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Sasanami is sitting… really close to him. It takes Sakurazaki everything he has not to squirm, not to shimmy away to put some space between them. His thoughts roar over the call of the seagulls and the sound of waves lapping at the shore.
They have a habit of meeting at the bench after practice, just the two of them. They stagger their exits from the old gym storage to avoid drawing suspicion, but Sakurazaki is under the vague impression at least some of their teammates know. Sasanami probably doesn't care, but he still performs this little ritual for his sake, ever thoughtful.
They usually talk about training regimens, and practice, and, occasionally, Sasanami will tutor Sakurazaki on a number of subjects he may be struggling with. Comfortable silence is also par for the course once they've exhausted all conversation topics for the day. But today, Sasanami is sitting so, so close, their thighs touching, and that singular point of contact is driving Sakurazaki crazy. Sasanami probably knows what he's doing, but he thinks it foolish to get his hopes up.
“Sakurazaki-kun…” Sasanami gently says, and Sakurazaki looks at him. His breath catches in his throat. In the setting sun, one half of his face illuminated and the other cast in shadows, his hair gently billowing in the gentle breeze, Sasanami looks effortlessly alluring. Without thinking, Sakurazaki gently gathers stray strands of teal hair and tucks them behind his ear. Sasanami’s thin lips quirk into a gentle smile, and Sakurazaki flushes from his cheeks to his chest.
He's had… thoughts about Sasanami before. One time, out of curiosity, he’d asked Sasanami to press his palm to his after practice. This was perhaps the first time he’d rushed home without going to meet Sasanami at the seaside bench first, and, he suspects, the moment Sasanami put two and two together. A cold shower hadn’t been enough, at the time, and Sakurazaki had to face his feelings with moans buried in a pillow and a slicked hand - the same he’d put to Sasanami’s tiny palm.
Then he’s reminded of his first encounter with Sasanami, of the anger he felt at being foiled, of the stone-cold fear when the steel pipe had connected with the back of Sasanami’s head, of his warm, tiny body pressed against his as he carried him to the hospital. At the time, it had been concern for an innocent bystander being implicated in his foolish attempts at standing up to his father, but now, he recalls the event with fierce possessiveness. After all they’ve been through, he would never let harm come to Sasanami again.
“Um… Sakurazaki-kun? You're squeezing me. Please let go.” Sasanami’s voice cuts through his thoughts. Sakurazaki had, in his musings, pulled Sasanami into his lap. Sasanami looks up at him (still not at eye level, even when seated in his lap!), his mouth set in a thin line. Sakurazaki immediately loosens his hold, stammers an apology, tries to let Sasanami back on the bench.
“It's okay. I don't mind sitting here, you were just squeezing me too hard.” Sakurazaki can't look at him. He's pretty sure his entire body is flushed. Mercifully, Sasanami isn't sitting on any particularly incriminating part of his body, nor is he squirming or shifting, content to sit still and let his gaze wander around, probably analyzing and data-collecting and whatever else his brilliant mind usually spends its idle time on.
“You're thinking too hard. That's my job, you know? Are you okay? Your face is so red.” Sakurazaki looks down at Sasanami again. He's smirking now, like one of those cats he's always stopping to pet when they hang out. Sakurazaki feels like a trapped canary.
“I apologize. I have a lot on my mind right now. It's… a bit embarrassing to talk about.” He can't bring himself to say anything more. Sasanami inches his face close, so close that Sakurazaki can feel his soft breath on his red-hot face. Sly little minx. He definitely knows what he's doing.
Sakurazaki feels Sasanami's slim arms snake around his neck, pulling them even closer to each other. Reflexively, Sakurazaki’s hand settles on the small of Sasanami’s back to stabilize him, but it's just another reminder of how tiny Sasanami is as Sakurazaki’s hand spans almost the entirety of the area. He lets out a low, strained groan at the thought he could probably encompass the entirety of Sasanami’s slim waist with both his hands, and he buries his face in the crook of Sasanami’s neck, shame lost and forgotten. They're in a public space, but it hasn't stopped them so far. Why should it now?
“Sasanami-kun. Can I kiss you? Please?” His voice is muffled in Sasanami’s shirt, but he knows he's been heard when he feels Sasanami jump a little at the bold question. Perhaps he wasn't expecting Sakurazaki to take the initiative, an unknown variable in all his carefully calculated schemes.
“O-oh! Oh, yes, Sakurazaki-kun…” Sakurazaki grins to himself for a second, triumphant at the stutter in Sasanami's reply. He pulls back and stares at Sasanami. Like this, his back is facing the setting sun, soft orange light outlining his silhouette. His eyes are still bright, and his cheeks are as flushed as his nose habitually is, too adorable to resist. He's pouting a little bit, probably a little miffed at having been taken by surprise, but he's still very much enthusiastically awaiting what comes next. Sakurazaki tangles his other hand in Sasanami’s hair and pulls him forward until their lips meet, short and sweet. But Sakurazaki has been waiting for this for some time now, and the chaste kiss only whets his appetite further.
“More?” Sakurazaki asks, hungry and hopeful and excited, and Sasanami feels like he’s the canary this time, craving the cat's teeth and claws. He tilts his head up, closes his eyes, a docile offering to the altar. Sakurazaki takes all of it. He turns them, lowers Sasanami lengthwise on the bench, one hand by his back and another one to the back of the head to offer support and comfort. Sasanami relaxes, his thighs on either side of Sakurazaki’s waist, open and vulnerable. Sakurazaki lowers himself until his mouth meets Sasanami’s again, and something stirs when he hears Sasanami's soft whine when he deepens the kiss. Sasanami’s sports jacket rides up, exposing a tantalizing strip of skin, warm and trembling, and Sakurazaki’s hand shifts, slipping under his clothes instead, pulling him close, close, closer, so warm and pliant.
Sasanami gently pushes Sakurazaki away, breathless and flushed. It's his turn to avoid eye contact, instead watching the ocean. By now the sun has fully set, but the street lamps and moonlight reflect in unshed tears. For a brief moment Sakurazaki’s blood runs cold, but relief washes over him when Sasanami speaks again.
“I'm really happy, Sakurazaki-kun… Jouji.” Sakurazaki pulls him into a tight embrace.
“Yeah… me too, Unmei.” Sasanami looks thoroughly ravished, but he straightens up his appearance quickly. They part ways, both anticipating their next encounter giddily. The seagulls have long ceased to call, but the waves continue to lap the shore gently.