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Shokichi couldn’t remember the last time he’d traveled. After the inception of S and the subsequent popularity of Dope Sketch he just hadn’t had the time. Things had mellowed out after a few years (and after his implementation of stricter scheduling policies), and he’d cemented his reputation as a reliable and competent manager. The culmination of that was that he had good employment and benefits, but he’d be lying if he said that finally being able to take some time off for a real, bonafide vacation wasn’t a huge perk as well.
He had to admit that excitement at the prospect of a long overdue vacation had won out against his logic. Sometime in the months following Langa and Adam’s final race, Langa and Reki had begun scheming how they get themselves on snowboards. Langa desperately wanted to bring Reki to Canada with him but for the time being that just wasn’t realistic. They had spent hours at work poring over details and reviews of ski resorts across Japan, Miya often joining them after school. Shokichi definitely should have encouraged them to focus a bit more on actually working, but their infectious enthusiasm and his own interest in snowboarding made him lenient. He found himself doing his own research and making suggestions to the boys, who were thrilled.
“Manager Oka, you should come with us! We probably have to have an adult with us anyway, and you missed out on Miyakojima last time.” Reki had suggested one fall afternoon in the shop. He visibly shuddered when he mentioned the last trip, and Shokichi snorted.
Shokichi had heard quite a lot from Reki and Langa about the exploits of the unlikely group of friends they’d found, and while he didn’t exactly miss being a teenager, he had to admit he sometimes felt a bit like he was missing out on something. After they’d come back from Miyakojima in worse shape than when they’d left he was curious, albeit somewhat suspicious. Maybe a weekend trip with a group of kids wasn’t the ideal vacation, but the prospect of time off and snowboarding had him agreeing to come along.
“I can’t be the only one in charge of supervising the three of you.” No way was he going to sign himself up to be the sole adult there. Managing them at Dope Sketch was enough. “One of us would end up dead.”
“Let’s ask Joe and Cherry!” Langa perked up at Reki’s suggestion.
“Oh, yeah, it was fun with them.”
“We’ll need someone to drive us. Guess we’ll have to ask Shadow, too,” Miya had said, deadpan. Shokichi could have covered the driving, but he knew how Miya disliked leaving anyone out, and he wasn’t opposed to Shadow joining them; the guy seemed to spend almost as much time with the kids as Shokichi did. Kojiro was immediately on board, and Kaoru agreed as well, claiming that they would need his and Carla’s help planning everything if the trip wasn’t to be a complete disaster. Shokichi wasn’t entirely sure how the kids roped Shadow into the excursion, but they had.
Well, Higa—he supposed he’d better start calling him by name after he started dropping by Dope Sketch on occasion to discuss the trip details with the boys and Shokichi. Especially since the guy had gifted him a potted hibiscus at Langa’s celebration party.
Somehow Shokichi had managed to keep the thing alive out of some sense of obligation. It was currently flourishing by the counter at Dope Sketch. The blooms were a nice addition to the store and something he found his eyes regularly drawn to during slow hours. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to warrant the gift from Higa; it was an unexpectedly thoughtful gesture from a guy who, until that point, he’d really only known as a nut at S. It was sweet, really, how he’d bowed and thanked Shokichi profusely for looking out for the kids, and suddenly Shokichi had had the feeling that he should be thanking Higa for the same reason. After all, he had acted as chaperone and hospital driver on more than one occasion, according to Reki.
Anticipation for the trip had Shokichi at the Naha airport earlier than the rest of the group. He was shaken abruptly out of his reflections by the arrival of three teenagers, followed by the begrudging chaperone he’d just been thinking about.
“‘Sup, Manager Oka!” Reki dumped his duffel bag to the floor beside him.
“‘Sup, yourself, Reki.” Shokichi stood to give him a fist bump, then turned to Langa to do the same. The kid’s eyes were shining. He’d mentioned that he hadn’t been on a snowboard since he first moved to Okinawa; he had been looking forward to this trip for weeks now.
Miya dropped into the chair Shokichi left unoccupied with a “hey,” and proceeded to dig his gaming device out of his backpack.
“Real polite, kid.” Shadow—Higa shot Miya a look before nodding to Shokichi. “Sorry about him. Morning, Manager Oka.”
Shokichi laughed lightly.
“It’s fine, really. I’m used to them.” He smiled. “Good morning, Higa.”
Higa rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Oh, uh, Hiromi is fine.” He set his bag down carefully by the pile the kids had created. Shokichi smiled wider.
“Then it’s just Shokichi for me. Or Oka. I don’t want to be a manager while I’m on vacation.” Hiromi looked uncertain, but nodded anyway.
“Cherry and Joe aren’t here yet?” He asked. Shokichi shook his head.
“Honestly, I’m surprised you made it here before them. Kaoru seems the ‘3 hours early to the airport type.’” Hiromi scoffed at that. “How’d you manage to wrangle these three here on time, anyway?” Hiromi sat down heavily next to Miya, intentionally jostling him as he did.
“Lied to them.”
Langa looked up from whatever he and Reki were doing on Reki’s phone.
“You mean you’re not buying us breakfast?” Shokichi couldn’t help but laugh at the genuine distress on his face. Hiromi shrugged and folded his hands behind his head.
“Did you pay for the ride here? No breakfast from me.” Shokichi shook his head, still smiling. For all the shots the kids took at him about his age, Hiromi acted just like them sometimes. Hiromi was saved from having to defend himself against three betrayed teens by the arrival of Kojiro and a very bundled up Kaoru.
“Morning, gang,” Kojiro boomed, clapping Shokichi on the shoulder.
“Joe, did you bring snacks?” Langa asked immediately. Kaoru shot Hiromi a look.
“You didn’t feed them?”
“My job was to get them here on time, not feed them.”
“Fortunately for everyone, I did bring snacks,” Kojiro interjected. He slung his backpack off his shoulder and began distributing biscotti that Shokichi guessed he had made himself.
“Those are the reason we were late, by the way, so they better be delicious,” Kaoru groused.
“We’re not late, pinky, we just weren’t three hours early.” Shokichi glanced at Hiromi with a smirk, which he returned shyly before ducking his head. “And they’re most delicious when they’re still fresh, so shut up and eat one.” Kaoru snatched the proffered biscotti from Kojiro and was effectively silenced until it was time to board.
Kaoru had insisted on handling the travel details for the group, and had managed to book the seats so that they were all sat together on the flight. Shokichi was privately surprised by this, having assumed he would book himself first class and leave the rest of them to their own devices. Instead he took his seat next to Kojiro with only the usual amount of bickering. Reki and Langa were naturally paired together, and Shokichi noted with amusement that Miya had somehow earned a seat to himself, right behind Kaoru and Kojiro. Kaoru’s quiet affection for the kid was sweet.
This left Shokichi and Hiromi to be sat together, across the aisle from Kojiro and Kaoru. It had the potential to be awkward, considering they hadn’t really had a full conversation outside of Langa’s party and brief exchanges when Hiromi stopped by the shop, but Shokichi was interested in getting to know the man behind Shadow better. Despite his coarseness with them, Reki, Langa, and Miya seemed entirely comfortable with Hiromi. Sure, Reki could be reckless, but Shokichi knew he was a good judge of character. He wouldn’t have ingratiated himself to Hiromi thoughtlessly. There was a reason he felt comfortable enough to commandeer his car and his time, and needle him as often as he did.
Shokichi settled into his seat after stowing his bag overhead, glad to see he had the window seat. If things really did get awkward he could simply focus on watching the clouds during the flight. He turned from the window just as Hiromi was cramming his bag into the overhead compartment, catching a glimpse of pale, toned stomach as Hiromi’s hoodie rode up briefly. The sight startled Shokichi, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen Hiromi’s fully exposed—well, everything, really—at S, but there it was Shadow, and now it was Hiromi, who felt like a separate entity from “the antihero of S.”
Shokichi quickly busied himself with his seatbelt as Hiromi folded himself into the seat next to him. His shoulder bumped Shokichi’s several times as he fumbled for the lap belt.
“Ah, sorry, Manager Oka,” he seemed to curl in on himself, which didn’t do much to help. “I’m just—” Shokichi chuckled and nudged him with his own shoulder.
“It’s fine, you’re not exactly airplane sized. And it’s Shokichi, remember?” Hiromi’s ears pinkened and he looked down, shoulders still rolled forward.
“Right, sorry—Sh-Shokichi.” He said it hesitantly, like he was testing the weight of it on his tongue. Shokichi smiled to himself.
“Do you like flying?” Hiromi shrugged, bumping him again.
“It’s been awhile. The last time I was on a plane I fit a lot better,” he said. Reki’s head poked between their seats.
“I didn’t know they had planes back then.” Hiromi’s fists clenched, and Shokichi suspected the only thing that kept him from sending his elbow back into Reki’s face was that he was next to Shokichi.
“How many times do I have to remind your dumb ass that I’m only 25,” he growled.
“Woof. Last time I checked it was 24. You really are aging,” Reki lamented. Langa’s head appeared above Reki’s, and Shokichi interrupted before both of them received a sizable elbow to the face.
“Reki, it’s not polite to eavesdrop.” He shoved a finger into both his and Langa’s foreheads and pushed them back gently. “And if Hiromi is so ancient, what does that make me? You know I’m older than him, right?”
“Yeah, but Manager Oka, you’re like…cool. Kind of,” Reki mused. Shokichi rolled his eyes.
“What a compliment. Entertain yourselves and leave us decrepit adults to our conversation.”
“Damn kids,” Hiromi muttered as the red and blue heads retreated and quickly became absorbed in each other once again.
“You know they only give you so much shit because they like you. And you react so much.”
“How am I supposed to react?” Hiromi grumbled. “I don’t know how you deal with working with them.”
Shokichi grinned and leaned back in his seat as the plane took off.
“Guess it’s just something that comes with the wisdom of old age, Hiromi-kun.” The redness that had begun to fade from Hiromi’s ears bloomed in full force up his neck and across his cheeks. He harrumphed and thumped his head back against the headrest
“Whatever. How old are you, anyway?” Shokichi almost answered immediately, but he was curious.
“How old do you think I am?” Hiromi cracked one eye open to look sideways at him.
“Mm. Fifty.” Shokichi laughed outright at that and jostled the large shoulder that was now comfortably encroaching into his space.
“Oh, well in that case you should be calling me ojisan.” Hiromi’s eyes popped open and he sat up straight.
“Kidding, I’m kidding,” Shokichi relented. “I’m 29.”
“Don’t talk like that, then,” Hiromi grumbled. “You’re not that old.”
“Glad you don’t think so,” he chuckled as Hiromi closed his eyes again. He almost felt bad about the teasing but hell, Hiromi had such cute reactions to it.
Shokichi paused at his own thoughts. Cute, huh? He studied Hiromi’s face out of the corner of his eye, brow furrowed despite his closed eyes and cheeks still slightly pink. Huh. Yeah, cute was the right word. That was an unexpected revelation, to say the least. Shokichi filed the thought away with a sigh and closed his own eyes. Hiromi could be cute. It didn’t have to mean anything. He let the roaring of the engines ease him, the sun shining bright and warm through the little airplane window. This vacation had barely begun—no need to start overthinking now.
Three hours later Shokichi awoke to a huge hand gently squeezing his shoulder.
“Oka. We’re landing.” Shokichi blinked his eyes open and Hiromi’s hand quickly withdrew. He began stretching himself awake and immediately knocked his head into Reki’s chin. In their excitement he and Langa had jumped up, leaning over the back of his and Hiromi’s seats.
“Oka! We’re here!” He didn’t have time to scold them before Hiromi palmed both of their heads and shoved them back.
“Siddown, you morons, we haven’t even hit the ground yet!” Naturally, he was ignored, and the two subsequently fell back into their seats as the plane hit the tarmac with a jolt. Shokichi rubbed the top of his head, squinting against the midday sun that felt blinding after waking up. Part of him wished he’d stayed awake longer to talk with Hiromi more during the flight, but the white noise of airplanes tended to knock him out, and he took sleep where he could get it.
Miya was up and in the aisle as soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off, and after disentangling themselves, Reki and Langa were right behind him, bouncing in anticipation. Hiromi stood to grab his bag from overhead, and Shokichi once again found his eyes drawn to the cut of exposed skin that flashed as Hiromi reached up. He began to extract himself from the seat, intending to retrieve his bag as well, but by the time he was up Hiromi had both of their bags in hand.
“Thanks,” Shokichi took his backpack from Hiromi with a smile. They shuffled off the plane behind the kids, Kojiro and Kaoru bringing up the rear.
The cold air bit through the few layers of Shokichi’s clothes while the group waited for the rental van outside the airport. Okinawa stayed relatively warm even in December, and the temperatures in Niigata were comparatively frigid. He shivered, pulling up his hood and tucking his chin deeper into his collar.
“Oh my god, dude, I didn’t realize it was gonna be so cold.” Reki complained, echoing Shokichi’s thoughts. He pressed closer to Langa, who, if anything, seemed invigorated by the cold.
“Wait ‘til we’re on the slopes, Reki. It’s amazing,” he said, sounding delighted.
“If by amazing you mean even colder, then you’re dumber than I thought,” Miya said from behind a bulky striped scarf. “This is miserable.” Hiromi flicked his forehead, ignoring the indignant yelp.
“You chose to come along. No complaining, shrimp.” Miya’s muttered response was lost to his scarf. Shokichi appraised Hiromi, who had only dug a beanie out of his backpack to fight the chill.
“Aren’t you cold, Hiromi?” Shokichi asked. As far as he knew Hiromi should have been as acclimated to Okinawan weather as Shokichi was.
“I run hot,” he said. Then, chest puffed slightly, “Plus, muscle helps a bit.”
“Fat.” This time Miya was clearly intelligible. Shokichi watched a vein in Hiromi’s neck jump.
“It’s muscle,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Whatever.”
Crammed into the middle row of the van, Shokichi became acutely aware of just how hot Hiromi did run. He hadn’t really noticed on the plane, in part because he’d been asleep, but in closer confines Hiromi’s body heat and the press of his arm against Shokichi’s was heightened. It wasn’t unpleasant, but Shokichi forced his thoughts to a halt there. They still had another hour before they made it to Myoko Kogen.
“Nice of you to actually act like adults this time around,” Hiromi grumbled from beside him. Kojiro glanced back in the rearview mirror.
“Is that your way of thanking me for driving?”
“Something like that.” He turned to Shokichi. “Dumped their luggage on me and left me to drive in Miyakojima. Some adults.” Shokichi laughed. “They’re lucky I was even there. What was your plan anyway?”
“I did have my own transportation arranged,” Kaoru said coolly. “But we were going to the same place anyway. You were simply more convenient.”
“And I just got lucky,” Kojiro grinned. “Anyway, this adulting is only lasting until we get to the resort. Once I hit the slopes I am a boy once again.” Hiromi rolled his eyes.
“That’ll be dangerous for all of us,” Kaoru said.
“Relax. Oka is here this time,” Kojiro said breezily.
“Yeah, that’s at least one other responsible adult,” Hiromi huffed. Shokichi grinned.
“Mm, I dunno. I’m feeling pretty boyish myself, now that you mention it.” He couldn’t fight his laugh at the betrayed look Hiromi gave him.
Shokichi found it easy to let himself drift in the comfortable banter between the group. It was clear to him how comfortable they were with each other, and it warmed him to realize how easily they accommodated his presence, too. Beyond the snow rushing by the van windows, mountains loomed, rumpled with trees and cut with the wide white slashes of ski slopes. By the time they arrived in Myoko Kogen he was feeling just as antsy as the boys in the backseat.
The inn Kaoru had chosen was quaint but nice. Their group alone would fill half the rooms available. After checking in they gathered in the welcome area to receive room arrangements and keys from Kaoru. Shokichi couldn’t shake the feeling of being on some demented school trip.
“Reki, Langa, Miya, you’re all together.” Reki and Langa high fived, and Miya forced indifference as he received an affectionate noogie from Reki.
“I’m unfortunately rooming with Kojiro,” Kaoru went on, and Shokichi intended to give Hiromi a meaningful look, because come on, someone had to see what was going on there, but Kaoru breezed by that and straight into announcing, “And Hiromi and Oka, you’re in the last room.”
Shokichi blinked, observations about Kaoru and Kojiro forgotten, and accepted the key Kaoru held out to him. It wasn’t that sharing a room was a problem; if anything, he expected it. It just hadn’t occurred to him that it would end up being with Hiromi.
“I—Is that really necessary?” Hiromi asked, sounding more alarmed than Shokichi thought was fair. He thought they had been getting along just fine.
“It’s no big deal. Promise I don’t snore,” he tried, hoping to ease Hiromi’s apparent distress. Hiromi had the decency to look embarrassed.
“Ah—sorry, Oka, it’s not—I don’t—”
“I could’ve put you with one of the kids. You should be thanking me,” Kaoru interrupted, already making his way down the hall. “It was cheaper this way. And I’m biting the bullet and sharing a room with the gorilla. We all make sacrifices.”
Kojiro followed Kaoru with too self-satisfied a smile for someone who’d just been insulted. The kids trundled off in the opposite direction, leaving Shokichi and Hiromi to find their own way. Hiromi turned to him immediately, apologetic.
“Sorry, it’s not you. I just—wasn’t expecting it,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Shokichi could sympathize. Sharing a room with a guy he barely knew was probably not how Hiromi anticipated or wanted his vacation going.
“Me neither, no worries,” Shokichi reassured him, then checked the number tag dangling from the room key. “Right, room seven, then.” He made to pick up his duffel and found that Hiromi had already grabbed it, shouldering both of their sizable packs.
“Lead the way.”
“Oh, thanks. You really don’t have to.” Shokichi had tried to pack light, as much as was possible with bulky winter gear, but he knew his bag was heavy. It didn’t escape him that Hiromi was unbothered by the extra weight. Another perk to the muscle, he supposed.
“Hm? Oh, it’s no trouble. I’m used to it with those freeloaders.” Hiromi stopped abruptly, turning to Shokichi with wide eyes. “Not—not that you’re a freeloader!”
“And here I was about to call you a gentleman,” Shokichi laughed, glad to shake off whatever tension lingered. He unlocked the door and held it open for Hiromi to enter first. He followed, and ran directly into Hiromi’s back as he stopped short just inside the doorway. Hiromi was broad enough that Shokichi couldn’t quite see around him.
“That cheapskate!” Hiromi just barely managed to keep his volume level, but his voice shifted distinctly to the harsh growl that Shokichi only heard from Shadow.
“What is it?” He had to stand on his toes to peer over Hiromi’s shoulder. The room seemed nice enough—traditional, tatami flooring, not too cramped, a large futon.
“Oh.” A large futon. As in one futon. Whatever ease Shokichi had salvaged with Hiromi quickly dissipated. Hiromi found his feet and tripped into the room looking shell shocked. Choosing to ignore whatever personal crisis Hiromi seemed to be having, Shokichi stepped in after him to inspect the room. He tried to suppress his own apprehension about the situation. Privately, he agreed with Hiromi’s accusing Kaoru of being a cheapskate. Choosing a single bed couldn’t have saved him that much money. Sharing a room was an inevitability that Shokichi had prepared for; he already had enough trouble falling asleep alone in his own bed at home, but at least in a single bed his constant shifting and restless fidgeting would only get in his own way. Sharing a bed, however…
Unfortunately the cheapskate who had condemned both him and an unwitting Hiromi to two nights of no sleep had also organized a strict itinerary for the trip, meaning there wasn’t time to dwell on the circumstances. Kaoru expected them all on slopes in the next 30 minutes.
Shokichi turned from the window looking out at the ski mountain with a sigh. Hiromi seemed to have recovered enough to carry their bags in and shut the door, but he still hovered on the other side of the room, looking stormy.
“Better just get ready, Kaoru will be pissy if we’re late.” Shokichi began rummaging through his bag for his snow gear. “We’ll figure it out later.” Hiromi exhaled heavily through his nose and bent over his own bag.
“I’m gonna knock his skinny ass down the mountain,” he growled, still sounding like Shadow.
“I’m sure Kojiro will do that for you,” Shokichi said, shucking off his jeans and retrieving the pair of long johns that he’d felt a bit silly purchasing. The icy wait for the van outside the airport had convinced him it was worth it, though; he really didn’t like being cold.
“I doubt he is having to share a bed with Cherry,” Hiromi said, irritated. Shokichi snorted.
“Wanna bet?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hiromi looked up as Shokichi was pulling on his long johns and quickly looked away, blushing. He busied himself with putting his own gear on.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed their whole…thing,” Shokichi said with a vague wave of his hand. “Even I can tell there’s something happening there, and I spend less time with them than you do.” It seemed obvious enough to him. The two were so wrapped up in each other, bickering or otherwise. Their comments about Miyakojima in the van, and now their room arrangement, only solidified Shokichi’s suspicions. Hiromi mulled this over, still not looking at Shokichi as he changed.
“I mean…I’d be lying if I said it never crossed my mind.” He glanced up at Shokichi, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just kept it to myself, though. Can’t really gossip about it with the kids, y’know?”
“Ah, well, I’m not the kids.” Shokichi shot him a conspiratorial smile. “Gossip with me.” Hiromi hesitated, but his own lips quirked up in spite of himself.
“In that case, how much have you heard about the Miyakojima trip?”
Hiromi spent the walk to the ski mountain filling Shokichi in on certain leg related incidents. Shokichi was thrilled.
∞∞∞
After several cold, somewhat painful, but utterly exhilarating hours, the group piled into a hole-in-the-wall ramen joint just off the mountain. Conversation overlapped and mingled with the fuzzy sound of a radio set over the counter, and the heat from the broth was finally starting to melt the layer of frost Shokichi felt had encrusted his whole body. He was slumped back in his seat, on the verge of drowsing, when the hot sake Kojiro had ordered arrived.
Between the seven of them the table was cramped enough that they were pressed shoulder to shoulder; when Hiromi slid Shokichi his cup of sake, shoulder pressing into him a bit more, Shokichi had to fight his sleepy urge to lean further into that warmth. He accepted the sake with murmured thanks, sighing deeply as warmth further unfurled in him with each swallow.
Reki pouted at Kojiro from across the table, while Langa sipped happily at a mug of hot chocolate loaded with whipped cream.
“I think we should be allowed to at least try a sip ,” he complained. “It’s not like we’d get drunk.”
“Not happening, Reki. Just enjoy your hot chocolate,” Kaoru said. Shokichi noted with vindication, and only a twinge of envy, that he was leaning slightly into Kojiro’s space, no doubt enjoying the extra body heat. The sake must have been strong because he found himself wondering how Hiromi would react if he did give in to the urge to press closer to him. Staying warm and all that. He swallowed a too-large gulp of sake and forced himself to sit up straight. Langa pushed his mug in front of Reki.
“Reki, it’s really good. You can have some of my whipped cream.” Reki groaned dramatically but let Langa scoop a generous portion of whipped cream into his own mug.
“The only one we need to worry about getting drunk is Shadow,” Miya said, once again half hidden behind his scarf. Shokichi perked up at that comment as Hiromi tensed beside him.
“That was one time, brat,” Hiromi growled into his cup. “Why don’t you just play your damn game.”
“But you’re always telling me to put it away?” Miya said, all false innocence. Shokichi thought that if Hiromi squeezed his sake cup any harder it would shatter. He leaned forward, trying to catch Hiromi’s eye.
“Hang on, why’s Miya seen you drunk?” Hiromi dropped his head into his free hand, covering his eyes.
“The clown lord here didn’t hold his booze so well in Miyakojima,” Kojiro snickered. He turned to Shokichi, mischievous smile on his lips, and continued. “He was all over me, y’know. Kept going on about his manager. How’s that going by the way?” Hiromi abandoned trying to hide his red face behind one hand in favor of scowling at Kojiro and flipping Miya the bird. Shokichi was still leaning forward with interest.
“It was one time . And it’s not going anywhere. I told you she had a boyfriend, asshole.” Kojiro winced.
“Oh shit, that’s right. Sorry, man.” Kaoru murmured something that sounded a lot like “imbecile,” and Hiromi downed the rest of his sake with a final glare. On impulse Shokichi patted Hiromi’s shoulder sympathetically. He wasn’t exactly in the loop on this particular exploit, but Reki had mentioned Hiromi being mopey about some spurned crush a few months back.
“Best not to mix work with pleasure,” Kaoru said, not unkindly. Hiromi shrugged.
“Probably. I’m over it now, anyway.” Hiromi ran his finger around the rim of his cup. “C’mon brats, finish your hot chocolate so we can head out. I’m beat.” Langa downed the rest of Miya’s when he made no move to finish it.
Hiromi had graciously told Shokichi to take the first shower when they arrived back at the hotel. Steam clouded the mirror as Shokichi stepped out of the shower and toweled off. He brushed his teeth quickly and made sure his towel was twisted securely around his hips before heading into the bedroom. Hiromi was fiddling with his phone in the one chair in the room when Shokichi exited the bathroom.
“All yours,” Shokichi said, grabbing the t-shirt he’d brought for pajamas. As he pulled it over his head he caught Hiromi staring at him, phone hanging limp in his hand. They made eye contact as Shokichi started to slip on his boxers. He wasn’t trying to look at Hiromi directly, just glance at him sideways, but Hiromi’s eyes were still trained on Shokichi. When their eyes met Hiromi jumped from the chair abruptly, tossing his phone onto the futon and snatching his pajamas. He hurried into the bathroom without a word.
Shokichi scrubbed his hair with the towel one last time before burrowing underneath the heavy comforter on the futon. Hiromi’s shyness was somewhat baffling. It was so at odds with the Shadow persona Shokichi was familiar with. Hiromi had been in at Dope Sketch pretty frequently leading up to the trip, but most of his time there was spent antagonizing Reki and Langa--and Miya when he was around; their whole dynamic was heavily influenced by their time at S. Shokichi was slowly realizing that there was more to Hiromi than the brash “Lord Shadow” act. This shy, easily flustered side of Hiromi was intriguing. And yeah, it was cute, too.
By the time Hiromi emerged from the bathroom, already changed into his pajamas, Shokichi had turned off all the lights except for the one on Hiromi’s side of the bed. He was half asleep, feeling incredibly grateful to the combination of travel exhaustion, sake, and general ass kicking of his first day of snowboarding for having him in a state that combated his insomnia. Sharing a bed might not be such a trial after all.
Hiromi hovered awkwardly over the futon before climbing in. Shokichi was too tired to care about awkwardness. He turned onto his side, away from Hiromi, eyes slipping closed as Hiromi cut the light.
“G’night,” he mumbled. Hiromi cleared his throat, and Shokichi felt him turn over.
“Goodnight.”
Shokichi woke to the sound of curtains being drawn and pale morning light tickling his eyelids. He groaned and shoved his face into his pillow. Mornings were really not his thing.
“Um, Oka,” a gruff voice came from somewhere over him. He mumbled something incoherent in response, not lifting his head. “Sh—Shokichi,” the voice tried again. “You missed breakfast, but I brought you tea.” At the mention of breakfast Shokichi pushed himself up onto his elbows, squinting up into the sunlight and the large shadow hanging over him. He blinked blearily as the shadow took on a more solid form and squatted down next to the futon.
“Hrm?”
“Sorry, I just didn’t wanna wake you. You were out cold.” Shokichi forced himself to sit up fully as Hiromi pressed a warm cup of tea into his hands. It only took a couple sips before he felt significantly revitalized.
“How are you so awake?” he asked. Hiromi straightened up with a sheepish chuckle.
“Just used to it, I guess. Got pretty early hours at the flower shop.” Shokichi fell back against the pillows.
“That…” he sipped his tea, fishing for a word better than ‘sucks’. “Sucks.” Still too early to be tactful, then. Hiromi chuckled again.
“It’s not so bad. Not a morning person, huh?” Shokichi cracked one eye open to look at him.
“No,” he said flatly. He swallowed the rest of his tea and forced himself off the futon, stretching his arms high above his head with a groan.
“I brought some toast too, if you’re hungry.” Hiromi gestured to the low table in front of the window. “But we should probably hurry. Cherry’s schedule and everything.” Shokichi shoved a piece of toast unceremoniously into his mouth before turning to actually get a good look at Hiromi. He was already in his snow pants and a long sleeved athletic shirt that clung tightly to his form, emphasizing his chest and arms. The bite of toast Shokichi swallowed felt suddenly dry, and he coughed before grabbing his gear.
“Shit, sorry, you’re right,” he said, scrambling to get dressed. Now was really not the time to be gawking over Hiromi’s body, especially when Hiromi was politely looking away as Shokichi struggled into his long johns once again. He forced himself to concentrate on getting dressed one handed and scarfing down his toast at the same time.
The ache in his hips and a slight twinge in his right knee became more apparent as he dressed, and he sighed internally at the evidence of his old injury and the fact his body apparently couldn’t take a beating like it used to. He knew he wasn’t necessarily old, but he’d put himself through his paces as a younger skater, and after his injury a few years back he felt the wear and tear much more. Still, at least he was actually capable of getting down a ski slope in one piece, aches and injuries be damned.
∞∞∞
By the end of the day Shokichi had worked his way up to a couple of the more difficult runs, pleased by how easily it seemed to come after just a day and a half. Kojiro and Kaoru had split off to do their own highly aggressive, highly competitive runs—apparently both of them already had snowboarding experience—and the kids had needled Hiromi into a couple of beefs until Langa showed them all what fifteen years of snowboarding really looked like. If the kid on a skateboard was miraculous, seeing him snowboard was surreal.
Afterwards Hiromi had joined Shokichi for a few more leisurely runs, racing each other down the mid-level slopes. It had been companionable and easy, joking and taunting each other as they tested their new skills. Hiromi’s flashes of bravado that Shokichi typically only saw from Shadow had his pulse racing in a way he welcomed. He’d been thoroughly enjoying himself, the pain from that morning almost forgotten, until he hit a patch of ice and fell hard. Because it was a stupid snowboard and he was attached to it he couldn’t bail the way he wanted to and his knee twisted painfully as he tried to right himself. He sat up slowly, cursing at the renewed pain in his hips and the throbbing in his knee. Hiromi was at his side in an instant.
“Shit, Shokichi! You okay?” He leaned down, concern rumpling his brow.
“Yeah, I’m good, I just—” Shokichi tried to get himself upright on his board again but his knee protested too badly to ignore and he hissed in pain. “I think I’ll have to be done for the day.” He bent forward to unclip his boots from his board, wincing. The adrenaline of the day seeped from him with each throb of his knee, and suddenly the cold nipped harshly at any skin he’d left exposed.
Hiromi offered his hand, pulling Shokichi to his feet easily. He tested his weight on his right leg, loosing an involuntary grunt of pain. Hiromi didn’t let go of him, instead shifting his grip to clasp Shokichi’s forearm.
“Think you can make it down to the lodge? I’ll carry your board.” Shokichi shifted his weight again, trying to bend his knee slightly. It hurt but he’d at least be able to limp on it.
“Yeah, I can manage. Thanks.” He looked up at Hiromi with a smile, only to become hyperaware of how close they were to each other. Hiromi was only an inch or so taller than him but this close his height felt exaggerated. He could see the frost in Hiromi’s eyelashes and brows, cheeks whipped pink by wind and cold. Shokichi shivered, and he wasn’t sure that only the cold was to blame.
“Y—yeah, no problem.” Hiromi’s voice came out shaky, and he dropped Shokichi’s arm. Bending to unclip his own boots he nearly knocked his head into Shokichi’s shoulder.
“Sorry, sorry!” They both said at once, and Shokichi shuffled back with a laugh to give Hiromi more room. The way Hiromi hoisted both their boards over his shoulder shouldn’t have been impressive but Shokichi was impressed nonetheless.
He thanked Hiromi again as they returned their boards at the rental counter.
“Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to make you end your day.” Hiromi shrugged in the way that Shokichi was beginning to recognize as another manifestation of his shyness.
“Nah, I was ready to call it anyway. It’s getting dark. You sure you’re okay to walk back to the inn?” The genuine concern on his face was sweet, and Shokichi couldn’t resist teasing him. He tilted his head coyly.
“Were you planning on carrying me if I couldn’t?”
“I—I mean, no, but—” Hiromi’s blush was lost to his windburned cheeks.
“I’ll be fine,” Shokichi laughed. “I’m not that old and battered, Hiromi-kun.” Hiromi rolled his eyes and started walking away.
“Then keep up,” he said, and then, over his shoulder, “ojisan.” Shokichi laughed again, delighted that Hiromi teased him back, and limped after him. For all his grumbling, Hiromi matched his stride with Shokichi, making sure he wasn’t overexerting himself.
Hiromi texted the rest of the group on the walk to the inn to let them know he and Shokichi were heading back. Kojiro wished them well and invited them to join him and Kaoru later at some traditional restaurant he’d found in the town. Reki and Miya’s indignant texts followed quickly.
Reki: thanks for the invite
Miya: sounds boring
Miya: we’re gonna explore the town anyway, don’t wait up
Kaoru: Be back at the inn by 10 pm
Langa: enjoy dinner :)
“Menaces. They really shouldn’t be left to their own devices,” Hiromi sighed. “Except maybe Langa.” He paused, then amended, “Actually no, especially Langa.” Shokichi chuckled.
“I can tell you care about them, though.” Hiromi tucked his chin and grunted.
“I care more about them not terrorizing the locals.”
“Based on their account of Miyakojima, maybe they deserve to be the ones doing the terrorizing this time around.” Hiromi shuddered at that. “C’mon, your teenage years aren’t that far behind you, despite what the kids think. You know what it’s like, they’ll be fine.” Hiromi scowled.
“I was not as bad as them.”
“No?” Shokichi cocked his brow. He imagined a man like Shadow must have a few years of being a delinquent under his belt. Shokichi certainly did. Hiromi shook his head.
“I actually respected my elders.” He unlocked the door to their room and opened it with a flourish. “After you, ojisan.” Shokichi laughed and went in.
“Oh, you really are just as bad as them.”
“Not even close,” Hiromi said, fighting a smile. He tossed his coat onto the futon and turned to Shokichi. “Well, what do you think? Wanna meet Joe and Cherry for dinner?” Shokichi sank into the chair with a sigh, massaging his knee.
“Honestly, I don’t wanna walk that far or I’ll pay for it tomorrow. I’ll just eat here. Feel free to meet up with them though.”
“I don’t wanna ditch you. Or be a third wheel. Besides,” Hiromi said, not meeting Shokichi’s eyes. “We could check out the onsen. Might be good for your knee.” At this point Shokichi didn’t know why he continued to be surprised by Hiromi’s thoughtfulness. Maybe because Shokichi wasn’t sure he would have been as caring when he was twenty-five, or because he was still trying to square it against his image of Hiromi as an abrasive, clown-painted skateboarder who daylighted as a florist. There was no reason for him to be so accommodating, but Hiromi had been nothing but sincere. This, combined with his gruff shyness and the hints of the Shadow side that did come through, was all very endearing.
Hiromi cleared his throat awkwardly and Shokichi realized he hadn’t responded.
“That sounds perfect.”
∞∞∞
Dinner was simple and tasty, but by the time they’d finished the cold that crept under Shokichi’s skin after his fall had sunk bone deep. He shivered in his yukata as they made their way to the inn’s private onsen.
“Alright?” Hiromi asked.
“Yeah, just ready to—oh, wow,” Shokichi breathed as they rounded the corner and came upon the hot spring. Clusters of snow-covered rocks surrounded a dark pool of water, steam rising to mingle with the snow that had begun to fall. Beyond the pool an uninterrupted view of the mountains unrolled, dotted with the lights of distant houses. Lines of string lights hanging from the wooden pergola bathed the onsen in a soft amber glow. Hiromi whistled beside him.
“This is—yeah. Wow.” The warmth emanating from the pool had Shokichi slipping off his yukata before he could stop to feel awkward. He hung it over one of the chairs and eased himself into the water with a happy sigh.
“Damn.” Grinning, he turned back to Hiromi. “Get in here, it’s perfect.” Hiromi stared back at him, looking halfway between embarrassed and guilty, and the situation caught up with Shokichi suddenly. Sure, nudity was like, the whole thing with onsens, but Hiromi had been so modest, always looking away when Shokichi was dressing and getting dressed himself in the privacy of the bathroom, and Shokichi had just stripped in front of him like it was nothing. It shouldn’t have been a big deal but clearly Hiromi had certain boundaries. He fished for something to say, but Hiromi seemed to recover quickly and started undoing his own yukata.
“Yeah, coming.” He moved jerkily, and Shokichi turned away, closing his eyes and sinking deeper into the water to give Hiromi maximum privacy. The water lapped over his shoulders as Hiromi slipped in beside him.
“Good, right?”
“So good.” Nothing else needed to be said. Shokichi tipped his head back, eyes slipping closed again as the heat gradually soothed every ache and pain that had been aggravated that day. The occasional snowflake fell, cold and wet, on his quickly warming cheeks. It was quiet, save for the occasional splash of water as he or Hiromi shifted slightly. A kind of giddy elation, one that reminded him of staying up too late as a teen or sneaking out with friends, blossomed in Shokichi’s gut as the silence grew heavier and the warmth loosened him. He couldn’t suppress the laugh that bubbled up.
“What?” Hiromi asked. Shokichi opened his eyes to find Hiromi watching him.
“Nothing, it’s just—this is nice, y’know?” He smiled lazily. “Can’t remember the last time I was so completely relaxed.” Hiromi’s expression was unreadable. He nodded.
“Yeah,” he said simply. After a moment he turned to look out at the mountains. Shokichi peeked at him from the corner of his eye. The heat pinkened Hiromi’s broad chest, and he had one arm slung casually across the edge of the pool. Rivulets of water skated across his skin, following the soft lines of muscle in a way that Shokichi couldn’t help but trace with his own eyes. His presence of mind must have been washed away with the water because now he was outright staring and not at all fighting the thought that Hiromi looked good, and he was sweet, and Shokichi was actually entirely happy to be sitting quietly in an onsen with him.
“Hey, Hiromi.”
“Hm?”
“Thank you.” Hiromi tilted his head towards him.
“For what?” Shokichi’s shoulder lifted in a half shrug. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was thanking him for—maybe his consistent consideration, maybe just his company. It didn’t matter, it just felt right.
“For…being so nice, I guess. You’re not what I expected.” Now Hiromi faced him fully, brow raised.
“You didn’t think I’d be nice?” Shokichi splashed water at him playfully.
“No, I just mean…well, it’s not like we knew each other that well, right? I guess I was expecting more of a…” he trailed off, not sure how to explain.
“Crazy asshole clown?” Hiromi supplied helpfully. Shokichi snorted.
“Your words.” Hiromi huffed a laugh and dragged his fingertips across the water, sending ripples through the reflected light.
“I get it, though. The whole Shadow thing…I pretty much keep that to S. I’d be a pretty crummy person if that was it.” He frowned thoughtfully, cupping water in one palm and letting it trickle out. “I know it’s silly, but it’s fun.”
“Nah, not silly. Florist by day, crazy clown skater by night?” Shokichi grinned sideways at Hiromi. “Pretty cool if you ask me.” A shy smile played on Hiromi’s lips.
“You might be the only one who thinks so.” Shokichi hummed.
“I seem to remember you having something of a fanclub at S.” Hiromi shook his head, sheepish.
“That’s different. They only know Shadow. I don’t think ‘flower guy’ would go down so hot.”
“Maybe, but I think they mainly care about who can kick whose ass. And you can definitely do that, without or without the facepaint.” He watched Hiromi blush, and cute as it was he didn’t want to press too hard. Shokichi hadn’t expected Hiromi to be so open, but he also hadn’t intended to blurt out his observations on Hiromi’s personality. There was probably more to the Shadow/Hiromi dichotomy but he’d let Hiromi share that on his own time, if he ever decided to. For now he gave Hiromi an easy out, easing up to joke with him instead.
“And then there’s the whole frenemies with three teenagers deal. Is that a Shadow thing or a Hiromi thing?”
“That’s a ‘they never me alone’ thing,” Hiromi said, not missing a beat.
“Sure, sure.” Shokichi smiled to himself and the two of them lapsed back into silence. The snow drifted in the air and Shokichi alternated between watching it and sneaking glances at Hiromi. Every now and then he’d catch him looking back, cheeks pink and eyes warm.
Shokichi lounged until felt comfortably boneless, the pain in his knee subsiding to an almost ignorable twinge. Much as he was loath to leave the comfort of the onsen they did need to return to the room eventually. Remembering to be considerate of his evident boundaries Shokichi made sure Hiromi’s eyes were still closed before hoisting himself out of the water. He retrieved his yukata and pulled it on before the cold air could wrap itself around him.
“Ready to go?” He asked softly. Hiromi stretched with a sigh and stood, earlier modesty seemingly forgotten. Water rushed over the plane of his back, down to the curve of his—Shokichi forced himself to look away before Hiromi turned and he was caught staring. He kept his eyes down as Hiromi put on his yukata, but even once he was dressed Shokichi’s eyes strayed to where the fabric stretched against Hiromi’s chest. His stomach fluttered again, despite his mental scolding.
They walked back to the room in comfortable silence, still loose and warm. Despite the peaceful evening the adrenaline that had rushed through Shokichi in the onsen wouldn’t fully subside. His body was relaxed but his mind was keyed up, racing in a way that made his heart rate tick up in anticipation of the sure struggle that falling asleep would be. He rubbed his temples. At least insomnia had let him be the first night.
Knowing what was coming, Shokichi took his time in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and washing his face methodically in hopes that Hiromi might be half asleep already by the time he was done. He wanted to disturb him as little as possible.
Hiromi had cut the lights when he emerged. Shokichi padded to the futon and slipped in quietly. Hiromi’s back was to him but he murmured a sleepy “‘Night” as Shokichi pulled the comforter up.
“‘Night.” He flipped onto his stomach, hoping that the solid press against his chest would ground him enough to calm his heart.
An interminable amount of time later Shokichi was still wide awake, staring into the darkness above him so hard that it began to take form, a swirling static that dissipated if he tried to look directly at it. Determined not to jostle Hiromi, no matter how badly he wanted to toss and turn, he had only turned over once, but the mounting frustration of being unable to sleep had him fidgeting. He couldn’t stop the anxious joggling of his foot, and he was too aware of the pulse in his knee. Just as frustrating as his sleeplessness was the fact that he was cold again. The time in the onsen felt like hours ago—for all he knew it probably was—and whatever warmth lingered in his body wasn’t doing much.
Beside him Hiromi let out a heavy exhale and Shokichi froze for a moment, worried he’d woken him. When he made no other movement Shokichi sighed and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes until color burst behind his eyelids. He waited another moment, then climbed out of the futon and crept to the bathroom. In the close darkness he sat on the floor, made himself take several steadying breaths, massaged his knee. They were heading home tomorrow; he could make it through a few more restless hours. It was fine.
Hiromi had shifted onto his back while he was in the bathroom. When Shokichi crawled back into bed Hiromi rolled over to face him.
“Shokichi?” He whispered.
“Fuck, sorry Hiromi. Was trying not to wake you up.”
“S’okay. Can’t sleep?” Shokichi shook his head, biting his lip. He knew Hiromi probably couldn’t see him but he didn’t trust his voice. Hiromi let him breathe for a moment.
“Your knee?”
“Hurts. But that’s not—” Shokichi huffed and knocked his fist against his forehead. “This just happens sometimes. A lot, actually.” He let his arm fall back onto the futon with a soft thump. “And it’s freezing.” He knew he sounded whiny, hated to complain, but he was exhausted and annoyed and it was true.
“You’re cold?”
“You aren’t?” Shokichi half laughed, miserable. Hiromi didn’t say anything for a long moment but Shokichi could feel his eyes on him. He heard him take a breath to say something, then cut himself off. The blankets rustled and Shokichi turned to peer at him, barely visible in the faint moonlight coming in through the curtains. Hiromi had propped himself on his elbow and lifted the blanket away from his body.
“I run hot,” he said, whisper voice gruff. Shokichi stared, tired brain not fully certain of what was being offered. “Just—c’mere. If—if you want.” Shokichi didn’t have the energy to question it. Nevermind that he’d been unsuccessfully ignoring several passing thoughts about Hiromi’s body for the past two days. Nevermind that this probably crossed the threshold of Hiromi just being thoughtful. He was tired and cold, and Hiromi was warm and right there and offering.
Wordlessly he turned onto his side and scooted back until his back brushed against Hiromi’s chest. His arm came to rest gently over Shokichi’s waist so that Shokichi was bracketed on both sides by warm, comfortable weight. He could almost feel Hiromi’s heart racing against his back but his breathing stayed steady and even, and Shokichi’s body relaxed slowly into the heat radiating from Hiromi. Within minutes Shokichi was closer to sleep than he had been all night. His brain had certainly shut down, because he heard himself mumbling, “You’re like…a furnace. But soft.” Hiromi’s huff of laughter tickled the back of his neck.
“Go to sleep.” Shokichi smiled, lips pressed together so he wouldn’t say anything else embarrassing, and did.
∞∞∞
Shokichi woke with his nose pressed into something soft and warm. He instinctively nuzzled into it, relishing the warmth and reluctant to open his eyes. It wasn’t often that he got to wake up slow and comfortable. After a moment he blinked his eyes open sleepily, only to find himself face to face—or face to pec, rather—with Hiromi’s chest. The memory of last night flooded in and he squeezed his eyes shut again, despite now being very awake. Hiromi was still fast asleep, arm slung over Shokichi’s hip, and despite his mild alarm Shokichi was admittedly wonderfully cozy. He didn’t see any reason to disturb Hiromi as he took stock of the situation.
Bits and pieces of the past two days clarified in the forefront of Shokichi’s mind. Tucked against Hiromi’s chest it was hard not to think of the overtly physical things: Hiromi’s insistence on looking away when Shokichi was in any state of half-dress was one thing, but now his reactions to those occasions were suddenly cast in a different light. He remembered Hiromi’s slackjawed gaze as he watched Shokichi towel off and put on pajamas the first night, and the way he’d frozen in the onsen after Shokichi had slipped in before him. Shokichi had chalked it up to Hiromi being overly polite, or just shy, but he hadn’t been able to parse a reason for the shyness, especially considering Hiromi wasn’t opposed to showing off his own body at S. He hadn’t entertained the possibility that Hiromi could be flustered by seeing someone else’s body for more…sensitive reasons.
And then there was Hiromi’s careful, considerate treatment of Shokichi. That was easy enough to dismiss as him just being a genuinely nice guy, but here Shokichi was, waking up in Hiromi’s arms, just because he was cold and couldn’t sleep. He breathed in the scent of hotel body wash and green things from Hiromi’s t-shirt, and lined everything up against his own feelings.
He had tried to write off his growing attraction to Hiromi as idle appreciation, telling himself it didn’t have to mean anything more. And it didn’t have to, especially when he hadn’t even thought that Hiromi was interested in men; even if Shokichi had known that to be the case he wouldn’t have necessarily considered pursuing anything with him. Actually he still didn’t know Hiromi’s preferences but, having been cuddled to sleep by him, it seemed like they might swing in Shokichi’s favor.
Beyond that it occurred to Shokichi how easy it was to be around Hiromi. It all felt so natural, the conversation, the silences, even the teasing. He liked talking to him, liked the way Hiromi had opened up and joked with him. He liked making him blush, and he realized he wanted all of that to continue. Two days was nothing, just enough time to reveal glimpses of a person Shokichi wanted to see more of, know more of.
These revelations were settling into place when Hiromi twitched, then tightened his arm around Shokichi. Shokichi held his breath, heart jumping against his ribs, and kept his eyes closed. He’d barely had enough time to process his thoughts, and facing Hiromi when he woke to find Shokichi still in his arms seemed like too much.
He felt Hiromi stretch, then stiffen suddenly as he no doubt became aware of Shokichi curled against him. He was motionless for several shaky breaths, then gingerly withdrew his arm from where it had protectively held Shokichi to him. Shokichi swallowed a sigh at the loss of the heavy warmth and let himself roll onto his back, away from Hiromi, in a way that he hoped seemed natural. He lay still, listening to Hiromi slide out of bed and shuffle hurriedly to the bathroom. Once he heard the door click shut he allowed himself to stretch fully, and ran his hands through his hair with a muffled groan. Fuck.
Hiromi emerged from the bathroom several minutes later, scrubbing at his face. He jumped when he noticed Shokichi sitting up in bed, dropping his hand only to immediately bring it back up to rub his shoulder.
“Morning,” Shokichi said, hoping his smile was gentle and encouraging, or at least normal.
“Morning.” Hiromi barely met his eyes. “Um, sleep okay?” Shokichi’s smile came more naturally this time.
“Amazing,” he said, honestly. “You really do run hot.” He couldn’t help it—well, maybe he could, but he just cared a whole lot less after last night—he let his eyes wander up Hiromi’s body, taking in the way his boxers rode up around thick thighs, how his t-shirt hung loose at the collar, exposing part of his rapidly flushing chest.
“Look, last night—sorry—” Hiromi cut himself off with a frustrated sound. “Sorry, if it was weird, I just—”
“Hiromi, you don’t need to apologize,” Shokichi interrupted him before his unnecessary distress could progress. “I mean it, I slept great. Thanks to you.” Hiromi’s blush didn’t recede, but his face relaxed slightly.
“Okay. Uh, good then.” He nodded to himself. “That’s good.” Shokichi laughed lightly, glad he’d decided to stop fighting whatever it was he felt about Hiromi because, god, he really was cute. He wasn’t going to torture him though, nothing had really happened yet and Hiromi was clearly flustered, so he opted to let it be for now. He stood up, stretching his arms above his head and bending his knee to test for pain. It felt much better, which was likely due to the onsen and a good night’s sleep, but the latter was really due to Hiromi so Shokichi supposed he could thank him for that too.
Shokichi went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and give Hiromi space to collect himself. He was quiet while they packed their things, and grabbed Shokichi’s bag without comment when they headed off to meet their friends in front of the inn. Shokichi didn’t mind; he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say yet anyway.
∞∞∞
The ride from the Myoko Kogen back to the airport passed in relative silence as well, the effects of two days of snowboarding and the early checkout Kaoru had insisted on dulling everyone’s desire to make conversation. Even Reki, Langa, and Miya quieted after thirty minutes of driving. At one point Shokichi looked back to find all three of them passed out, Reki slumped against Langa’s shoulder and Miya half sprawled over Reki’s lap. Shokichi nudged Hiromi and cocked his head towards the backseat, feeling equal parts amused and soft-hearted at the display.
“They’re tolerable when they’re sleeping,” Hiromi said, sounding almost affectionate. Kojiro’s eyes flicked to the rearview and he smiled.
“They remind me of us, dontcha think, Kaoru?” Kaoru turned in his seat, studying them for a long moment before responding.
“We were cooler. But yes, I suppose so.” Kojiro snorted and tugged on Kaoru’s hair, earning himself a punch to the arm.
“You were the cool one.” Shokichi caught Hiromi’s eye and the two shared a look before Shokichi turned to the window with a smile. He watched the landscape flash by, feeling more content than he had in months. His knee knocked into Hiromi’s, and neither of them pulled away.
The seating arrangements on the flight back to Okinawa were the same as the flight in. Shokichi slumped into his seat with a sigh as Hiromi settled in next to him.
“What’s up?” It was the first thing Hiromi asked him directly since they’d left the inn that morning.
“Just not ready to go back. This trip has been really nice.” Hiromi hummed.
“Agreed.”
“Better than Miyakojima?” Shokichi asked. Hiromi snorted.
“Much.” He rubbed at his thighs, cheeks turning faintly pink. “Better company, too.” Shokichi smiled, hoping he was correctly interpreting Hiromi’s meaning. They didn’t speak during take off, Shokichi’s head turned to the window to watch snow-covered Niigata fall away and disappear beneath the clouds.
He really was sad to be leaving. It was just a quick weekend trip but getting away had felt good. He liked the perspective shift that traveling offered, and this trip had been enlightening in unexpected ways. A crush was easier to entertain away from regular life and routine but Shokichi found that he didn’t want to pack away his newfound interest in Hiromi when he got back home. Especially not when he’d only just realized it for what it was, and realized that maybe Hiromi was interested too.
“Hey, Hiromi,” he whispered. “You gonna be free at all this week?” Hiromi shook himself from his half doze, looking confused.
“I’ve got a few shifts at Tulip but other than that I guess so, yeah. Why?”
“Let’s grab a beer, then. My treat.” It wasn’t taking a risk, not really. Going out for drinks was a just-friends activity too, but Shokichi hoped that Hiromi heard the invitation for what it was. Judging by his wide eyes and heavy blush Shokichi thought he did.
“Y-yeah. Okay. Sounds good.” Shokichi grinned at him, warmth swelling in his chest.
“Cool. I’ll text you.” Hiromi’s answering smile was tentative but genuine, and Shokichi suddenly was really looking forward to getting home. When the white noise of the plane engines started to lull him he let his head fall against Hiromi’s shoulder. Hiromi’s only reaction was to readjust slightly so that Shokichi might be more comfortable, and after a while he felt Hiromi’s cheek come to rest on top of his head. He bit his lip against a smile and let himself doze.