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“Ainosuke-sama,” Tadashi was always gentle when he woke Ainosuke up. The man responded better to a firm touch, at least when he was sleeping, but Tadashi thought that Ainosuke deserved gentleness, no matter how many times he had to go through the same motions. “Ainosuke-sama, please wake up. It’s time for your day to start.” Tadashi stepped away from the bed as Ainosuke began to stir. He waited for a few beats to be sure that Ainosuke wouldn’t go back to sleep before walking around the room, drawing the curtains open.
Ainosuke had no issue changing clothes with them open and had made it clear several times over that he preferred sunlight to harsh fluorescents. So, Tadashi opened the curtains and cracked a few of the windows themselves, allowing the sweet scent of roses into the room. Ainosuke’s room always smelled like his cologne and roses, partly because of the oils he was so fond of and partly because the mansion gardens boasted natural roses year-round.
“Schedule, Tadashi.” Ainosuke’s long fingers snapped and Tadashi heeded his words, standing off to the side as Ainosuke slowly dressed himself in his signature three-piece suit. Tadashi dearly hoped that he wouldn’t have to get it dry-cleaned again. The bill always shocked him, despite the fact that Tadashi had been handling Shindo money since the day he turned sixteen. At his heart, he was still a person who scrounged for coupons and perpetually budgeted all his meals.
“Breakfast will have to be short, I’m afraid. I’ve scheduled the aunts from eight to nine, although there is a grace period of thirty minutes between that and your next meeting, in case it runs long.” The aunts loved to chat, and Ainosuke couldn’t refuse them until his lawyer had finalised his rightful ownership of all Shindo assets. “From nine-thirty until eleven, you have an ecosystemic board meeting. It is to discuss the finer points of your policy to reintroduce bees and natural wildlife to Okinawa. Lunch has been scheduled at Sia la Luce from eleven-thirty to twelve-thirty.”
Ainosuke had been taking his lunch at Sia la Luce every day that he could manage since his infamous last beef with Snow. Kojiro, in return, slowly warmed up to him to the point that they could have entire conversations without either man getting angry enough to storm off. Their relationship was strange and more than a little convoluted, and even though Tadashi didn’t understand it, he chose not to question it. Kojiro made Ainosuke happy in some off-centre, twisted way. Tadashi could see it every time they engaged in conversation, the way Ainosuke’s eyes lit up at having a verbal sparring partner who wouldn’t back down and who wasn’t perturbed in the slightest by Ainosuke’s oddities. Tadashi had never personally approached Kojiro and he probably never would at all beyond virtually placing reservations.
“After that, you have three meetings back-to-back. Two are board meetings, as I expect they are ousting Shimada-san, and the third is a personal meeting with your lawyer to discuss potential marriage candidates.” That was a lie. Tadashi, despite his profession, never enjoyed lying. Ainosuke was a paranoid man, however, and he didn’t believe in discussing the exclusion of his aunts from Shindo property within the confines of the mansion. Tadashi had his room searched many times for bugs, but Ainosuke insisted, so he spoke in code. Even the car was risky, according to Ainosuke, so the only place they casually discussed it was at SK8.
“Hm. Coffee.” As soon as Ainosuke spoke, Tadashi deposited his ice-cold vanilla coffee in his hand. Ainosuke did not say thank you, his eyes flicking over the physical copy of the schedule Tadashi had said aloud as he sipped at his drink. “Ousting Shimada-san, are they? A pity. The man’s vote is always so easy to sway… All it takes is one flirtatious comment and he’s practically falling all over himself to please me.”
Much like many things with Ainosuke, this was a game. This was a game to test the waters of his relationship with Tadashi, to see if he would break the carefully crafted persona of professionalism he wore all the time. A part of Tadashi wanted to indulge for once, to allow himself to feel the jealousy that reared its head every time Ainosuke mentioned his unorthodox methods of getting what he wanted. But that part was far overshadowed by Tadashi’s rational mind.
“The man they want to replace Shimada-san is only a little younger than him. Hisashi-san has a habit of booking seedy motels and has paid off several reporters who took photos of him in…compromising positions with barely legal men. I am sure you will be able to persuade him, Ainosuke-sama,” Tadashi said, his voice monotone despite the confidence that belied his words. Ainosuke’s eyes glanced up, meeting Tadashi’s in a flash of curious red before they were gone again, preoccupied with something else. Ainosuke rarely met Tadashi’s gaze head-on as a way to put even more distance between them, to showcase how far below Tadashi’s status was. When he did, it was often in challenge, or the brief flares of emotion that Ainosuke indulged in.
“I suppose I should be glad I have such a diligent dog to protect me,” Ainosuke drawled, and Tadashi couldn’t particularly tell if he was teasing or serious. He chose to interpret it as honest praise, a faint flush climbing onto his cheeks. Ainosuke led the way out of his bedroom with Tadashi trailing in his wake, muttering to himself about the board meeting. Tadashi was glad for the somewhat early hour. It meant that fewer servants roamed the halls, most of them occupied with their morning chores still. Ainosuke walked forward heedlessly, and he was like a brick wall, which meant that when someone bumped into him, they usually got hurt while he got offended. An offended Ainosuke was not Tadashi’s favourite to defuse.
The aunts were, predictably, having their tea in the conservatory. Ainosuke stepped into the room, Tadashi drawn in shadow behind him. The aunts didn’t notice him, as used to his presence as they were already. Tadashi had been serving the Shindos since the day he was born; it was only natural that over time, his presence became expected rather than a nuisance. Ainosuke’s shoulders stiffened as he offered a gracious bow to his aunts, smiling sweetly. He kept his hands folded together behind his back, waiting for the inevitable assault that his aunts had worked out before he got there.
“Ainosuke! How lovely to see you today,” The oldest, Aikoko, cooed, her voice saccharine. She was the head of the house in every term except legal, which meant that both her sisters and Ainosuke deferred to her. She was the one to fear. The other two, Sachio and Himiko, were more or less harmless. They went along with what their older sister said and they’d never be forgiven for what they had done to Ainosuke, but relatively speaking, they weren’t a cause for concern.
“Of course, Auntie. You know I’d always make time for you,” Ainosuke replied unflinchingly, holding Aikoko’s gaze. There was a razor’s edge to her smile, but Ainosuke remained perfectly soft and demure, obedient in all the ways that he had to be. Aikiko was a smart woman, and she’d undoubtedly sensed the atmosphere of change around the mansion, but she had no cause for suspicion when Ainosuke acted the same as always. The Shindos were a very paranoid family.
“Yes, of course,” Akiko agreed smoothly. Her eyes lit up as if just recalling something. “Oh, dear! It’s your birthday today, isn’t it?” Tadashi took great lengths to make sure his posture didn’t change as he watched the blow cause Ainosuke’s perfect smile to falter slightly. He was a politician, so the mask returned as flawlessly as it had gone, but Tadashi knew that Akiko had seen it as well as he had.
“Yes, Auntie. Thank you for remembering,” Ainosuke said gratefully, and if Tadashi hadn’t spent years memorising every flawless line of him, he was sure he wouldn’t have noticed the brittleness within that tone. Akiko, for all of her cunning, hadn’t registered it, her smile turning displeased as she looked at her nephew. If she’d noticed the weakness, she would’ve been much happier to continue pressing. Tadashi said quiet thanks inside his mind for the fact that Ainosuke was such a brilliant actor.
“Twenty-seven, isn’t it?” Aikiko hummed reproachfully when Ainosuke nodded. “Twenty-seven and no bride to show for it. We’re not getting any younger, Ainosuke, and we expect you to have a wife before we’re dead. The Shindo line must continue purely, after all!” Aikiko said cheerfully, clapping her hands together gently. Sachio and Himiko nodded in unison, making a chill roll down Tadashi’s spine.
“I have a date with a potential candidate today, Auntie Aikiko,” Ainosuke lied calmly, showing just the right amount of hesitance that Aikiko would believe. “I’m sure she’ll be wonderful.” A little too thick, Tadashi thought, but Aikiko nodded approvingly. Ainosuke led the conversation into mildly safer waters, talking at length about the policies he planned to introduce to the board and how they were kicking off Shimada-san. Although, how safe could the waters really be when you were swimming with sharks, Tadashi wondered.
The drive on the way to Ainosuke’s ecosystemic board meeting was spent in quiet. Tadashi figured that Ainosuke was still thinking about what his aunt had said, both about his birthday and the haste to find a potential bride. Ainosuke’s birthday was a touchy subject. It didn’t use to be, but sometime after Aiichiro’s death, Ainosuke no longer cared for the dramatics he typically employed when it came to his birthday. It wasn’t Tadashi’s place to pry, so he didn’t, but he had the feeling that Aiichiro had done something before he died, something that haunted his son even in death.
“Tadashi, I don’t want you here for this. Go somewhere else.” It was an order, that much was clear. Tadashi remained silent as he pulled up beside the building, getting out of the car and opening Ainosuke’s door for him. He didn’t question Ainosuke’s decision despite the hurt lancing through him, merely handed him the notes that he’d briefed before the meeting. Normally, Tadashi was somewhat of Ainosuke’s secret weapon. If the politician wanted to remain alone, however, there was nothing he could do.
“Ainosuke-sama,” Tadashi said before he could help himself, causing Ainosuke to pause and glance at him. His eyebrows were drawn together, a crease between them, perhaps in perplexity or frustration. It was disconcerting not being able to read his expression, but Tadashi had always known that Ainosuke could close himself off at will. “Good luck, sir,” Tadashi finished softly, hoping against hope that Ainosuke knew he meant so much more than that. Ainosuke inclined his head, just a little, before turning around and marching into the building. His shoes clicked as he went, and it almost caused Tadashi’s lips to tilt at the corners.
Ainosuke might’ve known how to put forth a polished front, but he would always harbour that little bit of free-spirited childishness.
Before Ainosuke’s return to SK8 and before Snow, these moods of his were much more difficult to manage. He had gone out of his way to antagonise Tadashi, ordering him to wait in a parked car until he was finished with his meetings. This time had been different. His wording had been to go somewhere else, as if Ainosuke was purposely permitting him to do so. Tadashi couldn’t even attempt to feel offended at the thought because he knew very well that without that express permission, he never would’ve considered doing what he was about to do. Tadashi pulled out of his parking space, venturing in the direction of Sia la Luce.
Kojiro was Ainosuke’s friend. Friends knew about each other’s birthdays. Tadashi didn’t like the idea of one Ainosuke-themed meltdown undoing all of his hard work to reconcile with Kojiro. A part of Tadashi questioned how strong a relationship could truly be if it took one mistake to unravel it, but it was so new and Tadashi didn’t want anything screwing it up for Ainosuke. He was doing what he did best as Ainosuke’s dog; protecting. Tadashi parked in front of the restaurant, straightening his tie absently as he exited the car. He made a mental note to buy fast food or something on the way back to Ainosuke’s meeting, so that way the other man couldn’t figure out what Tadashi had been up to quite as fast.
The atmosphere inside the restaurant was calm, slow and drowsy. It made sense that there would be few people within it, as Sia la Luce was primarily a lunch and dinner establishment. It didn’t serve breakfast. Thus, Tadashi didn’t feel guilty for sending one of Kojiro’s waitresses into the kitchens with the purpose of finding the head chef. He took a seat at the bar, glancing around Sia la Luce curiously. Ainosuke’s meals were private affairs, so Tadashi had never been inside the restaurant itself before. He knew what it looked like from the perpetually up-to-date website that he suspected Kaoru ran, but he’d never tagged along with Ainosuke.
“Hey, there. Mia told me you wanted to see me?” Kojiro was a broad, vaguely intimidating man. He wore a sharp smile, the kind that looked to be in no mood to deal with what he likely thought was a fussy customer. Unfortunately for him, Tadashi had the company of men much more menacing than Kojiro was. Tadashi nodded, folding his hands together atop the counter. He was strangely anxious for the conversation, although he forced himself to dismiss any apprehension.
“Yes. I wanted to…” Tadashi paused, eyebrows furrowing. He didn’t know how to go about this gracefully, and the way Kojiro arched an eyebrow curiously only furthered his nerves. “I’m Ainosuke-sama’s secretary. It’s his birthday today, as I am sure you are aware⎯”
“Wait, you’re the secretary?” Kojiro interrupted, eyes as big as saucers. Tadashi narrowed his eyes, mildly annoyed at being interrupted, but nodded regardless. He didn’t see what that had to do with anything, unless Ainosuke had been talking about him. That was certainly a preposterous idea. “Oh, man. You are…not what I was expecting. But, wait, what’d you say? Today’s the bastard’s birthday? He’s going to be so dramatic.” Kojiro groaned, putting a hand to his face. Tadashi bristled, his lips downturned.
“I don’t appreciate you calling my master that, Nanjo-san,” Tadashi said icily. “I only came to warn you that Ainosuke-sama does not appreciate people mentioning his birthday. I thought, being his friend, you would’ve known that it was today, but I can see that I’ve made an error in judgement.” He managed through gritted teeth, annoyed at the man in front of him and annoyed with himself for revealing such a personal piece of information about Ainosuke. Tadashi should’ve figured out that Kojiro had no knowledge of Ainosuke’s birthday before blabbering about it like some two-brain-cell bimbo.
“You are kind of protective, aren’t you?” Kojiro mused, seemingly ignoring all of what Tadashi had said. The latter scowled, pulling his hands into his lap. “I get it, why he compares you to a puppy. It makes sense, I mean, you’ve certainly got the whole death glare thing down.” Kojiro did jazz hands, grinning brightly, and Tadashi blinked. He didn’t get the man in front of him. Ainosuke, while inconvenient and preposterous and neurotic, at least made sense to Tadashi. Kojiro was painfully pleasant and hadn’t lost his smile even a little since they started talking, although it had softened to something nicer.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tadashi didn’t mean for his tone to come out as sharply as it did. Kojiro’s eyes went a little wide and he held his hands up in the universal sign of surrender.
“Whoa there, dude. I’m not trying to be rude here. I think it’s cute, or as cute as it can be for him, how much he talks about you. And I won’t mention his birthday if that’s what you’re worried about. Kaoru’s always been better with dates, so he isn’t gonna be surprised if I don’t even remember it,” Kojiro promised, looking serious, and Tadashi relaxed marginally. Above all, he didn’t want to cause Ainosuke unneeded stress or pain. If this uncomfortable conversation was what it took to avoid that, Tadashi would bear the burden gladly.
“Thank you,” Tadashi said graciously, inclining his head at Kojiro. “I appreciate what you do for him.” He meant that, at least. He was being mildly sarcastic when he voiced his thanks, but he was grateful to Kojiro for how much more relaxed Ainosuke had been lately. He had an inkling that, perhaps, Ainosuke enjoyed Kojiro’s company more than a simple friend would. Strangely, Tadashi didn’t feel very jealous. Someone who was as considerate of Ainosuke as Kojiro appeared to be met the bare minimum, although Tadashi was adamant on the fact that no one deserved Ainosuke. Especially not himself.
. . .
“It’s my birthday,” Ainosuke said suddenly, out of the blue, as they pulled up to SK8. The events of the night were already in full swing, as Ainosuke insisted on never showing up on time. Tadashi parked the car and went to open the door for Ainosuke, wondering where on Earth their conversation was going to go. Ainosuke did have a habit of stating the obvious and expecting Tadashi to gleam some sort of perfect knowledge from it, but that didn’t feel like this.
“I want you to skate with me,” Ainosuke hummed, grasping Tadashi’s forearm and pulling him close. His lips skimmed the shell of Tadashi’s ear as he continued speaking. “And if you throw it, I’ll kick your ass, puppy.” Shivers danced down Tadashi’s spine while Ainosuke turned and sauntered away, his hips swaying as he walked. Tadashi caught the faint tune of Happy Birthday on the wind and his lips tugged up without his permission. He closed the door to the car and locked it before hurrying after his master.
“Adam! You’re here!” Langa’s eyes sparkled, his redheaded counterpart at his side. Reki looked less enthused to see Ainosuke, but he made no move to walk away. Ainosuke smirked, though it was more of a baring of teeth, as he draped an arm around Langa’s shoulders. Tadashi remained off to the side, as quiet as he could be. The excitement from before was quickly dimming as he realised he had no idea when Ainosuke wanted to skate, or if he had even been serious. It was like Ainosuke, to play cruel games, although Tadashi hadn’t been prepared for how disappointed he felt by the idea.
“Why, of course, I am, Little Langa!” Ainosuke tapped Langa’s nose with a gloved finger cheerfully. “I wasn’t going to miss more time with you. Besides, I have a very important race tonight.” Tadashi’s gaze drifted as he listened with half an ear to the conversation. He spotted Kaoru and Kojiro at the fringes of the crowd, about as far away from Ainosuke as they could get. This was unsurprising. As far as Tadashi knew, Ainosuke and Kaoru’s relationship had not been mended in the slightest, and if it came down to it, it was obvious who Kojiro would pick. Best not to upset the scales at the moment, something that even Ainosuke realised.
“ Tadashi.” Tadashi snapped back to attention, his eyes naturally finding Ainosuke. He blinked, registering the annoyed tone that Ainosuke had used and the unmissable look of irritation on his face. Tadashi’s face felt warm as he realised Langa and Reki were looking at him, too, albeit more curiously than with annoyance.
“Sorry…Adam-sama,” Tadashi cleared his throat, feeling even more awkward. He wouldn’t use Ainosuke’s real name at SK8, of course, but it felt indescribably wrong to say Adam instead. In some ways, Tadashi thought that it was more familiar than Ainosuke’s first name, even though it was an alias. Adam was the parts of Ainosuke that Tadashi had tried to smother, the ones that had been formed without his influence, and the ones that had been solidified in America. Tadashi didn’t know if he was allowed to cross such a line yet, even if their relationship was… better.
“You’re never scatterbrained,” Ainosuke said, sharply curious, and Tadashi shrugged in a way that he hoped was nonchalant. “Well, no matter. I’ll be racing with Tadashi tonight, boys. We’re going to put on a wonderful show for you,” He cooed, patting Langa’s head and then Reki’s. The latter looked disgruntled at the affection, but his face softened when Langa’s hand caught his, interlocking fingers. Langa’s shiny, wide-eyed gaze landed on Tadashi as he beamed.
“I can’t wait! You’re really good, I mean you cleared Miya with no problem, and that takes a certain level of skill, but you weren’t even giving it your all!” Langa continued to ramble, oblivious to the lovesick looks Reki sent his way. Tadashi tried to keep up with the barrage of information, but he was sure that Langa felt his replies were a little lacking. Attuned to Ainosuke as he was, he shifted his entire person when Ainosuke made to move out of their little circle. Before he could stop himself, Tadashi’s hand snagged on Ainosuke’s wrist, stopping him in place.
“Hm, what’s this?” Ainosuke tilted his head playfully with a smile that looked more like a leer. “Does my poor puppy have separation anxiety? Not to worry, I’m only going to schedule our beef. You can handle them for a while longer.” He gestured dismissively at Reki and Langa, neither of which seemed very offended by the wording. Tadashi frowned slightly, but nodded, not wanting to get in the way. To be honest, all he wanted was to follow Ainosuke like a shadow, but… Well, Tadashi had never been good at refusing the other man.
“How long have you been together?” Reki said before Langa could get another word out, and Tadashi flushed scarlet. He felt like an embarrassed teenager with the way he was acting, attempting to regain his cool. Langa looked between Tadashi and Reki, confusion creasing his forehead.
“Adam and I aren’t a couple, I’m afraid,” Tadashi answered calmly, hoping that neither boy noticed how red his face was. Reki pursed his lips, not looking convinced in the slightest, while Langa only looked more confused.
“I thought they were married?” He asked in a stage whisper to Reki, who rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. The two began to whisper-shout at each other, making a lot of hand gestures as they did so. Tadashi quietly slipped away, deciding that no, he could not handle those two for a while longer. They were a lot, especially as observant as Reki was. Langa, not so much, but he had so many questions that Tadashi couldn’t keep up with them. To be honest, out of all of the group that Ainosuke had, Tadashi preferred Miya. The younger teen kept silent most of the time, only bothering Tadashi for help on a particularly difficult level of his newest video game or for the rare question about skating.
“Ainosuke,” Tadashi said with relief as he happened upon the man himself, glancing around surreptitiously after to make sure no one heard him. Ainosuke faced him with a confident smirk, pulling Tadashi close. They weren’t touching, not quite, but they were close enough that Tadashi could feel each puff of breath from Ainosuke’s mouth.
“Did the wonder duo tire you out?” Ainosuke asked with a snicker, teeth gleaming in the flashing light. Tadashi shrugged, hoping his exhaustion didn’t show. He had a very low social battery, and he couldn’t wait until the night was over, despite looking forward to his and Ainosuke’s beef. “Ah, we should set up terms, shouldn’t we? What you get if you win, and what I get if I win.” The matador of love smirked. Tadashi didn’t care about the terms of the beef, considering that he was already getting what he wanted out of this; Ainosuke’s time.
“If I win…” Tadashi didn’t know what to say, but Ainosuke was looking at him with an unprecedented level of interest. “I want to reserve a day off in advance, for whenever I choose.” This was logical, however uninteresting. As Ainosuke’s secretary, he’d never had a need to take a day off, but Tadashi wanted to be able to invoke his day off for the inevitable day Ainosuke wanted to confess to Kojiro. He would no doubt enlist Tadashi’s help, but Tadashi had no intention of witnessing a happy couple get together.
“Ach, you’re so boring, Tadashi! Of course, you can have that. You can have that even if you don’t win,” Ainosuke agreed, rolling his eyes, and Tadashi’s lips quirked at the corners. Ainosuke fell silent, something sparkling in his eyes that Tadashi couldn’t identify. It caused his slight smile to fall from his face, apprehensive about what such an expression meant.
“What about you, Ainosuke-sama?” Tadashi asked lowly, careful to keep his voice quiet. The last thing they needed was for a political scandal involving Ainosuke and skating to come out. Tadashi knew now that skating was a (mostly) healthy coping mechanism and hobby of Ainosuke’s, and he would never try to take that from him again, but that didn’t mean that fellow politicians would take it so lightly.
“It’s a secret,” Ainosuke said mischievously, grabbing Tadashi’s hand and dragging him to the start line. Miya appeared out of thin air, it seemed, handing them each their boards. He looked annoyed with his job, but more than happy to accept the fistful of crumpled bills that Ainosuke gladly handed over. “But I wish you luck, my fair Snake. You’ll need it,” Ainosuke winked, dropping a kiss onto Tadashi’s forehead before assuming his natural starting position. He didn’t bother pulling out his cigarettes, and the part of Tadashi that wasn’t frozen with shock felt a spark of pride at that.
The race was exhilarating, once Tadashi managed to get out of his own head. Ainosuke was fun to compete against, and his skill level matched Tadashi’s nearly evenly. They took corners at tight speeds, Ainosuke tap-tap-tapping his way into a dance. He didn’t try any of his more destructive moves, as he hadn’t for months now, and Tadashi in return tried desperately to pretend that he was okay with that. (Of course, it was a good thing that Ainosuke wasn’t hurting people any longer… Tadashi was the odd one here for feeling disappointed in the fact that Ainosuke wouldn’t try to control him physically. The idea sounded far nicer than it had any right to.)
In the end, Ainosuke was the winner by less than an inch. Tadashi couldn’t find it in himself to be upset as he stepped off his board, pulling his cap just a little lower in caution. Ainosuke accepted the cheers of his name as gracefully as he could, which was to say by blowing kisses at the crowd and having roses fall from nets hidden in the warehouse ceiling. Tadashi wished he could be surprised by the extravagance of it all, but Ainosuke couldn’t surprise him any more, especially not when he was the one who’d placed the order for the flowers.
“So, you won,” Tadashi said breathlessly once Ainosuke’s attention was firmly fixed on him once more. Ainosuke grinned, something real and true and happy. Tadashi’s heart ached and he selfishly wished to keep such a look all to himself, to hide Ainosuke away from the distant crowd around them.
“Did you expect nothing less? I was racing for something I wanted.” Ainosuke’s finger lightly traced the line of Tadashi’s jaw. “And I always get what I want.” His voice was low, dark in a way that shouldn’t have sent goosebumps flaring across Tadashi’s skin. He was breathless for an entirely different reason now, unable to help his eyes from flicking down to Ainosuke’s lips. He’d never been more grateful for the fact that Ainosuke’s mask wasn’t a full one.
“What’s that?” Tadashi managed to ask, his voice a good octave higher than it normally was. Amusement danced across Ainosuke’s face as he bent his head.
“A date. A kiss, if you’re up to it. You, especially. All of you,” Ainosuke replied easily, wrapping one arm around Tadashi’s waist. Tadashi blushed, biting his bottom lip as he looked at Ainosuke.
“You’re not joking?” Tadashi got out in a hoarse whisper, and he could tell that Ainosuke was arching an eyebrow even below the mask.
“I wouldn’t go through all of this effort for a joke, Tadashi. I want you, and I’m not lying.” Ainosuke was firm, steady in a way he so rarely was. Tadashi reached up, grabbing the collar of his jacket and pulling him forward. Their lips collided messily, and Tadashi was sure he felt their teeth knock together, but it became so much better the second Ainosuke caught on. Tadashi melted into the kiss, Ainosuke’s hands settled on his hips possessively.
“Oi, get a room!” Kojiro shouted across the warehouse and they broke apart. Ainosuke rolled his eyes and flipped the other man off while Tadashi stood his ground proudly despite the high spots of colour on his cheeks. Like he’d ever be embarrassed about kissing Ainosuke.
⎯end.