Prompt - Agepism (the ethics of love)

It was at a jokey remark that Kōki wondered whether the line between friends and something more was disintegrating between him and Seijūrō.

A normal event beforehand; Kōki slipped on some ice and Seijūrō quickly caught him around the waist to keep him on his feet. Takao had been gingerly walking next to him, clinging onto Midorima's arm with all the strength of an octopus and said, "When's the wedding, guys?"

Midorima had sighed in annoyance and promptly pushed him so he fell to the ground (at which point karma took effect and Takao managed to drag Midorima down with him; a feat with which Kōki was impressed). Seijūrō had stepped back from Kōki as if he'd been burnt and Kōki laughed in embarrassment. "Are you already drunk, Kazunari?" Seijūrō said.

Takao grinned from where he was still sprawled on the ground. "I may have had a little tiny something." At Kōki and Seijūrō's exasperated looks he crossed his arms. "Tiny, I tell you. Just finishing a bottle."

"You have a problem, Kazu," Midorima said, trying to loosen Takao's grasp on his arm.

"Don't be silly, Shin-chan," he answered, kissing him on the cheek before bounding up to his feet. "Come on, not much further."

The remark had been forgotten by Takao but the rest of the way to the pub Kōki puzzled over it. He loved Seijūrō, obviously, but being in love with him was an entirely different matter.

He had hoped his crush on Seijūrō had been over by the time he was eighteen, but right now all he could think of was how being in the snow made the atmosphere really romantic, and of how he kind of wished that he and Seijūrō were alone.

"You're not bothered by what the idiot said, right?" Seijūrō said over his shoulder when he saw Kōki's expression.

Kōki smiled and shook his head. "Of course not."

"Kazu, you dim-witted imbecile!" Midorima shouted from in front of them. Kōki and Seijūrō watched in amusement at the Takao and Midorima pile which had once again occurred.

"I'm not dim-witted, Shin-chan. Just a bit drunk."

"Seriously, guys, when's your wedding?" Kōki retorted.

Midorima blushed and Takao smiled at him fondly. "Hopefully soon. I'm wearing him down."

Kōki wasn't really sure how to respond to this little snippet of information.

"You're drunk, Takao," Midorima said gruffly, ignoring Takao as he put his chin on Midorima's shoulder and gazed up at him in adoration. "You're going to be ill tomorrow."

"You'll take care of me if I am Shin-chan?"

Midorima sighed. "I have no choice, do I?" He pushed Takao away again and got to his feet.

"Those two are ridiculous," Seijūrō said. Kōki agreed, but didn't say anything. Truth be told, he was a bit jealous at the ease of their relationship.

Any hope of the evening being otherwise uneventful were dashed when Takao came to their table with several shots and a terrifyingly mischievous look in his eye.

Kōki, unable to deny his friends anything, took everything that Takao offered which meant that he was quite jovial and witty after a couple of hours. Seijūrō was always the type to become more quiet the more he drank, so he contented himself with watching Kōki's exaggerated movements and unguarded expressions.

"Can I ask you something, Akashi?" Midorima suddenly asked half-way through the evening.

"Hmm?"

"When we were in middle school were you in a relationship with Nijimura-san?"

Seijūrō froze and Kōki choked on his drink. "Shintaro?"

"I'm just wondering."

At which Seijūrō frowned into his glass. "A relationship of sorts. Did the others know?"

Takao and Kōki gaped at him as Midorima shrugged. "Just wondering," he repeated.

"Wait, of sorts?" Kōki said.

"Is it a relationship if it's just sex?" Seijūrō mused. Kōki thankfully wasn't drinking anything so he didn't almost choke to death again.

"You were in middle school."

"Is that not normal?" Seijūrō asked.

"Not really, Akashi," Midorima said.

So Seijūrō was gay? That made things so much more complicated. Kōki chewed on a wedge of lemon as he fiddled with the zip on his jacket. Or at least, gay for those who were good at basketball, which Kōki wasn't sure he could lay claim to.

"Well that gives me an idea," Takao lifted his knees up and sat back on his haunches. "Every one has to admit to something they've never admitted to before."

"I don't know whether that's a good idea," Kōki said with an embarrassed smile.

"No, no, of course it is." He turned to Midorima. "First time you fell for me. Go."

Despite himself, Kōki was intrigued.

"You're the only one who wants to play this game, Kazu."

"No, I'm interested too," Seijūrō added. "I don't want to be the only one to admit to something."

"I really don't—"

"Oh, go on, Shin-chan," Kōki added, though he blanched at the glare Midorima sent him.

"Fine. The first time I saw you."

"The first time? That doesn't make any sense, Shin-chan. That was at a game my school played against Tei—" his eyes widened when Midorima looked at him. "Really?"

Midorima glared at the table but nodded.

"Shin-chan!" Takao pounced on him and covered his face with kisses.

"Get off me, Takao," Midorima said, looking especially relieved (which would have offended Kōki had he been in Takao's position) when Takao settled to just holding onto his hand.

"Seriously, guys," Kōki exclaimed. Seijūrō muttered something about the inappropriateness of PDAs.

"I'm thinking a spring wedding," Takao said cheerily, turning back to the other side of the table.

"Kazu—"

"Anyway!" Takao interrupted Midorima. "Admit something, Kou-chan."

Had Kōki not been so spineless when it came to friends and refused the drinks, had he never gone to Seirin and somehow become close to these bunch of idiots, had he never been born, he would not be in this situation. The glance he shot to Seijūrō revealed nothing of what he was feeling, he was sitting as regally as ever with a casual expression.

"Uh…" he started.

Takao smiled encouragingly. "Go on, Kou-chan."

"Well, this is about you, Sei."

"It is?" He didn't sound surprised.

"Uh, well…" He looked up to the ceiling and grimaced, wishing for any proverbial 'trapdoor in the floor' to open. "When we first met… I had a crush on you."

"Is that so?" His voice didn't betray any emotions so Kōki shot him a sideways glance. He was pressing his lips together and his shoulders were almost shaking from trying not to laugh.

"See, this is why I never wanted to say anything. You're laughing at me."

Forget the trapdoor. He wished a gunman would come in and shoot Seijūrō down. With Takao for good measure.

"No, of course not. Kazunari," he turned to Takao, who was watching with wide eyes. "May I take your turn?" He took the odd shrugging-like gesture as assent. "Come closer, Kōki."

"No."

"Fine," he said, sounding amused as he instead slid closer. Kōki sent a desperate look to Takao, who was watching the entire thing like someone watching a pack of lions take down gazelle. Except with more sadistic glee. "I'll admit something." He was uncomfortably close now, and caught Kōki's chin to turn his head and kiss him.

At which point Kōki forgot that Midorima and Takao were on the other side of the table watching, and with how busy the pub was tonight probably a few other pairs of curious eyes. He reached up to tighten his arms around Seijūrō's neck (probably narrowly avoiding the glasses on the table) and kissed him back with a fervour that could only be attributed to the fact that he was completely drunk and absolutely - absolutely - could not be attributed to how attractive he'd found Seijūrō from the beginning. Hopefully neither of them would remember this tomorrow; it would make living together mightily awkward.

Although the precise way Seijūrō was kissing him back was making him wonder whether he'd drank all that much. Sure, he had been quiet, but Kōki couldn't remember him ordering anything after the first round.

That musing went right out of his head when Seijūrō bit at his lower lip at the same time as stroking up the inside of his thigh. Kōki moaned (really embarrassing; thank goodness the acoustics were quite bad and relatively loud in their corner) and pressed into his hand.

"Wow, they're really going at it," Takao said.

Kōki jumped back and hit his head on the wall in his haste. Seijūrō cocked his head and smirked.

"Yeah, you guys are hypocrites. Our PDA was way more family-friendly than that," Takao flicked his fingers towards them and picked up his glass.