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“Okay, weird question.” You began, the second the call connected.
“Hello to you too.” Choso replied, and you sighed softly, rubbing a hand over your face as you composed himself, even though he couldn’t see you. How were you meant to keep calm in person if he came to help you if you couldn’t stay calm over a phone call?
“Hey, Choso. If you’re not busy, I was kinda hoping you could help me with something?” You asked, shuffling slightly where you were sitting to get more comfortable, though the bark of the branch was starting to hurt.
“Uh, I’m not busy. What’s up?” He asked, though in the background you heard the sound of his laptop lid closing, implying that he definitely had been doing something, though you couldn’t confirm if it was important since you weren’t there. His voice was soft, gentle, kind, he was just that sort of guy, at least from what you’d seen of him. Other people told you he was quite different, but you didn’t really care about any opinions other than your own.
“I- this is pretty embarrassing but.. I’m stuck in a tree.” The silence that followed was louder than any you’d experienced before. For a horrible moment you were sure he was going to refuse to help, or even laugh at you, but instead he just hummed and muttered something about changing his shoes.
“Send me your location.” He said, and you quickly did so, eager to know how soon he could be with you.
“Oh, I can be there in five. I’ll see you soon.” And just like that he’d hung up. No further questions, no laughter, no mocking.
That is why you were hopelessly pining for Choso Kamo.
When Choso arrived, he simply stared up at you for a while, which prompted you to shuffle uncomfortably. You’d chosen to wear short shorts, to help with the immense heat that had hit the area, and now you were paying the price.
“I think your thighs are bleeding,” he observed, head tilting slightly as if to get a better view. You hesitantly lifted one leg so he could get a better look, which only made his frown deepen, “how long have you been up there that you’ve ended up rubbing your thighs raw?” He asked as he stepped back, presumably assessing the tree to determine the best route to get you out without hurting you any more.
“A while,” you admitted reluctantly, “I climbed up hoping I could enjoy being outside without being directly in the sun, and I shifted between a few branches before I settled here. I was up here for like two hours comfortably, then I wanted to get down.”
“And realised you couldn’t.” Choso finished, pulling off the light jacket he’d put on, then tossed it up to you. He explained that he wanted you to put it under your legs to protect them.
“Yeah. And I did call other people first but I think everyone is busy enjoying the sun cause nobody answered.” You added, looking up into the leaves to watch a butterfly, meaning you missed the way Choso’s brows furrowed with displeasure.
“Well, I’m here now. And I think I know how to get you down.” He decided, and you sighed with relief. You really didn’t want to have to call the fire department.
It was no small feat, for Choso to climb half way up the tree, manage to stay there as he lifted you onto his shoulder, then climb down the tree one handed. It was incredibly impressive actually, and it may have doubled just how attractive you found him. Once your feet were on land, you stumbled slightly, finally being forced to take in just how sore your thighs really were, thankfully Choso caught you with ease.
“You okay?” He asked softly, adjusting your shirt where he’d pulled on it while helping you down from the tree, and it had become askew.
“Yeah. Hurts like a bitch, but I’ll disinfect and cover it when I get home.” You said with a shrug, attempting to both hide just how much pain you were in, and not focus on the feeling of Choso’s hand on your stomach where it had been drawn to to help you stand, and still hadn’t moved.
“Can you walk?” He followed with, which was entirely unfair, because you didn’t want to outright lie but you also didn’t want him to keep fussing. He should spend his day doing something more interesting.
“I think so.” Well, eventually anyway. It was an unusual sensation, to feel the burning on the back of your thighs and the tenseness of the muscles, it had made you feel like your legs might collapse under you as you stepped.
“Show me.” Choso demanded, and for a moment you could truly see the man that Yuji looked up to, the big brother who just wanted to care for his family. You smiled, despite your surety that you were about to embarass yourself, and promptly did exactly that, attempting to take a step, only to stumble.
You slowly turned to look at Choso, who had an unimpressed eyebrow raised in your direction. The only thing you could muster was your best innocent shrug.
“I’ll help you.” He said simply, not leaving a second for you to argue before he was raising your arm to wrap around his neck, then wrapping an arm around your waist. There was a moment where you considered refusing, telling him that you were okay and you wanted to do this yourself, but you knew he’d never agree to that. So, instead, you silently complied.
It wasn’t an unpleasant walk, and blessedly it was a short one. Choso made minimal small talk, which you could definitely appreciate. He helped prop you up against the wall once you arrived at your apartment, and watched as you fished your keys out of your pocket to open the door. He hesitated there, as if unsure if he was permitted inside.
“Come on, after that the least I can do is offer you a drink to cool off.”
Between the various pieces of furniture in your apartment and having had a chance to adjust the strange jelly feeling of your thigh muscles, you were able to coast around your apartment without help. Choso followed in behind you and closed the door, silently absorbing the way your apartment looked, which you tried not to pay too much attention to. It was mostly tidy, since you’d had friends over just the day before, so you hoped he wouldn’t find anything worth his judgement.
You grabbed two glasses from the cupboard, tossed some ice cubes inside then paused.
“Cho?” You called out, prompting him to round the corner into your kitchen, pausing in the entryway.
“What’s up?”
“Pick your drink while I pour mine.” You said with a nod of your head to the glass you’d left for him. You poured your own drink, your favourite that you made sure to keep stocked, then returned it to the fridge.
“So, Cho?” Choso asked a moment later, once both of you had been stood in silence for a moment in your kitchen. Fuck.
“Do you.. not like it?” Was all you managed, looking down into your glass, watching as your ice cubes bobbed lightly.
“I like it. A lot.” He said, feet shuffling awkwardly.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Your next words were interruped by your phone ringing, and when you fished it from your pocket you saw Yuji’s name on screen.
“Hey, you called all of us, what’s up?” He asked casually once you answered.
“Well, I was stuck in a tree, but Choso came and helped.”
“Oh that’s good, he’s reliable like that! Tell him I said hi.” He said, and then hung up without another word. You stared down at your blank screen for a second, stunned that he’d gotten over that so quickly, with no further questions, and when you looked up at Choso to see if he’d heard all of that, both of you broke down in laughter.
“You have got to talk to him about politeness.” You said after a moment, and Choso sighed fondly.
“And about answering his phone, apparently.” He shook his head and set his glass into the sink, already empty. He brushed against you as he stepped back, and lingered there for a moment.
“Cho?” You asked, voice almost a whisper.
“Can I kiss you?” He replied, and that took all the breath from your lungs. What was there to do but nod? That was enough for him.
The kiss was light, hardly there really, lasting for only a second, but it was enough to make your mind spin and your hands tremble slightly.
“Would you.. would you like to do that again?” You asked, hesitantly reaching to rest a hand against his chest.
“Yeah. A lot.” He agreed, and then he was kissing you again.