Refuge

by mew-tsubaki

Oneshot, slash. After that Seijou reunion, Kunimi and Mizoguchi keep crossing each other's path. But maybe, Kunimi thinks, that's actually quite all right. .::Mizokuni::.

Refuge

A Haikyuu! oneshot

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The Haikyuu! characters belong to Furudate Haruichi-sensei, not to me. Even more in this AU I honestly started by accident once upon a time. XD Read, review, and enjoy! *Note: This follows 2 untitled Matsuwata fics I wrote on tumblr and are found in my HQ! fic collection, Nice Receive, and it takes place around the same time as a Hanayaha set in the same universe ("A Seedling for You and Me"), though I don't suppose you have to read them in order to enjoy this. You just might want to if you crave more Seijou~ -w-

- ^-^3

"OIKAWA! You know better than to treat the school as your personal playground!"

Oikawa let out a string of garbled curses, but Kunimi, like most of the rest of Aoba Johsai's old star volleyball team, didn't bother deciphering his words or even stopping to tease their former captain over his vulgar streak. Actually, much of the team was too busy scrambling to break this impromptu reunion outside their old volleyball gym down. If they really were captured, not just caught in the act, by Mizoguchi, there was no telling what kind of hell they'd face.

That said, Kunimi made a beeline for Kindaichi's silver car amidst the row of vehicles parked nearby where Shido had set up a grill outdoors, and he slipped into the passenger side and slunk down in his seat as he buckled up. Shit. If they didn't leave soon, they wouldn't escape their former coach's lecture, and then Kunimi and Kindaichi wouldn't make it back to university housing until late, and that'd just make morning classes unbearable… Kunimi Akira already wasn't a morning person. But having to trudge to System Analytics after being hounded all night by a voice who'd kept after him all three years of high school?

Yeah. Not happening.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Kindaichi called over his shoulder as he dropped in behind the steering wheel.

"Dammit, Kindaichi…!" Shido howled, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of the engine turning over, and Kindaichi, usually a careful and calm driver, peeled out of his spot and managed to make it onto the main road before anyone could stop him. Only when he was a good block away did he halt at a stop sign and buckle his own seatbelt.

"Stop snickering," Kindaichi scolded his best friend without looking.

He hadn't been, but the comment made Kunimi snort now. "You got us out of there fast," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well, much as I respect Mizoguchi-san, you and I really can't afford too late a night with classes ahead of us in the morning." Pausing at another street sign, Kindaichi glanced at Kunimi and smiled. "Plus, considering you were Mizoguchi-san's favorite student to nag, we'd be here all night."

Kunimi stuck out his tongue at him, making Kindaichi laugh, but he wasn't really annoyed. If anything, he thought as he stared out the window on the ride home, he was quite pleased. It hadn't been an immediate friendship, theirs, but…he and Kindaichi had been together all this time. Ten years. And Kindaichi knew him well enough by now to be on the same wavelength and to read Kunimi's mind. He didn't need Kunimi to point out tonight's circumstances; the same things that occurred to Kunimi also occurred to him.

Kindaichi's phone rang from his pocket. "Ah… Crap. I promised Kana I'd call when we were done and heading back."

Well, most of the same things occurred to Kindaichi, Kunimi thought sourly as the phone rang for a full minute before cutting off. At least she didn't pester Kindaichi by calling repeatedly, so it made the rest of the hour back to S Uni a bit more bearable.

Still, when Kindaichi pulled up on the apartment complex the university had bought as extra "dorm" space, Kunimi felt their ride home had been too short. Sure, the car was small and stuffy, and it reeked of Shido's grilled food from the party and sweat because both Kindaichi and Kunimi had let the seniors rope them into two-on-two matches in the volleyball gym. But…that was fine with Kunimi.

Those scents, undisturbed by that faint strawberry perfume Kindaichi's girlfriend wore, were perfect to Kunimi.

"Catch you at club tomorrow?" Kindaichi asked as his friend climbed out of the car.

"If I have the time," Kunimi replied, but he didn't begrudge the chuckle he got in return, because that was the game they played. Kunimi might have dropped volleyball two years ago, but he still turned up most of the time even if only for Kindaichi's benefit. "Goodnight—" he began, but he was interrupted by Kindaichi's phone chirping with a text.

Kindaichi gave him an apologetic little wave, but he was already calling her back as soon as Kunimi shut the door and shuffled off to the complex's small lobby doors….

- ^-^3

He did end up going to their university volleyball club's practice the following evening. He even waited on the sidelines and managed to half-ass small talk with Tomizawa, Kindaichi's girlfriend. And he applauded himself for not visibly gagging when Tomizawa shrugged out of Kindaichi's sweatshirt and helped him into it at the end, even though it was early summer outside the gym and not the kind of weather that required such layers.

Kunimi rewarded himself for his restraint later in the week, though, exchanging his comfy jeans and bright-colored t-shirts for something a bit more form-fitting and eye-catching. He needed to, considering the bar he was planning to hit required one put a bit of effort into one's appearance. Besides, skinny jeans and this dark blue top with a wide neck had a decent, maybe ninety-percent chance of invitation for drinks or more when Kunimi was looking for company.

Tonight was more evidence of that, too, and Kunimi began to wonder if maybe his luck were closer to ninety-five percent as he let a salaryman chat him up at the bar's counter. The guy was a bit on the boring side—talking about stocks he had in a rival company from the one where he worked—but…man, oh man, did his face look like Kindaichi's. From the edge of his jawline to the sharp upward angle of his eyes down to the shape of his nose.

"Ah, sorry," Kunimi apologized when he realized the man had paused since Kunimi hadn't been paying attention. Easily remedied, of course, with a slide of Kunimi's drink-free hand to the man's nearer wrist, slipping a few fingers under the cuff to graze the sensitive skin there.

Mr. Salaryman jolted far too visibly—such a Kindaichi-like thing to do—and downed the rest of his vodka, as if he needed to bolster his confidence. It must've worked, because he cleared his throat and glanced at Kunimi shyly. "Did you want to stay here? Or…"

Finally. "I thought you'd never ask," Kunimi replied with a smile far too practiced. Then again, faking niceties at club and towards his seniors at times at Seijou had come in handy.

His date paid for both their drinks, and Kunimi trailed after him as they wound their way through the tide of other hookups towards the door. Outside the bar, it was humid, feeling much more like summer than it had during classes that day. A small part of Kunimi internally groaned, and he now rather wished he'd worn another shirt…even if this one might've helped him land this Kindaichi-like fellow…

He knew it'd be bad and ruin the mood to zone out again, so Kunimi turned on the charm and tugged on his date's sleeve. "So did you have a place in mind?"

"Ah! A…a hotel…" The salaryman fidgeted, and his nervousness aged him in an unflattering manner. "Also, I wanted to know what to call you…"

"'Akira' is fine," Kunimi answered. Some semblance of anonymity was always a good idea, but Kunimi never could be bothered to get creative and stray far from the truth.

"Then I'll get us a cab, Akira-kun," the salaryman said cheerily, and he gave Kunimi's wrist an encouraging squeeze before slipping his hand into Kunimi's and turning his attention to the street.

Kunimi heaved a silent sigh and let his eyes wander up the sidewalk while they waited. He had yet to make a decision about seeing this man again in the future, but he rarely knew on the first night of meeting someone if that were the case. He usually at least had better luck when he went searching on his own instead of trying to meet someone at the drinking parties arranged by various classmate and friend groups through the years at university, but—

"Ah, whoops, sorry," a tall man said after he bumped into Kunimi's free arm.

Kunimi gave the man a tiny glare, but he did a double-take when the man stayed put. Oh, shit. Kunimi recognized him.

And Mizoguchi recognized him, too.

"Akira-kun, I've got us a cab," the salaryman announced, but his face fell when he noticed Kunimi and Mizoguchi staring at each other. "Oh. Someone you know?"

Before Kunimi could answer, Mizoguchi had surveyed the situation and grasped things fast. His expression morphed from shock at seeing his former student here this late at night to irritation at the salaryman's hold on Kunimi. Without even a quick "excuse me," Mizoguchi easily broke the light hold and pulled Kunimi away from the salaryman and the cab. His hold on Kunimi's wrist wasn't so easy to shake, though, much as Kunimi struggled.

"Damn it… Mizoguchi-san…," Kunimi snarled at the older man's back. He gave another jerk of his shoulder, but the assistant coach wouldn't let him go, even once they were a good distance away and Kunimi's date had disappeared.

"Kunimi, I cannot believe—" He sighed, though it was far closer to a groan. "That was a bad situation you put yourself in," he threw over his shoulder.

Kunimi grunted. "You do realize I'm an adult now? Twenty-one and able to make all my decisions on my own?"

Mizoguchi didn't answer that.

They crossed several streets away from the bar, and it wasn't until they stopped awhile at a brightly lit four-way intersection that Mizoguchi released him. Rubbing his wrist which was now sore, Kunimi gave him the side eye. "It's not very proper for a teacher to be out this late, either, Mizoguchi-san."

Mizoguchi sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I had a good reason. I'm on my way home after a party."

"You party?"

"Okumura-sensei got engaged this week, so a bunch of us went out tonight to celebrate."

"I don't remember an Okumura-sensei…"

Mizoguchi's body language softened as he dropped his arms and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Ah, right… She came on as an English teacher three years ago, so you wouldn't've met her."

Kunimi raised his eyebrows like "duh." "It's been four years, Mizoguchi-san. A lot can change in that amount of time."

Mizoguchi opened his mouth and shut it, but he stared at Kunimi for a minute. Then he ran a distracted hand through his blond hair. "It…does feel that way."

Kunimi groaned audibly this time. At least Mizoguchi wasn't commenting on the revelation that Kunimi was gay.

"I'm just surprised you would've gone off with a stranger…" He paused, and his face looked even more luridly red in the brightness of the streetlights. "Oh, gods. Unless…not that it's any of my business, but…was he a stranger? I, uh—"

Kunimi snickered. It was entertaining, seeing Mizoguchi flounder. Not that it'd make up for his night being ruined, but it was definitely a highlight in his book. "I'm an adult," he reminded the coach. "I know better than to go with anyone just because they offer me candy or the like, Mizoguchi-san." He really did know better…but this world of Kunimi's that the former wing spiker had embraced in university was not something he knew he could explain and make Mizoguchi understand, even if he wanted him to.

Mizoguchi scowled over being made fun of, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest again the longer they dawdled at the intersection. But instead of engaging Kunimi in what had once been their commonplace tit-for-tat, he read his wristwatch with a sigh. "Gods. It's later than I realized."

Kunimi rolled his eyes in response and bounced on his heels impatiently, hoping to escape soon.

"Last train's gone at this point."

Oh. Hell. He couldn't keep the grimace off his face, and he settled Mizoguchi with another glare.

"Oh, calm down. I take it you needed that train if tonight was a miss?" Mizoguchi suggested dryly.

"…yes."

"Then crash at my place for the night and go home first thing in the morning," Mizoguchi ordered with a finger pointed right at Kunimi.

Kunimi blinked. "That's…awfully generous of you, Mizoguchi-san…" Then he saw how the flush of the other man's skin wouldn't fade. "…oh, for fuck's sake. You're tipsy, aren't you? No wonder you're taking it easy on me."

Mizoguchi grinned, proving Kunimi's point. "When you're out celebrating with colleagues, it's rude not to join in. But my place isn't far, so you won't have a long journey to the station in the morning, either, Kunimi."

Kunimi shook his head in disbelief at how his luck had taken a turn tonight. Still, he didn't feel like fighting with a drunk, and he didn't object when Mizoguchi hailed a cab for what turned out to be a short ride to Mizoguchi's apartment complex. They probably could've walked. And the irony didn't escape him, that technically Kunimi still got into a taxi with a strange man tonight. It made him snort, which caught Mizoguchi's curiosity as he unlocked his door on the fifth floor.

Despite alcohol loosening him up, Mizoguchi was his typical self once inside, rough and not coddling at all. "You can have the couch," he said with a vague gesture to the worn teal item on the right side of his living room.

Kunimi took in the apartment. Large for a single man living on his own, and a lot brighter and cleaner than he thought it should be, all fresh white walls and light gray wooden floorboards without a trace of dust. He turned around to observe Mizoguchi struggling with his shoes. "All right, so I have the couch. You're not going to make it up?" He was used to that when staying over at another's place—at least, he was used to Kindaichi doing as much.

But Mizoguchi shook his head and pointed to a closet door before the living room. Then he disappeared into what Kunimi figured was the bathroom, since he heard a shower head turn on two minutes later.

He huffed and raided the closet for a spare pillow and a blanket, making the couch up for himself. When he was done and ready to tuck in for the night, Mizoguchi emerged from the bathroom, though Kunimi relied more on sound than sight since he faced the couch and had his back to the older man.

"Kunimi? You still awake?" He sounded sober now.

Kunimi grunted.

"Just make sure to head home first thing in the morning," he reminded his guest, and his footsteps carried him to the room on the other side of the bathroom.

"You keep on insisting that as if I'm gonna stop and take the time first to rob you," Kunimi joked while he got comfortable.

Silence. But then Mizoguchi locked his bedroom door.

Kunimi rolled his eyes. His night seriously had taken a disastrous turn.

- ^-^3

"Oi. Kunimi. Kunimi! Get up already!"

Kunimi opened his eyes, facing a wall of teal. Then his eyes focused, and he picked out a threadbare spot or two, and he recalled all too clearly how he'd ended up in Mizoguchi's apartment, of all places.

Mizoguchi nudged his shoulder. "Kunimi," he repeated, although his voice was much closer now, which gave Kunimi the chills. He swatted Mizoguchi away and shrugged the blanket off to show he was awake.

"I get it, I get it… I'm up and leav—what the hell?" he said once he sat upright.

"But—why?"

"Because I'm not a cold person. I'm not kicking you out without feeding you first. Stop looking so perplexed," Mizoguchi bitched, and he pointed to the spot on the floor in front of the couch. "Sit down, eat up, and be on your way."

Kunimi pursed his lips, but the smell of the food woke his stomach, too, and he made a noisy show of digging in to the folded egg and ham so as to cover the sound of his stomach growling. The only thing he wasn't keen on eating was the toast slathered in orange marmalade. He picked it up, sniffed it, and scrunched up his nose.

"Just eat it, Kunimi. You've got some protein, and those're the carbs and sugar you'll need to make it home."

Breakfast, after that, was a silent affair. But Kunimi couldn't make up his mind about whether it was awkward. Mizoguchi had the television on in the background but muted, but…it wasn't the worst thing in the world, eating quietly like this.

When Kunimi finished, he left his place setting alone since Mizoguchi had insisted on making him his guest. Still, he nodded his thanks to Mizoguchi, and he checked his pockets to make sure he still had his keys and wallet before stooping by the door to get his shoes on. Only then did Mizoguchi clear his throat.

"What?" Kunimi prompted, fully expecting Mizoguchi to snipe at him for his rudeness.

Instead, Mizoguchi took a breath. "Not that it's any of my business, but…you should watch yourself, Kunimi."

Not a reprimand. Not said curtly. Just…something gentle. It surprised Kunimi for half a beat. Then he soured. Mizoguchi didn't know anything, and Kunimi stomped out before Mizoguchi tried asking.

- ^-^3

"Oh, by the way, we missed you last weekend!" Kindaichi told Kunimi as he dropped into the vacant seat beside him.

Kunimi perked up before he noticed Tomizawa sitting down on Kindaichi's other side. Ah. Of course. "A busy weekend," Kunimi offered as he gave Tomizawa a polite nod of his head, which she returned with a soft smile.

Thankfully, Tomizawa was smaller than Kindaichi, so she was blocked from sight as Kindaichi turned Kunimi's way. "The entire weekend? I was looking for you Saturday night, Kunimi."

He knew. He'd seen the texts and ignored them; he always did when he was out on his own. Then again…his weekend also hadn't gone as planned, and he mentally swatted away thoughts of that stupid breakfast with Mizoguchi that Sunday morning. He thought about bitching about his unfortunate encounter but had the wherewithal not to mention it. If he did, that'd only beg the question why Kunimi had been in such a place for Mizoguchi to stumble upon him. "Sorry," he settled on.

"And the kouhai were whining, too…"

Wait a minute. He was clearly missing something. "The kouhai?" Kunimi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah? The club went out, last weekend," Kindaichi informed him.

Tomizawa poked her head around Kindaichi's shoulder, some of her wavy hair falling in her face until she pushed it back behind her ear. "The kouhai a year below you two were saying they missed both of you on the team, even to practice against." She grinned. "They insisted their younger blockers and liberoes now don't know a spike until one of yours hits them in the face."

Kunimi ducked his eyes in light of the praise. "I wasn't the best spiker we had…"

"A modest Kunimi? If only Oikawa-san or Iwaizumi-san were here to see it," Kindaichi teased, but he and the other students settled down as their professor walked into the room to start class.

Kunimi disagreed with the notion. He wasn't being modest; even at the Seijou reunion, both Iwaizumi and Hanamaki had shown that they still had power behind their spikes, and there was still a guy or two on their university's team who was like that. The team didn't need Kunimi on it.

At the end of the lecture, Tomizawa looked around Kindaichi again until she caught Kunimi's eye. "Kunimi-kun, are you going to join us for lunch? My afternoon class got cancelled, so I thought the three of us could grab a bite—well, just about anywhere."

His gut clenched, and he forced a smile as he shook his head. "Not today. There's some code I need to finish writing for a class, so I plan to have a working lunch."

"That stinks…!" When she frowned, it felt kind of sincere. Then she pouted at him. "But next time, don't turn us down! Or at least me. There's an ice-cream shop I'm dying to go to, and Yuu-chan refuses to take me."

"It smells so thickly of sugar outside it, Kana," Kindaichi mewled as he shouldered his backpack.

"That's how you know it's quality!"

Kunimi couldn't stomach too much of the couple in one sitting, so he tipped his head politely and slipped out before either could stop him. Only once he was outside did he feel he could breathe again, and he planned on keeping up appearances by disappearing to his room for lunch.

In reality, his working lunch turned into a lazy afternoon spent surfing the web and looking into promising clubs and bars nowhere near where Kunimi had run into his old coach. Though Mizoguchi's final words from that morning echoed in his head, Kunimi ignored them. It was too hard not to keep on with his ways, especially with Kindaichi still at his side…even in this capacity.

He frowned and stopped reading what was on his phone's screen as he thought back on earlier, with Kindaichi and Tomizawa. With Kindaichi happy, Kunimi had come to a hard realization a long, long time ago that he and Kindaichi were never going to happen.

Of course, that didn't make it any easier to give up on him, especially since they still hung out so often, whether Tomizawa or others were with them. But that was also why it was so much easier to seek out men who reminded Kunimi of Kindaichi, even if only a little bit and in different ways, because then it was like a dream come true. Then it was as if he'd won. Then it was almost as if he had the chance to be with Kindaichi.

Kunimi snapped out of his reverie and reread the description of one club he had yet to try. It was three train stops away and not too far from that bad-luck bar, but he'd risk it, because it was just the kind of distraction he needed this weekend. Dating off campus, far from Kindaichi's knowing, was the best and only option. He didn't need Kindaichi to learn about him or to discover his feelings or even to worry. But Kunimi also wasn't willing to sacrifice his own enjoyment or happiness just for those things.

So he saved a link to the club, double-checked that he had all his crap for his next class, and left his apartment, completely forgetting to have lunch in the first place.

- ^-^3

The club had been the right place to go.

That was all Kunimi could think the following evening as he fiddled with the hem of his sparkly t-shirt in one hand and leaned his head against his date's shoulder. He actually had his arm wrapped around his date's arm—no, not date, he said his name was "Honma," Honma, Honma, dammit—and his fingers linked with the taller man's.

"You sure you don't want to dance?" Honma asked Kunimi with a chuckle in his voice.

Kunimi shook his head and buried his face in Honma's shoulder. He hadn't had much to drink. It was just that, even though his hair was wrong (it should be slicked up and black, black, black), his face and his voice and his arms—all of it was right.

"All right, then," Honma said. And he left it alone. Just like that, he was fine staying put and people-watching while he and Kunimi chatted on and off throughout the night.

Kunimi couldn't believe his luck, meeting Honma. Not just the instant chemistry when they'd caught each other's eye, but…the longer the night wore on, the more Kunimi realized Honma really was his type. Even more so.

Honma turned to Kunimi at one point and tilted his chin up, gently, and paused as if waiting for permission. He took Kunimi's arms around his neck as such and kissed him then.

Ahh, he really was Kunimi's type.

This time, he wasn't interrupted when they waited outside to find a ride to Honma's apartment, and Kunimi was very aware of Honma's hand in his in the backseat of the cab during the ride. Bothering with such things as handholding… Kunimi quite liked Honma for his gentleness. Maybe, just maybe, this could last a while if they turned out to be physically compatible.

Honma appeared to be thinking the same, because he pulled Kunimi close to him as they entered the lobby of his complex, which thankfully was empty. So Kunimi didn't mind as much when Honma began kissing him. Nor was it a bother when Honma's hands slipped under Kunimi's shirt—he'd worn a loose-fitting top for just such a reason.

Kunimi was rather surprised by how easy it was to forget they were still in a public setting, especially with Honma's mouth on his neck, heading for his collarbone. Although…if he squinted and focused on the wall of mailboxes behind Honma, he thought they looked familiar…

Oh, god-fucking-dammit. It couldn't be. Could it?

Kunimi sobered up partway, playing at being shy when Honma lifted his head to kiss him again and got rejected, eliciting another chuckle from the taller man. But Kunimi did his best to calm down. It weren't as though his luck could be so bad—

That was when he realized they had an audience, someone else who'd headed inside not far behind them and no doubt had seen them. And it was, in fact, Mizoguchi.

But Kunimi ducked his head, hoping to avoid Mizoguchi's eagle eye…to no avail. Three years Mizoguchi had kept an eye on Kunimi because he'd slack off if not nagged; it might have been four years since Kunimi had been at Seijou, but apparently that talent of Mizoguchi's wasn't going to fade anytime soon.

Mizoguchi stalked towards them much as he'd done before, but, instead of yanking Kunimi away, he did something more surprising. "Ah, my apologies," he said as he slipped an arm between Kunimi and Honma, polite but firmly breaking them apart.

Honma was too stunned to hold on to Kunimi. "Come again?"

Mizoguchi put a possessive hand on either of Kunimi's shoulders and heaved a dramatic sigh. "This guy here. Oh, jeez, I'm really so sorry about this…"

Honma glanced confusedly between the two. "Your boyfriend?" he squeaked at Kunimi.

But Mizoguchi answered for him. "Yeah, he is. We had a disagreement this morning, so he's just getting back at me. Sorry he used you." To put on the finishing touch, Mizoguchi even wrapped an arm around his former student, properly tugging him out of Honma's reach.

The scene left Honma thoroughly flustered. He ducked his head and spluttered an apology, and then he all but dashed for the elevator.

Kunimi and Mizoguchi mostly pulled apart and watched as the elevator dinged to a stop on the second floor. "Well, it's nice to know I won't have any trouble with that neighbor because I've never crossed paths with him before, being on the fifth floor. I probably won't run into him, either," Mizoguchi commented. He faced Kunimi and gave him the stink eye. "You're not looking out for yourself, are you?"

Kunimi sneered at him, preparing to howl at Mizoguchi. But that purpose felt defeated with Mizoguchi's arm still around him, even if loosely. He didn't resist this time when Mizoguchi ushered him towards the elevator and they went to his apartment again.

Mizoguchi scooted Kunimi inside. "Go sit and calm down," he ordered.

Kunimi stuck his tongue out at him over his shoulder. Nevertheless, he went and sat down on the floor in front of the couch. He snatched up a cushion from the couch that hadn't been there last time he was here, and he clutched it grumpily to his chest, silently stewing.

Annoyingly, Mizoguchi sat across from him at that coffee table, staring at him. He had his arms crossed as he was wont to do, but he wasn't quite glaring at Kunimi—at least, Kunimi didn't get that feeling, and he had years of experiencing Mizoguchi's glare.

The only things filling the quiet were the muffled noises of the outside world beyond the balcony doors in the living room and the dull ticking from a manual clock that sat beside Mizoguchi's TV, on the right side. Occasionally, Kunimi had to move his legs or feet to avoid them falling asleep, so there was also the rustle of cloth from him, but Mizoguchi remained completely still.

Finally, he spoke. "Did you only have drinks or did you eat yet?" His tone was clipped but not angry, so Kunimi knew not to joke right now.

"I haven't eaten…" He followed Mizoguchi with his eyes as the coach got to his feet and went to the kitchen. There, Mizoguchi pulled leftovers from his fridge and zapped two plates in the microwave. He brought them back to the coffee table and placed one in front of Kunimi with a fork, and he began eating his own meal. Kunimi looked between the two plates. "Why am I eating spaghetti when you're eating marinated steak?"

"Because I usually only cook for myself and make enough extra for one round of leftovers. Just eat it, Kunimi."

Kunimi grimaced at him, but his appetite won out, and he twirled the pasta around and began eating. Even though the food had been reheated, it actually tasted really good. Enough so that Kunimi rather wanted to hate Mizoguchi for his kindness…but, honestly, he also kind of wanted to cry. But that was not happening, nope, not so long as Kunimi could focus on his food and they could eat as silently as they had before.

"I have to say…," Mizoguchi began.

Kunimi tensed. Why couldn't they just eat quietly?

"…I was a bit stunned to learn I have a neighbor who reminds me so much of Kindaichi. He looks a lot like him, but, even getting scolded, he's a lot like him…"

Kunimi gripped his fork hard enough to make his knuckles white—an achievement on someone as fair-skinned as he was. But he needed to grip something and focus on just that. Otherwise, he might cry for real. Especially if he took his eyes off his food.

"Kunimi? Don't you think so? …oh, hell. Kunimi, I just— I didn't mean— I mean, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who look like him or me or even you, so it's not so bad to run into a person like that. It's just— Even though you were with him— It doesn't mean—" Mizoguchi took a breath and waited half a beat. "It's…it's okay to…to seek something like that in someone. Especially if you…can't…be with Kindaichi."

Shit. Kunimi had never thought of Mizoguchi as an idiot, but he truly resented right now how Mizoguchi had guessed correctly about his feelings for his best friend.

On the bright side, Mizoguchi had tact enough to know when to stop, and he dropped the subject altogether. His hand came into Kunimi's view as he reached for the half-eaten pasta. "Kunimi, go have a bath before bed."

Any other time, Kunimi would make a quip about Mizoguchi bossing him around again, or maybe a Kunimi in a better mood would point out the habit Mizoguchi was encouraging, having a former student stay over yet again. But not tonight. Not tonight when Kunimi didn't have much fight left in him.

Before he shut the bathroom door, Mizoguchi called out to him, "Scrub your face real well."

As if he needed to be told that! Of course he'd scrub his face—especially after he spent the next half an hour crying himself out. He liked to think the sound of the shower and the door kept Mizoguchi from listening in, but he didn't exactly care anymore.

Someone knew now. Mizoguchi knew. And it didn't hurt any less to hear that someone understood how much it hurt.

Kunimi nearly fell asleep while soaking in the tub, but he almost stayed put. A Mizoguchi who yelled at him was better than a Mizoguchi who sympathized. But Kunimi knew he couldn't hide in there forever, and he was relieved to discover Mizoguchi had left a set of spare clothes for him atop the laundry outside the shower.

He dressed and dried his hair, but he was a little surprised to find the lights off when he finally emerged from the bathroom. The couch hadn't been made up this time, either, but Kunimi unwound as he pulled the spare pillow and blanket from the closet and tucked in. Sleep even came easily to him, and he decided he was grateful that all that crying had tired him out.

- ^-^3

Breakfast with Mizoguchi this time was also quiet, but at least the spread had a bit more variety. The blond had fried up a few sausages and made omurice. And this time the toast was left dry, a tall stack nestled on a plate between a jar of orange marmalade and one of blackberry jam.

As the meal wound down and Kunimi happily painted a third slice of toast with the blackberry jam, Mizoguchi cleared his throat. "I've got a few more things to say, you know. Oh, don't pull a face at your elder," he griped when Kunimi scrunched up his nose.

Kunimi stuffed his mouth full of toast, the only indication he gave that he might hear him out.

"Look…" Mizoguchi pulled at the collar of his t-shirt and scratched the skin there. "I'm…not sure you've handled things well. Avoiding your feelings by searching out something in other men?"

At that, the university student made to get to his feet, but Mizoguchi shot a hand out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back down to the table.

"Hold it! I'm not trying to scold you, Kunimi."

"Could've fooled me."

"I'm giving you advice, dammit! I just…" Mizoguchi sighed. "I just think you could do with some different scenery, is all. So…it's all right if you want to come here sometimes." He stared up at Kunimi, his thick brows raised and his brown eyes unflinching. His offer was genuine.

And Kunimi didn't know what to make of it, more so with the erratic way his pulse felt, so he snatched his wrist away before Mizoguchi could take note. Then he left, hightailing it out of there before Mizoguchi could be even more uncharacteristically kind.

- ^-^3

…all that considered, Kunimi knew he'd see Mizoguchi again, at some point, on purpose. The reason why stared at him from a paper bag he had hanging on his door handle, and it stared at him every day.

He'd washed and folded the borrowed clothes, because his parents hadn't raised him without manners…he just didn't like to practice his manners very much. And he was going to return the clothes. Eventually. Someday. He just dragged his feet as he tried to choose when to drop in on the assistant coach.

Figuring out when became a major preoccupation, though, and it kept Kunimi from doing much besides attending classes and carrying on with his coursework. At this point, even the weekend wasn't a fun option. Clearly, Fate was fucking with him by continuing to have Mizoguchi disrupt his plans, and he really didn't want to meet Mizoguchi unless it was of his own accord. Certainly after all the things Mizoguchi had said.

In spite of his muddled feelings…Kunimi thought he understood Mizoguchi's point. Maybe he needed to spend more time with other people, people who weren't Kindaichi. So, the next time Kindaichi tried inviting him to do something, Kunimi turned him down.

Kindaichi was accustomed to Kunimi turning him down on occasion, but Kunimi knew he'd have to pick and choose, otherwise his best friend might think something were truly wrong. So Kunimi would still come to watch club activities every now and then, and he was fine with studying alongside Kindaichi in the library. But he turned down dinner invites and some shopping excursions and nearly every instance that would have Tomizawa tagging along.

It didn't help that, for three days in a row, Kindaichi and Tomizawa bugged Kunimi about eating with them, be it at lunch or for dinner. And it wasn't until Kunimi was on the train, heading to Mizoguchi's place to return the clothes the next Saturday, that Kunimi finally felt he could breathe.

Or, at least, until Mizoguchi opened the door and the two of them stood there awkwardly without Kunimi being invited inside.

Kunimi broke the silence with a glare he couldn't hold for long, instead opting to stare pointedly at Mizoguchi's left shoulder; he hated that Mizoguchi was barely taller than him and therefore looked into his eyes too easily. "You said I was welcome," he grumbled.

That did the trick. Mizoguchi snapped out of his disbelief and moved aside for Kunimi to enter. "I did, I did… I guess I wasn't expecting you to take me up on the offer." He ran his hand nervously along his neck and through his hair after he shut the door behind him. "Did…something else happen?"

"Does something have to happen for me to come here?" Kunimi retorted.

"Right, my bad. Not technically my business…" He raised his eyebrows anyway.

Kunimi looked away and shoved the paper bag at him. "Nothing happened. And thanks for the clothes last time."

Mizoguchi peered inside the bag while Kunimi toed off his sneakers. "You returned them?"

"That's the social etiquette…"

Annoyingly, he laughed. "Usually, the social etiquette is to bring a treat when you visit someone, but I'll happily accept this since you even know of social etiquette, Kunimi." He was on the verge of smiling when he walked past Kunimi, glimpsing the frustration on the younger man's face. "You don't have to scowl, and you don't have to stay here if you hate me that much."

Kunimi willed his facial muscles to relax. He hadn't really thought about it before, but… "You're irritating as hell. But—" He stopped short. Suddenly, the idea of admitting out loud that he didn't hate Mizoguchi seemed embarrassing.

"But what?"

"Never mind," Kunimi grumbled. He claimed that spot on the floor in front of the couch again, grabbing the cushion off the couch to place behind him as he leaned back and got comfy.

"I feel as if I've taken in a grumpy stray cat…," Mizoguchi mumbled none-too-subtly before he disappeared into his room to put away his clothing.

Kunimi disregarded the quip. Not that he was all that partial to animals to begin with, but cats weren't so bad, so he didn't hate the comparison.

"You do realize I have no clue how to entertain you," the coach said upon returning. He sat down at the table and on Kunimi's left, giving him full view of the television in the corner. The TV was muted again, the news running without notice, and Kunimi realized why when he finally took in the sweep of notes Mizoguchi had spread out on the table.

"You can keep working," Kunimi pointed out.

"Nah…" Mizoguchi began sweeping his papers and notebooks together. "We had club practice earlier, but, even with the Spring High prelims looming, I shouldn't spend the entire weekend working. And the day's over. I haven't even thought about dinner yet."

A glance at that clock beside the TV told Kunimi it was only a little after five-thirty. It hadn't been his plan to bum a meal off the assistant coach yet again, but if he really lucked out…

Mizoguchi snapped his fingers in front of Kunimi's face, grabbing his attention. "You were lucky I was home, though."

"It was a half-day."

"Still! Give me a head's up before you come over."

"I don't like talking to people on the phone…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Mizoguchi scratched his head, sending some of his blond hair sticking up in odd directions. He unceremoniously plucked Kunimi's phone from the younger man's hands and exited the mobile game in favor of the address book. "Shoot me a text or email to make sure I'm home." He started to pass the phone back, but he held it out of reach for a few more seconds as he added with narrowed eyes, "Don't spam me or give my info out willy-nilly either, got it?"

Kunimi glared at him and snatched his phone back. Neither idea had occurred to him, so he resented the remark. Mizoguchi truly was infuriating…!

Mizoguchi got to his feet and offered Kunimi a hand up. "Come on, then."

"Huh? I just got here!"

"I know." Mizoguchi shook his hand until Kunimi made a show of ignoring it and stood by himself, but the coach didn't take offense. "And I was in my fridge today, so I know I don't have much by way of ingredients. If I have to feed you, too, I'd rather we go shopping so there's something you like tonight instead of you just eating my leftovers."

Kunimi flinched. He had to wonder if he'd lost his marbles, coming back to Mizoguchi's despite the oddly nice way the coach was treating him. …ah, no, wait. It did make sense, he thought darkly as he schlepped into the hallway ahead of Mizoguchi. Perhaps Mizoguchi had seen him as a problem child in high school, but now he likely viewed Kunimi as a pitiable person in adulthood. Who wouldn't, catching Kunimi in those awkward situations twice before?

"No dawdling in the hallways, Kunimi," Mizoguchi scolded, but his tone was lighthearted, and he ushered Kunimi along with a gentle hand on his back.

Whether pitied or something else…maybe it wouldn't be so bad, returning to this gruff voice from time to time, as long as it was accompanied by that gentle hand.

- ^-^3

The more often he visited Mizoguchi, the easier it was to adapt to those times when Mizoguchi showed Kunimi his softer side. Kunimi was almost…comfy hanging at Mizoguchi's. Ha. What a concept.

The lure of dinner brought him over most often, and Mizoguchi griped that it was Kunimi bumming food off him. In reality, Kunimi felt dinner was the best excuse to drop by even during the week. He didn't have to stay long—and couldn't, considering Mizoguchi woke up extremely early every morning since he had to drive to Seijou—but it gave him decent time away from both Kindaichi and school life.

Other times, usually on the weekends, Kunimi would bring along his backpack with either laptop or tablet and simply get some work done in Mizoguchi's living room. That first evening over, Kunimi knew he'd always have to entertain himself, so bringing along schoolwork wasn't a bad idea. Although—

"Eh? You have a tablet, too?" Mizoguchi asked one Sunday afternoon in the middle of July. He leaned over to get a good look while Kunimi scrolled through his email.

"I do, because sometimes it's a hassle to haul out my laptop." He raised a curious eyebrow.

Mizoguchi laughed at himself and gestured to his laptop on the coffee table. "I've had this laptop since Oikawa was captain of your team. Oh, speak of the devil," he said. He pointed to a new email in Kunimi's inbox.

The email had no subject, but it was from Oikawa, with attachments. He didn't mind opening it in front of Mizoguchi, who lingered on his left side, and the message read "Pics as promised!" So Kunimi opened the photos and scrolled through them. They were all from the reunion several weeks back, and half of them were out of focus.

"Damn Oikawa," Mizoguchi grumbled. He shook his head at Kunimi as they looked through the rest. "I can't believe he thought it'd be fine to break into the gym and have a team reunion. And you all went along with it!"

Kunimi shrugged. "Oikawa-san sent out invites entailing everyone be there. It would've been a bigger hassle not to show up."

"Wait—did you leave early? When I crashed the party, I didn't see you there…" He scoffed when Kunimi's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "You little… You and Kindaichi were in the car that nearly ran me over, weren't you?"

"Kindaichi would never run someone over," Kunimi corrected, but it was hard to keep his laughter from leaking into his tone.

"Kunimi…!" But the irritation left his tone, and he burst out laughing so hard he had to lean on Kunimi's shoulder.

And Kunimi knew why: He'd just clicked and arrived at the photo Oikawa had made Kindaichi take, since Oikawa had been busy forcing the corners of Kunimi's mouth up for a smile. Goddamit, Oikawa. Kunimi hurried to the next picture, a crappy shot with bad contrast of some of them gathered on the lawn outside the gym, although he could make out Hanamaki and Yahaba holding hands near the grill if he squinted.

Mizoguchi wiped a tear from his eye, and he bit his lip to temper his laughter as he sat up straight. "I think we're even now, regarding the reunion."

Kunimi rolled his eyes.

A time or two, he felt the need to change that up, because being "even" with Mizoguchi made Kunimi feel itchy, as if perhaps he wouldn't be welcome back if he didn't have something to make up for. That was why he managed to reason, even with a few beers in him, that Mizoguchi's place was the best option to sleep it off.

Mizoguchi was sorely annoyed when Kunimi stumbled up to his door one Saturday evening, and he had to catch his former student when he opened the door. "Kunimi…," he intoned.

He reached up to shush Mizoguchi, but he couldn't remember later if he'd only reached up or if he'd actually smacked Mizoguchi in the process. "Shh… I was out…with friends… Classmates," he clarified once he extricated himself from Mizoguchi's arms and tripped on over to the couch.

"Kunimi, you're shit-faced. If you puke on my couch, I swear…!"

Which only made him giggle in his drunkenness. "Mizoguchi-san swears a lot~!"

He didn't remember anything else from that night. In the morning, he woke to find his usual borrowed blanket draped over him and the couch's cushion moved under his head.

Two weeks later, the same thing happened, but Kunimi had had less to drink, so he could still stand on his feet when he arrived at Mizoguchi's. Despite having had less this time, he still held up a hand to keep Mizoguchi from commenting. "I've already got a headache, so please just let me sleep…"

Mizoguchi closed the door behind him quietly. "You're a bit more sober this time, eh?"

"Considering I barely remember the last drinking party, yeah, I had less tonight." He made his way to the couch, but this time he lowered himself carefully onto the furniture. …ugh. Bad idea. The white walls and gray floorboards swam all around him. He closed his eyes until his nausea abated.

"You reeked last time. Who the hell were you out with?" Mizoguchi's voice sounded so close, but Kunimi kept his eyes closed. Besides, the sinking sensation on his left informed him the coach had joined him on the couch.

"My classmates. Same ones as before."

"Guys from the volleyball club?"

At that, Kunimi forced his eyelids open a sliver so he could glare at Mizoguchi. "…no. Coders. Computer nerds. They could drink my old club mates under the table." Ah, shit. It took him another minute to realize what he'd given away.

"You were on your uni's volleyball team but left?" He didn't have to sound so goddamn surprised.

"Because I love volleyball, but Kindaichi's there all the time and now Tomizawa-san's there all the time, and that kind of ruined one of my last favorite things," he admitted heatedly. He exhaled slowly, too tired to be irritated with himself for sharing more of the truth with Mizoguchi.

Mizoguchi said nothing. He brushed back some hair that had fallen in Kunimi's face, and he cupped Kunimi's cheek while his eyes roved over Kunimi's appearance.

Kunimi's eyes widened, all too sober and aware of the softness of the pad of Mizoguchi's thumb along his cheekbone.

Then Mizoguchi pulled his hand away and stood, turning quickly so Kunimi couldn't see the kind of face he was making. "If you're up to it, you should shower this time. I'll go find pajamas for you. And use some mouthwash, too, while you're in there." The last bit he added as an afterthought before disappearing into his room.

At least that was closer to the Mizoguchi he knew. Kunimi focused on that as he slinked off to the bathroom and undressed. A Mizoguchi who was bossy and put-out by Kunimi leeching off him was better.

A Mizoguchi who looked at Kunimi with something indecipherable in his plain brown eyes…

Kunimi swatted the idea away, and he let cold water run over him from the showerhead that night, lest he wonder about any other reason to feel so jittery as a result.

- ^-^3

"Good grief, you're a sore loser, aren't you?"

"One more."

"That's what you said half an hour ago!" Mizoguchi shook his head at Kunimi and nudged the tablet back to him, picking up his paperback and putting his readers back on. "Let me read in peace, Kunimi! It's my precious summer break, too, you know."

He was right. August had just begun, so Seijou's VBC had club meetings a few times a week, limited to mainly the mornings. That meant Mizoguchi was home more and home sooner, and Kunimi had taken to dropping by when his afternoon classes got moved around or "cancelled"—meaning Kunimi skipped one here and there, blaming the heat as he sought the cooler refuge of Mizoguchi's apartment since the AC worked almost too well there.

Today they sat at the coffee table as usual, and Kunimi had coaxed him into playing a game together on his tablet. It…was easier, when they sat on the floor and had the large square of glass putting some distance, even if only a little, between them. Since that night when Kunimi had sadly not been nearly drunk enough to forget, both of them had kept off the couch unless Kunimi napped there or stayed over. And even then, Kunimi had made a point not to stay over, at least not the following weekend. He was still trying to forget the feel of Mizoguchi's hand on his cheek, and Mizoguchi appeared to have already done the same.

Having inadvertently reminded himself of the memory, Kunimi's face warmed, and he glared at the paperback in Mizoguchi's hands. "One more," he insisted, shoving the tablet between the blond and his book.

"Fine," Mizoguchi conceded, removing his reading glasses.

Delighted, Kunimi brought the space racing game up again and chose his player. After Mizoguchi chose his, each kept to one side of the tablet and tapped when instructed. This time, Kunimi grabbed a booster Mizoguchi missed, so finally he won. Tenth time was the charm.

Even though he'd lost, Mizoguchi had a hard time pursing his lips to hide his smile as he watched Kunimi stuff the tablet in his messenger bag. But he didn't turn away when Kunimi caught his expression.

"…what?"

Mizoguchi grinned and offered him the remote since the TV was off. "I'm just…entertained."

"Why?" He turned the remote away and let Mizoguchi have the news—muted as always—on in the background.

"Because it turns out you're a much more normal guy than I thought."

Kunimi aimed a pointed look at him. It had the desired effect of making Mizoguchi splutter.

"Oh, uh. What I mean is," he stumbled to clarify, "that…I don't mean about your preferences, by 'normal.'"

Hell. Mentioning Kunimi's "preferences"? He was digging his own grave, but Kunimi wanted to find a hole to jump into, too, right now.

"I just mean! You can cry. Relax. Maybe even be happy like everyone else," he added with a motion to where Kunimi had stored his tablet. He met Kunimi's eyes. "You're so much more than your gruff attitude, Kunimi." He smiled softly, too.

Kunimi was mildly aware of his stomach flipping around. But he hadn't eaten anything bad; he never did at Mizoguchi's.

Half a beat later, Mizoguchi blinked and apologized. "Oh, hell. Um. That still didn't come out very well… I don't think you're a bad person, Kunimi. You're a really good one. I— Um."

Kunimi glared at him while Mizoguchi continued to dither, but he wasn't angry with Mizoguchi. No, he had to hide his face, because, damn, he never thought he'd get…well, praise from Mizoguchi, if it could be called that….

- ^-^3

The only downside to them getting along so well was that Kunimi knew it was taking a toll on his sex life. Splitting time between university and Mizoguchi and friends (Kindaichi included or not) ate up most of Kunimi's time. But, especially after going there after the drinking parties, even Kunimi wouldn't go so far as to have a one-night stand and then show up at Mizoguchi's to sleep it off. Just the idea took Kunimi back to that night when he'd almost gone up to Honma's apartment, and he really didn't want a repeat of that.

Although… That made Kunimi curious about Mizoguchi. Surely he was interfering with Mizoguchi's life, too? The assistant coach hadn't mentioned any significant other, and there were no signs of anyone even though Kunimi had always thought the apartment big enough for two.

This occurred to Kunimi in the quiet of his own place in university housing. He closed his review materials for midterms and dropped them in a lazy pile on his bed while he stared up at the ceiling. The cream-colored ceiling stared back, so he sat up and took in his surroundings, all beige walls and worn tatami mats and secondhand appliances.

He kept the place moderately clean, but it suddenly seemed gross and claustrophobic. Kunimi found himself looking forward to the next time he went to Mizoguchi's after exams, and not just to snoop.

- ^-^3

"I thought I told you to contact me when you were coming over," Mizoguchi griped on a rare Friday night later in the month.

Kunimi slipped inside the apartment (ah, there were the comforting, sparkling white walls!) and shrugged, because he knew it wasn't that big a deal. The last two weeks would be solid vacation, giving Mizoguchi's current students time to rest and catch up on summer homework, so it weren't as though Mizoguchi had someplace to be in the morning.

"And I already made dinner," the blond continued as Kunimi sat expectantly at the coffee table and sniffed the plate Mizoguchi had made up for himself. "Lucky for you," Mizoguchi called from the kitchen, "I've developed the bad habit of making enough for two in addition to leftovers."

Something…bashful? in his tone caught Kunimi's attention, but Kunimi couldn't see Mizoguchi's face when he craned his neck to catch a glimpse. All he got was Mizoguchi's broad back draped in the usual solid-color t-shirt (tonight he'd chosen black).

Mizoguchi returned and placed a plate and chopsticks in front of Kunimi. "Don't bitch about any of it, just eat," he ordered before turning his attention to a mediocre comedy program on the TV.

Kunimi enjoyed the pork croquette and the sides, and he thought Mizoguchi's command amusing since the vegetable mix didn't contain any zucchini. Mizoguchi had been taking notes about Kunimi's likes and dislikes.

As was the norm, dinner was quiet, although they remained at the table for a while after, Mizoguchi enjoying his show and Kunimi trying to decipher what on Earth Mizoguchi found so hilarious about it. But after it ended, Mizoguchi got to his feet and began clearing things away. "You came when it was already beginning to be on the late side, Kunimi," he scolded.

He wasn't honestly going to start bitching about this now, months into this routine, and turn Kunimi away?

"I'm taking the first bath, so I'll get you a change of clothes after."

Oh. Kunimi nodded just to indicate he'd heard him. He watched Mizoguchi work in the kitchen and then disappear into the bathroom, leaving Kunimi on his own with nothing but the company of the TV and the nighttime news broadcast. What to do…?

Ah. Of course.

He felt dumb for forgetting, but eyeing the door to Mizoguchi's bedroom was a good reminder, and his curiosity piqued anyhow, because it was the one place in the apartment he hadn't seen yet. Kunimi shuffled towards the door but paused and took a step back to listen through the bathroom door.

Mizoguchi was humming. Seriously? Kunimi would almost bet money he sang in the shower when he didn't have company.

But it meant Mizoguchi was preoccupied, so Kunimi went into his bedroom and flicked on the light. The light didn't reveal anything shocking; much like the rest of the apartment, the walls in here were white, and the light gray flooring continued in here, although Mizoguchi had a rug under his bed.

The bed was nice and tidy, with crisp, dull blue sheets and bright white pillows. He had a nightstand on the nearer side of the bed, and a bureau stood on the other side, between the nightstand and the wall with a closet door. Odd, because Kunimi turned and thought he spied another closet in the wall at the foot of the bed, but Kunimi supposed all the extra space made sense. The closet near the foot of the bed held volleyball and exercise equipment, tucked away and treated nicely for repeated use. The other closet held clothing and an excess of books that wouldn't fit in the squat bookcase atop which his television sat in the living room.

That meant the nightstand was likely to be of most interest, and Kunimi decided it was after a few quick peeks into the bureau's drawers revealed nothing aside from more clothing and a few keepsakes from the childhood of someone else who'd also grown up without siblings.

He nearly sat on the bed's edge when he thought better and simply crouched in front of the nightstand. The top drawer was mostly thin paperbacks like the ones Kunimi had seen him reading this summer, but underneath them were a few out-of-date skin mags—so, the usual fare. The bottom drawer was about as exciting, mostly paperbacks, but this time Kunimi found, mixed in with other long-forgotten junk, a pack of expired condoms. He snorted. He actually would feel bad for laughing right now.

"Oi, Kunimi… What are you laughing for…?" Mizoguchi growled behind him, but there was no anger in his tone, just embarrassment, as he surged forward and slammed his nightstand drawer shut. Then he hauled Kunimi up by the back of his shirt. "It's rude to go through someone else's stuff! I didn't invite you in here."

Kunimi rolled his eyes. Not that he was sorry, nor would a half-hearted apology suffice, but he wondered how bad it'd be just to admit his curiosity. At least he knew now he wasn't responsible for poor ol' Mizoguchi's dry spell.

Although, with the way Mizoguchi furrowed his brow at Kunimi despite the odd twist of his lips, it made him want to tease the assistant coach more.

"I was just looking for another comfy shirt to borrow since I had to return that other one," he snickered. Come on, Mizoguchi. Time to let him have it.

Instead, Mizoguchi thoroughly reddened. "I told you I'd get you clothes after…!"

Ah, no. Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

Mizoguchi released Kunimi and turned him around, shoving Kunimi out of his bedroom, making sure to keep his red face out of view this time. "Goddamn you, making fun of me just for being a decent person…!"

A bubble of laughter welled up in Kunimi's chest, but he quelled it—easy to do when Mizoguchi slammed the door shut behind Kunimi. But then Mizoguchi opened it again and stuck only his hand out, waving a change of clothes for Kunimi to grab.

"Goodnight, Kunimi!" he yelped through the door, but he nearly stumbled over his words.

Kunimi stared at the door for a second, but then he stared at the clothes instead, should Mizoguchi emerge suddenly. Honestly…

Shit. Mizoguchi was not supposed to be that cute. Not at all.

- ^-^3

"Kunimi…!"

It took Kunimi a moment to realize Kindaichi had joined him at the table the former had snagged in the shade outside the technology building on campus. And it took him another second to realize Kindaichi had been calling out to him for a while.

"Man, you sure are out of it," Kindaichi observed while Kunimi saved his work on his laptop. "I don't think you heard me at all as I got closer."

"I was focused," Kunimi lied. Rather, it wasn't entirely a lie. He'd been focused, just not on his schoolwork. He'd been thinking about a disgruntled Mizoguchi for the umpteenth time that day. It'd been a few days since Kunimi had snooped around at the coach's place, and Kunimi hadn't dropped by since, but he'd probably go soon. It was one thing to give them both time to put the instance out of their minds. If Kunimi remained away for too long, that would only serve to make the next visit that much more awkward.

Although…if awkwardness led to any other cute sights, then it might not be so bad, prolonging his absence…

"You have me now, though. What's up?" he asked, getting back to his best friend. Kunimi did a double-take when he noticed Kindaichi staring. "What, Kindaichi?"

Kindaichi crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward; luckily, the table was wide enough so he couldn't quite invade Kunimi's personal space. He frowned. "You sure you're all right?"

Kunimi pushed all Mizoguchi-making-him-feel-funny-these-days remarks to the way back of his brain. "I am. Why do you ask?"

Half satisfied with the answer, Kindaichi dropped his eyes to the table and chewed his lower lip. He glanced up at Kunimi when he said, "I just…feel a little worried. You're not around as much, Kunimi. I keep seeing you less and less."

His frown was small enough to be a pout, and Kunimi internally scolded himself for being the one responsible for putting it there. Still… "We're always going to be friends, Kindaichi," he said.

The wing spiker perked up.

Kunimi had to steel himself for the next bit, however. "But…it's unrealistic to think we'll be…attached at the hip forever."

"Oh. Right. My bad!" Kindaichi laughed and waved his hand as if swatting away the heavy atmosphere between them. "I wasn't really assuming… It just feels as if you're around less, but maybe it's just me."

His chest hurt, hearing Kindaichi's words. And the words he'd just told him tasted bitter on Kunimi's tongue, but…

"Seriously, though, what have you been up to? I've barely seen you around campus outside of classes."

"I've been getting a lot of work done," Kunimi said with a gesture to his laptop. Which was the truth—he'd simply been doing a lot of his schoolwork and studying at Mizoguchi's place. At the thought, Kunimi licked his lips and hid a tiny smirk. "And I've been trying out new cuisine," he added. Also the truth, considering he never knew what Mizoguchi was going to cook unless the coach dragged Kunimi along to shop.

"All right…! But the collegiate Spring High prelims start this month," Kindaichi reminded him as they got up to head to class. "Promise you'll try to make at least a day or two while the team's there?"

"I'll try," Kunimi assured him as he fell into step with Kindaichi.

Kindaichi shook his head, but his smile meant he knew Kunimi would honestly put in some effort.

Kunimi hadn't been thinking much of the tournament schedule, and he didn't even think much of it now. He didn't even feel as bothered when Tomizawa joined them and, huffing at her boyfriend over something Kindaichi had done last week, sat on Kunimi's other side before class began.

The thing was, Kunimi's brain had stalled at the table outside with Kindaichi. Of course stating the truth, the reality of things, was hard, but…Kunimi felt a lot calmer than he imagined he would, pointing this out to Kindaichi, that they wouldn't be together forever. So, did that mean—no, it definitely did.

Kunimi had been able to say that because he was ready to accept the truth in those words.

And maybe he was finally moving on from this childhood love.

- ^-^3

-Are you sure? It's not that late—it's an appropriate dinner hour for once.

Kunimi reread Mizoguchi's text the following week, but he wasn't annoyed. Well, not with Mizoguchi. He was ticked at one of his professors for assigning a gigantic project so suddenly. It wasn't even a midterm project or a final project—it was an assessment to see where everyone's skills stood. Which meant it had to be done as soon as possible before the fall semester was in full swing.

This wasn't even the first text Mizoguchi had sent him but the third. The first had come the day after Kunimi's realization—I won a jumbo-sized box of caramels at the store—come eat them for me!—and Kunimi hadn't believed how simply Mizoguchi had sent that. Perhaps, as with that time Mizoguchi had touched his cheek, they were forgetting Mizoguchi's embarrassment after Kunimi had snooped? Regardless, Kunimi had turned him down, citing his project.

The second had come last Saturday, and Mizoguchi had thought they'd grab lunch since there were no VBC club activities that day, meaning Mizoguchi would have a true half-day, too. But Kunimi had turned that down, as well, because he literally had been swamped underneath all the reference texts he and his two project partners had checked out the day before. But Kunimi had also texted, after a moment's thought, that he wished he could've escaped to eat with Mizoguchi. And Mizoguchi got back with a brief understanding and encouragement for Kunimi to do his best.

But today's was…sweet, Kunimi decided, since Mizoguchi seemed more resistant to giving up. Kunimi had said no for tonight once already. Maybe Mizoguchi was feeling disappointed to be without the company to which he'd become accustomed…

Whether he was merely lonely or truly missed Kunimi, Kunimi didn't mind. But still—he texted back:

-im sure. the database project's almost done. we present tom.

He was relieved. He knew he'd be fine presenting (even though it did mean getting up in front of the whole class…ugh), and then he could focus on the proper thing to celebrate….

His phone buzzed with another message from Mizoguchi:

-Got it. Good luck tomorrow! I kind of want to see Kunimi having to speak publicly. But I'm sure you'll be fine since you handled being captain well.

Kunimi glared at his screen, but he was pleased. It hadn't been his desire to be Yahaba's vice-captain or to be captain after him, but the team hadn't crumbled with him leading it. It hadn't done anything outstanding, either, but he was happy that Mizoguchi recognized he'd done a decent job back then.

The messages and implied praise put some pep into his presentation the following morning, which helped make it feel like a breeze. The professor turned out to grade immediately, so every group had their grade by the end of class, and Kunimi's aced it. That, combined with his sense of accomplishment over burying his old feelings, made him feel giddy, and Kunimi had to pinch his leg to temper his nerves by the time he got around to calling Mizoguchi later in the day.

The line rang twice before Mizoguchi answered. "Kunimi?!" He didn't have to sound so surprised.

Although, given the noises in the background, maybe Kunimi had interrupted. "Club's still going on at this hour?" he groused as he trudged to his dorm.

"'Hello,' to you, too," Mizoguchi grumbled. The din of teenagers and volleyball equipment being put away lessened. "No, club just ended. I'm—this is the first time you've called. Did—" But he caught himself before he could finish worrying aloud that something had happened.

Kunimi rolled his eyes. "I felt like it," he admitted dryly, hoping Mizoguchi would write it off as sarcasm.

Mizoguchi snorted. "So? How did things go?"

"They went well. Aced it, easy-peasy. Sleepover at your place?"

This time, the assistant coach laughed. "You're kidding. Any other time, you come over and just end up falling asleep or staying so late that you have no way home. You're actually asking permission this time?"

Kunimi hated the heat rising in his cheeks now, but he decided he was merely acutely aware of his own body temperature with the cool way autumn was nudging summer out the door, so it was nothing of consequence to fuss over. "So you can prepare. You like to claim I'm an endless pit—you sure I won't eat you out of house and home this time?" he prodded. "So prepare. For a proper sleepover."

He laughed again. "Are you ten?" But his tone was softer as he continued, "…you really want to eat my cooking and stay up into the wee hours of the morning watching crappy movies and infomercials once there's nothing else on?"

The first response that popped into his head was "Doesn't sound so bad to me," but Kunimi ignored that thought. "We could have a spike-off at the gym tomorrow if it's free and we haven't drunk ourselves under the table." There. Teasing. Playful. Nothing to read between the lines there.

"You little…" Mizoguchi heaved a huge sigh. "I don't mind having a beer with you, you brat, but I'm not getting drunk, least of all with my former student."

"Sure, sure…" But Kunimi noted Mizoguchi hadn't turned him down.

"So, when am I expecting you? Tonight or tomorrow?"

He nearly tripped in front of the doors to the university housing. "…tomorrow," Kunimi conceded since it was still a school night for Mizoguchi.

"All right. See you then, Kunimi." And Mizoguchi hung up.

Kunimi shuffled into the lobby but took a second in a nearby chair before heading upstairs. He didn't pocket his phone immediately, his eyes lingering for a bit on the screen and the call log, proof that he had, indeed, called Mizoguchi of his own accord, and that that chat really had just occurred.

The situation did strike him as a tad absurd, but…he also couldn't deny he was kind of excited about this weekend's plans. It just didn't occur to him until he was upstairs in his room:

…damn. When had he last been this excited about anything?

- ^-^3

"You bitched a lot earlier, even through making supper," Kunimi poked Mizuguchi Saturday night. He faced the blond's way and raised his eyebrows as if to add, "But look at you now."

Mizoguchi spared him a glance as the credits rolled on the made-for-TV movie they'd just finished. "Yeah, yeah… It's been a pretty good night so far." He didn't try very hard to stifle his smile, although he sighed when he took another look at the state of the living room—or, as best he could in the light of the television since they had the lights off. "I can't believe you conned me into making this mess, though."

Calling it a "mess" was over-exaggerating. Kunimi had searched the living room closet for proper futons, not just blankets and pillows this time, and he'd hauled them out and roped Mizoguchi in to moving the coffee table out of the way. Then they'd spread the futons out in front of the television and eaten on the floor and now snacked on the floor as they searched the channels for another movie because Mizoguchi had a really piss-poor movie collection and a dubious-looking DVD player Kunimi wasn't certain would work.

"Ah, this one!" Mizoguchi exclaimed.

Kunimi dragged his eyes back to the TV. "This is what we're watching next? Some boring rom-com?"

Mizoguchi poked the wrinkle between Kunimi's furrowed brows. "It's not that bad. I remember when the lead actress debuted."

Kunimi snorted. "How many decades ago?"

"HEY! I'm not that old!" Although his protest was definitely futile when, several minutes into the movie, a background song prompted him to say, "Oh, man, I was in high school when that song came out!"

He didn't even try hiding his snickering then, even when they verged on true laughter when Mizoguchi gave him a playful shove in response.

Tasty food, mediocre television, lazing about—it turned out that they didn't need much to make the most of the night. Kunimi had filched a beer from Mizoguchi's fridge, but, truth be told, Kunimi had no desire to drink so much that he'd lose memory of tonight. Sure, it'd been a while since he'd last been so excited about plans, but it'd also been a while since he'd last felt so relaxed. He rested his chin atop his crossed arms on the floor, staring up at the screen until he had a crick in his neck but not moving since Mizoguchi was close by. Things were…cozy. Cozy and relaxed.

…well, they lasted that way until the movie was half over and Mizoguchi clearly had nodded off.

"Cozy" was no longer how Kunimi would categorize things, not when it became a little hard for him to breathe as Mizoguchi rolled onto his right side, facing Kunimi and partly tucking the younger man into him. Thankfully, he didn't snore.

Kunimi struggled to push Mizoguchi away, but the best he could do was to stretch a few fingers on his left hand out to grab the remote and turn off the television. The near full-on darkness blinded him for a moment until his eyes adjusted and the faint glow of other buildings outside the balcony traced contours of everything in the living room.

He sighed and settled more comfortably on his left side, facing Mizoguchi. With not much more than an inch between them, Kunimi couldn't see him too well since the balcony backlit the coach. But he didn't need light to picture Mizoguchi's sleeping face, to know his features were smoothed and unmarred by annoyance.

Of course Kunimi found it irritating, being unable to escape. He, himself, was a big guy and barely shorter than Mizoguchi. All Mizoguchi had over him was muscle—his body type was more beefy like Iwaizumi's than lithe like Kindaichi's. And yet…

Every time Kunimi leaned back, Mizoguchi leaned towards him. It was just as tempting to let his head stay put by Mizoguchi's chest as it was to extract himself from this strange position.

Just when Kunimi thought he might be able to nod off, too, Mizoguchi's arm came over him and rested half on Kunimi's arm, half on Kunimi's side.

Goddammit. There was no way Kunimi could sleep now. The air suddenly felt warmer, and he was aware of the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He was far too uncomfortable, and he realized he had a new problem when he squirmed under Mizoguchi's arm: He was hard.

Kunimi bit the inside of his lower lip to keep from cursing. If only he were at home, he could easily slip out and take care of this. Shit, if he were alone, it wouldn't be a big deal to handle it right now and just sleep! But with company…

He tilted his head up, checking Mizoguchi for signs of alertness. The blond didn't twitch or jerk. His breathing and pulse remained steady. His lips had parted so slightly, because Kunimi could hear his breath better.

"Mizoguchi-san?" he whispered.

No response.

"Mizoguchi-san," he said, pushing his volume to normal talking levels. He even tried poking Mizoguchi in the chest.

Still nothing.

Kunimi was relieved to learn Mizoguchi was such a sound sleeper. But then his relief was overwhelmed by a kind of lewd excitement when he realized maybe he could do as planned. He could take care of his business and tire himself out, and Mizoguchi would be none the wiser.

He bit his lower lip but reached his waistband successfully. Kunimi kept an eye on Mizoguchi's face as he slipped his hand inside and took hold of himself, but, honestly, it didn't help. The longer he stared at Mizoguchi's face, the more grateful he felt that Mizoguchi had caught him that evening all those months ago. The more he thought about it, the happier he was and the harder he became.

But there was one drawback, and that was being so pent up from having done nothing in so long. Simple strokes, no matter how timid or how fervent, weren't enough, and neither was keeping his attention in front.

He placed his erection in his other hand and tested moving his other arm, the one trapped by Mizoguchi. When still Mizoguchi didn't stir, Kunimi decided he was safe to reach behind himself and slip a finger or two down his backside. That nearly did the trick. He was far closer this time, and Kunimi didn't bother muffling the sound he made, something less than a squeak and more than a moan.

That noise finally roused Mizoguchi. "Kuni—mi…," he mumbled, stunned.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Kunimi knew his embarrassment flared to life, but he was more than a little preoccupied at the moment. "Just—stay put," he barked at Mizoguchi.

The older man cleared his throat and tried pulling his arm away…but he stopped when Kunimi sulked and hid his face by Mizoguchi's shoulder under his head. Mizoguchi exhaled softly and rested his hand on Kunimi's waist, but in actuality he very slowly slid it down until it rested more comfortably on Kunimi's bare hip.

Kunimi mused for a millisecond if it were an invitation, and he couldn't wipe the notion from his mind that Mizoguchi looked curious when Kunimi took that hand in his. "Take over?" he asked. Gods, his voice sounded so raspy, too ragged.

Mizoguchi made something akin to an "Mm-hmm" noise—or maybe Kunimi imagined it in his delirium—but he didn't need much direction from Kunimi as he moved his hand and swapped places with Kunimi.

His fingers were thicker but felt good, and a second of discomfort vanished as easily as it had arrived when Mizoguchi pressed a second finger inside Kunimi. It was enough to make Kunimi cum with a small yelp muffled by the fabric of Mizoguchi's shirt.

Finally. Finally, he felt tired and relieved and happy. He didn't mind the mess inside his pants much because his head was pillowed by Mizoguchi's arm, and Mizoguchi was leaving him be to rest. Kunimi dozed, wondering if it'd also been his imagination, feeling Mizoguchi's breath at his temple, the prelude to an odd but sweet goodnight kiss….

- ^-^3

Sometime in the early morning, Kunimi woke. It'd only be for a little bit, and he assumed it was around two-thirty or three, because this happened on occasion and always around the same time. It never was an issue, because he always managed to get back to sleep, and he'd just nap later in the day if he felt sleepy, even if it meant falling asleep in class.

But he wouldn't fall asleep in class. He didn't have class later today. It was the weekend, and he was at Mizoguchi's apartment.

And Mizoguchi's spot in front of him was empty and barely lukewarm.

Considering the time of night, more light poured in from the balcony, making it easier to survey the living room. It was in the same state of chaos they'd left it in, sans Mizoguchi, so Kunimi looked over his shoulder to check behind him.

The kitchen was empty; only the green light from the microwave's clock display greeted him. And the door to Mizoguchi's bedroom was closed, but it seemed undisturbed to Kunimi. Only then did he notice the light on under the bathroom door. If he strained his ears, he thought he heard the faucet running, too.

Ha. Of course, Kunimi realized as he turned back and pulled a thin blanket over his shoulders. Why should he be surprised? He had a sinking feeling Mizoguchi was busy washing the filth off his hands, but it'd been Kunimi's experience that most straight guys did once they sobered up and realized they'd made a mistake.

The happy rush that had washed over him earlier was gone without a trace now. Kunimi grimaced and clutched the blanket in his hands, fighting tears off as he begged to nod off once more that night.

- ^-^3

Morning proper didn't help.

Though he couldn't be certain since he woke up second, Kunimi believed Mizoguchi hadn't returned to the spare futon in the living room during the night. Whether he slept in his bedroom or managed to sleep at all, it hadn't been beside Kunimi.

"Uh, um…eggs, right?" Mizoguchi asked from the kitchen after he had some fish sizzling in one skillet.

Kunimi didn't bother pulling his attention from the morning news. "Ngh," he grunted.

"E-eggs, sure thing…"

It wasn't just his voice that gave him away. Even when Kunimi passed him to use the bathroom fifteen minutes ago, Mizoguchi had avoided eye contact and taken half a step back as if to ensure they wouldn't bump into each other. Goddamn him…

Mizoguchi reheated some rice and then brought everything over in two trips after the main dishes were done.

Kunimi looked at the food on the table. "You forgot the soy sauce," he pointed out.

"Oh! R-right!" The older man dashed back to the kitchen but returned to the table and sat down so hard he winced. But he said nothing and only flinched when their hands brushed as he passed the condiment to Kunimi.

"Stop being so fucking jumpy around me," Kunimi snarled.

Ah. Finally Mizoguchi met his eyes. He frowned. "…sorry.''

"Whatever…" Despite the nonchalant word, Kunimi could only eat in silence for so long this time. He tore his gaze from the TV and faced Mizoguchi again. "Just so you know, I'm not going to apologize."

Mizoguchi furrowed his brow and lowered his chopsticks.

"I'm not going to apologize," he repeated, "because I didn't make you do anything." But that was the easy thing to say. Kunimi chewed on the inside of his cheek before he decided to plow ahead and get the rest off his chest. "I thought you were…different."

Mizoguchi placed his food on the table and stared at it. "Kunimi—"

"No," Kunimi said, holding up a hand to stop him. "Shut up for a minute, okay?" He took a breath, but, shaky as it was, it didn't help him get the next part out. "…I hadn't realized before that I might be attracted to you, but… I didn't think it would be bad, falling for you." He scoffed and mustered a brief, half-smile. "After all, I broke some pretty bad habits because of you."

Mizoguchi's right knee twitched, as if he were preparing to leave and not hear anymore. But he had to, so if Kunimi's eyes on anything but him helped, then so be it. Kunimi pushed the rice around in his bowl as he continued.

"Still…this reaction? This—rejection?" He licked his lips and swallowed a lump in his throat.

Time for the finishing blow.

"It's just the way I know Kindaichi would react if I'd ever told him about the feelings I had. Too polite to tell me he's grossed out."

He sensed more than saw Mizoguchi lower his gaze to his lap like a rebuked child. And, at that, Kunimi felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Maybe he'd gone too far. Maybe it'd be better if he clarified that he hadn't been thinking about Kindaichi when he got hard.

But Kunimi wondered if Mizoguchi read that on his face anyway the one time he looked at Kunimi as Kunimi stood to leave.

Either way, he couldn't confirm it. Not now.

He shook his head and stuffed his few loose belongings into his messenger bag. "It's not a big deal," he lied with a sigh. "So just forget about it."

But he wasn't lying only to Mizoguchi. And those words weren't meant only for Mizoguchi's sake.

- ^-^3

A few days became a week, and then one week became two, but none of it passed easily. Kunimi had his classes, yes, but the lecturer's words often failed to penetrate, and reading anything on his computer screen or in a book in front of him was pointless because the words began to swim at some point.

He disliked this, being hung up on stupid, stupid Mizoguchi. But he also couldn't help checking their text history where it last left off (empty fluff about confirming that damn sleepover weekend and what food Kunimi wanted to eat and what time Mizoguchi would see him by).

Checking didn't ease the dull ache in his chest. There were never new messages from Mizoguchi, and Kunimi couldn't bring himself to send anything, though his thumbs often hovered over the keyboard, just in case he ever found the right words to say.

In class, whatever tiny tiff Kindaichi and Tomizawa had had seemed remedied, though Tomizawa still sat on Kunimi's other side. Kunimi didn't notice that until class ended and she packed her purse slowly, waiting to catch his eye.

"Kunimi-kun?"

He blinked since it took him a second to realize she'd spoken to him. "Sorry?"

Her dark eyes darted to his phone in his hands, which he hurriedly pocketed. If she had an inkling about what might be bothering him, she didn't let on. "It'll be too cold for ice-cream soon. Want to join me at that shop this afternoon? A friend told me they have caramel-dipped waffle cones, and—"

"That sounds good."

"Oh! Great." Her mouth made a small "o," but she quickly broke into a grin. "Give me a text when you're free, yeah?" she asked with a quick squeeze of his arm before she left. Frankly, had they been close, her body language suggested she might've hugged him right then.

Kunimi distractedly watched her wavy ponytail bounce behind her before he, too, packed up, but then he became aware of Kindaichi blocking his way out of the aisle. When Kunimi met his eyes, he was surprised to find the other man's lips set in a straight line and his arm crossed in front of his chest. "What?" Kunimi said, pushing his way past his best friend.

"Seriously? I've been dating Kana for years and she's been trying to get to know you for years, and you don't think I'd be stunned to see you finally take her up on an invite out?"

Kunimi adjusted his bag's strap on his shoulder, ignoring Kindaichi dogging his heels. "It's about time, right?"

Kindaichi huffed behind him but didn't retort.

When it became abundantly clear Kindaichi wasn't ready to leave him alone, however, Kunimi turned on his heel and glared at him. "You followed me out of class and outside and into the technology building next door. You don't have this next logistics class with me, Kindaichi. What?" he repeated. His sharp tone echoed in the emptying hallway as the other university students and faculty scurried into classrooms and offices.

Kindaichi frowned and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Something's up with you, Kunimi."

"Thanks for noticing," he grumbled with a roll of his eyes. Then he blinked. Ah, shit. He'd given himself away.

"I notice because I care, Kunimi," Kindaichi stated. He paused and looked up the hallway both ways before glancing in the windows of doors to nearby classrooms. Finding one empty, he motioned for Kunimi to follow him.

Kunimi only did because he knew about Kindaichi's tenacity. It didn't rival Kunimi's, but it was still a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes. But even though he followed him inside, Kunimi didn't take a seat or get comfortable.

"Want to share what's up? It's clear something's bugging you."

His grip on his bag's strap tightened, but he willed himself to loosen up and take a breath. "It's nothing much," he mumbled after a minute. He closed his eyes briefly. "You wouldn't understand anyway."

Kindaichi hummed. The ticking of the analog clock on the wall, above the whiteboard off to the side, filled the silence. Eventually, Kindaichi asked, "Girlfriend troubles?"

Kunimi almost laughed. "No."

More silence. Kindaichi ground the ball of his shoe into the carpet. "…boyfriend troubles?"

Kunimi tensed. Kindaichi—Kindaichi didn't know, did he? Kunimi's mouth dried out the longer he studied Kindaichi's demeanor. He didn't even flinch when Kindaichi met his frightened gaze.

"Hase from club thought he'd seen you on dates a few times, out and about, and he mentioned it to me a while back." Kindaichi sighed, looking apologetic with how he ducked his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. But!" He picked his head up, his brow knit. "I'm not ashamed of you or anything, Kunimi." He smiled, and Kunimi wondered how long it'd been since he'd gotten to witness a proper, kind Kindaichi Yuutarou smile. "I just want you to be happy, too, you know? And you look the furthest thing from it right now."

His anger—which, he decided, was closer to irritation than real ire—deflated, but Kunimi still didn't want to cry, not right now. He didn't want to make Kindaichi too worried, although he appreciated their friendship and how Kindaichi risked wrapping an arm around his best friend to give him a too-tight hug. Kunimi…was rather touched by their friendship. And, really, that was all it was. Niceness, kindness came in so many different shapes and sizes, but it was up to him to choose how he wanted to label it. From Kindaichi, he honestly wanted only this friendship.

But when it came to Mizoguchi, he knew he wanted something more.

- ^-^3

Moping didn't suit him. Mostly Kunimi just didn't like the idea of moping, but he took some strength from having fixed that stiltedness between him and Kindaichi (more so from the relief that Kindaichi knew now the secrets that mattered) and pulled himself out of his ridiculous funk. After all, no one ever accomplished anything by grumping from class to class and avoiding their problems.

That didn't mean Kunimi could go to Mizoguchi's and smooth things over. Good gods, trying to smooth out this shit wasn't going to happen. Talking about things directly the morning after had proven disastrous; Kunimi wasn't going to attempt that again.

So…a ploy, it was.

He nearly couldn't wait to put his plan into action, but Kunimi waited out Saturday night first. Too many bad things had occurred on Saturday nights, and he didn't want to face another awkward Sunday morning either.

By the time Sunday evening came, he'd read his thousand-page coding book until the end, his apartment sparkled almost as nicely as Mizoguchi's, and he'd already eaten a balanced dinner of leftover pizza from lunch and the rest of the bag of hard candies he'd gotten at the ice-cream shop with Tomizawa. Hanging out with her wasn't bad, it turned out. She had a sweet tooth that scared even him, but, like Kindaichi, she was willing to treat him all the time, so clearly she wasn't evil.

Once nighttime fell outside like a warm blanket, Kunimi headed out. He rode the train for a few stops and disembarked once he was in the vicinity of his usual hunting grounds. A tide of nostalgia lapped at the forefront of his mind, but he skipped the bars and clubs he'd visited before and instead located a pleasant-looking bar restaurant with window seating. He went inside and asked for a window seat, choosing the empty spot that'd give him the best vantage point. This way, he could see everything outside. Little was going to get by him.

Kunimi ordered a virgin cocktail and pulled out his phone while he waited. By the time the waiter had brought his drink, he was done with his draft, and he texted Mizoguchi:

-ah im out drinking tonight, might need a place to stay

A good start, he figured. He sipped his drink, which tasted even more delicious since he still had the aftertaste of the candy lingering on his tongue.

To pass the time, Kunimi brought up a match-three puzzle game and worked on clearing stages. Once he'd sped through about fifty, he switched to a different mobile game until he checked his clock and decided letting an hour and a half pass was good. So he sent this next:

-nvmd got a date

A part of Kunimi wondered if Mizoguchi even had his notifications for Kunimi still switched on. Did he even have his phone nearby? Or maybe he was leaving it alone, in another room or on the coffee table or in his pocket, ignored.

Kunimi frowned. He needed to have some hope in his plan. He ordered a third drink to chase away his dour thoughts, and he sent one final text after he finished it:

-yep im good tonight, heading over to his place, see you another time

He bit his lip to keep from smiling. He wondered what face Mizoguchi would make if the blond really did as Kunimi predicted and ran all over the neighborhood, looking for Kunimi.

Yet…as the night went on without excitement, Kunimi mused about his best laid plans. Perhaps he'd put too much faith in Mizoguchi giving a damn about—well, at the very least about his former student. But he was both surprised and disappointed that Mizoguchi didn't get back to him. Ultimately, Kunimi paid for his drinks and left for home. He'd have to figure out a plan for another night.

Outside, Kunimi was glad he'd donned a thick sweater considering the slight chill in the air, but he was wishing he'd worn a sweatshirt with a decent collar instead when his phone rang, startling him.

No…it couldn't be. It had to be Kindaichi, right? Mizoguchi had never called him—

But it was Mizoguchi. "Kunimi!" he grumped once the line connected.

Kunimi bit his bottom lip.

"Kunimi!" Mizoguchi barked. He sounded out of breath.

But Kunimi was reluctant to answer. Mizoguchi had ignored his texts—why should Kunimi reply to him?

"KUNIMI!" This time, Mizoguchi sounded not far out of arm's reach.

Kunimi turned around in time to watch Mizoguchi stalk towards him. He pocketed his phone, but Mizoguchi had a tight grip on his own, almost as though he might break it.

"Goddamn…," Mizoguchi cursed once he stood in front of the younger man. He looked Kunimi up and down, shaking his head. "I've been running around, searching for you for the past hour. I started calling in the hopes I would hear it ring in case you wouldn't or couldn't answer." He glared and grimaced at Kunimi, but, honestly, his expression was halfway between angry and pained.

Kunimi stood there, dumbfounded. He couldn't believe his plan had worked so well, let alone worked at all.

Mizoguchi raised his free hand, though—

Holy crap, Mizoguchi had always been rough with him during club practice, but was he really going to slap Kunimi for these antics?!

—and tugged Kunimi to him, wrapping that arm around Kunimi protectively while he put his phone away. Then he enveloped Kunimi in a genuine hug, and the tension ebbed from him in large waves.

Kunimi felt small in Mizoguchi's arms this way…but it wasn't so bad, he supposed. He reached up and clutched Mizoguchi back. A part of him was amused, too, when he realized Mizoguchi had run out of his apartment in his coach's sweatshirt.

"Gods, I was so worried," Mizoguchi murmured by Kunimi's ear, but it sounded more like him thinking aloud. He pushed Kunimi away for a moment, his grip still tight on Kunimi's upper arms as he took another good look at him. But it was clear in his eyes: He was relieved to find Kunimi okay and alone.

It was humbling, and Kunimi didn't object when Mizoguchi took hold of his hand and brought Kunimi back to his place. The walk was short, too short for Kunimi to organize his thoughts. Before he knew it, Mizoguchi had ushered him inside the apartment and gotten him to take that spot on the floor in front of the couch.

Mizoguchi sat adjacent, on his left, with his arms crossed and his chest puffed out. He was preparing for a lecture. "…were you really going out tonight?" he asked, deflating. His voice was softer than it'd been ten minutes ago.

"No," Kunimi admitted.

A brilliant grin graced Mizoguchi's features for several beats, but he calmed again and quirked an eyebrow at his guest. "Nice to know I'm not that slow on the uptake." His grin faded completely. "Though I don't appreciate being tricked into meeting with you."

Kunimi puffed out his cheeks and glared at him. "Well, would you really have been up to meeting me or having me over after last time?" He felt the heat rise in his cheeks, but Mizoguchi was glaringly red-faced, too, so it was a small comfort to know they were in the same boat.

Some color faded from Mizoguchi's complexion after a few breaths. "I wish you would've talked to me, Kunimi." His frown was close to a pout, and it worked on Kunimi, who had to look away.

"Oh, really? What were you going to say? That you were fine with it?" Kunimi stared at the reflection of the ceiling light in the coffee table's glass. "Because I know you didn't stay put. That wasn't a quick trip to the bathroom that night, either. You were there for a while, hiding out. I stayed up for maybe twenty minutes before I slept again, and you were gone that whole time and even before then."

"I—"

Something in Mizoguchi's voice caught, so Kunimi redirected his glare at the older man. "What?" Kunimi huffed.

Mizoguchi cleared his throat. "I…am surprised you didn't hear me…" The color began to flood his cheeks again.

Kunimi sighed and lowered his eyelids, unimpressed. "I didn't. You slipped out of the living room without waking me."

"No, I— You didn't hear me in the bathroom?"

Now Kunimi furrowed his brow. What the hell? "No…I don't have such hobbies… Why?"

To his credit, Mizoguchi didn't look away, although he was beet red now. He mussed his hair but kept the rest of his fidgeting to a minimum. "Because I was in there for a while, trying to take care of my own business after what we'd done," he confessed.

Kunimi studied the blond's face, but nothing indicated this was a lie or a joke. Mizoguchi really meant it, and Kunimi thought he'd catch secondhand embarrassment, hearing this. "…you take a while…"

"I kept getting hard when I thought about it too much! Plus—" He screeched to a halt, swallowing his words and effectively stifling the sentence.

But Kunimi was too interested now. He raised his eyebrows. "Plus what?"

Mizoguchi faced the couch and avoided Kunimi's eyes. "Plus I kept thinking back on you asking for another shirt of mine to wear and what it looked like that first time you were in my clothes. So…"

Kunimi scooted away from the couch and inched closer to Mizoguchi, thrilled and tamping down a smile…or smirk, if it were misread. "So?" he prompted, back in Mizoguchi's line of sight.

Mizoguchi leaned forward and kissed him. It was a relatively mild kiss, even as he pushed Kunimi down. He paused and hovered over him, his gaze determined, unwavering. "So I want a lot of things. I want you to know I was more than fine with getting you off that night. I want you to stop seeing all those men. I…" He took a breath. "…want to point out that I'm nothing like Kindaichi. I won't coddle you. I won't be jumpy about anything. I know I'll still yell at you sometimes, and I'd expect nothing less from you because I know I get a rise out of you." He managed the last part with a grin, proud of his double entendre.

But Kunimi loved that stupid grin, so he wasn't going to call him on it. Instead, he informed Mizoguchi, "I haven't seen anyone since we first crossed paths again."

Mizoguchi snorted. "Except for my neighbor."

"Okay, so no one since that night."

"Really?"

"Really. I don't even remember his name." The truth—Kunimi thought it might begin with "h," but he didn't want to think about it, especially not with Mizoguchi above him.

Even if the same occurred to him, Mizoguchi didn't care, and he kissed Kunimi again, more intensely, nearly senseless this time. But he was so into it that he yowled when Kunimi stopped him by shoving his head away. "Kunimi…! What?!"

"You're forgetting to say one more thing."

"One thing?"

Kunimi narrowed his eyes at him. "On your list of things."

Mizoguchi blinked. But he broke into that dumb grin again as he caught on. "I want you," he added, and Kunimi heartily accepted that response by snaking his arms around his big lug's neck.

- ^-^3

"You're never going to tell me who it is, are you?"

"I thought you didn't pry, Kindaichi," Kunimi admonished over the phone as the bus slowed down. "And I have some place to be, so I'm hanging up."

"It's not me, you know," Kindaichi tried. "It's Kana. She wants to meet your significant other."

His heart skipped a beat, connecting such a phrase with Mizoguchi, but then he rolled his eyes and snorted. "Have you told her she won't have another girl to bond with if I ever get drunk enough to be conned into a double-date?" he groused after getting off the bus.

Kindaichi squeaked and hid it with a cough. "Ah, right… Do you…want me to tell her?"

Kunimi paused. "If you trust her, then you have my permission to tell her."

"Whoa…! Seriously?!"

"I'm hanging up, Kindaichi."

"But, Kunimi—"

Kunimi groaned and pocketed his phone. He looked at the sign for the bus stop, feeling nostalgic and knowing he would have to get used to it again, especially when he wanted to surprise Mizoguchi like this. He just wished it were warmer weather for the like.

Up the street, Aoba Johsai High School was doused, not dusted, in snow, but that wasn't surprising for the middle of December. The snow was melted in places and frozen in others and so didn't crunch underfoot as Kunimi entered the campus and headed for the volleyball gym.

The doors weren't hanging open when he poked his head inside and took a peek. The current roster wasn't too shabby, he noted with a quick glance to the players on the court, but he was more interested in someone on the sidelines.

He didn't have to wait long for Mizoguchi to realize he'd come by. Mizoguchi spotted him and almost dropped his clipboard. He had to cover his floundering actions with Irihata-sensei just so the elder coach wouldn't catch Kunimi, and Mizoguchi dashed over to the door, joining Kunimi outside.

"You know, I plan on visiting my boyfriend often, even during work hours," Kunimi teased with a flat affect. But he couldn't keep the amusement from his tone for long, and he laughed at the disgruntled expression Mizoguchi wore.

"Yes, but!" Mizoguchi put his hands on his hips. "Can you give me a head's up?! Sensei doesn't know—"

"—that you're doing a former student who's nearly half your age?" He clicked his tongue at him.

"Kunimi…"

But Kunimi snickered and pecked his lips. "It's not that big a deal. That was ages ago, Mizoguchi-san."

Mizoguchi's shoulders sank even as he pulled Kunimi to him to steal some of his body heat through Kunimi's thick winter jacket. "Barely four years ago…!"

Kunimi snickered again, but, frankly, he was content. He pulled away and patted Mizoguchi's cheek. "Well, I just wanted to drop by. See you at home~" He was only half teasing; he'd taken a train and a bus to get here since he didn't drive himself.

But Mizoguchi took the bait and caught Kunimi's arm as the latter turned to go. "Actually…"

Kunimi cocked his head to one side.

The assistant coach fished something out of his pocket—and plopped a key into Kunimi's hand. "…practice is half over, so if you don't mind waiting, Akira, I thought we'd go home together?"

Was he going to combust? He felt as if he were combusting. It'd been three months, so how long had he had this spare key and—wait, had he just used Kunimi's first name? Kunimi gaped and glared at him, red-faced and feeling as if his surprise visit today paled in comparison.

Mizoguchi smiled and took Kunimi by the chin to kiss him, effectively ending his younger boyfriend's fish impression. Then he tugged Kunimi towards the gym doors to wait inside. "Or maybe you could give the current team a workout?"

That helped Kunimi's brain reboot and work again. "…if you really wanted me to, then you wouldn't have surprised me with this gift…Sadayuki-san…" Somehow he managed it, but not without another glare.

Mizoguchi could only laugh and usher him ahead in response.

- ^-^3

:D This is one of my cutest endings so far! In any fic! Maybe a bit clichéd, but I actually wanted this story to read like a manga or doujin, and I think it does? Kunimi's problems here are many, but mainly they morph over time, and he pretty much solves all of them. I love Kinkuni same as I love Mizokuni, and I hadn't before explored Mizokuni where Kunimi's hot off the heels of one-sided feelings for his shallot! So that was fun. Plus continuing in this reunion AU is always fun; I feel as if I'm gonna revisit it from time to time until I cover all the boys (from Kunimi all the way to Yuda). But no promises, bc even this story took a long time to come out bc originally it was going to be much angstier and more Kinkuni-driven (not even Mizokuni D:). Alas, I'm delighted I got a Mizokuni idea instead, esp bc, the more I wrote her, the more I like Kindaichi's OC gf? And even Kunimi comes around to her! -w- I also wanted to have a number of scenes that left Kunimi thoroughly muddled, and taking it to extremes worked well (plus was fun :P), altho now I wanna draw Mizokuni smut instead of just writing it…! Dx Hmm, what else… I left Kunimi's major ambiguous, altho we know the smart little shit prolly could do smthg with computers if he felt like it. Since he's in his last year of uni here, I don't think he'll join back up with his club even tho the Kindaichi debacle's been settled, but I don't think it bothers Kunimi too much. If he were to get the itch to play, he'd prolly just haul Kindaichi or Mizoguchi to a gym and demand a workout. XD Also, in editing this, I realized the fic began with a ride in Kindaichi's car…and technically ends in a ride in Mizoguchi's car (since they gotta go home, *lol*). MAN. SOMDEF's song, "One Plus One," is so cute and rly helped spur the inspiration for the fic along! Give it a listen! :D

Thanks for reading, and please review! Check out my other [HQ!] fics, too, if you liked this! Seijou, Kunimi, age gaps—I've got it all! =w=

-mew-tsubaki c: