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It was supposed to be a game, Kanzaki had said as much. A game to see who would chicken out first. However, Kanzaki had not told them what to do if it just so happened that neither of the players chickened out. Keito was fairly certain that furiously making out was not exactly how the game was supposed to end, but he couldn’t just stop, that would mean losing the game! And well, it wasn’t like he exactly minded, far from it in fact.
Why did it feel so right when Kuro gently held his chin and brushed his lips against Keito’s own? Why did it feel like something he had been waiting to happen for a long time?
*
“Kiryu-dono, Hasumi-dono! Adonis-dono taught me how to play this game, would you like to try it as well?”
Keito groaned and lifted his gaze from the mountain of paperwork he had on his desk. At the door of the student council office stood Souma, with a package of pockys on his hand. Keito was about to refuse, he had work to do after all, but seeing Souma’s excited expression made him stay quiet. He seemed so enthusiastic about the game that perhaps Keito could spare a couple minutes to listen to him.
“Mmh. And what is this game about?”
“It’s called pokii-geemu!” Souma declared on a loud voice, stepping into the room.
“Ah! The pocky-game, right. Ugh…”
Kuro, who had been sitting on Mao’s desk, sewing something, made a face. Kuro had been keeping Keito company while he did his paperwork (that Eichi should have done, curse him!), which was nice, but now Keito was really glad Kuro was there, because he didn’t have any clue about what the game was all about and he figured Kuro would likely do a better job at explaining it than Souma.
“Do you know this game, Kiryu?” Keito asked, but before Kuro had the time to reply, Souma butted in:
“Hasumi-dono, these,” he shook the pocky package, “are a vital part of the game!”
Keito frowned.
“Kanzaki, didn’t your parents teach you that you shouldn’t play with food? Anyway, Kiryu, you were going to say...?”
Kuro stood up from the desk and took the pockys from Souma. He started eating them and started the explanation with a pocky in his mouth.
“Well, yeah, I know the game. But I dunno if it’s something we should be playing at school, but whatever.”
Kuro shook his head before continuing:
“You see, danna, the game goes like this: Two people who play take a pocky and put it in their mouths, or more like between their mouths, one person on one end and one on the other. And then you have to keep eating the pocky, and as your mouths get closer, one of the players eventually chickens out and the one who is the last to hold on to the pocky is the winner. Kinda like the spaghetti-scene in Lady and the Tramp, yeah?”
Nodding, Keito looked at Souma, who was struggling to get his pockys back from Kuro, who kept eating them at a fast pace. Soon there would be no pockys left to play the game with. Perhaps it would be a good thing.
“Kanzaki, are these the same rules Otogari told you?”
“Yes, Hasumi-dono! Adonis-dono’s explanation of the rules was a bit more through than Kiryu-dono’s, but the principles are the same. He also noted that you shouldn’t be too afraid of your lips touching the opponent’s, since that’s why most people lose! If you appear fearless, the opponent is more likely to be intimidated and give up, you see.”
“…And you played this game with Otogari, I take it?” asked Kuro. He had returned the pocky package to Kanzaki, who now looked sad because there weren’t many left.
“Yes. To my great embarrassment, I lost. It was all because of that tactic of his! It worked all too well on the inexperienced me, I got nervous as his lips kept getting closer, so I gave up. I was prepared to commit seppuku to atone for the sin of shaming my family with a loss, but Adonis’dono told me it was not necessary, because it was not a game for the sake of the game itself, but for something else… I did not entirely understand what he meant, however.”
Keito and Kuro exchanged a look. What a clueless underclassman they had.
*
A while later, after Keito had scolded Souma for taking part in such “suspicious activities” on school grounds, Keito and Kuro were left alone as the second-year went off to his club-activities. Souma had left them a full package of pockys, which he had received from Adonis (for “practice purposes”), in case the upperclassmen wanted to give the game a try.
Keito wasn’t really interested in the game, but somehow, he still kept looking at the package of pockys that was on the desk next to Kuro. He tried his very best to concentrate on his work, forcing himself to stare at the papers in front of him instead of the damned pocky package. He must have looked quite irritated, because after a while, Kuro spoke up:
“Danna, you needn’t stare the paperwork into submission to get it done, ya know? And besides, your brows are so furrowed you’ll give yourself a headache soon. Ease up a little, will you?”
A bit taken aback by Kuro’s words, Keito leaned back on his chair and rubbed his temples. He could indeed feel the beginnings of a headache on his tense forehead.
“Mmh. Maybe I should take a break before my head starts to really hurt.”
Kuro nodded at his words and Keito stood up, stretching. He rolled his shoulders and neck a couple times to get rid of the worst tension, but stopped when he heard a noise that came from Kuro opening the pocky package.
“Want a snack, danna? These taste great. The ones Kanzaki had were strawberry-flavored, but these taste like matcha.”
Hesitating, Keito stood up and took a step closer. He wasn’t exactly craving something sweet, but the flavor tempted him and eating something would do him good.
“Or, do you want to try the game?” Kuro asked, grinning.
“I am not one to play with his food, Kiryu.”
“Aw, come on, are you chickening out before the game even begins? That’s kinda lame, danna.”
Irritated by Kuro’s words, Keito replied:
“There’s no point in playing if the winner is already set.”
“Ho? So danna agrees that I would win the game if the two of us played?”
“Don’t be preposterous, of course not! If anyone wins, it’s going to be me.”
*
Kuro’s face was already very close with just the pocky between them. Keito could feel his cheeks heating up. He found that his confidence from before had completely vanished and nervousness had replaced it. What was he even nervous for? This was just a game between friends, nothing more, right?
Keito was slowly nibbling at the pocky in his mouth, barely making any progress at all, while Kuro was moving at a much faster pace.
“Hey, it’s kinda cheating if you don’t even try to eat the pocky.”
Kuro’s words came through gritted teeth while still holding on to the pocky. Keito hummed in response and took a larger bite.
Bit by bit their mouths got closer, so close that their noses were touching. Keito’s check were burning and he guessed his face was probably the color or Kuro’s hair. Not that the other boy was any better off, his cheeks had a visible blush to them as well and his eyes were closed, probably to avoid the awkward eye-contact.
Suddenly, he could feel it, the subtle touch of Kuro’s lips against Keito’s own. This was it, the moment that would decide the winner. Who would be overwhelmed by the contact and withdraw? Keito was determined not to chicken out. His pride was at stake! But apparently Kuro was just as determined to win as Keito was, and he didn’t draw back even as their lips weren’t just slightly touching anymore. If anything, Kuro pressed his lips against Keito’s. Perhaps it was a tactic to get Keito flustered so he’d give up? Too bad for Kuro, because Keito wasn’t going to fall for his tricks! Instead of withdrawing, Keito pressed his mouth back against Kuro’s.
Eventually Keito had to admit that there wasn’t any pocky left between them and they were just straight up kissing at this point.
Kuro had brought his hand up to Keito’s shoulder and Keito’s hands had somehow found their way to Kuro’s chest. They kissed and kissed and kept on kissing, barely even pausing to breathe.
Keito opened his eyes. He hadn’t even realized he had closed them in the first place. The first things he saw was a pair of green eyes staring right into him, pupils blown and dark. Neither of them said anything, mouths still pressed together, both of them completely still. Keito swallowed.
Slowly, keeping eye-contact the whole time, Kuro started to move the hand on Keito’s shoulder, to the neck and onto his jaw and cheek. Keito shivered involuntarily as the hand touched his bare neck. He could feel a thumb gently caressing his cheek, slow and deliberate.
“Danna, I don’t wanna lose…” Kuro whispered against his lips.
Lose the game, lose you (because of this)… The words could have so many meanings. Keito settled for a simple answer and lifted his arms so could tangle his fingers into Kuro’s hair.
“Me neither.”
Keito could briefly feel Kuro smile against his lips, and then they were kissing again.