{ONESHOT} You're not stupid
TITLE: You're Not Stupid
PAIRING: Maruda (Ono Keigo x Takimoto Kuuya) - Last Money x Runaway
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Ono thought nothing of it when a man ran into him that day. But when he sees him again, things change.
GENRE: Romance, fluff.
WARNING: Drama crossover.
DISCLAIMER: Do not own.
A/N: Written for chuckles0505 for the help_pilipinas fundraiser. Hope this is okay! I went slightly (a lot) over the wordcount. :D
Ono Keigo liked his job. He liked insurance; he liked handing out the insurance money to the people who really needed it. He liked seeing their faces as he told them that the forms had all gone through and that everything was going to be fine; loved seeing the sheer gratitude shining in their eyes as they bowed to him, tears threatening to fall.
Those were the days he would go home happy.
And then there was that day, when those four ran past him. He hadn’t thought much of it, just that it was odd to see three men and a little girl together, but then another man had rushed around the corner, running headlong into Ono's shoulder and sending him sprawling to the ground.
Ono grunted, scraping his hands as he landed on the asphalt road, his briefcase opening and papers flying everywhere. The man stopped, and Ono looked up at him in annoyance, but the other just smiled widely and held out a hand. Ono took it, immediately surprised by his strength as he helped him up.
"Oops," he said, "Didn't see you there."
He was beautiful. His facial features were petite, his eyes large and expressive. His gaze was intense, and Ono felt it go right through his body. "It's okay," he stuttered, and the other grinned.
"Kuuya!" One of the others shouted, from around the corner, "Hurry up or we're leaving you behind!"
The man - Kuuya - gave a mock-salute to Ono before running off again, following the others and disappearing around the corner just as a group of policeman came into view down the road.
Ono just stood there in a daze, watching the men as they came closer, stomping on his papers and leaving muddy footprints all over them. "Have you see these four men?" one man asked him, panting, showing Ono four photos. "They have a young girl with them." The policeman brandished another photograph.
Now, Ono Keigo was a rational man. He was law-abiding, he was careful. And so, he didn't know why he just shook his head, watching the policemen nod to him in thanks and carry on their way. He sighed to himself, bending down and catching the remaining papers which hadn't blown away, and stuffed them very unceremoniously back into his briefcase.
Ono thought nothing more of the coincidental meeting, until he was sitting in the restaurant he frequented, staring blankly into his ramen as the others talked around him. Mukojima-san was telling them of some deep story, but Ono wasn't listening. He was focused on the people huddled around the table in the corner, their caps pulled low over their eyes and talking fast.
The men stood to leave, grabbing their bags and ushering the young girl out with them, making sure their faces weren't seen. Ono stood up too, catching their attention, and cleared his throat.
They stopped and stared at him, until Kuuya's face brightened. "Oh, you're the one from the other day!" he said happily, earning a glare from one of the other men.
"Kuuya, we have to go," the one with the young face was saying, but the man didn't move. The others were impatient, and were looking about nervously, making sure their hats covered their faces, but Kuuya just watched him, his eyes dark and intense. Ono shivered, feeling that stare go right through him, and he found that he couldn't look away.
"Kuuya!"
"I'll stay here," Kuuya said slowly. Ono blinked and looked back down to his ramen, feeling his insides tumble about themselves. Kisaragi-san raised his eyebrows suspiciously but went back to his food, more interested in the vegetables Mukojima-san was slowly picking out of his own lunch and placing onto Kisaragi-san's plate than the men in front of him.
"Why-- You're a complete idiot," another sighed, and the three left, the little girl giving Kuuya a last look before following them. "We'll be back at the hotel room."
"Bye!" Kuuya said, waving his arms widely. Once they were out the door and out of sight, Kuuya grabbed Ono's arm and dragged him around the table. "Buy me lunch? Really? Thankyou!"
"But I-- I didn't say anything!" Ono argued, and was dragged over to that corner table. "I already had lunch..."
"That's nice," Kuuya said distractedly. "Why are those people staring at us?" he asked, before his face brightened. "Hi!" he practically shouted, waving at them until they turned away. He laughed.
Ono tried to shrink back into the wall. "Are you always like this?"
"Like what?" Kuuya asked, nose in the menu. "I'll have the ramen!"
"What kind of ramen?"
"...Oh! ...the...pork? How's the pork?" Kuuya asked, leaning forward over the table and right into Ono's personal space.
"I don't know," he answered, "mine's over there, getting cold."
Kuuya just laughed. "Oh!" he said suddenly, putting the menu down. "What's your name?"
Ono squirmed, feeling his insides dance again at the shine in Kuuya's eyes. "Ono Keigo," he said nervously.
"Why are you so down, Ono?" Kuuya asked, leaning his elbows against the table.
"Huh?"
"You look upset," he said, leaning over to poke Ono in between his eyebrows, "Your eyes are sad."
"...No, I'm not," Ono said, busying himself with re-folding Kuuya's menu. "Ah, your food is here."
The waitress set the food down infront of Kuuya, who smiled happily at her. "Thankyou!" he chirped. "So, Ono-san," he said, that wide smile still on his face, "What's the matter? You can tell me," he mock-whispered, leaning in again. "I won't bite."
Ono wasn't so sure of that. "I'm fine, really," he said. "Thankyou for your concern, but I--"
"This is really delicious!" Kuuya exclaimed, and Ono had to laugh. He was eccentric, with his big gestures and exaggerated way of speaking, but those eyes. Those eyes told you that there was more to him. They spoke of a depth that he would probably not let anyone see. And for some reason, some unfathomable reason, Ono found himself wishing that he could be the one to see another side of him.
He didn't know why; he had only met him a few hours ago.
"How did-- You're finished already?" Ono exclaimed, and Kuuya beamed at him.
"Shall we get out of here?" he asked, but was already pulling the flustered Ono after him. "You old men can pay for our share, right?" he shouted back to Mukojima-san and the others, who just watched them go with amused expressions.
"Didn't know Ono swung that way," was all Mukojima said, before laughing to himself and picking more vegetables out of his dish. Kisaragi-san clucked his tongue.
Ono managed to wrench his arm out of Kuuya's grip the moment they ran through the door. "What do you want?" he asked, sure that he should be feeling angry rather than... was that excitement?
"At the moment?" Kuuya asked, and thought for a while. "I want coffee. Which way?"
Ono sighed, but led him in the right direction. "No," Kuuya suddenly said, tugging on Ono's arm, "I've changed my mind."
"What?"
"I want something else," he said, and grabbed onto Ono's sleeve, pulling him into an alleyway. "I want something and I know you're just gonna tell me I'm being stupid, but I still want it."
Ono wasn't following any of this. "What?"
Kuuya went silent, looking down at his feet, and Ono wanted nothing more than to take that cap off his head so he could see his eyes. "I want you...to kiss me," came the answer, and Ono stared.
"...What?"
But then that grin was back on Kuuya's face. "Nothing! That was stupid, right? All the others tell me I'm stupid, and I know it, but--"
"Okay."
Kuuya's smile dropped. "Huh?"
Ono's palms were sweaty; his stomach was doing backflips; his heart felt as though it were about to jump out of his chest; and he was standing in the middle of an alleyway with an escaped prisoner.
Why the hell not. "I'll kiss you."
Kuuya's eyes were wide, and it seemed as though he couldn't speak. "Wh--you--I... what?"
"What's wrong? Don't you want me to?"
"Yes!" Kuuya said, hurrying to correct him, "It's just that... I didn't think you'd actually do it."
So Ono had no choice but to move forward, carefully placing his hands on Kuuya's upper arms and leaning in. "I'm going to take your hat off; I hope you don't mind."
Kuuya laughed, a little breathlessly. "It's fine," he said, in a small voice.
Ono lifted a hand, and slowly took the cap off, tossing it to the ground. Kuuya's hair was short, slowly growing out from his time in prison. Kuuya was looking up at him silently now, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes now that the cap was gone and there was nothing to hide behind.
Ono bent down, quickly brushing his lips against Kuuya's and drawing away again. "There you go," he said, but Kuuya raised an eyebrow.
"That was it?" he said, but before Ono could answer, Kuuya was pulling him forward, kissing him deeply, and Ono forgot what he was going to say. He forgot everything, really, and just concentrated on kissing him back, loving the way his short hair felt between his fingers. Kuuya made a small sound at the back of his throat, all needy and desperate, and Ono found himself pinning Kuuya to the opposite wall, mouthing at his throat.
"Ono--" Kuuya stuttered, "Please.... stop--I can't--"
So Ono pulled away, panting, and leaving Kuuya gasping. "Sorry, I got...carried away."
"It's fine, really," Kuuya smiled, and Ono couldn't help but place a tiny kiss to it.
"Why did you want me to do that?" Ono asked, "Not that I minded in the least."
Kuuya seemed lost in thought for a while. "I think... I don't know. I saw something in you, the other day. I don't know what it was... But I saw it again today." Kuuya shrugged, leaning down to grab his hat. "I don't know. I'm stupid. I'm sorry."
"Stop apologising," Ono said, holding onto Kuuya's wrist, "And stop saying you're stupid."
"Why?"
"Because you're not. Not really."
Something changed behind Kuuya's eyes, then, and he leant up and pressed a tender kiss to Ono's lips. "Thankyou."
END.