Title: you’re thinking too much
Rating: G
Fandom: Kuroko no Basket
Relationship: Akashi Seijurou/Mayuzumi Chihiro
Wordcount: 1186
Short summary: Chihiro found Seijuurou frowning at his phone and managed to get the issue resolved by forcing conversation, even if it went to an unexpected place...
“What’s landed in your inbox this time?”
Chihiro managed to focus enough to finish off the last request on his work to-do list before turning his gaze to Seijuurou who had plopped down on the couch next to him some minutes ago. Even before seeing Seijuurou’s expression, Chihiro knew it was going to be a frown due to the exhausted sigh that had proceeded it. The fact that Seijuurou still had his suit jacket on while staring at his phone suggested the bad news or whatever was coming as email.
“Chihiro.” Seijuurou tilted the screen just enough for Chihiro to read the text. The email was from Akashi Masaomi with a simple subject of “Dinner”. Your presence is requested for Saturday dinner. Inform me if an additional seat is necessary.
Chihiro scoffed. “What’s the problem?” Okay, so he didn’t know if this was how Akashi senior normally worded requests, but it was just dinner, right? And while Seijuurou’s presence was not optional, the second part was a simple yes/no question with no explanation requested. Chihiro didn’t get what was difficult about this message. “I’m free then. You know my schedule.”
“I don’t know if I should bring you there.” I don’t know if you should meet my father.
“So don’t.” Chihiro shrugged. Chihiro and Seijuurou had known each other for 6 years already and Chihiro still hadn’t met with Akashi senior; what was another day or week or month or year? “I don’t care.”
“I care.”
Chihiro sighed. “You know what I’m like. You know how I am with my family. Whatever is going on in your head…” You don’t need to care so much. “You’re thinking too much.”
“This is important.”
Seijuurou’s frown had morphed into a firm press of lips. Chihiro took a moment to examine Seijuurou’s expression and body language more carefully. He’s upset. That I’m not listening to him? “Fine, let’s talk this out.” Chihiro put his hands on Seijuurou’s shoulders. “Say what you need to say no matter how bad it is.”
“But…” Seijuurou shook his head.
“It won’t be enough to push me away, promise.” Chihiro tried to give a reassuring smile. It turned self-deprecating when Seijuurou stayed silent. He had made himself vulnerable in attempt to be reassuring, but it seemed it was not the right move. “Unless you want me to leave.”
“Don’t go!” The reply was instantaneous. Chihiro’s heart skipped a beat.
“Seijuurou…” Chihiro straddled Seijuurou and slid his arms around the man. He knew it was almost cruel to have suggested that, even if it was his automatic self-defense mechanism. Seijuurou was stubborn and would not flippantly ask for Chihiro to be at his side only to discard him so easily. And once they became a couple, Seijuurou had never hidden his worries about losing Chihiro to something or someone else.
Quietly, against Chihiro’s right ear, Seijuurou finally gave voice to his issue. “I don’t want you to hate my father.”
Chihiro tightened his embrace and took a deep breath. “I probably won’t hate him…” he began, before realizing that was a lie. “Any more than I already do. You know how I feel about his parenting style and his social expectations. But I’m not living with him. I don’t need to like him.” Chihiro pressed a light kiss to Seijuurou’s right cheek. “I am willing to tolerate him.”
“Chihiro…”
“I know I’m like dirt on his shoes. I don’t care.” Chihiro laughed dryly. He waited for Seijuurou to reply, but when Seijuurou just continued to lean into Chihiro’s embrace silently, he sighed. As much as physical comfort was nice, it wouldn’t solve the problem. He’d have to force the conversation forward, even if it would feel out of his usual character.
“Why am I the one talking? Go off, Seijuurou. Tell me what I should be doing.”
Seijuurou straightened his posture, looking Chihiro directly in the eye. “I don’t want to force you to do anything.” He put his hands on Chihiro’s arms, just resting them there and nothing more. “Not here. I am…not ready to cut off my father.” He paused, before continuing with a grimace. “I want to give you the world, and my inheritance money would help out a lot with that.”
Chihiro too found himself grimacing. He could see why Seijuurou was reluctant to speak earlier; there really wasn’t a great way to say something like that. But of course someone who dealt with numbers and balances every day could not ignore the power of money.
“What, you need to buy my love?” Chihiro tried a quip, but when Seijuurou’s expression only darkened, Chihiro sighed. “If I didn’t love you I wouldn’t still be here. Money’s got nothing to do with it.”
He was laying his heart out open once more. Now it was Seijuurou’s turn to respond.
“But your salary—"
“It sucks. I’m supposed to be living in a tiny 1K. Or back with my parents.” Chihiro was ready with the counter. His self-deprecating smile was back on his face.
“That’s not—"
“And it’s nice, having your money. But we only need one bed.”
In his rush to block Seijuurou from making a stupid social class apology, Chihiro had let his mouth run off. And that last sentence was rather… “Shit, that’s not what I meant…”
But his embarrassment seemed to be the key to finally turning around Seijuurou’s mood. “You’re right. We really only need one bed.” Seijuurou’s smile was the only thing that kept Chihiro from trying to argue out of the hole of sap he fell into. “I am overthinking this.” He took Chihiro’s hands in his own. “Let’s elope.”
Chihiro gave Seijuurou a questioning look. It was certainly a conclusion to jump too. “Right now?” When the smile only widened, Chihiro decided he’d have to play along. He turned his face aside and, affecting a disgruntled tone, muttered, “While you still have his money, you could at least get me a wedding gift.”
Seijuurou laughed. “How about we go straight to the honeymoon?” He smiled as he squeezed Chihiro’s hands. “Where do you want to go to? New York? London?”
“Everywhere. Anywhere.” Chihiro shrugged, not knowing which one was his real answer. Probably both if they stayed together long enough… “So am I going to see your dad on Saturday or what?”
“Not yet.” Seijuurou brought Chihiro’s hands to his mouth, kissing each hand before letting them go. He smirked. “I have a honeymoon to plan.” Putting a finger to his chin, he affected a thinking pose. “If we want to go in the summer, perhaps Scandinavia would be—"
“Shut up.” The joke had gone on long enough, now that Seijuurou’s mood was back up and his problem of the day solved. Chihiro didn’t want Seijuurou to actually start planning a honeymoon, or get the idea of spending unnecessary large amounts of money on rings, or anything like…
So he pushed Seijuurou against the couch and planted his mouth right on top of Seijuurou’s. Yes, shutting up Seijuurou…for now. And if minutes pass by with only the sounds of kissing and sucking, well…