Kise stifled a small chuckle under his breath as he sauntered his way towards his confused best friend and a beet-red Midorima.
"You've really grown up, huh? Jeeze, you got really tall. Somehow you still look the same though," Kise eyed Midorima with a suspicious grin.
"Ryou-chan... can you please tell me what's going on?" Takao asked in desperation.
"D-Don't you dare tell him!" Midorima finally spoke up, his voice cracking a bit.
"Aww, but its such a cute story!" Kise chuckled again. "Besides, I'd probably tell Kazucchi later anyway. You might as well be here to correct me for any inaccuracies."
Midorima stiffened a bit, his voice catching in his throat before he nervously fiddled with the glasses on his face.
"Why must you tell such an embarrassing story..." Midorima muttered under his breath.
"I have to know!" Takao clung on to Midorima's arm.
"Yeah, Kazucchi will probably annoy both of us for days if we don't just get it all out in the open now," Kise shrugged.
Midorima let out a loud 'tsk' and crossed his arms, breaking Takao's hold on him.
"Anyway, Kazucchi, we went to elementary school together~." Kise hummed.
Midorima's nose flared in frustration, it was easy to tell that he was trying very hard not stop Kise right then and there.
"I had just moved so I started in the middle of the school year. I was nervous about being the new kid when everyone else was already friends, but it ended up not being so bad. I made a few friends and that was that - I had successfully made my place at the new school. But then I started to notice something..." Kise looked at Midorima with a smirk.
Midorima let out an annoyed huff.
"I had noticed a kid from the neighboring class had started to glare at me."
"I was not glaring..." Midorima mumbled quietly and Takao let out a snicker.
"Whether it was in the halls or out during recess, this kid just kept staring at me. At first I thought he didn't like me or something, I thought maybe he was a bully. So one day I asked a kid in my class who he was and he told me it was Midorimacchi." Kise gave a wink to a seething Midorima.
"He told me that Midorimacchi wasn't a bully or anything and that he was a pretty normal kid - just that he was a bit of a loner. So I figured maybe he wanted to be friends, so the next time I caught him staring at me I waved to him. As soon as I did his eyes went wide and his head darted back around so fast!" Kise laughed.
Midorima let out a low grumble that not even Takao could hear, but that didn't make him any less entertained than he was at that moment.
"So I started waving to him every time I saw him and he'd do the same thing every time. But one day," Kise paused to give Midorima a knowing look. "He finally came up to me."
Takao listened in anticipation.
"He was super nervous, his face was so red! He finally managed to speak up and when he did he asked for my name. I was still a bit iffy about him so I just told him 'Kise'. He hurriedly thanked me and ran off. I was pretty confused, until a few days after that I started to get random gifts on my desk."
"No..." Takao gasped and looked at Midorima.
"I-I need to use the restroom! Where is it?!" Midorima said in a shaky voice, his face still had a red hue to it.
"Shin-chan don't go-"
"I need to go!" Midorima interrupted loudly, an obvious look of 'I don't want to be here anymore' plastered on his face.
"Down... the hall on your right..." Takao said quietly, stifling his laughter.
Kise excitedly continued as Midorima stomped off down the hallway. "So you probably figured it out by now, huh, Kazucchi? One day I found a flower picked at the nearby park on my desk, the next day I found a piece of candy with a ribbon tied around it, next was a small toy from one of those machines you find out in front of the convenience store... Every day I'd find something like that on my desk at school the next morning. I'd ask my classmates if they had seen who put it there but they always claimed they never saw anyone. Then one day it was a letter. When I opened it, all it said inside was 'Kise, I like you'. So cute, huh?" Kise snickered and Takao was barely containing his laughter.
"So obviously I was really curious as to who could like me, but they didn't leave a name, so I decided to get to school as early as I could to see who it could possibly be. I rushed to school the next morning, before anyone had gotten to the classroom. And of all people, I see Midorimachi lingering around my desk. That's when I knew it had to be him, but I didn't want him to know that I knew so I snuck away quietly. Later when the rest of my classmates were gathering in the classroom, I went to check my desk and sure enough there was something there and it was another letter. All it said was to meet them by the swing set at recess. At this point I knew what was going to happen, but I guess even at that age I was a little mischievous."
"So you went?" Takao asked, totally into the story by this point.
"Heh, of course," Kise nodded. "And little to my surprise, there was Midorimacchi, standing by the tree that was beside the swing set. I walked up to him with a smile and he was even more nervous than when he came up to me and asked me my name. I asked him why he called me out and almost instantly he shouted 'Please go out with me!' - he said it so fast it was like one word."
Takao snorted.
"Of course I figured this might happen but I was still a bit shocked, I didn't think a guy would be confessing to me..."
"I thought you were a girl!" Both Kise and Takao turned their heads towards the hallway.
"Bahahaha!" Takao let out a loud laugh that he had been holding back the entire time.
"Unfortunately that wasn't very uncommon when I was a kid," Kise sighed. "I was mistaken for a girl a lot until I hit a growth spurt in middle school. The fact that my hair was long enough to hit my shoulders wasn't any help..."
Takao giggled as he remembered looking at Kise's baby photos. He had also thought that Kise really looked like a girl when he was young.
"You have to continue," Takao said, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye.
"You've heard enough!" Midorima came out from the hallway, his face as red as ever.
"But I haven't said the best part, Midorimacchi - the fact that I said 'yes' to your confession!"
"REALLY?"
"Kise!"
"You should've seen how happy Midorimacchi was when I said yes!" Kise teased.
"Ryou-chan, you're too cruel," Takao said despite how much he was enjoying the story.
"So Midorimacchi was my first boyfriend," Kise sighed.
"That didn't count! It only lasted a day!" Midorima fumed. "You led me to believe you were a girl a-and at the end of the day I was made a fool of because someone else had to tell me you were a boy!"
"But I thought if Midorimacchi truly liked me he wouldn't care," Kise winked.
"!" Midorima tightened his fists. "Because of you..." he didn't bother finishing his sentence before sharply turning on his heels and heading for the door. "I'm leaving."
"Huh? Shin-chan, wait!" Takao glanced back at Kise before running after Midorima.
"Yeah, Midorimacchi, I have to leave anyway, don't leave Kazucchi alone," Kise also walked over as Midorima was grabbing his shoes. "You know, Midorimacchi, if I would've known that you would've been so hurt by my prank I wouldn't have done it..."
Midorima paused. Takao stood beside him.
"After that I felt kind of bad, so that's why I tried so hard to make friends with you after the fact, but all through the rest of elementary school you wanted nothing to do with me. After that we went to separate schools and I never saw you again. I'm really sorry if that hurt you so much, Midorimacchi..." Kise looked at Midorima's back solemnly. "I really do have to go so please stay with Kazucchi, 'kay?" He tried to say in a more chipper voice, slipping on his shoes and reaching for the door.
Kise gave a wave before exiting the apartment and it became unusually quiet after the door shut.
"I'm sorry I laughed too, Shin-chan," Takao said quietly, setting a hand on Midorima's shoulder.
"I liked him..." Midorima said quietly.
"Huh?" Takao was mildly surprised to hear Midorima's voice in such a soft tone.
"Even after finding out he was a boy... I still liked him..." Midorima sighed and set his shoes down. "I was angry and confused so I avoided him after that. I was glad when I thought I would never have to see him again. You can imagine my surprise when I began seeing him on the cover of magazines."
"Shin-chan..." Takao squeezed Midorima's shoulder. "I-I know Ryou-chan did something cruel to you but I know he really is sorry! The Ryou-chan today would never..."
"Hmph, I know," Midorima sighed and began walking back to the living room. "We were children, children like to play tricks. Its absolutely silly of me to have been affected so much by it."
"Its not silly at all!" Takao followed him, "Even as a child your feelings are important."
Midorima gave a look that Takao had never seen before. His face seemed softer and less tense - it really seemed to bring out the fact that he was incredibly handsome underneath his glasses.
Takao felt his breath hitch slightly in his throat. "I-I'll make sure no one will make you feel like that again."
Takao wasn't really sure why he felt the urge to say that, but looking at Midorima at that moment is was almost as if he couldn't help it. He felt like he truly wanted to protect Midorima and his feelings. Just thinking about seeing his friend hurting gave him a pain in his gut.
Midorima huffed and smiled slightly. Takao was taken aback at actually seeing Midorima smile, if only a little. What's more, he felt happy in the fact that Midorima was smiling because of him.
"Let's just get to studying," Midorima said, sitting down on the couch. "I know we're going to be needing to do a lot."
"Y-Yeah," Takao stuttered and stood in place. "I'll uh, go get something to eat..."
The entire time Takao studied with Midorima, he couldn't quite find it in himself to completely relax. Maybe it was because the iron wall that made Midorima so closed-off had crumbled slightly when he allowed Takao to see him at a weak moment. Takao kept stealing glances whenever he could, like it would allow him to see more of Midorima's weak points. But to no avail, Midorima seemed to be back to his old self.
Midorima sighed after about an hour, "Takao, are you even paying attention to half of what we're going over?"
"Eh? Of course I am!" Takao protested, although he had just caught himself daydreaming a bit.
Midorima let out a 'hmph' and set his pencil down. He grabbed for his glasses, removing them to rub at his temple, slightly frustrated with Takao who clearly was distracted.
"Um," Takao instinctively grabbed at Midorima's wrist that held his glasses, shocking the man a bit. "Can... I see your face?"
"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?" Midorima looked up, trying to free his wrist from Takao's grasp.
"Man, you really are good looking, you must've gotten tons of girlfriends after Kise," Takao said lightheartedly.
Midorima's face reddened once again that day as he yanked his hand away and quickly put his glasses on.
"I have no time to deal with something as frivolous as that," he commented, crossing his arms.
"Huh!? Really? Are you saying you've never had a girlfriend!?" Takao asked in disbelief, leaning in closer to Midorima.
Midorima faced away from Takao, inching away from him slightly, "And what is so bad about that?" He grumbled.
"Hm, there's nothing wrong with it. It's kinda cute, actually," Takao chuckled a bit.
"Quit saying things about me are 'cute'! I'm a grown man!" Midorima retorted.
"Ehhh but Shin-chan is cute!" Takao poked at Midorima's face.
Midorima quickly swatted the pesky hand away, "Please stop. How would you feel if someone kept calling you 'cute'?"
"Hmm..." Takao thought for a moment. "I'd probably be flattered!" Takao wore a cheesy grin.
"Tsk," Midorima turned his attention back to the study sheet. "Let's just move onto the next section..."
Takao just happily went along with Midorima's change of subject.
"Hey, Kurokocchi..." Kise walked up to his assistant after his day of filming. The day went the best it had since they started, but there was something bothering Kise the entire time.
"Hm, what is it, Kise-kun?" Kuroko who was gathering some of Kise's things turned on his heel.
"I never really meant to make you feel obligated to stay as my assistant... Kasamatsu-san even scolded me about it... I'm really sorry, Kurokocchi, I was only thinking about myself when I confronted you about it the other day - you should do what you want," Kise looked down towards his feet, slightly ashamed of how he basically begged Kuroko to stay working a job that he originally wasn't met for.
Kuroko let out a small sigh, "You're right. If I was in my right mind I'd quit this job right now and continue my training for a better job."
Kise flinched as he hear Kuroko's brutal honesty. He really shouldn't have been so selfish...
"But," Kuroko continued, "Despite that, I'll continue being your assistant. At least for the time being."
"Huh, you really don't mind?" Kise looked up in mild surprise.
"Yes, honestly I don't really care what my job is, as long as I have one. This isn't my dream job or anything, I just got a reference to this company from a friend. I just needed the money to help pay for my school a little bit, and after talking with Kasamatsu-san about my pay, it more than covers what I need. I already had most of my funding with savings, help from my parents, scholarships, etc., so I was just looking for a little more money to help with extra expenses," Kuroko explained.
"Oh," Kise let out a sigh of relief, "I'm glad I didn't make you feel obligated to stay as my assistant."
"No, you didn't. If I needed a higher paying job I would've quit being your assistant in a heartbeat," Kuroko said bluntly.
"A-Ah..." Kise felt like those words hurt just a little...
"But it wouldn't be as fun," Kuroko shrugged, going back to checking if Kise had the rest of his things before making his way out of the trailer.
"You... have fun with me?" Kise perked up as he followed Kuroko out.
"I suppose its pretty interesting following the life of a celebrity such as yourself," Kuroko replied nonchalantly.
Kise smiled, "I have fun with Kurokocchi too!" He trotted up beside his assistant. "Um, so... do you have time tonight? I mean, to come over for dinner," he asked hopefully.
"Hm, I think tonight is fine," Kuroko replied.
"Really?!" Kise nearly jumped in happiness. "Ah, I'm so happy, Kurokocchi is coming over~!"
"Takao-kun already invited me anyway and I said yes," Kuroko held up his phone.
"Oh..." Kise's excitement dulled down a bit. Takao again? Kuroko had been talking to him a lot lately.
"He said he's making nabe. That'll be nice since its gotten pretty cold lately," Kuroko continued.
"Y-Yeah, we really like making nabe when winter starts nearing," Kise tried to shake the growing jealousy.
During the car ride home, Kise wrote off the jealous feeling as just a bit of worry over Takao getting involved with his assistant. A situation like that might get a little hairy, so it would probably be best if it didn't happen. Then again, it wasn't like Kise knew if Kuroko even swung that way, he most likely just needlessly worried.
"Hooray! Kuroko-chan came back to visit me~!" Takao said as he greeted them at the door.
"Hello, Takao-kun, thank you for inviting me over," Kuroko replied as he walked inside, slipping off his shoes.
"Hey, Ryou-chan, where's my greeting kiss?" Takao puckered up his lips.
"Right here," Kise shoved his hand in Takao's face as he stepped into the house.
"Aww, you're no fun!" Takao chuckled as he moved Kise's hand from his face. He closed the door behind Kise, "So how was filming today?"
"It went great, I'm getting nervous as the premier gets closer and closer, though," Kise replied as he led Kuroko into the kitchen. He offered Kuroko a beer.
"I'm excited to see Ryou-chan on a drama! I'm not sure if I'll be able to take it seriously, though. Seeing Ryou-chan pretending to be someone else might be a little strange," Takao followed and took a seat at the table. Kise handed him a beer as well as taking one for himself.
"I think Kise-kun is pretty much a natural at this, though. He's been doing very well, even when he's interacting with the other cast members," Kuroko commented.
"Aw, I'm not that great," Kise smiled, scratching the back of his head, feeling pretty happy about being praised.
"So, Ryou-chan hasn't been a handful yet?" Takao teased, sipping his beer.
"Not yet," Kuroko replied.
"I'm not that troublesome!" Kise retorted. "That reminds me, Kurokocchi - what are you going to school for? You said you needed the job for some extra money."
"Oh yes, I'm studying to become a teacher," Kuroko blew on the food to cool it down.
"A teacher, huh? I think I'd fall in love if Kuroko-chan were my teacher," Takao playfully joked.
"Well, I'm interested in working with younger children. Although I suppose something like that could still happen. Children can be surprising like that," Kuroko replied.
"So, like, an elementary school teacher? That's great!" Kise commented.
"Yes, in a few semesters I'll be able to assist at a daycare so I'll get some hands on experience as well."
"I think a job like that would definitely suit Kurokocchi, I bet you're great with kids," Kise felt like he was doting a little bit.
"Of course, he has to put up with you all day," Takao couldn't help but get in a jab at his friend.
"Very funny, Kazucchi," Kise stuck his tongue out before grabbing for a piece of beef.
"Well, that's true in its own way," Kuroko added.
"You two are mean!" Kise whined.
Takao let out a guffaw of laughter while Kuroko silently chuckled to himself.
"This nabe is quite good, I feel lucky to be having such a nice meal," Kuroko said after a while of everyone enjoying the food and drinks.
"No problem! Ryou-chan and me really love stuff like this whenever we can make it. I'm lucky that he brings in a good income so we can have meat whenever we want.~"
"Yeah, and I'm glad Kurokocchi could finally come over for dinner," Kise smiled warmly.
"Oh, Kurko-chan, you have some food on your cheek," Takao reached out his hand towards Kuroko's face. He brushed his finger across Kuroko's face and stuck it in his mouth. "Mm!"
"Thank you, Takao-kun," Kuroko said, unphased.
"Kurokocchi could've gotten that himself..." Kise commented, his eyes looking downwards towards the table.
"Ah, I couldn't help it! It was too tempting!" Takao said lightheartedly.
But Kise didn't feel the same. He didn't like Takao flirting with Kuroko at all, even if he wasn't serious. It was strange, he was so used to Takao's behavior, he flirted all the time with people, whether he was interested in them or not. So why did it bother him so much when he did it with Kuroko?
"I'll just use a napkin next time," Kuroko added, as if he could tell how uneasy Kise was about it.
Kise tried to smile as they continued with the dinner.
"Thank you very much for inviting me over," Kuroko bowed slightly at the front door after putting his shoes on.
"It was no problem! Come over any time!" Takao said gleefully.
"I'm glad you finally got the time to come," Kise said with a smile.
"Likewise. I'll be heading out now - thank you again," Kuroko turned to walk out the door.
"Um, let me walk you out to the car?" Kise stopped Kuroko before he could leave.
"Sure."
Kise and Kuroko quietly made their way down the stairs to the car. Kise felt like he should say something, but couldn't think of what. Maybe he should apologize for Takao's behavior at dinner... or maybe even his own behavior.
"Sorry, if dinner got a little weird..." Kise said with slight nervousness.
"It's fine, I'm used to Takao-kun's antics by now," Kuroko waved it off.
"But, he shouldn't be touching you without your permission..." Kise mumbled. He heard Kuroko chuckle slightly.
"I'm the one who should be taking care of you, remember?" The corners of Kuroko's mouth turned up a bit. "I'm fine, Kise-kun. Takao-kun is your best friend, right? You should know more than anyone that he's just being friendly."
Kise looked at Kuroko's face for a moment and sighed. "You're right... I don't know, I guess I just don't want anything happening to you or something... N-Not that Kazucchi is a bad guy, I probably would be like this if it were anyone else too, it's just..."
"You're way too protective?" Kuroko finished the thought.
"Y-Yeah, something like that," Kise turned his head and rubbed the back of his neck.
Kuroko huffed, "Let me do the worrying from now on, alright?"
"Y-Yes..." Kise said quietly, avoiding eye contact.
"Goodnight, Kise-kun," Kuroko turned to open the car.
Kise grabbed his arm on a sudden impulse, Kuroko turned his head to see what was the matter.
"Goodnight, Kurokocchi," Kise said quietly. He maintained his grasp on Kuroko's arm for a bit before letting go.
Kuroko nodded before getting into the car and driving off.
Kise shuffled his way back to his apartment. What was up with him lately? Even for him, this behavior was too strange. He wasn't sure how Kuroko didn't hate him by now with all the weird behavior he had to put up with.
Shutting the door behind him, Kise sloppily took off his shoes at the door and stumbled onto the couch face-first.
"Do you like Kuroko-chan?"
Kise's head jerked up as he heard Takao's voice. "What are you talking about?"
"I dunno," Takao shrugged. "You seemed to really not like me getting cozy with him, and you seem like you really dote on him. Have you fallen for him or something?" Takao gave a smirk.
"Yeah right, I can't have a thing for my assistant," Kise flopped over on his back with a sigh. "I'm just trying to protect Kurokocchi from your devilish ways."
"You're no angel yourself!" Takao huffed, making room for himself on the couch. "Anyways, Kurokocchi is cute but I'm not 'after him' so you don't have to worry."
"I never said I thought that," Kise grumbled.
"Yeah, but you were thinking it," Takao eyed his friend.
"... Sorry, Kazucchi," Kise said quietly. "I'm just looking out for him."
"I understand. In that way you're kind of motherly," Takao said with a smirk.
"Psh, I guess. Anyway, how is Midorimacchi? I hope he wasn't too upset with me the other day. I still feel bad to this day that I did that too him."
"Oh, he's fine. I think he really liked you, you know. What a heartbreaker you are!" Takao shoved Kise a bit.
Kise chuckled. "Well, even at that age he was kind of tempting to tease a bit. No wonder you like hanging around him so much."
"I don't tease him that much," Takao defended himself.
"Riiiight," Kise replied.
Takao chuckled and stood up from the couch. "Anyways, I'm gonna get ready for bed, I've got an early class tomorrow. You should too, Mr. TV-Star." Takao patted Kise's knee before walking off towards the hallway.
Kise lay on the couch for a moment, thinking about the last few hours that had transpired. He dug into his pocket for his cellphone, tapping away. He didn't have that much to drink that night, but he could already feel his head was slightly swimming.
'Hey, Kurokocchi! Do you think you can help me with some of my lines this weekend?'
He pressed send and slowly made his way off the couch. He knew Kuroko wouldn't respond right away since he was probably still on his way home. He slid his phone back into his pocket and walked down the hallway, although he didn't stop at his room. He knocked on Takao's door.
"Come in," he heard Takao's voice sound from the other side and pushed it open. Takao looked like he just got finished changing, he usually just wore boxers to bed. "What is it, Ryou-chan?"
Kise walked up to Takao and reached his arm out to grab him around the waist and pull him close, "Let's have sex?"
"Huh?" Takao was mildly surprised. "Its been a while since you've been the one to initiate... but aren't you tired?"
"I've been so pent up lately its kinda driving me crazy. I haven't had much time to do anything let alone something like this," Kise said quietly, already feeling the heat building in his pants.
"Not even with that cute co-star of yours?" Takao asked, placing a hand on Kise's chest.
"Like I could just sleep with someone as pure as Momoi, she's not that kind of girl," Kise's hips shifted a bit.
"But I have to get up early..." Takao knew his resolve was weak but at least he tried.
"You don't want to?" Kise whispered next to Takao's ear, his hips rubbing against the other man's.
"That's so unfair..." Takao mumbled, his breath hitching slightly in his throat. Sometimes it was hard to avoid this somewhat toxic relationship he and his friend had. "Did dinner get you that horny?"
Kise said nothing as he lowered Takao on his bed. There were probably better ways to deal with his frustration, but this is how he and Takao sometimes dealt with their problems. Instead of like normal friends who just talked it out they would rather just fuck to forget everything. Maybe they were actually bad for each other, but Kise knew he'd be lost without Takao. And Takao would always be there for him and wouldn't judge him, unlike everyone else in his life. Kuroko probably hated him because of his spoiled attitude, but just put up with it because that was his job. Kise hated the thought. Right now he wanted to forget all of that.
Takao fell asleep almost immediately afterward. He really was exhausted. Again, Kise felt like he was being selfish. Although tired himself, he couldn't help but lie awake beside his friend, not finding the strength to get up and go to his own room.
He finally felt like he could doze off when he heard the sound of buzzing from his pants lying on the floor. He struggled to reach for them, pulling out the phone and checking the screen.
'Of course I'll help you with your lines. Thank you once again for inviting me over - I really enjoyed myself. I'll see you tomorrow at the studio.'
Kise read the message over and slumped back on the bed with a sigh. He didn't know why, but he nearly felt like crying.
Finally finding the strength to stand up, he slid out of bed and gathered his clothes, quietly making his way back to his own room. He really hoped he could even face Kuroko tomorrow. He didn't know what his problem was and he worried that it would trouble his assistant who had been nothing but a blessing to him. And how could he even think that Kuroko thought negatively of him? He was such a kind person, he had more than proven that he was a true friend to Kise. Instead of going to sleep with Takao like a coward he could've just called up Kuroko and confirmed it all right then and there.
Kise didn't bother putting on his clothes as he tossed himself onto his bed. He just wanted to fall asleep and fast. Maybe the morning would be better for him, he hoped so. He wanted to apologize to Takao too for his behavior. He felt like he shouldn't be hurting his best friend any longer.
End of Chapter.
I hope the cliffhanger last chapter was worth it! I hope you enjoyed that story of how Kise and Midorima knew each other. Although it looks like now things are getting a bit more serious, at least for Kise. Hang in there, model-boy! ;~;
Anyways, if you didn't know I MOVED. Yes, it was kind of rough getting all settled but I'm finally at a point where I can just sit and write again. And it probably doesn't matter, but my timezone changed by about 6 hours so that will be affecting my posting times. Probably not important, but I tend to post new chapters around the same time.
A-N-Y-Ways, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. I hope to get back to regular writing. I even have the burden of a new story that I've started, but more ideas = more writing spurts, so hopefully updates can actually pick up (yay!) Thank you and see you next time!
