Chapter Text
“What are you looking at?”
Sendoh wrapped his arms around the waist of his lover, who was focusing on his mobile phone screen, while sitting down next to him on the sofa. As soon as he rested his chin on the other person’s shoulder, he took the opportunity to press his lips against the younger person’s flawless cheek, not giving him a chance to pull away.
“Let me see. Is it as interesting as my Kaede?”
The small smile on Rukawa’s face made Sendoh couldn’t help but tease him. In fact, he knew that there were only a few things in the world that could make this Ice Prince of Basketball smile. Of course, the number one and two were basketball and ‘Sendoh Akira’. And since it wasn’t either of these two, he could guess that it would definitely be some photos of cats.
However, what Sendoh saw on the screen was completely unexpected.
“Moo Deng?”
Believe it or not, even Rukawa had fallen for this famous baby pygmy hippo… Was it because she shared some traits with a cat?
How was it similar? Well, Moo Deng spent most of the time sleeping, didn’t care much for anything, didn’t like being bothered, and sometimes even looked surprisingly fierce… In other words, her personality was just like Rukawa's.
Not friendly, but too cute to resist.
It might sound strange, but Sendoh liked his lover being like this. There was no need for him to be more friendly, because Sendoh would get jealous whenever Rukawa was close to anyone. And he didn’t want Rukawa to pay attention to anything else, wanting those beautiful eyes to be focused solely on him.
"Mmm... Cute, but not as cute as my Kaede."
Sendoh's face was buried in the crook of Rukawa's smooth fair neck. The faint scent tempted him to the point that he couldn't resist. He pressed the tip of his nose against the skin and slowly moved it up to the back of the ear, taking a deep breath as if wanting to retain that sweetness for as long as possible, before gently slipping his thick palm under the fabric to caress the skin of the person in his arms.
What could be more special than being the only one who could got this close to Rukawa Kaede? Just like how only the keeper could get close to Moo Deng, only he could smell the sweet scent of Rukawa and touch the alluring figure... Exclusive privileges for Sendoh Akira.
“Ouch!”
Sendoh was hit hard by an elbow and bent over in pain. The hand that had not yet completed its mission ended up moving to hold his own stomach instead.
Look, this guy had even hurted his keeper just like Moo Deng.
“What happened?”
Giving a pleading look to the other while receiving only a sullen stare in return, Sendoh still didn’t quite understand the situation. He had no idea why his lover suddenly behaved like that, until his gaze followed the other's to the bedroom, where the door was left open.
The bed was bare because the cloth that had once covered it was removed for washing. The trash can under the bedside table was still full of remnants from the previous night between the two of them.
“Not enough?”
The blunt question from the one who had been invaded made Sendoh raise his hand and scratch his neck in embarrassment.
“Okay, enough…”
As a basketball player, Rukawa might excel in his own techniques, but he had always been inferior to Sendoh in physical stamina. Sendoh understood that the entire night, lasting until almost dawn, must have left his lover feeling quite exhausted. But as for Sendoh himself, he could still go on for an entire day. After all, if it were Rukawa, his junior would be more than happy to work ‘hard’ without rest.
But no matter how much he long for it, since his partner wasn’t ready, he didn’t want to push anything.
“I won’t do it any more today, I promise.”
The older guy tried to act cute before moving closer and hugging his lover. This time, it wasn’t tight, but rather just loosely wrapped around him, allowing some private time without making him feel uncomfortable.
One of Sendoh’s hands slowly moved to the upper arm of the person next to him, rubbing his thumb lightly across his shoulder. Not long after, it moved up to affectionately fondle Rukawa's head. The sensation of soft hair slipping through his fingers gave Sendoh an indescribable feeling. He ruffled the jet-black hair and brushed them repeatedly while keeping his eyes fixed on the pretty face.
Even though this was a face he had always seen, he never got bored of it. The profile view made the beautiful, prominent nose look especially striking. He liked how its tip was slightly raised, giving off a stubborn vibe that matches Rukawa’s nature, along with the small lips that tended to pout whenever he was dissatisfied, just like a kid.
The age difference between him and Rukawa was only less than two years, but sometimes he felt like he was dating a little boy. Everything, from the demeanor to the expressions, and even the appearance gives off that impression. Even though Rukawa’s size was too large to be called small, every time Sendoh looked at his lover, it was as if an invisible filter made this guy seem like a little child to him… except when they were in bed.
Speaking of which, do kids generally like zoos? And what about this kid in his arms?
There was no zoo in Kamakura. So, unless it was a school field trip, someone like Rukawa, who lived his life around basketball and did not travel much except for games, probably would have never been to the zoo. Sendoh couldn't help but wonder if this kid would enjoy it, like other children.
“Shall we go see the real Moo Deng?”
The answer was probably easy to guess. Judging by the expression on his face while looking at the images and videos on the phone, it was obvious that the Ice Prince had already melted because of the tiny pygmy hippo.
- TBC