The Signs as Different Smells: Cancer - rain / Scorpio - hot soup
It had been a stressful day for the both of them - a horrid way to end a horrid week. Nothing had been going right for either of them, so it was no surprise that an argument over something trivial had blown up out of proportion into something so incredibly unnecessary.
They had both said things they didn't mean, and it had ended in Midorima storming out. Takao took his anger out on the kitchen utensils for a while, muttering to himself how unfair Shin-chan was being as he prepared dinner. He was halfway through making the zenzai when he realized that it had started to rain. His anger was starting to fizzle out, and he found himself worried about his boyfriend. He knew that Shin-chan could be stubborn, and couldn't help but wonder if that pride of his was going to keep him from coming home, even in this rain.
As cliched as it was, the rain that had been falling lightly all day suddenly turned into a downpour, drenching Midorima in seconds. But he refused to be stopped by a little bit of bad weather. He knew he needed some time to cool off and think things over as well. He was absolutely livid, and he knew he wouldn't be able to rationally talk things over with Takao in this state. But the more he thought about their argument, the more obvious it became that it was stupid - that they'd just been essentially throwing a tantrum. At this point, he couldn't even remember what had started it, but he knew that he'd insulted Takao, saying things he was already regretting have said. He felt foolish and ashamed for the course of action he'd taken. He had been unfair to Takao in berating him so harshly.
The rain began to pound down harder, and anyone who had been outdoors at the time he'd stormed out had quickly ducked under any sort of shelter they could find. Soaked to the bone and rather cold, he decided it was time to go home. Dragging his feet, he slowly made his way back, suddenly feeling anxious about returning and facing Takao. He'd quickly realized his mistakes, but if Takao would forgive him was another story. It was going to be awkward to go home after exploding as he'd done, but he didn't have anywhere else to go.
The moment Midorima walked inside, he was hit with the familiar and welcoming scent of zenzai soup. It smelled of home. Though he could not see him, he knew instinctively that Takao was standing in the kitchen, cooking as he so often did. His stomach growled pitifully and he tensed. Here he was, standing in the entraceway, sopping wet, and hungry. How utterly pitiable.
Just as Takao had started to wonder if Shin-chan was even coming home, he heard the door open. He couldn't help but give a soft sigh of relief. Shutting off the stove, he hurried out to greet him, but faltered when he saw that he was dripping wet.
"Oh my god, hurry up and take off your clothes and dry off." he huffed, rushing to the cupboard to get a couple of towels. It wouldn't do for Shin-chan to catch a cold.
Midorima let Takao dry him off and take his clothes to the laundry room, wrapping a towel around himself. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to act any more. Takao wasn't yelling at him, but did that mean he wasn't angry? Midorima couldn't tell.
When Takao approached him to help wipe his hair, he hesitated before asking, "Are you angry?"
This time, it was Takao's turn to hesitate.
"No," he said at last, "I'm not. Not any more."
"But I said things unfair things to you-"
"And you have before too. I know you didn't mean any of it." Takao cut him off, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. "You had a long day, you were frustrated, and I was frustrated too."
Midorima hung his head. Takao was clearly the bigger man between the two of them, his forgiving nature making him feel more ashamed.
"I am sorry." he murmured, eyes barely meeting Takao's. Takao just gave him a small smile, and nodded.
"I'm sorry too." Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to the corner of Midorima's mouth. "Now then, since we've made up, I think you need to go warm up. I drew a bath for you, go ahead and soak until dinner."
Before Takao could move away, Midorima wrapped his arms around him, and held him close. Takao was startled, but quickly accommodated the embrace, hugging Midorima back.
"You smell like rain." Takao chuckled.
"And you of zenzai." Midorima responded, only making Takao laugh louder.
"Well, it is your favorite. Thought maybe you'd need some to warm up when you got home." Somehow, the way Takao said that made Midorima's chest tighten. Perhaps it was because Takao sounded so sure that Midorima would return home. The man's faith in him moved him deeply, and he squeezed his boyfriend a little tighter.
"Thank you."