Work Text:
It was already dark when they left the recording studio. Street lights were flickering on one after one, and the streets were filled with people hurrying home from school or work.
Kuro yawned and stretched, taking a look around as he stepped out into the cold. "It's not even that late yet, but I can already go outside like this 'cause the sun's gone," he said, buttoning up his jacket. "I guess that's the coolest part about winter."
Mahiru gave him a sidelong glance. "Pun intended?"
"No," Kuro said and continued, without batting an eye, "That was... punintentional."
Mahiru groaned. "Don't say that with such a straight face!" he shouted at the vampire. "I need bad puns in my life like I need a hole in the head!"
He coughed, cleared his throat and sighed. "Looks like I'm getting hoarse from all that singing."
"More like from all that yelling."
"Yeah, and whose fault is that?!"
Kuro just shrugged. "Hey, don't blame me. It's not my fault that you're so sensitive you blow up at everything I say."
"I'm sensitive?" Mahiru sputtered. "You're just being a jerk!"
"See what I mean?"
"Why you-!!"
"How exhausting," Kuro sighed. "People are staring already. Keep it down, MahiMahi."
Mahiru would have loved to throw a comeback at him but bit down on it because, unfortunately, Kuro was right. Their little argument (or his side of it, at least) had been way too loud, and a few passers-by had stopped walking to watch how the whole scene would play out. Mahiru blushed bright red, glared at them and started hurrying away, dragging Kuro behind him.
"Hey, no need to go so fast," the vampire complained. "And can you let go of my wrist already? You're tearing off my arm!"
Mahiru continued to hurry down the street, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. "But you're immortal anyway, so you should be fine, right?"
"You sure are exhausting when you're mad. A smile would look much better on you."
"We're not starting with this again. What happened at the recording studio stays at the recording studio, okay? The idol thing is over!"
"A sunny, pure MahiMahi smile..."
"Dammit!" Mahiru finally stopped and spun around, his face an even darker shade of red than before. "Will you stop using that nickname already?! And what's up with that fixation on my smile, anyway? I already told you that I purge vampires by fighting and not-"
Wait.
Kuro comparing Mahiru's smile to the sun... wasn't it weird? It wasn't like him at all. And if that alone wasn't suspicious enough, Kuro's expression spoke volumes.
The vampire had pulled his hood as far into his face as he could. He was half hidden behind the collar of his jacket, his eyes averted, his face glowing red despite all his attempts to hide it. His right hand was trying to free itself from Mahiru's grip, but Mahiru didn't let go.
"Kuro?" He tried to catch Kuro's gaze again, but the vampire kept avoiding it. "What's wrong?"
"Can't deal," came the muffled reply through the jacket collar.
Mahiru looked at his Servamp and wondered if feelings were contagious. Whatever it was called that Kuro was obviously feeling, Mahiru found himself feeling exactly the same.
Flustered. Embarrassed. Confused.
He had to admit, Kuro looked adorable acting all shy and flustered like that. Not that he had never found him cute before. But this time... this time was somehow different. His heartbeat was racing. His face was hot and burning. And he really didn't remember what it was that he had been trying to say.
"You, uh," he stammered, trying to stare at the ground as intently as possible, "you called my smile... sunny..."
Even as he said it, a thousand butterflies took flight inside his stomach, making him feel shaky and slightly dizzy. Saying it out loud was a whole new level of embarrassing. Part of him wanted to hide his face behind his eyes and only see the world by peering through his fingers for the rest of eternity.
Well, he definitely understood Kuro now.
"Everyone finds it sunny," the vampire said, still very focused on avoiding Mahiru's gaze, as if that was even necessary. "Why do you think you have so many friends? I only wrote what everyone was thinking."
"Oh," Mahiru muttered. For some reason or other, he felt disappointed. "I see."
"Don't be down, MahiMahi." Kuro's tone was back to normal, with that playful edge that never failed to get on Mahiru's last nerve. "Even if a gorgeous smile is your only strength, you should take advantage of it."
Mahiru was just about to retort something when something caught his attention. "Did you just say... gorgeous?"
"Public opinion," Kuro answered hurriedly, not meeting his gaze. "Personally, I don't even like it that much. I mean, it's only a small part of the reason why I like you..."
"What?!"
"...What?"
Mahiru stared at him, trying to process what the vampire had just said. "Did you just... say you like me?"
Kuro stared right back as the full meaning of his words dawned on him. The color of his face changed from pale white to flaming red in an instant. He turned away, trying to hide his expression.
"Wait." Mahiru could feel a hundred different emotions rushing through his veins. Surprise. Shock. Embarrassment. Happiness. Hope. "Wait, Kuro, what... what kind of like?"
"You must've misheard," Kuro mumbled, not turning to face him. "I didn't say anything about liking you. It's probably your imagination."
"I heard it right! If I misheard it, why are you acting so embarrassed in the first place?"
Kuro didn't answer.
"But even if I heard it wrong... do you like me, Kuro?" He walked around to face the vampire again. "It's a simple question. Do you?"
Kuro hesitated. The blush on his cheeks deepened. He took a shaky breath, swallowed... and nodded.
Mahiru couldn't fight the wave of joy splashing over him and spreading a smile over his face. Hope, which had been shaky and hesitant before, now hit him with full force and gave him courage to ask the next question, for real this time.
"What kind of like?"
Kuro sighed. "You sure are persistent, huh... can't deal." In a very shaky, hesitant, barely audible voice, he continued.
"The... like-like... kind of like."
Mahiru couldn't help it. All the tension disappeared and left him laughing with surprise, relief and simple, honest happiness. Kuro was lazy and annoying sometimes, sure, but beneath that surface he was also kind, sweet and just plain adorable. If he had ever been unsure about his feelings for the vampire, this confession left him without a doubt.
Standing on his tip-toes, he reached up, cupped Kuro's face in his hands and kissed him.
A small surprised gasp escaped the vampire's lips. For a split second his heart stopped. His eyes popped wide open. He looked at Mahiru, incredulous, unable to process that this was really happening, that this wasn't just some dream that would fade as soon as he woke up.
Then he closed his eyes and completely melted into the kiss.
After a long, breathless moment, they parted again, their eyes slowly fluttering open, their hearts racing, their faces glowing in spite of the cold. Kuro was left without any words. He just looked at Mahiru and hoped to somehow convey all that he was feeling with his eyes.
Mahiru smiled, another one of his shining, radiant sunny smiles. "That was my answer, in case you were wondering," he said softly. "I like-like you too, Kuro."
Kuro still didn't say anything. He was too overwhelmed to speak.
"You know," Mahiru said, still smiling, "you're actually pretty cute sometimes... Kuu-chan."
"Ah..." Kuro finally found his words again, along with his sense of humor and a lightheartedness he hadn't felt for centuries. "There it is again. That sunny MahiMahi smile."
"Geez, will you stop with that already!"
"Sunflower MahiMahi sun-like..."
"Can't deal!!"
"You're using my catchphrase again. Go get your own... how exhausting."
"...Remind me, why did I confess to you again?"
"Because you like me?"
"Don't say that so casually! You were the one acting all flustered just a moment ago!"
They both looked at each other for a long moment.
Mahiru burst out laughing, and even Kuro managed to crack the tiniest hint of a smile.
"Come on." Mahiru extended his hand, still laughing. "Let's go home, Kuu-chan."
Kuro reached out and hesitantly took Mahiru's hand. "Sure... Sunflower MahiMahi-chan."
"Hey! Don't add a -chan to my nickname! It's embarrassing enough as it is!"
They walked home in lively chatter, not caring about all the people stopping to listen to their lovers' quarrel.