All Roads Lead to Home Chapter 4: Part IV, a kuroko no basuke/黒子のバスケ fanfic

Part IV: The meaning of it all: Midorima still hasn't figured it out, and Aomine and Momoi can't be bothered, but Takao has a pretty good idea.

...

Shintarou was a man of patterns and procedures, and he was the first to admit it. Yet he was also a man of no mean intelligence, and could - in extremely mitigated circumstances - break from the norm. Such was the case that Sunday, when Aomine stumbled into his living room at 9AM, and found Shintarou sitting on his couch.

Aomine did not handle matters as well as Shintarou would have liked. "What the fucking fuck? Fuck! Midorima, what the fuck are you doing in my living room?!"
Well. Someone needed their mouth washed out with soap. Lucky for him, his lucky item was a bar of ginger scented soap, guaranteed to leave your body tingly and fresh. Shintarou gauged his chances at getting away with using it on Aomine's mouth. ...it would require unsightly scuffling, so no. Also, highly likely to get him kicked out. Therefore it was time to engage in morning greetings. "Good morning, Aomine. I see you consider clothing optional before breakfast."

True to his brazen (uncouth) nature, there was no embarrassment in his reply. "I'm wearing boxers, aren't I? That's good enough! Besides, it's not like I expected visitors this morning. Fuck. Now I gotta' put on pants."

"Don't let me keep you from your noble ideals."

Aomine rubbed the back of his neck, glaring fiercely. "Fuckin' hate you, Midorima. When I get back you better be out of my house."

Shintarou adjusted his glasses. "That would defeat the purpose of donning pants in the first place. Besides I cannot leave. Your mother has offered me tea."

"Arghhhh!" Aomine made his dramatic exit just as his mother - a surprisingly charming woman, all things considered - entered with a steaming cup of tea. Midorima took a sip, decided it was awful, and for a minute or two all things were right in the world.

It took Aomine five minutes to clothe himself, and Shintarou amused himself while waiting by wondering what could possibly be taking him this long. Surely it didn't that long to put on a pair of pants and a t-shirt? Shintarou primly crossed his legs as his old power forward came back, blinking in surprise at the sight of him. He wondered what the chances were of Aomine's having completely forgotten about their whole interlude, and what that would mean about the depths of Aomine's stupidity.

"You're still here?"

Apparently not dumb, just rude. "It would be unforgivable to leave without paying my respects, and finishing my tea. Your mother is very gracious. Whatever happened to you?"

Apparently his old teammate had put on some patience along with his pants. "Not now, Midorima. I can't handle you before noon. Just tell me what you want, and go."

Therein lay the quandary. Shintarou couldn't just tell him that he was hiding from Takao, and had been since Friday afternoon. Especially since he had already alerted Kise to the possibility of their being blackmailed by Kuroko, and having Kise's firm assurance (his reputation as a model was at stake, after all) that he would handle the matter. Yet he also couldn't simply claim that he wished to spend time with Aomine, as that would undoubtedly lead to them committing acts of violence on the other's person. Therefore, there was only one thing to do. "I...wished to speak about Momoi, actually." Technically, it wasn't a lie. He very much wanted to know what was wrong with the woman, and why she thought she had the right to come traipsing over to his school and inflict psychological damage upon him. And if he had incredible luck, perhaps he could determine what her fascination with safaris was all about, as it was bothering him more than it should.

Aomine yawned. "Oh god, what did she do now? Don't tell me she's bothering the boys over at Shuutoku - oh wait, she said something about that..." Shintarou shifted, and something about it must have been uncomfortable enough to garner even Aomine's attention. "Oh god. Don't tell me - it can't be…no. No. I forbid it."

Shintarou's eyes narrowed. Forbid what now? Besides making no sense at all, this drama was uncalled for. Also he wasn't sure he'd ever seen Aomine look horrified before, and he was very sure that he didn't like it.

"No. Nononononono. She can't. I won't allow it. I just...no."

Seriously, Aomine's eyes were practically bugging out of his skull and it made his own eyes water a little. He nudged at his glasses, as at this point he had no idea what else to do. "I am confused. What, exactly, cannot Momoi do?"

Just then, as if this were one of those silly French plays, Momoi came sailing in from stage left. "Morning Dai-chan. I'm impressed that you're already wearing pants- wait, Midorin? What are you doing here?"

Farce. The French things were called farces, and Shintarou was now, apparently, inside of one. The only person outside of Takao that he wanted to avoid was Momoi, and here she was, standing before him. Yet even though her being here probably would bring even more humiliation than he had already suffered, he couldn't help but admire the way she treated her goggling best friend as if it were an everyday procedure. "Good morning, Momoi. Aomine and I are merely having a chat. Was there something you-"

"No! Stop talking! To her! Not allowed!" Aomine huffed angrily, and apparently this was a new level of oddity for even his childhood friend to handle, as she approached him slowly and carefully, as a bushman might his dinner…

Oh hell, now even he was doing it!

"Dai-chan? Are you feeling ok?"

Aomine's brows drew together in a pained expression. Shintarou took a delicate sip of tea and found himself appreciating the oddness of the moment. After all, it seemed that Aomine was far more likely to pass out this time than he. "No, Satsuki. No, I am not ok. And frankly, neither are you! What do you think you're doing? You can't...I mean, damn! Tetsu was one thing, but - but…!"

Shintarou kept on sipping, yet his eyes flew to Momoi, curious to see how she would react. She had never been one for taking Aomine's nonsense, and she didn't disappoint this time. "Dai-chan. What are you talking about? I am perfectly fine! Much better than I was before, as a matter of fact! And why are you bringing up Tetsu-kun?"

Aomine's reaction would have been more understandable had she answered in the opposite. "Ohhh. Right. Much better, huh? And why's that? Because of Midorima?"

A frightening possibility suddenly occurred to Shintarou, and he nearly choked on his tea. Aomine didn't think...he couldn't possibly be inferring-

Momoi was so confused that she halted her approach. "Well...yes, actually. A little. Sort of." She turned to Shintarou and winced. "Sorry, Midorin. I know that's probably not what you want to hear."

Shintarou was still too distracted with the possibility that Aomine was laboring under...serious delusions that he simply waved her off. That, seemingly, was the last straw. Aomine drew himself up to his full, impressive height, and stepped close to Momoi so that he could loom over her. "You are not allowed to date Midorima."

Even thought he'd been expecting it, Shintarou spat out his tea. Momoi -had she been able to- would have done the same. "What the hell, Dai-chan! I thought you were serious!"

"I am serious! You're not allowed to date- scratch that, you're not allowed to even look at him, let alone like him!"

Momoi began to swell with the righteous fury of females, and Shintarou leaned back against the couch. He wondered how much protection the cushions could afford him, and decided it wouldn't be enough.

"Are you crazy? Why the hell do you think I like Midorin? No offense, Midorin. But seriously!"

Aomine leaned in close to intimidate, but Momoi was no stranger to his tricks. Shintarou, after dismissing the cushions as adequate protective gear, wondered where Mrs. Aomine had gone, and whether or not she was concerned that there were two young people going at it in the living room...or if this was too common to worry about. "Your secret's out, Satsuki. Why else would you be dicking around in Shuutoku? What else could you possibly say that would lay Midorima out?" He swung his arms out and nearly knocked over his mother's vase. "Even Midorima knows! Why try to hide it?"

Momoi's head swiveled on its stalk, and her eyes were wide and frightening. Shintarou knew there was only a small window to save himself before she turned her rage onto him, and unlike Aomine, he had little to no experience with crazy women. "No. No I did not. I said none of that; do not drag me into this you crazy ganguro fool." And then, because he absolutely couldn't help himself, "Although I would like to say this is probably divine justice, and now you know how it feels."

Cancer was ranked third today - behind Scorpio and Virgo - and it was probably that which caused Momoi to wince and turn her attention back to Aomine instead of simply laying into Shintarou. "Dai-chan, you're wrong. That was not why I went to Shuutoku the other day. I do not like Midorin."

"Sure, sure. Just like you didn't like Tetsu for five fucking years. It's called a rebound, I'm not stupid, Satsuki-"

"You obviously must be if you think I'm that kind of girl-"

"And you have to be crazy if you think you can fool me-"

"And just who would go from Tetsu-kun to Midorin? Honestly Dai-"

"You, apparently!"

"Shut. Up!" Shintarou could count on one hand the number of times he had raised his voice around his teammates (discounting Takao, of course, who managed to get under Shintarou's skin and make it tingle with annoyance and annoyance only) but this merited it. Although he had already forfeited his manners by yelling at his hosts, he stood gracefully and carefully laid his teacup onto the table before continuing. By his calculations, he had only fourmore seconds of stunned silence before Aomine threw something at him. "That's enough from both of you. Aomine, you're an idiot. Momoi is not in love with me. However, Momoi you are also an idiot as you think I'm in love with people I never was in love with. Yet the bottom line here is that you both are idiots, as you fail to see that you are in love with each other, and instead persist in screaming. Now turn and look at each other."

They continued staring at him, with eerily similar expressions of shock on their faces. He scowled. Apparently idiocy was catching. "Or don't, it's all the same to me. I will now lay out my reasoning, and you can protest when I am finished. First of all, Momoi - who did you choose when we all went our separate ways into high school? Aomine. Who did you lie to all the other girls in Teikou about? Aomine. Who is the leading factor in all your concerns, happiness, future plans and waking moments? Do I really need to answer?"

She shook her head dumbfoundedly, finally turning to face her childhood friend. He met her gaze with a slightly more discerning expression, and the shadow in his gaze brought her to her senses. "Dai-chan…?"

Shintarou, having stepped up on his soapbox, was not getting off until he was done. "Excellent. Now onto you, Aomine. Who was the only one you never tried to push away during our middle school days? Momoi. Who fits - and very likely shaped - your ideal body type expectations? Momoi. Who is the only one you fear losing? Hint: they're in the room and it is not me. And who-"

"Enough, already. I...I get it." Aomine cut him off brusquely, turning his back to them as he did. "Look, I believe you, ok? She's doesn't have a crush on you. But you're wrong about us. We're not...we're not like that. So just...go away. I can't deal with this right now."

Shintarou glanced over at Momoi, who stood staring at her friend as if she'd never seen him before. Her eyes were practically sparkling, and Shintarou suspected that whatever had happened when Kuroko had given her that popsicle stick was happening all over again, in Aomine's living room, with him in attendance. "Dai-chan?"

Well, this is uncomfortable.

Aomine's shoulders tensed, and Shintarou wondered just how long he had been in love with his best friend. How could he have thought to hide it forever? Truthfully, it had only stayed a secret for as long as she was so blindly in love with someone else, but there was no way she wouldn't have determined the truth eventually. It was exactly like with Takao - with those eyes of his, the only surprise could be in his not having figured out yet that Shintarou-

"Not now, Satsuki. I - I gotta' go somewhere."

Oh gods. Oh by Oha Asa's sweet omniscience-

"No you don't, Dai-chan. Don't run away. Look at me, please!"

How had it come to this? How had he not realized?

"Satsuki, I can't-"

"Yes you can. For me, Dai-chan-"

Just when had he fallen in love with Takao?

Stunned by his own revelation, Shintarou didn't realize what his old teammates were about to do until Aomine spun angrily, gripping Momoi's thin shoulders. "What do you want from me? Just tell me what you want!"

Momoi stared up at him like a woman transfixed, wonder lighting her face from within. "I want you to show me. Show me how it could be."

Aomine was helpless against her, especially now that his feelings had been revealed. He leaned down slowly; cautiously enough that Momoi grew impatient with his pace and tugged him down the last six inches to her, precipitating their bliss. So it was that Shintarou witnessed the moment when Aomine and Momoi became a thing, and several of the kisses that followed. In fact, it was only after realizing that Aomine was going to kick his ass if he was still there when he came up for air that he made his hasty retreat.

It was going to be ok, Shintarou reassured himself as he made his way to the door. While he was largely unsure of what had just happened - and utterly unsure as to how - he assumed it was for the best. As matters stood, Momoi would be far too distracted to hound him with her false accusations of his former not-love, and Aomine would likely be too pleased with himself to annoy Shintarou for the forseeable future. Now all that remained was to settle the matter of Takao.

Shintarou leaned his forehead against the door, hesitant to take the first step outside. He had very little experience in handling his emotions, preferring to simply ignore them and hope for the best. Yet this merited some attention. If he were in love with Takao - and although he knew it to be true he was still going to do his best to deny it - it would explain why he had reacted so spectacularly badly when Momoi had announced his (false) love for Akashi. It would also explain why avoiding Takao had become a matter of utmost importance.

Yet would it also explain why Shintarou had - god forbid he ever admit it out loud - enjoyed Takao's presence in the first place? No, surely not. It was more likely the opposite: he must have been won over by Takao's smiles, teasing, jokes, dedication, constant presence, patience, charm, adorableness, and good looks… Well, he got his own drift, thank you very much.

Shintarou also knew that there was no resolution he could come to while standing in the foyer of Aomine's house, with his former teammate and their data analyst making out in the next room. He was just going to have to buck up, shoot hoops until the sun went down, and hope that his heart would offer up a solution by then. Otherwise...well. Monday would come, and he'd have to figure out something then.

He opened the door, lost in planning out contingency plans in case he hadn't settled all this by tomorrow morning. Yet his mind blanked when he looked down to see Takao Kazunari standing on the front porch, arm folded across his chest in a worried posture. The sound of the door opening made him glance up and Shintarou was nearly overcome by the relief in Takao's expression. "Shin-chan!"

Shintarou shrieked like a little girl and then slammed the door shut.

"Shin-chan! Open the door!" Takao's voice drifted in from through the door, yet Shintarou's mind was too busy whirling in panic to process it. Why was he out there? How had he found him? Had the gods turned against him? Did Oha Asa hate him?

"You can't hide in there forever!"

Aomine. He had taken a suspiciously long time getting dressed, and by virtue of owning a cellphone and the inclination to leap at Kuroko's bidding, was the prime suspect. Yet there was no time to worry about that. Takao was getting steadily louder, and Aomine and Momoi were bound to notice eventually. Even if they didn't, Mrs. Aomine would.

There was only one thing to do. Shintarou folded one hand around the doorknob, and with the other he gripped his lucky soap bar for courage. He then threw open the door, ducked around Takao's arm, and took off across the lawn, like a majestic gazelle hoofing it over the plains of the Serengeti.

Had she witnessed it, Momoi would have been proud.

…

Between figuring out who had just sent him the annoyed text relaying Shin-chan's location and his little sister spilling her juice all down his shirt, it Kazunari 20 minutes too long to get to Aomine's house. He could have made better time, but truthfully he was a little afraid of what would happen when he finally cornered Shin-chan. His ace-sama had been on the run for nearly two days now, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was the only one being avoided. Yet Kazunari had done some soul searching over the last few days, and had decided that compared to losing Shin-chan, nothing else mattered. So what if his best friend had been in love with Akashi? It didn't stand to reason that he loved him now. Besides, that sort of thing wouldn't affect normal friendship, and if that was all Kazunari would ever have with him, then he would treasure it, and let nothing destroy it.

Even though his mind was made up, he still loitered at the front door. What would he say when he first saw Shin-chan? What would he say?

As it turned out, the answer seemed to be a shriek of pure, utter panic. Kazunari, who had a surprisingly extensive experience with Shin-chan's high-pitched noises, began yelling immediately. "Shin-chan! Open the door!" And then, because he could think of nothing else, "You can't hide in there forever!"

Shin-chan must have come to that conclusion as well, as the door flew open and before Kazunari could react, Midorima came barrelling out of the house. Yet even now the hawkeye did not fail him - he could see the flush on Shin-chan's cheeks and the panic in his green eyes, and the realization that Shin-chan was afraid of him snapped the last of his restraint. He took off after him, and with every step his resolution hardened. He would have Shin-chan back. No matter what he did, he would win him over, even if all he could have was friendship...and even if that meant he would have to stoop to despicable means in order to accomplish it.

"Shin-chan, wait!" Kazunari called out as he ran. Even though Shin-chan was fueled by panic, Kazunari had always been faster - coordination, quick twitch muscles and two years of pulling the goddamn rickshaw won out over long legs. So he gained on him steadily, and at the very moment that Shin-chan glanced back over his shoulder, Kazunari leapt.

"Tak-!"

They fell heavily, and Kazunari was barely able to get his hands behind Shin-chan's head before it hit the ground. Shin-chan landed hard on his back, but it was better than falling on his arms or god forbid, his hands. Below him the ace winced, and Kazunari could have sworn he mumbled something about cheetahs bringing down their prey.

Well, shit. He hadn't meant to scramble his partner's brains! Yet there was no time for guilt. Pulling upon the infrequently used, dubious side of his charm, Kazunari blinked his eyes rapidly as crocodile tears began welling in his eyes. It was almost a shame. He hadn't seen Shin-chan face-to-face in days and now that he was practically straddling the man his eyesight was as blurry as Shin-chan's was without his glasses. What he did for love…

"Takao! What the hell is wrong with you! That hurt! And I- I…" Shin-chan trailed off, panic lighting up his eyes. So, he had noticed the tears. It was time for Kazunari's performance.

"I'm sorry, Shin-chan, but I didn't know what else to do! You kept running away! Please, Shin-chan. Please just listen to me!" He choked himself off as the tears began flowing more naturally, and his shoulders shook without provocation. He drew his hands from behind Shin-chan's head to grip at the collar of his jacket. "It doesn't matter, ok? I don't care! Whoever you used to love...that sort of thing won't bother me. I'm not going to be mad or hate you or any of that. So just stop running away, ok? We can just forget about it-"

"Takao." Kazunari's heart skipped a beat at the commanding tone of his voice. Call him a masochist, but oh, he had missed this - Shin-chan's bossing him around with that no-nonsense aura and clipped tones. How bad did he have it if hearing it now made him weak in the knees? "Takao please stop crying. It's unseemly."

"But Shin-chan ran from me! He wouldn't even talk to me!"

"I...Takao, you shouldn't - we're in public…!"

He was wearing him down. Kazunari knew just how kind Shin-chan secretly was, and also the depths of his forbearance. That he was already sporting his tsundere blush was a good sign. "Do I mean so little to you? Shin-chan is my best friend, and my partner, and my goddamn light and you can't even talk to me about something like this? Why are you running away from me? Do you trust me that little?"

"Is...is that why you're crying?" Shin-chan's voice was quiet, and had Kazunari not strained his ears, he might have missed it. The blush was dying down, though, and by Shin-chan's surprise Kazunari could only assume that either Shin-chan had been too spooked to even think about how his point guard had been feeling, or he'd been thinking something else the entire time. Stupid Shin-chan.

He wiped away tears with the back of his hand before replying. "Of course it is, idiot! It hurts that you don't trust me! It hurts that you don't even consider me enough of a friend, to-" A fresh wave of sorrow washed over him, and Kazunari began to suspect he wasn't faking tears anymore. It was time to bring out the big guns before he lost control. "Do you not want to be friends with me anymore? Is that it?"

"Takao!" Shin-chan's thumbs were suddenly gliding along his wet cheekbones, his long fingers gently cupping his head. The surprise of Shin-chan touching him was so great that Kazunari nearly stopped crying. "That is- that is not what I want. I...I hadn't realized you felt that way. That is not why I...was avoiding you. I…" Shin-chan trailed off, having met Kazunari's eyes. He had to look back down before he could continue. "I avoided you for reasons of my own, and I see now that it was unfair to you. I should have simply told you Momoi was wrong, and left it at that. I apologize."

Shin-chan had never touched his face like this- had avoided prolonged exposure in general- and now that it was happening Kazunari was too focused on cataloging the feel of his partner's hands to check what came out of his mouth. "But I don't understand - why avoid me? Doesn't that mean you don't trust me?"

For a fleeting moment, Shin-chan looked pained. Yet it passed quickly, leaving only his discomfiture behind. "I, too, was afraid. I thought that you would not wish to be friends with me if you thought I'd liked a man. Specifically, Akashi. I also was very embarrassed, especially as I hadn't been in love with him in the first place."

Kazunari's head snapped up so quickly his neck cracked. "You weren't in love with Akashi?" Shin-chan had to repeat himself so that Kazunari could watch him with the hawkeye and know it was the truth. Such was his need that it took him a moment to process the first part of Shin-chan's admission. "And you were afraid I wouldn't like you anymore?"

Shin-chan's hands fell from Kazunari's face, and he adjusted his glasses on the way down. "I can assure you: I never entertained anything other than respect and friendship for Akashi Seijuurou. And as for the matters pertaining to you...yes. I was...trepedatious. I had thought with your hatred of him, you would think less of me."

Joy bloomed with him, making his heart rush and his head giddy. Shin-chan was telling the truth, which meant that Kazunari hadn't been competing against He Who Must Not Lose's spector this entire time. Not only that, but he valued him enough to worry over Kazunari's reactions, and to allow him to straddle him in public, and run away rather than let their friendship end. Shin-chan was an idiot, no question. But he was his idiot, and with a heart full of love for him, he told him so. "Shin-chan. You're an idiot."

"Well, I never-"

Kazunari interrupted him by throwing his arms around him, a tricky endeavor when the huggee was lying on the ground. He then began crying in earnest, loud, wracking sobs that flustered Shin-chan to no end. "What? Wait, Takao! Stop crying! Why are you crying again?"

He just loved this man so much, he couldn't handle it. "Because of what Shin-chan said! You dumbass! How could I hate you? Argh, I'm crying for real now!"

"But I said all that to make you stop crying! Takao!"

Yet even though he grumbled and flushed, he held Kazunari until the tears had stopped.

…

...

As they walked back to Takao's house - Kazunari talking a mile a minute and Shin-chan hmphing and 'you fool'ing' at the appropriate moments, Kazunari couldn't help but think that this had to be one of the best days of his life. Even when they had crossed the kitchen, and his mom made pointed comments about those that fight like little girls should kiss and make up already. The hypothesis was proven without question when Shin-chan made an offhand reply to something Kazunari had said (he really had to start keeping track of what the hell came out of his mouth).

"All of this is irrelevant. Clearly you are my most important...friend. I wouldn't spend so much time with you were that not so. Therefore, worrying about Akashi is needless."

The door shut behind him with a quiet, definitive click, yet Kazunari's world had shrunk down to the barely-concealed embarrassment on Shin-chan's face, and the hesitation in his voice. His Ace's reply echoed in his ears, drowning out even the stimuli supplied by his hawkeye: Clearly you are my most important friend. ...most important...friend. ...most important… He had meant to say person, hadn't he? That was how the phrasing went. No one said most important friend, that was ridiculous. And if he had meant to say most important person and had only stopped himself at the last minute…

Kazunari's heart thundered against his ribcage, and he lost his head. He found himself looming over Shin-chan, pushing his teammate back onto the bed. Gone were the tears from earlier, now that Kazunari had the slightest hint of Shin-chan's deeper affections, he would stop at nothing to ferret out the truth.

"Takao, what are you doing? I already apologized for making you cry!"

For a moment, he pitied Shin-chan. This was all way too much for him, and he had a feeling this was the most he'd ever exercised his emotions in his entire life. But Kazunari simply couldn't take it anymore, and if there was even a .03% chance of winning Shin-chan right now, he would take it. "I think you said the wrong thing, Shin-chan. It's not most important friend, no? I think you meant something else…"

The tsundere blushed, sputtered, and generally looked like he was about to implode. "What that…! No I didn't! Takao, don't be stupid. Unhand me this instant!"

"Nuh uh. Not until Shin-chan is honest, and tells me how he really feels."

Shin-chan glared up at him and Kazunari could practically see the resolve forming, acting as a shield to protect his emotions. Well, then. He'd just have to go about this in a slightly different way and pray to god that he hadn't just got all of this horribly wrong.

"Well, if Shin-chan is too tsundere to admit it, I'll do it for him: Shin-chan is my most important person, and there's nothing he can do about it."

His partner's blush was spectacular, as was the flash of hope in his eyes that his glasses couldn't quite hide. "You...I'm your - wait. I'm your friend, and the person you strove so hard to make acknowledge you...that's what you mean, isn't it? You - you can't possibly mean-"

Kazunari dipped his head, catching his light's lips in a chaste yet determined kiss. He stayed there just long enough for the voice of reason in the back of his head to begin screaming obscenities at him, yet lingered to catch Shin-chan's shocked exhale. "Yeah I do, Shin-chan." He breathed deeply, and closed his eyes, trying to quell his madly beating heart. "Is that ok?"

It was a minor eternity before the shooting guard replied, but it was worth the wait. "I...Well, it's not like I can stop you." He twisted his head to the side, attempting to hide his embarrassed happiness, yet there was no hiding anything from the hawkeye. Kazunari's being was suffused with happiness, and it took all his fortitude to keep from simply pouncing on his love right then and there. Yet he knew that would likely be too much - Shin-chan needed to be wooed, just like the princess he secretly was. So he bent down again, nudging at Shin-chan's jawline with his nose. When that prompted no reaction save a stifled shiver, he resorted to drastic measures and replaced his nose with his tongue and licked him.

"Ta- Takao!"

"Gotta' look at me, Shin-chan. I've got a few more questions for you."

Trying his best to scowl, Shin-chan tilted his head so that the boys were eye to eye, only a few inches apart. Now that the hawkeye had unfettered access to Shin-chan's own eyes, there was no doubt - whether he was comfortable with admitting it or not, Shin-chan reciprocated Kazunari's feelings. Reeling with joy, Kazunari couldn't help the slow smile that stretched to his cheekbones. "All right Shin-chan. Now that you know how I feel, let's get to work on figuring out how you feel. Don't worry, we'll start small. Just tell me whether or not you like the things I do, ok?"

Green eyes glittered from behind their glass frames, and for a long moment Kazunari suspected he had pushed his friend too far. Yet then came a slow, halting nod, and Shin-chan's doom was sealed.

"Excellent. To begin with…" Kazunari leaned down, kissing him softly on the lips. "How was that?"

Shin-chan's lips trembled as he responded. "...adequate."

Oh, god bless his Shin-chan. Even scared witless he wouldn't forsake his bossy snark! Kazunari leaned down and kissed him again, this time allowing his lips to move gently against his love's. After a long moment of acclimation, Shin-chan clumsily attempted to return the gesture, and then followed breathless minutes of exploration that Kazunari would always remember as one of most awkward yet beautiful moments of his life.

Right when Shin-chan starting to gain confidence, Kazunari slowly pulled away. "And how was that?"

Shin-chan's eyes were wide and glassy, and he took his time in wetting his lips and swallowing down the lump in his throat. The intensity in his gaze gave away the lie to his response. "Adequate."

Such naughtiness deserved to punished...or rewarded, however one chose to look at it. Kazunari breathed out his name as he bent to kiss him a third time, letting loose the floodgates on his own passion. Now he kissed him deeply, nipping and licking at his lips, coaxing gasps and muffled groans from his partner. He teased his tongue past Shin-chan's teeth, tangling with his partner's. Utilizing all his skill in order to bring Shin-chan to the brink, Kazunari pulled back the moment before they both toppled over. "And how was-"

"Takao." Shin-chan cut him off by reaching for him and pulling him back down to the bed. Kazunari's eyes widened in surprise as Shin-chan took control of this kiss, making up for his lack of expertise in exuberance. Giving over control of the situation to his partner, Kazunari fell to his side so that they could come closer together. Limbs tangling on the bed, they spent a long time learning the taste of each other's mouth; running their hands over each other's skin. Shin-chan was naturally more hesitant, but he learned in leaps and bounds. By the time he had mustered up enough courage to slip his fingers up under the hem of Kazunari's shirt, however, he had about reached his boiling point. He fell back onto the bed, taking small, quick breaths and with his swollen lips and dark eyes, looked thoroughly debauched.

Taking in his beautiful tsundere, Kazunari could be nothing other than supremely pleased. "And how was that?"

Shin-chan brought his arm up over his face to hide his blush and skewed glasses. "Please stop asking me that. You already know. It is eminently obvious, or so I should think."

"Nooooo I don't think I do...besides, inquiring minds want to know."

Shuutoku's ace removed his glasses, yet kept his arm in front of his eyes. "I...you tell me first. Again. Tell me thatthingyousaidearlier again."

Love. He was in love with this man. More than that - he loved this man with the strength and longevity of 1000 suns, and now that Shin-chan wanted to hear it, he would keep his silence no longer. "I'll do one better: I love you, Shin-chan. I love you so, so much."

Shin-chan's adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "I...yes. Yes, that is acceptable. You may continue doing so."

The cuteness nearly killed him. Kazunari's poor heart could take no more, so he threw himself down onto the bed, burying his face against the side of his partner's neck. Shin-chan made vaguely disgruntled noises from the back of his throat, but it was obvious that he was not-so-secretly pleased. Yet even his poor attempt at propriety was ended when Kazunari leaned up and began kissing him again, slowly and softly, sweet enough to make him melt.

There would be time enough to seduce him later, Kazunari decided, as they lazed away the afternoon (more or less) chastely cuddling. For now, they would merely enjoy themselves, and learn the long and winding paths to each other's hearts, their home.

…

And that was that. Part 4 in the What I Do At Work series, although do not tell my boss, please. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, you know what to do...