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August 27th is a good day for love.
At least, that's what the television proclaims this morning. It's a leisurely show for the early hours of the day, considered by many to be subpar in comparison to Oha Asa, which plays next.
“A mix-up in your daily routine could present a new opportunity for someone to shower you with affection!" The host, an excitable, older woman, speaks in a exuberant voice that would be fit for teenage gossip. "The stars should shine on you and all Cancers, allowing others to witness you at your best!”
It isn’t that Midorima cares, though, as he strides through his morning routine per usual. Love horoscopes like this are the scum of astrology. He's discovered, after halfheartedly listening in once or twice before, that this one in particular is always wrong. Paying any attention to it would make him a fool. But Midorima makes no move to turn it off. It’s too much effort to waste on something so inconsequential, he decides, and in any case, immediately after comes the real forecast- the one Midorima really cares about.
And, for the record, the rainy weather of the day has nothing to do with that obnoxious woman. When lunch rolls around, neither he nor Takao want to sit in their usual outdoor spot, but Midorima doesn’t take the time to wonder whether that would count as a mix-up of a daily routine.
They play basketball, since they’re inside. It's only natural to do so. The hastened pitter-patter of his heart is probably- no, it is certainly- a result of their exercise. It’s not the words ‘a good day for love’ running through his mind with every sideways glimpse Takao gives him.
Halfway through lunch, one of their better-looking seniors interrupts Midorima mid-critique. He's so immersed in their scrimmage that it takes more than a second for him to pull himself away from Takao's side. When he does, she gives him a smile. His obliviousness only makes it more astounding when she hands him a slip of paper with numbers he has no use for written on it.
Despite Takao’s complaints, he throws it away.
And the rest of the day goes by normally.
No showering of affection, no romance, just a perfectly casual, lucky day. By the time he’s curling up in bed, he notes again how the love horoscope was wrong.
“That love horoscope… was wrong.”
Of course, the next ‘good day for love’ isn’t much better. It happens like this often- the announcer will prattle on about what a spectacular day it will be today, but for nothing. Takao is very much the same as any day. For example, September 5th: "Someone beautiful is looking your way! Try to keep your eyes open for new opportunities in romance..."
However, Takao doesn't seem to be looking anyone's way that day, let alone Midorima’s. He appears more interested Kise, who shows up predictably only to bother his former teammate and regift unwanted presents. Something about 'missing' him, and wanting to 'relax without being harassed by fangirls'. Midorima doesn't really care, except that it winds him up with an excess of gifted chocolates that seem a little too romantic to be given to a friend.
(For whatever reason, this seems to be a reoccurring problem with Kise.)
Midorima has little interest in them, and would have thrown them out if it weren't for the beautiful look on Takao's face when he enjoys something sweet.
On September 5th, the only one that has a 'good day for love' is the chocolates, he decides that night.
"That love horoscope... was wrong again."
Yet, it plays on, without fail.
On the last day of the month, the forecast calls for a happy day for male Cancers. "Try being a little more open, especially to fellow water signs! You're going to receive lots of positive attention today, but be sure not to ignore it, or the loved one that gives it!"
Midorima ignores her the same way he does every day.
He's taken aback, though, during lunch.
They're sitting on the roof, their usual lunch spot. Takao interrupts him while he's talking about his lucky item, sitting with his back against the ground and his arms crossed lazily behind his head. "Shin-chan," he asks. "Do you watch those little love horoscopes in the morning, too?"
He doesn't mean to flush, and Takao laughs.
"Idiot." Midorima stammers. "Those are always wrong. The producers clearly have no idea--"
"Oh, so you've seen it before?" There's a snicker in his voice.
"Of course not!"
“Why not? Don’t you have a weird fetish for things like that?”
“Takao.”
With a laugh, Takao sits up, leaning towards him and waving off the malice in his tone. "I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Do you really not watch it?"
The only response he’s met with is half a glare through shaded glasses.
“No?!” He sets his lips disappointedly. "That sucks... You know, it said the object of my affection was going to confess to me today."
Midorima’s eye twitches. "No it didn't, you idiot. She said the object of your affection would confess a secret--"
Both of them sit in silence for a moment.
The realisation of the trap he'd fallen into slowly sinks into Midorima, as the quiet is only broken by the smug aura of Takao's widening smile.
"You idiot..." Midorima's abashed green eyes shoot away from Takao's sight. "I only care about Oha Asa..."
He can't imagine how Takao's smug jibes could be considered 'positive attention', no matter how much his heart flutters when he laughs. Now the forecast is just being comedically wrong.
That's just the thing about these ludicrous predictions.
Takao talking to him is not his good day for love. It's not a 'romantic adventure for the day', or 'someone close taking an interest in him', or even him being 'showered with affection'. There’s no viewpoint from which he can say those things are noteworthy in any way.
It's just wrong.
It's just another reason for his heart to beat when he looks at Takao.
It's just another excuse for him to try and make something out of nothing.
Out of absolutely nothing.
The next morning, he turns the TV on later than usual. If it were deliberate, it would have been in spite of the conversation yesterday, but Midorima would never let himself sink that low. It is merely a coincidence that when the sound picks up, it isn't an overly fragrant woman blathering on about useless love horoscopes, but his beloved Oha Asa forecast.
At the very least, Oha Asa is never wrong.
Unfortunately for Midorima, his luck seems to be second to worst today.
Days like this always make him nervous, and not even Takao can put him at ease. More than anything, he wants time to go by calmly and normally. Nothing out of the ordinary. Though there's usually always something that upsets his routine, even if it is very little, and he hates it.
Perhaps contributing to that is how persistently talkative Takao seems to be. Shin-chan let's do this, and Shin-chan let's do that. Why is he so excited today, of all days, when the only thing Midorima wants to do is relax?
Midorima makes a point of taking it easy during school, and especially during practice, due to his bad luck. Somehow, the day goes by all right. But it makes him nervous. He's never able to shake the feeling that something bad is just around the corner on days like this.
Takao works up the nerve to break Midorima away from his thoughts, leaning on his shoulder as they sit together after practice. For a brief moment, this is permitted.
"Shin-chan," Takao breathes, as he's shaken off. The locker room's empty by the time he speaks, and the two of them are the only ones remaining, the silence only disturbed by the sound of Midorima's unraveling tape. "Thank you for the, uh, bird thing."
He's talking about the lucky item Midorima was nice enough to bring for him, as he sometimes does.
"It's a butternut kite-" he starts, but Takao has hardly taken a breath before he begins again.
"Say, Shin-chan, what are you doing after this..?" he asks.
"I'm going home."
"Huh..." He paused. "... Do you want me to go home with you? I'll spend the night."
"What?! Why on earth would I want that?" Midorima's voice is incredulous, but he doesn't expect the displeased expression he's met with. Sure, they'd walked home together before, but such a thing out of the blue is sure to be a shock, isn't it? It's not as if he wouldn't consider the idea, but...
"Shin-chan, c'mon..." Takao pulls the tape out of Midorima's hand, now demanding his attention. "Isn't there anything you want to say to me? Or, ah... to anyone?"
Midorima gapes at him for a moment. "... No."
"No?"
"No. Now give that back, Takao."
There's a flash of emotion in Takao's eyes, and it takes a second for Midorima to register. The flicker is a shade he’s never seen in their proud, silvery color before.
Embarrassment?
"... Oh."
The tape falls loosely into Midorima's lap.
Or... regret..?
"Well, I have to get going then. We've had a long day... I'll see you tomorrow." With a movement almost too swift to be casual, Takao stands, and waves.
"Hey, wait, you forgot your--"
By the time Midorima's hands grab the bird, Takao is gone, leaving his acquaintance with only confoundment in his place.
…. Not his birthday... not a planned date... not anything special at all...
At home, Midorima can't think of what on earth Takao was talking about. He simply dismisses it as Scorpio's unlucky day (after all, they'd been the unluckiest of all according to Oha Asa). Curling up in bed, he wonders if it was supposed to be a bad day for Cancers in that stupid love horoscope. Probably not. That idiot most likely rambled on about what a good day it was supposed to be, when, in fact, it was quite lousy.
"That love horoscope... was probably wrong." he mutters, drifting off.
When he wakes up, he's running late. His fingers clumsily rush to the television, praying he hasn't missed the morning forecast, but fortunately he's just in time for-
"Ah, and Cancers..." The hostess practically squeals with delight. "I'm sure your day went wonderfully yesterday! Confessing is a beautiful thing."
Confessing?
"I hope you took my advice, and told your person of interest how you feel!! If you did, there's no doubt they accepted your feelings. Ah, but, if you didn't, that means sour luck for you... Unfortunately, today isn't that good of a day for love..."
Midorima gives neither the woman nor his toast a chance to finish.
On October 2nd, he doesn't listen to his love horoscope.
He sprints.
For the first time in years, he leaves the house without watching Oha Asa. It feels the way one might feel when they swim too far out in the ocean, and their feet can no longer touch the sandy ground.
Yet, without hesitation, he keeps going. Man proposes, God disposes- and if God could only dispose one thing to him for the rest of his long, lucky life, he wants it to be this.
Takao's house isn't far away. He's there before Takao can turn the morning love horoscopes off, bursting through the door like the asinine maniac he is.
"Shin-chan?!" Takao, unsurprisingly really, jumps out of his skin when he see's who's come ambling into his home. "What are you--??!"
"Kazunari Takao!"
Midorima doesn't mean to sound so intimidating as he shouts the name. He bows lowly.
"I'm in love with you. Please go out with me!"
Really, such a blunt confession could only be mustered by Midorima.
There's a pause that follows. It makes the back of his neck and palms clam up. A few seconds pass.
Then far too long without an answer.
He's scared when he looks up. Takao is turned away from him. For a moment Midorima feels as if swimming out that far had been a mistake. He's been swept under by the current, and can't breathe.
Perhaps he shouldn't have been so irrational. Of course there's no way... even if Takao said that, there's no way...
"Dumb Shin-chan..." Takao murmurs.
Takao turns, and Midorima’s heart catches at the sight of a small smile.
“Are you really that slow? I guess I shouldn’t expect… anything less… from a dumbass like you…” When he finally meets Midorima's gaze, his voice falters, and the water in his eyes warms the room. "Do you know how much worrying I did last night...? You're late, you idiot... You idiot, you idiot..."
There isn't another pause.
Midorima's arms embrace him already as he repeats himself, and the words he’s mumbling are only hushed by the soft feeling of a thumb brushing over his lips.
They're growing closer now.
Their heartbeats ever faster.
Midorima lowers his face in a way he could have sworn he'd never be able to do.
"Shin-chan... you idiot..." Takao whispers, one last time, and then-
"Oh no!! Bad news for Scorpios!!" A shrill voice splinters the moment, causing both of them to jump and finally acknowledge the background noise around them. "Today, you may have to face some terrible situations in romance! Don't fret, though, because-"
Takao's hand smacks a little too hard against the power button. He groans.
"Those love horoscopes are always wrong, Shin-chan..." he complains.
And Midorima smiles.