a/n: why do I even start multichapters when I don't update regularly?
o~
prompt 4: our distance and that person
"What should we do for our next one?" Shizuka asks as she runs her fingers along the buttons in front of her. Crammed beside her in the tiny photobooth is Sengoku, who still smells of sweat from his tennis club activities. Shizuka doesn't mind it, sweat just makes a man manlier in her opinion.
Sengoku rests his cheek on the top of her head comfortably, sighing. "I don't know, we've already done all of our signature poses." His voice floats right above her ear, and she doesn't bother to move away. They're in the middle of a shopping mall and she wouldn't be able to hear him otherwise.
"Should we do cats?" Shizuka curls her hands into claws and bares her teeth in front of the camera. Sengoku's reflection in the screen in front of them is amused.
"Let's do cats then! I've always wanted to be one, anyway."
Shizuka raises an eyebrow as she flips around with the background to try and find one that suited cats. "Really? I always imagined you to be more like a dog."
Sengoku moves to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her neck and putting his chin on her head. "But cats have such nice lives! They just sit around and sleep and eat and sleep some more, how lucky!" He frowns. "And why a dog?"
"You're not in the frame," She says as she settles on a background with a leopard print border. He moves back to his place beside her, cheek on her head. Shizuka wonders if he thinks she's a pillow. "And a dog because you're stupid."
She presses the button just as Sengoku pinches her. A lady's voice counts down from 10.
"And loyal, I guess." Shizuka mutters through her bared teeth, already in her pose.
Sengoku laughs around his own bared teeth, but just as the timer hits 1 he moves to lick Shizuka on the cheek.
She shrieks as the camera clicks, immediately wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Maybe you were right about the dog thing," Sengoku shrugs as he grins and leaves the booth. "I'm going to stick this one on my cell phone!"
Shizuka keeps wiping her cheek and steps out as the pictures start to roll neatly out of the booth. She smiles a little as she picks up her share of them, they're pretty cute and it's been a while since she's done sticker pictures with a guy.
Her smile disappears as she sees the last photo. "Hey, you made me make a weird face!"
"I think it's cute," Sengoku teases as he dangles his picture in front of her. "Very Halloween-y."
"Give that to me!" Shizuka laughs as she tries to grab it from him, swatting him in the shoulders when he pulled it away. "Alright, but you better not show anyone!"
"I'll make it up to you, don't worry. Hungry?" Sengoku asks, elbow on her shoulder. "Let's go get donuts."
They walk close together, because it's crowded and it would be troublesome if they lost each other. Not that Sengoku didn't stand out in a crowd with his bright hair, but it would still be very troublesome to have to look for him. Really.
As they line up, she stands behind him because she needs to take her time to decide on what flavour to get. She's not like him, all rash and spontaneous. She needs to consider all the options and mull over everything first.
Shizuka barely even notices how the girl at the counter flirts with Sengoku. She hears him laugh a little and continues to wonder whether to get green tea or chocolate.
"Shizu-chan, what do you want?" And then Sengoku is in her face, blocking her view of the menu. He puts his hand on her waist to gently push her to the counter. The donut girl stares.
"I can pay for myself," Shizuka says as she feels the donut girl analyzing her. She realizes that Sengoku's hand is still on her waist.
"A guy should always pay when he's on a date!" The girl grins after finishing her inspection. Shizuka blinks.
They're not on a date, they're just hanging out and taking picture photos and eating donuts like any two good friends would. And then suddenly she feels the full weight of his hand, is hit by the smell of him being so close to her, and her cheeks feel warm all of a sudden when he leans down to ask her again, "So what do you want?"
She tries to say that they're not on a date. Instead she squeaks, "Green tea."
Sengoku, looking stupidly pleased, releases her from his grip and pays the donut girl. Shizuka takes a step away from him and tries to figure out why she's embarrassed.
Later, he takes a bite of her donut and says in that sing-song voice of his he reserves for flirting: "Indirect kiss!"
Shizuka blushes and furrows her eyebrows as she tries not to choke. "Are we on a date?"
Sengoku laughs, winking at her because he's playing her like a game. He doesn't actually answer her, so she doesn't press further.
On their way back to their houses, he walks her home and she is hyper aware of every movement he makes, and each time he comes closer to her she feels her fists clenching.
Curse that donut girl, Shizuka thinks as his arm brushes against hers. She takes a step to the side and he closes the gap by snaking his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm keeping that photo forever," Sengoku tells her. The suddenness of his statement makes her laugh and she feels her fists unclench.
Shizuka ignores the weirdness of everything and decides to not shrug away from his touch. Slowly, she stops feeling nervous as their feet step in line with each other. The distance between them, along with her unease, shrinks.
And she wonders when all of this became normal.