Not So Perfect Strangers
Chapter 5
The next two days Kise took off after the meltdown at the shoot. Kuroko was glad to hear it honestly because judging from the way the phone call went after his fit he needed just some time to sit and think. The good news was that they had gotten a lot more done since he was home so they could work on starting to try and understand him and his profession a bit more. There was a catch though: THIS TIME he wanted to know EVERYTHING or at the very least what Kise COULD tell him. This was something that they both knew was going to have to happen but with the next couple of weeks being important for his career the model needed to have all cards out on the table so he could go in with a clear head!
"Where would you like me to begin Kuroko?" Kise asked and when the teal gave a deadpanned "Wherever" Kise knew pretty much to start at the beginning
"About three years ago…maybe a bit more give or take some friends of mine and I were joking around and doing some stupid things like taking pictures of his 'modeling' different things. Of all of us I was actually the one that got it and did so well that some friends of mine took the pictures we had of me and sent them to various agencies. The one that got my services was run by a man I knew from elsewhere named Kasamatsu and we got along fine and everything was great. He had a few different people that were some of the more prominent names that I think you might have covered once before for an editorial but he saw something special in me as a person. Suffice to say that within about three months of working with them I became one of the most requested people in the agency and they have had me go out as their rep since then." Kise explained and Kuroko nodded as he wrote that down in his notebook. He did have some questions that would need to be answered though
"If I remember correctly one year you were asked to do a fashion show for a designer that was big in the LGBT community. I remember that show because I had to cover it for some friends of mine that asked specifically for me because of my support of the community. Did you not like doing that show because I remember hearing about a fuss you made backstage and it sounds similar to what happened here." Kuroko explained and Kise tensed when he heard about the incident at that show. Why did this have to get brought up?
"I didn't mind doing the show…that wasn't the issue. The problem was actually that one of the hot shots that was backstage started coming on to me in a way that I didn't like. It got SPUN by the organizers that I acted out unprovoked but no I didn't act out just because I wanted to. The jerk started touching me in a way I didn't approve of." Kise explained and Kuroko didn't press the situation because he already figured it out. This of course led to the discussion over the most recent incident
"So the photoshoot from a few days ago…I need you to tell me what happened and don't worry I'm not going to use this in any way. I just want to know so maybe I can help you not have this problem in the future." The teal explained and Kise let out one big breath before calmly agreeing to tell him what happened.
"Right so we were doing a thing for a big name outfitter for the spring/summer line. I was hoping it would be done by about 3-4 o'clock so I could get home and we could have a good dinner as our first one living here as roommates. What I was told was…that wasn't happening and that annoyed me greatly." Kise told Kuroko whom waited till more came out before he gave his input.
"After the shoot I was told that I had an interview to do with a publication and we were doing one more photoshoot for that same magazine. Now this SOUNDS fine except I had told the agency after the problem at the fashion show I wouldn't do anymore things for magazines that showed the 'community' that it represented in a light that I didn't approve of. They had me go against my convictions because of a contract that they signed without my knowledge or consent. The ONLY REASON I went through with and suffered through it is because I didn't want to let you down by not pulling my weight in making the money to help us keep the apartment. I went through with it and hated it for about 3-4 hours because boy did they want some stuff from me." Kise told Kuroko and when Kuroko heard the part about representing the community in a way he didn't approve of Kuroko stopped writing and, without saying anything, got up and walked behind the young man and gave him a quick hug before whispering in his ear "I'm sorry" and then, in what seemed to be on an impulse, he kissed him on the cheek which shocked Kise as much as it did Kuroko but for some reason Kise didn't mind it. Kuroko might have had a slight blush after the sudden show of affection but he didn't mind because he knew that Kise needed this. He needed to know that it was alright for him to feel how he did and also that he had someone that supported him for what he did and what he believed in.
Later that night the two friends sat down and turned on the TV for the first time watching a show about two best friends that started to show feelings towards each other. The irony in the situation was not completely lost on either man as it appeared to be what was happening with them. Here were two men that didn't really know each other well yet but something was starting to happen. To explain the feeling was something they couldn't do yet because in their own minds it wasn't real yet. In their own minds the idea of them being a couple wasn't a proper thought because Kise knew (or at least he THOUGHT he knew) that he liked women. Its who he hangs out with on a daily basis so you would THINK he had a preference towards them right?
Some people actually wondered about Kuroko for the longest time. Yes he always worked around women but he never expressly showed interest in them leading to some co-workers (who were quickly and swiftly dealt with by Hyuga) calling him names that we shall not repeat. It was a dark period for the young man and there were times he got as frustrated as Kise recently. Was that why he reacted the way he did when discussing the incident? Did his memories of his own incident stir something in the young man?
As the night wore on the distance that the two had a part was slowly shrinking and eventually they were almost sitting directly next to each other but they respected the others personal space. They honestly didn't know what to think about the situation that was unfolding and quickly but there was that part in the back of both of their minds that at some point one, if not both, had to act on it or just leave it alone. The ultimate question becomes then when do you act on it in an "appropriate matter". One thing at times Kise was faulty of acting without thinking and Kuroko…he sometimes thought too much and never acted on his emotions. Was that what caused him to kiss Kise earlier? Was the brief time they were around each other starting to have an effect on Kuroko as far as his impluses?
That night as the two friends went to bed in their separate bedrooms one question kept ringing in their heads:
What just happened and what's next?