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“I wanna start from the strawberry end,” Mika whined, leaning over his feet, which he had pressed together so that he could sit frog-legged across from Shuu. The game had been his suggestion in the first place, and, as it was, he wasn’t sure that Shuu was entirely convinced that he would have any fun with it. A year earlier, and perhaps Mika would have stepped down from the idea, in the worry that he might come across too strongly. He didn’t want to make Shuu uncomfortable, nor did he want to be reprimanded for pushing too hard.
But he knew better by now that his partner was warmed to the idea of having a little bit of pushback from him.
And Shuu knew better, too. He, who had the stick raised up to his eyes for inspection, balanced precariously between the tips of his index finger and thumb, glanced toward Mika from over top of it. “You didn’t have to tell me that. I assumed you would.”
Mika tilted his head and smiled sweetly. “I just wanted t’make sure.”
Once more, Shuu’s gaze moved to the stick. Not surprisingly, it had been Mika’s idea to buy the strawberry sticks. The surface of the strawberry coating was oddly uneven compared to its original chocolate counterpart, with lumpy ridges and dark grooves that reminded him of bruisings on an apple. “I still don’t know what the appeal of consuming so many of these at a time is.” He looked down at the small plastic package. He had insisted on cutting a small hole in it so that the rest of the sticks wouldn’t come falling out one at a time. One of the sticks now stuck out from that hole. “There’s enough sugar in a single one of these to kill a small horse. Why do they think I could handle it?”
Sensing his distraction, Mika picked up the package, stuffing it back in the box and jamming the makeshift top lid in. He moved it behind himself. “Come on, Oshi-san. We can just play it once, and then ya don’t gotta eat another one of these again. I’m gonna eat the rest.”
Shuu lifted a brow. “I never said I would only eat one.” But he had the faintest glint in his eye that said he wasn’t serious.
That made Mika smile again. “I’ll give ya three.”
“Fine.”
Giggling, he scooted a little closer to Shuu, until their knees were touching. “Mmkay, we’re just gettin’ distracted now. Stick please.”
Shuu obliged, bringing the strawberry end of the stick up to Mika’s mouth.
Mika took it between his teeth tenderly, then shut his lips, his gaze never leaving the other. It was mostly focused on Shuu’s eyes, although it flitted around his entire face, taking in the perfect curve of his nose and the way his lips half-parted in concentration. Shuu didn’t know he did that, and Mika would never tell him, because he knew that Shuu would focus on only that for the next month, just to change his absentminded habit. And that was a pointless thing to try and change.
“Ish shhweesh,” he mutters through his teeth.
Shuu moved his head back, looking deeply offended that Mika had spoken. “Don’t talk with food in your mouth. It’s impolite.” He looked at his end of the stick, leaned forward, then paused.
For quite some time.
Well, Mika certainly wasn’t going to not talk with food in his mouth when Shuu wasn’t making a move to continue. “Oshi-shannnn, jush pu’ i’ in yer mou’.”
“I’m still deciding whether or not I want to do this.”
“WHA’?!” Finally, he reached up, taking the stick out of his mouth and jutting his lip at Shuu, his brows creased into a solemn frown. “Still decidin’?! Ya put this into my mouth already. Don’t keep me waitin’ fer an hour just ‘cause ya haven’t made up yer mind yet!”
Shuu scowled, turning his head to the side. “Don’t get cross with me now, Kagehira. I already think this game is ridiculous.”
“Then why’d ya agree to play it with me in the first place?”
“Because…” At this point, Shuu met his eyes, and Mika was startled to notice that he looked completely serious. Not just the Shuu type of weight that the man had in his eyes at every moment, but a heavier sort. The kind of look he had when he was not kidding around. “Because it will make you happy.”
Mika drew in a breath. “Well you’re not makin’ me happy, the way you’re chickenin’ out right now. Do ya wanna play or not? ‘Cause if ya don’t, I’ll stop askin’. I’m not gonna push ya.”
Shuu’s brow twitched. That seemed to push his resolve forward. “Fine, I’ll play. I’ll play once.”
“‘Kay.” But now Mika was unsure if he wanted to play at all. Still, he put the pocky back into his mouth, propping the middle of it up by his finger so that Shuu could take the other end.
This time, he did, closing his lips around the breaded end of the stick so that all of it was out of sight. Mika couldn’t help watching them for a moment longer, noting the way the stick glistened in the wake of Shuu’s lips when he corrected himself and moved back.
“Y’okay?” Mika asked. Just in case.
“Mmm.” Shuu met his gaze and dipped his head slightly. His warm breath glided across the stick and brushed past Mika’s nose and cheeks.
That reassured him a bit. With smiling eyes, Mika slid his lips forward, biting off a small chunk of the stick and leaning in closer. With the way things had just gone, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Shuu decided to look away.
But, to his bewilderment, as Shuu took his turn and moved forward with his bite, he kept his eyes locked onto him. They flickered from one eye to the other, but stayed within the realm of keeping their gazes met. And Mika could swear that they were softened now, in a way he rarely ever saw.
And now his heart was beating a little faster than usual. “Hmm.” He leaned forward again, taking yet another bite out of the pocky. He kept his eyes as uncommunicative as possible.
Shuu moved forward again, the softness in his eyes disappearing suddenly. Now they were back to looking stern and firm. He bit into the stick once. And then he bit again, moving ever closer, until he was nearer to the halfway point than Mika was.
What was he doing?
Mika searched his eyes frantically, the sudden needling of nerves at the soft point beneath his chin suddenly making it difficult for him to think. “Mmh?”
In two quick movements, Shuu reached up, hooking his finger on the stick and breaking it off with a firm downward tug.
“Hey!” exclaimed Mika. “What -”
Then came the third swift motion: Shuu, lunging forward without a word, reaching to take Mika’s jaw in one hand and practically crushing their lips together. The latter would have toppled forward if he wasn’t already being pushed back by the impelling push against him. When Mika lowered his chin to utter a question, Shuu’s grip only tightened, forcing him to stay where he was. Whatever pride or shame Shuu had had melted somewhere during their game, leaving only the encroaching sensation of craving. And he hated having any unresolved feelings in himself - especially when they could be just as easily dealt with in some quick action. Like this. Like this.
Mika could no longer taste the sweet strawberry flavour of the pocky. He knew only of Shuu, the fragrant scent that pervaded his senses and fogged his mind until he could only think of him. All he wanted to do was to think of him, until the day ended, and until the whole world ended after that.
After an eternity, Shuu finally loosened his grip, pulling back and moving his fingers to the curve of his cheek. He clicked his tongue and, with a small frown, chewed at the rest of the pocky in his mouth.
Mika took the time to catch his breath, staring, mystified, at Shuu. He sucked at the pocky in his own mouth. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
He huffed. “What ya just did?”
Shuu looked at him, a gentle smile at his lip, though the frown remained at his brow. “That was a kiss, Kagehira. Are you unfamiliar with what a kiss is?”
“Nya-” Mika gaped. “I know what a kiss is, Oshi-san! We kiss a lot!”
“Then why did you just ask me what it was as if you’ve never heard of what it is?”
With an exasperated, and impatient, grumble, Mika crawled forward, taking Shuu’s face into his hands before the man could even begin to react and kissing him hastily. He slid his fingers up into Shuu’s soft hair, curling his fingers through his locks. Of all the things he could ever get to do, this, by far, was one of his favourite things. Holding his favourite person in the entire world? He could do it for the rest of his life.
But Shuu wouldn’t allow it. He returned the kiss for a few seconds, even allowing Mika to pry his lips slightly apart so that their tongues could greet. But it was none too long afterwards that he pulled away, reaching up to pry Mika’s hands from his hair and moving one to his lips. He brushed them across Mika’s knuckles, gaze on his face. He didn’t look angry about it. “You’re heated over a game.”
“Yeah, ‘cause I know what a kiss is! I was showin’ ya!”
Shuu blinked. “I was making a joke.”
“Yer jokes are stupid!”
Shuu blinked again. Then he smiled lopsidedly, as if he was trying not to. And then he let go of Mika’s hand, laughing softly and shaking his head and turning away to stand. “Finish the rest of that package, Kagehira.”
Just like that, Mika’s bad mood evaporated. “Really? All of it?”
“All of it.”
Mika grabbed the package, shaking out two sticks into his hand and biting into them eagerly. “You’re not gonna get mad?”
“No.” Shuu waved off the question. “Not today.”
“I’m gonna!” He chewed at his mouthful. “But we gotta play again later. If ya wanna.”
“Maybe.” Shuu crouched, picking up the box containing the other package. “But no promises that I’ll be the one losing next time.”