Life got back to normal after that. Kojiro seemed to let go whatever problem he had with Shadow, and challengers stopped demanding beefs from Kaoru for dates. Everyone went to S, Kaoru and Kojiro fell back into their bickering, and the kids continued begging for skateboarding tips.
Kaoru did notice that Kojiro seemed to have less women around, though. One day, Kaoru finally asked about it out of pure masochism. He'd been wondering if Kojiro had started dating someone seriously, perhaps that girl who'd rejected him.
However, he didn't get the answer he expected.
"That's 'cause everyone thinks you guys are dating now," Miya piped up before Kojiro could answer. Kojiro sent the kid a glare.
"That's absurd," Kaoru said instinctively, before thinking it through. Upon consideration, he could see where the rumors were coming from, after the… display at the tournament. Kojiro's scowl grew more pronounced.
"Wait, you're still not dating?" Reki blurted out, and Shadow went to slap a none-too-gentle hand over the boy's mouth. He was just a moment slower than Langa who'd done the same, so there were two consecutive slaps as Langa slapped a hand over Reki's mouth, and Shadow slapped a palm over Langa's hand. From underneath both, a muffled "ow" could be heard.
"Why would we be dating?" Kaoru asked Reki, eyes narrowed, before another thought occurred to him. To Kojiro, he asked, "Why don't you correct them? Doesn't it get in the way of your dating?"
"...I thought it might keep people from asking you for more beefs," Kojiro said, avoiding his eyes.
"You don't have to go that far," Kaoru said bluntly, quashing the little part of him that was pleased. "I don't want you complaining to me that you can't get a date because of me."
"It's fine," Kojiro said, still not looking at him. "There's not really anyone new I'm interested in dating anyway. Unless you don't want people to think you're dating me?"
"Hm," Kaoru said neutrally. "Doesn't matter, I suppose. Treat me well, honey."
Kojiro choked, and the kids all groaned.
ooo
It had been weeks since the tournament, and their bickering had fallen into their usual habits for the most part. The only difference was after that, without Kaoru meaning it to, the pet names had turned into a bit of an ongoing act. They'd always used pet names a bit sarcastically, but it got to the point where they were much more frequent.
"Maybe if you weren't such a muscle-brained gorilla, we wouldn't be late," Kaoru said one evening as they were tearing apart the restaurant, looking for the car keys.
"It's better than the time you lost our parking ticket in L.A., sweetheart," Kojiro called from the kitchen.
"You've lost way more things than I have over the years, dear," Kaoru called back irritably, checking the tables in case Kojiro had set them down while cleaning.
"Oh yeah?" Kojiro asked. "Name 'em, then!"
"We don't have all night," Kaoru said sardonically. He decided to move to the kitchen, not finding them in the eating area. Kojiro spent most of his time back there, anyway. He nearly bumped into Kojiro in the doorway, who was about to exit as he entered.
"Just admit you can't think of any, precious," Kojiro murmured, leaning his face in close. Kaoru's breath stuttered.
"I can think of several, darling," Kaoru said as snootily as he could, but it came out a bit too breathless.
"Hmm," Kojiro said as he leaned in, not seeming focused on the argument anymore. Kojiro leaned in further and kissed him, and Kaoru's brain short circuited.
Kaoru's glasses dug into his skin, and Kojiro's hand reached up and tangled in Kaoru's hair. The other arm wrapped around Kaoru's waist; Kaoru thought himself muscular enough, but Kojiro's arm made him feel small. Unlike when they had an audience, Kojiro did deepen the kiss this time, tilting his head and using just a bit of tongue.
Kaoru didn't understand what was going on. If everyone thought they were dating, was Kojiro just sexually frustrated since he couldn't go out with any girls right now?
Kojiro pulled away just an inch, eyes flickering down to Kaoru's lips before going back up to Kaoru's eyes to check his reaction.
"Are you mad?" Kojiro murmured, studying him carefully. Kaoru's hands tightened on Kojiro's apron, either to hold him in place or push him away, he wasn't sure.
"You- What are you doing?" Kaoru asked weakly, trying and failing to sound confrontational.
"You didn't get mad last time I kissed you," Kojiro said. "I know it's because you don't care enough, but I keep thinking… how much will you let me get away with?"
Kaoru stared at him mutely. Since when did Kaoru not care? Was Kojiro playing dumb again?
"Are you going to take your 'revenge' like last time, or should I let you go?" Kojiro asked softly, looking very uncertain.
It was easier to think without the tournament, without the audience… If Kojiro was turning to him because women thought they were dating, Kaoru knew the correct thing to do would be to tell everyone they broke up. But… Kojiro had said it was fine. Was it all right for Kaoru to go along with this?
...Would Kaoru emotionally recover when Kojiro broke it off?
The longer he waited, the more the hopeful look in Kojiro's eyes faded. Kojiro started to pull away, and Kaoru panicked; he needed more time to think, but he was out of time.
And so Kaoru decided to kick himself about it later, and take what was offered.
Kaoru yanked Kojiro back by the shirt, hands still clenched in his apron, and clumsily shoved their mouths together. Kojiro made a sound of surprise; the angle was poor, so Kaoru moved his hands to Kojiro's face and hair instead to move him to a better position. Kojiro let out a soft "mm" and wrapped his arms around Kaoru again. One hand trailed up to Kaoru's neck, and Kaoru shivered when the fingers grazed his bare skin. Kojiro's hands were always warm, unlike Kaoru, who always ran cold.
"Can we skip S tonight?" Kojiro asked against his lips, giving him a light bite. Kaoru shuddered.
"I suppose we can't find the keys anyway," Kaoru muttered.
"Hmm, right," Kojiro said, lowering his lips to Kaoru's neck. When he spoke, his breath ghosted over Kaoru's skin. "The keys."
Kojiro lifted up Kaoru with one arm, and Kaoru let out an indignant squawk, to which Kojiro paid no mind. Kaoru was carried back into the kitchen, away from the windows, and placed on the counter next to the sink. Kojiro continued to kiss him urgently, and Kaoru stressed for a moment when he couldn't remember if they'd locked the door, but the thought flit away when Kojiro started to untie his hakama. It was long past opening hours regardless; the closed sign was up…
He really couldn't bring himself to worry about it when Kojiro dropped to one knee in front of him, between Kaoru's legs where they dangled off the counter. After that, there really wasn't much time for thinking at all.
ooo
Kaoru didn't actually have extensive experience in this area. Although he'd had the occasional dalliance, he'd never really felt comfortable in the aftermath, and this was a thousand times more awkward than any encounter he'd ever had.
After all, he'd never had relations with his best friend of twenty-some years in the back of his commercial kitchen before. They'd both just finished and were coming down from the high; Kaoru was still sitting on the counter and Kojiro was catching his breath, panting against Kaoru's bare shoulder.
Meanwhile, Kaoru was doing his best not to panic. He carefully kept his face impassive, but the weight of everything was slowly crushing him internally. He'd never wanted to be one of Kojiro's one-night stands. He wanted-
He wanted-
…More than that, and this was all he would ever get.
Kaoru had gotten carried away too, but a part of him felt disappointed that Kojiro had done this. Not even worth a date first, just a quickie in the back of his restaurant. Kojiro had done this despite knowing Kaoru's unrequited feelings, despite twenty years of friendship.
But, no, Kaoru had gone along with it. It was his own fault.
"Kaoru?" Kojiro asked softly, having caught his breath. His face was still close, and he reached up to gently brush back a strand of hair that had gotten caught in Kaoru's mouth. Kaoru looked away.
There was nothing for it. It was too late to take it back, and Kaoru didn't want another fight. The only thing to do, then, was to feign normality. He could have a little panic about it later, but for now, it was time to suppress.
With a twinge of irony, Kaoru finally spotted the lost keys while avoiding Kojiro's gaze. They were set on the shelf above the sink, halfway under a carelessly tossed rag.
"If we leave now, we might still make S," Kaoru said, gently pushing Kojiro back so he could slide down from the counter. He tugged his hakama back on, tugging it over his shoulders and fumbling with the tie with slightly unsteady hands.
"What?" Kojiro said blankly.
"The keys," Kaoru said, walking over a few steps to the sink to reveal them under the rag. "I found them."
Kojiro stared at him.
Kaoru held up the keys and raised an eyebrow.
"Well?" Kaoru asked snippily, as if he wasn't internally dying from painful awkwardness.
"Are you serious right now?" Kojiro asked incredulously.
"What do you want me to do?" Kaoru snapped back, a tinge of his helplessness entering his tone. Kojiro seemed to hear it, and hesitating, finally looked as awkward as Kaoru felt.
"Okay," Kojiro said slowly. "Let's go to S. But let me fix your hair first, unless you want everyone to know what we were just doing. It's a disaster."
"Whose fault is that, brute?" Kaoru demanded, but obediently turned around to let Kojiro work on his hair. He shivered, thinking what those fingers had been doing just a few minutes before. The same hands that had tangled his hair now gently and methodically worked through the knots, and pulled the hair into a ponytail.
"You're the one who said to pull it 'harder,'" Kojiro grumbled, and Kaoru's neck flushed hot with embarrassment.
"That wasn't what I was talking about!" Kaoru said, and immediately regretted it; that was so much worse.
"Oh?" Kojiro asked, indeed sounding smug. He leaned in close to whisper in Kaoru's ear. "Then what were you talking about, sweetheart?"
"Agh!" Kaoru tried to squirm away, and the half-made ponytail fell. "Forget it, I'll finish it myself!"
"I'm teasing, I'm just teasing," Kojiro said, tugging him back. "I've got it. Do you have a hair band?"
"Here," Kaoru muttered, slipping one out of his pocket. Kojiro finished tying it off, and then gave a friendly tug to signal he was done.
The car ride was even more awkward. Kojiro kept sending him neutral, considering looks in the rearview mirror. Kaoru determinedly kept his gaze out the passenger window. They'd known each other long enough that they didn't always chat or bicker in the car, often riding with bouts of silence—especially for long distance drives—but they were usually comfortable and familiar. Kaoru felt like this silence was a bubble too delicate to deliberately pop.
When they skated into the main area, Reki was the first to spot them, giving an enthusiastic wave.
"You guys are late," he shouted over. "Miya and Langa are having a rematch!"
"You kids aren't fighting, are you?" Kojiro asked, swivelling his board as he came to a stop in front of the teen.
"Nah, it's just a friendly match," Reki said. "Well, as friendly as Miya ever gets, at least. Why're you guys so late?"
Kojiro coughed, very obviously acting suspiciously, and Kaoru gave his calves a kick.
"It was this idiot's fault, obviously," Kaoru said.
"What?" Kojiro squawked. "Hey, it wasn't all me! You-"
"How is it my fault you lost your keys?" Kaoru demanded indignantly.
"Wait," Kojiro said. "You were talking about the keys?"
"Obviously I was talking about the keys," Kaoru said, sending a pointed look in Reki's direction. Some conversation was not appropriate in public! And certainly not around children! "What else would I be talking about?"
"I could think of another thing or two," Kojiro retorted.
"Shut up, dimwit," Kaoru said, voice rising in pitch.
"Make me, four-eyes," Kojiro said.
"Langa and Miya are starting, guys," Reki said loudly, tapping Kojiro's arm excitedly. He seemed to have long lost interest in their argument and was focused on the start line. Kaoru gave his own odd cough and turned to watch the race.
And the races went on. They'd arrived so late, there wasn't much time before the crowds started dispersing.
"I'm going to head back," Kaoru told Kojiro as the last races of the night started. He held out the keys; he'd become the designated holder as he had many more pockets than Kojiro's shirtless attire, and skated much more conservatively. The keys were less likely to fall out of his pockets if he held them.
"Sure, let's go," Kojiro said as he grabbed the keychain.
"No, you stay," Kaoru said. "I want to take Carla back, clear my head."
"It's dark," Kojiro protested. "And late. Let me drive you back."
"I've skated back myself plenty of times," Kaoru sniffed. "I'm not a child."
"Kaoru…" Kojiro said, looking reluctant. Kaoru suspected he was more worried that Kaoru was avoiding him than the lateness of the hour.
"Don't use that name at S," Kaoru said, more mildly than usual. No one else was near them. "I want arancini this Friday, so make sure you make some."
"...You're for sure coming?" Kojiro asked, sounding a bit relieved although there was still tension around his eyes.
"If you make arancini," Kaoru said, unrelenting. He hopped on Carla before Kojiro agreed, already starting to skate off. He knew even if Kojiro refused now, on Friday, a bowl of arancini would be waiting for him.
"Yes, princess," Kojiro said snidely, before calling after him, "But only because I was thinking of adding it to the specials this week anyway!"
Kaoru gave a casual wave over his shoulder, not looking back, and shot off into the dark.
ooo
Growing up, Kaoru's mom always loved braiding his hair. If they were watching a movie together, she'd always have him sit on the floor in front of her seat on the couch, and she'd braid and unbraid his hair in calming, repetitive motions. She'd been the oldest of three sisters growing up, and had often helped Kaoru's aunts with their hair as children. She knew many different styles and sometimes experimented; Kaoru often thought his mother was an artist in her own right.
One morning in middle school, Kojiro had come over to watch cartoons on one of her days off. It was a hot summer day with only one floor fan in the living room; after fighting over who'd sit directly in front of it, the two boys realized it was too hot for rough housing and sat leaning against each other so they could both be directly in the fan's breeze. Kaoru was holding up his hair so the cool air would hit the back of his neck; he wasn't willing to risk losing his spot to Kojiro if he got up to find a hair tie.
"I could cut it for you," Kojiro said mischievously, poking at the side of his head. "I bet you'd look great with a buzz cut."
"I'll kill you," Kaoru said, deadpan. It was too hot to fight over trivial things, but if Kojiro came anywhere near him with scissors, there would be no mercy.
"Do you want me to put your hair up, Kaoru?" his mom called from the kitchen. Kaoru was normally too embarrassed to let his mother braid his hair in front of Kojiro, worried the other boy would tease him, but it was so hot…
"Yes, please," Kaoru answered, fanning his face.
His mother came out a few minutes later with a comb and hair tie, and Kaoru shook his hair behind his back so she could reach it. With deft fingers, she quickly started working through the knots in his hair before beginning the braids.
"I'll do a crown so it's off your neck," she hummed, while Kojiro seemed to have lost interest in the cartoon in favor of watching.
"Kaoru never does anything with his hair," Kojiro commented, curious.
"Hmm, he's too lazy to learn," Kaoru's mother told him. "He only knows how to do a ponytail, that's why he always leaves it down… I don't know why he keeps it long when he never does anything with it. One day I won't be around to braid your hair, you know," she scolded Kaoru now.
"If I didn't keep my hair long, whose hair would you braid?" Kaoru grumbled, scowling and ignoring that last part.
"Can I learn?" Kojiro asked instead.
"You just want to learn so you can hit on girls," Kaoru complained. "Don't teach him, Mom."
"That's not a bad idea," Kojiro said consideringly. "It seems like a good way to get close to someone you like…"
"Ugh," Kaoru said.
"Boys," his mother scolded. "Be nice. Come here, Kojiro, I'll teach you."
"Ha!" Kojiro gloated, sticking his tongue out at Kaoru. He jumped to his feet to sit behind him and next to Kaoru's mother. Kaoru didn't protest; joke was on him, now Kaoru had the front seat to the floor fan all to himself. He refocused on the cartoon, tuning out the "hold this, this goes up and over" of his mother's gentle instructions guiding Kojiro's hands.
…Kojiro's first attempt was terrible, but that didn't seem to deter him. For the rest of middle school and into high school, Kojiro would quietly braid Kaoru's hair while they watched TV, Kaoru's mother occasionally teaching him a new style.
They had homeroom together throughout high school, and Kojiro always claimed the seat behind Kaoru, sometimes braiding his hair when he was bored. Sure enough, it was a hit with the girls, but not in the way Kojiro had hoped. Instead of asking Kojiro to braid their hair, they all wanted a turn to braid Kaoru's hair.
"Ha," Kaoru smirked one afternoon that Kojiro looked particularly jealous. Mayumi, the prettiest girl in class, had just done a semi-lopsided french braid for Kaoru during their free period. Kojiro's scowl deepened.
"Whatever," Kojiro said petulantly, crossing his arms and hunching his shoulders. Kaoru snickered.
"You could try growing out your hair like me," Kaoru said. Truthfully, he wasn't actually interested in any of the girls, but teasing Kojiro was his favorite pastime… and this gave him so much material to work with. "Maybe the girls would want to braid your hair too."
"If you like her so much, she can just do your hair from now on," Kojiro said irritably. He actually looked rather upset; Kaoru wondered if Kojiro actually liked Mayumi sincerely.
"Hmm, I don't think so," Kaoru said critically. "Do you see how lopsided this is?"
"She didn't keep it tight enough," Kojiro grumbled.
"Yes, yes," Kaoru said. "You're clearly the expert, you dope. Redo it for me, then."
"You're so bossy," Kojiro complained, but his eyes lit up. He quickly reached for Kaoru's hair, running his fingers through it to start over. "...You don't like her?"
"She's nice, but," Kaoru started to say, before wincing at a painful tug. "Ow! Be careful, you clumsy oaf."
"Sorry," Kojiro muttered. "You do like her, then?"
"Ugh, you didn't let me finish," Kaoru said. "She's nice, but I'm not interested in her, if that's what you mean."
"Hmph," Kojiro said, but his hands gentled from the stiff motions from before.
"You like her, then?" Kaoru curiously echoed the question and Kojiro sputtered.
"What? No," Kojiro said.
"Hmm? You're clearly jealous," Kaoru said.
"I am not," Kojiro protested.
"It's not like you to hide a crush," Kaoru mused.
"Yeah, right," Kojiro muttered under his breath, an ironic tone to his words. He seemed to be doing a side braid, and he shifted to sit in front of Kaoru to finish the front part, hopping up to sit on Kaoru's desk.
"You can tell me," Kaoru said. "You always know when I have a crush, anyway."
"That's because you're so obvious," Kojiro retorted. "You've never told me!"
"I've never had to," Kaoru countered.
"Ugh," Kojiro said. "Well, I'm obvious too. You just never want to see it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaoru asked, annoyed.
"Nothing. Your braid is done," Kojiro said abruptly, giving it a light tug to signal he was done. He looked up, and Kaoru suddenly felt a bit awkward at how close Kojiro's face was to his own. "Let's go get lunch."
"Race you," Kaoru said, as an excuse to run off the itchy feeling that suddenly tugged at his heart. He darted out of his chair and dove for the door.
"Asshole, you have a head start," Kojiro cried out after him, then, even more annoyed— "You're going to mess up your braid!"
"Then fix it for me after!" Kaoru called back, laughing as he took off down the hall.
ooo
Happy new year, everyone! I'd be happy to hear from you. :)