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Kokichi shuts the door so hard that it slams, and the shoe cubby by the entrance shakes a little. The walls here are paper thin, so it’s no surprise when his neighbour starts banging on the wall next to him, but Kokichi just sneers and pops off his shoe, throwing it.
“Shove it up your ass!” Kokichi yells. The banging stops, and Kokichi listens to his neighbour cussing him out as he retreats. Whatever. Kokichi’s not in the mood today. He takes off his other shoe and his jacket, but doesn’t bother to change into his slippers, walking on socked feet into his bedroom and dropping down onto his futon with a loud groan.
The nametag pinned to his lapel digs into his skin when he puts weight on it. Kokichi rolls onto his back and takes it off, his fingers fumbling slightly over the pin, and then tuts under his breath. What a pain in the ass. It’s not like he’s ever gonna have to wear this thing again, anyway. Seized with a sudden fit of anger, Kokichi wraps his fingers so tight around the pin that it digs into his palm. He stands, walking over to the window and unlatching it, then opens it and throws the pin as hard as he can onto the street.
It lands in the middle of the road, sharp side up, and Kokichi finds it in himself to let out a bitter laugh as he stares at it, gleaming in the sunlight. Good. Maybe some poor unsuspecting single mother will get a flat tire after she drives over it. That’ll show her.
He closes the window with more resignation this time, latching it back up and pulling the curtains so nobody can see inside his apartment. He’s tired, to be sure, but the lingering frustration from that last customer earlier hasn’t worn off yet, and Kokichi can feel it buzzing in his joints, like a low, dull ache. He doubts it’ll wear off unless he finds some way to vent it, but calling up Miu or Kiibo just to take out his frustrations on them isn’t really his style, and they both know him too well to get pissed over it, anyway.
Ugh. He needs a drink. Good alcohol is expensive, though, so all Kokichi’s got in the pantry is a six pack of cheap beer, and he hates the taste of beer. It’s foul. It’s been a long enough day though that Kokichi’s almost willing to look past the taste of the stuff, if only so that he can try and forget what just happened.
...Maybe he’ll hold off. Kokichi runs his hands through his hair and drops back down on his futon, fiddling with the bottom hem of his orange vest. It’s such a dumb fucking colour. Everything about that coffee shop was dumb, actually, from the spiel they had to give at the beginning to the other workers, to the damn customers, but at least it was a job. Kokichi’s never had an easy time landing them, for whatever reason-- his awful, rotten, nasty personality must be at least a part of it, but hey, it’s funny most of the time-- but the owners there were willing to give him a chance, provided he agreed to behave. They weren’t even bad bosses, if a little bit suck up-y to customers, but what kind of customer service manager isn’t a total suck up, right?
This is Kokichi’s own fault, truthfully. He knew the consequences. You’re supposed to keep your cool in jobs like that, even if the customer’s a total pain in the ass, and it’s not like it was his first time mouthing off. Thinking about it makes him so mad he wants to tear his apartment to pieces, but if he calms down enough to consider it, most of that anger… isn’t even directed towards the customer, or the couple formerly known as his bosses.
He’s frustrated with himself, that he couldn’t swallow his pride long enough to get through the day. Frustrated that he’s out of a job and he doesn’t know what he’s going to do now; he only has enough money saved up for a month and a half’s worth of rent, and that’s not accounting for groceries and additional expenses. Kokichi’s good at saving money, good at being hungry, but if he doesn’t want to end up fucking homeless by the end of this month he’s going to have to get another job fast, which means job applications and interviews and resumes, and Kokichi doubts his old employers are going to want to give him a reference.
Kokichi groans and cups his face with his hands. He’ll have to stop sulking eventually. He’ll give himself a minute and a half to sit here and feel sorry for himself, and then he’s going to get up and make dinner and bust out the old monster (known officially as his laptop) and start looking for job offers nearby. Or job offers out of town. He’ll make it work. He always does. He just needs to figure out something, or he’s going to be on the streets again, and that--
There’s a buzz at his door, and Kokichi looks up, his eyes narrowing. Did he sass the neighbour one too many times? Is the landlord here to kick him out on his ass? Talk about a perfect day, right? Before he can work up the energy to yell at them, though, the bell is rung again, and then like, fifty times, and Kokichi groans. There’s only one person that could be.
“Hold your horses,” he yells, pushing himself up.
Kaito’s not going to go away unless Kokichi answers, so he might as well. He doesn’t really see what the point is in coming here, though. Kaito always said Kokichi would get fired if he kept mouthing off to customers, so it’s not like there’s any reason for surprise. Maybe he came to rub it in? Kokichi didn’t take Kaito for the type, but hey, people always reveal their worse selves to you when you least--
When Kokichi opens the door, he comes face to face with a large bouquet of bluish purple flowers.
--expect it.
“Uh--” Kokichi blinks, and then reaches up to push down the bouquet, squinting over it at Kaito’s face. “Hey, bub, what’s the big idea?”
Kaito’s got a hand rubbing the back of his neck, a sheepish grin on his face, and his eyebrows raised, like he’s expectant. “I owed you a bouquet, didn’t I?”
The question only baffles Kokichi further. He narrows his eyes, trying to figure out what the hell Kaito is on about, when it suddenly comes back to him. It was a couple months ago, back in December, on one of their bar outings with Kaito’s group of friends. They’d been bickering-- as per usual-- when eventually Kaito raised his voice. Kokichi hadn’t actually been all that bothered by it, but he took the opportunity to poke fun at him anyway, and then Kaito’s friend Kaede revealed that she wanted to stop by a flower shop to hit on the owner or something (Kokichi hadn’t really been paying attention) so Kaito might as well do a bouquet anyway.
Their plans had fallen through, if Kokichi remembers correctly, when they found out the flower shop was closed. It’d sucked at the time for Kaede, who like, disappeared off the map completely for a couple months after that, but things must’ve turned out alright for her in the end because Kokichi’s pretty sure she and that florist lady are dating now. Good for them.
Either way, Kokichi had totally forgotten about it. It’s not like he’s been sitting around waiting on Kaito to give him flowers like some girl in a coming of age movie. The gesture is… sweet, though, even if Kokichi can’t really read the look on Kaito’s face right now, and that in itself makes him nervous.
“Guess you did,” Kokichi says, eventually, realising that he’d been silent for too long. Kaito pushes the bouquet at his chest, and Kokichi bites his lip, but extends a hand and wraps it around the base of the bouquet. It’s very pretty, actually, with varying shades of purple and blue flowers, and sprigs of greenery scattered throughout. Arrangements like this are expensive, though, and the tissue paper wrapped around the flowers is a rich, shimmery violet. How much did Kaito spend on this, anyway? “Kaito--”
“Can I come in?” Kaito asks. He looks awkward, out of place, shifting his weight every so often as he stands in the doorway. “I feel kinda weird just standing out here.”
Well, sure. Kokichi’s not entirely like, keyed in to the reason why Kaito is here to begin with, but he supposes he can let that fly. He steps back to let Kaito in, and Kaito shuffles inside Kokichi’s apartment, stepping out of his shoes.
Kokichi holds his breath while he closes and latches the door behind his former co-worker.
“Nice place,” Kaito remarks.
It forces a laugh out of Kokichi as he turns around, folding his arms across his chest, careful not to squish the bouquet as he does so. “Yeah, right. You had the same job as me up until a couple hours ago, Kaito. Your digs aren’t much better.”
“Well, actually--” Kaito’s objection is so abrupt Kokichi for a moment assumes that he’s going to admit he’s secretly been a billionaire all this time. “We… still have the same job. Technically.”
That’s kind of a hoot. “What, did you get fired too? Are we both unemployed now? Don’t be stupid, there’s no way they’re gonna take me back.”
As Kokichi passes Kaito to get into the kitchen, opening one of the cupboards to hunt for a vase, Kaito says, “Yeah,” and Kokichi stops in his tracks, fingers freezing before they can touch any of the china.
“...What?”
“I mean,” Kaito looks at the floor, almost bashfully. “I didn’t get fired. I quit.” He looks up at Kokichi, running a hand through his hair, and Kokichi notices that the carefully gelled spikes are disheveled, like he’s been doing that a lot. Actually, now that Kokichi’s looking at him, Kaito looks incredibly stressed, his brows pinched together, a wrinkle in his forehead.
Kokichi puts down the bouquet, scrunching up his face. “Why would you do that? You got another job offer lined up or something?” He folds his arms across his chest. “That’s pretty stupid, Kaito. Especially since you just went and got a super expensive bouquet for me.”
The comment makes Kaito laugh, and he spends another moment rubbing the back of his neck, looking down at the kitchen tiles. “Well, it’s… they’re connected, I mean, me gettin’ you the bouquet and me quitting. I did it for the same reason.” He sucks in a breath, looking up at Kokichi. “You’re a pain in the ass, you know? But you’re also one of my best friends, and if they’re gonna fire you over something shitty like what happened today instead of having your back, then… I don’t wanna work there.”
“You’re joking,” Kokichi says, flatly, but Kaito shakes his head, his expression becoming almost more determined, if anything. “Oh my god, Kaito.” He walks up to Kaito, crosses his arms, and frowns up into Kaito’s face. “I can’t even figure out a lie to tell you right now.”
It’s not like he wouldn’t see this kind of stupid move coming from Kaito, or anything. He’d have to not know Kaito at all in order to delude himself into thinking Kaito wouldn’t pull something idiotic and noble like this. But it’s… it’s the fact that he did it for Kokichi, that he got Kokichi flowers, that he came straight here instead of going somewhere else to figure out what the hell he’s going to do for a job now… that’s what’s baffling him, drying out his throat, rendering him incapable of thought.
“Do you have to lie?” Kaito laughs slightly. “I mean, maybe we can just sit down and relax for a while? Bitch about customer service? Does it have to be a--”
“Why?”
“Huh?” Kaito’s eyes widen a little. “Why what? Why’d I quit? I already told you that, didn’t I?”
Kokichi shakes his head, and looks down at the floor, scuffing his sock against the tile. “No. Why… why am I one of your best friends?” He looks back up at Kaito’s face, pressing his lips into a thin line. “You’ve got all these super awesome people around you, don’t you? Shuichi, Kaede, Kiibo, whatever.” He waves a hand dismissively. “Why are you quitting over me? Why are you wasting all this time and energy on me? Are you really just that stupidly altruistic?”
Despite the insult, Kaito actually laughs again, sounding less sheepish this time. He lowers his hand from the back of his neck and shakes his head, an odd smile on his face. “You really don’t get it, huh?”
Oh, that’s going to drive Kokichi crazy. “Get what?” Kokichi pulls a face.
Kaito’s quiet for another moment, still with that dumb smile, shaking his head some more in this weirdly, frustratingly disblieving way, and Kokichi wrinkles his nose.
“Careful, space man,” Kokichi warns, “I’m not in the mood to fuck around today, and I will bite you if you don’t--”
Before Kokichi can finish, Kaito takes one large step forward and takes Kokichi into a hug. The motion is startling, in every way
not
what Kokichi was expecting, and his breath catches in his throat. He stumbles backwards a little, one of his hands flying up to rest on Kaito’s shoulder, to push him away, but he...
Doesn’t. Kaito smells overwhelmingly of rain and rosemary, and he’s broad and strong and he fills up space in Kokichi’s kitchen in a way that Kokichi is completely unused to, but his hands, where they rest on Kokichi’s back, are gentle, and he’s warm, utterly warm, and Kokichi sort of just wants to melt right into the embrace.
He doesn’t. Yet. But he does roll his lips between his teeth, swallowing thickly.
“Yeah, so,” Kokichi takes in a breath, “this is nice, but it’s still not an answer, Kaito.”
Again, Kaito laughs, but it’s less disbelieving this time, so much softer. He pulls back and puts a hand on Kokichi’s shoulder, his eyebrows raised. “Do you really not get it? I just got you flowers, Kokichi.”
Kokichi’s eyes dart over to where that bouquet is still resting on the kitchen sink, and he feels his neck starting to warm, the heat rising up to his cheeks, and then his ears. When he looks back at Kaito’s face, his eyes narrowed, he sees that Kaito’s smile has become slightly embarrassed.
“Uh, you probably don’t know this about me, but I’m actually kinda a plant nerd,” Kaito says, in a bit of a ramble. “The flowers I chose were blue hyacinths, irises, and aster. You know anything about those?”
“What is this, a flower shop AU? You just said four words, Kaito.”
Kaito laughs. “Blue hyacinths are an apology flower. You know, like,” he gestures with one of his hands, “sorry you lost your job?” Kokichi snorts. “Irises symbolise trust, because I, uh…” He trails off for a moment, his cheeks darkening, and Kokichi would make fun of him for it if the blush wasn’t mirrored on his own face. Traitorous cheeks. Traitorous heart. “Well, I mean, it speaks for itself, right? And aster is there to represent loyalty, because I’ve got your back.” He looks directly into Kokichi’s eyes as he says this. “No matter what. That’s why I quit today, more than anything else, because I have your back.”
“Kaito,” Kokichi feels breathless, lightheaded, overwhelmed with the desire to either call Kaito a moron or grab him and never let him go.
“I’m not-- I don’t wanna work there if you’re not there,” Kaito continues. He’s rambling a bit now. “I mean, we can’t always work at the same place, I know that, but I don’t-- I mean, I don’t wanna do things if you’re not around, you challenge me, you make me wanna be a better person, and I don’t--” He huffs. “Shit, Kokichi, I--”
Kokichi can’t take it anymore. He takes Kaito’s face in his hands and yanks him down, popping up onto his toes and closing his eyes the second before their lips touch. Kaito makes a noise of surprise, but reacts accordingly, his hands going around Kokichi’s back, bringing him in closer.
He tastes like coffee and rain water, probably because it’s sprinkling outside, and his lips are warm against Kokichi’s, soft. Kokichi goes into it too hard, too fast, but Kaito kisses him impossibly gentle, like Kokichi’s the most precious thing he’s ever had. It makes Kokichi’s heart flutter in his chest.
When he pulls back, he breathes, “Nobody’s ever done something like that for me before,” and his eyes to look at Kaito, trying to memorise the sincerity on his face, the slight dopeyness in the wake of their kiss. “I mean, the flowers are cute, I like the flowers, but…” he trails off. “You didn’t have to quit for me, Kaito. It wouldn’t have been a betrayal to me.”
“Maybe not,” Kaito shrugs, “but a hero’s gotta have standards, right? Besides, I was only hanging onto that job so I could see you every day.” He laughs again, a bubbly, soft smile stretching his features. “I kinda fucking hate customer service. No point in sticking around there now that you’re gone.”
“Who knew you were such a sap,” Kokichi snorts. “If you’d wanted to see me, you could’ve just asked, y’know.” He reaches up to cup the back of Kaito’s head, fingers tangling in the ungelled baby hairs at the nape of his neck. “It’s not like I disappear from existence when my shift ends. I still like, actively exist outside of the coffee shop.”
Kaito huffs. “Okay, you know what,” he starts, indignant, and Kokichi giggles hard. The sound makes Kaito’s eyes soften, which is impossibly gay of him, but Kokichi decides to let him live. For now. “Look, we’ve already established I got a habit of doing things I don’t have to, right?” Kaito shrugs. “What’s the problem with that?”
As it turns out, there’s no problem with that, not even a little bit of one, but if Kokichi just says that outright he’s gonna sound like a total schmuck. “Well, you’re gay, first of all, so jot that down.”
“Kokichi,” Kaito groans, his face turning a brilliant shade of red. Kokichi beams at his embarrassment. Point ten million to Team Kokichi. “Aren’t you the one who just kissed me?”
“Yeah, but I was wearing socks,” Kokichi waves a hand. “So it doesn’t cou-- hey!”
His interruption is owed to the fact that Kaito reaches down and picks him up, arms wrapping around Kokichi’s legs, before backing him into the counter, resting his forehead against Kokichi’s now that they’re at eye level.
This time, it’s Kokichi’s face that turns red, but he tries to focus past the way his heart pounds in his chest, wrapping his other arm around Kaito’s shoulders, if only so he won’t lose his balance. “Low blow. I hate tall people.”
Laughing, Kaito leans just a little bit closer, so close that they’re swapping breaths. “Sorry about your belated growth spurt, Kokichi,” he mutters, and as their noses brush, he adds, “This is a full homo kiss, by the way, socks or not.”
Asshole. Robbing Kokichi of his no homo privileges.
It’s hard to be particularly bothered by it, though, when Kaito kisses him like this, so for now, for now, Kokichi will concede the point. But this isn’t over.
...Hee.