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“Really?” Shirakawa asks with an expression of supreme disdain on his face. He looks pointedly across the room where Carlos hasn't stopped staring, then back at Carlos again. “Really.”
He’s the enemy, is what Shirakawa is trying to say.
Except to Carlos, absolutely nothing could matter less. He loves winning, but nothing is ever personal when it comes to being on the field.
“C’mon, don’t ruin this for me,” Carlos murmurs, finally looking away from the corner of the living room where a ridiculous bout of karaoke is going strong. “We play each other like once a year. Stop glaring at him.”
Shirakawa raises an eyebrow at him. “Gonna let your dick overrule your brain again, huh?”
Carlos shrugs. There’s more to it than that, but Shirakawa is obviously not in the mood to listen. “Sometimes they’re in perfect accord.”
“Yeah, well, good luck with that,” Shirakawa replies sarcastically, shoving another beer into Carlos’ hand. “I look forward to watching you strike out all evening.”
“Wow, rooting against me,” Carlos chuckles, leaning in close and tapping his beer to Shirakawa’s in silent cheers before taking a swig. “Now who’s the enemy?”
Haruichi is still with his group of friends off to the side when Carlos wanders in and grabs the last free seat in the room. He lets himself stare, because is there any better compliment? Carlos would be happy to say what he’s thinking, but he’s not sure Haruichi is ready to hear it just yet. So, he lets his eyes speak for him, instead.
His stature hasn’t changed much since high school even a year into college, staying on the petite and short side. His face has leaned out a bit, and his arms have bulked up but overall he’s the same to Carlos. He’s wearing a black hoodie, and a pair of baggy, beige capris.
They’ve been playing this game of back and forth for a few weekends now, whenever they see each other at parties. He’s different at parties than he is during games, obviously. He’s more relaxed, he laughs more. But the sharp intelligence in his eyes and the manipulative little smirk he always has are both still there.
He notices Carlos staring. He sort of has to, given that Carlos isn’t trying to hide it. Those same eyes spark and smile at him from across the room. Carlos crooks a finger at him with a wide grin, knowing exactly what that’s going to provoke.
He gets more than he bargained for.
Haruichi roams over after waiting a long eight minutes, standing at the edge of his chair. “Hey,” Carlos drawls out, enjoying the way Haruichi’s lips straighten out into a fine line of concentration when he looks at Carlos. “You wanna hang out?”
There’s a half-shrug like Haruichi couldn’t care less, but it feels calculated. “It’s kinda crowded in here. Where would I even sit?”
Carlos gestures to his chair, implying that he’ll get up and let Haruichi sit down.
Except…
Haruichi sits down in his lap.
“Thanks for offering,” Haruichi says, a secret little smile flirting with his lips, even as his cheeks fill with the faintest hint of pink.
Now that’s what Carlos enjoys most about Haruichi. He’s fierce and determined, ready to take anything he wants, even as it flusters him.
He just hadn’t thought Haruichi would take it quite this far. He’s a light weight in Carlos’ lap, nothing but firm pressure on his legs. The warmth of his body spreads over Carlos. More than anything, the position shines a spotlight on their size difference.
If Carlos were to lean forward and wrap his arms around Haruichi’s torso, if he could just nuzzle into the space behind his ear and whisper hushed words into his skin, then Carlos would have him enveloped on all sides.
He’d really really like to do that.
That feels like pushing things too hard right now. It’s too forward. Carlos doesn’t want to ruin what he already has at the moment, so he opts for flirting over touching.
For now.
“Awfully forward of you,” Carlos chuckles, swaying forward just the slightest into Haruichi’s space. “Careful now, or you’ll make me blush.”
Haruichi rolls his eyes, settling into Carlos’ lap more comfortably. The little wiggle makes Carlos fight to sit still. Christ, this kid is gonna destroy him from the inside out. “I can’t picture you blushing, ever,” Haruichi comments, looking at him from under hooded lashes. “You’re pretty shameless.”
Carlos puts a hand up to his chest, as if the remark is a direct arrow into his heart. “You wound me. I’m honest, not shameless.”
“Is that what you’re calling it these days?” Haruichi says, his lips quirking up. “What a good way to stay out of trouble.”
“I bet you know all about that, don’t you?” Carlos asks, finally giving in and fitting his hand perfectly into the small of Haruichi’s back. “I bet you start all sorts of problems then stand back and watch with a little grin in the corner. I bet no one even notices.”
“No one except you, hmm?” Haruichi meets his eyes directly for the first time. It feels different. Intense and too close when they’re like this. Carlos doesn’t have a clue what’s going on around them. He can’t focus on anything else. “Since you never stop looking at me when we’re in the same room together.”
Carlos lets his thumb move in a tiny circle where it rests on Haruichi’s back. “You’re just gonna call me out like that, are you?” He winks at Haruichi, happily owning up to it. “What can I say? Some people deserve that kind of attention.”
“And you think I’m one of them, is that it?” The question doesn’t come out as flirtatious as Carlos would have expected. There’s only genuine curiosity, and the hint of a challenge.
“Don’t make it sound like that,” Carlos responds, dipping his head low and near. He waits until Haruichi moves closer a fraction, too, because there’s what Carlos wants , and then there’s what he wants to earn.
“There’s no ‘one of them,’” Carlos promises. “There’s only one.”
Haruichi's eyes widen, just a tad. He hides the rest of his reaction behind a knowing smile. He hasn't moved away from the way Carlos has positioned them even closer. "Like I'm going to believe that."
Carlos knows his reputation doesn't do him any favors, but most of the rumors are overblown falsehoods that he just hasn't bothered to correct. "I guess I'll just have to prove myself."
Not that Carlos minds that idea at all. He's never really spent time pursuing anyone with any seriousness. Never cared that much if he gets a yes or a no when he asks someone out. He'd like to pretend that he has those same feelings of nonchalance right now, but it's not possible. Not when he's seen Haruichi at bat, on the field, intense and amazing and someone worthy of his utmost respect. Not when he's enjoyed watching Haruichi play the mastermind behind the scenes over and over again. Carlos has never met anyone quite like him and he's captured his attention in a way no one else has before.
"I guess you will," Haruichi says, and the words feel like permission. Which is absurd, given that Haruichi is sitting on his lap, forward and flirty. But somehow this explicit response, this idea that he's encouraging Carlos to come after him says so much more.
"Gonna be kinda hard to do that if I don't know how to get in touch with you." Carlos chuckles, wondering if Haruichi is going to make him work harder for that, too.
He doesn't, though. He gives Carlos his number. He stays on his lap for another twenty minutes, until Carlos thinks he's going to lose his mind. He leaves with a teasing wave of his fingers.
He finds Carlos later when he goes outside for a moment of fresh air.
It takes until he sees Haruichi's wide, surprised eyes to remember he's taken his shirt off. "You're really sticking to the 'I'm not shameless line,' still?" Haruichi asks with a small snort.
"You're the one who came out here just to find me," Carlos drawls, ignoring the taunt. Because what really matters is the heat behind the gaze that hasn't strayed away from him. "Let me guess. You're looking for a good time and no one else can compare."
"You're a little insufferable," Haruichi says but it doesn't look like he's bothered by that in any way.
"Is that your type?" Carlos questions in amusement, taking a step forward. He's never been one to enjoy the way he's always taller than others, but he can't help the thrill that runs through him when he puts a finger on Haruichi's chin and tips his face up to meet his eyes. "Someone you need to put in their place?"
Haruichi glares up at him, eyes sparking and electric. He gets the feeling that Haruichi would be the type to climb on top of him if they laid down together, ready to do anything to equalize their size difference. "Considering I'm talking to you right now, I guess so."
"Well, don't let me stop you from that effort," Carlos murmurs, heat pooling in the base of his spine and he takes one last step forward, cupping Haruichi's cheek in his palm. The sight of it, the reminder again that Haruichi is a petite firestorm ready to take him on head-to-head, makes excitement thrum through his veins.
Haruichi's index finger slips into the waistband of his pants, tugging him even closer. He tangles the fingers of his other hand in the strands of hair at the base of Carlos' neck. "Next time I'll make you ask nicely for that kind of thing."
Holy—
He can barely process that before there's the stretch of Haruichi along his body, clothes scratchy against his bare chest. Then there's the way he has to rise up on damn near his toes to get to Carlos' mouth. His only thought before he slants his mouth over Haruichi's is that he can't possibly let himself lose to this guy again. Not after the way they suffered a crushing loss last year to his team.
Those thoughts don't last long. Not when there's so much sensation to take in.
He's warm in Carlos' grasp when he puts an arm around Haruichi's waist. Carlos uses his thumb to brush over Haruichi's soft cheekbone, the shell of his ear, the pulse point in his neck. Then Carlos thumbs ever so lightly at Haruichi's bottom lip, opening his mouth up for something deeper, something more than just a brush of their mouths together.
It's so much better than he'd imagined. Scorching fire and the fathomless pit of whatever is between them. Something deep and true and uncharted. He wants to try this kiss a million different ways. Sitting down and being straddled, in bed with his arms boxing them both in together, sweaty and worn out in a locker room with cold metal against his back, in the warm water of a bath with slippery skin against his own.
Haruichi snickers into their kiss when Carlos' groans at the way teeth nibble at his lip, at the way fingers pull at his hair, at the way his thoughts are spiraling into too much, too fast, not enough.
Carlos presses forward, harder and bending Haruichi back a little into his arms, testing the boundaries of the space between them. He tests that line with his tongue, too. Slicking into an eager mouth, and is rewarded with the feeling of fingers curling into the exposed muscles of his abdomen.
He pulls back when he hears the softest of whimpers from Haruichi, a breathy whine for more. Carlos wants more, too. But he'd been asked to prove something earlier, and spending all night kissing Haruichi outside while their drunk friends are a step away partying isn't the way to do it.
"Are you free next weekend?" Carlos feels the hot panting of Haruichi's breath against his cheek before he settles back onto his heels, putting distance between them again. The color is high on Haruichi's cheeks, and he looks absolutely stunning. Carlos wants to chase after him again, wants to tuck him into an embrace.
He doesn't. He can't.
Because Carlos still has things to earn and he believes in doing things right without shortcuts.
"I'll have to check my calendar," Haruichi answers with a quicksilver grin, even as his lips are shiny from Carlos' tongue. "Maybe send me a message and I'll let you know."
Carlos would laugh if he could find the space in his lungs for it.
"Gonna make me ask nicely, huh?"
Haruichi winks at him. A return of what Carlos had offered up at the beginning of the night and his heart beats impossibly faster.
"Obviously."