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The first time they kiss it's sudden and awkward and unfortunately painful. Tsurugi's hands dig slightly too hard into Shindou's shoulders and Shindou's teeth catch on Tsurugi's lower lip; they pull away with twin hisses of pain and equally flushed faces. Tsurugi's back hurt from being pushed up against the lockers. Craning his head down had left him with a crick in his neck, and in an attempt to fix it he manages to throw his head back and knock himself against the metal door.
Shindou steps back with his hands half-raised, shoulders still twinging from Tsurugi's harsh grip. "Okay, um, wow," he breathes out. Tsurugi throws a pained glance back at him. "That was... awful."
"Thanks."
"Shut up, I didn't mean--" Shindou raises a hand to his mouth and frowns. "L-look, forget it, that was stupid."
Even as Shindou says that and turns to return to his own locker, Tsurugi notices the very red tips of Shindou's ears poking through his hair. He can't help but smile. Tsurugi straightens, rolling his shoulders in a marginally successful attempt to regain his composure. Shindou had cornered him out of nowhere after the team had left, and he'd had no time to react to the kiss properly. The two had been dancing around the issue for weeks. Even Tenma (eternally, blissfully oblivious Tenma) had started to notice tension between them. Tsurugi hadn't expected Shindou to take the initiative, though.
"Shindou-san, wait."
Tsurugi reaches out for Shindou's shoulder, turning the older boy around to face him again. Shindou doesn't meet his eyes for a moment, instead focusing rather transparently on Tsurugi's mouth. His cheeks are a brilliant shade of scarlet. Tsurugi is aware that his own face must be equally red, or worse.
Nevertheless, he steps closer. Tsurugi's hand moves from Shindou's shoulder to his chest, tilting Shindou's upper body back just slightly. Thankfully, miraculously, Shindou takes the hint and reaches up to rest a hand on the back of Tsurugi's neck.
"Second time lucky, huh," Shindou mutters, and Tsurugi hisses a "shh" before closing his eyes and leaning in.
It's a bit late for Tsurugi to realise he should have wiped his mouth before kissing Shindou again. There's a slight metallic taste still lingering from where his lip had torn before. Either Shindou doesn't notice or doesn't care, however. He slants his head and suddenly everything fits and the discomfort is gone and it's so close to being perfect, except Tsurugi's head is still stinging and his lip is still bleeding and Shindou's still too short and when Tsurugi tries to rest a hand on Shindou's shoulder again it's batted away.
But damn if it isn't pretty close.
When they break apart this time it's reluctant. Their noses bump when Tsurugi leans back and drops his hands.
"Better," Shindou whispers, and Tsurugi can't help but laugh.