[log] Tachibana & Kamio

[saypassion]

Who: Tachibana Kippei & Kamio Akira
What: Tachibana was very :o over the fact that Kamio had never seen Cinderella before and invited him over to watch the movie together. As to be expected, very little watching of the movie happened. Shenanigans ensure and continue past the point of the ending of the log because, well, they needed to be cut off. ♥
When: Mid-September-ish. Post what happened in the park, pre-Tachibana asking Kamio out on their Christmas date.
Where: Tachibana's apartment
Rating: PG-13

Kamio Akira had a confession to make: he really and truly did not care about the plot or plight of Cinderella. At least, beyond the whole caring about Kippei who cared about it. This wasn’t, however, Cinderella’s fault. Kamio simply didn’t have the attention span for most movies (re: movies without explosions every few minute or a rapid, easy to understand plot). But he had the attention span for anything Kippei asked of him (or aspired to) and showed up at his former captain’s door five minutes early with a bag filled with different kinds of tea and a certain list burning a hole in his pocket.

Just as he rang the buzzer, Kamio wondered if his hair was unkempt from his helmet. Or if his bike gloves smelled sweaty. He maneuvered the bag to stuff them into the pockets of his road-beaten leather jacket.

Tachibana knew quite well that his former vice captain didn’t have the attention span for movies, but he was genuinely a bit surprised that he hadn’t seen one of the Disney classics. Tachibana wouldn’t have called himself a Disney connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but he and An used to watch the movies together as kids and he had just assumed that was something that all children did (and many adults, too, whether they wanted to admit to or not).

In preparation of the afternoon, he had whipped up a few snack-y foods for them to share while they watched the movie. He had the classic popcorn, of course, though he didn’t put nearly as much butter on it as he would have if it was his sister coming over, and then some finger foods that would be easy to eat without plates. In particular he was excited for a recipe he found online for British sausage rolls that had been filling his entire apartment with the warm smell of spices and baked puff pastry.

At the sound of the buzzer, Tachibana maneuvered around his tennis bag that admittedly had fallen to the floor after he and Yukari played mixed at the street courts on Friday night and not been moved since, kicking it out of the way, and opened the door. “Hey, Akira,” he said with a warm smile, stepping out of the way. “I’m glad you could come.”

“Kippei!” Kamio said in greeting, his entire face lighting up with the single word. As he shuffled off his shoes and shrugged out of his jacket, he peered around the hallway to take in his surroundings and settle into the their singular Kippeiness. “You’ve been baking?” he guessed while coming in for the kind of hug he usually claimed from his good friend.

Except now they had done stuff, but he wanted to hug Kippei more than his stupid anxiety wanted to be awkward.

There really was no such thing as “awkward” in Tachibana Kippei’s vocabulary. He wrapped his arms around Kamio tightly in return and gave him a squeeze. It had been several weeks since their adventured filled night in the park, but while Tachibana had certainly given it plenty of thought since then, he didn’t sense any reason to feel awkward about it whatsoever.

“I have been,” he confirmed, releasing Kamio so that he could walk back into the main room of the apartment. “I’ve tried out a few recipes, so I hope you’re ready to snack.”

Hugs from Tachibana Kippei were warm and soft, such that they padded his rough, anxious edges and brought forth this slow-burning yet encompassing knowledge of safety and acceptance. He exhaled, feeling lighter with the awkward energy massaged right out of him, and trailed into the living room after Tachibana.

“Definitely,” he said, swinging the bag of drinks beside him. “I want to try them for sure,” that he could honestly say, because it didn’t smell like sweets!

“Great, I’m glad,” Tachibana said warmly, motioning toward the couch. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and I’ll bring out the snacks.”

He didn’t wait for a response before he went into the kitchen to start bringing out the goodies he had prepared. There was the aforementioned popcorn and sausage rolls, but he also had some small, bite-sized pinwheels that smelled amazingly like garlic and ricotta, and a cheese and cracker plate. There would be more options if Kamio wanted, it wasn’t as though Tachibana was married to any particular option and there was plenty of food in the cupboards, but he hoped that this would help satisfy his friend’s desire for things that weren’t sweet.

“Are you sure I can’t help?” Kamio asked, half following Tachibana into the kitchen. When it didn’t seem like he did, Kamio sat and made himself as comfortable as his jittery limbs agreed to be.

Except. Tachibana kept bringing food out.

“Kippei…” he said, red brows knitting expressively with his surprise. He couldn’t complain, everything looked and smelled great, but it made him wonder, “Uh...is anyone else coming?”

It looked like enough food for at least four. Maybe An and Shinji?

Tachibana paused in what he was doing, settling glasses down on the table along with a bottle of sparkling water, and looked up at Kamio. “No?” He wouldn’t have sprung others on Kamio without telling him ahead of time, if that’s what he was concerned for… or perhaps it was that he wanted others to come? Perhaps An? Shinji?

“Would you like to invite others to join us?” He sat down on the couch, getting comfortable, and facing his friend. “We can always ask.”

“Not really? I mean, I don’t care?” Kamio admitted. Not that he didn’t want An-chan or Shinji’s company. If they showed up he wouldn’t mind. He had definitely brought enough drinks, even if they were just for Tachibana. “I’m just asking because you made so many snacks,” his smile sparkled up at Tachibana with the realization. “I’m just spoiled. Thank you, Kippei.”

Truly, Tachibana didn’t think that there could possibly be too many snacks, but admittedly, his foodie brain was usually ten steps ahead of everyone else. Even if Kamio wasn’t able to eat much, there was no doubt that at least the sausage rolls would be gone by the end of the night - they had been taunting him all day with the warm aroma.

“You’re most welcome,” he replied warmly, putting a hand to Kamio’s shoulder briefly before leaning to retrieve one of those delicious smelling sausage rolls. The physical touch was certainly much more platonic than those particular events in the park, but it was still comfortable. There hadn’t really been any sense of awkwardness as he may have anticipated given the situation, and if anything, the fact that they had found physical comfort in snuggling while they were camping probably helped alleviate any awkwardness there may have been. Tachibana still wasn’t entirely sure if it was something that they should talk about; it wasn’t exactly what he would call his forte.

He took a moment to savor the sausage roll before speaking once more. “I know that you’re not big into movies, so don’t feel like you have to direct all of your attention on it, or anything. But would you like me to put Cinderella on?”

Charged with more confidence by that touch, Kamio, too, considered the feast before them. His slim pointer fingered hovered over the treats, tracing little circles in the air with deliberation. It wasn’t often that he didn’t know what to try first! Sounding a victorious chirp, Kamio plucked up one of the pinwheels -- they were so pretty, and he had never seen anything like it.

Kamio retreated and leaned back on the couch, clutching his prize with both hands. “Go for it, Kippei-san. I had a nap in preparation for this movie, because I really wanted to stay awake. And because I worked late last night, but I’m all fired up to see Cinderella win now.”

Because obviously it was a fight. He bit cheerfully into the snack and hummed with approval. “Do I tell you enough that you’re amazing?”

Now this just wasn’t fair. Tachibana was supposed to be the one who was giving the compliments, not the other way around. But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to enjoy it, anyway - especially when it was coming from one of his most favorite people in the whole wide world. “Thank you, Akira,” he said warmly, also reaching forward for one of the pinwheels himself. “You say it plenty, even if it’s not in words. But I appreciate it nonetheless.”

While munching on the pinwheel, he reached forward for the remote to pull up the movie menu and start Cinderella. He wasn’t anticipating that they would need to pay full attention to it or anything, so he kept the volume lower.

“Good!” Kamio pointing the half-eaten pinwheel at Tachibana for emphasis. “Because I mean it, 1000%!” He held that position and stared until it seemed like Kippei got the point, and then he drew his knees up to his chest and his snack back to his lips to be finished off in entirety.

Maybe he should have saved that for his list, because Tachibana-san is amazing was definitely among is many points.

Reflexively rocking side to side in his popcorn kernel position, Kamio asked as the movie started, “What do you like about Cinderella?”

Even if it hadn’t come alongside pointing and emphasis, Tachibana certainly got the point. It made him smile - the energy that Kamio exuded was so heartwarming and it was hard not to grin in return. It brought to light one of the reasons why they had gathered together to begin with - yes, to watch Cinderella, but also to address this so-called list that Kamio had compiled, as well as present the list of his own. He had given it due consideration and had plenty of points that he had every intention of presenting to Kamio if given the chance.

“What do I like about Cinderella?” He was pulled out of his thoughts by the question. The truth was he wasn’t particularly attached to Cinderella, though he did think that she was a great representation of how being a good person will ultimately prevail. Her dedication and hard work even in poor situations was also reflective of the sort of person she was.

“Cinderella is quite admirable, I think,” Tachibana said thoughtfully, finishing off the pinwheel, and leaning back in his seat. “I appreciate that she can hold onto such a positive attitude even when everything is going poorly for her.”

Kamio considered this and continued his unconscious movement. He stopped while off balance, accidentally tipping himself onto Tachibana’s side. Not super concerned about invading his friend’s space, Kamio laughed. “If that’s the kind of thing you admire, no wonder you liked us so much back then.”

Because for the most part, despite their situation, Fudoumine had held onto their love of tennis.

“We didn’t have any talking mice though,” still on Tachibana’s shoulder, he narrowed his eyes at the ones scurrying around on the television. “They would’ve been really great against the upperclassmen.”

Tachibana glanced down at Kamio as his weight settled against his side for only a moment before he directed his attention back to the TV. A fond smile tugged at his lips, not feeling particularly bothered to displace his friend. Even if it had been subconscious on Kamio’s part, there was still something rather comforting about it.

Although the thought of talking mice scurrying around and doing something like creating uniforms for the old Fudoumine team and talking back to their former upperclassmen was quite funny, Tachibana could easily picture why Kamio would believe that of him. There were certainly some parallels to be drawn between Cinderella’s situation and the situation prior to Tachibana transferring to Fudoumine - of which Tachibana’s mind started to form as his eyes followed what was happening on screen.

“It would have been,” Tachibana agreed with a chuckle. “If the lot of you were Cinderella, then I do still feel strongly that must make me Prince Charming.”

Kamio smiled against Tachibana’s shoulder on realizing that he smelled strongly of sausage pastry. It was no fault of that shoulder when he moved again; the restless man needed to shift and the need to sample the tempting smell would no longer be denied. He popped one in his mouth and nearly choked on it giggling about Tachibana’s assertion.

Despite beating his chest to clear the cough, Kamio laughed and laughed. “If anyone can pull off the role of a charming prince, it’s Kippei,” Kamio agreed. “It would take an extra amount of charming to save that many princesses, too.”

Once recovered, Kamio returned to leaning against Tachibana as if it weren’t weird at all and offered him a sausage pastry from his fingertips. “A charming prince that can cook.”

It was a natural reaction that had Tachibana rubbing Kamio’s back to help him ride out the cough. He probably should have known better than to make someone laugh when they had food in their mouth, but as expected Kamio was just far quicker than he was - though there weren’t many who would beat Tachibana to food, admittedly.

“Well, thank you,” Tachibana said, looking at the sausage roll Kamio was holding out to him before shrugging all caution to the wind and taking it from between the redhead’s fingers. The physical closeness was comforting - especially after the events from before had gone mostly unaddressed. Not that it needed to be spoken of, of course, for the morning and days that followed had been perfectly normal, but it was still good to reaffirm that things were still good between them. Tachibana knew that Kamio had partaken in such casual encounters plenty of times, but it was a new territory for Tachibana.

“I would be nothing were it not for the charming people in my life, however,” he continued after he chewed away the food. “It has given me a purpose.”

Once over his minor bout of choking, Kamio laughed again when Tachibana took the food from fingertips. To counter the dusting of color across his cheeks, he flopped back down against his friend and tucked agianst his arm. “Oi,” he accused, poking Tachibana’s side. “You know, that’s a super charming thing to say. Should I be worried that you’re stealing your character from fairy tale?”

But something else on the screen drew his attention. Who was that person with a wand? “I missed something, who’s that?”

“Is it?” Tachibana chuckled, just letting himself be poked, though Kamio managed to find the perfect spot in the crook of his rib and waist that somehow tickled a little bit. “I don’t believe I’m doing such things - perhaps the fairy tale is stealing it from me, instead.”

His eyes followed Kamio’s gaze back toward the television where the fairy godmother had finally made her appearance. This was one of Tachibana’s favorite scenes - the sheer wonder that filled Cinderella’s face when someone showed her such kindness never failed to warm Tachibana’s heart. “That’s the fairy godmother,” he explained, loosely settling his arm over Kamio’s shoulders so that the smaller man could get more comfortable. “She’s the one responsible for getting Cinderella to the ball.”

It wasn’t Kamio’s fault that the now available space between Tachibana’s side and arm formed the perfect place to snuggle in. He couldn’t be blamed even a little bit for wanting to be closer and feel that laughter.

“If they’re stealing from Kippei, I’m going to have to go kick their butts,” Kamio declared matter of factly. “You’re like the fairy godmother and Prince Charming rolled into one. And nobody rips off our fairy prince.”

The longer the title sat on the air the more satisfied Kamio was with it. He giggled to Tachibana’s shoulder and repeated, “fairy prince. Shinji will completely agree with this.”

Tachibana tilted his head downward to see if he could catch a glimpse at the redhead’s expression, though the giggle was more than enough to tell him that he was amused at the thought. “A fairy prince?” He chuckled again, resting his cheek on the top of Kamio’s head. It just felt like the right thing to do. “I would be curious to hear what Shinji would say on the matter.”

He paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression passing over his face. “Then I guess my Halloween costume has been decided.”

Tachibana’s head was a welcome weight on his, and spotting the light purple hair out of the corner of his eye teased more sparkle to his smile. “I think Shinji would speculate what a fairy prince might wear for a costume,” Kamio considered. “But not before talking about which aspects about fairies and princes that you might embody and which ones you might not.”

Although Tachibana wasn’t small in the way fairies were imagined, he was made of light and Kamio thought that was good enough.

“He’d conclude, though, that Kippei is the coolest thing that Kippei can be no matter what other titles we find for him,” he poked Tachibana on the leg and pretended to watch the fairy godmother magic the dress. Kamio didn’t much care for clothes, but even he could see how it made Cinderella smile.

Admittedly, Tachibana’s attention also wasn’t much on the movie. He had seen it plenty of times with his sister when they were young, though the way that Cinderella seemed to light up at the miracles happening around here never failed to bring a smile to his face. To put himself in her shoes - to think how it would feel to experience that for the first time after a lifetime of attempts to crush her spirit and the loss of the childhood that any child deserved.

“Would Shinji? Or would that be you too?” He teased, red hair brushing his lips that he smoothed away with a pass of his hand over Kamio’s head. “I’m glad that you believe I that I could be anything I wanted to be. That’s quite an honor.”

Kamio hummed his laughter, more satisfied than quelled by the fingers in his hair. “I guess you see right through me,” he said, having never meant to be secretive in the first place. It was kind of incongruous with his character. “It would be me too.”

His poking fingers calmed to pat right above Tachibana’s knee. “Of course, you can be anything. You’re really strong, you have the best heart, and you wear different hair colors and styles super well.”

Damn, he was giving away his entire list before he even pulled it out.

Tachibana’s eyes were drawn to the touch to his knee, watching the deliberate way that Kamio’s fingers stretched out flat to do so. The absence of the list and all the ways that Kamio sung his praises unprompted made Tachibana wonder if there was even a physical list at all - it did seem like Kamio had all of these things simply on his mind. Kamio was full of surprises; he was sure this was no different. Tachibana wasn’t actually sure if he was ready for any more compliments than what Kamio had already stated - his heart was full of warmth.

The seconds ticked away by the hands on his watch and it took Tachibana a moment to respond. “Thank you.” His words were soft, nearly lost were it not for how close Kamio sat, pressed to his side. He wasn’t sure what else could be articulated other than a thank you, though it seemed like there should have been something more.

Kamio responsive noise and idle tapping on Tachibana’s knee indicated no dissatisfaction. He had always been happy for whatever Tachibana Kippei wanted to give him, and this situation was truly no different. As Cinderella got ready for the ball, Kamio’s lashes dipped down. Whenever he sat long enough and felt this comfortable, sleep claimed him.

Hence his mostly unsuccessful movie watching.

He wasn’t sure if he had actually fallen asleep, but if he had, the charmed music from the dance at the ball had him stirring. “Hey, Kippei?” he murmured.

Once it was clear with the rhythmic fall and rise of Kamio’s chest that he had slipped away into at least what seemed to be a light sleep, Tachibana didn’t see any reason to disturb him. The familiar song and the press of Kamio’s hair to his cheek also lulled Tachibana into a sense of peace - his own eyelids becoming heavy and closing, blocking out the scenes playing out before them on the TV.

Kamio’s question brought Tachibana back into reality, though his eyes remained closed. It was the scene before Cinderella would go running back to the pumpkin carriage with the stroke of midnight. “Yes?” He murmured in return, making it evident that he too let his mind wander.

It was a sleepy Tachibana-san. The cute sight had Kamio shifting just enough to get a good look at him. But with that great power came the great responsibility to not pet his hair no matter how fluffy and nice it appeared. Instead, he tapped his fingers where the rested on Tachibana’s knee, feeling out the elegant rhythm between Cinderella and the Prince.

“You have two choices,” he whispered with drama. “We can dance or we can sleep.”

Because anything outside of the two, and he couldn’t promise to not kiss him again.

The fingers somehow fell into perfect unison with the music, though the music seemed to fade away leaving behind only the sound of their rhythmic breathing. It only further fueled Tachibana’s desire to be closer to the other man, leaning his weight back into Kamio even as he was pulled out from his sleepy state.

“Mm,” was all that slipped out between closed lips as he tried to hang onto that moment for just a little bit longer. It wasn’t going to work, but he could pretend. “Dance or sleep? What would the dance look like?” He would need to have a clear vision, after all.

The heavy warmth pushing against his side lulled him closer to sleepier possibilities. His tapping remained, somewhat gentled into a measured caress that was, perhaps, somehow like a dance his hand was doing all by itself. “A slow one,” Kamio clarified, unable to ignore how Tachibana’s sigh had slipped right to the heart of him. “If we stay like this otherwise, I might…”

He inhaled sharply, catching himself. Maybe if he turned his face into Tachibana’s hair, he wouldn’t ask about it.

Perhaps it was the compelling way that Kamio’s fingers ran over the rough material of his jeans, slow in their motion as though to mimic the very dance that he was suggesting. It might have been that the events from the night before had lingered with him long after they had parted ways the following morning. Regardless of what it may have been or may not have been, Tachibana couldn’t deny that the suggestion that had died on Kamio’s lips didn’t make his heart give a little flutter.

“You might...?” He embraced the thought, tilting his head downward so that the very edge of where cheek met lips was pressed against the crown of Kamio’s head.

Kamio wasn’t suave. Except for when he was dancing. And he currently wasn’t, which explained the bashful squeak that burst forth with Tachibana’s inquiry. Tachibana Kippei, Fairy Charming or no, was totally going to be the death of him. Death by fluster explosion. His breath even smelled nice, too, even though the garlic should have ensured the opposite. Damn.

Impending doom or otherwise, Kamio didn’t have any believable dishonesty to offer, so he steeled his expression into something firm yet so, so embarrassed, “Kiss you,” he answered. His fingers curled around Tachibana’s knee now, as he lifted his head enough to actually look at him. “It’s really tempting like this. Because you’re close, you have a nice voice, and you smell nice, and you’re handsome, and you’re, you know….” he gestured at Tachibana’s entire person. “You.”

Tachibana met Kamio’s eyes, a quirk of a smile pulling at the corners of his lips as he regarded him. The words coming out of Kamio’s mouth weren’t always coherent, and he wouldn’t go so far as to call them eloquent. But Kamio’s genuinity and honesty, and the way he always spoke the truth right from his heart, always made Tachibana feel like he was the most beloved being in the entire world. It only served to further fuel his heart flutters.

“I am me,” he confirmed with mirth in his eyes. His free arm moved enough so that he could run the palm of his hand down Kamio’s arm to fasten over his hand. Somehow, Kamio’s hand seemed to fit perfectly in his grasp. “It’s okay to say that I smell like garlic, too, though.” Amusement painted his voice as he linked his fingers between Kamio’s curled around his knee.

Tachibana’s private little smile hit him like a truck obliterating a traffic cone on a freeway. A very stupid rubbery traffic cone, not getting crushed under the wheel, but flying forward to get hit again and again.

“You do smell like garlic,” Kamio agreed. Tachibana’s hand was warm on his. Warm like the toasty, inviting amusement in dark eyes. “But I don’t mind. I kind of like it? Does that mean there’s something wrong with me?”

Maybe it was because he smelled like garlic, too. Kamio bit his lip. Did Tachibana mind? Maybe he should go brush his teeth.

He had known Kamio for way too long to not be able to guess what was going on in that head of his, and the uncertain expression combined with the lip biting only served to make Tachibana laugh. His words had been meant to be teasing, but those were the sort of silly things that Kamio tended to latch onto - resulting in worry that there was something wrong that he evidently liked Tachibana Kippei smelling like garlic.

Which of course there was never truly such a thing as someone who enjoyed the smell of garlic on another - at least, not just as a smell. In the context of being close to someone who made your heart flutter, though, of course it was only natural.

“Not at all,” he assured him, giving his hand a fond squeeze. “I don’t mind, either.”

Was that forgiveness or permission? Kamio couldn’t be sure, and Tachibana’s easy laugh made it extremely hard to care.

Kippei had been warned. And the curl of Kippei’s lips held much more interest than the super slow prince on the television screen. The hand that had gestured wildly at all of Kippei before touched his face gently, foreshadowing the speedy boy’s movement with a caress of his thumb over his lower lip.

Maybe there was something he should have said. Any such thoughts were lost in the kiss he pressed to corner of Kippei’s lips. His soft laughter between their mouths echoed Kippei’s -- because their breath really did taste like garlic -- and kissed him again fully and fearlessly.

There was something oddly poetic about the sounds of the movie continuing without its audience, the escape of Cinderella come the end of the spell, and the musical clink of the glass slipper falling to the ground. Despite the absent recognition of where they had arrived in the movie, Tachibana’s attention couldn’t be further away - drawn in by the warmth of Kamio’s lips and the mutual taste of butter and garlic.

Tachibana met the kiss with the same level of fearlessness, sinking back into the couch and pulling Kamio with him. The hand clasped around Kamio’s tightened its hold to pull it away from his knee so that he could wind their fingers together properly to rest against his stomach. It was easy to forget the rest of their surroundings - the food laid out before them, the quiet rumble of the fridge, the ambient sounds coming from outside his apartment, all were lost to the gentle sounds of their kissing.

All the noises from the television melted into the harmony. Tachibana’s was the only rhythm Kamio cared to attend. Garlic probably had nothing to do with how he enjoyed the taste, which was more texture and sensation with smooth, ardent lips and a strong torso under his hand. It was familiar and not; Tachibana always felt good and safe to him, but everything felt all the more real without alcohol to cloud his senses.

Real was good. Real was solid when his fingers curled around Tachibana’s, bracing him as he followed savory kisses forward to get even more familiar with moving to this beat. He matched Kippei at every angle he could think of, matching and parting, matching and tucking Kippei’s hair behind his ear when he tasted it accidentally, matching and smiling, matching and using his teeth to find the spot he had targeted with his thumb just moments before.

This - this was something that he could get used to. The playful gestures accompanied by the kisses that made his toes curl into the rug; the way that Kamio fit bodily against him as though he was meant to be there all along. It all played a part in whatever “this” was, a “this” that Tachibana was curious to explore more of, to see where the wind guided their footsteps, to see what would happen if he danced his fingertips up Kamio’s spine from where his hand slipped under the other man’s shirt.

When the gentle tug of teeth had left his lip unattended, he didn’t let the moment linger for long before he leaned close to instigate the kiss once more - this time running the very tip of his tongue along the sensitive curve of Kamio’s upper lip to invite something deeper. Lashes fluttered against his cheeks as he relied on instinct alone, the nonsensical tune tapping out along the ridges of Kamio’s back moving to slide along the toned muscle of his side.

What happened was a gasp, followed by a shivery, “Ah -- Kippei…”

His trembling fingers rooted in lavender strands. Because why shouldn’t Kippei know when Kamio felt good? He deserved to know, definitely, how much it affected him when his former captain invited his closeness with a curl of his tongue. The rhythm on his spine commanded his focus effortlessly, like the most tempting of siren’s songs daring him to ride. If it were Kippei, Kamio wouldn’t mind being eaten. He returned the flirtation, parting his lips to chase delectable friction he could catch, in fact. Less consciously, his thumb caressed a sultry curve of muscle, sliding back and forth with the addicting beat.

The way that his name slipped past Kamio’s lips brought Tachibana back to the feeling of his bare back lying on the ground, the weight of the redhead settled against him as their hands found ways to bring other mutual pleasure. The echoes of kisses on his lips, both from then and from now, brought a warmth to his cheeks that wove down his neck and through the rest of his body. Tachibana wished for more of it - he could become lost in Kamio’s kisses, though where his first time thinking such things had been under the brilliant glow of the moon reflecting in Kamio’s eyes, now they seemed to shine bright with the sunlight peeking through the windows.

Tachibana followed Kamio’s pace, slipping his hand out from under Kamio’s shirt and unweaving their joined fingers, to instead rest both of his hands to Kamio’s cheeks. He hoped that the touch would still allow Kamio to move freely, he knew that his friend didn’t like being held down, but it was all that Tachibana could think to do to express how he wished to keep him there.

Those capable hands cupping his cheeks so tenderly prompted Kamio to pause for breath. He was breathless, and his lashes fluttered with the effort to capture and embed this up-close and sultry visual for as long as his memory functioned. It was strange to think that he had come into this night with so much anxiety and now, this close, he could look into Tachibana’s eyes and hide nothing about his restless passion. He carried those feelings close again, squirming near in both body and mouth, pressing kisses to Tachibana’s cheek, “Kippei,” down the impressive cut of his jaw to catch at it with his teeth, “Kippei,” form one hand to Tachibana’s nape and slide other all slow and wicked from a solid thigh to smooth under his shirt. The bare topography of muscle and flesh was music to his fingertips.

“Is this okay?” Kamio breathed and blanketed more kisses down Tachibana’s neck. “My fingers probably smell like garlic, too.” And maybe it was most polite to follow that taste…

The lingering smell of garlic on the both of them was now far out of Tachibana’s mind, forgotten instead by the intoxicating way Kamio’s eyes had fixed on him, but it didn’t save him from the chuckle that reverberated against the redhead’s head as his lips continued their exploration of his neck. Tachibana wasn’t sure what to call the feeling of his heart skipping a beat, but Kamio’s dark eyes that held so much trust and understanding and compassion, not dissimilar to all of the same things that Tachibana held dear himself, was enough for Tachibana to know that the curiosity for learning what this could be drove him forward.

Pleasant tingles sprung with every press of contact, the way his name fell from his lips as though deliberately accenting the touches following a similar outcome, ultimately all pooling south and drawing the muscles of his abdomen taut. Tachibana was certain that he could happily remain there all night, exploring one another’s bodies and not become sick of it, but at least to start he wished to give him encouragement to keep doing what he was doing.

With a press of his cheek to the side of Kamio’s head, he murmured against his ear, “This is okay.” He touched his lips where the words had been spoken and closed his eyes, letting a hand settle to Kamio’s hip. “So’s the garlic,” he added with a gentle chuckle.

It was okay. Kippei’s throat rumbled so pleasantly when he teased, pushing a song under his skin and enticing Kamio to give his pulse a little nibble. His laugh was warmer still, and it made him feel loose like he had been running to the perfect beat for awhile now, even though they had just begun and his pants were almost too tight for comfort.

It was so much more than okay. The garlic, too.

“You’re amazing, Kippei,” he breathed, seeking that bold and unabashed eye contact again as he inched his hands and the fabric higher and shifted his hips backward. “Did you know that your face is in so many of my best memories?”

Had that been on his list? Kamio wasn’t sure, but it didn’t stop him from kissing the bare center of Kippei’s chest and resting his cheek right there. “To the point that now? When I see you? It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, because it feels like I’m outside on the best kind of day. I could be having a really bad time but then just feel in the rhythm because of you.”

For a long second, the world slowed to a complete still around them as Kamio pressed his cheek against his chest. It was such an innocent gesture, yet so intimate - a physical connection that Tachibana was absolutely certain Kamio would feel the way his heart couldn’t seem to settle on anything short of thundering pulses. Warmth spilled out through the center of his chest, and the other man was tucked so tantalizingly closely that Tachibana knew the skin there too was on fire.

Which was to say nothing of the words. No, the words were just as unexpected as the soft skin resting on his sternum, painting an additional warmth across his cheeks that fortunately were likely hidden by the gentle glow of the TV. Tachibana Kippei was many things, but a blusher was not usually amongst them.

Tachibana’s fingers wandered up to dance over the hair at the base of Kamio’s neck, dark eyes watching as they pushed up into red hair. The things he wanted to say in response - all the eloquent, encouraging words he was known for - just seemed to fade away along with the joyful reunion between Cinderella and the prince.

“That moves me,” he finally managed, voice low to hold onto that steadiness when he wasn’t so sure that the rest of him could handle remaining upright. Quite frankly, it was only the steady presence of Kamio that kept his feet planted on the ground, because otherwise it seemed as though he could sprout wings and soar up into the heavens. “You’re surely the sunshine on those days,” he continued, eyes now wandering downward to look at his friend. “Because that part of me wouldn’t exist without that part of you.”

Kamio felt charged where Tachibana touched him. He imagined the energy from those fingertips sinking into his scalp and energizing his hair follicles such that they grew at the kind of alarming rate Kamio aspired to in all other respects. But no, rapidly growing bangs weren’t making his face red; his skin achieved that all by itself.

A flustered squawk escaped from somewhere — probably his mouth — in garbled reply to Kippei’s too much, too good, too powerful compliments. Fight or flight prompted his hands to skitter and tremble as they clutched the perfect curve of his side. Kippei was moved, and Kamio had clearly been yeeted into the sun to disappear into a super villain glimmer. He couldn’t quite accomplish that literally, so instead, he pulled Tachibana’s shirt over his own head to trap himself effectively between fabric and a heartbeat more synchronize with his own than he ever dared to believe.

“That’s not fair,” came his muffled complaint. “I’ll evaporate if Kippei says those things.”

Even if those things pleased him more than words could describe.

Well, it was certainly better than the if I can’t see you, then you can’t see me tactic that Kamio had enacted before; in his defense, his face was certainly much better masked this time around. The only thing Tachibana could really make out was the imprint of his hair pressing against the fabric, but the warmth breath on his bare skin brought goosebumps to his arms. It was quite endearing - just the fact that Kamio felt inclined to hide at all brought a warm smile to Tachibana’s lips.

“You won’t evaporate,” he assured him, moving his hand to rest on the small of Kamio’s back. “They may lift you, but it doesn’t seem so bad to sprout wings and fly, does it?”

Kamio remembered a legend about the consequences of flying too close to the sun. How reliable were these wings bringing him higher and higher? Were the feelings on both sides strong enough to maintain equilibrium and keep him aloft?

Kippei’s heartbeat against his ear kept Kamio safely on the ground. Nothing bad could happen like this, while clinging to Kippei and nuzzling against his admittedly beautiful pecs. The warm hands on his back brought the sense of being surrounded (but not trapped), and with it, solace.

It would be safer to evaporate than have these feelings. But sometimes the things most worth doing were the scariest. “It doesn’t,” he agreed with Kippei’s tits. “It’s okay even if I fall out of the sky because I’m Kamio Akira, and I’m the strongest man you will ever meet.” For Tachibana, he could and would be the most reliable constant.

Tachibana chuckled, smoothing his hand over the small of Kamio’s back, and slipping his fingers back under the hem of his shirt. The skin there was smooth to the touch; the warmth radiating off of him was something that Tachibana wanted to wrap around himself; or, at the very least, bring closer against his own bare skin.

“You are incredibly strong,” Tachibana agreed, his fingers beginning a new tune tapped out onto his back. “I would be there to catch you if you needed it, though. Even the strongest need to be supported.”

Kamio sighed to the touch and circled his arms tighter around the effervescent presence that was Tachibana Kippei. “You’re really strong, too.” Kippei would be able to catch him -- how had he been stupid enough to doubt that for a second? He had always prided himself on trusting his friends, after all. “But you can’t meet yourself, Kippei, so I got that pleasure.”

Kippei’s rhythm -- his fingertips, his heartbeat -- drew him from the musings that had taken hold. After peppering the soft skin and hairs beneath his cheek with all the kisses they deserved for such perfect shelter, he pushed the fabric back up around Kippei’s chest and peeked up into his eyes. They were just as affectionate, if not more so, than they had been a few minutes ago; his hopeful heart hadn’t spontaneously gained a mind and imagination of its own. “Shirts off?” he asked, fingertips drumming optimistically on Kippei’s side.

Tachibana had the words that he wanted to say in response to Kamio’s very sweet comment ready to go; that is, until he found himself met once more by dark eyes. It was starting to be bad - this sort of effect that Kamio had on him with just a simple glance, one that had his heart tumbling down to his stomach, and his fingers falling out of rhythm and tapping out something that instead mirrored the rapid beating of his heart for a couple seconds before coming to rest on the hem of Kamio’s shirt instead.

“Yes, shirts off sounds good.” The fond smile didn’t leave his face as he used his grasp to lift Kamio’s shirt over his head and just toss it to the other side of the couch. Before they could do anything about his own shirt, however, he closed the distance between them once more to capture Kamio’s lips in another kiss.

They managed to get halfway to skin-on-skin before meeting by a different and entirely electric means. He wriggled closer against Kippei’s shirt and licked shamelessly into his mouth. Kamio couldn’t be blamed when every angle bought some new frisson or discovery. If he couldn’t have his partner’s heart bare and battering on his, he would taste the pulse Kippei had promised with his own quivering fingertips. It proved almost as addictive as his smile.

He wasn’t entirely sure how he ended up half in Kippei’s lap, his eager writhing all but pinning him to the couch, but it was the only place he ever wanted to be again. “If I can stop kissing you long enough to manage it…” he said, breathless but not optimistic about that possibility. He had even forgotten that Kippei had actually been the one to kiss him.

Each shift of Kamio’s hips, the smallest adjustments in positioning that brought them flush together, heartbeat to heartbeat, had Tachibana sinking back into the plush of the couch with no regard for how he was effectively trapped there with nowhere else he wished to be. The lips melded together harmoniously in a song that could only be played by them, the gentle sounds of lips meeting air before connecting once more drowning out the credits as they rolled across the television. The fleeting thought of cutting power to the movie came and went as Tachibana lost himself further to the desire and passion that fueled his need to explore.

Their lips parted naturally for Kamio to speak, though even as he did Tachibana wasted no time in peppering kisses down the line of Kamio’s jaw. “Hm?” The questioning hum was lost to the taste of skin beneath partially parted lips against the redhead’s adam’s apple. It wasn’t entirely beyond the realm of possibility that they could stop kissing long enough to exchange some words, but Tachibana wasn’t about to abandon it when there was still so many inches of Kamio’s body to cover with his tongue.

The credit music was kind of magical; or was that just how he imagined these moments with Kippei? Like a magic brought on by certain enchantment to dance and dance without knowing when it would draw to a close. Kamio, for one, determined to taste this rhythm to the fullest, to have his breath stolen by Kippei’s wandering lips.

“I think…ahh...” Kamio panting under the attention, his skittering hands working back up Kippei’s shirt. If he couldn’t get it up and over, hell, going under was working out well for him so far. “If I stop touching you...I’ll turn into a pumpkin…”

Teasing Kippei’s nipples was just an urgent safety matter, really. Of course, Kamio’s restless fingers needed to map the rest of him, too.

Of course, the comment was relevant given the movie they had just watched. Despite the fact that it was clear that Kamio had paid very little attention to what transpired, he had managed to recall the post-midnight transformation of Cinderella’s magical night, and just the fact that Kamio drew the conclusion that he himself was going to turn into a pumpkin brought forth a rumbling laugh. It disappeared into Kamio’s skin where his mouth was very much preoccupied with the addictive taste on his lips and tongue, but when he pulled away to look back at Kamio, the mirth was clear in his eyes even as they grew heavy lidded with the attention to his chest.

“Is that so?” His voice was a bit rough, laced with pleasure from having Kamio squirming around on his lap. “So, if we wished to avoid that…” Tachibana bent his head forward to kiss the soft skin underneath Kamio’s ear, and dragged his lips up to murmur into his ear. “You shouldn’t stop.” As he spoke, wandering hands brushed along the dip low in Kamio’s back, partially obscured by the waistband of his pants.

Arching into Kippei’s touch, Kamio gasped; it was a strange sound, for it had met a ticklish giggle on the way out and became tangled up in that warmth. “You’re…” he tipped his head, letting Kippei’s mouth go exactly where it wanted to go. For a moment at least. “Absolutely right…”

He licked his lips and turned just enough to meet Kippei’s with a kiss equal parts smiling and sexy. Rocking closer over Kippei, Kamio whispered against his mouth, “But later, you have to tell me how the movie really ended.”

That ask was accompanied with a playful tweak to Kippei’s nipple and blunted fingers scraping down his chest.

Amusement expressed in the form of the smallest chuckle tangled with warm breath shared between them. “Later,” Tachibana murmured, all too happy to indulge in those promised kisses and something more, instead. Featherlight presses of fingertips calloused from hours of playing tennis danced up Kamio’s sides and up over his chest to return the playful exploration.

Dimly Tachibana had the thought that they should probably move this to the bed so that Kamio could finally have that in bed experience, but that required moving, and moving sounded like entirely too much effort given that the redhead was settled quite nicely on his lap. The couch it was.