"Cmon shuichi you know it'll be fun!" Kaedes cheerful voice spoke on the other side of the phone.
Shuichi sighed, slouching back into his desk chair at home, stacking up his college papers he was working on. "Who all is going again..?"
"Hmm.. me, miu, rantaro, kiyo, tenko, himiko, angie, tsumugi, and.. kokichi. Maki and kaito said they were busy. Same with gonta, ryoma, keebo, and kirumi." She sounded like she was getting her coat on, as if she was already heading to the arcade.
Shuichi sighs. "So you're telling me I'm stuck with kokichi?"
Kaede laughs a little. "Yeah kind of. Cmon, I know you like hanging out with him. Don't deny it." Shuichi can almost feel her nudging his shoulder through the phone.
"Maybe I do a little. Still, it kind of makes me want to go less." He stands up, stretching out a little and putting his coat on, fully aware he wasn't going to get out of this no matter how much he protested.
The blonde snorts on the other side of the phone. "'A little.' I see how you look when you hang around him, shuichi. And I see how he looks when he hangs around you. You have a love/hate thing for him, call him annoying but secretly love being around him. He has just… a love thing for you. Not that he'd admit it. Nor would you. You take all his flirts as jokes."
The detective pauses for a moment, silent and trying to find the right words. "Are you insinuating that he has feelings for me? How would you even be able to tell? And how do you know I have feelings for him?"
"You're not denying you do, you're just asking how I know." He can hear her smirk on the other end.
He groans, locking the door to his apartment. "Ok yeah maybe.. I guess I like him. but, you didn't answer how you know he likes me..?"
"I just know, trust me on this shuichi." He hears miu yelling on the other end of the phone, able to make out some of it that went along the lines of,
"HEY KAEIDIOT HURRY YOUR CUTE ASS UP! THIS MOTORCYCLE CAN'T RUN FOREVER I'M ALMOST OUT OF GAS!"
Kaede grumbles. "JUST A MINUTE! AND I KNOW FULL WELL YOUR MOTORCYCLE DOESN'T RUN ON GAS!" she puts the phone back to her ear, sighing fondly. "Ill talk to you about this more another time. Just be yourself and say what comes to mind tonight, okay? I'll see you in a bit." And then she hung up the phone.
The blue haired sighed putting his phone in his pocket as the bus arrived. Tonight was going to be interesting, to say the least.
Bus ride was calmer than he imagined it would be. He kept repeating kaedes words in his head, trying to keep himself calm. "Itll be okay. Just say what you think." He keeps repeating.
Arriving at the arcade he walks in and kaede waves him over, it seems like kokichi still isn't there yet but the other are. Of course he'd be late.
"Hey shuichi, I'm glad you came I was worried you wouldn't." Rantaro gives a soft smile to him.
Tenko speaks up too, "are you ready to win some games, shuichi!? You should face me in dance dance revolution!"
The boy shakes his head no, quietly mumbling that he'd rather not. Then, at the right time, kokichi walks through the door, calling out to all of them and skipping over. "Hiiii everyone!" He has his signature smirk on, looking around at everyone there. "Oh? I'm late aren't I? Whoops my bad! Also it looks like me and Shumai are the only non couple! Sucks for you you're stuck with me!" He grabs shuichi's arm, giggling like a child.
The others laugh at them, as if in on a joke that neither shuichi or kokichi understood. Then, they all go their separate ways with their partners, leaving kokichi and shuichi to themselves.
"So what do you wanna play first Mr detective?" He let go of his arm, practically jumping up and down with excitement. It honestly made the taller smile, happy in fact that he was so excited. This was going to be a tough night for his composure.
They ended up starting with a zombie shooting game, and quickly switching back and forth between about everything in the arcade. Racing games, shooting games, throwing games, pac man, just about everything. It was one of those card arcades, where you swipe a card and it gives you points on the card instead of tickets. Shuichi wouldn't lie and say he wasn't glad he didn't have to carry around a bunch of tickets.
Kokichi stopped them in front of the photobooth, looking up at shuichi with a smirk. "Cmon you know you wanna.." He teased.
The taller glared at him. "No. I look awful."
"You're just lying. You should know by now I'm an expert at telling what's a lie and what's not. Cmonnnn just take some pictures with me!" He started tugging on his sleeve, smirk not leaving his face.
Shuichi laughed. "Are you insinuating you think I look cute?"
"Doesn't matter! You're taking pictures with me!" He then aggressively pulls him into the photo booth, starting to look through the options, grabbing cash out of his pocket and putting it in the machine.
The detective sighs, looking at the options as well. Kokichi chose one before he could get a good look, though. "I was still looking-"
"Pfft I picked a good one don't worry about it just smile and pose with me!" Kokichi scooted ever so slightly closer to the other.
They both posed, the taller giving an awkward yet genuine smile, and kokichi the cheesiest smile he could. Then it started counting down to the next one, and kokichi put his arm around the others startling him, but in fact making him smile more. Once again, it had an interval, the shorter flicked shuichi's nose, and he turned towards him, asking why he did that. It took a picture during that time. During the wait for the last one, they just stared at each other, one smiling, one confused.
The shorter spoke. "Are we about to kiss right now?"
"In your dreams." Shuichi chuckled, though he was aware his face was probably a decently red shade. The time between seemed to be lasting forever as they sat once more in silence.
"Maybe it is." The other seemed to be… serious? No, no way he could be serious. Shuichi really could not believe that, but he knows Ouma. He knows kokichi ouma and when he's being serious. This was definitely one of those times. Kaede, was right.. Wasn't she? How did he not realise that sooner?
He stared a bit longer, then heard the countdown again.
3. He stared at the smaller still, looking at his purple eyes that he's grown fond of seeing.
2. He leans in closer, not on his own though, it's like a force is pushing him too, but that's okay. He feels obliged to listen to it.
1. They were so close they could here each other's breathing, despite all the chatter of the arcade outside the booth.
0. You couldn't tell which closed the gap first, you could call it a tie and that would probably be the best explanation. They kissed, shuichi's arms wrapping around kokichis waist, and kokichis around shuichi neck. They both had been wanting and waiting for this for a while, that much was apparent.
The machine then printed out the pictures, them both pulling away to breathe and grab them. They look at each other for a moment more, then start laughing. Neither of them could tell you if they were laughing out of nervousness, or just pure shock that that just happened.
Kokichi grabbed the pictures and handed shuichi's to him. "These are keepers for sure! You look stupid as hell!" He laughed.
The other boy laughed too, nudging his shoulder and muttering for him to shut up.
The boys were interupted by tsumugi opening the curtain, saying everyone was meeting back at the prize conuter.
Once she left, shuichi was getting up to leave but kokichi stopped him, pulling him back to his seat for a moment. He looked at him with a curious look.
Purple locks getting moved out of his eyes, the smaller spoke. "I'm glad you return my feelings. We should do that more often, mr detective."
The taller smiles wide. "I'd love to."
Walking out of the booth, now hand in hand, they head to the prize counter to get prizes. Kokichi gets like 5 stuffed animals, and shuichi just gets a slinky and some candy, feeling satisfied enough with that and letting kokichi use the rest of his points. The smaller makes his taller companion carry most of the stuffed animals, to which he reluctantly complies.
Everyone talks as they walk to the parking lot, then all stopping in front of the entrance and staring at the two boys, who again were holding hands.
"What? You all look like someone just got murdered! Or that you just found out someone knows your biggest secret!" Kokichi glares at all of them.
Miu snorts. "You two have a makeout sesh in the bathroom finally or sumn?"
Kaede elbows her girlfriend, signifying for her to knock it off. "It seems like you guys finally realised, is what she means." Gesturing to the hands that were interlocked.
Shuichi laughs nervously, stumbling on his words. "I- uh- we um-"
The smaller let's go of his hands, groaning and shoving the stuffed animal into his companions already full arms. He pulls the pictures out of his pocket and shows everyone. "There ya go."
A mixture of "aw" and "gross" rings out through the group.
Except for kaede, who just smiles at shuichi. "Told you." She mouths.
And shuichi smiles back. Mouthing, "thank you."
Kokichi talks to everyone else, them all talking about what they did. And shuichi just smiles. Today was the best day he'd had in a while.
Definitely something he could get used to. Definitely.