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Thursday nights were jazz nights at The White Rabbit. Momo –with some help from Ritsu’s powers– would drag out the keyboard and drum set, and invite his friends Shou and Tome to play alongside him for the night. Shou was on drums, Tome saxophone, and Momozou would combo keyboard and vocals. Ritsu loved Thursdays.
Something had been in the air that night, everyone getting especially into the music. Bar goers had made a sort of dance circle and taken turns pushing their friends to the middle, laughing and clapping and spinning. Everyone had been so busy dancing, they weren't really ordering drinks, which gave Ritsu the perfect opening to do other things. Completely normal things, like totally not staring at his co-worker as he played.
There was just something about him on jazz nights. He really seemed to lose himself in the music those days, eyes closing and a wide smile plastered on his face. His voice would fill Ritsu’s ears and it was like everything else faded into the background. He was...mesmerizing, exhilarating, the absolute center of Ritsu’s attention. He loved the way Momo's hands would fly across the keys as he played, he somehow made it look so easy . The stupid part of him even thought about asking him to teach him someday. Maybe.
After the night was over and everyone else had packed up and gone home, Momo still lingered. He seemed sluggish in his cleanup that day, and if Ritsu was crazier he might've even thought he was stalling for him. Well, if Momo wanted to stay in the loft tonight, all he had to do was ask.
He’s finishing up drying some cups when Momo finally approaches the counter. He leans himself heavily on the bar, one hand propping up his chin, the other drumming against his arm. Ritsu blinks at him questioningly. He seemed very… open. He was leaned forward towards him, which wasn’t necessarily abnormal, but he was much closer than usual. His expression seemed so peaceful , so content watching him work.
"You sure did a lot of staring tonight" Momo finally says, a hint of smugness beneath his easy smile. Ritsu rolls his eyes at him.
"Yeah? Well you'd only know that if you were staring back, hm?”
Momo flushes at that. Well, Ritsu hadn’t been expecting that reaction.
He places the glass he was cleaning down on the bar and turns to fully face his... he didn't know what they were exactly. Coworker? Friend? Guy he sometimes shared a bed with cause they were too tired to get the extra mattress out? He bites his lip slightly in thought. Momo's eyes flash down with the action.
"You were really good tonight, by the way." Ritsu starts again, watching Momo's eyes flash up to meet his again. "Not that you're… bad other nights or anything. Tonight was just- you were great out there. Everyone loved it." I loved it. I couldn't look away.
Momo's eyes softened, "Oh- thank you! I mean, I guess the crowd did get pretty into it tonight. I didn't really notice much though." He had leaned forward a bit further, and was starting to encroach on Ritsu's space slightly. Ritsu was hyper aware of where he was, one hand still solid on his chin, the other clenching and unclenching, as if considering reaching out for something.
He was relaxed, his full body pointed towards Ritsu. If he leaned much closer, their noses might have even touched. Momo usually seemed pretty comfortable around him, but things seemed…different this time. Ritsu realizes he likes how close they are.
"Was there anything in particular you stayed to talk about?" He asks, shifting one of his hands closer to where Momo’s was resting on the bar. Close enough he could reach out and interlace their fingers, if that was...something he wanted to do.
"No, not really. I just wanted to see you."
Had Momo gotten closer? He's not sure. Okay, no, Momo had definitely gotten closer. The hand on his chin had moved to brace against the bar, which he was leaning over now, and his eyes were trained on Ritsu. The soft look was still there.
Momo lets out a breath and quickly glances up and down, meeting Ritsu’s eyes for a second before tentatively reaching out a hand and gently placing it over his. Ritsu's heart clenches, where was this going? They had been touchy like this before, but nothing quite this…forward. His heart is hammering at the feeling of Momo's hand on his, calluses rough against the softness of his own skin.
Ritsu can see the nerves behind Momo's eyes, but he's looking at him so intensely, so tenderly. Ritsu has his full attention, much like he had had Ritsu's before.
Ritsu wants to kiss him.
Ritsu wants to kiss him.
And maybe it's that something in the air, or maybe he’s finally drowning in those big brown eyes, but fuck it, he does. He reaches out and grips the front of Momo's sweater with his free hand and drags him the rest of the way to him, letting his feelings fall from him like an avalanche.
Everything about Momo is warm, his lips, the hand that comes up to cup his cheek, his breath on his face when they come apart for a moment. He can taste the drink he made him on his tongue, the sharp taste of citrus cutting through his senses. His fingers tingle as he shifts and intertwines their hands on the bar between them, gripping tightly to each other, like they never wanted to let go.
Before Ritsu can pull his head back after their lingering kiss, Momo's hand has shifted to the back of his neck and oh. oh . Ritsu has never been kissed like this before. Momo's hand has a fist full of his hair and he's rubbing soothing circles into Ritsu's hand with his thumb. Ritsu feels like he is coming apart at the seams, a small sound escaping him as Momo catches his bottom lip in a gentle nibble. He can't tell if it's the alcohol on his lips, or if Momo is just that intoxicating, but the rest of the world has faded into the background again and all he can feel are the places they're touching.
He wants to lose himself here, just exist in this place that he loves, where he does what he loves, with the person he loves. He's glad he'll be able to think back to their first kiss and remember it here. First kiss, like he plans for there to be more. He likes that. He likes imagining a future with Momo in it.
Their kisses slow down as they run short on breath, though Ritsu swears he could live on the taste of Momo’s lips alone if he tried hard enough. They slowly pull apart, and Momo gives him one last peck before shifting to kiss his nose and across his cheeks. Ritsu nuzzles Momo's face as his hand wraps back around to cup his cheeks and catch his thumb on the edge of his lip for a moment. They meet each other's eyes, noses touching and breaths heavy.
"Wow" Momo breathes, eyes lidded and shining.
"I- I’ve wanted to do that for a while." Ritsu admits, letting the hand on Momo's shirt go slack and just rest lightly on his chest.
Momo chuckles slightly, "Yeah. Yeah...me too."
"We're so stupid."
"Ritsu, we've been sharing a bed consistently for months. I think we're more than stupid."
Ritsu lets himself giggle and bumps their heads together.
"Hm, maybe, took us long enough. But I think it was worth it."
~ ~ ~
There's no question whether Momo wants to stay with him in the loft that night, hands intertwined as they make their way upstairs after they’ve finished tidying up. They dance around each other as they get ready for bed. It’s a familiar routine, but now with lingering touches, soft glances, and kisses to each other's cheeks. They fall asleep tangled up in each other, Momo's lips soft on the back of Ritsu's neck.