Title: may I have this dance
Rating: G
Fandom: Kuroko no Basket
Relationship: Akashi Seijurou/Mayuzumi Chihiro
Wordcount: 818
Short summary: Chihiro is reluctantly at the fundraising dance that Akashi organized and is about to leave when Akashi catches him.
Dim lights, loud music, and far too many people in suits and dresses. This is not how Chihiro would spend his Saturday night, but tonight he has no choice. Maybe if he were merely just a former Rakuzan basketball team member of no note, he could “pretend” he never received notice of the fundraising event. Maybe if he were just Mayuzumi Chihiro who happened to start some games at the end of his senior year, he could “pretend” his obligations for university just happened to occur this weekend and thus he was “unavailable”. However, he is Mayuzumi Chihiro, former number 5 jersey and starter who was Akashi Seijuurou’s “shadow”. And Akashi Seijuurou is the one who organized this event, as his last act as “captain” of the basketball team. Even though Akashi retired from the team last month. Some people are just…
Chihiro sighs. He bumped into the uncrowned king trio earlier, some thirty minutes or so ago. He has exchanged polite greetings with a few others who he vaguely remembered as being classmates of his at Rakuzan. He doesn’t remember, or care to try to remember, anyone else. There’s just one person who he should probably say something to before he leaves, because he’s been here for about an hour, and that’s long enough, right?
“May I have this dance?”
“Akashi?”
Speaking of the devil…
“Or do you not dance?”
Akashi is smirking, as if he knows Chihiro wants to say no. And that is definitely Chihiro’s first instinct, because he wants to go home instead. But he bites his lip, takes his time to make an answer. Okay, fine, here goes some stalling.
“I don’t really but… Wouldn’t that be bad? If we danced together?”
Chihiro thinks he catches Akashi off-guard with his “meek”-sounding response, but it’s a blink-and-miss kind of moment. Any bit of surprise is quickly masked by a further curl of lips.
“I don’t think my feelings for you have been secret for a while.”
Akashi laughs, catching the attention of those around them. Chihiro feels a ten-fold increase in looks and whispers directed his way, as if he has been transformed from a “shadow” into a “light” once more. He takes a deep breath.
“Really.”
Chihiro isn’t ashamed of himself or his relationship with Akashi; actually, when people at university ask him about it, Chihiro lets them know he is in a relationship with a younger man. And if they want to know his name, Chihiro tells them that yes, his boyfriend’s name is indeed Akashi Seijuurou, and yes, he is the son of Akashi Masaomi. But a sudden increase in stares is still hard to deal with when he’s lived most of his life as just someone “ordinary”.
“Well, suit yourself.” Chihiro shrugs. Ultimately any hullabaloo that happens here is Akashi’s to deal with. “Though how do you dance to this type of music?”
Chihiro is still unsure if he wants to “dance”, even if his desire to leave has lessened now that Akashi is here.
Akashi smiles. “Maybe if you listened to something outside of anime songs, you would have some idea.”
“As if I have time for that.” Outside of anime songs, Chihiro sometimes listens to whatever music Akashi sends his way, but that’s music for studying and not dancing. Unless Chihiro wants to pick up waltzing. Maybe that’s what Akashi is aiming for? A new activity the two of them can do together?
“Whatever, just lead me around.”
Chihiro offers his hands out. Akashi takes them, places them on his shoulders. He places his own on Chihiro’s hips. Chihiro shudders and suppresses the urge to push Akashi off. Because that is going to be noticed.
“Gladly.”
Akashi brings their bodies closer together, but they do not touch beyond hands on shoulders and hips. It’s a respectable distance, an appropriate distance. Farther apart than they sometimes were on the basketball court back then, and certainly farther apart than they are sometimes in private spaces. Still, it feels strangely intimate. Maybe because there are still many eyes looking at them, making the space feel smaller. Maybe because the way Akashi is looking at Chihiro is…
And before Chihiro realizes it, the dance is over. Akashi laughs and only then does Chihiro realize the music has changed. Akashi’s hands haven’t moved, though, so Chihiro’s won’t. Time passes but they stand still for a long moment.
“Another dance?”
Akashi is already moving their bodies to the beat once more even before Chihiro can answer with a slight nod and smile. Wait, is Chihiro enjoying this event that he had planned to leave early just some ten minutes or so ago? Even to this “music”?
Oh well, Chihiro can admit to himself that he is weak to his boyfriend. He won’t say it out loud, though. Akashi can wait to pull those words out of him later, in private, if he so desires…