Title: where are you taking me
Rating: G
Fandom: Kuroko no Basket
Relationship: Akashi Seijurou/Mayuzumi Chihiro
Wordcount: 695
Short summary: Normally Chihiro is the one asking where he is being taken, but today it’s Seijuurou’s turn to be led around.
“Where are you taking me?”
Normally that’s something Chihiro asks, but this time Seijuurou is the one being led around, the one being guided instead of being the guide. They’ve gotten off the train at a station in the suburbs. They’ve walked for over 10 minutes, passing by offices, apartment buildings, small stores, even a daycare. Seijuurou did tell Chihiro to “surprise” him; the surprise might be the fact that they did not stop by any of the otaku-aimed stores on the way so far to…this park?
“You wanted to know more about me.” Chihiro is almost as good as Seijuurou is at answering the other’s question before it forms. “So here we are. I came here a lot as a kid.”
He chuckles at Seijuurou’s expression, the surprise Seijuurou doesn’t bother to hide. Because Chihiro as an outdoors kid is pretty contrary to the homebody Seijuurou knows and loves.
“It was a boring, ordinary life.” Chihiro shrugs. “Still kind of fond of this place though.”
The wistful tone piques Seijuurou’s interest. “Imagined your childhood friend to lover story here?”
Chihiro scowls. “You think I had childhood friends?”
Seijuurou chuckles. “You said it.” He won’t admit, though, that the confirmation of Chihiro’s lack of strong childhood attachments pleases him. Not that he is afraid of losing Chihiro to some ghost or two from the past.
“I played with some kids.” Chihiro gestures to the fields where kids from elementary to middle school age are running about. “Soccer, baseball, of course basketball.” Chihiro smiles wryly. “Basketball made the most sense for me though. I was on the taller side and above average skill-wise.”
“And it was fun.” Seijuurou knows well how hard Chihiro will work for something, but there needs to be an incentive. Imagining Chihiro for a moment as a soccer player or a baseball player is not unpleasant, but they met because of basketball. It had to be basketball.
“Yeah, it was.” Chihiro pauses to look Seijuurou directly in the eyes. “It still is…sometimes.”
The deliberate action spurs Seijuurou on a flash tour down memory lane, from their first meeting to their first time on the basketball court together to their first successful misdirected pass to their first basketball game together to their first…
“Chihiro?”
Okay Seijuurou only makes it partway through his reminiscing when his right hand is grabbed by Chihiro’s left. Chihiro is holding his phone in his other hand, suggesting a message or notification prompted this action.
“Let’s go.”
Chihiro explains no further, which doesn’t bother Seijuurou per se. “Where are you taking me next?” He’s just curious.
“Home. Dinner’s ready.”
Seijuurou laughs at Chihiro’s deadpan. “This has been a rather abbreviated tour.” Just one stop before heading to the main event? Once Seijuurou had learned what this park was to Chihiro, it followed logically that they would visit Chihiro’s childhood home. But he thought maybe they’d visit another few places, like Chihiro’s old elementary school or the temple his family patronized.
Chihiro stops walking, turning around to face Seijuurou. “This wasn’t…anything special.” He bites his lower lip. “I was just reducing the amount of time you would spend with Mom.”
“Oh? Is there a problem?” Seijuurou doesn’t know much about Chihiro’s parents. If he recalls correctly, Chihiro’s father is a manager at a firm and his mother is a homemaker. Generally, though, Chihiro doesn’t talk much about his family. They seem to let Chihiro do whatever he wants, including dating a man…
Chihiro grimaces. “She loves you.”
That sounds…possibly fruitful? “Ah, she’ll give me all the dirt.” At least Seijuurou hopes so. He’d love to get more about Chihiro as a kid.
Chihiro, though, doesn’t say anything in response to Seijuurou’s quip. Perhaps Seijuurou should have understood that as a warning sign…a warning sign for him.
Because while the dinner is “good” overall…and Seijuurou does get some dirt on Chihiro… He’s never met an older woman who knows so much about his life from the papers. Chihiro’s mom is a “fan” of Seijuurou…and Chihiro, in a way, was actually protecting him.
Well, at least now he knows…that he doesn’t need to ask where they are going, when Chihiro knows best.