[fanfic] two's company three's a crowd [2/2]
Title: two's company three's a crowd
Fandom: Kuroko no Basket
Pairing: Akashi/Midorima
Warnings: Murasakibara being a fucker
Summary: In which Murasakibara observes the development of his closest friend and closest enemy's relationship.
Part 1
[=]
Akashi's voice loses its sharp edge and distance after he loses to Kuroko. Of course, he still speaks politely with keigo and maintains the mannerism of a highbred boy, but it's softer, somehow. Murasakibara enjoys the phone conversations with him. During their last year of high school, Akashi tells him he's returning to Tokyo for university and Murasakibara is too, to attend a culinary college. "We should find a place together," Akashi says.
Two weeks from when they first move in together, Murasakibara leaves the apartment to get to his baking class and runs into the landlady with Midorima in tow. "Hello, Murasakibara-kun," she says. "I'm just showing a potential new tenant the single apartment down the hall."
"Is that so," Murasakibara says.
"Hello, Murasakibara," Midorima says. He's got a crisp collar and the steadfast attitude of a dedicated student. He hasn't lost his ridiculous superstitious ways with the bright orange water bottle in his hand, but he's lost the pubescent gawkiness from middle school. He stands straight, spine aligned so that while he's still wearing his dorky itchy sweaters he manages to look somewhat dignified.
"Hello," Murasakibara says.
"Atsushi," Akashi says from the apartment door as he sticks his head out. "Before you go, remember to come back with some rice. We've run out." Murasakibara turns his head to look at both their reactions to each other: Akashi's voice dies in his throat, his eyes wide; Midorima's mouth threatens to drop open with shock but he recovers quickly.
"Akashi," he says.
"So you all know each other!" the landlady says happily.
"Yes," Murasakibara says. "You should get the lease for that apartment now, I think."
[=]
Naturally, Akashi invites Midorima over for dinner once Midorima joins the apartment complex. As Midorima is useless in the kitchen and Akashi only has very basic cooking skills, Murasakibara is in charge of dinner - all the better, because he can sneak tastes before everyone else. He keeps Calpis candies on the counter during the times he's waiting for the meat to cook.
"You're attending T University?" Midorima says. "What department?"
They're sitting at the table together, Akashi on one side and Midorima just around the corner. Somehow it irritates Murasakibara. Midorima has always been a gesturing type of speaker and his hands always seem to miss Akashi's trajectory. "Officially, business, but I've been spending most of my time in the eighteenth century French literature department."
"Is that so? No wonder we haven't run into each other; you wouldn't tend to wander over to the biology department, would you?"
Akashi offers him a half smile. "I guess I have an excuse now, don't I?"
Midorima looks very pleased with himself and catches Murasakibara's eye. His mood sours almost instantly. "I see you're living with Murasakibara. You two were always very close."
"I suppose. If I had known you were going to be in the area…" Murasakibara sees Midorima's hands twitch. "…then I would have suggested we all live together."
Murasakibara flicks a Calpis candy at Midorima's forehead in response to the frown he receives.
Dinner is a pleasant affair even with the few times Midorima kicks him under the table. Akashi looks very happy and for a moment it's almost like they are back in middle school. Midorima begrudgingly compliments his cooking. Murasakibara chews on his meat and raises his eyebrows.
Akashi sees Midorima to the door as Murasakibara leaves the dirty dishes on the table and sprawls out on the couch to watch television. "It was nice seeing you again," Akashi says, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. "We should have dinner together sometime."
"Uh," Midorima says for all this education and Murasakibara can hear him swallow all the way from the door. "Yeah. That would be nice."
"Aka-chin, you're grinning really widely," Murasakibara says after Akashi closes the door and begins to clear the table.
"Am I?" Akashi's face returns to its usual observant, clear expression before the smile itches back across his lips. "I don't know what's come over me. But it's very nice to have an old friend back, isn't it, Atsushi?"
"Hmph," Murasakibara grumbles.
[=]
"Akashi isn't in?" Midorima asks at the door.
"Haven't I said, Mido-chin? Have your ears gone bad since you're getting older?"
"There's no reason to be curt with me, Murasakibara." Midorima frowned. "He told me he'd meet me for lunch today. That's strange."
"I already told you, his father called him to the house for some thing. He told me to apologize for you for missing your date." Midorima jumps at the word 'date'. Murasakibara watches spitefully gleeful as Midorima squirms.
"It isn't like that," Midorima insists awkwardly.
"I figured," Murasakibara said.
Midorima returns the frown with more force. "You're really close to Akashi, aren't you?" he asks, a little bit of an accusatory tone in his voice. "You're living with him now."
"Yeah, I am," Murasakibara says gloatingly, provokingly. "Are you jealous?"
He recognizes the look on Midorima's face. "Yes, I am," Midorima says, a little too loudly, and flushes a little for it. "Are you satisfied?"
"No," Murasakibara says, face darkening. "I already told you you were too late, didn't I? It's your fault, Mido-chin, don't blame it on me."
Midorima looks at him. Murasakibara looks back. Suddenly Midorima flushes bright red.
"You knew all along, didn't you."
"I'm not stupid," Murasakibara grumbles. "Only you thought I was."
Midorima shifts his weight on his feet. Murasakibara stretches his shoulders; he's been crouching over watching the rising of the cake batter in the oven too long. "I'm sorry," Midorima says after a while, quietly. "It was my mistake. I was wrong."
"Now what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know." For once, Murasakibara thinks Midorima is finally looking at him like an equal. "Do you think I have a chance?"
"I'm not Aka-chin."
"You're right," Midorima says, something Murasakibara never thinks he'll ever hear from Midorima's mouth. Midorima sighs and runs a hand through his hair, ruffling it and messing up each neatly combed strand. "I'm a fool, aren't I? All this time I was angry at you and it turns out that you knew the entire time."
"Sorry to rain on your party of two," Murasakibara says. "Except I'm not sorry because you were the third man to begin with."
Midorima sighs again. "I deserve this, I guess."
"Aka-chin likes the orchestra," Murasakibara says. "And he's fond of French cuisine."
Midorima opens his mouth and clears his throat. "Ah - thank you. I'll remember that."
"You better, or you're not so smart after all."
[=]
Murasakibara returns one afternoon with flour under his fingernails to Akashi primping himself in the bathroom. "Ah, I won't be home for dinner tonight," he calls when Murasakibara walks past to throw his stuff in his room before washing his hands. "Midorima's invited me for dinner and a show."
"How nice," Murasakibara says. "What show?"
"There's a travelling orchestra in town. I heard their shows are excellent." Akashi comes out of the bathroom, hair combed neatly back, suit finely pressed.
"You look nice, Aka-chin."
"Thank you."
"Will you be coming back after dinner?"
Akashi gives him a sharp look. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm asking if you'll be back for dessert because I'm making daifuku. What did you think I meant?" Murasakibara sulks, pursing his lips as if offended. For a moment, Akashi looks taken aback. He recovers nicely.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be back in time. Could you leave me a few? I wouldn't want you to eat them all; you might choke on them if I'm not around."
"You're so mean, Aka-chin." Akashi laughs as he grabs his keys and starts for the door. "Have fun on your date."
"Sorry?"
"I said, don't be out too late."
"Oh." Murasakibara pretends he doesn't see Akashi falter, a hand halfway up toward his mouth. "Well. I'll be back."
[=]
Murasakibara doesn't hear him come home, but when he slinks into the kitchen at nine-forty-five, angry at the alarm clock and the sun and the world, the coffee is already brewed and Akashi is sitting at the kitchen table with a half-full cup of coffee and a despondent look on his face. Akashi has slept for certain because his hair is messy and he is wearing a casual shirt and loose pants - never clothing for the outdoors for Akashi. Murasakibara promptly begins to make pancakes. He plans on having a heavy hand in the chocolate chips for him, remembering to make a plain batch for Akashi with apple butter and maple syrup.
"How many pancakes, Aka-chin?"
"Midorima kissed me yesterday."
Murasakibara raises his spatula in the air in mock surprise. "Eh?" he says. "Kissed you?"
"Yes." Akashi gazes deeply into his coffee as if it is a crystal ball to foretell the future. "Right outside the door. We went to listen to the orchestra and had a nice dinner and he took me home and kissed me on the doorstep."
"Eh," Murasakibara says, drawing it out like a monotone middle school girl. "Did you not want him to?"
Akashi gives him a brief, exasperated look. "Please don't mock me, Atsushi."
"I'm sorry, Aka-chin. How many pancakes?"
"Three will be sufficient. It isn't that I disliked it or anything, except." He takes a drink from the mug of dark black coffee and Murasakibara brings the pot to fill it back up to the top to save him from lukewarm caffeine. "It was very business-like and after that we went back to his apartment and that was it."
Murasakibara could see it in his mind's eye: Midorima standing in his foyer waiting for Akashi to come to his door; Akashi sitting next to the shoe rack at the door waiting for an urgent knock. He sets out the apple butter and maple syrup. "I thought that it was just silly pubescent hormone shifts, but losing sleep over it means that it's more than that."
"Your pancakes are ready," Murasakibara says happily, setting a plate of three fluffy, golden-brown circles before him.
"It's been five years," Akashi says, standing suddenly and making ripples in the maple syrup. He pushes his chair away and strides, almost rushes, to the door, opening it and leaving it ajar so Murasakibara can hear him knocking on Midorima's door a few doors down. "Shintarou-" Akashi begins and Murasakibara hears no more and frowns. The pancakes will get cold. He eats them himself. They are dry and tasteless without chocolate chips.
He promises himself to make Akashi take him out for kakigori as payment.
[=]
Murasakibara's final is a tea ceremony and he may invite two guests. Naturally he brings his best friend Akashi and his neighbor Midorima. He serves Akashi akumaki and Midorima oshiruko. His grade is not determined by this guests' opinions of his meal so he isn't entirely all upset when Midorima makes a big show of trading his wagashi with Akashi, insisting he at most share such a bitter snack. Still, it's irritating to watch Akashi gaze affectionately at Midorima and Midorima doing his best not to hide the way his lips twist at the bitterness of the akumaki. This is a public event, not a private affair for newlyweds.
"Stop," Murasakibara whines and gets a few points docked off for poor display.
They go out for taiyaki to celebrate Murasakibara's excellent remarks. Murasakibara gets one with custard and one with chocolate and one with azuki beans and another with chocolate. Akashi gets a plain one and offers Midorima a bite when he thinks Murasakibara isn't looking.
"So are y' doin' it yet?" Murasakibara asks to throw them off, mouth half full of delicious bread. He gets his desired results: Akashi squeezes the taiyaki in his hands so the paste in the middle oozes out the top and Midorima coughs heavily despite not having anything in his mouth. They converse with their eyes as Murasakibara inhales one of his chocolate taiyakis.
"We have," Midorima begins, Akashi bringing the taiyaki up to his mouth, the paper around his face shabbily hiding the red in his cheeks. "We have decided…our…relationship has not progressed that…ah, far."
"Hmm," Murasakibara says, mouth full.
"I'll get us drinks," Akashi offers and walks briskly away, sophisticated and calm with pink ears. Midorima stands awkwardly next to Murasakibara, who munches away at his custard taiyaki.
"Nee, Mido-chin," Murasakibara mumbles, crumbs from his mouth. Midorima badly conceals a look of disgust, but Murasakibara considers it a good thing that he at least tries. "A thing about Aka-chin. He really likes to be tied up and blindfolded."
Midorima sputters. "How could you possibly know…!"
"I've seen his dirty video collection," Murasakibara says. "A lot of them have guys with glasses in them."
Midorima doesn't even bother maintaining a straight face. He looks scary with a combination of pride and embarrassment on his face. "But…ah…well…that's…that's a little…"
"It's okay, Mido-chin, Aka-chin isn't a virgin. You can be rough."
"Stop, please, Murasakibara, that isn't proper, ah, I…please."
"Just remember, okay? I won't say it again."
"He did the most filthy things to me," Akashi breathes a few days later when Murasakibara greets Akashi coming home after noon with pork nikuman after Akashi rushes to change the clothes Murasakibara remembers seeing him in the previous night. Murasakibara notices a fading mark on Akashi's wrists. "I won't bore you with the details, but I can just say that Shintarou is wonderful with his hands and has a way with his tongue."
"Ugh, gross, Aka-chin!" Murasakibara whines, pressing his hands tightly against his ears. Akashi laughs falteringly and takes a nikuman.
"He also told me to tell you to give credit where credit is due," Akashi says after a moment. "Did you say something to him about this?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Murasakibara insists.
[=]
"Do you remember what you told me one time, Mido-chin," Murasakibara asks.
"What?"
"You said 'two's company, three's a crowd' and then you gave me a scary look."
"Shintarou, when did you do that? That's awfully cruel of you."
"It was middle school! I was young and stupid then."
"Only one of those isn't true anymore, Mido-chin."
Midorima looks over at him from over Akashi's head between them on the train. His face does not have the contempt as it did in middle school, only exasperation and petition. Akashi laughs quietly to himself, hunched over his smart phone in business discussions with his father. Murasakibara double checks the heavy bag of groceries between his feet and sighs. "Now that you have what you want, you don't need to hate me anymore."
"Shintarou! That's terrible."
"I take back all my good feelings toward you, Murasakibara. Clearly I was mistaken."
Murasakibara sniffs condescendingly. "Even if you're smooching Aka-chin, I won't hesitate to crush you."
"Hush you two. I happen to like crowds, so it is perfectly fine. Now don't argue; Atsushi's store is opening tomorrow and we wouldn't want to start off a business venture with negative feelings, would we?"
"Mido-chin's gotten to you." But regardless, Murasakibara drops the subject and opens a pack of Pocky. He doesn't have time to worry about the irrelevant romantic drama of his closest friends. He has a sweet shop to manage. Sweets are justice, after all.
Fandom: Kuroko no Basket
Pairing: Akashi/Midorima
Warnings: Murasakibara being a fucker
Summary: In which Murasakibara observes the development of his closest friend and closest enemy's relationship.
Part 1
[=]
Akashi's voice loses its sharp edge and distance after he loses to Kuroko. Of course, he still speaks politely with keigo and maintains the mannerism of a highbred boy, but it's softer, somehow. Murasakibara enjoys the phone conversations with him. During their last year of high school, Akashi tells him he's returning to Tokyo for university and Murasakibara is too, to attend a culinary college. "We should find a place together," Akashi says.
Two weeks from when they first move in together, Murasakibara leaves the apartment to get to his baking class and runs into the landlady with Midorima in tow. "Hello, Murasakibara-kun," she says. "I'm just showing a potential new tenant the single apartment down the hall."
"Is that so," Murasakibara says.
"Hello, Murasakibara," Midorima says. He's got a crisp collar and the steadfast attitude of a dedicated student. He hasn't lost his ridiculous superstitious ways with the bright orange water bottle in his hand, but he's lost the pubescent gawkiness from middle school. He stands straight, spine aligned so that while he's still wearing his dorky itchy sweaters he manages to look somewhat dignified.
"Hello," Murasakibara says.
"Atsushi," Akashi says from the apartment door as he sticks his head out. "Before you go, remember to come back with some rice. We've run out." Murasakibara turns his head to look at both their reactions to each other: Akashi's voice dies in his throat, his eyes wide; Midorima's mouth threatens to drop open with shock but he recovers quickly.
"Akashi," he says.
"So you all know each other!" the landlady says happily.
"Yes," Murasakibara says. "You should get the lease for that apartment now, I think."
[=]
Naturally, Akashi invites Midorima over for dinner once Midorima joins the apartment complex. As Midorima is useless in the kitchen and Akashi only has very basic cooking skills, Murasakibara is in charge of dinner - all the better, because he can sneak tastes before everyone else. He keeps Calpis candies on the counter during the times he's waiting for the meat to cook.
"You're attending T University?" Midorima says. "What department?"
They're sitting at the table together, Akashi on one side and Midorima just around the corner. Somehow it irritates Murasakibara. Midorima has always been a gesturing type of speaker and his hands always seem to miss Akashi's trajectory. "Officially, business, but I've been spending most of my time in the eighteenth century French literature department."
"Is that so? No wonder we haven't run into each other; you wouldn't tend to wander over to the biology department, would you?"
Akashi offers him a half smile. "I guess I have an excuse now, don't I?"
Midorima looks very pleased with himself and catches Murasakibara's eye. His mood sours almost instantly. "I see you're living with Murasakibara. You two were always very close."
"I suppose. If I had known you were going to be in the area…" Murasakibara sees Midorima's hands twitch. "…then I would have suggested we all live together."
Murasakibara flicks a Calpis candy at Midorima's forehead in response to the frown he receives.
Dinner is a pleasant affair even with the few times Midorima kicks him under the table. Akashi looks very happy and for a moment it's almost like they are back in middle school. Midorima begrudgingly compliments his cooking. Murasakibara chews on his meat and raises his eyebrows.
Akashi sees Midorima to the door as Murasakibara leaves the dirty dishes on the table and sprawls out on the couch to watch television. "It was nice seeing you again," Akashi says, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. "We should have dinner together sometime."
"Uh," Midorima says for all this education and Murasakibara can hear him swallow all the way from the door. "Yeah. That would be nice."
"Aka-chin, you're grinning really widely," Murasakibara says after Akashi closes the door and begins to clear the table.
"Am I?" Akashi's face returns to its usual observant, clear expression before the smile itches back across his lips. "I don't know what's come over me. But it's very nice to have an old friend back, isn't it, Atsushi?"
"Hmph," Murasakibara grumbles.
[=]
"Akashi isn't in?" Midorima asks at the door.
"Haven't I said, Mido-chin? Have your ears gone bad since you're getting older?"
"There's no reason to be curt with me, Murasakibara." Midorima frowned. "He told me he'd meet me for lunch today. That's strange."
"I already told you, his father called him to the house for some thing. He told me to apologize for you for missing your date." Midorima jumps at the word 'date'. Murasakibara watches spitefully gleeful as Midorima squirms.
"It isn't like that," Midorima insists awkwardly.
"I figured," Murasakibara said.
Midorima returns the frown with more force. "You're really close to Akashi, aren't you?" he asks, a little bit of an accusatory tone in his voice. "You're living with him now."
"Yeah, I am," Murasakibara says gloatingly, provokingly. "Are you jealous?"
He recognizes the look on Midorima's face. "Yes, I am," Midorima says, a little too loudly, and flushes a little for it. "Are you satisfied?"
"No," Murasakibara says, face darkening. "I already told you you were too late, didn't I? It's your fault, Mido-chin, don't blame it on me."
Midorima looks at him. Murasakibara looks back. Suddenly Midorima flushes bright red.
"You knew all along, didn't you."
"I'm not stupid," Murasakibara grumbles. "Only you thought I was."
Midorima shifts his weight on his feet. Murasakibara stretches his shoulders; he's been crouching over watching the rising of the cake batter in the oven too long. "I'm sorry," Midorima says after a while, quietly. "It was my mistake. I was wrong."
"Now what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know." For once, Murasakibara thinks Midorima is finally looking at him like an equal. "Do you think I have a chance?"
"I'm not Aka-chin."
"You're right," Midorima says, something Murasakibara never thinks he'll ever hear from Midorima's mouth. Midorima sighs and runs a hand through his hair, ruffling it and messing up each neatly combed strand. "I'm a fool, aren't I? All this time I was angry at you and it turns out that you knew the entire time."
"Sorry to rain on your party of two," Murasakibara says. "Except I'm not sorry because you were the third man to begin with."
Midorima sighs again. "I deserve this, I guess."
"Aka-chin likes the orchestra," Murasakibara says. "And he's fond of French cuisine."
Midorima opens his mouth and clears his throat. "Ah - thank you. I'll remember that."
"You better, or you're not so smart after all."
[=]
Murasakibara returns one afternoon with flour under his fingernails to Akashi primping himself in the bathroom. "Ah, I won't be home for dinner tonight," he calls when Murasakibara walks past to throw his stuff in his room before washing his hands. "Midorima's invited me for dinner and a show."
"How nice," Murasakibara says. "What show?"
"There's a travelling orchestra in town. I heard their shows are excellent." Akashi comes out of the bathroom, hair combed neatly back, suit finely pressed.
"You look nice, Aka-chin."
"Thank you."
"Will you be coming back after dinner?"
Akashi gives him a sharp look. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm asking if you'll be back for dessert because I'm making daifuku. What did you think I meant?" Murasakibara sulks, pursing his lips as if offended. For a moment, Akashi looks taken aback. He recovers nicely.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be back in time. Could you leave me a few? I wouldn't want you to eat them all; you might choke on them if I'm not around."
"You're so mean, Aka-chin." Akashi laughs as he grabs his keys and starts for the door. "Have fun on your date."
"Sorry?"
"I said, don't be out too late."
"Oh." Murasakibara pretends he doesn't see Akashi falter, a hand halfway up toward his mouth. "Well. I'll be back."
[=]
Murasakibara doesn't hear him come home, but when he slinks into the kitchen at nine-forty-five, angry at the alarm clock and the sun and the world, the coffee is already brewed and Akashi is sitting at the kitchen table with a half-full cup of coffee and a despondent look on his face. Akashi has slept for certain because his hair is messy and he is wearing a casual shirt and loose pants - never clothing for the outdoors for Akashi. Murasakibara promptly begins to make pancakes. He plans on having a heavy hand in the chocolate chips for him, remembering to make a plain batch for Akashi with apple butter and maple syrup.
"How many pancakes, Aka-chin?"
"Midorima kissed me yesterday."
Murasakibara raises his spatula in the air in mock surprise. "Eh?" he says. "Kissed you?"
"Yes." Akashi gazes deeply into his coffee as if it is a crystal ball to foretell the future. "Right outside the door. We went to listen to the orchestra and had a nice dinner and he took me home and kissed me on the doorstep."
"Eh," Murasakibara says, drawing it out like a monotone middle school girl. "Did you not want him to?"
Akashi gives him a brief, exasperated look. "Please don't mock me, Atsushi."
"I'm sorry, Aka-chin. How many pancakes?"
"Three will be sufficient. It isn't that I disliked it or anything, except." He takes a drink from the mug of dark black coffee and Murasakibara brings the pot to fill it back up to the top to save him from lukewarm caffeine. "It was very business-like and after that we went back to his apartment and that was it."
Murasakibara could see it in his mind's eye: Midorima standing in his foyer waiting for Akashi to come to his door; Akashi sitting next to the shoe rack at the door waiting for an urgent knock. He sets out the apple butter and maple syrup. "I thought that it was just silly pubescent hormone shifts, but losing sleep over it means that it's more than that."
"Your pancakes are ready," Murasakibara says happily, setting a plate of three fluffy, golden-brown circles before him.
"It's been five years," Akashi says, standing suddenly and making ripples in the maple syrup. He pushes his chair away and strides, almost rushes, to the door, opening it and leaving it ajar so Murasakibara can hear him knocking on Midorima's door a few doors down. "Shintarou-" Akashi begins and Murasakibara hears no more and frowns. The pancakes will get cold. He eats them himself. They are dry and tasteless without chocolate chips.
He promises himself to make Akashi take him out for kakigori as payment.
[=]
Murasakibara's final is a tea ceremony and he may invite two guests. Naturally he brings his best friend Akashi and his neighbor Midorima. He serves Akashi akumaki and Midorima oshiruko. His grade is not determined by this guests' opinions of his meal so he isn't entirely all upset when Midorima makes a big show of trading his wagashi with Akashi, insisting he at most share such a bitter snack. Still, it's irritating to watch Akashi gaze affectionately at Midorima and Midorima doing his best not to hide the way his lips twist at the bitterness of the akumaki. This is a public event, not a private affair for newlyweds.
"Stop," Murasakibara whines and gets a few points docked off for poor display.
They go out for taiyaki to celebrate Murasakibara's excellent remarks. Murasakibara gets one with custard and one with chocolate and one with azuki beans and another with chocolate. Akashi gets a plain one and offers Midorima a bite when he thinks Murasakibara isn't looking.
"So are y' doin' it yet?" Murasakibara asks to throw them off, mouth half full of delicious bread. He gets his desired results: Akashi squeezes the taiyaki in his hands so the paste in the middle oozes out the top and Midorima coughs heavily despite not having anything in his mouth. They converse with their eyes as Murasakibara inhales one of his chocolate taiyakis.
"We have," Midorima begins, Akashi bringing the taiyaki up to his mouth, the paper around his face shabbily hiding the red in his cheeks. "We have decided…our…relationship has not progressed that…ah, far."
"Hmm," Murasakibara says, mouth full.
"I'll get us drinks," Akashi offers and walks briskly away, sophisticated and calm with pink ears. Midorima stands awkwardly next to Murasakibara, who munches away at his custard taiyaki.
"Nee, Mido-chin," Murasakibara mumbles, crumbs from his mouth. Midorima badly conceals a look of disgust, but Murasakibara considers it a good thing that he at least tries. "A thing about Aka-chin. He really likes to be tied up and blindfolded."
Midorima sputters. "How could you possibly know…!"
"I've seen his dirty video collection," Murasakibara says. "A lot of them have guys with glasses in them."
Midorima doesn't even bother maintaining a straight face. He looks scary with a combination of pride and embarrassment on his face. "But…ah…well…that's…that's a little…"
"It's okay, Mido-chin, Aka-chin isn't a virgin. You can be rough."
"Stop, please, Murasakibara, that isn't proper, ah, I…please."
"Just remember, okay? I won't say it again."
"He did the most filthy things to me," Akashi breathes a few days later when Murasakibara greets Akashi coming home after noon with pork nikuman after Akashi rushes to change the clothes Murasakibara remembers seeing him in the previous night. Murasakibara notices a fading mark on Akashi's wrists. "I won't bore you with the details, but I can just say that Shintarou is wonderful with his hands and has a way with his tongue."
"Ugh, gross, Aka-chin!" Murasakibara whines, pressing his hands tightly against his ears. Akashi laughs falteringly and takes a nikuman.
"He also told me to tell you to give credit where credit is due," Akashi says after a moment. "Did you say something to him about this?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Murasakibara insists.
[=]
"Do you remember what you told me one time, Mido-chin," Murasakibara asks.
"What?"
"You said 'two's company, three's a crowd' and then you gave me a scary look."
"Shintarou, when did you do that? That's awfully cruel of you."
"It was middle school! I was young and stupid then."
"Only one of those isn't true anymore, Mido-chin."
Midorima looks over at him from over Akashi's head between them on the train. His face does not have the contempt as it did in middle school, only exasperation and petition. Akashi laughs quietly to himself, hunched over his smart phone in business discussions with his father. Murasakibara double checks the heavy bag of groceries between his feet and sighs. "Now that you have what you want, you don't need to hate me anymore."
"Shintarou! That's terrible."
"I take back all my good feelings toward you, Murasakibara. Clearly I was mistaken."
Murasakibara sniffs condescendingly. "Even if you're smooching Aka-chin, I won't hesitate to crush you."
"Hush you two. I happen to like crowds, so it is perfectly fine. Now don't argue; Atsushi's store is opening tomorrow and we wouldn't want to start off a business venture with negative feelings, would we?"
"Mido-chin's gotten to you." But regardless, Murasakibara drops the subject and opens a pack of Pocky. He doesn't have time to worry about the irrelevant romantic drama of his closest friends. He has a sweet shop to manage. Sweets are justice, after all.