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Despite striking words that would concern any third party, Kojiro knows that Kaoru adores his food. Why else would he have agreed to date a man with an entire restaurant under his flat? Which is exactly why said man is currently sitting across from him at the bar.
The part Kojiro doesn't understand is why Kaoru is currently pushing his favorite dish around the plate with his fork. It's been months since his run in with a certain man's skateboard so surely it's not an injury related headache or painkiller induced nausea. He thinks back to when he was cooking. It could have just been the amount of spice he added. Or maybe it because he went a little heavier on the cheese than usual.
"Kojiro?" Kaoru says softly.
Kojiro realigns his thoughts by shaking his head before coming around the bar. "Yes, your majesty. What is it that you request now?" He asks, taking the seat next to his boyfriend, propping his head up with an elbow on the counter.
Kaoru just continues to push food around, not speaking until after he sets his fork down to mimic Kojiro's position, hair bunching up where his palm rests against his head.
"How come everything you make for me is so heavy? It's like you're fattening me up on purpose." he scoffs, "Not all of us require the caloric intake equal to that of an Olympic athlete."
"You do realize I run an Italian restaurant, right? Like, ninety-nine percent of the menu is pasta and creamy sauces."
"Yes, of course I know that, Idiot. But- you know, nevermind." Kaoru turns back to his plate to push the last of the noodles to the middle and then drop his fork.
"So what I'm hearing is that you're not gonna finish your food?" Kojiro asks innocently, pointing at the half finished plate of carbonara. When all he gets is a pointed look in response he continues.
"Oh, come on, Ru. Even if I fed you?"
"Absolutely not!" Kaoru shrieks as strong arms circle his waist, effectively pulling him into Kojiro's lap. "Put me back in my chair this instant, dumbass!" He begins to push against the arms coiled around his middle, doing nothing but making them hold tighter.
And that's when Kojiro realizes Kaoru was not joking about gaining weight.
He looks down and to his surprise Kaoru's thighs lay just a little rounder on top of his own. The thin material of his yukata does little to hide the new fullness of his belly. Kojiro looks up to Kaoru's face, scrunched up in effort to break free of his embrace. If he looks closely, the cheeks that are red with anger look just a little softer and the line of his jaw maybe a little less sharp.
Kojiro doesn't realize he's been staring until the thrashing in his arms stop, Kaoru's defeated frame now finding balance in the arm strung across his back.
"What? Your stupid horny ape brain can't handle a little wiggling? Despicable, put me down."
Kojiro obeys wordlessly, allowing Kaoru to stand between his legs. He watches as Kaoru readjusts his hair and brushes non-existent dust off his shoulder. If he wasn't the prettiest thing Kojiro's ever seen before, he sure as hell is now.
"I thought you were joking about gaining weight." Kojiro comments softly.
"Why on earth would I joke about that? Your sense of humor is decaying with age."
The dig is expected; an average remark from the Kaoru Sakurayashiki. Any of the three boys would laugh had it been said under different circumstances. But Kojiro can tell this isn't like that. He knows that the darting of warm eyes means that something else is going on here. The miniscule shift on his feet and the tightening of his arms across his chest serving as tells.
"Baby, what's goin' on?" Kojiro asks tentatively. He reaches out to dispel some of the tension in Kaoru's arms by taking the other's hands in his own, watching as he runs his calloused thumbs over soft palms. Kojiro looks up in an attempt to make eye-contact, but is met with just the side of Kaoru's face, eyes focused on one of the labels of the wine rack.
"I don't know, it's just that I've been coming in with a lot of new clients recently. Plus I'm always here before S and after work," the palms in his hands begin to fidget and Kaoru turns his head to look at where they're touching. "Been eating so much of your stupid heavy pasta because it's so good." He's started to frown, glasses sliding down to the tip of his nose to show off his pinched brows.
Kojiro isn't quite sure which part to comment on first. He could rile Kaoru up on the premise that he most definitely complimented Kojiro's cooking explicitly. Which forces them both to return to their comfortable dialouge of quips and insults. Or, he could tackle this head on, right in the middle of his restaurant.
He decides both are less than ideal plans.
However, he knows he shouldn't just let this go. This is Kaoru asking for reassurance in the only way he knows how, which is complaining and blaming it all on Kojiro. At the same time, he is not going to worship his boyfriend's body in the middle of Sia La Luce. He settles for something in-between.
Reintroducing his arms to Kaoru's waist, he pulls the smaller man closer so that he can rest his chin on Kaoru's belly and speak to him directly.
"Babe, look at me,"
No comment.
"Please?"
Silence.
"Kaoru, Beloved, for once, my eyes are actually down here, come on."
It earns him a scoff and then the connection he so desperately wanted.
When Kaoru's attention finally belongs to him, he faces forward to press a firm kiss through the layers of yukata before returning to his initial position.
"Hi," Kojiro smiles. All he receives in return is a raised brow.
"You're so perfect to me, y'know? You've gotta know. Its so slimy but I already told you I've been obsessed with you since high-school." The blush he earns is simply precious and Kojiro can't believe that this man is his.
He looks back down to nuzzle his nose between the folds of Kaoru's traditional clothing. He gets the fabric to spread just enough that his nose comes into contact with warm skin. Kojiro hums, planting another kiss just above Kaoru's navel. He leans back but remains facing forward. If he looks really close he can see the faint scar of the old bellybutton piercing that once lay there. (Kojiro makes sure to kiss that spot as well. For good measure, of course.)
"Anybody would look at you and guess that you're an ass kind of guy. But nope, you go all soft for my stomach, don't you?"
"I do. Not that your ass doesn'tget me worked up. But the stomach's just," Kojiro pauses to push into Kaoru's hands as they thread through his curls, "It's right there, soft and warm. 'S perfect."
"Puppy," Kaoru huffs.
"Careful, I might bite," Kojiro challenges, standing up from his chair to press a kiss to Kaoru's hair.
"Oh, I'm well aware. You might as well be a guinea pig with the way your poor pens and pencils have been looking. Really, Kojiro, you've gotta stop chewing them when you plan the menu."
Kojiro turns out all the lights of Sia La Luce after finishing the dishes and locking the door. Their hands intertwine as they make their way up to Kojiro's apartment.
"Thank you, Koji," Kaoru says after they've settled, work uniforms traded in for satin pajamas. He pulls himself up from where his head is tucked into Kojiro's neck to plant a firm kiss on his boyfriend's lips. "Love you,"
"Love you too, Flower," Kojiro manages to hum in reply, "Now sleep,"
And with the warm weight of Kojiro's hand on his waist, thumb brushing along his navel, how could Kaoru not?