Chapter 11
Their relationship doesn't necessarily progress any further over time. Aomine keeps taking Kise out, and when Kise asks if it's a date, he responds with, "sort of, not really." It's not that Kise minds the idea – they're spending more time together, and it's rare that he goes a day without talking to or seeing Aomine – but after the second week of sort-of-not-really dates, Kise begins to wonder if Aomine even wants to take things to the next level. Kise wants sort-of-not-really to be yes-most-definitely, but no matter how many times Kise presses the subject, Aomine doesn't seem to be taking the hint.
It's the first time Aomine kisses Kise in public, even though they're hiding behind a tree with sweaty palms and pacing hearts like a couple of teenagers. Kise still tends to smile goofily into the kiss, because Aomine doesn't necessarily know how to initiate it, though he's gotten a lot better. What used to be sloppy forthright kisses slowly progressed into tender caresses. And damn, it's amazing. Kise can feel his body tingling all the way to his toes, and if it weren't for Aomine holding him up against the tree, he'd probably collapse right then and there.
"One more…" Aomine breathes into Kise's mouth. His lips always tend to tremor slightly before they kiss, and it's so adorable Kise could explode. They kiss one last time, and then make their way back into the real world where people are filing their way down the pavement of the park.
A soft breeze blows past and whisks Kise's hair around until it's no longer tidy. He reaches up to run his fingers through the blond strands, glancing around at the people enjoying the weather in the lush grass of the park. There's a strong urge to reach out and intertwine his fingers with Aomine's, but Kise manages to keep his hands to himself. They stop just outside of the entrance of the park where a few kids are running around with popsicles in hand.
So, is this a date? Kise asks, curious.
Aomine shrugs and says, "sort of, not really."
As expected. Kise juts out his bottom lip and huffs hard, but Aomine is quick to glance away. Aomine's tendency to dismiss discussions through avoiding eye contact is something Kise has grown to hate. He wants to address the issue, but considering they're not in the best location to do so, he presses his lips into a thin line and stuffs his hands into his pockets. It's as though Aomine notices the sudden shift in his demeanor, because he bumps into Kise softly and sighs. Kise glances at Aomine in his peripheral, and he can tell by the way he's holding his breath that he's preparing to say something important.
"Okay, fine," Aomine says as he exhales, like he's been holding the words in his gut. "To be honest, I'm trying to get us tickets to a concert. But I don't know what the fuck I'm looking for, and I'm a bit hesitant about it all."
"What?" Kise asks out of a force of habit, and he slips his hand out of his pocket to grasp Aomine's arm. There's a longing silence between them as an old couple walks past. What? Kise asks again, this time in sign language.
"You heard me, idiot." Aomine looks annoyed. "I don't know what kind of music you're into... I was going to ask Tetsu what genre you sing, but I never got around to it," his voice trails off, and he averts his gaze once again.
It hits Kise like a wave crashing onto the shore of a beach, and he releases Aomine's arm with a sudden remorseful look. Aomine has never heard Kise sing; he's never heard the music he always blasts through the apartment as he dances around, pulling Aomine around with him like they're performing a musical number.
Maybe a concert isn't a good idea, Aominecchi. You can't hear, afterall.
Aomine snorts. What's your point? Because I can't hear I can't do the same things you can do? He narrows his eyes. Never mind, just forget it. We'll just go to a fucking restaurant, or something. Whatever is more reasonable for a deaf person. It's as though venom laces the tone of Aomine's silent words, and it causes Kise to cringe; he's suddenly regretting having said anything in regards to Aomine's hearing disability.
He inhales sharply and holds his breath, as if this will lessen the harsh beating of his heart. I didn't mean it like that, Kise tries. Sometimes it's like walking on eggshells around Aomine, he's not sure what is and what isn't the right thing to say.
"Drop it," Aomine says, and Kise obliges. The silence that falls amid them is awkward, and Kise begins chewing on his bottom lip anxiously as he struggles to find the right words to say. He knows he pissed Aomine off, and he doesn't want to risk worsening the situation.
We can go out to eat right now,Aomine finally says, it'll be our first date.
"Okay," Kise says in a whispered tone that Aomine only deciphers because he's staring at his lips. It's not how he expected their first date to be initiated, as though it's something that they need to rush and get out of the way. Kise can't help but feel bad for having constantly bugged Aomine about the situation when he was trying to dig up the courage to do something that was completely out of his comfort zone, something he was only considering doing because he knew it would be something Kise would love. Had Kise known, he would have left the topic alone, let Aomine find it in himself to do something he's been refusing to do since the day he's lost his hearing.
Despite all this, Aomine is still willing to try. Whether or not he's given up on the idea of going to a concert, a first date is still what he wants. And it's a relief to know that Aomine is just as willing to give the whole relationship thing a try.
It's nothing too fancy considering it's their "first" date, but Kise is satisfied. They go to a fairly common restaurant with private and quiet seating, though that much doesn't matter, considering they don't need to hear each other to converse anyways.
It's almost too familiar. Kise remembers feeling this way, excited and curious, the first time they sat at the same table and ate together. Regardless, it was at a fast food place and Kise paid, but in a way, nothing seemed to have changed. Aomine still sits there with the same disinterested expression, elbow rested on the table, chin placed in the palm of his hand. "Have you figured out what you wanted yet, singer-kun?" Aomine asks in a voice that's muffled by the way his chin is pressed down onto his hand.
Kise nods and smiles wide, practically beaming in his seat. Onion gratin soup is my favorite, he signs, eyes following a waiter that walks past.
"Gross," Aomine says aloud, lifting his face away from his palm. Onions, I mean. I've never liked them.
Depends on how you cook them, Kise responds with a shrug. If you grill onions in butter, they'll taste good in almost anything.
I'd rather not, Aomine says, and then glances off to the side. Another waiter walks by without stopping to take their order, and Kise can tell Aomine is beginning to become frustrated with the fact.
"Excuse me," Kise calls out to a waitress who's just finished cleaning off a table. She immediately blushes at the sight of Kise, and reaches up to timidly tuck a piece of stray dark hair behind her ear. If Kise wasn't so absorbed in his date, he'd probably notice the way she's fluttering her lashes and chewing on her bottom lip. "We've been waiting for someone to take our order for a while now. Do you happen to know who our waiter is?"
The girl glances at Aomine, and then lowers her gaze to the apron wrapped around her waist. She reaches into one of the pockets to pull out a notepad and pen, then gives Kise a smile that's all too friendly and flirty wrapped in one. "I'm sorry about that. I can take your order," she says.
"Hmm, I'll have the onion gratin soup, and water to drink," Kise says, then looks at Aomine with expectant eyes.
"I'll have the same," Aomine says, snappily. Kise looks confused, considering Aomine had claimed to dislike onions, but he doesn't address it.
"Alright, I'll have your orders put in right away. Sorry about the wait," the waitress says, then reaches out to grab their menus. "I'll be back with your drinks."
The moment she's out view, Aomine lets out a dry scoff. She might as well just fuck you on the table, the way she was undressing you with her eyes.
Kise's face drains of color and he stiffens in his spot. Don't be an ass. She was only being nice, he says, and then peers around as though their inaudible conversation has been heard.
Yeah, okay. You should have seen the way she was swaying her ass when she was walking away, Aomine says shamelessly. Look, here she comes again.
Not even a second later, the waitress is setting drinks down on their table, sneaking a few glances at Kise. Aomine raises his brows as though he's amused and picks up his drink to take a sip while Kise gives the waitress a timid smile, somewhat apologizing for the conversation they were having a few seconds prior.
"Thank you," Kise says, hoping that Aomine is overreacting. Though, the dust of pink on her cheeks and the way she gently touches his shoulder says otherwise.
This time Kise glances over his shoulder to watch her walk away, and there's no denying that she's putting a lot of effort into the way her hips are swaying back and forth. It's borderline erotic. Kise turns back towards Aomine with wide eyes. "Oh god," he says, sighing a little.
"Check under your drink," Aomine mutters, setting his cup down.
You think I don't get hit on nearly every day? I know she slid her number underneath my cup, that's why I'm not going to pick it up, Kise says factually. This isn't anything new to me
"Must be so hard being a pretty boy," Aomine says aloud mockingly, then goes back to sign language, So why did you seem so surprised when I brought it up?
I... hadn't been paying attention, okay? Kise narrows his eyes. It's not necessarily something he keeps an eye out for, definitely not when he has someone else on his mind.
You gonna try and tell me I have the ability to distract you from pretty girls like that? Aomine grins complacently.
Of course you do. Kise doesn't see a point in lying. After all, they're well aware of their feelings, whether or not Aomine is comfortable admitting it. We're on a date, remember?
Do you take me as an idiot, Kise? I'm deaf, not forgetful, Aomine says casually.
Kise begins chewing on his straw, struggling to bite back a smile that's threatening to spread on his lips. Aomine isn't the type to point out or seem bothered by the behavior of other people. He's usually reserved and keeps his thoughts to himself, so it's a bit foreign seeing him react to such a situation.
You're jealous, aren't you? Kise asks. Aomine's face goes from its usual apathetic state to a contorted scowl within seconds, and it's enough to send Kise into a fit of giggles. Oh my god, you were jealous!
Why the fuck would I be jealous? Aomine asks. No, I was not jealous. I was only pointing out that she was hitting on you, that's all. Don't flatter yourself too much.
Unconvinced, Kise's smile remains stagnant. You're a horrible liar, you know, he says.
Shut up, Aomine says, brows pinching until the creases on his forehead are prominent. You're being annoying.
You're the one being annoying, Kise retorts, feigning a pout. Just be honest.
I'm not fucking jealous, Aomine says again, his hands moving sharply as though he's yelling through sign language.
The conversation is cut off by their flirty waitress arriving with two steaming bowls of soup. The way she leans over Kise's side of the table to place his bowl down causes her bust to invade his view, and he quickly averts his golden gaze to the ceiling in order to avoid the situation. "Ah..." He offers a small smile, hoping that his feigned ignorance is convincing. "Thank you—"
"Yeah, excuse me?" Aomine waves his hand in order to capture the waitress's attention. "My boyfriend and I were just talking about how shitty the service here was. Do you mind getting your manager for me? I'd like to speak to them."
"Aominecchi," Kise gasps. "There's no need to get a manager! Ah... I'm sorry, he... gets like this when he's hungry. Don't mind him."
"No, I want to speak to a manager," Aomine says, as though he knows Kise is protesting his request.
Kise narrows his eyes in Aomine direction, and kicks him firmly beneath the table. This withdraws a pained hiss from Aomine, and Kise quickly turns his gaze back to the waitress, who seems more frightened than anything else.
The waitress takes a slight step away from the table, wide-eyed as she looks back and forth between the two. It's as though she's seen a ghost with how pale her previously flushed face is. "I'm sorry," she mutters, then bows. "If you two need anything else, just let me know." Before anymore requests can be made, she's hurrying back to the backroom, the swaying of her hips no longer perceivable.
Kise takes a deep breath, heat surfacing to his face as he takes in everything that just happened over the past few minutes. He's not sure where to begin or if he should even be mad. He feels flattered yet embarrassed all at the same time, and his chest is swelling to the point that his lips curve into a half-pained smile. Boyfriend? Is all Kise can manage, his face beet red. There's no way he had heard that right—no way in hell Aomine Daiki publically announced their relationship after putting off their date and avoiding the topic for months.
Aomine shrugs as if the whole thing isn't a big deal, then begins stirring his soup with a disinterested expression. "S'nothing," is his response, and Kise can see the slight blush painting his cheeks. Aomine takes a sip of his soup, only to make a disgusted face and let his spoon fall back into the bowl with a soft clank. "This onion shit is really gross."
You called me your boyfriend, Kise continues, disregarding Aomine's attempt to change the subject.
Yeah... that's what I'm supposed to call the boy I'm dating, right? Aomine reaches up to brush the tip of his nose multiple times, then averts his gaze elsewhere. "Hurry up and eat so we can get out of here."
"Kasamatsu-senpai!" Kise looks surprised, but he attempts to hide the fact with a jubilant tone. "I wasn't expecting you to come over, I hope you haven't been standing out here for long..." He reaches up to push a few strands of stray hair out of his face and smiles brightly.
"Yeah, I'm actually surprised you locked your door, idiot," Kasamatsu begins, only to have his train of thought trail off as Aomine side steps from behind Kise to reveal himself. "...Oh, I see I'm interrupting something."
Aomine looks Kasamatsu over once, his mirthless expression evident. "Senpai," he greets in an almost mocking manner that causes Kasamatsu to scowl in turn. Kise doesn't know what it is, but there's something awkward about being around the two at the same time. The tension is damp enough to swim in, and if it weren't for Kise's expertise in avoiding unwanted situations, he'd probably drown in it all.
"Was there something you needed, senpai? Please don't tell me we had practice scheduled today..." Kise knows that's not the case, he checked his schedule multiple times that week and made sure they planned this on the one day he had off.
"No, I think I left my phone here last night," Kasamatsu says, finally managing to pry his eyes off of Aomine.
Kise reaches into his pocket, pulls out his keys, and pushes his door open to reveal his still apartment. "It's not dead, is it? I'll try calling it, so keep an ear out for it."
It's not long before Kasamatsu finds it wedged between the cushions of Kise's couch, "Found it," he says through the receiver of the phone after answering Kise's search call.
"Great!" Kise says back through the phone, as if they aren't standing across from each other. "Sorry about keeping you waiting too. If I had known you were here I would have hurried my way home."
Kasamatsu ends the call, and then walks over to Kise to give him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, kid," he says with the smallest smile that Kise barely catches. "I'll see you tomorrow for practice. And, uh, have fun, I guess." His gaze flickers towards Aomine, who's standing in the opposite room, leaning against a wall. He drops his hand from Kise's shoulder, then begins making his way to the door, nodding his head once in regards to Aomine on his way out.
"Okay! I'll text you or something, senpai!" Kise follows after him to lock the door.
The moment it's just him and Aomine again, Kise lets out a sigh, and presses his back against the wood of the door. It's been a long day, and he wants nothing more than to kick off his shoes and lounge around in Aomine's arms for the rest of the evening.
He forgot his phone, if you didn't pick that up, Kise explains.
Aomine doesn't respond, but instead approaches Kise until his body is pressed up against his; lips inches apart. Kise closes the distance by snaking his arms around Aomine's neck and pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth, smiling at the familiar sensation. His eyes flutter closed, fingers tangling in the short strands on the back of Aomine's head as he takes in the sweet moment of having him close; not having to speak to feel completely at ease and elated.
"Be mine…" Aomine breathes into Kise's mouth, and it's enough to get Kise's eyes to snap back open in shock.
He's not sure how to respond at first, because he can't verbally respond. And the way they're so intimately close, as though they're breathing the same air and sharing the same thoughts, it doesn't seem right to push him away to free his hands. The only thing he can manage is a slight nod of his head, and a whispered, "okay," that brushes against Aomine's lips softly.
"I didn't call you my boyfriend for nothing, y'know," Aomine says, and he leans forward to touch foreheads with Kise. "I want this."
Kise leans forward and begins kissing him passionately; imprinting the words yes, yes, oh god yes, I'd love to be yours on Aomine's lips with the silent movements of his mouth. Everything is in the moment, and it feels right. There's no place he'd rather be, no person he'd rather be with, and his heart flutters at the thought.
They're panting in each other's mouths, reluctant to break the kiss for air, but eventually Kise bangs his head back against the wall in attempt to pull away. His chest rises and falls heavily, eyes half-lidded and peeking through his messy fringe. He's sure if Aomine wasn't deaf, he'd be able to hear his heart practically beating out of his chest, though he can probably feel it with the way their bodies are pressed together.
After having regained his breath some, Kise unwraps an arm from around Aomine's neck, and with one hand, asks: Popsicle?
