Work Text:
Lithe fingertips trace the glass in front of them, falling away to press against their owner’s chest. A wistful desire clouds his eyes, and he keeps them focused on the school of fish that dart by. His eyes follow them as they go, turning and twisting and hiding behind the manufactured environment provided to them. He looks sad, though he keeps his mysterious, unreadable smile.
Kaoru’s been around Kanata enough to understand when that unreadable smile cracks on the surface to expose something beneath. Not that he focuses on it, or anything like that…
The plan for the day had been for a joint live between the members of UNDEAD and Ryuseitai on the beach, to be swept up in the fanfare and excitement of a tropical location and to sweep up the fans in a similar mood. That all came crashing down, however, when an abrupt thunderstorm caused the live to be delayed until the following day. All dressed up and nowhere to go, Kaoru fully intended on either sleeping the storm away or finding a cute local to hit up snack shops.
Instead, he finds himself entranced for the millionth time after Kanata gently (“gently”...) persuaded Kaoru to accompany him to the nearby aquarium.
“... you alright?” Kaoru ventures a guess at his friend’s mood, but receives no change in expression when Kanata looks at him. His fingers tighten in the cloth of his live uniform though, when Kaoru doesn’t miss but also doesn’t mention.
Kanata shakes his head. “No, I am ‘fine’, Kaoru. I am simply ‘observing’ my ‘friends’ as they explore the ‘enclosure.’”
Eyebrow raised, Kaoru looks back to the tank as a lone fish leisurely floats away from the school. “Friends, huh?” He knows Kanata feels more at home with sea life than other students, but it doesn’t explain why he was dragged along to visit Kanata’s friends. He doesn’t ask. “How long have you known them?” He attempts to play along, making a small joke. He shouldn’t expect Kanata to laugh and play along like other people would, but he still finds himself unsettled when Kanata looks down, a forlorn smile on his lips, and remains quiet.
After a minute of silence, he says, “I have ‘known’ my ‘friends’ for a long time. Just as I have ‘known’ you, Kaoru. I have ‘known’ you as ‘long’ as them.”
Kaoru wracks his brain, losing out on the biology lesson that taught him how long an average ol’ fish’s lifespan is. Surely Kanata’s trying to make a joke out of it. “Aha, I see. I’m as old as or older than Kanata-kun’s friends.”
“It isn’t a matter of ‘age,’ Kaoru. It is of the ‘meaning’ of the ‘knowing.’”
Sometimes Kanata spouts philosophical things, and sometimes Kaoru doesn’t understand. His fingers tangle in his hair, face scrunching up as he tries to psychoanalyze Kanata’s words to no avail. He doesn’t know why he even tries at this point; he can never pinpoint what Kanata intends. He gives it up, looking back to Kanata who looks back to the fish in the aquarium.
“Occupied, huh...?” Kaoru mutters to himself, looking away. His eyes glance across the few other visitors, trying to find a cute young girl to go entertain (or find anything more entertaining than staring at the same enclosure for ten minutes), and he happens to catch a glimpse of a poster hanging on the wall.
“Kaoru?”
“Free scuba diving tours…? Ask the front desk for details.”
“Hm?”
“... hey, Kanata, how long do we have the hotel here for with the live stuff?”
“I think we ‘have’ a week to ‘stay.’”
Kaoru’s lips curl up in a grin, and his unconsciously bumps Kanata’s shoulder with his own. “I’ve got a nice date idea.”
Silence, and then Kanata’s soft laugh sounds as Kaoru starts to approach the poster to read the fine print. His eyes hold no more of the lonely longing, now warm with adoration. “My ‘boyfriend’ is so interested in ‘dates…’” he says, as he spares one last glance to his friends before he follows after Kaoru.