So, for the first time in like 2 years I'm breaking out into a new fandom... kinda nervous since I don't wanna disappoint the fandoms that got me here today but... yeah.
First theme of Soumako week: Fluff.
That's it, nothing to hot (yet) and just kinda cute. Gonna let you guys get used to my writing without dropping you in.
Enjoy! Reviews are always loved!
"Dark hot chocolate please."
The order came from a deep timbre that caught the attention of the young man behind the counter, his green eyes looking through his spectacles at the seemingly solemn other in front of him.
"Certainly," the young bright man nodded, his fingers punching in the order on the keypad, his eyes glancing over his new customer.
He was taller than the sandy brunette, though not by much, and he seemed more muscular too, saying something as Makoto had often been the largest in his classes since middle school. His hair was as black as the brunette's best friend, his dropping eyes similar, blue, but they appeared to be tinged with green, giving a rather handsome teal appearance, even when looking as down as he did.
"Would you like whipped cream on that?"
Requests taken, the long fingers wrote down the tall man's name, Sosuke; meditate. The green orbs glanced to the young man; he seemed serene enough, a calmness surrounding him that Makoto hadn't encountered before. They said nothing as money was exchanged and the brunette went about making the drink, occasionally Makoto would glance to the customer, the teal looking to the tiled floor, his face appearing bored, even as the drink was handed to him with a kind smile.
"Have a nice day!"
"Yeah, thanks," was the only response Makoto received, the strong back turning to him and slipping quietly out the door, the brunette left standing awkwardly alone, watching as the larger took a seat outside on the patio.
"He was cuuute~"
A squeak escaped the young man who jumped about a foot off the ground, his heart palpitating as he turned to his blonde friend.
"Nagisa!" Makoto chastised, "don't do that!"
"Then don't stare at the customers like that!" the pink eyes seemed to tease, "though I can see why…"
"Nagisa!" the elder whined again, "you're being mean!"
Giggling, the blonde bounced away, leaving the larger of the two to chase after him, thankful that there were little to no customers in the café to witness the two friends banter.
Makoto's university life had gone extremely well, moving from the countryside to the big city as daunting as he feared, though the few friends he had made made his troubles all the more bearable and even managed to find him a job at a coffee shop to help him make ends meet for the school. Balance of work and studying was difficult, but for Makoto, it was all worth it to have the freedom he wanted, but without becoming an inconvenience to his family.
"Nagisa," another bespectacled man entered in the conversation, "why are you teasing Makoto?"
"Cause he's gotta crush!" the blonde announced loudly enough for a blush to fill the brunette's face.
"I do not!" Makoto tried to protest to no avail, his younger friend pressing on with excitement.
"He's really big and really tall, taller than Makoto, and he's got black hair and big muscles and-"
"Nagisa!"
"What!?" the younger pouted, "I'm just telling Rei about the crush you've got… don't gotta be so embarrassed about it…"
"I don't have a crush," the brunette defended, "I met him for like three seconds, that's it!"
"That's two seconds longer than needed-"
"NAGISA!"
The flush deepened as Makoto felt the few heads in the store turn towards his outburst.
"I don't like him, alright," Makoto lowered his voice after a few moments, "please don't talk like that."
Nodding with a sour face, Nagisa's pink eyes watched as the elder moved towards the cash register to help the young couple that walked up to the register, the green orbs taking no notice of the teal ones that threw glances his way, a devious smirk falling on the otherwise innocent-looking face.
"N-Nagisa?" Rei stammered, a shiver down his spine at the sight of the grin.
"Nothing Rei!" a happy smile turned to the taller of the two, "best get back to work!"
Dread was in Rei's stomach as he watched his younger bounce away from him almost too happily for someone who was just shot down.
Makoto'snext few shifts were uneventful and kept busy with client tasks and orders to even think about the deep teal eyes that seemed to watch his movements behind the counter. His strong back shivered for a moment; the idea that someone's eyes could hold so much intensity frightened him somewhat, even more so when he remembered that he could hide it as well as he did.
The work at the café was at later times than he anticipated, but much appreciated as his midterms had been sending him through a rougher week. On a day when he was kept busy as Friday's usually were, the young man was thankful that many university students went to parties on nights like these, meaning attendance dropped off to nothing once seven o'clock hit.
"Hello."
Turning in surprise at the familiar voice, green orbs met teal once again.
"Oh, hello!" Makoto smiled warmly, "what can I get you?"
"Dark hot chocolate," Sosuke murmured, watching as the young man typed in the order, nodding as he paid for the drink.
"So," the brunette started, determined to make light conversation to avoid the awkward silence, "are you in university?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah," the larger nodded, "Tokyo U… you?"
"Same," the head of brown hair nodded, "wanna coach kids someday. What about you?"
"Kinesiology," Sosuke explained as whip cream topped off his drink, the chocolate sauce drizzled over the top. "Thank you."
"No worries," Makoto smiled to the once stranger, "see you around!"
"Yeah, you too," black hair nodded to him, "hey."
"Hmm? Something wrong?" the barista asked, nervous he had made a mistake with the drink, his hand held out for the drink, confused why the head shook.
"I forgot to ask your name," Sosuke told him plainly, "what is it?"
Red was evidently the colour Makoto's skin was going to turn during his encounters with the tall dark-haired male, this time thankfully only a dusting of cheeks.
"I-It's Makoto," he introduced himself, "Makoto Tachibana."
"Well, Makoto," the elder grinned, his smile befitting on his face, "I look forward to seeing you again."
"Y-Yeah…" the green eyes lit up for a moment, surprise in his mind as a revelation became clear, "w-wait! You didn't tell me your name!"
"You've written it on my cup, twice now," Sosuke teased, his fingers tapping the paper side, "you telling me you don't remember?"
"W-Well yeah but-"
"I'll remind him Sosuke!"
Nagisa's happy tone startled the two of them, Makoto turning to look at his co-worker who suddenly appeared behind him.
"N-Nagisa!?"
"Well then, I'll leave it in your capable hands," the black-haired man toasted the blonde, Nagisa standing happily at attention while the brunette remained stunned.
"He-wha-huh!?"
"He seems nice," Nagisa commented, "ne? Makoto?"
It was a repeat of the first meeting between Sosuke and Makoto, the young blonde teasing him mercilessly about his new found friend for what the elder prayed was the last time.
Fate had other plans.
He started slow, Sosuke stopping in every now and then for a drink and a quick chat of something trivial; school, work, common interests they had such as swimming. All of this was becoming common to Makoto, and he enjoyed the moments they shared. They never met outside of the café, as though it were some sort of unwritten rule between them.
Sosuke was the one to ask about more intimate things like family and where he was from, the brunette only too happy to reveal his life, chatting endlessly about his brother and sister, his mother and father, going on about the kids he coached and what was going on in the lives of his friends. Sosuke no different, talking about his father's demands and his mother's wishes, though he expressed his envy at Makoto's siblings, wishing he had a sister or a brother to call his own.
Makoto came to expect the appearance of the muscled young man striding into the coffee shop with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and his hands in his pockets. His smile was more frequent too, no longer appearing solemn and brooding, but peaceful and relaxing, especially when the brunette took his break when he walked into the store, the half hour spent with each other the only time during the week they got each other to themselves.
Every shift the brunette had, Sosuke would appear, and apparently only on those shifts, according to some other baristas. Not that Makoto minded at all, he liked hearing the baritone laugh, liked the way the teal eyes seemed to search him when he spoke, like the genuine smiles that came easily to Sosuke. Still, the appearance of the taller was odd; his curiosity getting the better of him, after three months of their interactions, Makoto figured it was better to know and look the fool.
"Say, Yamazaki?"
Green eyes looked up from the Latte he was making to the young man that sat propped up on one elbow, his chin to his cheek.
"There's… something I've been wondering about…"
"Yeah… what?" the young man asked, his lips to his drink.
"How… how is it you always seem to show up when I'm here?" Makoto murmured, smiling to the two girls that thanked him for the service.
"I come in after I work out," Sosuke shrugged, "that's it really."
"Oh," the young man murmured, trying not to let the disappointment on his face show, half wanting to kick himself for his stupidity.
"Why?"
It was the question that haunted Makoto on the walk home, his answer to Sosuke simply that he was curious, but what he was asking himself was why he felt so disappointed. Perhaps it was because they were becoming friends, had a lot in common, because Makoto wanted to mean something more to the other than just a convenience.
But what?
Sosuke's number wasn't on his phone, and nor was his on the other's. They never talked on campus, never had lunches together, and their interactions were limited to, at most, an hour a week. He was told about Sosuke's life but felt he knew nothing about the other. In a sense, they were as good as strangers.
Refusing to let the thoughts get the better of him, Makoto made his way home to finish his studies so he could work tomorrow without needing to stress over his exams, an excitement budding in his chest at the thought that he'd get to see Sosuke for the second day in a row, a rarity for them.
Or at least, it should've been.
The first hour of his shift was rather busy, many people joining the coffee shop for study sessions or dates. By the second and third hour, the green eyes began searching for the young man that so often appeared by the bar to talk or took the corner seat so that they may spend the brief half hour of the other's break together. When the fourth hour struck and his break came and went, Makoto felt a sick feeling fill his gut, his chipper attitude deflating. Had he said something wrong? Had his question bothered Sosuke too much?
The brunette shook his head; he was overreacting. Sosuke was probably busy with a class or working out to come by, and it wasn't necessary for him to show up at every shift he had, even though it was becoming a habit for him, the one thing that could make his day a little better, though why he didn't know.
Makoto often questioned himself why he felt his heart lift when he saw the tall strides enter through the door, what made his days with Sosuke better than the others. Was it because they talked? He talked with other friends more often, but he never felt the way he did. He was always the sensible person around his friends, yet he couldn't make sense of his feelings.
By the sixth hour of his shift, Makoto felt his heart plummet when there was no sign of the other, his thoughts hardly convincing him any longer; Sosuke never showed up this late into his work day, he never had before. When his time to go home came, Makoto packed up, his eyes looking around the room for the teal eyes that made his smile brighter than he felt before.
For once the young man took a seat on the bar beside the stool Sosuke would often occupy, his eyes darting to the phone in his hands obsessively, waiting with tremors in his leg for the young man to walk through the door and make his day all the better.
The darkness had fallen over the coffee shop when the pit in Makoto's stomach had sunk lower in his body, his face snuggling further into his scarf, hoping to hide his disappointed face. Sosuke must've grown bored of their conversations, must've thought his question was weird.
Sosuke must hate him.
"Here."
A cup hit the bar in front of him, Nagisa's hand pulling away from him.
"Nagisa?"
"Dark hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate sauce and Yamazaki's address," the blonde announced happily, "you should hurry up and give it to him while it's still hot."
The green disappeared behind the blinking lids, Makoto's mouth trying to form sounds while his friend sighed exasperatedly.
"You know, you might be the voice of reason for all of us, but you're an idiot when it comes to your love life," Nagisa commented bluntly, his arms crossing over the apron he wore for work, his face pulling into a cheeky grin with a wink, "come on Makoto! You wait for him to come all day and you're disappointed when he doesn't; you don't have a crush anymore, you are in L-O-V-E!"
"I-I am-"
"You've been on that chair for two hours," the blonde continued bluntly, "just get off it and go give it to him."
"B-But-" Makoto turned to the address written in the black marker, "how did you-"
"Just go~" Nagisa whined, his hands pushing at the strong back, "go go go go go!"
Conceding with great reluctance, the brunette stepped out into the cool air, his coat wrapping tighter around himself against the chilling wind.
His body shivered slightly as he moved down the busy streets of Tokyo towards the apartment he held in his hands, nose and cheeks turning red in the weather as his face kept lifting to see the addresses on the buildings. Hands tightened around the cup, wondering why he kept walking, kept moving forward, kept moving towards an an apartment of a young man he barely knew, questioning why he was lifting his finger to press the buzzer beside the door to Sosuke's apartment door.
Makoto felt himself freeze, his finger still over the button, his eyes wide and his heart running. There were no footsteps to tell the young man that the door was about to swing open to reveal a curious-looking Sosuke, the teal eyes wide and meeting Makoto's.
"T… Tachibana?" Sosuke asked, his body straightening to stand above his friend's.
"Uh… yeah, hi," Makoto smiled nervously, "how are you?"
"Fine," the other seemed curious, "what are you doing here?"
"I… thought you weren't feeling well… since you didn't come to the coffee shop," the brunette blushed deeply, "so… I brought you your usual…"
"Oh… thanks," Sosuke murmured, his hands extending to take the drink from the other.
"I-I'm glad you're feeling well," Makoto pressed on, "so I'll be off-"
"Wait!"
The young man stilled at the request, the red on his cheeks indistinguishable between the cold and the embarrassment he felt.
"I-It's pretty cold out," the larger commented, "wanna come in and warm up?"
He should say no, Makoto thought, he should tell him he couldn't that he was busy with something else, that he needed to go home, study for something, they weren't that close, there was no reason to say…
"Sure."
Sosuke stepped aside to let the young man in, Makoto thanking him as he entered the warmth and comfort of the house. His jacket slipped off and hung up, his green eyes took notice of Sosuke studying him with a certain curiosity.
"Where're your glasses?"
"Oh… I only wear them for work and reading," the young man explained, "so… I don't really need them right now."
"Ah…"
A heavy air settled around Makoto as he became aware that Sosuke was looking at whatever was written on his cup.
"And… what's this thing…"
"That's… your address," the young man confessed embarrassed, "Nagisa wrote that there."
"Ah… right," the elder murmured, much to Makoto's confusion. "Take a seat."
"Oh… thanks," Makoto stepped towards the table that was set up with notes and textbooks, the brown hair struggling not to crack itself on the wood out of stupidity. His assumptions head been right in the first time, the young man had an exam to study for, something that took precedence over him, unsurprisingly.
"Want some tea?" Sosuke called from the kitchen, startling Makoto out of his thoughts.
"Uh… sure," the brunette nodded, "that'd be great."
The room was filled with nothing but a few clangs and bangs as Sosuke prepared the tea for his guest while the green eyes looked around the room out of curiosity. It was a standard apartment; wood floor with white walls, the door opening to the main living room which held a bed, a table for at least four, a bookshelf, and a desk with a laptop and chair. The kitchen seemed small, but it was comfortable enough for Sosuke, with all his muscles, could move with ease.
"So…"
Turning back to the other who now sat across from him, Makoto suddenly felt very vulnerable, his body feeling very alert.
"What brings you all the way out here?" was the obvious question Makoto expected, though it was still one he was unprepared for.
"L-Like I said… you didn't come into the shop today so I-I thought you might not be feeling well," the brunette felt like an even greater idiot with each word he spoke, "I figured it wouldn't hurt to check up on you…"
"Well, thank you," Sosuke nodded, his cup lifted to Makoto, "but I was just busy with an exam today, that's all," his grin turned teasing, "did I worry you?"
"W-Well you've come in like clockwork whenever I have a shift…" Makoto tried to explain, "so when you didn't show…"
He left the question hanging, wondering how much more he could say before he let it slip that he felt lonely without Sosuke there, that he felt a sense of disappointment when he didn't show up.
"Guess I was too busy to studying to notice and my exam ended after your shift did so-"
"How did you know when my shift ended?"
It was Sosuke's turn to flush, his eyes widening as he became aware of the trap his words had caught him in.
"… It was just a guess," the other tried to explain, "hang on-"
"But, how!?" Makoto pressed as the other moved to get the whistling kettle, "you always know when my shifts are so… how do you know!?"
"You really wanna know?" Sosuke asked, his brow raised while Makoto seemed thoroughly confused. In an answer, the taller of the two reached down into his trash, his hands pulling up an empty cup, lobbing it to the brunette who expertly caught it, the green orbs widening at the sight of the writing.
There, spelt out in Nagisa's handwriting, was his entire schedule for the week.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-" the brunette tried to find his words, his face redder than it had ever been in all the time he knew Sosuke.
"Your friend Nagisa started that about a week after I first met you," the taller explained, his body coming to sit in front of Makoto, "he's been doing it every week…" he shrugged, "that's how I kept coming when you worked…"
"I'm gonna kill Nagisa," Makoto whimpered, his eyes too glued to the cup to notice Sosuke turning away from him, "but… wait…" the teal eyes turned back to him, "why did… you come then?"
"Why?" the elder seemed in thought, his shoulders sagging slightly as he sighed, "I guess… I liked that smile of yours…"
"M-My… smile…?"
"Yeah," Sosuke's cheek tilted in his hands, his eyes glancing to the hot chocolate in the cup, "see, my dad's been on my case, wanted me to join him in the shop, kept telling me this was a mistake. To be honest, I felt like it was for a long time…" the teal looked towards the wide emerald, the flush on the cheeks highlighting the aghast lips, "that is… until I saw you smile."
Makoto felt his heart rate and temperature rise at the words, the young man opposite him continuing.
"For the first time in forever… I felt like this wasn't some dumb mistake, like there was a reason…"
"A… reason?"
Again Sosuke smiled, this time able to make Makoto's heart flutter wildly in his chest.
"I had to keep you smiling."
There was nothing for the other to say, nothing his brain could conjure up, nothing he could think of, not after those words.
And especially not when a pair of firm lips were pressing strongly against his.
Large hands surrounded his cheeks, a body bigger than his pressing his own close, the feeling he received in Sosuke's presence increasing tenfold. Makoto was used to being the biggest of his friends, the largest young man in his classes; as such, he felt it was his duty to protect others. What he wanted, what Sosuke gave him, even if it was for only a few moments in a week, was protection, a chance to not constantly need to hide himself for the sake of others, a chance to just be himself.
"Y-Yamazaki…"
"It's Sosuke," the deep voice breathed over the quivering lips, "Makoto…"
Three months, three months of nothing but talking was all it took for the gentle giant to fall this deeply for Sosuke. Swallowing hard, the young man moved to lean back into the taller, his tongue craving another chocolate kiss.
Until his phone rang.
Sosuke groaned as Makoto dove for the device, his hands pulling it to his ear after reading the caller I.D.
"Nagisa!? Wh-What do you want!?"
"I was just wondering if you made it to Sosuke's okay," the voice told him casually.
"Y-Yeah… I-I did…"
"Are you having sex?"
"NAGISA!?"
Any protest, any concern he could've given was silenced as the device was lifted from his hands and pulled to Sosuke's ear.
"That's not tonight," was all the deep baritone informed him before the phone was tossed over the table, the deep orbs turning to the young man in front of him.
"S-S-S-S-S-"
"Well, not unless you want It to be," the lips pulled into a smirk as they lowered back to Makoto's.
"B-But y-your hot chocolate will get cold-"
"Will it?" the black hair tipped, "well then, I guess I'll have to wait till your next shift to make me one."
The emerald eyes started back before the smile that Sosuke treasured dearly returned, his own hands reaching to slip around the strong shoulders.
"I'll be glad too," the brunette murmured as he lowered his lips to the other's, "would you like whipped cream on that?"
Don't worry, I've got some... more mature stories for later ;P P.S don't worry, I might not update everyday since I'm hanging out with my friends for the next two days or so, but I'll keep up as often as I can!