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A raging hangover was nothing pleasant to wake up to and his bipping alarm wasn't helping really. Kyoutani wasn't sure if one night of blissed abandon had been worth it. Another one of his not-so-lasting relationships ended in disaster and he thought it would be a great idea to go to a bar and get loose at Wednesday night after two months of brooding over it. After several shots of vodka his vision was a blur, his mind in a haze and now he didn't have a recollection of folloving events to this morning and his fucking alarm.
Well, he at least was at home and woke up on time for work.
One glance in a bathroom mirror told him that maybe last night needs more thinking over. Several pretty impressive hickeys on his collarbones and scratches on biceps. Oh, and on his back too... And a faint bite mark near his left nipple, right where his heart was. What a mess... Did he bring someone home and that person was already gone? Was it just a fling in a bathroom stall? Kyoutani cringed inwardly on that second thought. One-night stands weren't his thing really. Just happened from time to time between failed relationship. He was a healthy adult man after all. Mostly with girls but with some guys too. Just ask for consent, use protection and enjoy.
Somewhere during his high school years between his admiration for Iwaizumi's strength and finding Yahaba's look attractive he realized he was into boys as well as into girls. And that realizaition brought him to undestending of those uncomfortable feelings that he had around other people and could not quiet place his finger on before. In third year as he was settling in being the ace of Seijoh and being bisexual in still mostly traditional Japan his temper relatively calmed down. Kyoutani even seriously thought about a "ripping band-aid in one go" thing - to come out and to ask Yahaba out. Maybe on the day of their graduation under blossoming sakuras like in a fucking shoujo manga. Well, he didn't do it. And why was he even thinking about that time now?..
His still somewhat hazy mind brought some flashing lights and lightly-colored hair. Exact color lost in a colorful stroboscope of the dancefloor lights but vibes still vaguely familiar. Oh, now he's just confusing memories of the high school and the last night. Nope, he wasn't going down this path of wishful thinking. Ok. It's time for coffee and to get ready for work and it would be better to skip his usual morning jog if he wanted to survive this shitty hangover.
In kitchen Kyoutani found light breakfast ready, his coffee maker's running and one mug resently washed on the dishrack. And there, just near the plate of sandwiches a light-green sticky note layed. "Sorry, needed to leave early and didn't want to wake you up. Call me if you meant what you said" Huh, but there was no number... So he totally brought someone home and had no memory about it. Fun-fucking-tastic.
And what was with this fucker? How can Kyoutani call him if there was no number? Why was he even sure that it's a guy? Oh, right. After he broke up with Ayumi (that-cheating-bitch) he couldn't look on girls for nearly two months straight and went "to get loose" to a gay bar. What was its name now? "Equal" or something like that... Memories of lithe muscles, sharp jaws and strong legs under his palms flashed behind the haze in his brain. Yep, definitely a guy. So, no need to fear that he knocked someone up while being out of his mind. Would that guy want to punch Kyoutani if he wouldn't be able to recognize him if a chance encounter happened though? Well, at least then he would actually know who it was yesterday. And Kyoutani definitely wanted to know for some reason.
Oh, maybe number was already put in his phone. Sipping coffee Kyoutani quickly scaned last calls, messages and then the phonebook but found nothing new. Not like his phonebook was even that long. Family members, several Frogs' teammates and collegues, several exes (that-cheating-bitch-Ayumi, too) and his old Seijoh team. Why did he keep Seijoh's numbers till this day he didn't know himself. Most of the numbers were probably long dead just like his old one from school days. One person with whom Kyoutani was still in touch to his own great surprise was Matsukawa. Without Hanamaki Matsukawa wasn't too insufferable and so they fell in some sort of routine. Matsukawa would come to watch Frogs' games and they would chat a little over some beer after and that kept Kyoutani somewhat updated on lives of his former teammates. (One time Matsukawa and Hanamaki came together and Kyoutani wanted to bang his head at the nearest wall in 5 minutes flat.) So, last time he heard about Yahaba was more then a year ago after their cheering for Oikawa at Olympics. Yahaba was going to study abroad from some famous trainer "to broaden his horizons and enrich experience" as Matsukawa quoted. Wait, why was he thinking about Yahaba again?
After that morning things went their usual way. Nothing unexpected happened and no new traces of the "no face, no name, no number" guy appeared.
On Sunday Kyoutani went to check out a newly opened gym just two blocks away from his apartment. It was much nearer then his usual one and if its equipment and staff was ok he planned to switch to it. Would save him some time. He reevaluated that thought right after he opened gym's doors. There, at the front desk, two guys in trainer's uniforms stood and one of them was definitely Yahaba. Kyoutani povered through his initial surprise and went ahead. He's adult now for fucks sake and his high school crash expired nearly decade ago. There was no need to be awkward and jumpy.
"Hello."
"Welcome to Jupiter Gym! Oh... Hi, Kyoutani! I still think it would've been better if you just called me instead of stalking me at my workplace!" Kyoutani's confused scowl must'we said something to Yahaba. "Oh, sorry. I'm just joking! I know it's a coincidence. Came to look around?"
"Yeah. Didn't even know you're in Sendai again. Came back to roots?"
"Huh, you didn't know..." At that Yahaba's sparkling smile lost some degrees and settled for just polite. "Oh, well, yeah. Something like back to roots, yeah... Well, will not keep you longer. I have one-on-one training soon and need to prepare staff, so, Goto-san will give you a tour around. It was nice to meet you again." Eh, that was fast.
Next week came and went in the same fashion as any other off-season week of last years. Jog, work, train, call dad, eat, sleep. Rinse and repeat. Only change was his route to and from the gym and added half an hour of free time in the evening. And seeing Yahaba's face at the gym every time Kyoutani went there. Yahaba always kept conversations short and politely professional and Kyoutani couldn't pinpoint if he was grateful or irritated by it.
It was Saturday night and Kyoutani slowly went home from the convenience store when some conversation caught his attention.
"You know what? It's your treat tonight. Coz it's me who wanted to have fun last time but it's you who hooked up with some buff blondy and ditched me. In the middle of the night, Shige."
"You know what? Fuck you. Just because it's off-season and you came to bother me all the way from Tokio unannounced instead of going home to Hyougo doesn't mean I have to entertain you. And it's not like I left you at the streets. You had apartment keys, Tarou."
Then everything happened in a split second. Kyoutani lifted his eyes on a stranger in a tight grey jeans and a loose mint-green t-shirt with not-for-work but still vaguely familiar hairstyle and coupled with difinitely Yahaba's profile. And it's like the shape of Yahaba's lips articulating "Tarou" turned on lights in a dim room of his mind.
It was Kyoutani who spotted Yahaba first in a bar last week and wasn't even surprised about "Yahaba in Sendai". It was Kyoutani who hitted on him with all he had in his drunk-out-of-his-mind state and brought Yahaba home. And sex started really heated but turned in some sort of nearly holy experience. His drunk mind dropped all the walls and brain-to-mouth filters and he reverently wispered "love you"s, "Shigeru"s, "dreamed of you since high school" and all that shit that was stored in the deepest parts of him for all these years. Yahaba held onto him for dear life and his breathy pants and moans were intermingled with tender "Kentarou"s. And it was Kyoutani who almost two weeks didn't acknowledged that night in the sightest in front of Yahaba like it didn't happened at all.
Shit. He fucked up. He so royaly fucked up. "Call me if you meant what you said" and "You didn't know" and that shift in Yahaba's smiles from genuine to polite. All of that had so much more sense now. Why was Kyoutani so dense? And what now? Did he still have a chance to un-fuck this somehow? Would Yahaba listen to him? Would believe? Or would just laugh and go off to have fun with this fox-like "Tarou"?
Well, it's now or never. In few fast strides he caught up to the pair, grabbed Yahaba's wrist and tried to summon the most convincing words from his mess of a brain.
"Ah, wait... We need to talk. Eh, fuck... No. Not that... I'm sorry. Can we talk? I meant it. Every word really. I meant. Can we still? Please... Shigeru..." Not like words were Kyoutani's strong point to begin with but after initial confusion Yahaba didn't try to free his hand and patiently listened to his jumbled words.
"It's been ten days." Yahaba said slowly and paused. Kyoutani's chest stinged where the bite mark was week ago. "But I guess it's not much in comparison to ten years. So, ok. Let's go to yours and let's talk, Kentarou."
To this day in his life Kyoutani never felt so much hope.