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Ryouta jumped out of his bed the moment he realized it was already morning. Well... that, and the fact that his now dismissed alarm just rang a few moments ago. Oversleeping would definitely defeat the purpose of sleeping immaculately for 8 hours only every night. He had to be strict about that detail most especially today. He knew he needed to look exceptionally fresh today.
Senpai will finally come home from an architectural convention in Europe his boss wanted him to attend, and Ryouta undeniably hardly understood what goes on in such events aside from the fact that it takes away his beloved Senpai away for a whole week. It wasn’t like he hadn't experienced waiting for days until he gets to see Senpai again before, because he had, whenever Senpai got his turn with having the children over. He understood how much Yukio's children meant to him, and he knew those children were already finding their way deeper in Ryouta's heart. It’s just that now, with Senpai being in a different continent, just thinking about the distance and the differing time zones gave Ryouta a different and a quite possibly heavier kind of loneliness.
He was browsing his closet for some clothes fit for today’s cold weather when his eyes landed on his pilot uniform. His stomach dropped at the thought of another pilot driving a colossal, winged carbon fiber tube along the Earth’s stratosphere 33,000 feet above the ground for 13 hours with his precious, precious Kasamatsu-senpai inside as one of the passengers.
Honestly, he never understood why Kasamatsu-senpai never agreed to his idea of asking the higher-ups if he can aviate the flights Senpai would be in. Yes, he was a relatively young pilot whose record of long-haul flights could be counted with just one and a half hand (How is it better that you fly my flights with that much experience, idiot?!) and there were far more senior pilots who had far, far more experience in flying long hours. Yet, somehow he felt it would’ve been a shame if he hadn’t just tried asking for the specific flight assignments. Well, it had been a shame. He'd already imagined quite a number of romantic words and pick-up lines he could have said through the intercom that would’ve made Senpai swoon over the captain the entire duration of both flights.
Oh well. Nothing he can do about flying those planes now. He can, however, plan to make Senpai swoon over said captain at home. After all, Senpai agreed to stay with him for a night upon his return before finally seeing his dear children the next day. That, in and of itself was already a miracle. The least Ryouta could do was to make his and Senpai’s alone time together worthwhile.
-----
“Senpai, is the color blue okay to you?"
“Why?”
“Just curious."
“Kise, I swear to God if you show up in the airport with one of those big ass bouquets again, I’m going to pretend you got the wrong person and act like I don’t know you at all.”
To doubt Yukio’s threats had been one of the poorest decisions Ryouta had ever made. The last time he believed that Senpai loves me too much to do something as mean as that, he ended up half naked outside a fitting room with his top still discarded on the floor of said fitting room, apologizing to the very few customers who saw him (not that they mind) because seriously, who can't resist a once in a lifetime chance of getting their kinks on and do something lascivious in a semi-public place? (We’re not going to do anything Senpai, just let me touch you he--) Apparently Kasamatsu-senpai could, making Ryouta vow to never go against Senpai’s will. Probably.
“Hey Kise, I see my bag. I’ll see you when I go out?”
“Alright. I’ll see you soon, Senpai!" Ryouta tapped end call on his phone and picked up one of his welcome back gifts for the older man.
-----
Yukio was scanning the arrival hall when he heard a familiar voice call out his name. Technically, it wasn’t but lately he had been called Senpai so much he might as well drop Yukio and take Senpai as his given name instead. Although he knew whom to expect, heck, they had talked on the phone minutes ago, he still felt his heart swell up in anticipation at the sight of the owner of the voice.
He turned his head towards the direction of the voice and was faced with a briskly walking personification of the sun. Bright hair, bright eyes, quite possibly the brightest, and most beautiful smile he had ever seen after a long time being away.
His eyes trailed down to what Ryouta was holding. That’s a—
“Senpai, I missed you so much!” Ryouta said and wrapped his arms around the brunet. He quickly pulled away to give Yukio a kiss on the lips, only to pull away again to hold Senpai in another tight embrace.
Everything was happening too fast for Yukio to comprehend. His heart was beating too fast and he felt blood quickly rush to his cheeks. He was still trying to calm his pounding heart at the sound of Ryouta's voice when it decided to accelerate more upon seeing the beautiful blond. To say the least, he was too stunned to react when he felt Ryouta's warmth against his body. Was that a kiss? It felt too short for him to enjoy. He needed to feel it again. But it wasn't helping that he was starting to transform back to his awkward teenage self again, except now, it wasn't the idea of talking to the mystical beings of the opposite sex that made him flustered. No, this time, it was a damn romantic, beautiful man named Kise Ryouta.
“For you, Senpai,” the younger man said, and Yukio who was in deep thought recollecting what just happened was brought back to the present reality again. “Thank you, Kise,” he mumbled, receiving the gift while feeling more blood rush to his already flushed cheeks.
“This isn’t blue,” Yukio said stupidly as he remembered their earlier phone call, holding a single fully bloomed red rose. There something in his voice that the blond couldn’t comprehend, but Ryouta's certain about one thing: the pink tinge dusting Senpai’s cheeks. He hoped he had somehow gotten his message across.
I love you. No matter the distance.
“Yeah, well I have other plans for that. But that’s for later,” Ryouta said with a wink, turning around with the older man’s luggage in tow.
Oh.
Yukio's blue eyes widened at the blond’s words and the accompanying action thrown his way and watched Ryouta walk ahead of him, giving him a clear view of his backside. He might not be wearing anything suggestive (yet), but that didn’t stop Yukio from imagining anything.
-----
“It’s such a shame to have to drive with the windows up right now,” the blond said, finally sitting on the driver’s seat after loading Yukio’s luggage in the SUV’s trunk. Courtesy of Senpai, the engine was already running and the temperature was set, so they didn’t have to feel the cold brought about by the weather. “I would’ve wanted to make you feel how the atmosphere in Berlin is very different compared to how it is here at home.”
Ryouta, who had been to different countries countless times, understood the stark differences in the air. Perhaps he was being biased, but he was eager to make Senpai feel how the one at home, the atmosphere they shared, was at the top of the blond's list.
“Can we write down comparing air quality in your list of ridiculous hobbies along with mineral water tasting now?” Senpai teased, remembering the younger man's leisure activity he discovered back from when they were in high school.
"Senpai's so mean," the blond whined, "I just figured that you might have missed the air here at home, that's all. I miss it sometimes when I'm away for work."
Yukio looked over and briefly, very briefly took off his seatbelt to lean over and give his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. “You're sweet. Thank you, Kise,” he said.
“It’s my pleasure, Senpai,” the blond smiled, turned his head and gave him a brief kiss on the lips before focusing back on the road ahead.
It wasn’t enough for Yukio but he knew he shouldn’t distract the driver’s field of vision at the moment. Perhaps maybe he could go lower, his head just right above Kise’s… Yukio stopped his thoughts and internally shook his head. It wouldn’t obstruct the driver’s view of the road, but it would definitely cause his brain to malfunction, disabling him from doing any actual driving at all. Ryouta started driving not so long ago and that kind of a distraction is a definite no.
Yukio suppressed his urges by resorting to teasing the younger man, "Never thought I'd be coming home to a rather sweet and thoughtful boyfriend," he said, his tone playfully disbelieving as he sat back and fastened his seatbelt.
“So mean! I’ve always been sweet and thoughtful! Besides, you’ve been away for quite some time, Senpai. Loneliness can do such thing!”
“I’ve been gone for a week, Kise. It wasn't that long.”
“It is for me, and don’t tell me it’d only been me who was missing the other that entire week of you being in a whole different continent."
“It had only been you missing the other in this relationship, idiot.”
“So mean, Senpai!”
Yukio looked over only to see Kise wearing a full-blown pout, so he reached out to take one of the blond's hands in his.
"I. Missed. You. Too," Yukio punctuated each word with a kiss to each of his lover's knuckles. Ryouta interlaced their fingers together, brought it up to briefly kiss the back of Yukio’s hand and positioned their interlaced hands on top of the gear selector. The brunet watched as the petulant man’s pout turned to a happy, satisfied grin.
The older man shook his head and laughed fondly at the quick change of his boyfriend’s expressions and while driving, Ryouta took a ludicrous risk to look at his passenger's mien. He was now looking outside the window, his jaw pressed against his other hand with his elbow propped on the door. He was wearing his signature smile. God, had he missed seeing that face with those crinkled eyes that always made his heart explode. And hearing that laugh from beside him, knowing he was the reason for the man’s happiness, made his ruptured heart whole again.
“I still can’t believe you’re driving,” Yukio said, breaking the shroud of comfortable silence inside the vehicle.
Just a few days before Yukio left for Europe, Ryouta declared his outrageous plan of getting a driver’s license. The idea would not have been preposterous if not for the reason of his assertion. The blond was frustrated upon realizing that he may not be the one flying Senpai to Berlin and back, and so the next best thing on Ryouta's list is to navigate the next mode of transportation that Senpai was going to take upon his return.
Learning to drive a vehicle was less perplexing compared to the control surfaces he was accustomed to operate. It took a few secret rendezvous with his most trusted friend who owned a car (I know what I’m doing Takaocchi, don’t wor- FUCK! That was so close!) and a few rounds of watching said friend drive (You better get this right or else I won’t ever let you drive this car again!) before he successfully Perfect Copied his way through the practical tests and finally, to his driver’s license. A glossy ID card permitting him to drive the streets of Japan and a call to one of his older sisters (who definitely owed him for that guacamole trick) later, he was ready to drive his precious, precious Kasamatsu-senpai home.
“I’ve always wanted to do that pick-your-boyfriend-up-from-the-airport thing, too, you know.” He was a pilot and even before getting together with Senpai, he had already seen quite a lot of couple reunions from different airports countless times. It was a sight quite impossible to miss. Perhaps it was the drought of a lover or the abundance of his indignation towards serious relationships back then, because he would always end up with something scornful to think of.
But now was different.
Now he had Senpai.
“Idiot.” Yukio said, and for a second Ryouta felt slightly nerved at the thought of Senpai understanding his thoughts, but Senpai’s voice sounded with great affection and fondness.
Ryouta stole a quick sideways glance and he was sure his heart was starting to burst on it own accord again.
“You know, you’re kind of getting awfully good at this, Kise. Good job.” Senpai must have been too busy gazing outside the window because he never noticed any of the countless looks and glances Ryouta had stolen. The blond knew he wasn't supposed to keep his eyes on anything else but the road, but having Senpai with him in the car was proving it difficult.
He straightened up in his seat and silently vowed to drive more carefully now that Senpai praised his driving skills. “They don’t entrust me the responsibility of the lives of hundreds of passengers on a regular basis for nothing, Senpai!” he said probably a little too confidently, because almost as if fate got its cue, a cat suddenly burst out of nowhere, frantically running to cross across the street they were in.
“Watch out!”
Had Kise paid attention to Senpai’s facial expressions like earlier and not straight ahead, he would’ve hit the poor cat who apparently had urgent businesses outside in the cold. Thankfully, at that moment, his eyes were trained ahead, successfully making the car jolt to a stop just in time. It was a good thing there weren't any cars around them; that sudden halt would've caused an accident that would've left his sister's vehicle a horrifying dent. He definitely wouldn't want that, knowing from experience the terrifying things older sisters can come up with.
“Fuck. Okay. That was said too soon. Way too soon.” Yukio said, his hand on top of his rapidly beating heart.
-----
The doors unlocked with a swift turn of the key on the ignition as Ryouta turned the engine off, and almost as if there was fire in his pants (there was), Yukio opened his door to go out. “Senpai, you don’t have to get it your—,” but the door was shut and Ryouta scrambled (he had to get the rose Senpai forgot in the passenger’s seat) to beat Senpai to the trunk, but he was already there. “Don’t be silly,” Yukio said with his hand reached out to open the hatch.
Blue eyes widened at the sudden sight of an array of white, blue and a touch of yellow inside the dark trunk.
“Kise… what is this?”
Ryouta wrapped his arms around Yukio from behind, his chin perched on the older man’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry Senpai, I couldn’t resist,” Ryouta cooed, his apology not sounding much like an apology at all.
In the trunk, right beside his luggage was a bouquet of flowers methodically arranged to avoid being seen from the passenger’s seat or the mirrors.
“I thought I told you not to show up with one of those big ass bouquets again. This is a big ass bouquet.” It was quite possibly bigger than that one he got a while back when he was hospitalized for hardly a quarter of a day. Not that he was complaining. In the semi-privacy behind the SUV, he found it rather sweet.
“Well, technically, I didn’t show up in the airport carrying the said bouquet, Senpai.”
Yukio rolled his eyes, but his lips were donning a doting smile. Just who in this relationship is the idiot again?
He turned around and faced his boyfriend whose arms were still wrapped around his waist and wrapped his own around Ryouta’s neck. “They’re beautiful,” he said, after staring straight in his lover’s eyes, “the flowers, I mean.”
“They remind me of your eyes, Senpai,” Ryouta said, his eyes glancing from steel blue orbs to the blue tinge of forget-me-nots. “The flower shop lady told me they mean true love, and I knew I just had to get them.”
“Yeah? What about those big white ones, what do they mean?”
“Oh, the camellias?” Ryouta looked anywhere but Senpai’s eyes that were intently focused on him, his lips forming a small embarrassed smile, prompting Yukio to run a hand on the back of his boyfriend’s head, encouraging him to keep going. Yukio felt soft, blond hair finding its way between his fingers and God had he missed this. He doesn’t understand why of all people, this beautiful blond suddenly felt reserved and self-conscious.
The unbeknownst man still hadn’t quite had the grasp as to how his piercing steel-blue eyes and perfect lips curved up to a stunning smile unconsciously make Ryouta feel like a teenage high school boy with a ridiculous crush. “They mean to say… uh, it kind of means waiting. Like, me. Waiting for your return. And…” Ryouta trailed off, stalling in an attempt to maintain his composure. The romantic words he had devised in his head the previous night seemed unattainable now with Senpai’s forget-me-not eyes focused entirely on him.
“And?”
“…They’re also meant to say ‘you’re adorable’.”
Yukio chuckled at the confession. His other hand found its way under Ryouta's chin and tilted it down with his fingers until gold met blue. “God, you’re adorable,” he breathed, and pulled the blond in to ravish his lips. They felt soft and oh so sweet against his own. It was better than what he’d been imagining the past week out of loneliness and longing. A whole lot better than what he had been imagining the entire trip back from the airport. He indulged himself in the warmth pressed up against him, feeling every ounce of deep affection and endearment from the way their lips and tongues moved. Too long. He had waited for this moment for far too long, and he’s not going to let it go anytime soon.
He wrapped his arms around Ryouta's neck to pull him closer and the blond softly whimpered, their mouths still attached together. Yukio felt the blond hesitate for a moment before sucking on his bottom lip and pulling it out with his teeth and finally pulling away.
“Senpai,” Ryouta whispered, catching his breath as he panted lightly.
“What is it,” he answered, peppering kisses from the blond’s lips to his jaw until his mouth was just below the blond’s ear, his nose touching his earring. He gave the cold metal a light peck before proceeding to wrap his lips around Ryouta's earlobe, sucking on the soft flesh.
“Fuck, S-senpai. W-wait. I, uh, I’m thrilled about doing something like this, but, ah, I think people can see us from here.” His vision that was relentlessly threatened by his pleasure-heavy eyelids was about to black out along with his knees when it was caught in attention by a sudden movement from one of his peripherals.
“Screw PDA. That’s the point. Let them watch.” It’s not like they’re going to do anything. He’s just going to touch him he--
“No, wait. I-I think I saw a kid getting out from one of the cars, Senpai.”
Yukio huffed and sighed in defeat, pulling away from his boyfriend and straightening out his clothes.
“Alright, alright. Let’s head up,” he said, picking up the flowers from the trunk and leaving the luggage and a blushing Kise behind in the parking area. The younger man took a while collecting himself. What just happened? He staggered on his feet when an equally red-faced Yukio, all in his bouquet-bearing glory, turned around and domineeringly commanded in his Kaijō basketball team captain voice, “Faster, idiot.”
-----
“Oh, Senpai, did you know blue flowers generally speak of intimacy? I got so interested with all the flower talk that flower lady was giving so I searched more about it when I got home last night,” Ryouta said, his free arm wrapping its way across Yukio’s shoulders as they walked their way to the blond’s apartment, remembering all the words about eternal love and all things alike he’d read from the internet. "I’ve read somewhere that they’re perfect for couples who have deep and abiding trust, Senpai! Isn’t that perfect for us?”
“…”
“Senpai? Are you okay?”
“So, earlier, when I said something regarding the color blue… and you said ‘later’ plans… did you mean just the flowers…? Or was there something,” Frilly. Lacy. He forced a cough to clear the forming lump of nervousness and anticipation in his throat. “Something else…?”
Oh.
Ryouta pat Yukio’s shoulder twice and held him closer against his side, “Still not gonna happen, Senpai.”
“…so mean…"