This is an older kiss again: It's set before the first scene in Episode 60 in R, and can be read as a continuation of my Little Moment "Speechless" (but also totally works alone). Happy Monday everyone!
Also, it's Antigone2's birthday today! (You know, in case you wanted to drop by her tumblr ask box or her numerous review boxes to drop her some appreciation on this day for all the amazing usamamo content that woman has provided us with over the years ;) Happy birthday, love!
A Kiss As A Suggestion
"Play a game with me," she'd announced with a glare, standing in front of his green apartment door in a green dress and a green cardigan as he creaked it open on this particular Sunday morning.
No hello, no shy smile, no bubbling enthusiasm that pulled him in so much.
But those big, beautiful blue eyes and that distracting golden hair and well, it was still all very new that he was actually allowed to let that affect him, allowed to let it fill him up and consume him without guilt.
He frowned and swallowed. "Okay?" he said, voice unsure, but opening his door as wide as he could to let her in.
She glanced down at his chest and blushed.
He did the same and flushed, too.
He'd studied through the night and slept in, and was only in his black pajama bottoms, because that's just how he slept.
He let her in, and while she roamed around with intense eyes, stroking her fingers over photos frames and along book spines as she investigated, he dove to his dresser, never cursing the one room outlay of his apartment more, and pulled the first black T-shirt that he found awkwardly over his head.
When he pulled the fabric free over his head and pushed it down his forms, he caught her eyes on his middle, on the shrinking sliver between hemline and pants. He flushed and turned. She did the same.
She'd turned back to his shelf, touching the trinkets strewn around it, frowning at a few book titles.
He suddenly remembered the last time she was here - when he babysat Manami and she was helping him. Before he remembered.
But she had, back then. She'd remembered him and the first two times that they'd met for the first time. That day, while he had simply invited over a girl he found intensily fascinating but swallowed down all other feelings for, she'd stood in the apartment of the guy who'd died for her twice, and who didn't remember who she was…
He cleared his throat. "Can I get you anything?" he rasped, insecure and tingling, and already stepped towards the tiled section of his room that was his small, open kitchen.
He opened his fridge before she had a chance to answer and then stood there frowning at it very hard. The contents weren't exactly Usagi-friendly. No sugary treats. He didn't even own cocoa. Nothing. Come to think of, his whole apartment wasn't Usagi-friendly. No manga, no fluffy cushions, no color, nothing she might like to spend her time with.
It was a thought that pulled at his insides.
"Just tea is fine…" she said behind him. He swallowed at the way is sounded so unsure.
They'd talked. The night she'd cleaned the tree, and he'd gotten his memories back, he'd walked her home. They'd talked - about the absolute wrong things - and then they'd kissed, and it had felt like home.
He still felt terribly awkward all the same. What did you say to a girl you loved so hard you died for her twice over, yet really, you'd only ever insulted countless times twice over, too?
He brushed matcha into a small, dark artisan ceramic cup and filled it up with hot water, and set it carefully in front of Usagi at the other side of his counter, then grabbed his own abandoned morning coffee like a lifeline.
The counter stood like an oppressing border between them and it felt all sorts of wrong even if he didn't know how to act about it.
"You wanted to play a game?" He raised his eyes from his cup and his voice was altogether way too nervous.
"Yes," she said, nodding primly. "The 'let's not be so awkward about this' game," she clarified with a wrinkle in her nose that had him swallow.
"Right…" His voice was all sorts of off. "How do you suggest we do that?"
With that, she walked around the counter. He followed her every move, and the way she didn't stop but moved right into his personal space, and he felt his heartbeat behind his eyes and in his fingertips.
Then her hand was on his chest, fisting into the thin fabric of his T shirt, and pulled him down.
This was a suggestion he could live with very, very much.
He exhaled shakily and let himself be pulled down towards her lips so very gladly, putty in her hands. But she lost her courage a breath's width away from his mouth. Her eyes flashed up, wide and nervous, meeting his, and he felt her breath on his lower lip, driving him insane.
He bridged the gap then, finally.
It was far, far, far from their first kiss. But it was new. It sent a thrill through him and he willed down a whimper. The slip of her lip balm on his too dry lips, the softness, the way she breathed so intensely when he brushed his hands against her cheeks to press her to his lips a little more.
He kept his lips on hers as long as he could when they broke apart, kept his eyes closed and leaned his forehead against hers, her cheeks still in his hold, his back at an altogether uncomfortable angle, and let her soft voice wash over him when she spoke.
"Take me on a date?" she asked so near to his lips, and he nodded breathlessly against her forehead, moving her in the process, and she giggled happily and broke away.
When he opened his eyes, slow and content, she was smiling up at him brilliantly.
While he excused himself to go get dressed, she snooped relentlessly through his stuff in a way that amused him greatly. His heart felt a little lighter when he did discover a bit of color in his apartment after all, and picked his pink dress shirt to take her out.
He'd take her to the park. They could rent a little rowing boat. Maybe she'd like that.
Obvious Setting Tag: Between the R arcs.
You know, for all your awkward post-reveal, pre-relationship-but-not-reaaaaalllllyyy needs?
(And, other than I'm depicting here, I do actually think it's much, much more realistic that there was a GAP between R arcs – the Makaiju arc is set in spring, the Black Moon arc is set in late summer and turning into winter. However, I DO like to play with it maybe having just been like, a week. After all, in Episode 60, her parents don't know she has a boyfriend, Mamoru legit asks her questions like 'do you go jogging in the mornings, too?!' and they behave like a freshly baked couple all the way. But, ya know, the 90s anime was never the best at writing the miracle romance in its tentative baby steps, so, who knows what was up with that lol)
Reviews are love, and I hope you're still enjoying these :)