Another chapter from my phone. Yay technology!
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Kazahaya lowered the picture book he was reading aloud down to his lap, looking over at the door which he just heard a knock at.
"Someones at the door!" A child yelled somewhere on the floor. Kazahaya found the source of the outburst wearing a grin and rocking side to side on his rear.
Kazahaya smiled pleasantly, standing up and setting the book spine down on the chair and going up to the door and answering it, smile faltering shyly before stretching impossibly wide.
"Mr. Himura," Kazahaya greeted, opening the door wider so the kids could see him too. The girls giggled playfully and the boys waved enthusiastically.
After acknowledging the students, Himura brought his attention back to the dirty blond, noticing he had also looked away to watch the student's reaction and found each other's eyes at the same time. Rikuo watched Kazahaya Kudo look down suddenly. He felt a flutter in his chest.
"I thought you might like these," the music teacher held up a stuffed manilla folder, capturing Kazahaya's attention once more.
"Oh, thank you!" They were his student's homework assignments. Kazahaya wondered where he had left them. He took the folder carefully, his heart hammering when he saw and felt Rikuo's fingers purposefully move to slide along his. He almost dropped the folder, but managed to keep the papers off the floor by erratically shoving it against his chest.
Rikuo grinned, amused. The children inside the room giggled at Mr. Kudo's behavior.
He leaned in to whisper, "I found them in the teacher's lounge."
"Oh geez, I knew they weren't in my desk…" Kazahaya responded just as softly, laughing slightly at himself. He watched Rikuo's green eyes flicker with something and stood, unsure what to do next.
Rikuo broke his gaze to look back into the class room, noticing the children beginning to get restless; shuffling around and whispering to each other.
"I'll see you around…" Rikuo stepped out of the doorway. "Nice glasses."
Kazahaya took his reading glasses off indignantly, sticking his tongue out at Rikuo before shutting the door on him. The children laughed loudly and began sticking their tongues out too.
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Rikuo stood outside, arms crossed, watching the kids play and keeping track of recess time. He scanned the field and saw Kazahaya pushing a child on a swing. He drummed his fingers on his elbows, waiting, uncrossing his arms and moving toward the other teacher once Kazahaya stepped away from the swing set.
"Fancy meeting you here," Rikuo greeted Kazahaya with a grin.
Kazahaya rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.
"Come here often?" Kazahaya played along, feeling like an idiot but thinking it was worth it, hearing Rikuo chuckle.
"Only when I need to keep my eye on the biggest child," he smirked.
Kazahaya blinked, looked around, and raised an eyebrow at Rikuo.
"Who-"
"I'm talking about you, goof."
Kazahaya flushed lightly. "I'm not a child!"
"The biggest child," Rikuo reiterated, his smile faltering when Kazahaya playfully slapped his arm. He looked forward once more, feeling awkward.
Kazahaya had fallen silent, but still stood close to Rikuo. After a while, he began to sway from side to side, sometimes bumping into Rikuo's shoulder.
Rikuo looked down at him just as Kazahaya spoke up.
"Ever wanted kids of your own?" He looked up to find Rikuo's eyes, fixated.
They stared at each other for an immeasurable amount of seconds, Rikuo's pulse quickening with every passing moment, he wondered how Kazahaya felt; he wasn't shyly averting his eyes like he usually did.
Rikuo swallowed, parted his lips, and spoke. "Someday."
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Another day teaching inside. Kazahaya wrote simple, short words on the black board, calling on random students to pronounce each one.
Another knock on the door. Kazahaya huffed, asking the class who that could possibly be, and taking in their excited answers, some of them being "Mr. Himura!" Kazahaya held down his own budding hopefulness as he pushed his glasses up into his hair, taking the knob and twisting it, pulling the door back and getting a face full of wildflowers.
"What-"
"Special delivery," a familiar low voice spoke behind the bouquet. Kazahaya's jaw dropped, standing still, unsure what to do.
The flowers were lowered and Rikuo's face appeared, his usual confidence gone and replaced with an expression Kazahaya had never seen the other teacher give; nervous, unsure, hopeful. It was… cute.
"Oh, um, thank you…" Kazahaya finally said, getting his hands around the thick bundle of stems and paper, successfully transferring them.
Rikuo nodded and briskly turned and walked away. Kazahaya peeked down the hallway and watched him go, sure he was sporting an odd face of his own, bewilderment maybe. Who would send him flowers?
He stepped back into his class room, closing the door with his foot and walking to the front, checking the colorful bundle for a card and finding one. Setting down the flowers, Kazahaya plucked the small card off, reading it to himself. Very aware that he was front and center for his students to watch.
With his free hand, Kazahaya covered his wide smile, but he couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled up and through his lips.
May I take you out for dinner tonight? Check 'yes' or 'no'. Below the message was, like so many notes he had confiscated from kids throughout the years, was two penciled in boxes with a 'yes' and 'no' above each one.
Kazahaya saw a student raise her hand from his peripheral vision and looked up, nodding for them to continue. Sure he couldn't trust his voice right now.
"Mr. Kudo, are you and Mr. Himura gonna get married?"