Chapter Text
Oka Shokichi had always had a thing for strong-willed people. His weak spot, if anything, were women who knew what they wanted and weren't afraid to ask for it. Too bad they never asked him for anything.
Until Mikoto.
Shokichi liked his partners sharp, dominant, but not loud. He had no problem with being bossed around, as long as they didn't yell at him. He also tended to have a soft spot for how they behaved around children, which was probably why he had fallen head over heels for Mikoto; a kindergarten teacher. He had never seen anyone be so good with kids. Or so demanding with him. She had taken him by storm by her mere disposition - and staunchly broken his heart when he had finally gathered the courage to ask if they were a couple.
She was actually a rather mellow person, even when she stood her ground. It was more about the strength within, the unbuckling determination and matter-of-fact way of handling things that had gotten to him. She had been his dream partner, whose mere gaze was enough for Shokichi to give in to whatever she wanted, despite how silent she was. She never raised her voice. Being loud was not in her nature.
Which was why Shokichi was quite surprised at the budding feelings for a man whom he had rarely before seen being anything but loud.
However, the more he got to know Hiromi he realized that he wasn't that different from Shokichi's ideal. In the way that, when it mattered, he was soft around kids, yet brash around men.
Never around Shokichi, though. Perhaps that surprised him the most. He was quite used to being stepped on by those he developed romantic feelings for and Hiromi never showed any tendencies of the sort. If anything, he was more careful than the people Shokichi usually fell for, more considerate - despite never holding back his scathing comments while bantering with the others in their group. They gave back in equal measure, anyway, and seeing Hiromi flounder had quickly become one of Shokichi's favorite things - it was nothing short of adorable.
So, when he saw Hiromi in the light of the fireworks on their last night at Miyako Island, relaxed and in awe over the beauty in the sky above, he couldn't help himself.
He knew it might be a long shot - he knew he might overstep - but he had danced around romance for so long at other times (sometimes for months) and it had never paid off. With Hiromi, he at least knew he'd be let down kindly if he had read it all wrong. So he gathered some courage, placed one hand in the sand to support himself, leaned in - catching Hiromi's gaze and pausing at how the light from the fireworks sparkled in his eyes - and carefully, trembling, touched the side of his face.
Hiromi winced a little, his eyelids fluttering with surprise, but he didn't pull away. Shokichi waited for a moment, making sure he wouldn't change his mind, before he finally closed the gap between them.
Their lips brushed briefly, sending sparks through Shokichi's body, his synapses aflame already by the light touch. It was the last piece of the puzzle; the final sign he needed to know that what he had felt blooming in his heart over the last week hadn't been his imagination playing a trick on him out of loneliness or the longing for a partner.
He wanted this.
He wanted Hiromi.
So he pressed his lips to Hiromi's, hoping with all his being that the other wouldn't pull away.
He didn't.
But neither did he move.
It was both reassuring and anxiety-inducing.
Swallowing, Shokichi pulled back a little, stroking the other man's cheek with his thumb. "Hiromi," he managed, unsure about how to continue.
Hiromi let out a shivering exhale and closed his eyes. He breathed deeply, several long breaths passing before Shokichi dared to even move again, realizing he had perhaps acted rashly. He pulled his hand back, the pain of rejection making his face burn hot and his chest contract.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, ready to sink through the sand.
Hiromi grabbed his hand the moment it left his cheek. Shokichi's eyes snapped to his, meeting gray irises with wide-blown pupils. Hiromi's broad chest heaved, and then, slowly, he pulled at the hand, placing it over his heart. Exhaling harshly through his nose, Shokichi let Hiromi press his hand firmly to the soft fabric of his shirt.
The thrum of a wild heartbeat danced against his palm.
Shokichi's eyes widened a little. He found himself unable to look away from Hiromi's gaze, and Hiromi, on his part, seemed unable to speak.
He had shown him instead.
Shokichi leaned back in and this time, when his lips touched Hiromi's, he met him. He was still clasping Shokichi's hand tight to his chest, bringing his free hand up to close around the back of his neck. Shokichi barely managed to suppress the sound that wanted to escape him, overwhelmed by the feeling of Hiromi touching him - kissing him.
Mindblowing seemed far too weak a word to describe it.
And then, surprisingly and utterly wonderful, he felt Hiromi run his tongue across the seam of his mouth.
It was enough to make Shokichi happy that he was sitting down - he didn't think he could trust his legs anymore. He shuddered against Hiromi, who only pulled him closer, finally letting go of Shokichi's hand and sneaking the arm behind his back instead, pressing him flush against his chest. The contact and the warmth made Shokichi slightly dazed.
He parted his lips and welcomed the soft touch of Hiromi's tongue against his own.
The fireworks in the sky were nothing compared to the ones going off in his head.
The kiss was rather brief, but perhaps that was for the best. Hiromi pulled back a little and their eyes met, heavy-lidded and hazy. Shokichi pressed his hand a little more firmly against Hiromi's chest, almost getting worried at how violently his heart was beating. Hiromi's entire face was flushed with color, a deep red that sort of clashed against his hair, but Shokichi only found it endearing. Assuring. He wasn't alone with his feelings. Hiromi wasn't pushing him away - instead, he held tight, desperately, as if he was afraid of letting go.
Shokichi smiled - he couldn't not smile, honestly - and Hiromi's blush got even more intense.
"Well. Wow," Shokichi whispered.
Hiromi was still unable to speak. Instead, he closed his eyes and nodded clumsily, making Shokichi's smile widen even more. He was hit with an almost unbelievable wave of fondness for the embarrassed person in front of him. It was the sweetest thing he had ever seen in his entire life; this large man, who was usually so quick to anger and always unrelenting, turning so soft and abashed over a kiss. A kiss with him, no less.
A little curious about what would happen if they did it again, he almost leaned back in, but hesitated at the last moment. Perhaps it'd be too much - Hiromi was so flustered already - so he held back on his selfish wish and decided to give the man a break. However, he felt a need to establish what was going to happen from now on; he didn't want to risk that this turned into a one-time vacation fling type-of-thing.
"Hiromi," he said softly, making the gray eyes flutter open again. "Go out with me?"
Swallowing hard and turning impossibly even more red-faced, Hiromi closed his eyes again. Then, with a trembling inhale, he nodded. Shokichi smiled wide enough to show teeth, and then, he leaned forward once again.
Under his palm, Hiromi's heart hammered in sync with his own.