Work Text:
When you run along the same exact path every day, the scenery starts to feel dull. It was dull after the fifth day, way back when Miyata had begun his boxing training. And now, over the several years of running his daily roadwork, Miyata had learned to tune his environment out. He didn’t even have to think about where he was going. Hell, he could complete his laps with his eyes closed, the soles of his shoes recognizing every dip in the road, every turn, every hazard.
So when there’s a discrepancy in the terrain he’s become so accustomed to over years of training, it sticks out like a sore thumb to Miyata’s careful eye. Or ear, in some cases.
“Miyata-kun!”
Miyata hummed inquisitively. Usually the only sounds he heard on this segment of the path were bird calls. Then again, the excitable screech of Miyata’s name that had come from behind could be likened to the squawk of a bird. Miyata knew exactly who that voice belonged to. He began to hear the frenzied footfalls of another, approaching him as quickly as they could.
Sighing at his roadwork being interrupted, Miyata slowed to a leisurely jog and allowed the other to catch up.
“Miyata-kun!” Ippo repeated after having caught up to Miyata. Despite his considerable amount of energy and stamina, Ippo’s breaths were slightly uneven. He must’ve been running after Miyata for a while. What an odd guy. “I-I saw you doing your roadwork!”
Obviously. Miyata picked his pace back up. “Yes?” Miyata said finally. He wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, and Ippo seemed to not know how to reply either.
“U-um…so I thought…I’d ask you over? For a break? I have drinks!”
Miyata side-eyed Ippo, considering his offer. On one hand, Miyata could use a break. He certainly wasn’t exhausted; his breathing didn’t even flinch as he ran. However, he was a bit thirsty.
On the other hand…it would be a blow to his pride. Despite both attending the same gym, Makunouchi Ippo was essentially his rival. What kind of rival would he be to have a laugh over juice like a couple of bumbling toddlers?
“Ah—we’re on the way to my house right now, so we can drop by!”
Miyata sighed. It was easier to go with the flow of things than to waste his breath arguing. He simply followed Ippo to his house, both still running the way there.
Admittedly, Miyata wasn’t exactly being honest with himself when he said he and Ippo were rivals. Well, they were rivals, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Over the past few weeks of knowing Ippo, Miyata has begun to develop certain feelings.
It’s normal to admire someone from afar, especially someone with great skill and dedication to their future. Yes, Miyata had convinced himself that was all it was. Just half-baked admiration. Acknowledgment of Ippo’s innate talent. But Miyata wasn’t entirely sure if it was normal to be falling in love with Ippo.
Just thinking about those words made Miyata dizzy. Falling in love? That was the only way he could describe it. He never really understood what that meant until he spent time around Ippo, because it truly did feel like he was falling in love with him. Miyata was in love with Ippo’s determination, his energy, his passion, his humble demeanor, his shyness…
And maybe Ippo also just so happened to have a nice face. Initially, Miyata had bitterly likened his baby face to a dumpling, but the more he looked at it, the less stupid it became and the more endearing.
Miyata was stupidly in love. Focusing on boxing helped only slightly, distracted him temporarily from whatever thoughts he was having.
Sure having a crush was embarrassing on its own, but it was made even worse by the fact that Ippo was a guy. Even if he wanted to have any sort of relationship with Ippo, he knew it was futile. He wouldn’t have the same freedom a man and a woman could have together.
Although the few queer resources—magazines, books, shows and movies—he had sifted through excited him with their glimpse of real life same-gender couples, the secret kisses and hushed murmurs of affection, when one really thought about it, it was sad. Forbidden love was charming until simply holding hands in public became a safety hazard.
“Here we are!” Ippo said cheerfully, snapping Miyata out of his thoughts. He stopped in his tracks and looked up at Ippo’s house. Right, Ippo and his mother owned a fishing boat rental business, so his house was a simple shack that bore their business’ title. It looked small, but homely. Ippo turned to Miyata expectantly as they approached the door, so Miyata bowed his head and turned the doorknob.
“Pardon my intrusion,” Miyata muttered as he entered Ippo’s abode. As he shuffled his running shoes off, Miyata looked around. The inside was simple and cozy. The pleasant smell of a delicious meal wafted through the air. Miyata waited for Ippo to remove his own shoes before following him into the house proper.
“Ah! Ippo! Welcome home!” Ippo’s mother emerged from the kitchen. “Goodness, you’re early! I was making lunch for myself…if I had known you would be home early, I would’ve made some for you!”
Miyata shuffled his feet awkwardly behind Ippo, earning the attention of his mother.
“Hm? Is this a friend, Ippo?” His mother questioned, the corners of her lips quirking up in a pleased smile.
Ippo blushed and looked away. “Y-yeah. I- he’s just visiting really! Well, we were doing some running, and I wanted to come over for a break. Um, we usually eat later, so no need to worry about lunch.” Ippo looked over at Miyata with a smile. Miyata met the gaze of Ippo’s mother, and he nodded in agreement.
“I see. Well, make yourself at home, Miyata-kun,” Ippo’s mother offered happily.
“Thank you,” Miyata replied.
Ippo pointed to a room in the back. “Um, you can wait in my room. I’ll bring some juice, Miyata-kun.”
Miyata nodded once again, and watched Ippo amble toward the kitchen before retiring to Ippo’s bedroom.
It was…strange being in there. Ippo seemed to keep his living space relatively tidy. There was a sports magazine here and a lone sock there, but overall it was kept clean. He noticed a bulletin board above Ippo’s desk that was covered with all sorts of pictures and papers. School award certificates, magazine cut-outs, photographs…Miyata turned away, unsure of whether he deserved that glimpse into Ippo’s life. One’s bedroom was a personal space, after all.
“Juice delivery!” Ippo swung the door open gently before closing it behind him. Miyata was offered a can of orange juice, which he accepted with a hum of acknowledgment.
It was oddly quiet as they popped their drinks open and took a sip. Ippo sat on the edge of his bed. Miyata wasn’t exactly sure where he was supposed to sit, or whether he should sit at all, so he remained in place by Ippo’s desk, quietly sipping.
“So,” Ippo began, waiting for Miyata to regard him. “Um, sorry if my room is a mess.”
“It’s fine.” Miyata took another look around, and Ippo watched him anxiously. He noticed Miyata’s eyes fall on his bulletin board again.
Ippo grinned sheepishly and approached the board. “Ah, this thing is a mess, but…I have some photos that I kept of the guys from Kamogawa gym. A-and me. And you, too…maybe only a couple, though.” He scanned the board on the wall before his eyes brightened at the sight of a specific photograph. He unpinned it from the wall and presented it to Miyata.
Miyata remembered that photo being taken. Ippo had intended for Yagi-san to take a photo of just him and Miyata, but Aoki, Kimura, and Takamura had squeezed in at the last second. The pained expressions on Ippo and Miyata’s faces had become the laughing stock of the gym that day. Ippo had to take the photo home before one of the guys could get their paws on it.
Yes, Miyata remembered that photo being taken. He remembered his body being squeezed tightly next to Ippo’s. He had to take a cold shower afterwards, embarrassingly.
“I guess our faces do look funny,” Ippo admitted with a smile. Miyata couldn’t help but smile a little as he looked down at the photograph. If Miyata had looked up right then, he would’ve noticed Ippo’s face grow redder than a brand new pair of boxing gloves at the rare sight.
Ippo pinned the photo back onto the wall and returned to his can of juice.
“I remember that day,” Ippo said as he sat on his bed. He patted the spot next to himself, offering Miyata a seat. Reluctantly, Miyata accepted, although he sat farther away than Ippo had offered. Ippo’s amused face turned into a slight frown. “They called us homos over that photo, didn’t they?”
Miyata looked at Ippo, then down at his can of juice. He’d rather not recall that specific part. He preferred to drown that stuff out.
Ippo rubbed the back of his head. “Ah, I can't say I’m not used to it. I was bullied at school ‘cause I was gay,” he said quietly.
Miyata’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Ippo. Ippo looked over as well before he realized.
“I-I mean! I mean- I mean…n-not because I was actually gay, I-I mean, ‘cause I- they thought I was gay! Yeah!” Ippo’s face had gone so red, Miyata thought he might’ve passed out. “I-I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with-“
“Yeah, I get it.” Miyata couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. What a shock that would’ve been.
Ippo swirled his can around, clearly wanting to continue the conversation without making it awkward again.
“I mean, I’ve had crushes on girls before. I’ve just never…done anything. What about you, Miyata-kun?” Ippo took a sip of his juice and swallowed nervously. “Well, you’re good-looking, so I’m sure you’ve had a girlfriend.”
Miyata’s heart nearly stopped at the sound of Ippo calling him good-looking.
“I’ve had a girlfriend before, yeah. Back in junior high, though. Nothing since.” Miyata wondered why he was bothering telling Ippo this. “What do you mean by you’ve never done anything?”
Ippo pursed his lips and clasped his can tightly. “I mean kissing and stuff.”
Miyata couldn’t help but snort at Ippo’s expense. “Well, it makes sense. You look like you’d be too scared to do that sort of thing,” he teased.
Ippo was flustered. “I mean…it’s just…scary? I don’t wanna choke on anyone’s tongue or anything!” He said with a shudder.
“What? No. It’s not…” Miyata sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting too heated over something so minor, he knew. “Do you even have a clue what a kiss is?”
“I- obviously!”
“You aren’t gonna be shoving your tongue down someone’s throat on the first kiss.”
“M-Miyata-kun, don’t be crass!”
Miyata let out another sigh. “Geez. Want me to just show you?” The words had jumped out of Miyata’s mouth before he could fully process them. His face began to heat up, and Ippo wasn’t doing any better.
“I…show me…what? How?” Ippo asked quietly, as if already knowing the answer.
Well, Miyata might as well go with it. Going with the flow for his own personal convenience was his thing, he supposed.
“I mean…I could kiss you.”
Wait, shit, no. What the hell was he thinking? This was so stupid.
“…okay.” Ippo pursed his lips and put on a determined face. He set his can of juice atop his bedside table and shuffled onto his knees. “Y-you can do it.”
Miyata was stunned into silence. He should’ve just ran out the door right then, but then again, it was his fault this was happening in the first place.
Deep down, something within Miyata told him that this was his chance. Even if he couldn’t date Ippo, it was his chance to just get closer to him, even for a minute.
And he had to show Ippo he wasn’t lousy at kissing, too. Damn his pride.
“Okay, uh. Here, I’ll put my hand like this.” Miyata rested his palm on Ippo’s cheek, making the other flush red. “And I’ll tilt your head a little.”
Ippo followed Miyata’s movements obediently. Miyata guided Ippo’s right hand to Miyata’s shoulder, letting him gently clasp onto it for purchase.
“If you need to pretend I’m a girl or something, you can,” Miyata instructed. Ippo nodded hesitantly. “Alright.”
The two of them only stared at each other. Miyata realized how silly this was. If he didn’t put a stop to this now, there would be no turning back.
Ippo mistakenly took Miyata’s hesitance as a cue for him to take initiative. And so Ippo did. He inched closer and closer to Miyata’s face until his lips barely grazed the other’s. Ippo’s lips were quite soft. In a fit of impatience, Miyata finally closed the microscopic gap between their lips. There were no fireworks, but it was very pleasant.
Ippo’s inexperience was clear as day. His lips remained completely motionless, as expected of someone who had no clue what he was doing. Miyata allowed Ippo to get used to the sensation before he tested the waters and showed Ippo what kissing was really about.
Miyata’s hand cupped Ippo’s cheek a little more firmly as he leaned into the kiss and opened his mouth to devour Ippo’s lips. He was still going slow and steady enough to not scare the poor guy off. Ippo seemed to be enjoying it judging by the gasp that disappeared into Miyata’s mouth. Miyata closed his lips again and began a steady rhythm. He grazed his teeth on Ippo’s bottom lip, earning another reaction from Ippo.
Ippo was still not moving. Miyata understood he needed some time to learn and get used to kissing, but it still felt really weird from Miyata’s perspective that Ippo wasn’t doing anything back. But Miyata forgot that Ippo was a very, very fast learner.
Soon enough, Ippo was moving his lips back, albeit shyly. Miyata welcomed the gesture, letting him fall into the pace he had set. Ippo became more comfortable with the kiss. His limbs relaxed, his hand sliding down Miyata’s shoulder to grasp his bicep.
The oxytocin rush was so intense that Miyata forgot he was kissing his friend-slash-rival and not someone he was dating. He was truly lost in the heat of the moment, lost in Ippo’s lips.
After a few more seconds, Ippo finally pulled away, gasping for air. His face was bright red, and he looked more winded than he did after an intense spar.
The two of them realized simultaneously what had just transpired, looking away from each other out of embarrassment. Miyata coughed into his elbow, hiding his shame.
“Well, um,” Ippo said after catching his breath. “I…that was…interesting.”
“You’re really an idiot, Makunouchi.”
“H-huh?” Ippo’s eyes widened, unsure as to why Miyata would suddenly say that.
Miyata met his gaze. “I mean, you know I like you now, don’t you?” He was panicking internally, desperately trying to rebuild his walls that were crashing down. Desperately trying to regain his usual stoicism to no avail. Ippo was more shocked at this than Miyata was.
“Like me?” Ippo asked meekly. “You…you do…?”
Miyata crossed his arms. He stared down at the carpet. “Yes,” he whispered.
What a fool he was. What a fool.
Ippo clasped his hands together gently and bit his lip. “I, um…I think I might like you too,” he admitted.
Miyata was in denial. He was angry at himself. “No. No you aren’t. You’re just saying that because we…because I kissed you,” he spat.
“N-no! No, Miyata-kun, really.” Ippo had a crease of worry in his brow. “I’m…I’m serious. I think I’ve liked you for a while now. I mean, we haven’t known each other for, um, super long. But…long enough for me to, um…”
Miyata looked up at Ippo.
“I…” Ippo was still stumbling over his confession. “…like you! A lot! R-romantically, I mean! Because you are amazing!”
“Amazing?” Miyata snorted in surprise and amusement.
Ippo nodded with a meek smile. “Yes. I…um, Miyata-kun, can we…” He trailed off, but Miyata already understood what he was trying to say.
So he leaned over and closed the gap between their lips again. Ippo accepted him wholeheartedly, deepening the kiss and grasping onto Miyata’s shoulders.
Funny how life worked. Just half an hour ago Miyata was fretting over his feelings for Ippo, and now they were kissing in his room. Maybe there was a god out there, watching over Miyata and his gay thoughts.
This kiss didn’t go on for as long as the last since the both of them needed to catch their breath. Ippo had a satisfied look on his face. He smiled like Miyata had just given him the answer to something he’d been pondering for months. Miyata knew because he was certain that he had the same expression on his face as well. He could certainly get used to this new discovery.
Once again, Ippo returned to his usual timid self. “I…um, so does that make us…” Ippo worried his lip, leaving Miyata to figure out the rest.
“Dating…? Yes, but as long as you don’t go easy on me.” Miyata gave him a smug smile. “We’re still rivals in boxing, you know. And I’ll still crush you.”
Ippo cracked a small laugh at the silliness of it all before nodding. “Same here.”
They sat there for a moment before Ippo perked up. “Ah! Right! Roadwork! We should get back to that, huh? I don’t wanna lose my rhythm!”
Miyata shrugged. “I’d much rather stay here with you. We can run extra fast back to the gym and train later.” He looked back at Ippo, whose face had started to burn up yet again at what Miyata had said.
“Right. Um, well, you can stay over for a while, then.” Ippo said with an adorable grin.
Miyata appreciated this new development. He wasn’t sure how long their relationship would stay a secret, especially with the society they were living in, but either way, he loved Ippo all the same.
And kissing him was certainly an experience worth exploring, too.