Hello, everyone!
Today I'm starting this story about two of my favourite ships in SiH: Trifecta (it will be the main couple) and Nostalgia. It's a secret agent AU, and there are a few changes, as for example:
- Kirishima and Yokozawa have the same age and they went to the same high school.
- Kirishima's wife wasn't ill but she's still dead.
- Hiyori will be 7 years old instead of 10.
If there are more changes, I will tell them so you won't get confused. Until then, here's the first part of the prologue! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, except for the plot and my OC's.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
A lot of years have passed, but he remembered his face as if he had seen it yesterday. All the time he had spent admiring him while he wasn't looking hadn't been in vain, after all. But still, it was quite a surprise to see him right there, wearing a light blue shirt and a pair of jeans instead of the uniform he used to wear years ago. Yes, he had grown up a few inches and he had a stronger jaw line, but his eyes still had the same gleam.
Eyes that, right now, were as shocked as the ones looking at them.
"… Yokozawa?"
Yokozawa Takafumi wasn't a very social person. He liked to talk only when he was talked to, and the only times he mingled with his classmates were when he was playing in the soccer team. But, during the lessons, his classmates were a bit (or too much, to his liking) noisy, so he usually couldn't focus and do much things. That was one of the reasons he didn't like to socialize with his classmates. And maybe that disturbance could be seen in his face (and the fact that he always had a stern look on his face didn't help to begin with), so he didn't have a lot of friends back then.
But that had never been a problem to him. He liked the quietness, and that would be his last year of high-school. Hopefully, his college life would be more peaceful.
But right now, he was in the middle of the term, so he still had to deal with a few things.
And one of them was Kirishima Zen.
That guy was one of the most popular boys at high-school, and also one of the noisiest persons from Yokozawa's point of view. Perhaps that's why they had never got along.
Until the Economics teacher put them together in order to do a project at the beginning of the school year.
They had the whole year to do the project, and your partner couldn't be changed, so they had no choice but to work together and try to get along if they didn't want to have a hard time. However, the more evenings they spent reunited looking for information at the library, the more Yokozawa decided that his partner wasn't that horrible after all.
Yes, he had the habit of making fun of his facial expressions (saying that he frightened anyone who was around him with his permanent scowl), and he also liked to mess with him from time to time due to the fact that he was very short-tempered, but he was a very hard worker, and Yokozawa admired that a lot.
And lately, that wasn't the only thing he found himself admiring.
It could be said that he had developed a crush on his classmate. A big, big one.
Not that he was going to admit it, anyway.
While they were progressing with the project, a friendship was developing too, and it had become very common to see them chatting during their breaks, sitting side by side on their shared lessons...
Nonetheless, Kirishima Zen wasn't the only person he started getting along with that year. There was also his girlfriend.
Yes, he was the third wheel in that trio.
"I think we should call it a day." Kirishima said with a yawn while he was stretching his arms. They had been looking for information for two hours and a half, and his eyes were tired from reading a lot of books that evening.
Yokozawa was writing down on a piece of paper the research they have done that day when his friend talked, and he didn't bother to look up to answer. "Okay, but let me finish this first."
Kirishima started gathering all the stuff they had collected and got up in order to leave it in its place. "Do you mind if I go first today? I am meeting Sakura at 7, and I can't be late. You know how she gets when she's angry."
'So they're having a date', Yokozawa thought. Of course. Why don't have some fun with a chick instead of fulfilling your duty as a student?
He shook his head in response. It wasn't like he didn't mind, but he couldn't complain about it. They were a couple, so it was understandable that they wanted to get together from time to time.
Kirishima didn't say anything else for a while, and Yokozawa was starting to frown (Kirishima wasn't a quiet guy after all) when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a pair of lips close to his left ear.
"Don't worry, Taka-kun, that doesn't mean I won't miss you."
Yokozawa turned his face with a surprising speed, and he could feel how his cheeks were turning completely red.
"Who says I want you to miss me?! And I've told you not to call me by that name!"
"But it really suits you, Taka-k-"
"Stop!"
"God, you are so cute." Kirishima laughed while ruffling his classmate's dark locks.
"I'm not..." Yokozawa mumbled, diverting his gaze to the floor and slapping Kirishima's hand away from his head.
He heard him chuckle again, and once he had packed everything in his bag he started to walk away. "Well, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow."
Yokozawa didn't answer him, still shaken by what had just happened.
Why did his heart beat so fast whenever Kirishima-san treated him like that? It didn't mean anything to him, he was that friendly with almost everyone, right? And he had a girlfriend above all.
A girlfriend he was going to meet right now.
Yeah, he shouldn't get his hopes up. But how could he stop it?
He was fucked up, and he knew it.
Time passed, and finally the day when they had to hand in their assignment arrived. Both of them had spent a lot of time working on it, so Yokozawa wasn't worried about the grade they would obtain. He was more worried about his relationship with Kirishima-san and the development it was having.
"Yokozawa, wait!" A tall boy was running down the hall, waving a piece of paper on his right hand.
"Look!" He said when he reached his destination, giving that sheet of paper to his now ex-partner. "We obtained an 'A' on the project! We really make a good team, don't we?" Kirishima softly elbowed him in the ribs, looking at him while smirking enticingly.
'Oh, no', Yokozawa thought. 'Again with the teasing'.
He needed an escape, immediately.
"Well, of course we had that grade; after all, I did most of the assignment."
"Oh, come on! How can you say that?" Kirishima pouted, pretending to be offended because of that remark.
"Let me remind you that I wasn't the one trying to procrastinate every now and then."
"I have never done that, don't be so mean!"
"Getting out of the library sooner in order to hook up with your girlfriend can be considered 'procrastinate', you know." Yokozawa was looking at him right into his eyes with his arms folded, trying to suppress the smile that was starting to form. The look on Kirishima's face right now was priceless.
"I have my reasons for that, so- wait a second. You are messing with me!" The boy seemed truly surprised.
"This is my revenge, you know, for all the times you have done that to me." Yokozawa finally let a small smirk on his lips come out. Of course he didn't mean all of that. It was true that his friend met with his lover almost every evening after working together, but he never left the library until he had done his part of the research that day.
"Oh my God, I have created a monster!" He chuckled a bit, and then put his arm around Yokozawa's shoulders, pulling him closer to him. "But you will never overtake the master, Taka-kun." He said each syllable of the name slowly, knowing that the boy would get uptight in a matter of seconds.
"Hey, I have already told you a million times-!" But he couldn't finish his sentence due to the fact that the school bell had started ringing, stating the end of the break.
Taking advantage of that, Kirishima approached him even more and, under his breath, he talked. "You know, the graduation day is right around the corner. I can wait to see you wearing a tuxedo. I bet you will be very hot in it." In that moment, Yokozawa's face turned so red that he could claim to be a tomato and nobody would doubt him. Before having the chance to answer that comment, his friend was walking away, heading to his class with a firm step.
Yokozawa could feel his cheeks burning up, and his heart was pounding so fast that it felt like it would explode at any moment.
What the hell had just happened?!
And soon after that, like Kirishima had said, the graduation day came.
What they didn't know was that their lives were going to change drastically.
Their high-school had thought that organizing a prom, like in most of the high-schools in America, was a brilliant idea.
Well, Yokozawa begged to differ.
He had never liked this kind of events, and it wasn't like he was very popular to start with. He had a few friends, of course, but all of them were with their dates, and he didn't feel like being a third wheel.
It was going to be a very long night.
He got out of the school building the second he had a chance and lighted a cigarette once he leaned against a wall away from the main entrance, making sure nobody was near him (it was forbidden to smoke on the school grounds and he didn't want to get caught). Lately it had become a habit to smoke when he felt nervous or stressed so he could relax a little bit. And in that moment he needed to stop thinking about something.
Yokozawa had realized that this night was the last time he would be near Kirishima.
It was not like they wouldn't see each other again, but they were going to start a new life in different universities and they wouldn't be able to meet very often. Especially because it was obvious Kirishima was going to spend his spare time with his girlfriend.
Just like he was doing right now.
Yokozawa had spotted them not long ago dancing among the crowd of youngsters, with a big smile plastered on their faces. The girl was wearing a long backless dress and her hair was braided with little flowers in it. She usually was a good-looking girl, but that outfit made her look like a beautiful princess out of a fairy tale. On the other hand, Kirishima had chosen a tuxedo for that night, just like Yokozawa and almost all of this male classmates. Nonetheless, it suited him very well. More than very well in Yokozawa's opinion (but he would rather be dead than reveal that to him). The only difference with the rest of the boys was that he had a little red flower inside his breast pocket on his jacket, the same color as his partner's dress.
They really made a lovely couple. And that made Yokozawa's heart ache.
He knew they were made for each other, and he was truly happy for them. That's why he also knew he couldn't do anything to be more than a friend to Kirishima.
Sakura reached Kirishima's heart before him, so she was the only one who deserved it.
After taking the first puff he closed his eyes. 'Maybe it's better this way', he thought. 'Maybe as time goes by, I will forget him'.
But who was he kidding? He knew that wouldn't happen, but he wanted to believe it. At least until the pain in his heart faded away a little bit.
Once he finished his cigarette he got away from the wall. He didn't need to stay there anymore, therefore he decided he was going back home. He refused to go inside the school again.
He was starting to walk when a hand took hold of his arm. "So you were hiding here. I was looking for you. Where are you going?"
He didn't have to turn around to know who the owner of that voice was. "Home, so let go of my arm, Kirishima-san."
"Really? So soon? Come on, don't be such a party pooper."
"I don't want to be at the party anymore." 'And I can't be near you right now'.
Kirishima pulled Yokozawa close to him, making him turn around and face him. "Let's go for a walk and talk a little bit then."
"What about your date?" Yokozawa didn't mean that in a bad way, he was just surprised to see him without his girlfriend. He thought they wouldn't be away from each other that night. After all, girls usually thought prom was one of the most romantic times to be with their lover.
"Sakura is talking with her friends right now, so we have time to be together."
There was nothing Yokozawa wanted more than that, but he knew it wasn't the wisest thing to do. But if it was the last time he would be able to be freely with him, shouldn't he take the opportunity?
Noticing the doubt on his face, Kirishima spoked softly, looking at him with pleading eyes. "I just wanna talk to you about something. Will you stay with me until then at least, Yokozawa?"
How could he say no to that?
They had been walking side by side for a few minutes without talking until Kirishima stopped abruptly. "Thanks for coming, Yokozawa. I really needed to talk to you."
Yokozawa looked at him. He was getting more and more intrigued. What the hell did he wanted to tell him? "Well, I'm here, so spill it."
"Wow, so harsh. You could be nicer, I'm not going to bite you. Probably" He winked after saying the last word.
Yokozawa could feel a slight blush appearing on his face. That bastard was messing with him on purpose again. He was sure it was like a hobby to his companion at this point.
"Just hurry up. I want to go home as soon as possible, so I don't have all day."
"I just wanted to thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything you've done for me during this year. I don't think you were aware of that."
Now Yokozawa was genuinely surprised. "But... but I haven't done anything special to you, Kirishima-san."
"That's where you're wrong, Yokozawa. Thanks to our project I've had a lot of fun with you. I never imagined being with you could be so entertaining."
He spoke while rolling his eyes. "Of course, all you do is tease me whenever you have a chance."
"That's because it's easy and funny to do that." Kirishima let out a chuckle when he saw the scowl on Yokozawa's face. "But believe me, if I have been spending time with you it's not only because of that. You're one of the few people I really enjoy being with. And that surprised me because months ago, when we were put together to do the project, I thought that being with the 'wild bear' would be more stressful."
Ah, right. Kirishima had told him a while ago that some classmates called him by that nickname because he always seemed angry with them and he had a constant facial expression that made them feel intimidated.
But what could he do? It's not like he could change his face, and he wouldn't be that 'angry' if his classmates weren't so annoying.
"But I was wrong." Kirishima continued. "Now I know you're more like a teddy bear."
"What the hell did you just say?!" A bright blush along with a scowl bigger that before appeared on his face.
"As I was saying, your bark is worse than your bite. You may seem like a tough guy at first glance, but on the inside you're really caring and kind. Over time you have shown me your true self, and I know it is hard for you to do that. You just needed someone to break down the walls you have created around your heart."
"I..." He looked away from Kirishima, staring at the pavement as if it had hidden all the secrets of the world. He didn't know what to say, he was speechless.
Sometimes it scared Yokozawa how Kirishima could understand him more than he did himself. That was one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with him.
Because he already knew that what he felt towards the boy wasn't a crush anymore.
"Yeah, you still need to learn how to relax and take things easy, but you're perfect this way. At least you are to me."
He didn't know it was possible, but his blush turned even brighter than before. Goddammit, did his face have a traffic light complex or what?
Yokozawa was also surprised. Usually his companion wasn't that serious or sincere with him.
But that didn't last long. Of course not.
He should have seen it coming. It was Kirishima, after all.
"Well, now that I've been honest with you, this should be the moment when you confess your undying love for me and all that crap, shouldn't be?"
That made Yokozawa look back at Kirishima right away.
And he dared to say that with that fucking irritating smirk on his face!
"What the hell are you saying?! Don't be so full of yourself!" In that moment he wasn't sure if his face was red due to the embarrassment or due to the fury. Probably the latter one.
"Come on, don't be so shy, I'm not going to judge you."
"There is nothing to judge! Stop messing around with me! You really piss me off!" His heart was pounding so fast! Did Kirishima really know that he had fallen in love with him? Was it that obvious?
He was scared. He didn't want to lose him as a friend because of that.
"That would be hypocritical coming from me. Because I like you."
"I swear if you- wait, what?" He couldn't believe his ears. Did he heard him right, or was his mind playing tricks on him?
"And seeing your reaction, I think I was right when I thought that saying that would be less shocking than telling you straightaway that I love you."
If his heart was beating fast before, now it has skipped a beat for sure.
"I-If this is a joke, it's not funny anymore, Kirishima-san." He knew his friend liked messing with him, but this wasn't funny to him. His feelings were serious, and even if Kirishima wasn't aware of their existence, he didn't want him to laugh at them.
Kirishima took a step forward. "Do you really think I'd joke about this?" Yokozawa looked at him again, and was surprised to see a serious expression on his face.
… But there was no chance that he meant that, right?
"What about Sakura-san?" Yeah, it must be a joke. He had a girlfriend, and their mutual love could be seen by anyone even if they were blind.
"I love her, of course. Otherwise I wouldn't be dating her."
Yokozawa frowned after hearing that. He was very confused.
"Don't make that face, I was surprised too when I realized that. And if you were wondering it, yes, she knows."
Anything made sense in Yokozawa's mind right now. "And she's okay with that?"
"In fact, she was the one who helped me to understand that it wasn't that strange. She told me that not everyone truly loved just one person in their lives, and that didn't mean that they loved one person more than the other. It's just... a different way to love someone."
Kirishima put his hands on Yokozawa's shoulders, getting closer to him in that way. "And trust me, I do love you, Takafumi." That made Yokozawa look at his companion right into his eyes, the shock clearly visible in his face.
Apart from the fact that he had told him the words he had always wanted to hear, it was the first time Kirishima had called him by his given name.
Not Taka-kun, like when he wanted to tease him sometimes. Takafumi.
Kirishima slowly removed his hands from his shoulders. The area Kirishima's fingers had touched felt cold to Yokozawa once he did that. "You don't have to say anything right now. I know this is a lot to take in, but I needed to tell you before leaving school. You deserved to know the truth after all."
Yokozawa couldn't believe it yet.
So Sakura-san knew this too? And she didn't hate him for 'taking his lover's heart away'? It didn't make any sense.
Or maybe she truly understood the situation and was okay with it.
"Are... are you sure you're not just confusing a good friendship with love?"
Kirishima stepped forward and cupped his cheeks with his hands. His face was now so close to his that he could feel Kirishima's breath when he spoke again softly. "Do you think I would do this to a friend?" And, having said that, he pressed his lips against his.
Yokozawa felt like his legs were going to give out, but at the same time a surge of energy went through his body. Kirishima's lips were surprisingly soft, and his thumb was caressing his cheek gently.
He didn't know where to put his hands, so he grabbed Kirishima's shirt in his fists while moving his lips against his. Since it was happening he wanted to make the most of it, trying to etch on his memory the taste of the person he loved the most.
The kiss finished too soon for Yokozawa's liking. "Sorry if that made you uncomfortable." Kirishima still had his hands on his face. "I know you weren't going to believe me unless I did that."
Yokozawa knew that trying to get rid of his blush was a lost case at this point.
"Zen?" A voice asked not far away from they were standing, and Kirishima got away from him as soon as he heard it.
"Sakura? W-What are you doing here?" After hearing that name, Yokozawa looked at her with his eyes wide open.
She also had a shocked look on her face. She must have caught them close to each other, and not in a friendly way, it must be said.
'Fuuuuuck'.
But soon, that shocked face turned into an understanding one. "Sorry, did I interrupt you guys?" She asked while smiling slightly but sincerely.
So she really wasn't mad at them? He didn't know anyone who would be so understanding about their partner loving someone else too. She truly was too good for her own sake then. And if she was that good... Yokozawa was not one to hurt her feelings.
Sakura-san was the first one to get to Kirishima's heart, so she was the only one that deserved having it.
"Don't worry, Sakura-san, I was just leaving anyway." He glanced back at Kirishima. He just hoped his distress wasn't noticeable on his face. "Don't make your lover wait, Kirishima-san. That's impolite."
He started walking, leaving a dumbfounded Kirishima behind.
"Wait, Takafumi!" He ran until he reached him, grabbing his hand tightly. "I-I haven't finished yet."
"But I have." His heart was shrinking because of what he was going to say, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He took a deep breath and then spoke quietly so Kirishima was the only one who could heard him. "I can't return your feelings, Kirishima, so forget about me and take good care of her. She really deserves it."
He freed himself from Kirishima's grasp and continued walking without looking back.
He knew that if he did that, he wouldn't be able to keep up that lie.
Of course he felt the same way. Of course he loved him with all his being.
But some things in life aren't possible.
He never saw Kirishima Zen again.
After that night he had received countless calls from Kirishima, but he hadn't answer none of them. He even changed his number phone after... a certain incident, so there was no way Kirishima could contact him anymore. He didn't know where he lived or which university he went to.
Therefore, he only had one thing left to do: to move on with his life.
Life that, by the way, changed drastically again after meeting his best friend during college, Takano Masamune.
Apparently, he was not the only one suffering from a broken heart. And, after hearing Takano's story, he decided his love life wasn't that bad after all.
But the FF didn't let them dwell on it too much. They always had work to do. Just like now.
"Man, what a day..." Takano spoke as he left the building along with Yokozawa, stretching his sore muscles.
"I didn't know working on shojo manga could be that tiring." They had arrived to Marukawa just three days ago, and while Yokozawa felt very comfortable working on the Sales department, his friend hadn't been so lucky.
"Me neither. In addition, we're a man down right now, so there's more work to do than usual. Apparently the guy's visiting an ill relative. What an excuse just to skip work at the worst time."
"The famous 'hell week'?" Yokozawa asked. Before taking the job, the heads gave them all the information they knew about Marukawa, so they were aware of that term and many more.
"Yeah. You have no idea how lucky you are."
"Seeing you, I can get an idea."
After walking for a few minutes they arrived at a café. They were told this was the place where they would meet some FF members when it was required, and that night Inoue Nanami, one of their teammates, was meeting them. They still didn't know the reason why they were called so soon, so they were a bit intrigued.
"Order us a coffee while I call her, okay?" Takano exited the establishment without waiting for an answer. Yokozawa could see him through one of the windows talking on the phone not long after that.
His gaze lingered on his friend for a moment. Maybe he wasn't as depressed as he was a couple of years ago anymore, but if you looked carefully, you could see that his hazel eyes still had a glint of sadness in them.
He still felt guilty about what had happened to his lover and his family. And it didn't matter how much Yokozawa tried to cheer him, he knew he wouldn't be able to erase that sense of guilt completely.
He had just got up from the chair in order to pay for their drinks when someone banged into him. He was ready to shout at them for not looking where they're going, but words got stuck in his throat when he saw the face of that person.
It was a face he thought he wouldn't see again. It was a face that brought countless memories back.
"Sorry, I-" The man apparently was texting someone so he was looking at his phone, unaware of his surroundings, and he looked up in order to apologize. However, he was speechless for a few seconds too when both of them made eye contact. "… Yokozawa?"
And that's all, folks!
It took me forever to write this (English is not my mother tongue, so if I've made some grammatical errors I'd appreciate it if you tell me). It was getting very long, so I'll try to post the second part of the prologue as soon as possible. But right now I have a lot of exams coming, so I won't have free time for another two weeks. Sorry! T^T
I really hope you like this story! It's my first one here and I'm very excited. I know it's not perfect, but if you have enjoyed this leave a review, it'll motivate me to continue! ^^
There are a lot (believe me, a lot) of things left to be explained, as for example Takano's past with Onodera (no, the misunderstanding never occurred here, but as you can see they're not together and something very bad happened) or what is the FF, but it'll be revealed in the next chapters.
See you soon!
Edit: Oh. My. God.
I published this when I was half asleep (a very, very, bad idea), and now that I've revised it again, I can't believe I didn't notice all the mistakes I've made (God, I feel so ashamed right now :c). I've just corrected them and I've also added a few more things, so sorry if you've read this fic before the update T^T.
Now I really hope this isn't as bad as it was before xD.