[KameDa Competition] As the Petals Fall
Title: As the Petals Fall
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fluff, Romance
Warnings:None
Summary: One fateful day Kame sees a beautiful stranger reading in the park and is unable to forget him. Little does he know his life is about to change all due to a stray ball and a loving dog.
Stepping outside into the early spring air, Kame took a deep breath. The air always smelled fresher after winter for some reason. Adjusting the tennis ball, the plastic arm which he used to throw the ball and Ran-chan's leash, Kame closed his front door and started in the direction of the local park. He had been going to the same park at the same time every day that week, hoping to get another glance. He didn't even know what he found so compelling about the stranger under the cherry tree, all he knew was he couldn't forget how he had looked sitting under the tree his glasses perched on his nose as he read with flower petals falling around him in the breeze. It had been spellbinding, romantic, and every other cheesy adjective Kame could think of.
Reaching the park Kame's eyes couldn't help themselves from scanning over the area in look for that certain someone. He didn't know what he would do if he saw him again. Normally he was the type to just walk over, flirt incisively, then introduce himself if he felt the other person reciprocate the interest. This person Kame could already tell was different. For some reason he seemed to loose all his confidence and became nervous whenever he so much as thought about him.
Feeling disappointment flow through his system when he didn't see the object of his desire anywhere, Kame bent over and unclipped the leash off his beloved miniature dachshund's collar and began the task of throwing her the ball. After a threw it a few times Kame began to feel the disappointment lessen, Ran-chan's love of this game and happiness seeped into his own mood. For a moment Kame was able to forget about the stranger that plagued his thoughts as he enjoyed the afternoon sun.
Ueda sat under one of the many cherry trees, watching the man throw the ball for his dog over the top of his book. He had noticed the gorgeous stranger over a week ago when he had first seen him in the park. He enjoyed watching him throw the ball for his dog, evident he had some training in baseball, the love for his four legged companion evident in the way he looked at her or rubbed her side when she came back with the ball for him to throw again. Sometimes he tried to tease the dog, pretending the throw the ball but really it was still in his hand. The dog would usually just look up at it's master, with a look that often brought a laugh to the other man's face.
Ueda laughed along with the other man as one of these moments occurred. Nudging his glasses further up his nose Ueda told himself to stop watching the gorgeous stranger and go back to his book. Within seconds he felt something bounce onto his outstretched legs. Peering around his book, Ueda had enough time to notice the tennis ball sitting in his lap before he had the stranger's dog jump into his lap.
"I'm so sorry about that! The ball got away from me and I didn't expect her to follow it." Kame exclaimed, slight panic evident in his face. This was not that way he had wanted to begin talking to this man.
Ueda laughed after he got over the shock of having a dog in his lap. Scratching the animal behind her floppy ears Kame noticed this man also seemed to have a love for dogs, something that was very important to him. "Don't worry about it. I'm also a dog owner so I don't mind."
Kame squatted, happy to not only have common ground with this person, but also happy he seemed to be able to have a conversation with him. One of the reasons Kame hadn't gone to talk to him the first day he saw him was he was scared he wouldn't be able to speak. It wasn't a fear he was used to having, and the one thing that let him know just how much he was drawn to this man. "What kind of dog do you have?"
"Four golden retrievers." Ueda answered with a smile, taking a moment to peer at Kame through his glasses to gauge the other man's response. He had to stifle a laugh when he noticed the shock he usually got at that little tidbit of information. He was used to, tired of actually, the questions that usually followed but for some reason he found this other man's questioning glance amusing.
"That would explain why you don't mind having a dog in your lap." Kame muttered pleasantly surprising Ueda by not asking him the multitude of questions he was used to.
"Maybe we could get them all together sometime?" Kame asked shyly, looking embarrassed as a slight blush spread across his face. It was obvious to Ueda this man usually didn't act so shy when asking someone on a date, and the way it was worded, Ueda was completely aware that's what was being asked.
Smile spread to it's fullest, Ueda looked down at the dog in his lap to hide just how happy that question had made him, looking back to the other man when he was able to give him a flirty smile over a goofy grin, decided to take the chance. "I'd like that, but I'd like it more if I knew your name."
Kame blushed again as he smiled. He was usually much better at this, not acting like a teenager asking his crush to prom. "Kamenashi Kazuya."
"Can I see your phone, Kamenashi Kazuya?" Ueda flirted, he was enjoying this probably more then he should be but it had been awhile since he met someone who responded to him this way. Kame handed over his phone after unlocking it so Ueda could do what he planned. He had to admit he found Kame's trust in him reassuring, some people would ask to see a phone so they could steal it. After entering the information Ueda handed back the phone, Kame looking over the information with a shy smile.
"Nice to meet you Ueda Tatsuya, I will most certainly be using this information." Kame stated, finally getting back into his normal flirting game. He hated to admit it, but now that he had the name and phone number he felt much more confident.
Ueda shifted Ran-chan off his lap before standing, Kame following suit. "I really hope you do." Ueda stood still for a moment before deciding to act on his one desire. Turning off his brain, so it couldn't yell at him for what he was about to do, Ueda took a step forward placing a light kiss on Kame's lips. The kiss was like every cliché Ueda had ever heard, time stood still for that small moment as the two of them seemed to be the only people in the world. Ueda didn't notice anything beyond the feel of Kame's soft lips beneath his and the feeling of Kame wrapping his arms around his waist. It hadn't been his intention when it started, but soon Ueda found himself deepening the kiss until he felt Kame's tongue mesh with his own. Pulling away before he could get too caught up in the moment, Ueda couldn't help but let out a sigh of awful contentment. That had been one hell of a first kiss.
"Oh yeah, I'm going to use that number," Kame murmured letting Ueda know the kiss had been just as great for the other man too.
"Why wait?" Ueda asked. Kame looked at him in pure disbelief, not believing for a second this was actually happening.
Kame shook his head, letting out a pure blissful and unbelieving laugh. There was no way this was actually happening, this didn't happen outside of the movies.
Ueda joined in with his own laughter, and it was the most beautiful laughter Kame had ever heard. "So do you want to come home with me and meet my dogs?"
Without words Kame cradled Ueda face between his hands and kissed him again. Ueda's eyes fluttered closed as their lips met, something inside him telling him his life would never be the same again. He didn't know how he knew, but he had a feeling that Kame would always be in his life now, and he had the little dog to thank for that.
The early spring breeze fluttered into Ueda's room waking him up with a slight chill. Cuddling under the blankets to try and keep warm, he couldn't help but notice the smells wafting into his room from the kitchen. It had been a year now, and yet he was still not used to the thought of Kame cooking him breakfast almost every morning.
Yet in some ways it was hard to believe they had met one year ago, almost to the day. In some ways it felt like Kame had been in his life forever, and yet in others it felt like they had met yesterday. They had been inseparable ever since he had taken Kame home that fateful day at the park. Over the last year the two of them had to fight with other people trying to tell them their relationship wouldn't last, that they had rushed into things. Ueda had seen it as why put off the inevitable. He admitted that sleeping with Kame the day they met might not have been the best choice, but he also knew that Kame was right for him.
Running his hands over Ran-chan's fur as she continued to doze by his pillow, Ueda got up and wrapped his robe around his chilly body. Heading downstairs Ueda walked into the kitchen where he placed his cold hands under his lover's shirt causing the younger man to yelp at the chill.
Turning around Kame wrapped his arms around the love of his life's waist, kissing him lightly. "Was that really necessary?"
Ueda nodded, feigning seriousness while he answered, "absolutely," before breaking into his full smile as Kame kissed him again. He had never thought there would be a time when he’d turn into a love sick fool, but even after a year of being together with Kame he was still exactly that.
Taking Ueda's hands out from under his shirt, Kame took ahold of them with a look of excitement on his face. "I have something for you."
Curiosity peaked as Ueda allowed himself to be pulled to the backyard door. Curiosity was turned into confusion when he saw the potted tree sitting just beside the sliding glass door leading to the backyard. "You bought me a tree?"
"Do you remember what day it is?" Kame asked, wrapping his arms around Ueda's waist as he hugged the slender man from behind.
"Am I supposed to?" Ueda asked, now afraid he had forgotten something crucial to their relationship.
Kame chuckled before placing a kiss on Ueda's shoulder. Resting his chin on the exact spot his had just kissed, he whispered into his lover's ear. "I didn't think you would remember, but today is a day I will never forget. Exactly one year ago today is when I first saw you in the park reading under a cherry tree."
Ueda looked at the potted tree with new clarity, it suddenly becoming the most treasured gift he had ever received. Turning around in Kame's arms Ueda asked in a hushed tone, "you bought me a cherry tree?"
"I want to plant it in the backyard, to give you a place to call your very own in a few years. I want to take care of it with you, since it's what brought us together in the first place. I want to watch you sit under it reading in the springs to come, with the petals falling around you, and to fall in love with you all over again." Kame started, voice thick with emotion.
"I fell in love with you on that day, and I plan on falling in love with you everyday for the rest of my life," Kame concluded tearing up as he watched Ueda cry from the emotion.
Ueda was unable to say anything, so instead he cradled Kame's face in his hands and kissed him. He poured all the emotion he was feeling into the kiss, for not the first time, he was thankful that the tennis ball had fallen into his lap that fateful day. He never would have believed that his life could be changed by a cherry tree and a tennis ball. Now he had his own cherry tree to never forget the moment with, all that was left was to get Ran-chan a life supply of tennis balls.