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It took two more weeks for Aoba to get closer to Mink. In the first of which he couldn't land another single kiss on the older boy, no matter how hard he tried.
"Hooold still-" Gripping his face over his book Aoba leans in and around, hoping he's caught the boy off guard enough.
"What? No!" Pushing him away Mink leans farther to the side, giving the blue haired boy a side-ways glare. "Why do you want to do such a thing so badly?"
"Why do you not want to do it so badly??" Aoba began to glare now with just about the same intensity, red rising in his cheeks, and not entirely from anger. Mink's own glare began to quiet, leaving an awkward embarrassed expression before he turned away. "What...?" Then it hit him, gasping, Aoba leaned forward.
"Don't...tell me I was your first?"
Mink was silent.
Aoba's lips began to pull into a wide smile.
"I WAS, wasn't I?"
More silence.
"That's really cute."
Even more silence, but this time Mink began to look away more, a soft blush rising to his cheeks. How did he even get cornered here today? Why did this have to happen? Why-
"Don't worry, I'll take responsibility, promise!"
Suddenly Mink felt his shoulder being yanked around to face the younger boy, lips pushing up against his own in an instant. He thought of fighting it again, but at that moment he finally lost all will too. It really didn't feel that bad, and if he was going to take responsibility--.
What am I thinking? Ah...forget it.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.
-
The coming weeks brought more awkward moments and warm kisses. Mink wasn't entirely sure how things were starting to turn into this but in the back of his mind he couldn't find it in himself to complain.
They avoided kissing anywhere anyone could see, sticking to quiet corners of libraries and passes inbetween classes if they happened to be lucky enough to catch the hall empty. Mink suspected Aoba kept it to this to ease him into it, probably worrying that he didn't want anyone to see. However, Mink wasn't sure if he really cared or not. He hadn't really cared what other people had thought of him before, why start now?
Besides, he was almost a hundred percent sure someone had started something about the two of them being something. Mink had begun to get weird looks, and Aoba's ramblings every day were starting to include at least one report of someone asking him if they were together.
"Yeah and Koujaku keeps asking me why I spend so much time with you, it's getting really annoying that he keeps asking me if we're dating. It's like can-"
"Are we?"
"Huh?"
"Dating, I mean."
The question had seemingly taken each of them off guard. Mink had spoken on a whim, he hadn't even realized he had opened his mouth before the words began spilling out.
"Ah...I...can we?" A light sparked in Aoba's eyes, griping the older man's arm, leaning in a bit. "Can we be an item?"
"Don't call it that."
Something told Mink he couldn't go back on this now, he let out a soft sigh as that realization sunk in.
"...Sure."
Expecting some kind of loud yell, Mink was pleasantly--though he wouldn't admit it--surprised to instead, recieve a soft kiss, right on the cheek.
"It's official then," the large smile upon the blue haired boy's face was a marvel in itself. Blinding Mink enough he had to look away, lest he end up blushing to much yet again.
"...Yeah."
-
"You know you don't talk a lot."
"...Mm."
"Why? I want to know more about you."
Mink looked at him quietly over the book he was reading now. Sitting under a tree in the school's courtyard.
"Why?"
"Because I don't know anything about you, it's always just me talking. I only know what I've been told from other people and that's dumb considering we're dating."
"Because I don't really have anything to say...I'm not that interesting," looking back down at his book again Mink pushes his glasses up gently. He wasn't talking bad about himself, he was just saying what he thought was true.
"But you are! If you weren't interesting I woudn't be annoying you so much. I get bored of things really easily, but I don't get bored of you even though you don't say anything."
"..hmph," after a short period Mink let out a small skeptical grunt. He surely wasn't here for his good looks, so it did have to be something like that. "...what do you even want to know?"
"Everything."
"...maybe some other time."
-
Mink had grown a little more nervous after that, he wasn't sure what it was but a part of him wasn't ready to open up so much. It was going on a month that he had known Aoba now, but he was still clutching to keep as much of himself as he could. He felt stupid but it was as if by sharing his own thoughts he was making himself vulnerable.
In a way he guessed it was just that, and that's why he had to do it.
This time after school he couldn't help but stare at Aoba as they walked home. The younger boy usually walked a little faster than he did, still constantly talking, chatting about this or that and filling the air with pointless noise.
What if?
Sighing softly, Mink grabbed his arm as they were nearing the point where they seperated on their way home.
"Eh? Mink?"
"Do you...want to go get coffee?"
"W...hat?"
Aoba couldn't help but simply stare at Mink for a moment, dumbfounded. Instantly Mink began to stutter, thinking he had actually asked something Aoba wasn't comfortable with. It was a stupid request, why would he want to do anything outside of the school or library anyway? They hadn't done anything like that yet, they hadn't even been on a real date. Kisses were enough, and sitting around talking. Or well, listening in Mink's case. But-
"YES!"
Jumping, Mink looked toward Aoba again, his eyes sparkling under that blue mop. Gripping instantly onto Mink's arm he began to pull him forward.
"Let's go! ...Ah, wait, where?"
He should be annoyed, but for some odd reason Mink just let out a soft sigh, smiling gently. He actually found this cute.
"Just a small cafe, come."
-
'Just a small cafe' ended up being just that, a small cafe. Gazing around as they entered, it made sense to Aoba why Mink would chose this place. It was small and cozy and everyone who was already there seemed to know Mink, but they didn't say hello or anything even when he walked in. They just seemed to acknowledge his existence, and that was enough.
What a weird feeling.
As they ordered their coffee--deep and black for Mink, something a little more sugar-based for Aoba--they stood close. After a second, Aoba inched his own hand toward Mink's, grabbing it with only slight hesitation. As open as he was with the man he still had moments where his nerves gripped him. However, to his surprise as he slipped his hand into Mink's Mink squeezed his back gently.
Blushing brightly Aoba glanced upwards, noticing the rise in color on Mink's face as well as their coffee was given to them. It wasn't new to see him embarrassed, but it sure was cute to see him embarrassed when he was the one giving affection as well.
Sighing softly in a content fashion Aoba let himself be led toward a small booth in a corner of the cafe. It was out of the way and closed off enough that he was pretty sure no one could see them from where they were sitting. Taking advantage of the situation he sat as close to Mink as he could, leaning his head on his shoulder.
He was being so quiet, Mink thought to himself, glancing down from his own coffee now and again. Aoba looked content though, a smile and soft blush evident on his face. It would be a shame to disturb it, but for once Mink wanted to talk. He had to talk before his stomach curled in on itself.
"...So you like sweet things?"
This time Aoba was the one to jump a little, looking up at Mink.
"Ah yeah...you noticed?"
"Yeah. Sort of. You're always eating them, and taking mine at lunch..."
Aoba let out a soft laugh, "eheh, only because you leave it unguarded when you're reading."
"Doesn't make it right."
"You still let it happen."
"Mm, I suppose so."
"Maybe that's why I like you so much."
"Because I'm unguarded? That's not much of a compliment."
"No, you're really guarded. And you smell really sweet, and you are really sweet."
"Ah..."
"The more I think about it...maybe I was being hasty the other day when I said I didn't know anything about you. I do know some stuff about you. Like you're happier on cloudy days, so I can assume you don't like the sun so much. You don't need people to really be happy, and you like reading books that have some sort of psychology involved with them--don't look at me like that I can think and talk at the same time, I read the backs of your books too--you don't like anything really cold and I'm noticing more now that you really like coffee. But you like it bitter, which I guess makes sense too. You don't like a lot of added things or sugary toppings because it's not needed, right? You like what's underneath that?"
Mink stared at Aoba for a moment, dumbfounded that the man had actually deduced enough about his personality just from watching him while he talked his ear off. It wasn't much in all honesty, but it was enough. Swallowing, Mink nodded a little, sighing and slouching lightly in the booth.
"Yeah...I guess. Everything on top is just an annoying addition."
"I like that."
"....I know."
Mink looked at him, taking one last sip of his coffee nervously, taking a second to lick his lips afterward. Aoba was staring at him with that face again, and he knew what was coming. However, he thought, this time he could...maybe take the lead.
In the end, they met halfway. Mink turning to Aoba slowly as their lips touched, pressing against each other with a greater passion then they had encountered before. Nerves climbed their way into Mink's mind, he didn't know what to do from here, did he wrap his arms around Aoba? What did they do? They were in public too, and that only made it worse.
Starting to sweat a little but still refusing to pull away instantly Mink nervously wrapped his arms around Aoba's waist, Aoba pushing himself into his lap. Suddenly they were both thankful for the smaller mans thin waist as they fit comfortably in the booth.
"A-...Nn!"
Mink choked lightly as he felt something wet against his own lips, prying them open. Aoba was taking the lead back now, tilting his head lightly as he tried to force his way into Mink's mouth.
We aren't going much farther, can't we just try?
Reluctantly Mink started to open his mouth, testing the new territory with his own tongue as well. He felt completely awkward, his brain scattered as he gripped Aoba tighter. Was he doing this right? Was he shaking? Oh god he probably seemed like such an amateur. Aoba was the only guy--only PERSON--he'd ever really kissed, he didn't have experience in this feel.
Yet...it felt good all the same. He could taste the sweet of Aoba's coffee and an even deeper, sweeter taste underneath it all. Was that Aoba himself? How did Mink taste? Bitter like his own coffee? Did Aoba like that? Was he forcing himself to keep kissing him?
Suddenly, the kiss broke.
"Relax."
A single word, a chime of a laugh following it. Mink slowly opened his eyes to look into Aoba's face, he was grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly he felt like an idiot that had been worrying for nothing. Swallowing slightly, he began to laugh too, nervously at first, and then a little more loudly.
Maybe opening up wasn't such a bad idea.