A/N: Woah, this is my shortest story so far. XD I expected it to be longer. Just for the record, I'll always prefer Shindou/Kirino over Kirino/Kariya; I think it's much sweeter. I don't even ship Kirino/Kariya, but I understand why other people do and I have nothing against it. On top of that, I really wanted to write out this idea as soon as it hit me~ So for those who do support the couple, I hope you enjoy this little one-shot! Please leave a review if you like!
Practice was over for today. The members of the Raimon soccerclub exited the shower, got dressed in the changing room and walked out together. The last boys left were Tenma, Tsurugi, Shindou, Kirino and Kariya. Tsurugi adjusted his purple cape and grabbed his bag, about to go home as well, when Tenma held up a brush and blocked him with a smile. Likewise, he was fully dressed.
"You should brush your hair after showering, Kyousuke-kun," the brunet remarked, "or you'll get nasty knots. Can I comb it out for you?"
Tsurugi blushed at the mention of his first name and leaned close to his boyfriend, an embarrassed scowl on his face. "I told you not to call me that in public!" he hissed. He held a hand next to his mouth to keep the conversation between them.
Tenma, clearly not as troubled about the issue, simply told him to turn around, his smile never fading. Tsurugi obeyed with a sigh and tried to fend off the stares he knew he was getting from his seniors and fellow first-year. His relationship with Tenma only counted a few weeks, and their teammates quite enjoyed catching the two of them in their own little moments, much to the ex-Seed's embarrassment.
Kariya was the first to look away from the couple and finished getting dressed. He stuck out his tongue in disgust, wondering how those two could afford to be so lovey-dovey in public. He wasn't particularly interested in the private relationships between his teammates – that is, except for one. He glanced over at his seniors and saw Kirino was still looking at Tenma and Tsurugi. Once the defender averted his eyes, they shifted straight to his best friend and stayed there. Kariya could almost hear his senior's thoughts: he wanted to brush Shindou's hair as well, but was hesitant to take that step in case the brunet misunderstood the gesture. The two of them were best friends, but Kirino's feelings for Shindou were so obvious they were transparent. Painfully so. Kariya rarely failed to notice the longing glances Kirino sent his seemingly oblivious friend day after day, and they angered him for a reason he stalled to decipher.
Once Tenma finished straightening out Tsurugi's hair, the two joined hands, greeted their friends and left the changing room. Shindou was soon to follow them and walked out with a wave at his best friend. Seeing as the two lived in opposite directions, they only walked home together when one of them was staying over. Kirino waved back, an absent smile on his face. It was clear to him Shindou considered him nothing more than a friend, a fact that hurt him each time he acknowledged it. He was envious of Tenma and Tsurugi's relationship; he wished to share with Shindou everything they shared together. Kirino had thought about confessing, but abandoned the idea after arguing that would just put a dent in their friendship. If anything, Kirino wanted to at least keep the deep bond between them.
The defender pulled his shirt over his head when he heard a "tch" from the corner. He poked his head through the collar and looked at Kariya, who smirked back. It was that typical smirk the first-year flashed whenever he was up to no good. "You're so pathetic, senpai," he commented calmly.
Kirino widened his eyes in disbelief. "Excuse me?"
"You have a crush on Shindou-senpai, right?" Kariya shrugged as if he'd just asked Kirino if he liked cheese. "Yet you're too scared to admit it. I see the way you look at him during practice; it's pathetic."
Kirino's face went white right before it swapped to a deep shade of red. It was difficult, almost impossible, to keep secrets from that kid. His eyes still wide, he opened his mouth and blabbered in pure Gibberish before he managed to formulate a decent sentence: "T-t-that's none of your business!"
Kariya snorted at his reaction. His senpai clearly had no poker face, how cute. "What are you expecting? That one day Shindou-senpai will just be able to read your thoughts and ask you out? You're getting nowhere with this."
"S-shut up!" Kirino stammered, but Kariya pretended he was deaf. "You have absolutely no experience with love, do you? Even if you wanted to approach him, you have no idea how to handle it, correct?"
Kirino glanced off to the side and clenched his fists at his waist. That was absolutely correct. Of course he wanted to go out with Shindou; there were many things he wanted to do with him. But the deeper his feelings were, the more they repelled him from taking action. Even if he tried, he would probably make a big fool of himself. He couldn't stand the thought of embarrassing himself in front of his best friend, especially about a subject such as this.
"… this conversation is over," he concluded lowly, and he made for the door when a sudden hand captured his wrist. Kirino turned around and shot Kariya a glare, but eased up when he saw the boy's facial expression. In contrast to a moment ago, it looked surprisingly… gentle. Genuine, even. As if he seriously meant to help him out with his problem.
Kariya sent his senior a soft smile and said: "I can't say I have experience with it myself… love… It's something I never thought about. But, you know, if I had my own object of desire… I would confront them." He slid his fingers to Kirino's hand and grasped the other as well, pulling the taller boy closer. Surprised, Kirino was about to question his action, but Kariya continued before he could get one word in between: "… I would say… "What have you done to me? Only you make me feel this way… Frustrated, but happy at the same time… Whenever I'm with you, I feel… complete, somehow. I want to continue spending time with you, even if it's just a simple chat.""
Kirino listened to his teammate's words, completely awestruck. The way Kariya talked sounded so real that he had a difficult time remembering he was speaking hypothetically. He had never seen the other boy like this before; not this kind, nor this interested in the subject of love. He rarely showed affection in the first place, and now, he looked this close to baring his soul to him. Kirino felt a blush creep onto his cheeks when he realized Kariya's fingers were now wrapped around his upper arms, and how the boy slowly filled the gap until they could feel each other's breath.
"… "I wish I could do more, though"…" Kariya continued, having lowered his voice to a whisper. He looked straight into Kirino's eyes, ignoring the bafflement on his face. ""I wish I could be close to you… closer than anyone else. I wish I could have you all to myself, without having to share. I wish I could say you're mine and only mine… because I love you.""
Kirino felt his heart skip a beat. Hypothetically or not, Kariya had just said he loved him, right to his face. His cheeks went darker and his heart sped up for a reason he failed to grasp. Kariya's words were fake, so why did the situation feel so real? Forced to stare down those sympathetic eyes, Kirino swallowed hard and tried to escape from Kariya's grip. "K-Kariya…"
"… and then…" Kariya finished, making sure to keep control over his senior. "… I would end it with a kiss." He leaned on his toes to gain extra height, enough height to reach Kirino's lips. He kissed them softly without another word, his eyes closed for a moment. Kirino's own went bigger than ever. His attempt to resist Kariya faltered as he stiffened from head to toe, finding himself in a complete shock. Kariya was kissing him… The same Kariya that pulled pranks the moment he saw an opportunity. The same Kariya that seemed on a mission to make his life hell half the time. It didn't feel real. It couldn't be real.
Kariya pulled out of the lip-lock seconds later, even though it felt like an entire minute to Kirino. His eyes were still wide and his heart pounded uncontrollably. What had just happened…? He stared at his teammate, desperate for answers, but Kariya sent him an innocent smile and added: "… just like this."
Kirino was speechless. Why on earth had Kariya just kissed him? Why had he rehearsed a confession in his presence, and why did he even care at all? The pink-haired boy failed to get even one word past his lips, even if it was just a stammer. He was too shocked, too taken aback by Kariya's advances. He had no idea how to respond or how Kariya expected him to respond. He just continued looking at him with that whole-hearted smile, his face close enough for their noses to touch.
The nagging silence ceased when it was broken by a sudden thud. Kirino and Kariya both looked up at the doorway, where Shindou was standing. He had just dropped his bag and looked utterly appalled. He didn't say anything, but his face spoke for him, his brown eyes filling with anguish and his lips starting to tremble. The Raimon captain had clearly seen his teammates kiss.
"… I-I… forgot something…" he stuttered, apparently feeling obligated to provide the pair with an explanation. "… sorry for interrupting!" Having barely finished his sentence, the brunet turned around and sprinted out of the room.
Kirino gasped and shouted Shindou's name, but his friend continued to dash away. He shot Kariya one last glance, for a split second torn about whom to confront first, but then he went for the obvious choice and ran after Shindou.
Kariya was still smiling when he was left alone and calmly went for the door. He picked up Shindou's bag and shouted: "Shindou-senpai, you forgot your bag!" He held one hand at his mouth, appearing concerned about the matter, but when he got no answer, Kariya's smile instantly dropped. He dumped the bag back on the floor and glanced down at his feet. He brought his hand to his lips and recalled how it felt to have them collide with Kirino's. They were just as soft as he'd imagined.
Kirino was probably going to catch up with Shindou. He would erase the misunderstanding between them and explain everything, including his own feelings. Judging from their captain's reaction to Kariya's kiss, he liked Kirino just as much as Kirino liked him. There was no doubt they were going to get together after this… Kariya lifted his head and glared down the now empty hallway. The humanity in his eyes had completely vanished and replaced with something that could only be identified as envy.
"… Kirino-senpai, you idiot."