seen her in so long. And so many things have changed, and I feel like I’m such a different person, you know?” Hinata nods silently, encouraging to go on. “And I can’t help but to think… What if she doesn’t like me anymore?”
There is a small silence, and then, much to Yachi’s surprise, Hinata bursts out laughing.
“Yachi, you never change!”
“Wha-!? Why are you laughing!?”
“There is no way that could happen,” Hinata explains once his laughter recedes. “Out of everyone in the club, you were the one Shimizu-san liked the most.”
Yachi worries her bottom lip between her teeth, and gives him an unsure look.
“You really think so?”
“No doubt about it!” Hinata reassures her. Something ahead of them catches his eye, and he instantly breaks into a gigantic grin. “There they are!” he exclaims, pointing at the corner right in front of them, where a group of familiar figures are reunited. Hinata is already running off before Yachi can respond, waving his arm in big motions, and pulling Kageyama along with him. “Hey!”
Suga is the first to turn around, already giving them one of his radiant smiles. Asahi, Daichi, and Kiyoko follow suit, warm smiles of their own spreading on their faces at the sight of their old underclassmen. Hinata and Kageyama rush to their encounter, and Tsukishima and Yamaguchi trail behind them, waving their hands. Yachi, however, remains frozen in place, as if she suddenly lost the ability to move.
“Yacchan, what’s wrong?”
Yamaguchi’s voice brings her back to earth. Yachi snaps her head to look at him, noticing that both him and Tsukishima have stopped walking, and are giving her concerned looks. Hinata and Kageyama have already arrived at the others’ side, and are currently being subjected to Suga’s affectionate punches.
“Tadashi,” Yachi mumbles, her eyes wide and round, and her cheeks slightly flushed. “She’s even more beautiful than before.”
Just then, Kiyoko turns her head, her eyes landing on Yachi’s face. When their gazes meet, the world seems to stop around them for a fleeting second. Yachi can feel her heart skipping a beat, her breath getting caught in her throat, her blood rushing to her cheeks, and oh, my god, she’s running towards me.
Suddenly, Kiyoko collides against her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders in a tight hug. Yachi squeaks and tumbles backwards, holding onto Kiyoko’s arms to maintain her balance, and stop herself from falling to the ground.
“Hitoka-chan!” Kiyoko exclaims, her voice filled with glee. “It’s been so long!”
Yachi must be dreaming. She is sure of it. There is no other explanation for the fact that she is currently being hugged by her unresolved high-school crush, in the middle of the sidewalk, after more than four years have passed since the last time they saw each other. But there she is, and Kiyoko’s skin feels so warm, her voice is so soft, and her hair smells so good, that Yachi is sure that if she isn’t already dreaming, she will be after she passes out in three seconds flat.
She eventually gathers enough courage to hesitantly wrap her arms around Kiyoko’s back. Kiyoko hugs her a little closer, and Yachi lets out a tiny whimper. She swallows hard, and breathes in deeply, willing herself to sound calm and collected.
“Shimizu-san,” she squeaks out, inwardly cursing herself for sounding like a rubber duck. “It’s-it’s really good to see you!”
Kiyoko pulls away, and Yachi instantly misses the gentle warmth of her body, and the sweet scent of her shampoo. Kiyoko smiles at her, wide and bright, and Yachi momentarily forgets how to breathe.
“Shall we go?” Suga says behind them, before Yachi has time to say anything else. “The others are already there waiting for us.”
“Tanaka and Nishinoya are probably already drunk,” Daichi jokes, and Suga snorts.
Asahi winces when he remembers the last time his boyfriend got drunk, and Daichi places a hand on his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look.
“We should’ve met at a café,” Asahi mumbles, just as they begin to make their way towards the nightclub a few blocks away.
֍֎֍֎֍
Yachi ends up walking next to Kiyoko. She is relieved to find out that, after the initial shock, she is able to talk to Kiyoko in a relatively normal way. They talk about their majors, mostly, and Kiyoko is elated to find that Yachi decided to study arts after all. She asks her a lot of questions, and Yachi does her best to answer them, her previous agitation starting to fade away when she notices how genuinely interested Kiyoko is in her responses.
However, she soon encounters a new problem: she can’t stop staring at Kiyoko’s lips.
“Crap, I gotta look somewhere else!”
She hurries to tear her eyes from Kiyoko’s gentle smile, frantically looking for a new place to set her gaze on.
Her gaze lands, of course, on Kiyoko’s cleavage.
Yachi has been keenly aware of the pronounced neckline of Kiyoko’s shirt from the moment she saw her, and has made a humongous effort to keep her gaze away from it. But she has failed. She is staring at Kiyoko’s boobs, and Kiyoko will notice. She is doomed, she is fucking doomed, Kiyoko is going to hate her for sure, and is that a beauty mark?
“Hitoka-chan?” Yachi tears her eyes from Kiyoko’s boobs, and returns them to her face, looking like steam is going to burst out of her ears any second. “Is everything okay?”
“Y-yes! I spaced out for a moment, that’s all!”
Before Kiyoko can say anything else, Suga calls out her name from behind them. She turns to look at him from over her shoulder, and Yachi sighs with relief, silently thanking Suga for rescuing her, even if it was unintentional. She raises her head to find that Hinata is looking at her from over his shoulder with a shit-eating grin. Yachi’s eyes widen when she realizes that he has witnessed the entire exchange, and the red on her cheeks darkens even more.
“You’re so gay,” Hinata mouths at her. Yachi squints at him, and gestures at his hand, joined with Kageyama’s. Hinata gives her a playful grin, and winks at her before turning to say something to his boyfriend. Yachi glares at the back of his head, raising her palms upwards and shaking her head in disbelief. She returns her attention to Kiyoko when she speaks up again next to her.
“So those two did end up dating, huh?”
Yachi follows Kiyoko’s gaze to Hinata and Kageyama’s linked hands, and smiles.
“Oh, yeah. It’s been a couple years now.”
“And Tsukishima and Yamaguchi?”
“Them too.” Yachi laughs, Kiyoko’s question bringing all sorts of endearing memories to her mind. “But it took Tadashi dating someone else for Kei to realize he was in love with him.”
Kiyoko throws her head back and laughs, and Yachi finds her heart skipping a beat for what feels like the thousandth time that night.
֍֎֍֎֍
As it turns out, that is not the last time Yachi will feel weak at the knees at the sweet, tinkling sound of Kiyoko’s laughter.
It happens several times on their way to the club, and then again when they get there, and find that Tanaka and Nishinoya are, in fact, already drunk. It happens again when Suga rolls up his sleeves, and announces that they will have to catch up to the two of them, much to Daichi and Asahi’s dismay, and one more time when Hinata and Yamaguchi run past them towards the dance floor, pulling their very begrudging boyfriends with them.
And Yachi realizes, much to her delight, that Kiyoko laughs so much more now, compared to when they were in high school. She seems so much more relaxed, and perhaps a little bit more laid-back. Kiyoko has changed a lot, Yachi thinks, but she is still the same gentle, smart, caring person she fell in love with during high school, there is no doubt about it. And she still does that thing where she absently brushes her hair behind her ear while she is talking, and Yachi is eternally grateful for that.
Yachi is different now, too. Four years is a lot of time, and so much has happened since Kiyoko and the others graduated. Over the years, and partly thanks to her friends’ support, Yachi has become more confident in herself. She still gets anxious and nervous sometimes, but she has learned to control her thoughts about impending doom and certain death every time something goes slightly wrong. Most of the times, anyways.
Still, she finds herself becoming a babbling, blushing mess every time Kiyoko smiles at her, or accidentally brushes her hand against hers, or merely looks her way. Yachi feels like she is back in high school, fumbling and overthinking everything she does or say as she tries to deal with her first real crush.
There have been other girls in the last four years, of course. Crushes, dates, and even girlfriends. Right now, as she stands next to Kiyoko inside of a nightclub filled with strangers, loud, booming music, and bright, flashing lights, Yachi is keenly aware that none of them have ever come close to making her feel the way she feels about Kiyoko. And along with that thought, comes the realization that, even after four years without seeing each other, her feelings for Kiyoko are still as strong as they were when they were in high school.
With that thought in mind, while they wait for the drinks they just ordered at the bar, Yachi stares at Kiyoko’s face with a tiny, wistful smile. The lights of the club shine on her skin, and Yachi decides that Kiyoko looks stunning in every color.
Once they are done, Kiyoko takes the drinks from the bartender’s hands, and hands one to Yachi. Yachi takes a small, tentative sip of her peach daiquiri (Kiyoko’s recommendation) and lets out an appreciative hum.
“It’s good!”
“I know, right?” Kiyoko tilts her glass towards Yachi, offering her drink. “Try mine.”
Yachi brushes her lips on the rim of Kiyoko’s glass. Her drink is sweet too, but it’s also tangy, with a bitter aftertaste. It’s a strong combination of flavors, but Yachi would be lying if she said she doesn’t like it.
“This one’s good too!”
“Let me try yours.”
Without waiting for Yachi’s answer, Kiyoko gently grabs her wrist, and brings her glass to her lips. Yachi watches as Kiyoko takes a sip from her drink, before giving her a wide, bright grin, and decides that she has probably died and went to heaven without realizing.
“It’s good!” Kiyoko announces. Yachi nods slowly, way too busy thinking about indirect kisses to come up with an appropriate response. Kiyoko is still holding her wrist, her fingers warm against her pulse, and if Yachi wasn’t so focused on Kiyoko’s lips, shiny and pink from the ice of her daiquiri, she would worry about her noticing the inhumanly fast pace at which her heart is beating.
They decide to go back to their friends, and Kiyoko doesn’t let go of Yachi until they arrive at the dance floor. Yachi takes tiny sips of her drink on the way there, trying to distract herself from the warmth of Kiyoko’s fingers against her skin.
They are greeted by the sight of Tsukishima and Kageyama trying to catch their breath against a wall, unable to keep up with their respective boyfriends. Hinata and Yamaguchi have forsaken them, content with dancing with each other. They are right next to Daichi and Asahi, who look a lot like they are ready to join Tsukishima and Kageyama, but neither Suga nor Nishinoya look sober enough to realize. At the bar, Tanaka, Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita wait for the bartender to bring them their drinks, already on their fourth round, and wobbling slightly on their feet.
Kiyoko and Yachi watch them for a while, pointing and laughing at their antics. Yachi has already downed half her drink, and she can already feel the rum starting to work its magic. She feels more confident with every sip she takes, her words coming out with much more ease now as she slowly gets used to Kiyoko touching her, and smiling at her.
Just as Hinata and Yamaguchi begin to pull their boyfriends back into the dancefloor, the song ends. It is immediately replaced by another one, a song that Yachi doesn’t know. Kiyoko gasps, and a wide grin spreads across her face.
“I love this song!” she turns to Yachi, eyes wide with excitement. “Do you wanna dance, Hitoka-chan?”
Yachi chokes on her drink, completely unprepared for Kiyoko’s offer. The singer’s velvety voice begins to drift from the speakers, just as she opens her mouth to explain that no, she doesn’t really dance, it’s a bad idea, maybe she can dance with Suga-san, since it looks like Daichi-san is ready to pass out, but Kiyoko’s eyes are so shiny and filled with excitement, and her smile is so bright and inviting, that Yachi simply can’t get the words out. So, possibly aided by the rum, Yachi nods her head, and gulps down the rest of her drink. She slams her glass on the nearest table, and then grabs Kiyoko’s arm.
She doesn’t have time to be surprised by her own boldness, because Kiyoko is already dragging her to the dance floor, downing the remains of her margarita on the way there. She also doesn’t have time to regret her decision, because the chorus begins just as they finally find a spot next to their friends. Kiyoko turns around to face her, mouthing the lyrics, and Yachi is gone.
“I’m a cool girl, I’m a, I’m a cool girl,” Kiyoko lip-syncs, or maybe sings, Yachi doesn’t care. She only cares about the way she’s running her fingers through her black, silky hair, and swaying her hips to the beat, her skirt flowing around her thighs in the most tantalizing way. “Eyes cold, I roll my eyes at you boy.”
Kiyoko grabs her by the shoulders, and playfully shakes her body along with hers. Yachi laughs, and tries her best to move to the beat as well. Kiyoko gives her an approving smile, and a strangely familiar warmth spreads in the pit of Yachi’s stomach. She can’t really tell if it’s because of the alcohol, or because of Kiyoko’s closeness, or both, but it is certainly emboldening. Little by little, Yachi loosens her body, until she is carelessly swaying to the beat, shaking her head and circling her hips and shoulders. She is almost too focused on the song to notice that Kiyoko keeps getting closer and closer. Almost.
The tips of their shoes bump together, and Yachi can feel Kiyoko’s skirt fluttering against her jeans. She looks up from the ground and meets Kiyoko’s eyes. Her breath hitches at the unexpected intensity she finds inside of Kiyoko’s black gaze, meeting hers without a hint of bashfulness or hesitation. Yachi stops moving, as if frozen in place from Kiyoko’s stare, while the last beats of the song play from the speakers.
A new song starts playing, and only then Yachi realizes that they’ve been standing on the dance floor, unmoving, for a while now. She shakes her head slightly, coughing awkwardly when she notices just how close Kiyoko is standing.
“Let’s go grab another drink!” she exclaims, feeling her face heating up as blood rushes to her cheeks. Kiyoko smiles and nods her head, still staring into Yachi’s eyes with the same unfamiliar intensity.
This time, Yachi doesn’t hesitate to grab Kiyoko’s hand and lead her towards the bar. She doesn’t stop to think about it, knowing that if she does, she will probably disintegrate into the air.
As they return to the dance floor, peach daiquiri and margarita in hand, Hinata gives Yachi a double thumbs-up from where he’s grinding against Kageyama a few feet away. Yachi laughs loudly, and returns the gesture, highly amused at the focused expression on Kageyama’s face. She returns her attention to Kiyoko, and finds that she is already dancing again. Yachi takes a moment to appreciate her capacity to dance without spilling her drink, wondering how she got so good at it, before taking a big gulp of her drink and joining her.
A couple hours pass like minutes, and they keep dancing, only leaving the dance floor to get more drinks at the bar. Around them, their friends keep getting drunker and drunker, stopping by to dance and talk with them in various states of disarray.
By her fourth peach daiquiri, Yachi’s vision is swimming, and the floor feels like jelly under her feet. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows that she has drunk too much, especially when she is aware of how much of a lightweight she is. But she is certainly too drunk to care, especially when Kiyoko keeps getting closer and closer to her, until their clothes brush against each other, and their hips bump together more than once. It’s intoxicating, and it makes Yachi’s head swim in the most glorious way.
“I just wanna tell you that you’re really pretty, girl,” the singer’s sweet voice echoes around them, and Yachi can’t help but to smile at the lyrics, and how fitting they are. “I just wanna know if you will let me be your world.”
Suddenly, she feels long, slender fingers curling around her hip, and she nearly drops her glass in surprise. She looks up, eyes wide and lips parted, to find a gentle curve in Kiyoko’s lips.
“I just know you got to taste like candy, candy girl.”
Everything moves in slow motion around them. The music is muffled as it reaches their ears, and the people around them become nothing more than blurs of color and movement.
“I just wanna tell you that you’re really pretty, girl.”
The last notes of the singer’s voice fade out, and for the second time that night, Yachi Hitoka finds herself standing still on the dance floor, trying to force air into his lungs as she stares into Kiyoko’s eyes, trying to decipher what lies behind the sudden intensity of her dark irises.
“Hitoka-chan,” Kiyoko mumbles, her voice barely a whisper. Her words carry the sweet smell of lime and tequila, and Yachi nearly whimpers at the sound of Kiyoko’s voice, raspy and low in a way she has never heard before.
Yachi parts her lips, and draws in a long breath. But before she can get any words out, she is suddenly hit by a strong wave of nausea.
She stumbles on her feet, her hand shooting up to hold onto Kiyoko’s arm. Kiyoko rushes to grab her by the waist, holding her before she falls. Her expression shifts into one of concern, eyebrows knitting together when she notices how pale Yachi looks.
“Hitoka-chan, are you okay?”
“Can we-?” Yachi struggles to get the words out. Everything seems out of focus, and she squeezes her eyes closed to fight the nausea. “Can we go outside for a moment?”
Kiyoko is immediately grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the dance floor, pushing against dozens of people, and shielding Yachi with her body. It feels like an eternity until they finally step outside, the cold air of the night hitting their warm skin and making it bristle. There are several people gather outside, but they pay them no mind as they rush past them, hand in hand.
Yachi doubles over, one hand on her knee, and the other one gripping Kiyoko’s, and takes in big gulps of cold air. Kiyoko slowly rubs her back, giving her a look of concern.
Yachi’s nausea finally begins to recede after a while, and all of sudden, she is hyper aware of Kiyoko’s hand inside of hers, and her other hand sliding up and down her back. She looks up to meet Kiyoko’s eyes, only then noticing how close their faces are. She stares at her for a while, at her long, black lashes, at the gentle curve of her nose, at her pink, plush lips, and wonders how is it possible for a single human being to hold so much beauty.
“I really… really missed you.”
The words tumble out before she can stop them. Kiyoko’s eyes widen at the sudden confession, and she blinks rapidly, surprised. Then, a soft, gentle smile spreads across her lips, her eyes glistening in a way Yachi can’t quite decipher.
“I missed you too, Hitoka-chan,” Kiyoko mumbles. “I missed you a lot.”
Yachi holds Kiyoko’s gaze for a moment, until she can feel herself blushing to the roots of her hair. She looks away, and shakes her hair, a small laugh bubbling out of her lips. Kiyoko straightens her back, and Yachi gives her a questioning look. Kiyoko stares at her with a small, wistful smile playing on her lips.
“We are kind dumb, aren’t we?” she says. Yachi straightens her back too, struggling not to wobble on her feet. “We should’ve kept in contact.”
“I wanted to!” Yachi exclaims. Kiyoko gives her a surprised look, and Yachi worries her lips between her teeth for a moment before continuing, slurring her words just slightly. “I wanted to keep in contact with you. I found myself about to text you or e-mail so many times, but then… I didn’t.”
Kiyoko seems to consider her words for a moment, a slight frown on her face.
“Why?” she finally asks.
Yachi stares down at her feet, biting on her lower lip again. She fiddles with the hem of her shirt, fighting against her drunken haze as she tries to organize her thoughts into words.
“I just… I didn’t think you’d wanted to talk to me.”
“Why would you think that!?” Kiyoko exclaims. Yachi flinches and yelps, surprised by the sudden raise in volume. She looks up to find an offended expression on Kiyoko’s face, and her head reels back in surprise. This is definitely not the reaction she expected.
“I-I just did?” Yachi’s words come out sounding like a question.
“That’s-!” Kiyoko starts, but she is clearly also struggling with her jumbled thoughts. She grumbles for a few moments, and then finally settles on grabbing Yachi’s shoulders, and looking her square in the eye. “I’ve always liked you, Hitoka-chan!”
Yachi stammers and splutters, her blood rushing to her face at a record-breaking speed.
“I’ve always liked you too!” she exclaims, grabbing onto Kiyoko’s wrists. “I’ve always admired you as a manager, a-a-and as a person!”
Kiyoko stares silently at her for a few seconds, eyes wide and mouth agape. Then she heaves a defeater sigh, dropping her head and letting it hang from her shoulders.
“I don’t mean it that way…”
The four daiquiris and the one shot of tequila that Nishinoya made them all drink are making it really hard for Yachi to make sense of Kiyoko’s words and actions. She pouts and frowns as she stares at Kiyoko’s deflated figure, her mind running through a million possibilities, except for the one Kiyoko is actually implying.
“Then-” she begins, but Kiyoko cuts her off.
“I’ve been flirting with you all night.” Kiyoko’s gaze meets Yachi’s once again. She suddenly looks very vulnerable, Yachi notices, with her cheeks flushed, and her eyes glistening behind her glasses. “I was hoping you’d notice, but apparently you didn’t…”
Yachi blinks slowly, Kiyoko’s words not yet catching up to her. Then, her eyes begin to widen slowly, her mouth falling open with shock once she realizes what Kiyoko just said.
“I-You…! F-flirting!? Wi-with me!?” Kiyoko nods furiously, sending Yachi into yet another round of fumbling and stuttering. “Y-you were f-flirting with me!?”
“Of course I was!”
“But I-!”
Before Yachi can finish, Kiyoko leans forward to press her lips against her in a small, chaste kiss. She pulls away before Yachi can even begin to register the fact that Shimizu Kiyoko just kissed her, with a light blush covering her cheeks, and a small pout on her lips.
“Of course I was,” she repeats, softer this time.
Yachi doesn’t answer, doesn’t even move or make a sound for what feels like an eternity. Kiyoko begins to fidget awkwardly, clearly panicking at the lack of a response. Yachi thinks she looks adorable, of course, but she also wants her to stop making such an uncomfortable face. She wants Kiyoko to smile, and laugh, as she absently brushes her hair behind her ear in that way that makes Yachi’s heart flutter inside her chest.
So, before she can stop to think about it, Yachi leans forward to press her lips against Kiyoko’s.
Kiyoko’s lips taste sweet, and tangy, and they are, much like Yachi had predicted and imagined oh so many times, impossibly soft. And maybe it’s the booze, or the fact that she is currently kissing her crush after so many years, because Yachi feels like she is floating, carried away by the fruity scent of Kiyoko’s shampoo, and the intoxicating taste of her lips.
Then, Kiyoko angles her head and slightly parts her lips to deepen the kiss, and Yachi nearly whimpers. She lets go of Kiyoko’s wrists to hold onto her shirt, stepping closer and pushing their bodies together, thoroughly convinced that if she doesn’t hold on to Kiyoko, she is going to float away. One of Kiyoko’s hands finds its way to Yachi’s cheek, as she circles her waist with her other arm and brings her even closer to her chest.
The kiss feels like it last forever, and yet when they part, it becomes clear that it wasn’t enough at all. They breathe heavily against each other’s lips, the sweet smell of all the cocktails they drunk mixing together. Yachi cracks her eyes open to find Kiyoko’s gaze already fixed on her. And finally, she can decipher the meaning behind that intense looks she gives her, can finally understand the storm that rages behind those dark, gorgeous eyes.
“When I say I like you,” Kiyoko whispers, and Yachi nearly shivers at the feeling of her breath tickling her lips. “I mean it like this.”
And that is all it takes for Yachi to break, her drunken mind no longer able to process everything that is happening. She buries her face in the crook of Kiyoko’s neck, and lets a shrill, yet silent scream, muffled by Kiyoko’s skin. Kiyoko throws her head back and laughs, wrapping her arms around Yachi in a tight hug.
“I can’t believe I just kissed you…” Yachi mumbles against her skin.
Kiyoko smiles, and gently pushes her away, enough to be able to see her face. She grabs Yachi’s face between her hands, and presses their foreheads together. Yachi makes a tiny, surprised sound, her wide eyes staring into Kiyoko’s with a look of bashfulness.
“And you can kiss me any time you want,” Kiyoko says. Yachi’s cheeks, already tinted with a shade of pink Kiyoko had never seen before, darken even more.
“So you’re not just kissing me cause you’re drunk?” she mumbles. Kiyoko shakes her head from side to side, giving her the gentlest of smiles, and for the first time since they got out of the club, Yachi smiles as well. “Good.”
She leans in to kiss Kiyoko again, and Kiyoko responds eagerly, moving to circle her waist as Yachi reaches up to wrap her arms around her shoulders. They part after a few seconds, all flushed cheeks and bashful smiles, with their hearts thumping wildly inside their chests. A tiny, bubbling laugh escapes Yachi’s lips, and Kiyoko joins her immediately, no longer capable of holding her joy.
“By the way,” Kiyoko says once their laughter recedes. “I’m really glad I wore this shirt tonight.”
It takes Yachi a few seconds to understand what Kiyoko is implying, but once she does, the face she makes is one that Kiyoko is sure she will never forget.
֍֎֍֎֍
The next morning, Yachi wakes up with a killing hangover, a newfound appreciation for nightclubs, an incredibly romantic text from Kiyoko, and a splitting grin on her face.
As she puts the final details on her response, and hits the “send” button, Yachi can’t help but to thank the heavens for whoever invented peach daiquiris.