Call it what you want.
And I know I make the same mistakes every time
Bridges burn, I never learn
At least I did one thing right
I did one thing right
I'm laughing with my lover, makin' forts under covers
Trust him like a brother
Yeah, you know I did one thing right
Starry eyes sparkin' up my darkest night
.
Chapter: 2 Long-distance boyfriend
Both blondes stood in the entry of the barrier, their gazes fixed on the father and son duo as they left. Kazui turned his head and waved with his small, chubby hand while he was snug in his father's warm embrace. The moon hung low in the night sky, casting a silvery glow over the quiet street, and the soft hum of the streetlights bathed the scene in a gentle, amber light.
"Do you want one?" Shinji whispered as he wrapped his arms around Hiyori's waist from behind, his warm breath tickling her ear his voice sounding more like a purr than actual words.
"Shut up," Hiyori grumbled, her cheeks flushing slightly as both orange-haired men strolled home on the horizon.
"I mean it," Shinji persisted, his playful tone undeterred. "I can give you one, a blonde midget for you to chase around."
Hiyori used his name as a warning, her voice a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Shinji."
"Because if you want that specific one," he continued, "I can steal him for you. His father is so clueless it's going to take him ages to figure it out. And his mom is so nice that she may agree to gift him to you. I still rather give you the blonde one, several if you ask me."
Her entire body tensed up at the thought, annoyance, and excitement warring for dominance within her chest. She cast him a heated glare despite the smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "You're too daring for your own good, Baldy."
"Maybe," Shinji agreed, his lips curving into a smile as he squeezed her ass gently. He paused for a moment. Then, in one swift motion, he spun her around. Out of instinct, she clutched the fabric of his black dress shirt for balance. His gaze held an intensity that made her heart flutter, and goosebumps rose on her skin as his hands moved to cup her face.
"I missed you," he whispered before leaning in to press their lips together. His kiss was passionate yet gentle, conveying all the longing and love he had been storing away while being apart. The kiss felt like it lasted an eternity, yet it was over far too soon.
"You already said that." Hiyori teased.
Shinji smiled. "Well, I missed you very much."
She flicked his forehead playfully and then grabbed Shinji's hand. Without a word, they made their way inside the warehouse. The common area was a familiar space, filled with a mishmash of furniture and various trinkets collected over the years.
As they stepped inside, the dimly lit room welcomed them with its cozy atmosphere. Hiyori led Shinji to their worn-out but comfortable-looking yellow couch and plopped down on it, tugging him to sit beside her.
"I guess, make yourself at home, Baldy," she said, her tone still laced with her typical gruffness. "What did you say in the text? We're going to have the pleasure of your company for three whole days?"
Shinji nodded as he settled in beside her, their shoulders brushing against each other. "Is that your way of welcoming me home? How about a less sarcastic 'okaeri'? And yeah, three days, Hiyori. I left everything settled, so unless there's a Quincy War level of emergency, Momo shouldn't be calling me."
"Aha," she said with a hint of incredulity.
"Can you give me a bit more credit? Things have been crazy." Shinji replied, "And you are also welcome to come visit if you're complaining so much,", a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"I did! This time I've been there twice in a row," she declared triumphantly, emphasizing her rare achievement.
In response, Shinji playfully chewed on a strand of his hair, his eyes narrowing as he continued in a sarcastic tone, "Congratulations, Hiyori, you've visited me two times in a row for the first time in 10 years." His expression was a mix of amusement and teasing as he poked fun at her infrequent visits.
With a smirk and a roll of her eyes, Hiyori playfully nudged Shinji's shoulder, with her free hand, the contact gentle and devoid of any real force.
"Anyhow Baldy, as much as I'd love to entertain your sorry ass all night," she muttered with a hint of irritation, "I've got work to do." She leaned back slightly, her fingers reluctantly slipping out of his grasp. "I promised Ikumi-san that I'd stop by when Kazui was gone. I think she needs help with a couple of errands."
Shinji attempted to grab her hand as she made her way towards the exit, but his fingers slipped through the air, failing to catch her. He let out an exaggerated sigh, clearly not ready to part ways. "At this time at night?"
Hiyori shot him a pointed look as if he'd just asked the most ridiculous question. "It's 8:30 pm, Baldy. What are you, an old man?"
Shinji's brows furrowed, clearly still not convinced. "No, but who goes to work at this time?"
A mischievous glint danced in Hiyori's molten gold eyes as she took a step closer to him, her tone suddenly low and threatening. "If the next sound out of that pie hole of yours it's a warning that it's dangerous. I'll show you just how dangerous I can be."
Shinji raised an eyebrow, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "But I have days off. Can't you stay? I came specifically to see you, idiot. I'm not really interested in watching TV until you're back."
"Deal with it," she shot back, leaning over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Not sure if you know who you're dealing with here, but I'm not exactly here waiting for you to show up. I have a life, so get bent. I'll be back later. Don't break anything while I'm gone, Baldy."
Shinji, determined not to let Hiyori go just yet deftly encircled her waist with his arm and playfully tugged her back down onto the couch, gently settling her in his lap. He spoke directly into her ear making his voice velvety smooth. "Call in sick, Hiyo-chan."
"Stop calling me that, I already told you." Hiyori had every intention this time of hitting him in his stupid flat face, but he caught her fist with his larger hand. "And I'm not calling in sick. I already made a commitment. I'm not you. Do you ever call in sick to your precious squad?"
"Sometimes..." Shinji trailed off, his grin widening as he teased.
She tried to get free of his arms and stand up, but once again, she failed. "That's because you're a lazy dumbass. Me, on the other hand, I'm a responsible person." She huffed, clearly annoyed by this idiot that was overpowering her at every move.
Shinji chuckled, his grip on her waist loosening just slightly. "You know you want to stay," he said, leaning in closer until their noses were almost touching. "Besides, who's going to keep you entertained while you're off doing your responsible person thing?"
He tilted her head up to his, and Hiyori felt a spike of arousal push back through her, her lips parting for his kiss. It was soft, brief, his tongue flickering with hers, his mouth warm. His pupils were wide when he pulled away. "Shinji…"
"Can you please, please stay, Hiyori?" Shinji's gaze bore into her, his eyes filled with intensity, causing her to waver. "Just this time, I haven't been with you alone in so long. Please stay." He pleated to her.
Hiyori's heart leapt in her chest as Shinji spoke, the intensity of his gaze making it hard to deny him. Her mouth parted slightly, and she brushed her fingers against his cheek, sighing softly.
"Okay, ugh, enough with the kicked puppy act," she finally conceded. Hiyori retrieved her phone from the pocket of her pants and swiftly typed a message for Ikumi-san. She wasn't willing to lie to her, not after all the help Ikumi had given her, but she found it challenging to explain the actual situation. So, she opted for half-truths: Boyfriend-who-lives-abroad appeared out of nowhere to surprise her.
Shinji's face lit up with pure joy at her words and actions. He reached out and gently moved a lock of her hair aside to start kissing the side of her neck. As her jacket was noticeably missing, her neck and shoulders were invitingly exposed to him. His lips trailed down from her collarbone to the small swell of cleavage that peeked out from beneath the edges of her shirt before returning to lay gentle kisses along the line of her jaw.
He brought one hand up to cup the back of Hiyori's head as he claimed her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. She opened for him without hesitation, allowing their tongues to intertwine in a slow dance that soon had them both breathless.
Breaking away with ragged breaths, he pressed his forehead against hers as they both tried to catch their breath. Hiyori kept them close as if afraid that if she let go even for an instant Shinji would disappear like morning mist evaporating in sunlight.
"I love you," he whispered huskily against Hiyori's ear before pressing another soft kiss there and holding onto each other until time itself seemed to stand still around them.
"If you are going to start with your shitty cheesy talk, I am going to leave," Hiyori warned jokingly as she pulled away from Shinji's embrace.
Shinji chuckled and rolled his eyes before pressing one last quick kiss against her lips. "You know that I can't help it," he said with a sheepish grin. "Beside I want to hear you say it too."
She arched her back, urging him to kiss more of her skin. "Hiyori…" he whispered while his lips found the delicate spot beneath her ear and one of his hands had already delved inside her white shirt. She squirmed under the feeling. "Where are Love and Hachi?"
"I dunno," she murmured. She was having problems thinking straight. "Why?"
Shinji's lips curved into a mischievous smirk as his hands and mouth roamed over Hiyori's body.
"I just want to know how much noise I can make you make, Hiyori," he purred, his voice low and seductive. His lips found the curve of her neck and he sucked gently on the sensitive skin, eliciting a gasp from her. His hands roamed up and down her sides, leaving trails of fire in their wake.
"Idiot, we need to go to the bedroom. They can come back at any time." She said.
.
.
Omake 1
Hiyori (8:32 p.m.): Ikumi-san
Izumi-san (8:32 p.m.): Hiyori! My dear! I was starting to get worried, everything okay with Kazui? Is Ichigo giving you a hard time? Cause if he is, I can take care of him.
Hiyori (8:32 p.m.): No, everything is fine. I just, I'll probably stop by tomorrow for the errands you mentioned. Is that okay?
Izumi-san (8:33 p.m.): It's. But is everything okay?
Hiyori (8:36 p.m.): Yeah…
Izumi-san (8:36 p.m.): Hiyori?
Hiyori (8:36 p.m.): Remember that guy I mentioned, the one that lives in a different country.
Izumi-san (8:37 p.m.): The one you think is an idiot Baldy?
Hiyori (8:37 p.m.): Yeah, that one
Hiyori (8:37 p.m.): He kinda stopped by out of nowhere, I told him to wait until I was done, but he is being very annoying about it.
Izumi-san (8:38 p.m.): See you tomorrow, Hiyori.
Hiyori (8:38 p.m.): Are you sure it's fine? because if not…
Izumi-san (8:38 p.m.): See you tomorrow.
Izumi-san (9:55 p.m.): Bring him tomorrow, I want to meet him.
